Information Technology Infrastructure Library ( ITIL ) Assignment

Information Technology Infrastructure Library ( ITIL ) - Assignment Example Question 2 It is important to identify these business requirements at the initial level because the supply chain management system must align with all these business requirements and ITIL best practices. The business objectives for this scenario after implementing ITIL are: Recognizing and documenting the scope of support services along with dependencies and interfaces interlinked with the suppliers Document the accountabilities and roles of sub-contractors and imperative suppliers Implementing change management process within the organization for updating contracts Evaluating, monitoring and generating reports on performance of the suppliers to identify improvements Incorporating system auditing Risk assessment for calculating risks associated with all trading partners and contracts Evaluating the value as well as profits of trading partners and contracts Implementing and maintaining a database including all the records for trading partners and contractors Deliver Value to the custo mer Ensure product delivery on time Question 3 The goal for designing a service for one solution is to ensure stability and incorporation within all activities and processes of all IT function providing end to end business alignment by supporting functionality and quality. The primary objective for a service design stage is to introduce a new service design in to the live environment. Likewise, it is essential to take a holistic approach rather than just precisely focusing a domain because, the design may impact other dependencies available in the system i.e. service portfolio and service catalogue, the architecture, the technology, management system, tools, current service management processes and essential metrics. Goals of designing service are: Must meet business requirements that is associated with compliance, risk, quality, security, efficient IT and business resolutions Must meet allocated cost Not be too complex and time consuming to develop Risk mitigation before implementi ng service in the live environment Design metrics to measure service design performance Question 4 Configuration baselines that are also called standardized configurations is associated with configuring a service, product or infrastructure that has been reviewed and agreed previously and for changes in future, only formal change procedures can be used. These formal change procedures incorporate the structure and complete details associated with the configuration that demonstrates a configuration item related to each other. As per the current scenario, baseline configurations for one solution are: Service Design Baseline After a change Question 5 As demand management is considered as a vital part of service management, one solution can adopt off peak pricing, volume discounts and differentiated service levels can affect the transportation of demands in precise patterns. Though, capacity can still be compensated by demands. One solution can utilize unused capacity for delivering servi ce levels to the customers. In this, way, customers can receive the required product in a timely manner by and the unused capacity will deliver value by higher levels of assurance. In contrast to insufficient capacity, quality of services will be impacted as well as limits the growth of the organization, for example, one solution. Service level agreements with the customers, planning

Totalitarianism Destroys Humanity Essay Example for Free

Totalitarianism Destroys Humanity Essay Totalitarianism is a form of government that is ruled by a leader who possesses absolute power and permits no privacy and freedom among its citizens. Countries that practice totalitarian government have unhappy citizens because the government has complete control of their lives, like Oceania in Orwell’s novel, 1984. Totalitarianism is harmful because it dehumanizes citizens in so many ways and as a result, it only leads to human extinction. Living in a country like Oceania in 1984 without freedom of thought, action and expression is horrible because these things are fragments of humanity and without these reedoms, it makes people ignorant, unintelligent and unhappy. Moreover, a totalitarian government invades peoples’ privacy to track everything they do in their lives even in their own homes to make sure they obey the totalitarian government laws and rules and this is unfair because people need privacy to preserve their anonymity and individuality. Additionally, totalitarian government uses torture to punish and convert people so that people will obey the government without hesitation and this causes people to become comparable with animals. Therefore, totalitarianism is a serious threat to humanity because t makes human beings incapable of thinking and unable to do things on their own which causes them to stop thinking and considered as mentally dead. To begin, totalitarianism takes away people’s freedom, which is essential for humanity, and it gives the government complete control over people’s lives. In 1984, Newspeak is enforced by the government to limit the expression and thought of people; consequently, making the citizens of Oceania easily controlled by the government. This is evident when Syme says, â€Å"Don’t you see that the whole aim of Newspeak is to narrow the range of thought? In the end we shall make thoughtcrime literally impossible because there will be no word to express it† (Orwell 55). This is important because the limitation of words affects people’s mind because there will be not enough words to express their thoughts and people might become illiterate. When people become illiterate, they will follow and believe anything the government tells them and they cannot defend themselves because of their inability to put their thoughts together and their inability to speak. Hence, lacking freedom of thought and expression makes eople become unconscious of reality and this is a problem because consciousness plays a vital role for human beings. Furthermore, totalitarian states restrict their citizens to act independently which causes most people to become depressed because they can never reach eternal state of happiness without freedom. A prisoner from Thailand says, â€Å"Without freedom, humans are not human† (Pruksakasemsuk 2011). The ability to act freely is important to human beings because it is the main factor of happiness. Freedom permits human beings to do things that make them happy and taking this away from them is asically like taking their happiness as well. For instance, in North Korea people are not allowed to leave their country because it is one of their totalitarian rules. In 1984, Oceania citizens are also not allowed to escape their country and they are separated from the rest of the world. They are completely clueless of what is outside of their country aside from knowing there are Eastasia and Eurasia. If a person’s dream from North Korea or Oceania is to travel the world, their dream is automatically crushed because they are not allowed to leave their country. Therefore, lack of freedom makes people despair, unresponsive and passive which cause human beings to become unable to think and unknowing. Also, privacy is important to human beings because this is where people express their true emotions. A totalitarian state has completely no privacy and this causes people to restrict from showing their true self because they are being watched all the time. In 1984, telescreens can be found everywhere in Oceania even in their own homes so that the government can see everything they do. This becomes clear when the narrator explains, any sound that Winston made, above the level of a very low whisper, would be picked up by it; moreover, so long as he remained within the field of vision which the metal plague commanded, he could be seen as well as heard† (Orwell 4). This is significant because it makes people to become self-conscious and afraid all the time and thus, causes them to fake themselves into whatever the government wants them to be. In a place like this, expressing one’s self is almost impossible and their emotions might build up inside them and it can lead to self-destruction. Hence, emotions are important for human beings but the government’s invasion of people’s privacy restricts its citizens to do so. In addition, privacy is also needed to preserve individuality and to have our needs of respect and dignity because these are foundations of humanity. According to Schneier, â€Å"Privacy is an inherent human right and a requirement for maintaining the human condition with dignity and respect† (Schneier 2006). This is significant because living the way you want in a totalitarian state is so unlikely to happen because the government technically tells people how to live heir lives. In 1984, telescreens are also found in people’s homes and the government literally sees everything people do in their houses which means respect and dignity do not really apply to people anymore because they have no privacy. People have things that they want to keep only for themselves but things do not work like that in a totalitarian state and living the way you want is considered as thoughtcrime. Therefore, totalitarianism destructs the necessities of human beings to have respect, dignity and individuality and ultimately disturbs humanity which can lead to ur extinction. Finally, torture is practiced by totalitarian governments to control and reform people so that a rebellion would be impossible. Continuous torture makes people believe in something they are totally against with due to the unendurable pain that affects one’s mind. This is evident when Winston gets tortured and says, â€Å"I don’t know. You will kill me if you do that again. Four, five, six, in all honesty I don’t know† (Orwell 264). This brainwashing makes people ignore their knowledge and go with whatever the government wants them to say or believe just to stop the pain. Torture causes people to change and forget what they used to believe to survive. By being submissive and ignorant, people are incapable of realizing the reality and they become incapable of thinking which is bad because thinking is the most important thing for human beings. For that reason, torture shouldn’t be practiced by anyone because they do not only physically hurt the person but the mentality of the person is also affected causes them to become unconscious. Also, psychological torture such as using fear to torture people makes them elfish and causes them to become isolated. This becomes clear when Winston says while he is being tortured, â€Å"Do it to Julia! Not me! Julia! I don’t care what you do to her†¦. † (Orwell 300). This torture causes betrayal to someone no matter how important or how much they love that person. Torture makes people selfish because fear is something people cannot bear and thus, makes them become isolated. Isolation is what exactly the government wants to establish but humans are not supposed to be isolated because that causes them to their downfall. When people are alone, they die because they have no one to share their problems with. Therefore, torture makes people depart away from humanity because it makes them alienated and forces them to ignore their own knowledge and reality which cause them to become like a sheep. Human beings must be knowledgeable of what’s happening around them and they must also not lose their ability to think because without thinking humans are mentally dead. Thinking is very critical to all human beings because that is the only thing that differentiates us from animals. Totalitarianism robs this ability from us, human beings, causing us to become unaware of reality and believe in some things that are totally untrue. Freedom of thought, act and expression are essential for humanity because they keep us conscious and do things that make us happy. Privacy is also important to humanity because human beings need dignity, respect and individuality because these things make humans live their own lives the way they want to and totalitarianism objects this idea. The use of torture in totalitarian state is also against humanity because it does not only physically abuse human beings but s well as psychologically and this is an issue because torture affects people’s brain that causes them to become unknowledgeable and oblivious of their surroundings. That’s why people should fight for their freedoms to live happily without the government controlling their own lives. No countries should practice totalitarian government because they are useless and it will only cause human beings to cease to exist in this world. Overall, totalitarian government should be ban in the world so we can save humanity and keep people to exist on Earth as conscious and well aware human beings.

