Healthy Work Environment

A Healthy Work Environment: Essential in Providing Quality Health Care Kimberly Lett DeVry University ENGL135: Advanced Composition Fall term 2010 A Healthy Work Environment: Essential in Providing Quality Health Care The delivery of healthcare has evolved and changed over the years and with the advances in science and technology, the ability to provide safe, quality care to all patients has been impacted by the changes. With the rising healthcare costs and decrease in reimbursement for care provided, organizations must look for ways of cost containment to maintain viability for the future. Fabre (2005) noted that administrators are struggling to maintain financial stability and retain competent nurses during these difficult financial times. Organizations are being evaluated and reimbursed based on their patient care outcomes; as such the nurse’s role is critical in helping to identify potential safety risks to patients and the prevention of medical errors. As hospitals have responded to financial pressure from Medicare, managed care , and other private payers, registered nurses have become increasingly dissatisfied with the working conditions in hospitals† (Fabre, 2005, p. 20). One of the many challenges in healthcare today, is the need for organizations to recognize and facilitate the improvement of the work environment. The need for competent, qualified nurses in any organization is i mperative for providing safe, quality care to the clients. For this reason the critical role that nurses have in providing patient safety should not be underestimated. The Institute of Medicine (2004) reported â€Å" research is now beginning to document what physicians, patients, other healthcare providers, and nurses themselves have long known: how well we are cared for by nurses affects our health, and sometimes can be a matter of life or death† (p. 2). The importance of a healthy work environment has been recognized as a key component in maximizing organizational performance, contributing to a decrease in the nursing shortage within an organization and is vital in providing quality care to the clients they serve. The growing concern for the nursing shortage continues to be a major issue affecting the profession and attention is being given to the stressful nature of the work environment. Several national surveys were completed in 2002 and 2004, identifying reasons for the ongoing nursing shortage, one of the major concerns centered on the work environment (Florida Center of Nursing, 2006). Organizations are looking at ways of restructuring the work environment, enabling staff nurses the opportunity to participate in decisions that impact their ability to practice. McDonald, Tullai-McGuinness, Madigan, and Shively (2010) remarked that workplaces that have a supportive work environment have noted success in recruitment and retention of their work force, citing an increase in job satisfaction and improved patient outcomes. With nurses making up the largest percentage of professionals working in a hospital setting, organizations now recognize the importance of the nurses’ role and measures to improve the workplace are being developed. Lowe (2002) noted â€Å" diagnosing the extent of work environment problems in healthcare is the first step in designing strategies to improve the quality of healthcare workplaces† (p. 49). Hospitals looking to improve on the work environment must first have an understanding of the nurses’ perception of their workplace environment. Kramer and Schmalenberg (2008) noted â€Å"the perspective of clinical nurses at the front line as to what constitutes a healthy work environment is essential if interventions to improve practice environments in hospitals are to be implemented† (p. 57). Once an organization is able to identify distinctive characteristics that have an impact on staff and their environment, they are then able to proceed in developing strategies to improve the work culture. All members of the healthcare team, including staff, management, and administrators, must be committed to the development of a healthy work environment as well as sustaining the culture through modeled behavior. Practical techniques to assist in the development of staff friendly cultures are clearly identified, with long term strategies implemented rather than short term fixes, for all members of the organization. To help facilitate and guide organizations, professional groups have designed several programs available for their use in fostering a healthy work environment (Florida Center of Nursing, 2006). The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ACNN) sponsors the Magnet Recognition Program, which focuses on the development of nursing practices and evaluates the environment where nursing is practiced. This program is well recognized by organizations throughout the country, as the Magnet Journey and is considered to be one of the highest achievements that organizations can obtain (Broom, & Tilbury, 2007). Organizations that strive to achieve the Magnet designation, acknowledge the link between a healthy work environment and the development of an organization of nursing excellence. Hospitals utilizing the Magnet concept demonstrate the following characteristics; (a) authentic leadership, (b) skilled communication, (c) effective decision making, (d) quality patient care processes, (e) collaboration and teamwork among all healthcare workers, (f) professional growth and accountability, (g) clinically competent staff and (h) adequate staffing levels (Shirey, 2006). All the above components are essential and linked to the effectiveness of a quality work culture. An online survey of clinical nurses, conducted by the AACN, were asked to identify factors that had an impact on their satisfaction with nursing as well as potential reasons that might cause them to leave the profession ( Ulrich et al. , 2006). Leadership style was identified as a key component affecting nurses’ satisfaction with their job. Nursing leadership is a crucial element to the work environment of nurses, as it is the leaders who can bring about positive changes to the environment (Florida Center of Nursing, 2006). The importance of effective leadership from all levels of management in any organization is essential in developing and promoting collaboration with their employees. A manager’s ability to foster leadership growth, and recognize the importance and expertise of the nursing staff will have a major advantage in retention of competent nurses in their units. In essence, leaders who can motivate and provide opportunities for their staff, and demonstrate a high level of role model behavior, have higher levels of staff participation and commitment to the organization. Authentic leadership is characterized as one that establishes relationships which are based on trust, respect, and can be considered genuine and believable (Shirey, 2006). Leaders that demonstrate excellent management styles are participatory, coaching and mentoring, they encourage and value staff members and support staff involvement in decision making that has an impact on their work environment (Tomey, 2008). The importance of effective leadership, with staff and management working together, is noted by their ability to create a shared vision for the organization through collaboration and continuous improvement of the work environment. Shirey (2006) noted â€Å"authentic leadership was described as the glue needed to hold together a healthy work environment† (p. 256). Another influential factor in the workplace is skilled communication among all levels of the healthcare team. Key components when utilizing one’s communication skills include verbal and nonverbal interactions and enhanced listening skills, all are vital in ensuring effective communication. Because communication happens continuously in the workplace between employees, managers and customers, it plays a vital role in the development of healthy relationships. Fabre (2005) noted that nursing staff expect sincerity, trust and good communication from all levels of leadership within the organization. Communicating openly and honestly allows for individuals to deal with one another in a respectful manner, build trust and have an appreciation for each other. A healthy relationship among co-workers enhances the communication process, allowing collaboration and teamwork, which in turn leads to a decrease in medical errors and fosters a safe environment for patient care. The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) remarked that the 80% of medication errors and 70% of sentinel events that occurred in delivery of patient care were directly related to ineffective communication among the care providers (Florida Center of Nursing, 2006). Interactions among nurses, physicians, patients and managers, all have a direct impact on the quality of care delivered. In order to provide optimal patient care, it becomes crucial for all members of the healthcare team to communicate effectively with one another. Interpersonal relationships and collaborative teamwork among nurses, physicians and other members of the healthcare team are crucial to the delivery of quality care to the patients (Parsons, & Cornett, 2005). Another important aspect of a healthy work environment is one where nurses are supported and feel empowered to participate in decision making. Ulrich et al. (2006) reported the Institute of Medicine advocates for frontline staff to be involved and entrusted in the decision making and delivery of the patient care provided. When nurses are given the opportunity to participate in clinical and organizational decisions and receive support for their efforts, it fosters personal accountability and autonomy for all staff involved. Empowerment of the nursing staff establishes the groundwork for a positive workplace with collaboration and meaningful communication, enabling professional development and growth within the organization (Parsons, & Cornett, 2005). Organizations that promote staff involvement in the development of policies and procedures, fosters support for the nurses’ ability to use their critical thinking skills in determining what is the best plan of care for their patients. Nurses need to feel safe and secure in their work environment to be effective in utilizing their critical thinking skills. Kouzes (as cited by Fabre, 2005) remarked â€Å"the key to unleashing the organization’s potential to excel is putting that power in the hands of the people who perform the work (p. 7). When staff members are engaged and feel valued as member of the team, a true sense of autonomy is present in their daily care of patients. Fabre (2005) remarked it is extremely important for nurses to be autonomous, allowing them the ability to make decisions about direct patient care in their daily practice. One such method for getting staff members involved is through the use of shared governance committees within their units. Direct care nurses participating on these councils, are involved with decision making regarding positive patient care models as well as nursing satisfaction and retention (Florida Center of Nursing, 2006). Nurses working in positive work environments demonstrate mutual respect for one another, show consistent professional collaboration among all team members and function as high performance team members in their organizations. Vollers, Hill, Roberts, Dambaugh, and Brenner (2009) noted â€Å"nurses affect patients’ outcomes by their direct actions and their influence over the actions of other† (p. 24). It becomes easier for employees to recognize and accept the need for change, problem solve and decrease stress in their workplace. Another important aspect relating to nursing satisfaction is the importance of professional development. Organizations that are recognized for their high standard of patient care acknowledge the importance of their nursing staff and provide opportunities for personal and professional growth. Successful organizations offer various learning avenues for their employees. Emphasis is placed on orientation for new staff members, in-service education, continuing education as well as formal education and career development (Tomey, 2008). Nurses recognize that continuing education and competency go hand and hand and is imperative for professional development as well as patient safety. Individuals, who are given the opportunity to grow and develop their skills and abilities within an organization, will be happier and more productive at work. Another avenue of development for nursing is certification in their specialty. A certified nurse provides a level of expertise at the bedside when caring for his/her patients. Ulrich et al. (2006) noted the correlation between certified nurses and improved patient care; nurses were able to quickly identify the problem and intervene appropriately to the issue at hand. Nurses who embrace the idea of lifelong learning are able to adjust to the ever changing needs in healthcare and are much more satisfied in their job roles. Personal and professional growth is valued in organizations, where managers are committed to providing time and resources for staff learning and educational opportunities (Institute of Medicine, 2004). A shift in management thinking, from controlling to guiding staff, becomes an important step for staff development which in turn improves quality of nursing care. A common concern that nurses have with their current work environment is one of inadequate staffing levels. Hospitals that employ the concepts of magnet empower their nurses to make decisions about appropriate staffing levels. Management and staff nurses work together to build safe staffing strategies to meet the needs of the individual units. This collaboration between staff and management, builds trust, empowers the nursing staff and enables nurses to feel they have personal accountability for the success of their organization (Fabre, 2005). Organizations have struggled with trying to determine the number of nurses needed to provide safe, quality patient care and do so in a cost effective manner. The Institute of Medicine (2004) remarked that experts have recognized that healthcare organizations need to be aware, that overemphasis on efficiency and productivity may have a negative impact on patient safety. With the added stress of providing care for sicker patients with fewer nurses at the bedside, less time is available for nurses to meet all the physical, mental and psychosocial needs of the patients. Morgan and Lynn (2009) remarked â€Å"being pressed for time and energy, nurses describe their work in terms of survival; the luxuries of meaningful care interactions with patients are forgone† (p. 07). Often nurses feel they have time to only perform the minimum amount of basic care; and patient education, basic comforting and advocating for the patient is omitted. The lack of resources in staffing as well as a poor working environment is extremely dissatisfying to the nursing staff and impacts patient outcomes. â€Å"Research indicates that nurse staffing has a defin ite and measurable impact on patient outcomes, medical errors, length of stay, nurse turnover, and organizational outcomes† (Florida Center of Nursing, 2006, p. 5). There is no single action that guarantees a foolproof solution to patient safety during one’s hospitalization, but consideration of staffing levels has played a critical role in providing that safe care. Buchan and Aiken (2008) noted an association between higher nurse staffing ratios and a decrease in medical complications and patient mortality. Staff nurses recognize high risk situations and patient safety concerns, when understaffed they are often times unable to prevent these catastrophic incidents. Safety is a patient’s right and they deserve the nurse’s best efforts. Fabre (2005) noted that the success of nurses as well the healthcare organization is dependent on a positive healthy work environment. Patient safety needs to be the most important goal for any organization. Culture does matters and a healthy work environment makes the difference in an organization’s performance. The importance of promoting health, through the use of wellness programs, as well as prevention of illness for employees in an organization should not be overlooked. Staff should be supported and encouraged to participate in their own health management. Burton (2008) remarked â€Å"it is intuitively obvious that unhealthy, stressed employees will cost a company something in terms of absenteeism and decreased productivity† (p. 3). A positive work environment fosters healthy lifestyles, behaviors and enables individuals to develop coping skills to deal with stress on a daily basis. The financial benefits versus the cost of creating a healthy work environment can be cost neutral. Many of the magnet concepts, if developed in the workplace, are done with no direct costs to the hospitals. Changes in leadership styles, supportive and respectful behavior towards staff and empowering nurses in the decision making does not cost the organization money (Burton, 2008). All these factors will have a significant impact on the work environment; improving the physical and mental wellbeing of staff members. Patients trust and recommend hospitals because of the nursing care they receive. Fabre (2005) noted an important reminder to hospitals; patients tell their family, friends and neighbors about the care, good or bad, they received while a patient in their organization. Excellent patient care coupled with patient satisfaction is what attracts people to an organization. Healthcare organizations that demonstrate and promote healthy work environments will become the employer of choice in their communities. Burton (2008) noted that administrators of an organization cannot argue the fact that their reputation is extremely important in the community in relation to the success of their facility. Patients do notice the difference and when hospitals are able to recruit and retain the best nurses in the community; this nursing excellence has the ability to drive the success of the organization. Whether an organization chooses to seek Magnet designation or not, the concepts can still be utilized in any organization towards the development of a healthy work environment. It is important that organizations recognize the need for development of strategies that foster a healthy work environment, where staff are valued and acknowledged for their contributions and have a desire to work in their facilities. The association between a healthy work environment and the health and wellbeing of the nursing staff correlates to the impact on the quality of care provided to the patients they serve. It is evident that the continuity of patient care, recruitment and retention of competent nursing staff and organizational viability are all greatly impacted by the nurses’ work environment. Maintaining a healthy workplace remains a challenge in healthcare and must be seen as an ongoing process. Healthcare organizations that are able to develop and sustain quality workplaces will be able to meet the demands of healthcare in the future by retaining competent nursing staff and meeting the health needs of their communities. . References Broom, C. , & Tilbury, M. S. (2007). Magnet Status: A journey, not a destination. Journal of Nursing Care Quality, 22(2), 113-118 Buchan, J. , & Aiken, L. (2008). Solving nursing shortages: a common priority. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 17, 3262-3268. Burton, J. (2008). The business case for a healthy workplace. Retrieved January 24, 2011 from: http://www. iapa. ca/pdf/fd_business_case_healthy_workplace. pdf Fabre, J. (2005). Smart nursing: How to create a positive work environment that empowers and retains nurses. New York, New York: Springer Publishing Company, Inc. Florida Center of Nursing. (2006). The value of a healthy work environment. 1-20. Retrieved January 28, 2011 from http://www. flcenterfornursing. org/files/healthworkenv. pdf Institute of Medicine of the Nation Academies. (2004). Keeping patients safe: Transforming the work environment. Washington, D. C. : The National Academies Press. Kramer, M. , & Schmalenberg, C. (2008). Confirmation of a healthy work environment. Critical Care Nurse, 28(2), 56-64. Lowe, G. S. (2002). High-Quality Healthcare Workplaces: A vision and action plan. Hospital Quarterly Summer, 49-56. McDonald, S. F. , Tullai-McGuinness, S. , Madigan, E. A. , & Shively, M. (2010). Relationships between staff nurse involvement in organizational structures and perception of empowerment. Critical Care Nursing Quarterly, 33(2), 148-162. Morgan, J. C. , & Lynn, M. R. (2007). Satisfaction in nursing in the context of shortage. Journal of Nursing Management, 17, 401-410. References Parsons, M. L. , & Cornett, P. A. (2005). A healthy emergency department workplace; the staff describe it. Topics in Emergency Medicine, 27(3), 198-205. Shirey, M. R. (2006). Authentic leaders creating healthy work environments for nursing practice. American Journal of Critical Care, 15(3), 256-267. Tomey, A. M. (2009). Nursing leadership and management effects work environments. Journal of Nursing Management, 17, 15-25. Ulrich, B. T. , Lavandero, R. , Hart, K. A. , Woods, D. , Leggett, J. , & Taylor, D. (2006). Critical care nurses’ work environments: a baseline status report. Critical Care Nurse, 26(5), 46-57. Vollers, D. , Hill, E. , Roberts, C. , Dambaugh, L. , & Brenner, Z. R. (2009). AACN’s healthy work environment standards and empowering nurse advancement system. Critical Care Nurse, 26(6), 20-27.

