Bowling Essays - Bowling, Ten-pin Bowling, , Term Papers

Bowling Picture this scene: The best athletes in your community are gathered for the annual high school varsity letter awards banquet. Halfback Henry and Jumpshot Jenny already have received accolades from the Master of Ceremonies for their accomplishments, but the attention is now focused on Susan Strike, Central High's varsity bowling superstar. Bowling is Central High's newest varsity letter sport," he proclaims, "and we're extremely proud to announce Susan Strike has not only earned All-Conference honors for leading the Little Nine with a 206 average, but she led Central High to its first state bowling championship." A standing ovation follows. You beam because Susan is a product of your youth league program. She is the first of a new generation of Varsity Bowling letter winners and she'll serve as an inspiration for hundreds of young bowlers in your community. This scene may sound like a dream to you, but it's a reality in some areas of the United States where a handful of dedicated proprietors have laid the groundwork to launch the nation-wide Varsity Bowling program during the 1998-99 bowling season. Varsity Bowling is going to be a two-pronged attack: 1. From the Top Down - Five states have been selected to participate in a targeted Varsity Bowling program during the 1998-99 with a focused effort to secure state high school athletic association approval for the sport. 2. From the Bottom Up - Every local/regional proprietor group in any area of the United States is invited to "test" the Varsity Bowling waters on their own. A comprehensive organizational kit, including detailed manual, videotape and support materials, is available today from the Young American Bowling Alliance and the Bowling Proprietors Association of America to help your proprietor group and local association volunteers get a headstart in organizing a "high school club conference" to demonstrate the program's feasibility. Varsity Bowling is a program that cannot succeed without the commitment and dedication of the proprietors. You own the arenas, you have the expertise and it's your youth bowlers who will benefit the most. Varsity Bowling is one of the most comprehensive step-by-step organizational programs ever developed in bowling (or any sport). It is based upon 10 years of experience and research in Northern Illinois and Michigan's Upper Peninsula, culminating in resounding success. Be Part of Bowling's Biggest Success Story in Decades Varsity Bowling will become our sport's most significant success story in decades, with your help. Mark these figures down and watch them grow: In 1996-97, only 728 of America's more than 16,000 high schools offered any kind of bowling program. Out of 6.1 million high school students who participated in athletics in 1996-97, only 15,600 were able to bowl for their schools. Only seven of America's 50 states had as many as 30 high schools offering bowling as an extracurricular activity. Bowling has nearly 500,000 young people participating in Young American Bowling Alliance leagues and tournaments. They know and love bowling, and most of them are denied the opportunity to experience the thrill and excitement of bowling for a letter for their high school teams. American Sports Data states interest in bowling is at an all-time high among young people, with a 15% increase in interest among pre-teens and 17% growth in interest among high schoolers. As a proprietor, you will never experience any program as rewarding as you'll discover by becoming a part of the Varsity Bowling team. Send for your comprehensive Varsity Bowling organizational kit, including detailed manual, videotape and support materials, today! order your kit now or Send for your comprehensive Varsity Bowling organizational kit, including detailed manual, videotape and support materials, today! To order your Varsity Bowling kit, please send an email to Jennifer Williamson or call her at the Young American Bowling Alliance (414 423-3398. Smart Program The Scholarship Management and Accounting Reports for Tenpins (SMART) program will help locate and secure existing bowling scholarships for YABA's membership. SMART will also help any organization start and manage a new bowling scholarship program while relieving new and existing bowling scholarship providers from the burden of administering their scholarship funds. YABA has developed two service levels to accomplish this mission: LEVEL ONE Level one is SMART's information and assistance level. This SMART level can be contacted in one of three ways - telephone, mail or email. SMART Level One will provide the following services: Information on how to start a bowling scholarship league, tournament or written application. Information on how to manage the scholarship dollars collected. Advise, assist and support organizations regarding any problem encountered in conducting or administering their scholarship programs. A booklet

Environments Shape Organizations

Environments Shape Organizations Introduction Organizations’ performance largely depends on the environment under which they operate. Here, environment can mean either internal or external factors that directly or indirectly affect how an organization operates towards achieving its set goals.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Environments Shape Organizations specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More These factors are known for causing either positive or negative impacts that consequently influencing how that organization works. In most cases, environments dictate how organization operates, and the more stable an environment is, the more successful it will be. At times, organizations can change their way of operation or structural body in order to match with the environmental conditions. Environment also has a contribution towards the strategic plan of the organization. This is important because it provides means in which set goals and objective s are achieved. For an organization to perform best, it must have competitive advantage in that, it must be in a position to offer different goods and services in a different manner with the immediate organizations or of the same goods and services but in a different way that is most likely to satisfy the customer. Other factors in the surrounding that are likely to have an impact on an organization include; the market in which it operates, availability of skilled labor, availability of required resources and raw materials, accessibility, availability of potential customers and their level of demand for the products. The internal factors may include; management, organizational structure, availability of funds and synergy aspects in the organization (Draft, Marcic, 2010). In some cases, organizations can change the environment under which they operate; this is due to the objectives, goals, vision and mission of the organization. Due to the services delivered, organizations can affect its surrounding either negatively or positively. The type of environment available is bound to determine how an organization will operate either for the better or worst.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More How environment shape organizations The ability of an organization to succeed depends with the ease with which it adapts to the new environment. This is due to the fact that environment has the capability of affecting how resources are utilized and how products are received by the customers. In most cases, organizations are affected internally by factors such as regulation measures for safety and other services such like packaging and advertising. Work processes and organizational structure is also affected (Harrison, 2005). Environmental factors that are bound to affect an organization are divided into two categories, that is; PEST and SWOT. Under pest, po litical, economic, social and technological (PEST) aspects are considered. On the other hand, strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) are considered. These factors are determined through analysis that is PEST and SWOT analysis respectively. PEST analysis and at times referred to STEP analysis can be defined as macroeconomic factors that are capable of influencing strategic planning in an environmental scan. In the United Kingdom, environmental and legal factors have been chipped in amounting these acronyms to PESTEL or PESTLE. Today, ethics and demographic factors have been included to make the acronyms STEEPLED. PEST analysis is important as it helps an organization know some of the factors that have to be put in mind for a successful operation. Usually, it enables an organization understand its current position, its potentials, performances of its market and how to continue in its field of operation without much hindrances. The earlier mentioned macroeconomic facto rs do not directly affect an organization but do affect demand and supply of goods and services eventually affecting its performances. PEST analysis is vital especially when a company wants to join a new market as it helps identify the available opportunities (What is PEST analysis? , n.d) Main aspects of PEST analysis Economic Factors considered here include; changes in various rates such as inflation, exchange and interest. Economic growth in a country is inclusive; this factor is core for any business progress as it determines it’s easy or difficult of succeeding. This is so because it affects demand and available capital plus its cost.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Environments Shape Organizations specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In cases where capital is readily available due to its cheap cost, organization can be in a position to invest easily with hopes of making profits. It is also apparent that demand of some goods and services grows with the positive growth of a country’s economy. Chances for successful exploitation of a certain strategy is also determined by the economic conditions at the very time, it is possible for an organization to perform well during economic recession while another can only succeed during economic rise depending on the services or goods being provided. It is therefore possible for the latter one quitting the market making a way for the former to get into the market. Many organizations leave the market during times of economic crisis. Exchange rates are also known to determine hoe cheap or how expensive imported goods are, this suggest the price at which goods and services offered by the organization will be sold or bought at. Inflation rates have a great influence on a company’s progress because with a continued increase in good’s prices over time, demand decreases and this affects sales in a company leading to its colla pse. Variations in rates of interests can have adverse effect on organizations during loan repayment or any other payment. This is in the sense that, repayment is made b use of the agreed rate regardless of the rise or drop in rates at the time of payment. If for example, during time of crediting the rates are high then they drop during payment, the company is likely to gain in terms of monetary value and vice verse. All these rates are interrelated and they have an impact on how an organization operates. Political The government has an influence on a country’s economy through; tax policy, political stability, employment rules, environmental laws, tariffs and trade restrictions. In most case the government have the mandate to determine the goods to import or export and those ones not to. Also, it can decide on the countries to trade or not trade with. These decisions affect organizations either positively or negatively.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Interest rates are influenced by inflation rates which greatly depend on the banks restrictions outlined by the government’s priority. The government has a big role in the determination of how organizations are funded. Political stability has also a direct effect on how a company can perform. During political crisis, many companies are unable to operate leading to their low performances, as compared to the times when there is peace in a country. Qualified labor is required for best performance which ii only possible through training that is directly influenced by the government. A country’s infrastructure and health are also under the control of the government and they have an impact on the companies’ progress in terms of goods and services delivery and adequate labor respectively. Social Demography, age distribution, health issues, safety concerns and profession stance are some of the factors under this. A company’s performance and its products demand ar e dictated by social aspects. For example, young people have vigor and are more willing to work as compared to the aging employees, this has a direct effect on how a company operates and if young labor is to be incorporated, labor value increases. Demand of a company’s products depends on age distribution and the number of people working. It is therefore important for a company to recognize how demand changes with fashion in order to operate to an optimal customer satisfaction. Technology Technology is comprised of automation, technological advancements, research and development (R and D activity). These factors have influences such as lowering entry barriers into the market, maintaining economic level quantity (EOQ) and decisions outsourcing. Technology leads to innovations and creation of new industries. Technology offers a company competitive advantage thus creating threats to the existing ones. It has a hand in improving an organization’s services and products thou gh this can be an additional cost due to the required training before it is being implemented. Environmental Specific industries are prone of environmental and ecological factors such as weather and climate change. Such organizations include; insurance, tourism and agriculture. Knowledge of these factors influence companies’ performance and how they deliver creating. This paves way for new market and demolition of the ones in operation. Legal These factors include laws such as antitrust, employment, consumer, discrimination, security and health. All these laws affects ways in which an organization works and the rate of its product’s demand. PEST analysis is an appropriate and effective tool of creating a clear image of the environment under which organizations work. Threats and opportunities of a given organization are determined through this analysis hence supporting strategic planning that helps in attainment of the set goals in a more sufficient manner compared to i ts surrounding competitors. Together with PEST analysis, SWOT analysis can be used in order to determine environments of barriers involved include revenge from already industry players, capital required, accessibility to distribution routes and scale economies. Availability of product’ substitutes A threat to an organization’s products and services is experienced when there exists new and equal substitutes. These encourage customers to switch to these alternatives thus affecting an organization’s performance. Apart from a customer’s readiness to go for substitute, other threats that result from this are; how the new substitutes work in the market and their cost, also how much it costs to switch to this alternatives. Customer’s/ buyer’s bargaining power Bargaining power for buyers is high when there are many suppliers and more distribution channels for a product. This is a threat to an organization as there will be no constant customers as th ey will always have a variety means of the required products at a price that is friendly to them. Profits are cut down tremendously when there exists such a threat. Suppliers’ bargaining power Suppliers have a key role in the determination of a company’s profitability. This is because they supply material such as raw materials, labor and expertise. When the bargaining power for suppliers is high, then the profits made will be lower. This is possible when a firm is not the only customer to the supplier or when a supplier is the only one serving the firm. In such cases, a supplier can be reluctant to work with a firm or hike the supply cost and this has a great effect on an organization. Intensity of competition from rivalry Rivalry to an organization is brought about by various aspects such as availability of competitors whereby if there are equal organizations in mode of their structure, then competition will be high as compared to when there are rare industries of the same size. Others may include industries’ costs, product differentiation level, exit and entry costs and strategic objectives (Strategy- analyzing competitive industry structure 2004). Conclusion It is evident that an organization’s shape is determined by the environment in which it operates. Factors affecting an organization can be either external or internal. In business these factors can be evaluated by use of analysis strategies such as the SWOT, PEST and porter’s competitive models. Usually, the identified micro and macro environment are known to influence an organization’s performance in the market either positively or negatively. Therefore, an organization’s ability to achieve its set goals heavily depends on these environmental factors. Environment is also capable of determining how organizations enter new markets or exit. Environments are therefore very important as it can help organization know what products to deal with or how to attain a competitive advantage over its rivalries. References List Draft, R. Marcic, Dorothy. (2010). Understanding Management. Wodsworth: Cengage Learning. Five competitive forces model porter. (2011). Retrieved from valuebasedmanagement.net/methods_porter_five forces.html. Harrison, M. (2005). Diagnosing organizations: methods, models and processes. London: Sage Strategic management. (n.d). Retrieved from quickmba.com/strategy/pest/ Strategy- analyzing competitive industry structure. (2004). Retrieved from http://tutor2u.net/business/strategy/porter_five_forces.htm SWOT analysis examples: Reports on different companies. ( n.d). Retrieved from marketingteacher.com/lesson-store/lesson-swot.html. SWOT analysis method and examples, with free SWOT template. ( n.d). Retrieved from businessballs.com/swotanalysisfreetemplate.htm. What is PEST analysis? (n.d). Web. Available from coursework4you.co.uk/essays-and-dissertations/pest-analysis.php.