Emotional intelligence three schools of thought

Emotional intelligence three schools of thought Emotional intelligence. What is it and what role does it play in work and life effectiveness? Is emotional intelligence just a repackaging of people skills in scientific clothing? Research suggests it is not. Academics and business people alike are intrigued by the possibility that emotional intelligence is a distinctive and measurable form of intelligence that is important to success as a leader. But how important is it to effective leadership? Are there some aspects of emotional intelligence that are more important than others? And, importantly: are there any downsides to having too high an EQ? What is Emotional Intelligence? From the review of the research there is no proper consensus about what actually emotional intelligence constitute.According to the research there are 3 schools of thoughy: 1)First school of thought like Goleman 1998 thinks factors influencing emotions and intelligence as initiative,self confidence and drive for results 2)Second school of thought like Bar-On 1997 view emotional intelligence as a personality dimension, like extroversion, agreeableness, and emotional stability. 3)Third school of thought like Mayor,Dipaolo thinks that emotional intelligence is the set of abilities which constitutes the capacity of the person to understand,reason about and how to use emotions to think and act. All three share a fault in terms of measuring leadership effectiveness. The tests are designed to assess specific aptitudes, traits, abilities, or behaviors thought to relate to emotional intelligence, but without regard as to how those may relate to success in particular situations.This is also the fundamental flaw in how emotional intelligence is being applied to effective leadership: we are beginning with competing constructs of emotional intelligence and attempting to relate them to leadership success, instead of going the other way around. We are, in effect, looking through the wrong end of the telescope at leadership performance. How Effective Leaders Demonstrate Emotional Intelligence At Cambria Consulting, we have taken the approach advocated by McClelland: identify the most effective leaders and study what makes them different from the average. During the past 30 years, we have observed and interviewed over 1000 highly effective senior managers and executives in prominent Fortune 500 companies, federal agencies, nonprofits and the military.. Based on this research, we have noted several critical aspects of emotional intelligence that are highly important to leadership effectiveness, as well as others that can actually be dysfunctional. What follows is a brief summary of our conclusions about what works and what doesnt work based on our observations. 1. Effective leaders are aware of their impact on others and use it to their advantage. Efffective leaders in an organization know that their strong personalities ,their position and even their physical presence makes a strong impact on others.they are also sensitive about hoe they come across to others.They form channels to bring about best in others.Such kind of leaders thinks that they are in perfect control over about their own feelings nad how they express them.But at the same time there is a big risk involved with such kind of leaders that these may come across as overbearing.Perfect balance is being created by the effective leaders. 2. Effective leaders have empathy for others; yet can still make tough decisions. Effective leaders often are best from thinking on placing himself in others position.They place themselves in others shoes and are able to think why and how employees react at the time of personal crisis,any changes may it be transformational or transactional,any prganizational events.But it doesnot prevent them to take tough decisions.They make people acknowledge that the decisions really make sense.The risk attached to it is that its easy to over-identify with others or let empathy be confused with sympathy, and not make the tough decisions as needed. 3. Effective leaders are astute judges of people without being judgmental. Effective leaders are able to judge others in terms of strengths and weaknesses and are able to apply and recognize diverse talents of the organization.The risk is that thay may overly critical about what they perceive about others weakenesses nad may make them feel undervalued or disrespective by dimissing the advice of such people. . 4. Effective leaders are passionate about what they do, and show it. Good leaders are passionate, highly optimistic and believe in the inevitability of success. They encourage others to believe that the most challenging goals can be met and the most daunting obstacles overcome. But it doesnt mean that they are always cheerleaders; their passion may be expressed as persistence in pursuing an objective or a relentless focus on a valued principle. However,theres a fine line between being excited about something and letting too much passion close your mind to other possibilities and ignoring realities that others see. 5. Effective leaders balance feeling and logic in making decisions. Effective leaders are in touch with their gut instincts about the right thing to do in the absence of supporting data. They also recognize their internal warning signs that something might not be the right thing to dodespite the seemingly compelling analysis. They understand that logic and facts are not the only things to consider. Nevertheless, they do not just go with their gut without checking out their instincts with others. The drawbacks are the temptation to rely largely on their feelings about things and bet that they are correct without further investigation. They are essentially gambling with the resources of the organization, and can lose big. 6. Effective leaders are excellent communicators. Effective leaders understands that the information should reach to people on time about the business.though they are not good speakers but still they kknow the hot buttons of the organization.They know that timely information always motivates people and make them connected to the organization.The only problem they face is that they get into the trouble of providing too much or too less information to the people connected with the organization.sometimes information not passed with the fear of people being upset from the truth. As in most things, emotional intelligence as a leadership requirement should be kept in perspective. The key to effectiveness is balance: a strong mix of cognitive capacity (logical, conceptual and creative thinking), people skills (interpersonal astuteness, influence skills, and communication skills), and the wisdom borne of experience and having to make unprecedented decisions based on a strong set of personal values and personal integrity. Taken together, this is what makes for effective leadership.