Portfolio: Big five Personality Traits and Oliver P. John Essay

1. Introduction The purpose of this portfolio is to reflect on my experiences and learning’s whilst studying BSB124- Working in Business, particularly what I have learnt about my Intrapersonal and Interpersonal competencies. I will explore my personality trains through the use of the Big Five Inventory (BFI), and explain how they can be beneficial/detrimental to my future career goal. 2. Intrapersonal Intrapersonal effectiveness is defined as â€Å"Understanding yourself (and your goals, strengths, weaknesses, style, biases) and improving self-management skills, such as time management and stress management† (De Janasz, Wood, Gottschalk, Dowd and Schneider 2006, p. 3). 2.1 The Big Five Inventory The Big Five Inventory (BFI) is a personality assessment tool, which has five dimensions including Openness to Experience, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness and Neuroticism (Costa and McCrae, 1992). Research has been conducted to explain how people with varying levels of these traits will perform within the workplace. Research conducted, shows that conscientiousness and emotional stability are positively correlated with job performance in virtually all jobs (Anderson and Viswesvaran 1998; Barrick and Mount 1991; Salgado 1997; Tett et al. 1991), extraversion has been found to be related to job performance in occupations where interactions with others are a significant portion of the job (Barrick and Mount 1991; Mount et al. 1998), agreeableness is said to be positively associated to ratings of teamwork, and openness to experience has been positively related to training performance (Barrick and Mount 1991; Salgado 1997). As you will see in Appendix 1, I am highest in agreeableness, followed by extraversion then openness to experience, with my lowest ratings being conscientiousness and neuroticism. These results are important, as I see myself working as a Public Relations representative for a large, international corporation within the next five (5) to ten (10) years (preferably for a charity organisation such as Ronald McDonald House  Charities). My personality test scores indicate that I am sympathetic, modest, straightforward, sociable, enthusiastic, imaginative, confident and even-tempered; however, I am not very thorough, and there is definitely room for improvement with my organizational skills (Costa and McCrae 1992). According to the handbook of personality (Oliver P. John et al.), being high in extraversion means that I very sociable and am suitable for positions of leadership. This is relevant to my long-term career goal, as research conducted on seek.com shows that leadership qualities as well as social/networking skills, are valuable within the Public relations industry (see Appendix 2 for job advertisements). Further research into the requirements of obtaining a position within the Public Relations industry would indicate that task and goal directed behaviour; as well strong organizational skills are required. These qualities are consistent with the personality trait of conscientiousness. As mentioned previously, my personality test scores indicate that conscientiousness is an area in which has room for improvement. I feel that my personality profile reflects many strengths as well as weaknesses, especially in terms of my likely workplace performance. As mentioned throughout this section, I am high in agreeableness and extraversion, and low in conscientiousness. These results are consistent with my experiences within BSB124, especially throughout the group presentation, as I believe that I did a good job in motivating my team and helping others. Although our overall grade was a six (6), I feel that we would have achieved better results had I organized my time appropriately and practiced my part of the speech more thoroughly (I did the introduction, and had to start over as I had lost my place roughly thirty (30) seconds in). As mentioned previously, I intend on obtaining a position within a large international organisation. I believe that my low level of conscientiousness will hinder my success in this environment, and therefore, see it as an area that I can focus on to further my professional development. I believe that my high level of agreeableness and openness to experience will be helpful,  especially as I will be working with a wide variety of people from all kinds of backgrounds/nationalities. A high level of agreeableness means that I will work well in a team environment (Oliver P. John et al.) and a high level of openness to experience suggests that I am willing to learn and try new things (Oliver P. John et al.). This is significant when working with people from different cultures, I don’t know how to word this, I am trying to say that I may see something as conventional; however, someone with a different background will see it as strange- hence I will need to be able to adapt my methods when working overseas. 2.2 Learning goal and related activity I intend to develop a number of competencies associated with conscientiousness- mainly organisation, but also self-discipline. I will do this by setting myself S.M.A.R.T goals (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound). The development of these competencies will help me to achieve my long-term career goal. 3. Interpersonal Interpersonal effectiveness is defined as â€Å"the ability to manage conflict, to build and manage high-performance teams, to conduct efficient meetings, to coach and counsel employees, to provide negative feedback in constructive ways, to influence others’ opinions, and to motivate and energize employees† (Whetten & Cameron 2011, p.130). 3.1 Self-perception Inventory â€Å"A team is not a bunch of people with job titles, but a congregation of individuals, each of whom has a role which is understood by other members. Members of a team seek out certain roles and they perform most effectively in the ones that are most natural to them† (Belbin, 1981). The Self-perception Inventory (SPI) was created to give individuals a â€Å"simple means of assessing their best team roles† (Belbin, 1981). It is difficult to work effectively with people without some reasonable expectations of how  they are going to perform. Based on the results of the questionnaire, the SPI makes each individual aware of their preferred role when working in teams. This then allows them to focus on their strengths and improve on their weakness. During his research, Meredith found that each of the behaviours were essential in getting the team successfully from start to finish. The key was balance. For example, Meredith Belbin found that a team with no Plants struggled to come up with the initial spark of an idea with which to push forward. However, once too many Plants were in the team, bad ideas concealed good ones and non-starters were given too much airtime. Similarly, with no Shaper, the team ambled along without drive and direction, missing deadlines. With too many Shapers, in-fighting began and morale was lowered. A Summary of my SPI results is in Appendix 3. Results of the SPI indicate that my two preferred team roles are Shaper and Company Worker. A shaper can be defined as someone who has a drive and readiness for challenge, can strive under pressure and is seen as a leadership figure; however, they can be prone to provocation and can be seen as rude and impatient (Belbin, 1981). A Company Worker is someone who is hard working, self-disciplined, organized and practical, but be seen as inflexible and unresponsive (Belbin 1981). I believe that these results are an accurate reflection of my personality, and are consistent both with my experiences within BSB124 as well as within the workplace. I will need to focus on my weaknesses, as addressed through the SPI, should I wish to be successful in both university and future career development. As with my intrapersonal learning goals, I will use S.M.A.R.T goals to address the weaknesses above. My results from Belbin’s inventory, combined with my personality profile, and work experience suggests that, in groups I am likely to engage in a confrontational conflict resolution style. Research indicates that Asian cultures tend to prefer non-confrontational conflict styles, and as a result tend to react defensively when confronted in conflict situations (Rahim & Blum; Ting-Toomey et al., 1991). As I hope to work in a large, international organisation in the future and it is likely I will be dealing with individuals from Asian cultures, I therefore need to adjust my conflict  style accordingly. Thus, again using the SMART goals specified in section 2.2, I envisage that a more agreeable, empathetic nature will help me engage in more appropriate conflict resolution styles when necessary. 3.2 SPARK analysis