Movie review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 6

Movie Review Example Evolutionary anthropology tries to understand the past and present of the human experiences (Sevelius). Under the evolutionary perspective comes cultural anthropology, which can be explained using different scenarios from the chosen movie; it is basically the study of culture, in order to make sense of the behaviors within it, like words, concepts and symbols (Lynch). The movie is about a couple, Meredith and Everett, who visits Everett’s family, on Christmas. Here, the customs of family getting together on Christmas is shown; no matter where each member of the family works or lives, they find time to get together on a holiday. Meredith is quite different from the Stone family; however, she soon finds out that every member of the Stone family is different from one and another. Everett’s sister is a traditional mother, his father has a low key personality, his mother is the glue which holds the whole family together and his brother is gay. Everett has brought Meredith to meet his family, because he wants to propose her, with his grandmother’s ring which is also a family heirloom. This shows another behavior of human kind or custom that whenever the eldest son of the family wants to propose to a girl, he asks his mother for a family heirloom, to make the moment more special; it is also a sign of the mother’s approval. Meredith soon finds out that Everett’s mother, Sybil, is dying; this is the reason why Everett wants to propose to Meredith, so that his mother could see him married and happy, before she passes away. Even though, the movie shows how Everett falls in love with Meredith’s sister, because she is more outgoing and not uptight like Meredith, it shows the expectations of marrying and settling down, which has been part of the present and past of human kind. As Everett’s mother is dying, her wish would be to see her elder son settle down and have children of his own. Even though Everett

Financing Trade With Burma Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Financing Trade With Burma - Essay Example Political instability is a great challenge for investors in Burma. The investors also face risks from consumer boycotts. Therefore, Burma is not a favorable investment option for American companies. It becomes apparent that there is hesitation among investors to spend money on projects in Burma, which is the reason why there is a dearth of foreign investment in the country. For making investment in Burma, the companies should get approval from Burmese authorities. The foreign companies can do business only through joint venture with Burmese collaboration. Burma lacks strong economic policies to bring foreign investment. Therefore, it is really a threat for US firms to make investment in Burma. Moreover, the political instability and conflicts in the country are another problem. The country’s governance lies with its military and there no uniform or precise rules in the country to protect the investors. The poor infrastructure facilities are also a major handicap for companies investing the country. Thus, any person who intends to invest there will have to develop the basic facilities. This will entail additional costs to the investor. The fiscal policies in the country also do not favor investment there. Besides, Burmese government imposes huge taxes on foreign investors. â€Å"Foreign investment has risen dramatically over the past year, as international companies cooperate with Burma’s government to exploit the country’s natural resources† (Jared, 2011, para. 1). 2) Since a military government rules Burma, they impose many restrictions on foreign trade and most of their policies are arbitrary in nature. Thus, the country is not investment friendly for foreign investors. America has banned investing in Burma due to the military actions against the civilians. In Burma, government owns all major industries and they place many restrictions on foreign trade. The country has trade relations with Asian countries and they export agricultur al products and import manufactured goods. Burma’s trade with United States accounts only 5% of total foreign trade. Even though Burma has liberalized its economy, they still impose many restrictions on foreign trade. The major earnings in the country derive from oil and natural gas. Therefore, if an investor decides to invest in this country this industry is a better option. If US companies propose to start business in Burma, they will have to face several challenges there. Any person or firm can start business in the country only as a joint venture, in collaboration with a Burmese entity. Due to political instability the country’s fiscal and monetary policies are not good. The inflation rates are high, which will have a direct bearing on the cost of operating a business. Investors may also face problems form the government as they do not encourage foreign investment. The tax rates on foreign traders are also quite high. â€Å"In Burma, however, foreign trade and inv estment helps perpetuate the rule of a repressive, unelected junta. Full foreign ownership of companies operating in Burma is forbidden and almost all large investment in Burma is carried out through joint ventures with the military regime† (Burma: Country in Crisis, 2002, para. 1). 3) Every business involves some part of risk. It may also have to face uncertainty of earnings or risk of loss because of some unexpected developments in

PEST Analysis on Deodorant market Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

PEST Analysis on Deodorant market - Essay Example This in turn influences the prices they are to be charged in the market. For example if the import duty imposed on the deodorant is high, this means they will be charged at high prices hence their demand will be low. On the other hand, if the custom taxed charged on them is low, it means that they will be charged less in the market hence they demand will be high thereby increase the sales. 1 On the other hand, economic factors greatly influence deodorant market in that during inflation deodorants are charged more in the market hence they become unpopular to the consumers. At this time, the purchasing power of the consumers is greatly affect and the only money they have, they spend it to buy necessities and not things like deodorants. This in turn affects the deodorant sales. 2 Unemployment is another factor that affects deodorant market. The whole world today is greatly affected by unemployment and there as so many young energetic people in the world that ought to be working and there are no employment opportunities for them. For this case, they are not salaried; hence they have nothing to spend to buy anything like cosmetics. Due to this, the sales of deodorant go down since those people who ought to be buying these deodorants have no purchasing power at all. 3 Deodorant market is also affected by socio cultural environmental factors that greatly affect their demand in