Tissue Engineering Essay -- Organ Transplant Medical Health Essays

Tissue Engineering Tissue engineering, labeled by Time.com as the number one hottest job for the 21st century, holds great potential for medicine and the treatment of chronic diseases and disorders. With tissue engineering, familiar problems like the rejection of foreign tissue by the body, the severe shortage of organ donors, and the inefficiency of artificial devices may be solved. However, this cutting edge biotechnology has already spurred intense controversy over the ethics and morality of creating spare human body parts. The goal of tissue engineering is to grow tissues and neo-organs that can be used for transplants. Tissue engineers must first decide what type of cell they want to use and stimulate to grow. Because animal cells may be unsafe and rejected by a human immune system, human cells are preferred when the end goal is an organ for human use. Embryonic stem cells may be used, but it is difficult to be able to coax the cells to differentiate into the specific cells needed for the organ (e.g. liver cells). Progenitor cells are not fully differentiated and thus can be stimulated to grow into different cell types. For example, there is a progenitor cell that can form into either bile-producing cells or cells that line bile ducts, depending on the way it is manipulated in culture. For a wound or bone fracture, an injection of growth factors can stimulate the specific cells around the wound to regenerate and facilitate healing. The specific cells can also be grown in bioreactors that simulate the conditions of a human body and expose the cells to growth factors. Using the cultured cells, tissue engineers then seed them on a molded scaffold. The scaffold is made out of a biodegradable material that disintegrat... ...th kidney disease, and she, the recipient of two brand-new engineered kidneys, displays a quasi-jealousy over the patient who will have dialysis treatment and receive attention every week. With neo-organs readily available to replace diseased and worn out organs, what will happen to doctor-patient relations? We may be able to one day perfect tissue engineering, but a flawless science will not do much so long as we have emotionally flawed humans like Olivia and Troy. Sources Langer, Robert S. and Joseph P. Vacanti. â€Å"Tissue Engineering: The Challenges Ahead.† Scientific American April 1999: 86-89. Mooney, David J. and Antonios G. Mikos. â€Å"Growing New Organs.† Scientific American April 1999: 60-68. â€Å"What Will be the 10 Hottest Jobs?† Visions of the 21st Century. 1 May 2000. http://www.time.com/time/reports/v21/work/mag_ten_hottest_jobs.html.