A Great Controversy Among Historians About the Figure of Louis XIV Research Paper

A Great Controversy Among Historians About the Figure of Louis XIV - Research Paper Example Louis XIV thought that his entire life has to be the walk of a great king in a great country, the entire country being resumed in his divine-right, absolute monarch. It is possible that he never said the famous statement historians had always attributed to him, â€Å"L’à ¨tat, c’est Moi† (I am the state). But, as Jacques Bousset and Jean Domat1 were theorizing (Domat 1829), he considered himself to be God’s instrument on earth, and clearly felt that the state was his patrimony, as J. Nathan suggests (The Virginia Quarterly Review, J. Nathan). In his letters to his heirs, he explains his thought: â€Å"†¦A king works for himself when he has the state in mind, and the welfare of the one enhances the glory of the other†. Bearing this idea in mind, he devoted his life to the achievement of his glory and, therefore, of the glory of France. And he believed that war was the main mean to achieve his greatness. Through all the wars he sustained during his life, he tried to force all European nations to accept the French hegemony. He never really worked to establish a harmonic co-existence with other European nations (The Virginia Quarterly Review, J. Nathan). He did steer France through a series of wars in order to dictate Europe his idea of order: all nations united under the legitimate hegemony of France. Diplomacy was in his hands only a mean to keep enemies occupied while he prepared the army, and nobody was better than him in betraying his own words. As once he wrote to his ambassador: â€Å"†¦there are hardly any words in the world so clear..that do not have some exceptions and contrary reasons†¦Ã¢â‚¬ .

Retail Market Analysis Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Retail Market Analysis - Coursework Example It has been observed that the retail industry of the United Kingdom is going to expand in size by around 15% in the coming 5 years. A value of around 312 billion pounds may be attained by the United Kingdom. Source: www.cbi.org.uk/.../10%2007%2026%20DTS%20NACE%20note%20final. pdf The retail sector of the United Kingdom has a value of 8% of the total gross domestic product of the country. The different retail industries in the United Kingdom have developed immensely in all areas such as home wear, health and beauty retail industry, electrical goods, garments industry, e-retail, furniture and floor coverings and other such types of retail sectors. Northern Ireland is one of the regions where tremendous amount of retail growth has been observed. Vancouver Trading Incorporated is planning to start its retail operations in the United Kingdom in the industry of white goods. This report is an overall analysis and advice of the level of retail of white goods in the United Kingdom. ... ng to invest their purchases on white goods, the consumer behavior aspects are also discussed and following this the advice is given to Vancouver Trading Incorporated for making their investments in the United Kingdom retail market of white goods. Retail trends over recent years In the white goods retail industry, the home appliances and the dishwashers are the main products that have a high share and high value of the total market of the white goods industry. The economical and social state of the United Kingdom is extremely important factors as they may directly impact the white goods retail industry in the market. The demand for white goods is directly related to the housing market of the United Kingdom. The more the consumers plan to shift in houses the more the market will increase for the white goods as many household appliances are needed for doing different chores of the house. The housing market and economical state affect the consumer purchasing power of white goods. If cus tomer’s purchasing power is low then they may opt for cheaper goods and also the white good products will be bought more if there are more people moving into the houses where there is a requirement for white goods. Moving in houses tend to trigger the need and requirement for different types of household products and appliances. The movement into houses can include the category of moving into a house the first time or by replacing the houses and therefore would require a replacement in the white goods products. If the value in growth becomes difficult to achieve then it may highly difficult to attain growth in volume of white goods products. The potential growth areas of the white goods retail industry is in the Central Europe and the Eastern Europe. The population in these areas is above

MICROBIOLOGY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

MICROBIOLOGY - Essay Example IgD: - IgD has a serum concentration of 30Â µg/ml and constitutes about 0.2% of total serum immunoglobulin. It is the major membrane bound immunoglobulin expressed by mature B – cells and is involved in the activation of B – cells by antigen. c. In immediate hypersensitivity antigen binds to IgE on mast cells and basophils. This cross linking leads to degranulation with the release of biologically active substances contained in the granules. 5. a. In the ouchterlony method both antigen and antibody diffuse radially from wells toward each other, thereby establishing a concentration gradient. As equivalence is reached, a visible line of precipitation forms. This simple technique is an effective qualitative tool for determining the relationship between antigens and the number of different Ag-Ab systems present. ELISA Test: - An enzyme conjugated to an antibody reacts with a colorless substrate to generate colored reaction product. Enzymes used include alkaline phosphates, horseradish peroxides. ELISA test is used to detect the presence of antibodies and antigen. RIA: - RIA is a competitive binding assay in which fixed amounts of antibody and radio labeled antigen react in presence of unlabelled antigen. The labeled and unlabelled antigens compete for limited binding sites on the antibody. After reaction, the antigen is separated into free and bound fractions and their radioactive counts measured. The concentration of the unlabelled (test) antigen can be calculated from the ratio of the bound and total antigen labels, using standard dose response curve. 6. It is difficult to develop a natural system of Bacterial Taxonomy using the traditional technique of Taxonomy because bacteria are generally very small and have simple shapes, and hence their classification by shape is not an easy task. The revolution in Genomics will affect Taxonomy because with the coming of

The Porters Five Forces Competition Model Essay

The Porters Five Forces Competition Model - Essay Example Since the government is protecting the industry because of the high tax rate imposed on fine fragrances, it would be harder for the consumers to have a bargaining power over the price of related products. The local consumers are left with no choice but to avail these items at a high price or simply use non-branded perfumes or colognes. Therefore, the bargaining power of the buyers on fine fragrances is low. Â  The bargaining power of suppliers is also low because there are a lot of suppliers available in the area competing to supply the raw materials for the big producers of Fine Fragrances like Channel, YSL, Givenchy, etc. Since there are a large number of suppliers in the area plus the option of finding a supplier in other countries, the competition among the suppliers of raw ingredients is very high. (See Chart I – Fine Fragrance Industry on page 4) Â  Buyers have a medium bargaining power over the retailers of fine fragrance products because the local consumers have the choice of paying high prices from a legal distributor and/or to buy the same product from grey market traders at a lower price. Â  There is a high threat of substitute because of the grey market traders. These people are selling the overproduction of fine fragrances at relatively low prices than those being sold from an authorized dealer. Â  The suppliers have a medium bargaining power. This is because they have the option to sell their products directly to the authorized dealers and/or the overproduction of fine fragrances are sold in grey markets at a lower price. (See Chart II – Retailing Fine Fragrance Industry on page 6) Â  Jennifer Lopez was very successful in launching a perfume that was designed to capture the market for young women between 15 to 24 years old back in September 2002. (Wagner, 2006; Lloyd-Jones, 2005)