Australia And The Global Financial Crisis Economics Essay

Australia And The Global Financial Crisis Economics Essay The Global Financial Crisis (GFC) was caused by various factors which impacted the Western worlds economies. It resulted from providing too many loans to people who could not afford to repay the loan and the packaging up of loans to on-sell (securitisation in the USA). The greed of consumers, bad investments, rising property prices, the wide spread distribution of income, and the overall poor regulation of monies also contributed. The Australian government takes credit for avoiding this recession by implementing Keynesian theory of fiscal and monetary stimulus by intervening early and a willingness to stimulate the economy. This stimulus was aimed to stimulate aggregate demand through increased consumption and investment expenditure the minority of this stimulus being monetary policy and the majority being fiscal stimulus. However this stimulus when compared to other contributions to change in GDP expenditure was not the major contributor to avoiding the recession. Net exports were t he most significant contributor during the GFC. This means that the stimulus did not save Australia from the recession. The net exports contributed greatly but when a consideration is made of all the National Income Measures (NIM) not just the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), Australia did have a mild recession. It is clear that the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) has created a recession not only all over the western world, but in Australia as well and the main contributor to its mildness was Australias net exports. The Australian government has used fiscal policies to smooth out the economic fluctuations caused by the GFC and to reduce its impact on consumers. Fiscal policy uses changes in government spending and/or reduces taxes to influence the level of aggregate demand to impact the general direction of the economy. When Australia was threatened by the global financial crisis, the government took the action of implementing the largest fiscal stimulus in the world (Makin 2010:5). The government spending was used for infrastructure projects for the purpose of stimulating the workforce during the GFC recession especially when the construction industry is particularly depressed. In addition, the government is spending on transfer payments to people under the Employment Insurance and Welfare programs increase during a recession and thereby providing more support to the level of aggregated demand. These stimulus packages (Government spending) include the Economic Security Strategy,  the Nation B uilding Economic Stimulus, the Nation Building and Jobs Plan and a Nation Building Infrastructure measures which have reached a more than $55.6 billion (Makin 2010:5). Most of this funding was targeted to support local jobs throughout Australia by building new projects and facilities that will have lasting benefits across the nation including (ALP 2011). Australia went through the GFC economically with the strongest growth of any advanced economy through 2009 (ALP 2011).  With the government stimulating the economy resulting in a multiplier effect, the planned aggregated expenditure increases. The Australian government also stimulated the economy with the aid of the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) to increase the planned aggregated expenditure by the use of monetary policy. The RBA sets the interest rate on overnight loans in the money market which affects other interest rates in the economy to varying degrees, so that the behaviour of borrowers and lenders in the financial markets are affected by monetary policy (though not only by monetary policy). This can be seen in the figure 1below as the supply curve shifts to the right which meant that the RBAs influence could be used to reduce the burden of the GFC. This could be done by three measures; the first measure was to provide extended opportunities for the banks to borrow from the RBA. This provided sufficient liquidity for banks to support them through the GFC. The second measure was to provide loans or make direct purchases to support certain markets. This allowed for mortgage-securities to be bought back and provide s hort-term stabilities. The third measure was the use of guarantees to stabilise markets, support banks in raising debt and to avoid a run on the banking system. This helped to increase the willingness to lend, since lenders were only willing to lend at short maturities. The ability to modify rates at any time provided the RBA with the flexibility to stimulate the economy in a downturn and prevent an overheating boom. Thus in the GFC the decrease in interest rates reduces the cost in borrowing resulting in increased planned aggIt regate expenditure. Figure 1: A Monetary Injection and How It Will Affect the Supply and Demand of Money. The Australian government increased government spending to increase private and public consumption by the use of monetary and fiscal policy to counter the negative contributions from public and private investment. The recorded contribution from direct Australian government consumption to a change in GDP(E) in the December 2008 quarter was  actually negative  (-0.1 per cent), followed by nil contribution in the March quarter. These were offset by negligible positive contributions from State and Local consumption spending. This was due to the result of administrative delays in implementing infrastructure spending causing the total public spending not to increase until the end of 2009, but only after the worst of the GFC had passed. During the time of the GFC from the September 2008 to the March 2009 quarters, the main contributors to expenditure were not private and public consumption but net exports which detracted from real expenditure growth in quarters before and after the GFC struck. The strong net export result can be explained by a sustained real exchange-rate depreciation of over 25 per cent in trade-weighted terms during the December 2008 and March 2009 quarters, which made exports substantially cheaper for foreign buyers and imports more expensive for domestic buyers. There was also sustained demand for commodities from key Asian trading partners, including China, over this time. The Australian strong economy can be credited to its net exports rather than government spending, to maintain a positive GDP during the GFC. Table 2: Contributions to GDP Growth (percentage points per quarter, seasonally adjusted) Federal Government Consumption State and Local Govt Consumption Federal  Government  Investment State and Local Govt Investment Statistical Discrepancy Real GDP Jun-2008 0.0 0.1 0.3 0.3 -0.1 0.2 Sep-2008 0.1 0.1 -0.2 -0.1 -0.1 0.4 Dec-2008 -0.1 0.1 -0.2 -0.1 0.0 -0.7 Mar-2009 0.0 0.1 -0.1 0.0 -0.9 0.7 Jun-2009 0.0 0.1 0.0 0.1 -0.3 0.5 Sep-2009 0.2 0.1 0.0 0.2 -0.1 0.3 Dec-2009 0.3 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.0 1.0 Source: Makin, A 2010, Did Australias Fiscal Stimulus Counter Recession?: Evidence from National Accounts, pg. 10, A Journal of Policy Analysis and Reform, Vol. 17, No. 2, 2010. A recession can be determined when there are two consecutive negative quarters of GDP and also when there is a 1.5% rise in unemployment within 12 months. The nominal GDP fell in the March 2009 and June 2009 quarters implying there was a contraction in national income. The reason the average volume measure of GDP remained positive in the March quarter, while the current price value measure shrank, is that there was a sharp fall in the implicit price deflator (or overall price level), due in no small part to heavy retail discounting of goods for sale at this time. Meanwhile, real GDP per head, the single most important indicator of recession, fell successively over three quarters by a total of 1.3 per cent. The real GDP (E) measure in Table 1 is the only conventional GDP series that did not record at least two consecutive negative outcomes. Average real GDP was not negative for two successive quarters because the GDP (E) measures were sufficiently positive to make GDP (A) positive. He nce, the claim that fiscal stimulus enabled Australia to avoid recession according to the media definition of recession, in the end depends on the nature and robustness of the real GDP(E) measure for the March 2009 quarter. But Australia did have over 1.5% rise in unemployment, 1.1 per cent in the September 2008 and 1.5 per cent in the June 2009, meaning unemployment had a 1.5% rise in unemployment within 12 months meaning Australia had a recession. Table 1: Conventional Measures of Gross Domestic Product (percentage growth per quarter, trend basis) Real GDP-Expenditure Real GDP-Income Real GDP -Production Real GDP-Average Real GDP per capita Nominal GDP Jun-2008 0.3 0.3 0.7 0.4 0.1 2.8 Sep-2008 0.1 -0.2 0.2 0.0 -0.5 2.1 Dec-2008 0.4 -0.2 -0.2 0.0 -0.5 0.6 Mar-2009 0.7 0.2 -0.2 0.2 -0.3 -0.8 Jun-2009 0.9 0.5 0.1 0.5 0.0 -0.7 Sep-2009 0.9 0.5 0.6 0.6 0.2 0.7 Dec-2009 0.8 0.6 0.9 0.8 0.3 2.2 Source: Makin, A 2010, Did Australias Fiscal Stimulus Counter Recession?: Evidence from National Accounts, pg. 8, A Journal of Policy Analysis and Reform, Vol. 17, No. 2, 2010. The claim that Australia avoided a recession rests on the definition of recession as two consecutive quarters of falling GDP. This definition is popular with media commentators and market economists and is tacitly approved by the Australian Treasury and the Reserve Bank of Australia. However, it lacks support from academic economists and policymakers abroad because it is too narrow. If a consideration is made to all the National Income Measures (NIM) not just the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) indicators of macroeconomic activity can broaden the margin for error that is always subjected to the economy-wide data especially in the face of a major shock such as the GFC, as evidenced by large statistical discrepancies in the national accounts. As shown above in Table 1, two successive quarters of negative growth  were  recorded in nominal GDP, the real production and income-based measures of GDP, and real GDP per head. The real GDP (E) measure was the only series that did not fall over two successive quarters. Alternative national income series for Australia gleaned from the most recent set of national accounts are included in Table 3, all of which reveal at least two successive negative quarterly outcomes. Though routinely ignored in economic commentary, the real gross and net domestic and national income series are especially important measures of Australias international macroeconomic performance because they reflect the impact of the terms of trade (or ratio of prices received for exports to prices paid for imports) on the economy. Derived by adjusting the volume measure of GDP for changes in the international purchasing power of national income which, in Australias case, occurs due to fluctuating export commodity prices, these series are broader measures of national economic wellbeing than the standard real GDP measure used in the media definition of recession, which can assist in a more accurate decision whether Australia is in a recession or not.   Table 3: Other National Income Measures (percentage growth per quarter, trend basis) Real Net Domestic Product Real Gross Domestic Income Real Gross National Income Real Net National Disposable Income Real Net National Disposable Income per Capita Jun-2008 0.3 2.2 2.5 2.7 2.2 Sep-2008 -0.3 1.2 1.6 1.5 1.0 Dec-2008 -0.4 -0.3 -0.2 -0.5 -1.1 Mar-2009 -0.1 -1.2 -1.2 -1.8 -2.3 Jun-2009 0.4 -0.5 -0.6 -1.0 -1.5 Sep-2009 0.5 0.3 0.3 0.1 -0.3 Dec-2009 0.4 0.7 0.7 0.6 0.2 Source: Makin, A 2010, Did Australias Fiscal Stimulus Counter Recession?: Evidence from National Accounts, pg. 13, A Journal of Policy Analysis and Reform, Vol. 17, No. 2, 2010. Fiscal policy uses changes in government spending and/or reduces taxes to influence the level of aggregate demand to impact the general direction of the economy. This resulted in a multiplier effect which increased the planned aggregated expenditure that monetary policy also contributed too. But the main contributors to expenditure were not private and public consumption but net exports which detracted from real expenditure growth in quarters before and after the GFC struck. A recession can be determined when there are two consecutive negative quarters of GDP and also when there is a 1.5% rise in unemployment within 12 months. Average real GDP was not negative for two successive quarters because the GDP (E) measures were sufficiently positive to make GDP (A) positive. Hence, the claim that fiscal stimulus enabled Australia to avoid recession according to the media definition of recession. If a consideration is made to all the National Income Measures (NIM) not just the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) indicators of macroeconomic activity, all of which reveal at least two successive negative quarterly outcomes, Australia did have a recession. It than becomes clear that the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) has created a recession not only all over the western world, but in Australia as well. Thereby in the short-run, increases in households discretionary income and increase in spending results in a sudden increase of disposable income to help fight the downturn. The Australian strong economy can be credited to its net exports rather than government spending but government spending did help maintain investment and consuming confidence that help to maintain the flow of monies.