Indian Market Diversity

Indian Market Diversity & Changing Consumer Behaviour The Indian consumer market is one of the most promising markets in the world, evolving faster than ever across all socioeconomic strata, regions and town classes. Post liberalisation Indians have seen a tremendous increase in incomes, multiple income households, exposure to international lifestyles and media, easier financial credit. In these fast changing times, it becomes imperative for companies reaching out to the Indian market, to catch the pulse of the Indian consumer, to gain a better understanding of the Indian consumer behaviour and to get key insights into issues like: †¢What does the Indian Consumer’s shopping basket consist of? †¢What is it that the Indian consumer is buying – Is it Apparel? Books? Music? Or Durables or Grocery? How is she paying for her purchases? †¢How much is she willing to travel to get one-stop shopping options? Is she discount driven enough to wait for promotions or markdowns? †¢How different is the Delhi consumer from the one in Kolkata or Chennai, and how different are they from those in Lucknow or Ludhiana? All these questions have taken a top priority not only to domestic marketers but also for companies like Wal-Mart and Carrefour that are planning to set up retail chains to tap the potential Indian consumer market. Marketing in India is gr owing through an indefinable phase. Various print, electronic and other media are influencing everyone right from â€Å"Karta† of the family to the kid, the consumer‘s making decision and the way in which the new generation Indian consumer behaves is undergoing change at a never before pace. In today's global marketing era, which stresses on customization and localisation, influencing the consumer’s decision has become more important in this changing environment. Many new upcoming trends have been noticed in the last decade. According to the data provided by (NCAER) latest Indian market demographics report 2002 in the period from 1998-99 to 1999-2000, the purchase of white goods rose by 103%, this growth was seen mostly in the Southern India, with North and Western parts of the country still lying untapped. In other words, the potential in the North and the West is truly large. With income levels rising- especially in the post-reforms period the number of upper-medium and high-income households rose from 4. 1 % of the total numbers of households in 1989-90 to 11. 9% in 1998-99. The pattern of consumption has also undergone a sea change. Similarly, the number of low-income households, that is households with an annual income of less than Rs. 35,000 per year, has fallen from 58. 2 % in 1992-93 to 39. 7 % in 1998-99. Income Levels : From NCEAR, LM – Lower Middle class, M – Middle Class, UM – Upper Middle Class and H – Higher Class. (All figure in %) Income Class92-9395-9698-99 Low=, Rs 35,00058. 248. 939. 7 LM=Up to Rs 70,00025. 430. 734. 5 M= up to Rs 1,05,00010. 411. 913. 9 UM = up to Rs 1,40,0003. 756. 2 H =. Rs 1,40,0002. 33. 55. 7 A traditional family in India is different from a western family, the decision making process for the purchasing of consumer durables is quite elaborate, as many members with their diverse view are involved in it. At the same time, the characteristics of Indian families are fast changing. Indian families are presently in a state of flux, shifting from being strictly hierarchical to more egalitarian in character. This is all because of a sea change in the structure of income distribution (as shown in the table) where: †¢High-income class is expanding very fast. Middle-income classes bulging in size especially in rural India. †¢During the post reform period the rate of growth in the upper income categories was much higher, compared to the corresponding decline in the size of the low-income class. The growth of the top most income class after 1995-96 has been of the order of about 19%. †¢A significant negative growth in the urban low-income class was observed in south and west India, followed by north India. The High class consumers are at the top end with the mindset: â€Å"I pay more to get more†, where the purchase is driven by the emotional surplus that the consumer experiences. The mid-level which thinks: â€Å"I get good value at a reasonable price†. More important, however, is the large block at the lower income level which says: â€Å"I pay less and I get less† and is totally satisfied with that. This is probably a segment that many marketers tend to overlook since they feel that there is no existing demand there. Nothing could be further from the truth. The problem was that earlier, there were no goods and services targeting this large chunk; but today companies are reaching out into this segment. There is a growing realisation today that it is easier to compete in the smaller towns because many of the big brands and their marketing managers and sales teams don’t make the effort to travel there. Hence, if one does go there, market share is easy to achieve because even though the overall pie is smaller, there is less competition. Rural –Urban divide: †¢The rural markets are growing. However the level of infrastructure development (including that of the services sector), performance of agriculture, and dependency on Monsoon will determine their further growth. Availability of electricity alone is a critical factor for durable ownership. In urban markets, aspiration is the key — it is all about brands, lifestyles and show-off value. This is followed by quality and finally price. Rural India is driven primarily by price, followed by aspiration and then quality. However, what is important to understand is that the Indian consumer, no matter where he or she is or what category he or she belongs to, still looks for a good bargain. That is a unique Indian characteristic. While they maybe driven by the same desires, there are still differences in the way people live in the non-metropolitan cities when compared with the metropolitan cities or ‘metros’ as they are usually called. A degree of homogeneity may exist in large cities, but there is a disconnect when compared with their counterparts in smaller towns — whether it is regarding their philosophy, their thoughts or their approach to life. Thus, marketers today also need to think about creating brands that address these differences in consumers’ lifestyles. The Indian consumer is also maturing fast and is upgrading within product segments at a pace that consumer companies are struggling to keep up with. The mobile phone category is a classic example, where individuals across segments are constantly moving to the next price level as soon as they master the technology of their current phone. Companies therefore have to straddle the whole consumer pyramid rather than being focused on one part of it. These changes have also raised new challenges for old brands. There is a danger of them fading if they do not reinvent themselves to satisfy current needs. As a result, there is a whole new marketing opportunity and challenge for those brands that have to reinvent themselves and try to compete. The retail experience has also created a niche for new products and services. Gadgets like mobile phones are sold through kiranas (small family stores) and telephone booths since those are the outlets that have electricity. This is the total opposite of the mall culture seen in urban India and it is a need that consumer companies will need to address. Indian FMCG market in 1990's †¢During the 1990's the rural segment of the FMCG market has grown steadily at over 3% per annum. †¢Market size for products with lower penetration and consumption levels has grown at over 40% per annum during the later half of the 1990's. Significantly such products are at the higher side of the price line. †¢There are others such as washing materials, toiletries, toothpaste and tea where substitution effects are taking place. The role played by members of the family varies with demographics parameters as well as with the type of products. While a number of psychological variables are useful in obtaining into consumer's psyche, it is worthwhile to probe into some specific aspects of consumer decision making in order to formulate marketing strategies. In case of a family, the influencer does not usually have expertise but assume their respective roles on the basis of the family dynamics. Once the decision to buy a particular consumer durable product is made and announced. Family members provide what information is available to them about the product, and even assign members to gather information. For collecting additional data, the influencers use any of the four basis sources of information, via, personal, commercial, public and experiential. The degree of acceptance of the information and the preference of the influencers may, however, vary. The entire family members will act as an influencer. The moderator (Whom the influencers confine) may be instructed to collect the desired information. By the early nineties FMCG marketers had figured out two things: †¢Rural markets are vital for survival since the urban markets were getting saturated. Rural markets are extremely price-sensitive. Thus, a number of companies followed the strategy of launching a wide range of package sizes and prices to suit the purchasing preferences of India's varied consumer segments. Hindustan Lever, a subsidiary of Unilever, coined the term nano-marketing in the early nineties, when it introduced its products in small sachets. Small sachets were introduced in almost all the FMCG segments from oi l, shampoo, and detergents to beverages. Cola major, Coke, brought down the average price of its products from around twenty cents to ten cents, bridging the gap between soft drinks and other local options like tea, butter milk or lemon juice. It also doubled the number of outlets in rural areas from 80,000 during 2001 to 160,000 the next year, almost doubling its market penetration from 13 per cent to 25 per cent. This along with greater marketing, led to the rural market accounting for 80 per cent of new Coke drinkers and 30 per cent of its total volumes. Emergence of the new consumer Understanding the Indian consumer market means understanding its individual segments. Three major segments are emerging †¢Kids †¢The Youth (including the young working singles) †¢The Urban Indian Woman These segments have shown a tremendous increase in influencing and driving purchase decisions and hence are huge drivers of change in the consumer market. Purchases are being driven not by necessity, but to satisfy individual needs. A high-potential emerging market is also the vast rural hinterland, which has its own unique characteristics. Kids: Getting older younger There are 300 million children aged between 4–14 years in India — a vast market by any standards. The role that children play in purchase decisions has changed dramatically in the past 4–5 years. From pester power, kids have changed their role to becoming influencers, this is not only in product categories like confectionary and toys, but in larger long term use categories such as cars, electronics and even consumer durables like refrigerators and air conditioners, which were, traditionally, decisions taken by parents. Today the roles are reversed, with kids pointing out the pros and cons of purchase decisions to their parents. In fact, in the older age group, kids have actually become consultants, whom parents turn to for advice during the decision-making process. Another driver is their mastery of technology, which is a primary component of a high proportion of new products in the market. The relative ease with which they are able to grasp technicalities and understand product features and usability (or lack of) has made them experts in the eyes of their parents. Youth – Charting their own path: With the majority of India’s population below the age of 25 years, young consumer market is the primary target of every consumer goods company. The trend towards homogeneity is also apparent in terms of aspiration between segments and there is no difference in the mindset of the younger demographic. The aspirations of the youth are the same, driven primarily by the fact that they are all Internet savvy and this has given them equal access to information. Along with the love for brands and gadgets, they are equally comfortable with Indian values and Indian culture. Life is about visiting religious centres with their parents and then spending the evening with friends at the local club or a similar social venue. Indian youth are also very patriotic, not in the classical, pre-independence sense but in a modern sense which reflects their pride in being Indian in today’s world. As a segment, they are on the whole sensible, very clear about what they want to achieve in their lives and not easily carried away by hype and show. The outsourcing phenomenon in India ha has been the main driver of this consumer segment. A larger number of younger people now have cash in hand and this combined with increasing brand awareness has resulted in a lot of spending on leisure and personal gratification. This has also brought about a dramatic change in the concept of saving. The young generation lives for today, the concept of saving for a rainy day is alien to most of them — especially since the majority of them have not experienced shortages in their lives. This is also a segment constantly on the move — mentally and physically. The young do not want to be at home and are spending twice the amount of time outside the house than they would have done a couple of years ago. So, whether they are at a multiplex, a mall or a cyber cafe, hanging out with friends is a clear preference. The Urban Woman: Defining her own space In India, it has been a long accepted fact that it is the women in a family who define the environment at home. In the urban cities and even in small towns, they have been the ‘silent influencers’ for some time now, directing family purchases and expenditures. It is only recently, however, that the urban woman has come into her own, and today there is no looking back from her newly gained independence. In the past five years, there has been a large increase in the product categories specifically targeted towards the urban woman. Be it mobile phones, computers, apparel, jewellery or even financial products, women in the cities are finding themselves spoilt for choice. One prominent manifestation of this segment is seen in the daily soap operas on Indian television. While the characters may seem regressive at first glance, increasing viewership has proved that they have struck a chord — whether the woman is a homemaker or a professional. Today women go out with each other, a trend that was not seen previously. They are also much more into indulgence and satisfying their emotional self. † So, whether it is spending time at clubs with friends, pampering herself at the salon, experimenting with cosmetic surgery or enrolling at the fitness centre, the need to look good has now become a priority. It is no longer only about getting married and having kids. Implications for marketers: †¢Commoditisation of brands: Routine items and white goods will be bought on price, accessibility and not for brand values. †¢Novelty will not be a reason for trial: The new generation consumer will try to simplify complexity by dropping into routine behaviours. †¢Brand will be for pleasure: Brand will have to redefine role, where consumers are physically more satisfied and psychologically more confidant. †¢Evaluation parameter of brand will change: When consumers are going to continuously ask about the long-term safety/ effects of using