Introduction to Organisations and Management Essay - 3

Introduction to Organisations and Management - Essay Example To what extent and in what specificity the businesses differ would be analysed in a critical and comparative way in the next parts of this report. Understanding the structural and design differences of the organizations. The importance of an organization’s structure is not only in defining the firm’s formal reporting relationships, procedures, authority, control and decision making process but it also works effectively as a tool of implementing strategy. The organizational structure plays an important part in defining how the work is done and by whom it is done, how managers work and also define the accountability of individuals within the organization (Hitt et. al, 2009). Various organizations can implement different forms of organizational structure in accordance to their strategic goals and objectives. The major types of structure that are widely used across most organizations can be put into 4 categories: The Functional Structure, The Divisional Structure, The Matri x Structure and the Horizontally linked structure. The functional structure groups people of similar set of skills together under a department managed by an individual having knowledge of such skills. The Divisional Structure is rather concerned with putting together a group with similar abilities required for various works or departments across the organization. The Matrix structure brings together a group of people from an already existing department to work in another function where their set of skills may be useful, besides working in their pre designated department. Under the Horizontally linked structure the organizations group its workers depending upon the activity and processes it puts in place to offer its services (Wheelen & Hunger, 2010). Putting together the understanding of the above theories of organizational structure and looking at the two organizations of the case study, a distinct difference can be seen of how both organizations are set up and working. Watson Engi ne Components looks to be working on a stricter approach of the Functional Structure whereas H&M Consulting is inclined more towards a Matrix Structure. However one can also argue that while catering to different projects with different set of skills through a networked structure it implements more than a single organizational structure to enhance its performance. This thought is also put forward by C.W. Fontaine who says that often organizations with tens of thousands of people, implement different organizational structures to benefit different parts of the organization. (Fontaine, 2007) The criticality of such structural differences It is not only important to understand what differences lie between two organizations, but is also important to fully evaluate why such difference exist and what are the resulting effects on both. In the case of Watson Engine Components, the impact of being formed as a family business has probably played a decisive role in setting the organization stru cture and working policies. More so the business operates within a single type of production and engages a substantial level of blue-collar workers who are highly unionised. These issues probably have not escalated in a single day but working over a period of time under a certain structure has definitely made the organization heavily hierarchical. This coupled with lack of communication between employers and

The application of Jacques Lacan's theory and concepts of Essay

The application of Jacques Lacan's theory and concepts of Psychoanalysis - Essay Example tstanding pieces of the feminist literature, and the fact that such a powerful and impressive indignation of the author about the oppressed position of women in the male dominated society of the nineteenth century was voiced in time when many of social changes in the sphere of women`s social equality were even not yet thought of testifies to the great significance of the heritage of Charlotte Perkins Gilman for the modern feminist movements (Golden 1992, pp.319-332). Moreover, Gilman`s story â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† is a great piece of literature for the study of concepts of psychoanalysis. It seems to be especially well suited for the comparison with the theories and concepts of the famous French doctor, psychiatrist, and psychoanalyst Jacques-Marie-Émile Lacan (1901–1981). In this regard, let us firstly take a closer look at the plot, themes, and symbols in the Gilman`s story, which depicts the decent of its heroine into madness, and secondly try to establish l inks between â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† and the concepts developed by Jacques Lacan. One of the chief themes of â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† relates to the completely inadequate attitude of the husband to his wife, a woman that apparently has a depressed condition after having given a birth to a child and who is the main protagonist of the short novel. The plot of â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† is told to readers through the eyes, or more exactly through the private diary writings, of the heroine of the story, who after a nervous breakdown that we can associate with the so called postpartum depression, which may happen with new mothers right after the birth of a child, has been in essence isolated from the external world in a roomy and â€Å"so long untenanted† (Gilman 1892) mansion by the whim of her husband John. John is a physician who allegedly knows what is needed for his wife to get better as he is saying to her â€Å"You know the place is doing you good† (Gilman 1892). Moreover, as the woman observes

Comparing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Comparing - Essay Example The rules therefore appeared restrictive to the older population leading to protests. Freedom that college students experienced, including interactions outside campuses that strengthened comradeship bonds, also motivated students into protests. College administrators were also strict in implementing rules, in punishments, and this led to protests in reaction (Conlin 275). In addition, ethnic based concerns, especially in the United States, such as discrimination, and governments’ arbitrary decisions over students, such as involvement in national services caused the protests (Kennedy & Null 1). The ten points were significant in defining the change that the black community desired in the United States and beyond. The points followed the war for equality that shifted from civil rights to black power that the Black Panther Party championed. Achieving objective of the ten points would identify a revolution, a factor that also identifies significance of the demand. There would be a change to autonomy among blacks, eradicated unemployment, and abolition of slavery, access to education, and exemption from military service. Other desired changes were abolition of police brutality, freedom for black convicts, and jury composition of black juries for black cases. Success in realization of the points, even if not immediate, also establishes the significance because the points offered a blueprint for change. Adherents of the Black Panther Party platform would make such demands because of the oppressions that Blacks experienced in the American society. Factors such as slavery, unemplo yment that meant poverty and poor quality of health, and discriminatory treatments in various places are examples of the experiences that would motivate the adherents into the demands (Pinkney 103, 104). Significance of students’ power in the movement and factors into the protests were some of the major themes in the article. The author notes continued expansion

Delegation Survey Analysis Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Delegation Survey Analysis - Case Study Example Even then, there are still various challenges with the compliance of these rules. Summary of Survey Response Because of the current demands in nursing care that cannot be satisfied by the number of registered nurses (RNs), both the American Nurses Association (ANA) and the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) suggest delegation of tasks to nursing assistants to provide efficient healthcare service to patients. Despite allowing others of specific tasks, it does not free RNs from the responsibility toward their patients. This implies that I delegate only the ones that are allowed to be passed onto unlicensed practitioners, such as basic nursing tasks not needing the use of judgment, I should be aware of the competencies and abilities of the person to whom the task is delegated in order to determine whether or not he or she is capable of doing the task, and I am still accountable as to the outcome of the delegated task. Because the outcome is by law still my responsibilit y, I should be available to supervise, and intervene once the task is not done properly. Another important aspect of delegation aside from the communication and supervision of the task is evaluation of the performance of the delegated task. This makes way for learning and adjustment from both the RN and assistant, so that any mistakes or inefficiencies can be corrected in the future. As always, an open communication is necessary to be able to conduct an optimal evaluation (Gallagher, 2009; Ohio Administrative Code ch. 4723,  § 13; Yoder-Wise, 2011; â€Å"Joint Statement of Delegation†, n.p.; ). Analysis of Response Because of the many responsibilities and potential liabilities concerning delegation of nursing tasks, I most of the time find it easier for me to do things on my own instead of carefully contemplating whether or not 1) the task can be delegated, and 2) the assistant is capable of doing the task properly. I also find it more efficient to do the task myself, inste ad of taking time to explain the procedure in order to delegate. Thus, it is only in dire cases when I delegate tasks. I thus end up overworked, exhausted and unhappy sometimes. I hope the state or the hospital considers establishing a committee or a particular group of nurses that will be tasked to delegate activities to assistants and monitoring the outcomes of delegated procedures, especially when it will be found through a study that delegated procedures are done sub-optimally or delegating RNs tend to do tasks themselves even if they have to attend to many patients. This should allow the lightening of nursing load to cut across all nurses, instead of the amount of nursing load being indirectly proportional to the nurse’s proficiency in delegation. Improvement of Delegation Skills I recognize that delegation skills is something that every RN should develop, in order to provide health services as fast as possible, without compromising the quality of the care being given (J ohnson, 1996). Until the demand for RNs are met, nursing assistants are an important part of efficient health service. I also recognize that delegation skills can only be improved through constant practice of the steps entailed for good delegation. What is important is to make the assistant and the patient feel that you are always present to look at every step taken by the assistant. Importantly, the delegating RN should know both the patient and the assistant doing the procedure (Currie, 2008). This