Religion and advertising :: essays research papers

Advertising and Religion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Anyone who seems to be in the business of promoting themselves or their product is turning to religion to gain a larger audience. Take the religion of Kaballah for instance, five years ago many of us would openly admit that we had never heard of the religion before. But now, thanks to the media many of us know Kaballah is the religion practiced by such celebrities as Madonna and Britney Spears. In all actuality Kaballah is a more spiritual branch of the Jewish religion.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many religions are now branching out and using the media to market their religion and sparking serious debates in the process. Many feel that it is slightly immoral for churches to use the media to market themselves in the mainstream. Some believe the religions should simply sell themselves, but not literally. As Americans we now see television commercials for churches and services on regular broadcast channels. Another fairly recent trend that we see are churches in strip malls or plazas. Next to our favorite outlet cigarette shop, local retail store, Bingo hall, or fast food chain there are churches.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Much of the advertising we see for religions is on a smaller scale and not so mainstream. The religion of Jehovah’s Witness often sends its members door-to-door to spread their word, give out information, in hope to maintain new members. Those of us who have been privileged with a visit know that they are early risers and like to travel in pairs, so as to take turns overwhelming us with spoken word and pamphlets. One of the largest trends of advertising that we have seen is the wearing of a cross. What used to be a symbol of ones’ beliefs and values has become a mere fashion accessory. In the world of celebrities and â€Å"bling-bling,† a word associated with the amount of visible jewelry shown, a platinum cross medallion adorned with diamonds and/or jewels is a sign of wealth and defines your degree of celebrity.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  However not everyone is into advertising religion in the mainstream. In January 2005 an article was published in USA Today about a conflict between Rolling Stone Magazine and Zondervan Bible, one of the largest Bible publishers over an ad targeted at â€Å"spiritually intrigued,† 18-to-34-year-olds.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Rolling Stone, which rejected the ad just weeks before its scheduled run date, cited an unwritten policy against accepting ads that contain religious messages. Executives for Zondervan say Rolling Stone was a key part of its $1 million campaign targeted at young adults.

Future of software engineering Essay

The term â€Å"Software Engineering† implies a literal meaning of the mechanics and the engineering aspects of building and deploying a software or program. However, the topic of this paper is to justify and explain the future support that organizational goals can get in the organization’s workings. The paper will be presenting the aspects of software engineering as a tool for helping organization’s fulfilling their goals. The area selected for this paper is â€Å"Decision Support Systems† i. e. the importance and suitability of such systems will be discussed as the future of software engineering. Decision support systems (DSS) will be defined in greater detail in the accompanying sections and their advantages and disadvantages will be highlighted in the final chapter. It is important to note that DSS’s are under-used in the world in terms of quantity as well as efficiency. There are very few organizations in the world that house a fully up-and-working DSS and use it extensively for the purpose of analyzing and summarizing data. The logical details of a DSS are also laid down in this paper that can lead to the relation of such systems with our topic and justify their future uses in achieving organizational goals and objectives. The level where DSS operate is also well-differentiated and the general misconceptions held about these systems are also explained to avoid confusions and expose their real job and workings. CHAPTER 2 Decision Support Systems are those systems that give an organization the edge in making decisions and understanding data by making it meaningful in a presentable and summarized output. These systems assist in the general decision making; they do not make or propose the decisions, as is the general misconception about them. Their job is to gather data, process it in pre-defined formats, accompany related information and present in an easy-to-read and user-friendly format. These systems basically cater to the needs of the executives who do not possess enough time to read all source data and need the top view of figures or data in order to shape up decisions. Thus, DSS organize data and fulfill management needs by using modeling software and/or simulation to produce reports and ad hoc queries consuming up data and raw facts and churning out meaningful information and figures. There is no restriction on the organization level on which a DSS can be installed and similarly a DSS can cater to a variety of organizational needs and objectives from all levels within the organization (Marakas, 2002). DSS are systems that take in raw facts and figures, process them, analyze and summarize those figures providing the top view or the analysis of that entire data set. Now it should be understood that the data taken by a DSS for analyzing purpose is not the basic data contained in organizational tables and files. In fact, this data is partially processed: it is the output from a Management Reporting System (MRS). An MRS is used to generate grouped reports at the Operational level (Marakas, 1998). An example would include the hours worked by each employee during a particular month. It should be understood that there is no bias or conditional filter used in disseminating the data produced by an MRS. Hence, the DSS is fortunate enough to lay its hands on data that is predominantly raw and organized. This leads to significant time saves in terms of organizing data by understanding its relevance and scope. An MRS produced report has a narrow scope (Marakas, 1998). However, DSS reports and documents are more long-lasting and can be used for future referencing. In fact, a DSS is used to produce summaries of work over time periods defined by the management or automatically set. These reports are then archived and are useful in personal analysis of trends and performance. DSS assist management in doing Trend-Analysis, forecasting and taking decisions based on the analyzed results (Holsapple and Whinston, 1996). It should be stressed again that the primary purpose of these systems is to gather data, organize it and produce analytical views that management can use in fuelling their decisional justifications. The main idea of a DSS being installed is that it can get its data from a variety of sources and still produce one summary useful for the decision. This means that managers no longer need to look at three or four different reports and spend hours trying to make sense out of them. A single composite report created by an intelligent system such as a DSS can help save time, productivity and make decision making timely and effective. This is the main aim and function of a DSS: to provide summarized and timely data for analytical purposes grouped into well-defined areas for inference (Marakas, 2002). The reporting format of a DSS is highly flexible. It can be structured or unstructured depending on the scenario, the person being reported to and the situation where the reporting is to be carried out. Although the question about the type of report is a secondary issue, the primary concern is the type of decision that can be taken using a DSS. Here again, no restrictions or barricades on the of decision, which can be anything between structured and unstructured, including a hybrid (semi-structured). DSS possess the capability to analyze data in four distinctive ways (Marakas, 2002): 1. What-If Analysis: Changing a variable and analyzing its effects on other dependent variables in the same time or work domain. 2. Sensitivity Analysis: Keeping all variables constant, except one, and noting down its individualistic effects on the output. 3. Goal-seeking Analysis: Opposite of What-If. It is done by setting the goal and looking at what changes need to be done to reach that goal. 4. Optimization Analysis: Using constraints defined by the management, it seeks for a possible set of solutions or optimizations DSS are intelligent data processors, not data creators. Without input data, DSS cannot perform any inferential tasks. Just like a car is useless without fuel, irregardless of the model and functions, a DSS, however much efficient and strong, is useless without input data and raw facts that are impediment for the decision-making and analysis purposes. CHAPTER 3 A Decision Support System is primarily for the tactical level in an organization, nevertheless it can well adapt to the other levels. It can be even be used in a hybrid of levels gathering data from one level, analyzing it and reporting it to another level. In this way, a DSS can contribute towards organizational objectives very aptly (Thompson, 1999). The fully functional DSSs in The world are a strong reflection of the fact that a DSS can really help a company to overcome its Information Reporting problems and become a leading firm in is business on the basis of the jobs performed by a DSS enabling workforce efficiency and effectiveness. The DSS works on the principle of arranging data so that inferences can be made as quickly and as easily as possible. Imagine the future corporate world without a DSS. A weary manager leading a bored, monotonous workforce that is dilapidated with the over burdening of compiling data from every nook and corner and making it meaningful and presentable to their bosses (Thompson, 1999). A DSS allows for the generation of routine reports as easy as it is to click on the Print button. The fact that a DSS allows for repeatable, routine and scheduled reports to be produced without the interference of any person makes its usage and relevance even more pronounced. The application of a