Critical Analysis of the Liver functions and medical science The WritePass Journal

Critical Analysis of the Liver functions and medical science Introduction Critical Analysis of the Liver functions and medical science IntroductionReferences:Related Introduction The liver, with over 500 functions, is one the most significant and versatile organ of the human body. It weighs around 1.5kg and it is divided into four lobes; left, right, quadrate and caudate. It is wrapped in a fibrous capsule which is covered by the visceral peritoneum. 30% of the bloody supply of the heart reaches the liver at a region called the Hilus every minute, of which two thirds is through the portal vein and a third through the hepatic artery, it then leaves the liver through the hepatic vein. Blood pressure is low, usually at 10mm Hg or less. The cells of the liver are known as Hepatocytes. Hepatocytes serve many roles in the functions of the liver of which include:   Metabolic regulation; it plays a key role in the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats and proteins, Haematological regulation; it is the primary organ that regulates the composition of blood, and Bile synthesis. [2] During carbohydrate metabolism, most of the glucose that is derived from the breakdown of carbohydrates is stored as glycogen in the liver cells (Glycogenesis) until it is needed, which is when the liver will convert the glycogen back into glucose to be used for respiration (Glycogenolysis). Examples of such situations are when there is a short supply of glucose in the body during the times between meals or when fasting. When the body is starved from carbohydrates, the liver can produce glucose by a process called Gluconeogenesis by converting amino acids from dietary and body proteins, lactate or glycerol into glucose. This prevents the individual from having hypoglycaemia (low blood glucose levels), so by this it can also be said that the liver has an integral part of maintaining blood glucose levels. The liver serves a major role in fat metabolism by producing the lipoproteins that are needed to transport fat, cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood throughout the body. Protein metabolism takes place in the liver as it goes through amino acid conversion, most of the amino acids are synthesised into proteins that are needed for the body, especially albumin which is the main plasma protein. Amino acid metabolism however produces a waste product, Urea, which is transported to the kidneys via blood and excreted through urine. Haematological regulation is the way in which the liver processes the blood by regulating the amount of chemicals it holds and breaking down the nutrients within it so it is easy to use. It also detoxifies toxic substances such as drugs or alcohol that come via blood and breaks it down before being released back into the blood into amounts that can be handled by the body. In addition to its metabolic functions, it is also responsible for the production of bile. Bile is a yellow alkaline fluid that is produced by the hepatocytes made up of mainly water (85%) and bile salts (10%).   Bile salts acts as a fat emulsifier so it is needed for the normal digestion and absorption of ingested fats. Bile also serves as a route in which substances such as drugs and wastes produced from metabolism that aren’t removed by the kidneys, such as bilirubin, is removed from the body through the faeces. Hepatocytes secrete bile into tubes known as Bile Canaliculi, which jointo form Bile Ductules. Bile ductules then transport bile to the nearest portal area. The right and left hepatic ducts collects the bile from the ductules at the portal areas and merge to form the Common Hepatic Duct.   This leaves the liver to go to the gall bladder through the Cystic Duct which joins onto the Common Bile Duct which transports bile to the duodenum through the Duodenal Ampull a and then goes into the small intestine ready to act upon the absorption of fats. [2] These are only a few functions of the liver, all of which if do not function properly can lead to many liver diseases.   Diseases can generally be classified into two types; Hepatocellular, which results in damage to the hepatocytes and Cholestatic which restricts bile flow due to blockage in ducts. Most patients suffering from a liver disease develop jaundice resulting from high levels of the bilirubin in the blood stream (hyperbilirubinemia).   Jaundice makes whites of the eyes yellow and then gradually the skin start becoming yellow. Bilirubin is produced from dead red blood cells; at the end of their life span, the haemoglobin found within them is released and split into haem and globin. Iron from haem is recycled for the production of more haemoglobin and any remains of the haem molecule are converted to bilirubin. It is excreted in the faeces and some in the urine. It is elevated in most liver diseases as they cause some sort of damage to hepatocytes which means bilirubin cannot conjugate with glucuronic acid in order to be excreted, so it stays in the bloodstream where its levels continuously increase. One of the common diseases to occur in the liver is Hepatitis. It results in inflammation of the liver cells. Viral Hepatitis can be caused by Hepatitis A, B, C, D, E, yellow fever or Herpes Simplex. Patients usually start off small with flu like symptoms. Non viral hepatitis can be due to auto immune reasons, drugs, toxins found in mushrooms and alcohol. [3] ‘As alcohol consumption is very high in the western world, alcohol hepatitis is a common problem. Symptoms include enlargement of the liver, development of fluid in the abdomen (ascites), increased blood pressure in the portal vein and later development of jaundice. If alcoholic hepatitis is diagnosed it is important to stop consuming alcohol at once otherwise it could lead to more serious damage such as cirrhosis or even liver failure.’ [2] Cirrhosis is an irreversible liver disease. Patients with cirrhosis develop ascites, jaundice and the formation of fibrous tissue where liver cells should be, the liver cells are destroyed in response to toxic chemicals, a viral hepatitis, or most commonly, high alcohol consumption. These are examples of Hepatocellular liver diseases. An example of a Cholestatic liver disease would be Cholestasis.   Cholestasis is a state when there is a blockage in the bile ducts so bile cannot be released. Again, jaundice develops when a patient suffers from cholestasis as bilirubin is also unable to reach the small intestine to be excreted. Other symptoms include pale faeces and dark urine. There are a number of tests available that determines liver diseases. These include bilirubin, ALP, ALT and the GGT tests. A slightly abnormal bilirubin concentration indicates it may be haemolytic anaemia (abnormal rate of red blood cell destruction). A higher concentration is due to diseases which have damaged the hepatocytes therefore bilirubin cannot conjugate or be excreted properly. These diseases are acute hepatitis and alcoholic hepatitis. A very high concentration indicates cholestasis as it means bile flow is completely blocked (most commonly by gallstones) and so bilirubin cannot be excreted. Bilirubin can be measured by taking a blood test; conjugated, unconjugated or total bilirubin. Conjugated bilirubin is bound to glucuronic acid and so is called direct bilirubin. Unconjugated bilirubin is measured by subtracting the direct bilirubin from the total bilirubin, so is called indirect bilirubin. Total Bilirubin is the term used when both are measured. GGT, ALP and ALT are all enzymes that are present in the liver cells. Hepatocyte death (necrosis) leads to large amounts of these enzymes to be released into the blood stream which if measured will serve as an indicator of liver disease. These enzymes can be measured by taking around 5 ml of venous blood. Abnormal ALT (alanine transferase) results are found in diseases that have come about as a result of necrosis. In acute hepatitis, ALT rises before jaundice develops and then usually goes back to normal within 8 weeks. A continuous raised level of ALT means that it chronic liver disease such as chronic hepatitis or cirrhosis. High GGT (gamma glutamyl transferase) levels are found in all liver and biliary tract diseases. GGT doesn’t determine an actual disease but it is used to predict who may be at risk of liver disease due to alcohol as it is the only enzyme that is produced due to alcohol, so high continuous levels would mean alcoholic hepatitis or cirrhosis. Moderately results of ALP (alkaline phosphatise) indicate acute hepatitis but extremely high results show cholestasis may have developed. However, ALP is also present in the cells of the bone, so only measuring it by itself would not be an accurate indication of liver disease. It is usually measured alongside GGT; if both levels are high then it confirms that the problem is definitely within the liver. These are a few diseases and tests that are commonly used today to identify one of the biggest causes of death in the UK today. References: [1] Martini, F., H., 2004, Fundamentals of Anatomy and Physiology, 6th edition, San Francisco: Benjamin Cummings, ISBN: 0-13-120346-0. [2] Higgins, C., 2000, Understanding Laboratory Investigations, Oxford: Blackwell Science Ltd, ISBN: 0-632-04245-1 [3] Mayo Clinic Staff, 2010, Alcoholic Hepatitis, Mayo Clinic, DS00785