Formation of a Company Essay Example for Free

Formation of a Company Essay Refers to the entire process by which a company is brought into existence. It starts with the conceptualisation of the birth a a company and determination of the purpose for which it is to be formed. The persons who conceive the company and invest the initial funds are known as the promoters of the company. The promoters enter into preliminary contracts with vendors and make arrangements for the preparation, advertisement and the circulation of prospectus and placement of capital. However, a person who merely acts in his professional capacity on behalf of the promoter (eg lawyer, CA, etc) for drawing up the agreement or other documents or prepares the figures on behalf of the promoter and who is paid by the promoter is not a promoter. The promoters have certain basic duties towards the company formed :- In case of default on the part of the promoter in fulfilling the above duties, the company may :- A promoter may be rewarded by the company for efforts undertaken by him in forming the company in several ways. The more common ones are :- If the promoter fails to disclose the profit made by him in course of promotion or knowingly makes a false statement in the prospectus whereby the person relying on that statement makes a loss, he will be liable to make good the loss suffered by that other person. The promoter is liable for untrue statements made in the prospectus. A person who subscribes for any shares or debenture in the company on the faith of the untrue statement contained in the prospectus can sue the promoter for the loss or damages sustained by him as the result of such untrue statement. II. Incorporation by Registration : The promoters must make a decision regarding the type of company i. e a pulic company or a private company or an unlimited company, etc and accordingly prepare the documents for incorporation of the company. In this connection the Memorandum and Articles of Association (MA AA) are crucial documents to be prepared. Memorandum of Association of a company : Is the constitution or charter of the company and contains the powers of the company. No company can be registered under the Companies Act, 1956 without the memorandum of association. Under Section 2(28) of the Companies Act, 1956 the memorandum means the memorandum of association of the company as originally framed or as altered from time to time in pursuance with any of the previous companies law or the Companies Act, 1956. The memorandum of association should be in any of the one form specified in the tables B,C,D and E of Schedule 1 to the Companies Act, 1956. Form in Table B is applicable in case of companies limited by the shares , form in Table C is applicable to the companies limited by guarantee and not having share capital, form in Table D is applicable to company limited by guarantee and having a share capital whereas form in table E is applicable to unlimited companies. Contents of Memorandum : The memorandum of association of every company must contain the following clauses :- Name clause The name of the company is mentioned in the name clause. A public limited company must end with the word Limited and a private limited company must end with the words Private Limited. The company cannot have a name which in the opinion of the Central Government is undesirable. A name which is identical with or the nearly resembles the name of another company in existence will not be allowed. A company cannot use a name which is prohibited under the Names and Emblems (Prevntion of Misuse Act, 1950 or use a name suggestive of connection to government or State patronage. Domicile clause The state in which the registered office of company is to be situated is mentioned in this clause. If it is not possible to state the exact location of the registered office, the company must state it provide the exact address either on the day on which commences to carry on its business or within 30 days from the date of incorporation of the company, whichever is earlier. Notice in form no 18 must be given to the Registrar of Comapnies within 30 days of the date of incorporation of the company. Similarly, any change in the registered office must also be intimated in form no 18 to the Registrar of Companies within 30 days. The registered office of the company is the official address of the company where the statutory books and records must be normally be kept. Every company must affix or paint its name and address of its registered office on the outside of the every office or place at which its activities are carried on in. The name must be written in one of the local languages and in English. Objects clause This clause is the most important clause of the company. It specifies the activities which a company can carry on and which activities it cannot carry on. The company cannot carry on any activity which is not authorised by its MA. This clause must specify :- In case of the companies other than trading corporations whose objects are not confined to one state, the states to whose territories the objects of the company extend must be specified. Consequences of an ultravires transaction :- However, the doctrine of ultra-vires does not apply in the following cases :- The following are exceptions to the rule of limited liability of members :- Capital clause The amount of share capital with which the company is to be registered divided into shares must be specified giving details of the number of shares and types of shares. A company cannot issue share capital greater than the maximum amount of share capital mentioned in this clause without altering the memorandum. Association clause A declaration by the persons for subscribing to the Memorandum that they desire to form into a company and agree to take the shares place against their respective name must be given by the promoters. Articles of Association The Articles of Association (AA) contain the rules and regulations of the internal management of the company. The AA is nothing but a contract between the company and its members and also between the members themselves that they shall abide by the rules and regulations of internal management of the company specified in the AA. It specifies the rights and duties of the members and directors. The provisions of the AA must not be in conflict with the provisions of the MA. In case such a conflict arises, the MA will prevail. Normally, every company has its own AA. However, if a company does not have its own AA, the model AA specified in Schedule I Table A will apply. A company may adopt any of the model forms of AA, with or without modifications. The articles of association should be in any of the one form specified in the tables B,C,D and E of Schedule 1 to the Companies Act, 1956. Form in Table B is applicable in case of companies limited by the shares , form in Table C is applicable to the companies limited by guarantee and not having share capital, form in Table D is applicable to company limited by guarantee and having a share capital whereas form in table E is applicable to unlimited companies. However, a private company must have its own AA. The important items covered by the AA include :- Alteration of articles of association : A company can alter any of the provisions of its AA, subject to provisions of the Companies Act and subject to the conditions contained in the Memorandum of association of the company. A company, by special resolution at a general meeting of members, alter its articles provided that such alteration does not have the effect of converting a public limited company into a private company unless it has been approved by the Central Government. The articles must be printed, divided into paragraphs and numbered consequently and must be signed by each subscriber to the Memorandum of Association who shall add his address, description and occupation in presence of at least one witness who must attest the signature and likewise add his address, description and occupation. The articles of association of the company when registered bind the company and the members thereof to the same extent as if it was signed by the company and by each member. III. Registration of the Company Once the documents have been prepared, vetted, stamped and signed, they must be filed with the Registrar of Companies for incorporating the Company. The following documents must be filed in this connection :- {text:list-item} {text:list-item} {text:list-item} Certificate of Incorporation Once all the above documents have been filed and they are found to be in order, the Registrar of Companies will issue Certificate of Incorporation of the Company. This document is the birth certificate of the company and is proof of the existence of the company. Once, this certificate is issued, the company cannot cease its existence unless it is dissolved by order of the Court. IV. Commencement of Business A private company or a company having no share capital can commence its business immediately after it has been incorporated. However, other companies can commence their activities only after they have obtained Certificate of Commencement of Business. For this purpose, the following additional formalities have to be complied with :- If a company has share capital and has issued a prospectus, then :- {text:list-item} {text:list-item} {text:list-item} {text:list-item} {text:list-item} {text:list-item} {text:list-item} Once the above provisions have been complied with, the Registrar of Companies grants Certificate of Commencement of Business after which the company can commence its activities

Wuthering Heights by Silvia Plath Essay Example for Free

Wuthering Heights by Silvia Plath Essay  «Wuthering Heights » is a poem written by an American poet Sylvia Plath and is based on a novel of the same name by Emily Bronte. In order to convey her internal feelings of despair and disappointment, Sylvia uses a certain tone, structure, and a number of stylistic devises. Below is a descriptive analysis of how she manages to do so, and an interpretation of a poem’s meaning stanza by stanza. From the beginning of the first line, Sylvia Plath sets a depressive and negative tone to her poem. The horizons ring me like faggots†- is the first line of the poem, and yet it already suggests how desolate the place from where she looks at them is. With the use of personification â€Å"ring me† she creates an aural image of ringing, which enhances the solitude she experiences, as ears tend to ring in a silent place. Horizons are â€Å"titled and disparate†, where the word â€Å"disparate† echoes the word â€Å"despair†, in its turn implying that she is in a desperate emotional state. Through using a metaphor â€Å"touched by a match†, referring to the horizons, and saying that â€Å"they might warm me†, she not only acknowledges the reader of the coldness she feels, but also expresses hope that the horizons might warm her. However, the hope soon dissolves, along with the horizons in the last two lines of the poem- â€Å"But they only dissolve and dissolve, Like a series of promises, as I step forward†. Through repetition she enhances the bitterness she feels from the disappointment, and compares the warmth that was neglected to her, to the promises that were made to her but were never kept. The enjambment of the sentence structure between the last two lines is another proof to the possible connection between the horizons and promises. Such connection might mean that it is her allusion to her husband- a poet Ted Hughes that has not been loyal to her despite the vows given during their marriage. With the use of the word â€Å"me†, the readers become aware of the fact that Sylvia writes it in the first person inclusive and describes her own experience, which in its turns raises their feeling of compassion towards her and once again suggests that this poem might have been dedicated to her ex husband. With the following second stanza the tone of the poem becomes more depressing. By saying that â€Å"there is no life higher than the grasstops or the hearts of sheep†, she creates boundaries to the vastness of life, limiting and comparing its essence to that of a plant’s and an animal’s, leaving the humans out of the poem. The depressive mood degrades the tone and atmosphere to an extent of filling it with death and fatality. If Sylvia pays â€Å"the roots of the heather too close attention†, they will â€Å"whiten her bones among them†. The combination of the words â€Å"bones† and â€Å"white† in one sentence might suggest that the roots will bring her death; since the skin of a corpse turns white due to the lack of blood, and bones are the leftovers of a dead hence both are associated with mortality. As opposed to the first stanza, the second stanza takes her to a completely different place. Grasstops, sheep, the roots of heather- all surround her, whereas in the first stanza she is completely alone in a huge desolate space. The change in her surroundings suggests her movement across the moorland, but at the same time it points out the maintenance of her demoralized emotional state and the lack of a positive change about it. The tone of despair and loneliness is carried on to the proceeding stanzas, and is more evident in the last two. By saying that â€Å"Water limpid as the solitudes that flee through my fingers†, Sylvia shows the reader her abstract idea of being alone with the help of a consonance- â€Å"as- solitude† and â€Å"flee- fingers†. The â€Å"s† sound helps the reader imagine the literal hardness of solitude, as well as its transparency by being able to flow through her fingers with the â€Å"f† sounds. This in its turn indicates solitude’s double nature and Sylvia’s inability to neither control nor change it. In lines four and five Sylvia for the first time creates an image of nothing being straight- â€Å"hollow doorsteps go from grass to grass; lintel and sill have unhinged themselves†. By using the repetition â€Å"grass to grass†, she mimics the slowness of doorsteps’ steps, and personifies the doorsteps by giving them the ability to go. She also uses personification to describe how lintel and sill unhinge themselves, which once again reflects upon the presence of chaos and despair in her surroundings. By mentioning doorsteps, hinges and sills, she for the first time acknowledges the existence of humans in the past, and their current absence from the world that has been taken over by nature. The removal of all people but herself from the world not only enhances the bitterness she feels towards them, but also marks her egocentric nature as she is not willing to accept any advanced living thing but herself, preferring the nature instead. The fourth stanza ends with a repetition of the words â€Å"black stone, black stone†. As the air blows, Sylvia creates an aural image of the air moaning those words with the repetition technique, which slows down the speed of their pronouncement. At the same time, the air therefore is personified as it is given the ability to speak. This emphasizes the death and coldness present during the absence of life not only around her but also within her, as she is the only person that can hear the air say it. In the fifth, the final stanza of the poem the tone remains depressing and yet the ending suggests the possible appearance of hope. The paragraph begins with the reinforced idea of Sylvia being the only â€Å"upright† living thing- â€Å"The sky leans on me, me, the one upright among all horizontals†. Besides personifying the sky, she is also using the repetition â€Å"me, me† to stress the importance of being upright, and at the same time the solitude it brings her when everything else is horizontal. She then personifies the grass as it is â€Å"beating its head distractedly†, but it is also a contradiction since grass ought to be strong in order to survive in such cruel conditions. The fact that a grass beats its head may also reflect Sylvia’s unstable state of mind, which adds the feelings of compassion and grief to the atmosphere of the tone. Unlike other personifications that Sylvia Plath uses in this poem, the personification of a grass suggests her sympathy and familiarity towards it. She calls it â€Å"too delicate for a life in such company†, assuming that â€Å"darkness terrifies it†. This involvement with the description of what grass has to go through may imply that Sylvia describes her own life whilst comparing its hardship to that of a grass. The last two sentences are significant in a sense that Sylvia gives the reader a chance to decide whether the hope appears or does not. With the use of sibilance â€Å"black as†, she contrasts the blackness with the whiteness from the â€Å"light† that the house exerts. This is the first time she mentions the possible existence of human beings around her, and this raises hope as the â€Å"lights gleam like a small change† in the dreadful and dark surroundings. However, the presence of light may also mean that the rest of the world has fallen into absolute darkness, and the small light in the distance will soon die under its pressure. According to facts Sylvia Plath has committed suicide on February 11th, 1963 and this is when both interpretations undergo amalgamation to suggest that she may have had space for hope in her heart, but in reality her life was oppressing her to an extent of leading her life to a tragic end. According to the above analysis, the poem is written in the first person narrative where Sylvia gives a vivid image of her life hrough using literary devices to set the tone of despair and loneliness. Personally, I think Sylvia Plath communicates her internal troubles intensely and passionately. Through the description of landscape, the action of nature within it, the roles of colour and light- she is able to paint a picture of her life clearly enough for the reader to understand her message, and yet she disguises some aspects of the poem through imagery and metaphors to let the reader interpret and relate to the poem in a personal way. By introducing light into the poem, Sylvia twists the ending and confuses the reader, forcing him to reconsider his assumptions regarding the poem’s tone, meaning and the resolution. In case of Sylvia Plath’s life, the hope is lost in the end of it and annihilation takes over. However, because the poem lacks any names and includes the reader into it with the word â€Å"me†, the reader is left with his own imagination to decide whether the tone and the resolution take on a positive note, or fall into a greater despair.