DSS transforms greatly the way in which an organization works to achieve its organizational goals. Take the example of 4 workers divided in a hierarchical manner striving for the collection of data and organizing it. After this organizing, this data is given to another 2 workers who then process it and present it to the management. With a DSS in place, the job definitions change: only 1 worker from the upper hierarchy is required to monitor formats and give commands timely. Another worker is needed to key in the data, as it is automatically organized. This reduces the job for 3 lower workers and 1 upper worker. You might say, bad. But looking on the brighter side, these 4 employees’ forces and skills can be polished on another branch: say, the marketing department (Marakas, 2002). Now that brings the organization more closely and quicker to fulfilling its short-term goals, which are just a break-down of the overall long-term goals. DSS allow for Business Process Re-engineering. This means that a DSS can be implemented for a key strategy or technical change in the methodologies and the system specifications f the current work methods and practices. This may sound too subjective to be understood in a practical corporate environment. How do several firms manage a turnaround in their sales and efficiency by keeping the same bunch of employees, the same size of plants, marketing strategies and same old buyers? The answer is Business Process Re-engineering (Marakas, 1998). This means changing the old ways or trading them with new ones that are according to the practices required by the DSS implementation. A classic example is the retailer who did not have any inventory control and alarm system and was often low in certain inventory when it was high and demand and had excess of another when its season was off. After the implementation of a DSS, it was able to act an alarm system that gave beeps when certain inventory levels receded; no this conception is false. It was actually a reporting system that could use sales data and produce individualistic item reports. It simply meant that the retailer could now generate reports on the sales of his individual items on his list and compare it with what he expected each item to spend in his store. After looking at a couple or more reports, he can, ideally, identify the general time each type of grocery took to be sold and the time periods when certain inventory was needed and what was the best time to hold up more inventories considering the future aspects. One might argue as to the effectiveness of such a DSS as described above and point out the costs involved in setting up a DSS. But, believe me, in the long run, there will be a point where the decisions made using the information churned out by the DSS will result in significant cost savings and greater sales for the retailer since the retailer will now be having a fairer idea of each type of inventory and the time it took for it to be converted into sales. It is worth noting, that there was no change of inventory, marketing, employees or shop; only the DSS was implemented and BPR was carried out that lead to the retailer creeping more steadily towards his personal goals. Competition is the key for survival in today’s world, be it any industry. Globalization has meted out a strong barrier to entry for smaller firms into the global market and the existing big fishes are also finding it hard to compete with global giants. Here, comes the need and advantage of a DSS. A DSS makes it possible for an organization to keep its maintain its grip on the market as well as blesses new entrants with the opportunity to seize the market share from big giants on the basis of the reporting system they use. What do all companies have in common? Reporting that leads to Decision making. And what is the basic job of a DSS? Information organization and Reporting. So why not combine something needy with something that can fulfill the formers needs. Common sense and simple logic make it more than evident that a DSS is best suited for the achieving of organizational goals and objectives. This logic can be derived from the fact that quicker and more effective decisions fuelled by organized information will lead to strategic edges in competition and success (Marakas, 2002). History has borne testimony to the fact that often big giants in the market look to buying up small ventures in the market owing to them posing serious threats to their future goals and survival. Now the question that lies here is: what makes these small ventures so important in the eyes of big companies in that they regard them as threats, given the difference in their sizes and market shares? It must be the technology: specifically DSS and Expert Systems. While discussing the latter is beyond the scope and requirement of this paper, I would like to reinstate the use of DSS in the meeting of organizational goals and objectives. As a final bow, I would like to re-emphasize the fact that the tried-and-tested formula of the implementation of a DSS to enhance efficiency and effectiveness in company goal achieving capabilities has never been proved wrong in any major investment and changeover. Thus, we can safely assert that a DSS is essentially a valuable contributor and facilitator towards the achievement of organizational goals and objectives in a timely and successful manner (Marakas, 1998). CHAPTER 4 In compendium, I would like to end my discussion with the futuristic advantages as well as the disadvantages a DSS holds. Generally speaking, there are more visible advantages of a DSS than disadvantages owing to their easy-to-use nature and the variety of jobs they can perform. The most important advantage of a DSS is the use of data and producing a timely report that can be used to justify and influence organizational decisions. On a futuristic outlook, time will become more and more scarcer and decisions will have to me made more quickly if they are to have any impact. If managers are left doodling over 300 files to understand a trend and then make a decision then it is highly likely that at the end of the day, the company will be losing out to businesses using DSS’s (Holsapple and Whinston, 1996). This is due to the high level of automatic dissemination and organization of data done by a DSS that enables it to cater to the format and the needs of specific informational roles and managerial positions. The flexibility of a DSS will allow its extensive future use for organizational goals. A DSS does not mean a system that only produces analytical reports and stops. There is more to it. The DSS also records the decisions made and stores results of decisions and retrieves such data for future decision making purposes. An example would be when a manager was in a problem to decide on price cuts in order to remain competitive. The manager did not cut the price, and soon enough, there was a 65% sales cut. Instantly, the management decided to cut the prices but were still only able to recover just 60% of the lost sales. Slowly, they progressed, lucky enough not to go out of business. In the future, when a similar situation persists, the DSS will show the past decision along with the outcome. It is important to note here also, that in line with our past definitions of a DSS being a decision facilitator, not a decision maker, the DSS will just provide the course of action taken previously, and will not propose the manager to take the step of cutting prices as it had lead to a worsening period for the company. The decision still lies at the hands of the manager who can again decide to retain prices owing to a difference of situation or other factors. The variety of data that a DSS can handle is commendable (Holsapple and Whinston, 1996). It can be configured to use several data sources easing down managerial work. Time, efficiency and ease of work all lead directly to a guarantee of achieving organizational goals, since if decisions are made on time, with good hindsight and information, they are bound to be successful and contribute towards standards set to be met by the organization. Futuristic advantages of a DSS include giving one company a strategic edge over another through the effective use of a DSS which enables them to gather information from wide sources and work with them quickly in order to produce meaningful results that can be used to trigger well-timed decisions. DSS makes Business Process Re-engineering (BPR) a possibility, a process where the core activities and components of an organizational work flow or department are re-designed to improve their effectiveness towards organizational goal achieving. A possible disadvantage of a DSS might be their stagnancy with newer data types and the need to define reporting formats and the types of reports it can produce. A coffee maker knows how to make coffee. Similarly, a DSS cannot be programmed to work with data types as they come. It has to be informed, which is done in the designing phase, and once its made, there is no automatic way in which it can align itself to a data type without it having been configured earlier. So there is the need for redefinitions. On the positive outlook, a DSS is a well-oiled machine that is a very important part in running the organizational motors nonchalantly and stopping errors and inefficiency becoming an impediment to organizational goals and objectives (Thompson, 1999). The future is not happening without the use of a DSS, for sure. It is imperative that DSS be taken on into the future since it is an efficient part required to keep the wheels of efficiency and effective time management ticking on. REFERENCE: 1. Brooks Jr. , F. P. (1987). No silver bullet: essence and accidents of software engineering, IEEE Computer, 20(4), pp.10-19. 2. Marakas, George M. (2002). Decision Support Systems(2nd Edition) 3. Marakas, George M. (1998). Decision Support Systems in the 21st Century. 4. Holsapple, Clyde W. and Whinston, Andrew B. (1996). Decision Support Systems: A Knowledge Based Approach. 5. Thompson, J. Barrie (1999). Here, There and Everywhere: The Future of Software Engineering Education. Twenty-Third Annual International Computer Software and Applications Conference, from http://csdl2. computer. org/persagen/DLAbsToc. jsp? resourcePath=/dl/proceedings/&toc=comp/proceedings/compsac/1999/0368/00/0368toc. xml&DOI=10. 1109/CMPSAC. 1999. 812708