car jacking essays

car jacking essays Car Jacking is a nation wide problem. There are many horrifying tales that people have encountered. In April of 1999 a woman and her baby were car jacked in their hometown in Georgia. The mother stepped out of the car and was giving her baby a bottle when out of nowhere a man pushed her into the back seat of her car and he jumped into the front and took off. She was screaming and yelling and trying to fight the man. Then she realized she had a cell phone in her babies diaper bag. She managed to get to the phone and then she dialed 911 and left the line open. She was scared and nervous and didnt know where she was going or what was going to happen to her and her baby. She was trying to name out landmarks so the 911 operator could lead the police to them without the car jackers knowledge. The car started slowing down and she was getting ready to jump out when she suddenly realized that there was a car following them. A man got out of his van and jumped into the backseat with her and the baby. They heard sirens from a police car but it soon faded away. She knew the police were looking for her. She wondered how she could tell the police to come back to help them. She was talking to the kidnappers loud enough so the operator could hear, that police car cant be looking for you, they went by us. Soon the police came back and pulled the car over. Everything turned out fine because of this womans quick thinking. (Weingarden 1-3). Car jacking is a problem in the United States. There has been a rise of auto theft and car jacking in the past years. There are also ways to prevent this crime and tips to be aware of if you are ever in this situation. In United States they have recorded over 35,000 attempted car jackings in the last year and they are on the rise (Brewer 1). Also, a speculation is that all victims of car jacking are women and that is not true. Early one morning, tw ...