Psychological Models of Health

Psychological Models of Health Module Title: Sociology and Psychology and Public Health Part 1 Literature Review Health behaviour can be described as behaviour aimed to prevent or detect disease (Kasl and Cob, 1966). Models of health behaviour have been developed to understand how people make decisions about their health and predict the likelihood that health behaviour change will occur. This essay will aim to review a number of established health behaviour models focusing on Cognition Models, Social Cognition Models and Stage Models in relation to public health and health promotion interventions. Cognition Models The Health Belief Model (HBM) is a cognition model originally developed by Hochbaum in the 1950’s with later versions of the model being added in the 70’s (Rosenstock 1966; 1974) (cited by Conner and Norman, 2008/2005). The HBM is based on the probability that individuals are influenced by a threatened disease or illness based on a belief that they are vulnerable to a condition; there would be consequences of the condition if no action was taken; that they can prevent a condition developing by taking action; or the benefits of reducing risk of developing a condition are greater than the cost of taking action (add reference). This model was originally developed to predict the participation in screening tests and vaccination programmes with the focus on single preventative behaviours, more recently it has been used in areas of lifestyle behaviours which may sometimes involve life-long behaviours (Baranowski, Cullen, Nicklas, Thompson, Baranowski, 2003) various studies su ch as Abraham and Sheeran (1994) have questioned the appropriateness of using the HBM as a perceived threat to motivate behaviour with some groups, for example, groups of children and adolescent who assume they will live forever (Baranowski et al., 2003). Other critiscisms of the HBM are that it is too focused on the individual and does not consider social, economic and emotional factors (Strecher et al, 1997). In response to criticism the HBM has been adapted to include self-efficacy and health motivation (Ogden, 2012). The Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) developed by Rogers 1975/1985 (cited in Ogden, 2012 pg 50), expands on the Health Belief Model with the addition of emotional factors such as, introducing an element of fear. The framework of PMT is based on using the appeal of fear to influence attitudes and behaviours. The research for the model was centered on the fear-drive model which sees fear as a force by which to motivate trial and error behaviour (Conner Norman, 2008/2005). A study (Wu, Stanton, Li, Galbraith, Cole, 2005) that used PMT to establish health motivation and risk involvement, was successful in using PMT to predict behavioural intention in a variety of behavioural areas such as, smoking cessation, exercise and diet, cancer prevention and condom protection to name but a few. PMT has not received the same level of criticism as HBM however, many criticisms of the HBM also relate to PMT, largely in that it does not allow for social and environmental factors (Ogden 2012, pg 52) Social Cognition Models The Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) (Fishbein and Ajken, 1975) or in its extended form Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) (Ajken, 1988) are formed based on the idea that the greatest predictor of behaviour is of behavioural intention (Ogden, 2012). The TPB model is used widely in health fields (Armitage and Conner 2001; Taylor et al. 2007). In addition to attitudes, for example, exercise is fun and will improve my health, the TRA added subjective norms, using the perception of social pressure to perform a behaviour, for example, a desire to please others and gain approval. The TPB adapted the TRA model by adding a concept of perceived behavioural control, which is the individuals perception as to whether the behaviour will be easy or difficult, the concept is similar to Bandura’s (1982) concept of self-efficacy (Conner and Norman, 2008/2005). Both models are used in many areas of health promotion in relation to behaviour change, in current UK policy setting they can be found in exercise intentions; weight gain prevention and eating behaviour; addiction related behaviours; HIV prevention and condom use (Taylor, 2006). The TRA model has been used to show patterns of behaviours such as fat, salt and milk intake whereas the TPB model was used to give details of attitudes and beliefs about starchy foods in the UK (Stubenitsky Mela, 2000). The TPB and TRA differ from the HBM and PMT models in that they have added an element of social and environmental factors by including normative beliefs. Criticisms of the TPB and TRA focus on methods used to test theory and the extent at which they can predict behaviour (Ogden, 2012). Stage Models Transtheoretical Stages of Change Model and Precaution Adoption Process Model The Transtheoretical model (TTM) was developed in the 1980’s by a group of researchers at the University of Rhode Island. TTM was first used in smoking cessation in studies carried out by DiClemente and Prochaska (1982), and is often referred to as simply the stages of change model. The model suggests that health related behaviour change occurs through five stages know as: Pre-contemplation; contemplation; preparation; action and maintenance (Conner and Norman, 2008/2005). Movement or transition through the stages is driven by self-efficacy (the confidence in oneself to change behaviour) and decisional balance (weighing up the costs or benefits to the behaviour), relapsing backward and forwards through the stages is also common (Morris, Marzano, Dandy and O’Brien, 2012). Since 1985 application of the TTM has influenced service planning, provision and training agendas at local, regional and national levels (Bunton, Baldwin, Flynn, Whitelaw, 2000). Bunton et.al, (2000) r emarks on the rise in popularity of the TTM. Examples of areas where TTM has been used include studies in the area of dietary changes, exercise and activity promotion, sexually transmitted disease and pregnancy prevention (cited in Morris, Marzano, Dandy and O’Brien, 2012). Limitations of the model have been suggested by Conner and Norman (2008, pg 247) in that fundamental problems with the definition and measurement of the stages are present. Precaution Adoption Process Model (PAPM) First suggested by Weinstein (1988) and further refined by Weinstein and Sandman (1992) the Precaution Adoption Process Model (PAPM) specifies seven stages ranging from ignorance to maintenance of the behaviour. The first stage is, unawareness of issue; second, unengaged by issue; third, deciding about acting; fourth, deciding not to act; fifth, decided to act; sixth, acting; and finally seventh, the maintenance stage. Although similar in some ways, the difference between the PAPM and the TTM is the extra stages, PAPM has 2 additional stages which includes the decided not to act stage which makes a clear distinction between having never thought about adopting a precaution before and having thought about it but deciding not to act (Conner Norman, 2008/2005). Other advantages of the PAPM are that it allows for messages to be tailored at each stage of the model which is helpful in situations where resistance to change is high and its simple questioning method makes it suitable for both individual and group settings, Weinstein Sandman (2002), (The Free Library, 2014). In summary each model has its own unique aspects References Abraham, C., Sheeran, P. (1994). Modelling and modifying young heterosexuals HIV-preventive behaviour; a review of theories, findings and educational implications. Patient Education and Counseling, 23(3), 173-186. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0738-3991(94)90033-7 Armitage, E, C.J. Conner, M. (2001). Efficacy of the Theory of Planned Behaviour: a meta-analytic review. British Journal of Social Psychology, 40, 471-99. Baranowski, T., Cullen, K. W., Nicklas, T., Thompson, D., Baranowski, J. (2003). Are Current Health Behavioral Change Models Helpful in Guiding Prevention of Weight Gain Efforts? Obesity Research, 11(S10), 23S-43S. doi: 10.1038/oby.2003.222 Becker MH. The health belief model and personal health behavior. Health Education Monographs. 1974;2:324-473. Bunton, R., Baldwin, S., Flynn, D., Whitelaw, S. (2000). The ‘stages of change’ model in health promotion: Science and Ideology. Critical Public Health, 10(1), 55-70. doi: 10.1080/713658223 Morris, J., Marzano, M., Dandy, N. O’Brien, L. (2012). Theories and models of behaviour and behaviour change. Forest Research, Theories: Behaviour Change Report Rosenstock IM. The health belief model: explaining health behavior through expectancies In: Glanz K, Lewis FM, Rimer BK, eds. Health Behavior and Health Education: Theory, Research, and Practice. Stretcher, V., Rosenstock, I.M. (1997). The Health Belief Model. In K. Glanz, F.M. Lewis, B.K. Rimer (Eds.) Health Behaviour and Health Education: Theory, Research and Practice (2nd ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Stubenitsky K, Mela DJ (2000) UK consumer perceptions of starchy foods. British Journal of Nutrition 83: 277-285. Taylor, D., Bury, M., Campling, N., Carter, S., Garfield, S., Newbould, J. Rennie, T. (2007). A Review of the use of the Health Belief Model (HBM), the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA), the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) and the Trans-Theoretical Model (TTM) to study and predict health related behaviour change. Taylor, D., (2006). Review of the use of the Health Belief Model (HBM), the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA), the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) and the Trans-Theoretical Model (TTM) to study and predict health related behaviour change. The Department of Practice and Policy. The School of Pharmacy, University of London The Free Library, Precaution Adoption Process Model: need for experimentation in alcohol and drug education.. (n.d.) >The Free Library. (2014). Retrieved Jan 15 2015 from:http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Precaution+Adoption+Process+Model%3a+need+for+experimentation+in-a0169677077 Wu, Y., Stanton, B. F., Li, X., Galbraith, J., Cole, M. L. (2005). Protection Motivation Theory and Adolescent Drug Trafficking: Relationship Between Health Motivation and Longitudinal Risk Involvement. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 30(2), 127-137. doi: 10.1093/jpepsy/jsi001 Part 2 Case Study This case study is based on Chris, a 40 year old man. Chris is aware he has some health issues. However, recent marital breakdown has resulted in a disruption to his home and family life and he is lacking the motivation and self confidence to make positive changes which he knows will benefit his health. I will look at how applying health psychology can be used to motivate and change Chris’s behaviour. The notion of motivation and self-efficacy can be found in most models of health behaviour (Ogden, 2012). Since Chris is already aware of his health situation and has made some steps i.e. visiting the doctor, to discuss his symptoms and circumstances, therefore, the Transtheoretical Stages of Change Model will be what I am focusing on during this case study. Based on the five stages of change of the Transtheoretical change model Chris would be between stage 1 Pre-contemplation and stage 2 Contemplation. The main aim will be to get Chris from the Contemplation stage to the Preparation stage and beyond. At this Pre-contemplation-Contemplation stage motivational interviewing may be helpful. Chris has children whom he sees at the weekend, children are a great excuse for exercise. Talk about the health behaviours that impact the children exercise/diet, they have a sedentary lifestyle when they visit, this would be an ideal time to engage with Chris and get him to address the lack of exercise, poor diet by using the time he spends at the weekend with the children. Questions such as, what other activities would you and the children enjoy? Encourage and motivate through listening to Chris’s own motivations for change. By working through decisional balance, helping Chris to see how the pros of lifestyle behaviour change can outweigh the cons. With each stage self-efficacy will improve helping to motivate Chris to abstain from unhealthy patterns. What needs to be changed? Setting the agenda – there are several factors that Chris faces, many which could be improved by diet, exercise and smoking, but social and emotional factors must be taken into consideration. Through motivational interviewing Chris can identify what his priorities are. This is also a good time to provide advice based on health statistics, for instance combining smoking with a healthier diet and more exercise will reduce his risk of coronary heart disease (NHS Choices). Adopting an exercise pattern into daily life can reduce blood pressure, (Blood Pressure UK) easier to start off with small exercise sessions and build up gradually. Areas for management Plan to include: Exercise: Suggest exercise plan which includes family activities, swimming, cycling (NHS.UK/livewell/fitness), (NHS.uk/letsgetmoving) Diet: Cut down on takeaways, suggest alternative treats to replace the usual weekend takeaway food, and cooking together with the children a great way to learn and motivate, provide nutritional information/guidelines for salt, fat and sugar intake and suggest ways to set achievable targets Smoking: Cutting down on smoking to reduce major health risks Social: To join fitness clubs based on interests and ability References Blood Pressure UK http://www.bloodpressureuk.org/BloodPressureandyou/Yourlifestyle/Beingactive NHS Choices. Coronary Heart Disease Prevention http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Coronary-heart-disease/Pages/Prevention.aspx 1