An Analysis of the Urban Issue of Tuberculosisin the Bourough of Newham The WritePass Journal

An Analysis of the Urban Issue of Tuberculosisin the Bourough of Newham 1.Introduction An Analysis of the Urban Issue of Tuberculosisin the Bourough of Newham ). Newham has a population of 308,000 with a population density of 85.1 per hectare as compared to 31 in central London (UK Census, 2012). These figures suggest that even in the populated city of London, Newham is an area of urbanisation, with a large number of people concentrated into a relatively small area. The increase of tuberculosis has been described as a ‘penalty for high density urban living’ (Dye 2010, p.859), likely due to the increased potential for transmission in overcrowding, and the increased rates of immigration to inner-city areas. Bhunu and Mushavabasa (2012) propose that tuberculosis thrives in conditions of overcrowding and poverty, issues that are common in urban areas. The high rates of tuberculosis in cities such as London, and areas of urbanization such as Newham, suggest that the incidence of tuberculosis is indeed an urban issue. Newham fulfills the criteria of high immigration rates and being an area of deprivation.. Newham has a diverse ethnic population, with 61% of the people being non-white (Farrar Manson 2013, p. 54). The population of ethnic minorities continues to grow along with the increasing numbers of refugees and asylum seekers in greater London. Another aspect of urbanisation illustrated in the borough of Newham is that of deprivation and overcrowding. Farrar Manson (2013, p. 16) claim that Newham ranks as the third most deprived borough in inner London. Most of the people here live in tower housing and overcrowded conditions that are the perfect condition for the spread of tuberculosis. There is a positive correlation between poor housing and poverty and the prevalence of tuberculosis, which is very clear in Newham as evidenced by the findings of 108 and 116 cases per 100,000 people (Vassal, 2009; Anderson et al., 2001). The aetiology of the issue of tuberculosis is highlighted when considering the distribution of the disease across Newham. The occurrence of disease is not evenly spread across the borough, with 70% of cases coming from Manor Park, Green Street and East Ham. These boroughs represent areas of population increase, overcrowding and higher levels of those living in poverty. Manor Park and Green Street also show differing dynamics of tuberculosis incidence, representing an overall increase of 40% since 2006 whilst all other areas of Newham either remained static or showed slight decrease (Malone et al 2009, p. 23). It can be seen that tuberculosis presents a significant urban issue, especially when comparing incidence in an urban area such as Newham to those less urbanised areas. Bromley has a population of 309,000 and a population density of 20 per hectare, in comparison to Newham’s population density of 80 per hectare (UK Census, 2012). Tuberculosis incidence in Bromley is between 0-19 per 100,000 compared to that of Newham, which is five times greater at 80-100 per 100,000 (Anderson et al., 2006). It is for this reason that necessary intervention strategies need to be formulated and implemented to help reduce the rates of tuberculosis among individuals living in Newham. 3. The Influence of Urbanisation on Tuberculosis Incidence While the global rates of tuberculosis are declining, the disease is showing steady increase in the United Kingdom. In 2012, 8751 new cases of the disease were identified in the country with 39% coming from London (Fullman and Strachan 2013, p. 43). Indeed London has the highest rates of the disease in Western Europe with Newham borough having the highest rates in the UK. Jindal (2011, p. 55) claims that the rate of tuberculosis in some London boroughs is more than twice higher than the threshold used by the world health organisation to define high rates. These higher incidences support the notion of a sick city hypothesis where there are greater levels of ill health than in rural areas, and may be due to the presence of factors in an urban environment that contribute to ill health (an urban health penalty). One factor that may contribute to the urban health penalty is that of immigration. Cities are easier to access than rural areas, provide areas of congregation and provide more facilities for immigrating families and individuals. The majority of individuals suffering from tuberculosis are people born outside the United Kingdom, with 75% of cases in 2003 being born abroad (Anderson et al., 2006). A reason for the high incidence in those born abroad but now living in the UK is exacerbated by the nature of tuberculosis. On initial infection, tuberculosis is confined by the immune system with only around 5% of cases experiencing symptoms within the first two years of infection (Narasimhan et al., 2013). The remainder of cases harbour a latent infection which may reactivate later in life, with about 10-15% of those infected going on to develop an active disease (Narasimhan et al., 2013). This insidious nature combined with the later activation of the disease explains why many people do not get the disease until later in life. It is likely that it is contracted in their country of birth, however then manifests much later once they have moved to the UK. Statistics indicate that over 90% of the residents in Newham diagnosed with the disease in 2011 were born outside the United Kingdom (Fullman and Strachan, 2013, p. 33). Among these, 50% arrived in the country in the last five years. In the same year tuberculosis diagnosis increased by 25% compared to 2010 (Fullman and Strachan, 2013), possibly as a reflection of the increased immigration. Additionally to a high immigrant population bringing significant disease burden from their countries of birth, London and Newham both represent many of the other issues of urbanisation and urban health penalty that can contribute to the high incidence of tuberculosis. Studies have shown that low vitamin D levels are associated with an increased risk of developing tuberculosis (Campbell and Spector, 2012; Chan, 1999). This is an important association in urban populations, as the living and working conditions foster less access to sunlight (the major source of vitamin D). Additionally, Asian immigrants present a problem of low vitamin D due to vegetarian diets, and a tendency to cover up their skin, not allowing to take advantage of the small amount of sunlight available (Chan, 1999). As previously mentioned, Newham is an area of both high urbanisation and with a large immigrant population, and 38.6% of the population being of Asian descent (London Borough of Newham, 2010). The immigrant population of urban areas such as Newham also present a non-vaccinated proportion of society. Whilst the BCG vaccine against tuberculosis was introduced in the UK in the 1950s and was shown to provide a reduction in risk of contracting tuberculosis (Colditz et al., 1994), those immigrating were less likely to receive this vaccination on moving to the UK. London also represents cases of tuberculosis that are socially and medically complex. As a hugely populated area, London includes those with HIV infection and presents other risk factors such as onward transmission and poor treatment. HIV is one of the most powerful risk factors for tuberculosis, with a incidence rate of 20 times higher in those that are HIV positive (Dye and Williams, 2010). People’s attitudes towards and access to healthcare also present a complex mix of factors which contribute to an increased incidence of many health problems, including that of tuberculosis. Those in impoverished areas have reduced access to healthcare, which may stem from many reasons such as complex needs, chaotic lifestyles, location of services, user ignorance, and language and literacy barriers (Szczepura, 2005). These can affect the disease process of tuberculosis from prevention, treatment of active disease, adherence to treatment and prevention of the health consequences. Especially problematic are misconceptions and a lack of understanding of the disease, leading to late presentation and delayed access to treatment (Figuera-Munoz and Ramon-Pardo, 2008) With the close living quarters in areas such as Newham, the spread of tuberculosis is facilitated. With poverty, poor housing and overcrowding, these areas concentrate several risk factors and lead to a greater spread of tuberculosis (Bates et al., 2004). These determinants therefore suggest that the incidence of tuberculosis in urban areas is a complex issue. Controlling and preventing tuberculosis in London requires effective social and economic tools that must be incorporated in the development of policies of control in treatment initiation. 4. Consequences and implications of tuberculosis on the general population Tuberculosis ranks with HIV/ AIDS and Malaria as one of the three main health challenges currently facing the world. The Commonwealth Health Ministers Update 2009 (2009, p. 41) indicates that 8 million new cases are reported globally each year. As previously mentioned, when combined with HIV, tuberculosis can prove lethal as the two diseases enhance the progress of each other. It is for this reason that tuberculosis is the major cause of death among HIV patients with the rate standing at 11% globally. The World Health Organization (2009, p. 27) indicates that tuberculosis is responsible for more deaths today than ever before, with approximately 2 million lives claimed by the disease annually. As well as the significant mortality contributed by tuberculosis, the morbidity of the disease can be extremely detrimental both socially and economically. Those with the active disease that are not receiving treatment have been shown to go on to infect 10-15 others every year (WHO, 1998). Those who do receive treatment face a long (up to six months) and complex treatment regime involving several medication side effects. This can affect adherence to the treatment regime, and lead to the disease developing a resistance to the treatment, with this drug resistant tuberculosis contributing to greater mortality and increased expense to treat (Ahlburg, 2000). As well as the significant morbidity and mortality, it is important to consider the economic impact of tuberculosis. The World Health Organisation estimated the cost to treat tuberculosis in 2000 as $250,000 US dollars ( £150,000) in developed countries (Ahlburg, 2000). This presents a significant burden to the UK NHS, not to mention the time lost through not working which can dent the economy. London is a global world trade centre whose economy is shaped by global forces, particularly in terms of trade, labour and capital. As a gateway to both the UK and other parts of Europe and the rest of the world, London records a very large number of tourists and immigrant populations. This high number of people accelerates the spread of the disease as people carry it to the country from other parts of the world is indicated by the new infection patterns and is highlighted by the prevalence in immigrant populations. 