Health and Wellness Program Essays

Health and Wellness Program Essays Health and Wellness Program Essay Health and Wellness Program Essay Visual Literacy in Business Health and Wellness Program Dr. Ashish Godbole October 9, 2010 Due to the rising costs of health care insurance, it would be very beneficial to employees as well as Companies/Organizations themselves to implement a health and wellness program in work places. Facilitating a Health and Wellness Program in the workplace is the greatest assessment an employer can make because it would be an investment in their most valuable asset, the employees. With there being more urgency today than ever before, America is under pressure to be productive even as healthcare costs proceed to rise and bombard the most important resource, the employees. Research and data show: Health and Wellness in the workplace that contain fitness machinery have lowered employer healthcare expenditure by 20 to 55 %. Unnecessary sicknesses make up 70 % of illness expenditure in the U. S. The study of Health and Wellness in the workplace indicate that by lowering any one health risk factor, a person’s productivity on the job can increase by 9 % and lower absenteeism by 2 %. For every one dollar that a company spends on a Health and Wellness program in the workplace, it receives an average network profit of $3. 40 to $7. 88 (InfiniteHealthCoach. com, 2008, Health and Wellness in the Workplace). The achievement of any company/organization relies greatly upon the production and work performance of its employees. The ability to do a job and do it at a hig h level time and again is significantly aided by Health and Wellness Programs. They focus on the physical health of the employees, ensuring medical requirements and personal health as a main concern. The Police Athletic League has been instrumental in giving children and teenagers the chance to have a different life, by giving them the opportunity to participate in different activities. This enables the law enforcers to mould young children into responsible citizens and in enhancing the relationship between the police officers and the community. The Bergenfield Police Athletic League has many athletic and sporting programs, in addition to other recreational activities such as going on field trips. Although the league has taken the effort of ensuring that it provides many activities for children to participate in, the programs have limitations which include cost and age limitation. The age and cost limits have denied many children a chance to participate in the activities and benefit from other programs offered. A careful analysis of the existing resources from different sectors and stakeholders will reveal whether it is possible for the league to support free sports programs, and include a wider age group in their product and service offering. The league offers different activities with the registration fee ranging from $20-$50, depending on the form of the activity and the participating age group. Other costs involved include travel costs, which the league sets at $250, late fees, and fundraiser fees (Bergenfield PAL-a, 2013). Children over the age of 12 cannot participate in some of the programs. Only boys aged 5-12 have the opportunity of participating in baseball. However, girls can continue participating in softball up to the age of seventeen. Children over the age of 14 cannot participate in indoor soccer. The age limitations mean that many teenagers over the age of fifteen miss any opportunities of participating in different sporting activities. The cost may seem minimal for some people, but some families from low income families do not have the extra money to spare to register their children for different activities. This is a monumental problem because it has led to many teenagers missing the chance of accessing h ealth and wellness programs Offering free programs to the youth in the area and increasing the age limit will solve the problem, by giving more youth the chance to participate in different programs. However, for the league to do this, it has to look for alternative means of getting the funds for different logistics. The league needs money for various purposes, even though it gets the services of volunteers. To do this, the league has to identify different companies, institutions, and individuals willing to sponsor and contribute to the program. Already, different businesses in the town sponsor the teams. The sponsors include Burger King, Chase Bank, and Nissan among others. The sponsorship from the different businesses helps in providing equipment and uniforms for the teams. There is a need to source for additional funding from different sources so that the league can eliminate any costs and charges required from the participants, get support from supplementary coaches, which will ensure additional activities i ncluded in the program, and manage to incorporate older teenagers in different programs. The league can get additional funding by involving the entire community. This includes making more people in the community aware of the existence and importance of the program and asking them to support the programs. Individuals can make their donations by contributing money and services. The league can also seek the partnership of additional businesses in the region. The participation of additional businesses will increase the sponsorship to the league. The league needs to identify the different areas where it incurs costs. Seeking volunteers to handle some of these sectors will reduce the need for expenses in those sectors. The league can get further money by participating in different fundraising activities. Currently, the league charges families fundraising fees, and even though the amount is small, some low income families cannot afford to make the sacrifice. One of the methods used for raising funds is holding an event which will ensure the participation of all the members of t he community. The event should be something that all the members in a family can enjoy and participate in, irrespective of the gender, age, or ability of the people involved. Proposal After a careful evaluation of the programs offered by the Bergenfield Police Athletic League, there is an obvious need to improve and enhance the programs offered by making them more inclusive. The potential funding received from donors and other sponsors will give the league additional funding for their activities. The youth in Bergenfield can have the opportunity of benefiting from the health and wellness program of their police force. The children who participate in different programs offered by the league have no continuation program, which will ensure that they keep busy after school. Some of the children cannot afford summer camps and other after school activities. Providing different activities will increase the number of opportunities that young children and teenagers have. The Bergenfield All-Inclusive Integrated Program (BAIP) will ensure that all the children and the teenagers get the chance to participate in the different programs offered by Bergenfield Police Athletic Le ague. I have developed this program, having considered the identified limitations of the current program. BAIP will increase the number of programs that the youth can participate in during weekday evenings and on weekends. It will increase the number of sports and other recreational that the participants can join, and it will increase the age group in the existing sport activities. The additional sport activities to be offered in the program will include gymnastics, golf, football, fencing, and martial arts. Additional recreational activities in the program include fishing, lessons in art, dancing, cooking, and crafts (National Association of Police Athletic/Activities League, Inc., 2013). All coaches and teachers for the various programs are volunteers, who have experience in the different areas. The people interested in golf, fishing, and fencing will only do so during the weekends. All the other activities are offered during the weekends as well as weekday evenings. The participants in all the additional activities will be split into three age groups; 9-11, 12-15 and 16-18. The existing sponsors will continue providing uniforms and equipment for the other activities. The additional businesses contacted for additional sponsorship will provide equipment for the other activities. Their efforts will be supplemented by the additional individual donations, and the funds realized from the fundraising events organized. The events can be organized three times per year, to ensure that there are adequate funds to cover for the additional activities. Other than football, golf, and fishing, it is possible to do the activities throughout the year since most of them can be done indoors. I hope that, by increased awareness, additional people in the area will become interested in volunteering their services. There are many youths in Bergenfield who would want to participate in the programs offered by the Police Athletics League. More interactions with the law enforcers will give the youth and children a chance to learn more about the importance of maintaining the law, and what they can do to prevent crime in their region. In addition, the children and the youth will be more comfortable with the police and this will enable them to seek assistance wherever they are in need. Participating in different recreational and sport programs with the officers is a different experience from that realized when the participants do the same activities alone or with their families. This is because the youth get a chance to learn and they have a positive influence and role models. Therefore, every effort should be made to ensure that the programs continue and that they are accessible to everyone. References: Bergenfield PAL-a (2013). Bergenfield police athletic league. Retrieved from bergenfieldpal.net/home/home_main.htm Bergenfield PAL-a (2013). 2013 PAL fall recreation Bergenfield united travel outdoor soccer. Retrieved from bergenfieldpal.net/soccer/soccer_registration.htm National Association of Police Athletic/Activities League, Inc. (2013). Programs offered by PALs across the nation. Retrieved from nationalpal.org/programs