Manipulation in Oscar Wildes The Picture of Dorian Gray Essay

Manipulation in Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray  Ã‚        Ã‚  "I do not think that one person influences another, nor do I think there is any bad influence in the world," Oscar Wilde uttered when under trial (Hyde 353). Although this statement may be true, one of Wilde's most famous works shows a great deal of the effects of people shaping one another, causing one to wonder about Wilde's sincerity in that statement. The Picture of Dorian Gray shows variations on the existence and purposes of influence, displaying two types of personal influence: obvious manipulations such as that of Lord Henry upon Dorian and that of Dorian over Sybil Vane, and those that are more often overlooked such as the more subtle manipulation of Dorian over Basil, of Dorian over Lord Henry, and in the interaction between Dorian and his portrait. Wilde demonstrates the many possible impacts made in these two categories, proving that there is more to a relationship than an outside viewer may perceive, and eventually leading the reader to the unavoidable morbid end ing of the book, in which the characters meet their own pathetic ends, with Dorian Gray committing what could be considered a ghastly suicide. Taking into account Wilde?s own life of controversial relationships, this book is especially poignant in its autobiographical suggestions. Dorian Gray is first described as a naà ¯ve and attractive young boy, with a striking resemblance to Adonis, having the physical description of a Greek god. The beauty and innocence of youth cause him to be quite attractive, and the fact that he is unaware of the power of this beauty is even more appealing. Dorian?s beauty is the source of Basil Hallward?s obsession, which peaks in the act of Hallward painting Do... ...rinceton University Press, 1967. Twentieth Century Criticism, Volume 41. Pages 353-60. Shewan, Rodney. Oscar Wilde: Art and Egotism. The Macmillan Press Ltd, 1977. Excerpted in Twentieth Century Criticism, Volume 41. Pages 374-84. Spivey, Ted. R. "Oscar Wilde and the Tragedy of Symbolism," The Journey Beyond Tragedy: A Study of Myth and Modern Fiction. Copyright 1980, Board of Regents of the State of Florida, University Presses of Florida, 1980. Twentieth Century Criticism, Volume 41. Pages 501-2. Summers, Claude J. "In Such Surrender There May Be Gain: Oscar Wilde and the Beginnings of Gay Fiction, " Gay Fiction: Wilde to Stonewall, Studies in Male Homosexual Literacy Tradition, Continuum, 1990. Excerpted in Twentieth Century Criticism, Volume 41. Pages 398-401. Wilde, Oscar. The Picture of Dorian Gray. Oxford University Press, New York. 1994

The Circulatory System Essay -- essays research papers

The Circulatory System   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The circulatory system in anatomy and physiology is the course taken by the blood through the arteries, capillaries, and veins and back to the heart. In humans and the higher vertebrates, the heart is made up of four chambers the right and left auricles, or atria, and the right and left ventricles. The right side of the heart pumps oxygen-poor blood from the cells of the body back to the lungs for new oxygen; the left side of the heart receives blood rich in oxygen from the lungs and pumps it through the arteries to the various parts of the body. Circulation begins early in fetal life. It is estimated that a given portion of the blood completes its course of circulation in approximately 30 seconds.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Pulmonary circulation is where the blood from the entire body is transported to the right auricle through two large veins. The superior vena cava and the inferior vena cava. When the right auricle contracts, it forces the blood through an opening into the right ventricle. Contraction of this ventricle drives the blood to the lungs. Blood is prevented from returning into the auricle by the tricuspid valve, which completely closes during contraction of the ventricle. In its passage through the lungs, the blood is oxygenated, that is, then it is brought back to the heart by the four pulmonary veins, which enter the left auricle. When this chamber contracts, blood is forced into the left ventricle and then by ventricular contraction into the aorta. The bicuspid, or mitral, valve prevents the blood from flowing back into the auricle, and the semilunar valves at the beginning of the aorta stop it from flowing back into the ventricle. Similar valves are present in the pulmonary artery.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The aorta divides into a number of main branches, which in turn divide into smaller ones until the entire body is supplied by an elaborately branching series of blood vessels. The smallest arteries divide into a fine network of still more minute vessels, the capillaries, which have extremely thin walls; thus, the blood is enabled to come into close relation with the fluids and tissues of the body. In the capillaries, the blood performs three functions then it releases its oxygen to the tissues, it furnishes to the body cells the nutrients and other essential substances that... ...itiating the heartbeat. The contraction then spreads over the auricles in the septum between the auricles, it excites another node called the auriculoventricular node. The auriculoventricular bundle conducts the impulse from this node to the muscles of the ventricles, and in this way contraction and relaxation of the heart are coordinated. Each phase of the cardiac cycle is associated with the production of an electrical potential that can be recorded by electrical instruments to produce a reading known as an electrocardiogram.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Circulation of the blood in superficial capillaries can be observed under the microscope. The red blood cells can be seen moving along rapidly in the middle of the blood current, while the white cells advance more slowly along the walls of the capillaries. The capillaries present a far larger surface with which the blood comes in contact than do other blood vessels end because they consequently offer the greatest resistance to the progress of the blood, they have a great influence on the circulation. Capillaries expand when temperature rises and help to cool the blood then they contract in cold and help preserve internal heat.

Invisibility Over Negation in Invisible Man Essay -- Invisible Man Ess

Invisibility Over Negation in Invisible Man      Ã‚  Ã‚   Early on in Invisible Man, Ralph Ellison's nameless narrator recalls a Sunday afternoon in his campus chapel.   With aspirations not unlike those of Silas Snobden's office boy, he gazes up from his pew to further extol a platform lined with Horatio Alger proof-positives, millionaires who have realized the American Dream.   For the narrator, it is a reality closer and kinder than prayer can provide: all he need do to achieve what they have is work hard enough.   At this point, the narrator cannot be faulted for such delusions, he is not yet alive, he has not yet recognized his invisibility.   This discovery takes twenty years to unfold.   When it does, he is underground, immersed in a blackness that would seem to underscore the words he has heard on that very campus:   he is nobody; he doesn't exist (143).   Hence, Invisible Man is foremost a struggle for identity.   Ellison believes this is not only an American theme but the American theme; "the nature of our society," he says, "is such that we are prevented from knowing who we are" (Graham 15).   Invisible Man, he claims, is not an attack on white America or communism but rather the story of innocence and human error (14).   Yet there are strong racial and political undercurrents that course the nameless narrator towards an understanding of himself and humanity.   And along the way, a certain version of communism is challenged.   The "Brotherhood," a nascent ultra-left party that offers invisibles a sense of purpose and identity, is dismantled from beneath as Ellison indirectly dissolves its underlying ideology:   dialectical materialism.   Black and white become positives in dialectical flux; riots and racism ... ... with Ralph Ellison.   Jackson:   U of Mississippi P, 1995. Hersey, John, ed.   Ralph Ellison:   A Collection of Critical Essays.   Englewood Cliffs:   Prentice-Hall, 1974. Jacoby, Russel.   Dialectic of Defeat:   Contours of Western Marxism.   Cambridge:   Cambridge UP, 1981. Jain, Ajit, and Alexander Matejko, eds.   A Critique of Marxist and Non-Marxist Thought.   New York:   Praeger, 1986. Marx, Karl.   The Communist Manifesto.   Ed.   Frederic L. Bender.   New York:   Norton, 1988. Osborn, Reuben.   Marxism and Psychoanalysis.   New York:   Dell Publishing, 1965. Schafer, William J.   "Ralph Ellison and the Birth of the Anti-Hero."   Hersey   115-126. Schor, Edith.   Visible Ellison:   A Study of Ralph Ellison's Fiction.   Westport:   Greenwood, 1993. Vogler, Thomas A.   "Invisible Man:   Somebody's Protest Novel."   Hersey   127-150.       Invisibility Over Negation in Invisible Man Essay -- Invisible Man Ess Invisibility Over Negation in Invisible Man      Ã‚  Ã‚   Early on in Invisible Man, Ralph Ellison's nameless narrator recalls a Sunday afternoon in his campus chapel.   With aspirations not unlike those of Silas Snobden's office boy, he gazes up from his pew to further extol a platform lined with Horatio Alger proof-positives, millionaires who have realized the American Dream.   For the narrator, it is a reality closer and kinder than prayer can provide: all he need do to achieve what they have is work hard enough.   At this point, the narrator cannot be faulted for such delusions, he is not yet alive, he has not yet recognized his invisibility.   This discovery takes twenty years to unfold.   When it does, he is underground, immersed in a blackness that would seem to underscore the words he has heard on that very campus:   he is nobody; he doesn't exist (143).   Hence, Invisible Man is foremost a struggle for identity.   Ellison believes this is not only an American theme but the American theme; "the nature of our society," he says, "is such that we are prevented from knowing who we are" (Graham 15).   Invisible Man, he claims, is not an attack on white America or communism but rather the story of innocence and human error (14).   Yet there are strong racial and political undercurrents that course the nameless narrator towards an understanding of himself and humanity.   And along the way, a certain version of communism is challenged.   The "Brotherhood," a nascent ultra-left party that offers invisibles a sense of purpose and identity, is dismantled from beneath as Ellison indirectly dissolves its underlying ideology:   dialectical materialism.   Black and white become positives in dialectical flux; riots and racism ... ... with Ralph Ellison.   Jackson:   U of Mississippi P, 1995. Hersey, John, ed.   Ralph Ellison:   A Collection of Critical Essays.   Englewood Cliffs:   Prentice-Hall, 1974. Jacoby, Russel.   Dialectic of Defeat:   Contours of Western Marxism.   Cambridge:   Cambridge UP, 1981. Jain, Ajit, and Alexander Matejko, eds.   A Critique of Marxist and Non-Marxist Thought.   New York:   Praeger, 1986. Marx, Karl.   The Communist Manifesto.   Ed.   Frederic L. Bender.   New York:   Norton, 1988. Osborn, Reuben.   Marxism and Psychoanalysis.   New York:   Dell Publishing, 1965. Schafer, William J.   "Ralph Ellison and the Birth of the Anti-Hero."   Hersey   115-126. Schor, Edith.   Visible Ellison:   A Study of Ralph Ellison's Fiction.   Westport:   Greenwood, 1993. Vogler, Thomas A.   "Invisible Man:   Somebody's Protest Novel."   Hersey   127-150.      