5. Strategies and intervention for addressing tuberculosis Current UK guidelines for tuberculosis intervention were made by NICE in 2006 (updated 2011). The recommendations propose strategies for identifying those with latent (non-active) tuberculosis to prevent spread or reactivation and also specify criteria for treatment (NICE, 2011). Those recommended for screening for latent tuberculosis include close contacts of infected individuals, immigrants from high incidence countries, immunocompromised individuals, and healthcare workers. Whilst this strategy targets prevention of the spread of tuberculosis, they are only targeting specific groups, and it is likely in high incidence areas such as Newham, people will slip through the net. These guidelines have only changed minimally since 2006, and since then tuberculosis incidence has been on the increase in areas such as Newham, suggesting that changes may need to be made. High incidence areas of the UK such as Newham could learn from New York experience and copy the strategy it used in dealing with the disease. With the implementation of broadened initial treatment regimes, direct observed therapy, and improved guidelines for hospital control and disease prevention, the city managed to halt the progression of an epidemic (Frieden et al., 1995). As mentioned in the previous chapter, adherence to the lengthy treatment regime as well as a lack of understanding may contribute to the spread of tuberculosis. Directly observed therapy (DOT) involves observing the patient take each dose of their medication, with outreach workers travelling to their homes. Evidence from New York showed that through DOT, only 3% of patients in therapy were infectious, compared to a proposed 20% if not receiving DOT (Frieden et al., 1995). Current UK guidelines (NICE, 2006) do not recommend DOT, although they do state that it may be used in cases of patients with previous issues with adherence or at high risk. Although an expensive and time consuming process, if DOT can reduce infectious cases, this would also work as a preventative measure. There could be one allocated outreach nurse for the borough of Newham and other high-risk areas. Another method implemented in New York was the downsizing of large shelters for the homeless. These were breeding grounds for tuberculosis, and the subsequent reduction in overcrowding led to a decrease in transmission of the disease (Frieden et al., 1995). Whilst it is not possible to split people up from living with their families in crowded homes in terms of Newham, education about keeping those with tuberculosis from interacting with too many others in crowded conditions may be of benefit. The model should also borrow from those used by other cities like Paris and the rest of Europe in controlling tuberculosis with intervention at the level of the agent, individual and community levels. In Paris, Rieder (2002) suggested that prophylactic treatment could be used to prevent the disease occurring in those at risk, for example those in the household of an identified case of tuberculosis. Additionally, Rieder (2002) proposed that early or neonate vaccination be used especially in those in areas where tuberculosis is frequent, rarely diagnosed, and adequate contact examinations rarely feasible. It may be possible that in cases where lots of people are vaccinated that they may infer herd immunity and thus protect unvaccinated individuals from the disease. Once the populations have been protected and the incidence (number of new cases) of tuberculosis has been reduced, this allows for a reduction in the prevalence of tuberculosis (number of ongoing cases at any one point in time) with preventative chemotherapy that can treat sub-clinical, latent tuberculosis in the population. This preventative chemotherapy is likely to be extremely relevant to Newham due to the large immig rant population likely harbouring latent tuberculosis. On a country- or city-wide scale, these recommendations from New York and Paris provide excellent models for preventing the increase of tuberculosis any further. It is also important, however, to consider the individual communities in Newham, and to promote health awareness and an attitude towards taking responsibility for their health. Their needs to be an encouragement at the level of primary care where immigrant populations feel that they can approach healthcare, and education to encourage tuberculosis prevention and adherence to treatment. The strategy should be all-inclusive in order to encourage people to not only go for testing but also start and finish the treatment process. 6. Recommendations and conclusion Tuberculosis presents an important urban issue in the area of Newham. Incidence is greater than other areas of the UK, and is over half that of India. There are several factors contributing to this including a large immigrant population, crowding and overpopulation, access to healthcare and comorbid health problems such as vitamin D deficiency and HIV. The disease has considerable effect on morbidity and is responsible for high levels of mortality. Further consequences of the disease manifest as economic problems such as cost of treatment and loss of work. London and the UK already have policies and structures for controlling tuberculosis in place; however the implementation process is patchy across the city, and often dependent upon budget. In high-risk areas such as Newham, there is poor access of healthcare due to inaccurate beliefs on the disease, language and cultural barriers, and complex needs of the population. In the case of tuberculosis, these contribute to poor disease prevention, delayed diagnosis and poor treatment adherence. All of which lead to an increase in transmission and health consequences. The area of Newham would benefit greatly from further education into tuberculosis, how to look for signs and how to get treatment. Encouraging good relationship with healthcare professionals and promoting access to healthcare through outreach programmes and targeting pharmacies may be helpful. Additionally, Newham should look to employ techniques used in New York and Paris, including DOT, prophylactic treatment and neonate vaccination to reduce both the prevalence and incidence of tuberculosis. References Ahlburg (2000). The economic impact of TB: ministerial conference Amsterdam, WHO Bates, I., Fenton, C., Gruber, J., Lalloo, D., Lara, A. M., Squire, S. B., and Tolhurst, R. (2004). ‘Vulnerability to malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS infection and disease. Part II: determinants operating at environmental and institutional level’.  The Lancet Infectious Diseases,  vol. 4(6), pp. 368-375. Bhunu, C. P., and Mushayabasa, S. (2012). ‘Assessing the effects of poverty in tuberculosis transmission dynamics’.  Applied Mathematical Modelling,  vol. 36(9), pp. 4173-4185. Campbell, G. R., and Spector, S. A. (2012). ‘Vitamin D inhibits human immunodeficiency virus type 1 and Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in macrophages through the induction of autophagy’.  PLoS pathogens, vol.  8(5). Castillo-Chavez, C., and Feng, Z. (1997). ‘To treat or not to treat: the case of tuberculosis.  Journal of mathematical biology’,   vol. 35(6), pp. 629-656. Colditz, G. A., Brewer, T. F., Berkey, C. S., Wilson, M. E., Burdick, E., Fineberg, H. V., and Mosteller, F. (1994). ‘Efficacy of BCG vaccine in the prevention of tuberculosismeta-analysis of the published literature’.  Jama, vol. 271(9), pp. 698-702. Commonwealth Health Ministers Update 2009. (2009). Commonwealth Secretarial. Dye, C., and Williams, B. G. (2010). ‘The population dynamics and control of tuberculosis’.  Science,  vol 328(5980), pp. 856-861. Dyer, C. A. (2010). Tuberculosis. Santa Barbara, California: Greenwood. Ellner JJ. Tuberculosis. In: Goldman L, Schafer AI, eds.  Goldmans Cecil Medicine. 24th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders; 2011: vol332. Farrar, J., Manson, P. (2013). Mansons tropical diseases. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. Figueroa-Munoz, J. I., Ramon-Pardo, P. (2008). Tuberculosis control in vulnerable groups.  Bulletin of the World Health Organization,  86(9), 733-735. Frieden, T. R., Fujiwara, P. I., Washko, R. M., and Hamburg, M. A. (1995). ‘Tuberculosis in New York City- turning the tide’.  New England Journal of Medicine,  vol. 333(4), pp. 229-233. Fullman, J., Strachan, D. (2013). Frommers London 2013. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. Great Britain. (2008). Diseases know no frontiers: How effective are intergovernmental organisations in controlling their spread? ; 1st report of session, 2007-08. London: Stationery Office. Jindal, S. K. (2011). Textbook of pulmonary and critical care medicine. New Delhi: Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers. London Borough of Newham, (2010). Community Leaders and Engagement, Manor Park Community Forum Profile [Online], Available:newham.info/research/CFProfiles/ManorPark.pdf [12 April 2014]. Malone, C., Beasley, R. P., Bressler, J., Graviss, E. A., Vernon, S. W., University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, School of Public Health. (2009). Trends in anti-tuberculosis drug resistance from 20032007 at Pham Ngoc Thach Tuberculosis and Lung Disease Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. (Masters Abstracts International, 47-5.) National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (2006) [Clinical Diagnosis and Management of Tuberculosis, and measures for its prevention and control]. [CG117]. London: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Ormerod, L.P. (2003) ‘Nonrespiratory tuberculosis. In Davies PDO (Ed) Clinical Tuberculosis. Third Edition. Arnold: London. pp. 125-153. Public Health England (2012), World Health Organization (WHO) estimates of tuberculosis incidence by rate, 2012 (sorted by rate). [Online] Available at: hpa.org.uk/webc/HPAwebFile/HPAweb_C/1317140584841 [12 April 2014]. Rieder, H. A. (2002).  Interventions for Tuberculosis Control, 1st edn. International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, Paris, France. Szczepura, A. (2005). ‘Access to health care for ethnic minority populations’. Postgraduate Medical Journal,  vol. 81(953), pp. 141-147. Vassall, A., University of Amsterdam. (2009). The Costs and cost-effectiveness of tuberculosis control. Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press. Watson, J. M., and Maguire. H.C (1997). ‘PHLS work on the surveillance and epidemiology of tuberculosis.’ Communicable disease report. CDR review 7.8, pp. R110-2. World Health Organization. (2009). Global tuberculosis control: Epidemiology, strategy, financing : WHO report 2009. Geneva: World Health Organization. World Health Organisation (2014). Tuberculosis. [Online], Available: who.int/topics/tuberculosis/en/ [12 April 2014] UK Census (2012), UK Census Data, [Online]. ukcensusdata.com/newham-e09000025#sthash.51Phmj6a.dpbs [12 April 2014]