Budget Deficit Definition and How It Affects the Economy

How does a government budget deficit affect the economy? Identify two periods in recent history in which the United States has run budget deficits. What were the reasons for the deficits during those time periods? A government’s budget deficit occurs when the amount of money going out exceeds the amount of money coming in and is defined as a shortfall of revenues under payment. For example say the amount of taxes being collected is $500,000 but the amount of government spending is $7000,000 the government has a deficit of $200,000.Governments often fund these deficits with the sale of bonds; this sale is an IOU to the buyer and a promise for repayment in the future. In an effort to make up for the deficit and the increase in the nations debt the government might increase taxes and interest rates; this affects the economy in a negative way by decreasing the amount of money consumers have to spend on goods and services. A chain creation may occrue decreasing demand causing suppl y to also fall. During the years of 1981 to 1989 the deficit within the U.S. government drove up the amount of debt held by the public by almost triple. Ronald Reagan increased the amount of money the government was spending on the military but also decreased taxes. With no ability to fund the military spending the government experienced a deficit and borrowed money, which increased the public debt. The same was true for the Bush administration, as the cost of two wars increased and the amount of tax breaks also increasing the amount of tax revenue decreased.In an effort to pay for the nations wars the government increased the borrowing and drove up the publics debt to 40% of the nations GDP. Of course the largest increase in the nations deficit has come in the last three years, the nations wars and economic stimulus has, in the way of increased spending, increased the nations deficit and caused the nations debt to rise to &15. 5 trillion or 63% of the nations GDP.

Dubai as Rentier State

fall in Arab Emirates semi semipolitical prudence The success of the coupled Arab Emirates vex directly from its mellowed r hithertoue do from embrocate exports. This rural was a desert region that move into an frugal pan gravy in the recent years. According to CNN universe of discourse News, Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates is the richest city in the world. The Emirates citizens, who sit on one-tenth of the planets embrocate and have almost $1 jillion invested abroad, are worth about $17 million apiece. Because of this factor, the UAE is considered one of the wealthiest countries in the world. However, ferment struck the awkward with the recent spherical recession in 2008 that dissect to contradictions in their planetary oil wealth. Now that the country is be restoreding from this down point, the put in infers global oil position will recover in sales on a slow exclusively steady pace. In this research paper, I will turn out how the Un ited Arab Emirates functions under a needier economic trunk and the country has not built the political stability they intended which guide to challenges face up by the people and governance.The rentier model of the United Arab Emirates depicts the stability of the political rescue from its full(prenominal) oil revenues. A unique peculiar(prenominal) of the prosperity of the country stems from the fact of the husking of oil. What oil production really mean is a natural resource interpreted from the earth and not an existing unafraid that is produced with sales. What distinguishes a rentier economy from early(a) countries is the oil lettuce and its high addiction on one necessity for hostileers. A rentier is a group or ideal state that lettuces on income from berth or enthronizations, and in much(prenominal)(prenominal) a case oil from the UAE.The rentier is not convolute with the making of the incentive, but is entitled to a high amount of the money. In his journal, The Rentier chief(prenominal)tain in the Arab gentlemans gentleman, Beblawi explains what a rentier economy is ground upon. He claims, There is no public of a real rentier state. Every rentier economy is an economic structure with the backings of outer rent coming into the funds (Beblawi). This rent is resilient to the measurement of success in a rentier economy. This is the key factor in keeping the economy together without a interior(prenominal) sector. Also, a entier economy doesnt have galore(postnominal) books involved with the generation of the wealth. The institution of much(prenominal) wealth is maintained and unbroken at heart a small bout of elites. The governance of the country is equal to trust on the discovery of oil mines to external profit being it is a main factor in the countys high success rate. Previously, this money would have to come from the population, such as merchants and artisans, but now it roll in the hay be received precocio usly from mutually beneficial revenue provided by the oil. The settlement surrounded by the social group and the workers create a social contract.About seventy to eighty persona of the lower to middle class, also cognise as the delve pull back, participates in the production of oil in the United Arab Emirates. Whereas a large percentage is involved in the production, a small fraction of ordering partakes in the statistical distribution, and benefits of the revenues. According to the Financial Times, collect to the high volume of oil distribution and price increase, the early 1970s began an era of investments in industry, services, public works, and investments in infrastructure.Because of these investments, a high drive for a men grew which surpassed the demand of supply (Chazan). This chain reaction led to a foreign workforce that would hinder with the matter workforce. It became such a enormous development that the foreign workforce evolved into the primary workfor ce in all sections of the economy. growing the infrastructure system was one of the main fields where the Emirates sought improvement through other investments. Works such as roads, highways, airports, telecommunication networks, and presidencyal ministries were built.They revolutionized the states from a raw into a super developed country. The Arab monarchs consequently invested in another industry so they could ensure a long termination source of income in a eon where oil prices eternally changed. The last investment was an investment in social postulate and services. These services included health care, educational improvement, and even housing facilities. The three areas of investment was designed for one purpose. That purpose is for a smoother more easy configuration of oil transportation, which would lead to a knock down in the economy.The wealthy Arab monarchs spared no put down as they imported laborers from many countries. The countries in which they imported la bor were India, Pakistan, Great Britain, Germany, and even the United States of America. Despite the heavy consequence of laborers, it was only meant to be temporary, as the Monarchs believed the national population would serve as the workforce and take over where the foreign labor force left off. The Monarchs vox populi ill-use as the national population were not too fond of taking manual(a) labor jobs that were unpleasant or difficult.This created a conundrum of social structure within the Emirate people of the UAE. The population didnt want to take on these manual jobs after the conspiracy set up a system of other high industry incomes. This led to influx of millions of foreign labors who remained in the country, which the government had no intention for tending to. A short term plan turned into a drawn out problem for the country. The astonishing detail of the United Arab Emirates is that they were suitable to create an oil revenue that provided the rulers with an swiftn ess hand.This country has built an entire wellbeing state in which it doesnt have to generalise tax from its subjects. According to The New York Times, crude is the mainstay of the UAE economy and the driving force behind it. If there were to be a negative development in the countrys monetary situation or on the policy of the state, the country will be face up with direct implementation due to these factions. The oil prices have always been unsteady in the global grocery store which has created a innumerable amount of oil revenues. Certain commonplace citizens are allowed to own their own portion of oil.But unfortunately, some of the oil revenues are abandoned out in the federal government through high Emirate elites which hinders on the countrys aptitude of generating their own in-housed wealth. The Emirate of Abu Dhabi earns the sanction of creating more than 90% of the total contribution to the oil market to secede in their countrys fortune (CIA World Factbook). Dubai also contributes to this fund as well. The government structure of UAE, known as a federation system, do not gain ownership in the federal profits of oil so this makes the country highly susceptible to the dependence of the ruling family of Abu Dhabi.This eventually makes the oil revenuers indirectly dependent. What toughens the situation for the country are the changing oil prices constantly that is not controlled by government or elite officials. State planning is sticky to carry out under such circumstances. This is bound to stem from state profit being relied upon oil revenue that isnt promised for like a shot and tomorrows plans. This creates a setback from the people of the Emirates who cannot be supported by the federal budgets of such an economy thriving on the oil industry.There is an annual deficit of millions of dirhams (UAE currency) because of this fluctuation in oil prices. The focus of this seek has been to analyze how the United Arab Emirates try to obtain poli tical firmness as a rentier state and not follow through with it successfully for the inhibitions of the people. The rentier theory points out that loyalty in politics is rooted in economic motivation. Economic welfare is meant to go hand in hand with political opposition. Yet, the economic welfare of the people are about linked to oil revenue of the United Arab Emirates in the world market.The problem of foreign labor plays a part in the states welfare policy as well. The importation of foreign labor was vital for the economic growth that started as a issuing of the oil price increase. The government thought that the national population would be able to give the needs to fill the workers place. This assurance turned out to be wrong. This study has shown that the rulers welfare policies have made nationals quizzical in their choice of labor. In addition, this essay has depicted how the rentier model can triumph the explanation of Abu Dhabis leading eccentric within the feder ation.These facts have strengthened the speculation that the rulers use the oil economy as an instrument in securing stability but not to the countrys best ability. Bibliography Beblawi, Hazem. The Rentier State in the Arab World. Politics of the Middle East (2009). Web. 5 May 2012. Chazan, Guy. Oil Finally adjust Strategic Plans. Financial Times. 16 Apr. 2012. Web. Economy of UAE. CIA World Factbook. 12 Apr. 2010. Web. Gared, Davidson. Economy and finance Projecting the UAE. The New York Times. 16 Mar. 2011. Web. Gimbel, Barney. The Richest city in the World. CNN World News. 12 touch 2007.