The Da Vinci Code


The Da Vinci Code†© Ever since Dan Brown’s novel The Da Vinci Code became a bestseller, critics never ceased coming up with a variety of different explanations as to this book’s popularity with the readers.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Da Vinci Code specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More However, most of them do agree with a suggestion that the key to The Da Vinci Code’s popularity is being concerned with author’s ability to fuse religious and conspirological motifs into a one inseparable compound – thus, presenting readers within nothing less of an ‘intellectual bomb’, which sets off by being exposed to readers’ curiosity. In his book Key to the Da Vinci Code, Ferris (2005) points out to the fact that The Da Vinci Code’s very format established objective preconditions for this novel to be avidly read: â€Å"The book is a complex blend of symbolism, historical theories, sec ret societies and religion, which separately presented would make for some heavy reading†¦ In the context of a novel, however, a much wider audience is exposed to the ideas in the book† (Ferris 9). Nevertheless, it appears that the actual secret of Brown novel’s popularity is not being concerned with author possessing a supreme literary talent, as much as it is being concerned with the process of Western societies growing increasingly secularized, which results in these societies’ members becoming naturally inclined to think of religious dogmas from essentially desacralized perspective. As of today, a clear correlation can be seen between the quality of living in every particular country and the extent of citizens’ sense of religiosity – the higher are the standards of living, the lesser is the chance for those who enjoy these standards to be endowed with strong religious beliefs. For example, the number of practicing Christians in such countri es as Denmark, Sweden and Norway is estimated to account for only 1%-2% of total population. As Durkheim (1954) had rightly noticed in his famous book The Elementary Forms of Religious Life: â€Å"Religion no longer thrills us, because many of its aspects have passed into common usage to such a degree that we are no longer conscious of them, or because they do not meet our current aspirations† (Durkheim 30). At the same time, the conceptual matrix of Christianity continues to be considered by many policy-makers in the West as a source of divinely inspired morality. For example, it never even occurred to the former American President George Bush that there was anything wrong with him making references the to the ‘good book’, while explaining what had prompted him to decide in favour of attacking Iraq.Advertising Looking for essay on religion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In its turn, t his explains why many intellectually advanced citizens are being subconsciously predisposed to pay a close attention to just about any work of literature or a movie, which is being aimed at desacralizing religion – by doing it, they establish themselves as rationale-driven and therefore, responsible individuals. Thus, Brown’s novel is best referred to as the intellectual by-product of post-industrial era, the socio-political realities of which point out to people’s sense of irrational religiosity as the ultimate indication of their lessened social value. This is exactly the reason why The Da Vinci Code is being banned from bookstores in countries where citizens’ lessened biological worth has been allowing Catholic Church to enjoy an undisputed religious and political authority, throughout the course of centuries (Philippines, Mexico, Peru), while contributing to these countries’ economic and geopolitical backwardness more than any other factor. App arently, intellectually inflexible individuals simply cannot handle a simple truth that just about any religion is not being divinely inspired, as self-appointed ‘servants of God’ would like us to believe, but man-made. And, once believers are being rid of their illusions, in regards to the essence of religion as nothing but simply a sublimation of people’s death-related anxieties, Church’s religious authority will get to be automatically delegitimized down to nothing. It goes without saying, of course, that the best way of undermining Catholic Church’s religious authority and revealing its true essence as nothing but one of the most lucrative and most shameless commercial enterprises that world has ever known, would be exposing ‘savior’ as a mortal individual, endowed with sexual urges, just like the rest of people. As one of novel’s most prominent characters, Sir Teabing had put it: â€Å"A child of Jesus would undermine the c ritical notion of Christs divinity and therefore the Christian Church, which declared itself the sole vessel through which humanity could access the divine and gain entrance to the kingdom of heaven† (Brown 216). Nevertheless, we cannot agree with religiously minded critics of The Da Vinci Code, who often refer to the plot of Brown’s novel as being based upon pseudo-historical speculations, and therefore – not worthy of readers’ attention.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Da Vinci Code specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Apparently, it never occurred to Christian critics that, while referring to novel’s affiliation with the literary genre of fiction as the foremost proof to the sheer fallaciousness of the claims, contained in it, they actually contribute to promoting Brown’s cause even further – whatever the improbable it might sound. The reason for this is simple â₠¬â€œ while being encouraged to analyze what accounts for fictious motifs in The Da Vinci Code, readers are being simultaneously provoked to analyze what represents fictious motifs in the Bible. In his book The God Delusion, Dawkings (2006) had made a perfectly good point, while stating: â€Å"The only difference between The Da Vinci Code and the gospels is that the gospels are ancient fiction while The Da Vinci Code is modern fiction† (Dawkings 97). Despite the format of Brown’s novel, it does operate with a variety of historically proven facts, which Christians do not like discussing, simply because these facts leave very little doubt as to the Bible being anything but the actual ‘word of God’. For example, in his dialogue with the characters of Langdon and Sophie, Sir Teabing provides readers with the insight onto the fact that, before being incorporated into Christianity’s dogma as its integral element, the divinity of Jesus was actually voted up on by attendees of Council of Nicaea (325 A.D.): â€Å"At this gathering (Council of Nicaea)†¦ many aspects of Christianity were debated and voted upon the date of Easter, the role of the bishops, the administration of sacraments, and, of course, the divinity of Jesus† (Brown 199). As historical accounts indicate, during the course of the Council, its participants would never hesitate resorting to utilization of a naked force, in order to substantiate their pro and contra-divinity arguments. Here is how Grant (1975) describes the initial stages of the Council: â€Å"At the beginning, most of the bishops presented written accusations against selected colleagues. The charges could not have been theological, since the theological question had not yet been stated† (Grant 5).Advertising Looking for essay on religion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In other words, the recognition of Jesus’ divinity that had taken place during the course of the Council, was largely incidental the number of bishops who voted in favor of recognizing Jesus’ divinity simply happened to be slightly larger than the number of bishops who voted against. In all probability, mostly illiterate bishops did not even fully realize what would be the consequence of such their decision. And yet, Catholic Church never ceased referring to the Council of Nicaea as the birthplace of a so-called ‘holy tradition’, which is still being revered by devout Catholics as something that has been passed down to them by God himself. Therefore, it is not the historical inaccuracies, contained in The Da Vinci Code, which upset Catholic clergy the most, but the fact that Brown’s novel exposes the inner workings behind the respectful faà §ade of Catholicism. As it has always been the case, throughout the course of history, Church did not only a ctively try to slow down the pace of cultural and scientific progress in Europe, but it even strived to withhold the information about what Bible was all about from its own flock. Up until the time of Reformation, translating Bible from Latin into secularly spoken languages used to be considered a major sin, punishable by death. Apparently, in his novel Brown had succeeded with encouraging people to make critical inquiries about whether Catholic Church even has a right to claim any religious authority, in the first place, given its ‘glorious’ deeds in the past and also in the present. Why is it that those high-ranking Church’s officials who never get tired of preaching humility to believers, find it appropriate driving around in bulletproof limousines that often cost millions of dollars a piece? Why is it that, when they get ill, the ‘representatives of Jesus on Earth’ chose in favor of undergoing medicinal treatment in privately owned Swiss clinics, as opposed to relying on the ‘power of God’s miracle’ alone, as they expect ordinary believers to do? Why is it that the very term ‘Catholic priest’ is now being commonly perceived as synonymous to the term ‘child molester’? Why does Catholic Church continue to refer to the usage of contraceptives as ‘sinful’, hence contributing to the problem of overpopulation in the countries of Third World and ultimately, to the rise of mortality rates in this region of the world? Dan Brown can only be thankful for the fact that he does not live in time when Catholic Church was at the peak of its power (Dark Ages); because otherwise, Catholic ‘lambs of God’ would deal with the author of The Da Vinci Code rather decisively – tying him up to a pole and setting it on fire. As Nicolosi (2009) had put it in her article Just Say No to The Da Vinci Code: â€Å"You dont debate the devil. You do not give evil the authority to question God. ‘The Da Vinci Code’ represents a debate in which the questions start with Satans presumptions† (BeliefNet). Just as it is the case with just about any self-righteous Christian fundamentalist, Nicolosi would do her utmost, while combating what she believe represents evil. Unfortunately, it never occurred to this person, clearly not overburdened with intelligence, that one of the sources of all evil in the world are the uncritical religious beliefs, on the part of steadfast ‘lambs of God’, like herself. Thus, it would not be much of an exaggeration to suggest that, even though Brown’s novel does contain a fair amount of historical inaccuracies, it nevertheless represents an undeniable literary, historical and above all – educational value. By reading The Da Vinci Code, people will learn to adopt a critical attitude towards just about any issue, concerning the process of religious ‘wolfs in lamb’s skin’ ta king an advantage of citizens’ naivety, while proceeding with the agenda that has always been the foremost trademark of those who professionally work on behalf of an organized religion – the accumulation of material riches. We can say that, by publishing The Da Vinci Code, Brown had driven yet one more nail into the coffin of Christianity, as semi-religious cult of suicidally-minded desert-dwellers, which encourages people to exterminate ‘infidels’ (a particularly godly deed), which teaches them not to marry, not to wash before eating, not to tend crops, not to bury dead (Kingdom of heaven is at hand), and which had unleashed the hell on Earth (Crusades, Inquisition), well before the coming of a hypothetical Antichrist. Given the fact that, unlike Islam, Christianity had long ago ceased being ‘alive’ religion, one should simply ignore the hysterical reactions of ‘defenders of Christian faith’, in regards to the publishing of The D a Vinci Code – eventually, these people will learn that trying to discourage others from reading Brown’s novel is being just as futile as trying to bite their own elbows. The historically predetermined process of people coming to realization of the fact that God resides within, as opposed to residing up in clouds, simply cannot be stopped. And, the sooner particularly aggressive believers realize it, the better it will be for them. References Brown, Dan. The Da Vinci Code. Sydney: Anchor Books, 2009. Dawkings, Richard. The God Delusion. Toronto: Bantam Press, 2006. Durkheim, Emil. The Elementary Forms of Religious Life. New York: The Free Press, 1954. Ferris, Stewart. Key to the Da Vinci Code. London: Crombie Jardine, 2005. Grant, Robert â€Å"Religion and Politics at the Council at Nicaea†. The Journal of Religion, 55.1 (1975): 1-12. Nicolosi, Barbara â€Å"Just Say No to The Da Vinci Code†. (2009) BeliefNet. 19 Aug. 2009.

Porters Diamond framework Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Porters Diamond framework - Essay Example The porter diamond factors of competitive advantages of a nation include; the government, factor conditions, port competition, related and supporting industry as well as the demand conditions that should be applied in all organizations so as to have high competitive advantages over their competitors. However, the framework may not be applied in most organization as it does not incorporate the multinational activities. The introduction of the generalized double diamond model has led to the significant changes within the organization. This framework takes into consideration the multinational activities whereas the porters' original diamond model takes into account the traditional home-based activities. In addition the porter's diamond framework makes an explicit connection between the geographical and the international industries therefore the industries can easily access raw materials for their company and can also market their products where they can get market for their produce. Companies gain competitive advantages through getting involved in the innovative processes within their organizations. The approaches of innovation involve use of the latest technology and gaining knowledge on how to carry out the activities of an organization effectively. The innovation processes are manifested through using new product designs, new production processes, having marketing approaches as well as conducting training campaigns within the organizations. Porter Diamond framework The Porter Diamond framework was initiated by Michael Porter and is used in determining the competitive advantages of a country or a region. According to porter 1990, it states that the competitive advantage of a country is created and sustained by going through a highly localized process. However, the diamond framework determinants of countries or regions do not necessarily contribute to the success of a country. Porter analyzed the factors that contributed to the international companies' success and why they were successful than other companies .He observed that success was as a result of implementing the porters favorable national diamonds factors. The extended porter diamond factors of competitive advantages of a nation include; the government, factor conditions, port competition, related and supporting industry as well as the demand conditions (Fuss, and Waverman, 2006). These interlinked advanced factors for the competitive advantages for countries or regions in the porters' diamond framework are; Factor conditions; Porters says that the main factors of production are created but not inherited. The specialized factors of production are capital, skilled labor and infrastructure. The general use of the factors and the non-factors such as the raw materials and unskilled labor can be easily made for a company and therefore do not generate sustained competitive advan

Assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Assessment - Essay Example 75% of participants in the study indicated they had experienced financial losses as a result of information security incidents (Richardson, 2003). Healthcare organizations are in an especially vulnerable position because of the sensitivity of the information stored on their systems. Accordingly, it is imperative that Healthcare Oganization A adopt and implement an intrusion detection system (IDS). Following a definition of IDS, this essay will argue the imperatives of our organization are adopting such a system. IDSs are similar to home burglar alarm systems, alerting neighbors, homeowners, and law enforcement that someone or something has broken through the security measures. ID techniques attempt to identify and isolate computer and network attacks by observing traffic logs or audit data. IDSs are based on the idea that an intruder can be detected through the examination of various elements. Such as, network traffic, packet elements, central processing unit use, input/output use, and file activities (Proctor, 2001). IDSs are powerful tools used to reduce and monitor computer attacks. The goal of ID is to positively identify all true attacks and negatively identify all non-attacks (Proctor, 2001). ... To fully protect an organization, it is necessary to audit the network on a regular basis for intrusion attempts. An intrusion is any set of actions that attempts to compromise the availability, integrity, or confidentiality of the system. To make an audit easier, a new category of software has emerged: the IDS (Proctor). ID is needed because firewalls cannot provide complete protection against intrusion. Experience teaches us never to rely on a single defensive line or technique. A firewall serves as an effective noise filter, stopping many attacks before they can enter an organization's networks. However, firewalls are vulnerable to errors in configuration and ambiguous or undefined security policies. They are also generally unable to protect against malicious mobile code, insider attacks, and unsecured modems. Firewalls rely on the existence of a central point through which traffic flows. With a growing trend toward geographically distributed networks with internal and external users, there is a greater chance for compromise. Therefore, the absence of central points for firewall monitoring purposes is a relevant concern. A computer system should provide confidentiality, integrity, availability, and assurance against DoS. However, due to increased connectivity (especially on the Internet) and the vast spectrum of financial possibilities that are opening up, more and more systems are subject to attack by intruders. These subversion attempts try to exploit flaws in the operating system as well as in application programs and have resulted in spectacular incidents like the Internet Worm incident of 1988 (Bandy, Money, Worstell, & Saita,