BUS305, Competitive Analysis and Business Cycles Mod 1 Session Long Essay

BUS305, Competitive Analysis and Business Cycles Mod 1 Session Long Project - Essay Example The organization is likely to bring interesting focus to this economic analysis for few reasons as follows. One is that it is one of the most successful cafà © chains operating across many markets. The supply of the organization is common across different markets and customers have derived customer satisfaction through the entertainment they gain from the cafà © in terms of food, music, ambiance and the association with the brand. Another interesting fact is that the Hard Rock Cafà © is currently owned by the Seminole tribe of Florida which comprise of Native American people. This ownership differs from the conventional forms of business ownerships by large firms and individuals. Economic terms carry varying relevance to different organizations. Within this economic analysis, the terms, â€Å"Resources†, â€Å"Costs†, and â€Å"Markets† will be considered along with their relevance to the Hard Rock Cafà ©. The term â€Å"Resources† refers to â€Å"things you need to survive and thrive† and as people have infinite wants, the resources available are not sufficient to satisfy all these wants. Thus the resources such as Land, Labor, Capital and Entrepreneurship need to be allocated efficiently if economic agents are to maximize the wants which they can satisfy. The relevance of this to Hard Rock Cafà © is that they will have limited capital, suitable locations, good managerial and entrepreneurial talent and good human resource and they need to invest these on most optimum business ventures to maximize their economic gains. While the potential to open cafes or hotels all over the world exists, they have presence only in 36 cou ntries which reflects the implication of scarce resources on business. The term Markets in terms of economics is â€Å"any convenient set of arrangements by which buyers and sellers communicate to exchange goods and services† (Anderton 2002). Relevance to Hard Rock Cafà © is that potential exists for them as a seller to meet their buyers and

Nonreligious bases for nonviolences Research Paper

Nonreligious bases for nonviolences - Research Paper Example n in use for a long time, mainly by pacifists and non-pacifists, as a means of acquiring a social change and expression of resistance to any kind of oppression. In the past, the thought of non violence had made large numbers of people think and had attracted many followers. However, most non violent forms or cases have been in response to events of violence (PPU, n.d.). Non violence has usually been dived into two distinct parts or methods. The first one is the abstention from violence on religious grounds, while the second is the actions of people who neither start nor respond to any type of violence. Such kind of behavior has usually been linked to pacifism and abstinence of violence on grounds of principle (Riff, 1990, p. 166). Historically, western belief had an idea that non violence is something which can only be practiced by the educated masses, but this had been proved wrong in India, where the followers of Mahatma Gandhi were largely the poor farmers and uneducated masses (G regg, 1959, p. 184). In the following pages the various forms of non violence, apart from religious grounds, have been discussed. Also discussed are the contributions of some of the greatest preachers of non violence in the history of mankind. In this paper, the discussion has aimed to show how historically non violence had persistently fought the various types of violence on grounds which were not related to religion and the various forms of non violence prevalent in the world. The discussion also shoes how great leaders like Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King had contributed to world peace through their non violent methods. Various cases of non violent action have been found in many countries over time, but it was only in the 19th century that non-violent action started to take different names and forms. The term ‘strike’ as devised at he beginning of the nineteenth century in the United States of America and it meant an organized form of stoppage of work or withdrawal of

Public Law Outline Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Public Law - Outline Example The reason is that there are more risks leading to full implications from the unqualified interpretations that pass unnoticed through democratic processes. The absence of mutual language in expressing necessary implication makes the courts have a presumption that the general words have the intent of subjecting meaning to basic rights among individuals. The detention power without seeking trial is one of the legislation that breaches the human rights as granted. Further, rule of law pursues the different forms of equality within legal legislation against the equitable subjection among classes of ordinary law from land administration by ordinary law courts. Irrespective of the lack of well-established definitions, the judiciary and administration are directed by the rule of law. There are elements that are appreciated to be sufficient in the provision of judicial dicta as they show the rule of law as a core definition of the judiciary. The repeated invocation by judges in explaining th e extent of the judicial review jurisdiction is enshrined in respective constitutional documents. The view of the public regarding the application of the rule of law to judicial review matters. Further, the concept also applies to the public interest and the means of legal processes as identified. For instance, the agencies of government have a legitimate claim of majority conception for public interest during the Judiciary prioritizes the identification of endurance and values to protecting all citizens, including minorities.

Applying your knowledge of immunology, analyse the causes of Essay

Applying your knowledge of immunology, analyse the causes of Cl.difficile. Discuss interventions for the prevention of Cl.difficile and the appropriate treatment for this infection - Essay Example C. difficile is a spore forming, anaerobic bacilli, shows positive Gram reaction and is known to be associated with nosocomial diarrhea. It is an etiological representative of pseudo membranous colitis (PMC) and 15-25% of diarrhea associated with the intake of antibiotics (Bartlett, 2002). It is known that bacteria adapt to the shifting environment and so do their response to antibiotics, making them resistant and more virulent. Severity of CDAD is also associated with similar paradigm. In severe and acute cases CDAD may cause ulceration and hemorrhage. The disease encompasses diarrhea, fever, amplified fecal leukocytes, abdominal cramping and dehydration; leading to hypoalbuminaemia, toxic megacolon, colonic perforation and PMC causing amplification in morbidity and mortality (Poutanen, 2004). Pathogenic Clostridium difficile produces exotoxins- A and B. They have potential role in causing CDAD (Pothoulakis, 1996). Strains producing toxin either A+ B+ or A‑B+ are responsible for virulence while non-toxin producing strains are non virulent and do not cause diarrhea. In normal individuals, enteric pathogens are prohibited from establishment due to native intestinal microflora, contributing to host’s defense mechanism. Clostridium difficile is a potent pathogen that successfully establishes infection because of its immense ability to produce toxins thereby paving the way for C. difficile colonization. Toxins generated by C. difficile are highly enterotoxic and cytotoxic. Healthy individuals possess antibodies serum IgG and intestinal secretory IgA against toxin A, and efficiently bind to the intestinal receptors of toxin A. This is a condition where humoural response to toxin A is hampered and thus C. difficile finds way for proliferation. The action of toxin A causes disruption of epithelial cells, enhanced fluid emission, damage of mucosa, irritation and tenderness due to enhanced permeability of tight junctions causing diarrhea or PMC

Choose one topic from the ten topics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Choose one topic from the ten topics - Essay Example Neo-Confucianism The East Asian conception of human nature is primarily informed by Confucianism. Confucianism is described as a â€Å"humanistic religion† since Confucianism understands and perceives that the â€Å"Ultimate†, of the â€Å"imminent power, of the transcendent, of the world, life and death† are linked to and founded on exploring human nature together with human destiny (Yao, 2000, p. 46). In following Mencius, Neo-Confucian ideology adopted the notion that human nature is good as opposed to evil. However, Neo-Confucian philosophers modified this conception of human nature by distinguishing moral nature from physical nature (de Barry & Bloom, 1999). In this regard, the Neo-Confucian philosophy conceptualized the human moral nature as inherently good. This was because, the moral nature of mankind consisted of â€Å"li† and the physical nature of mankind consisted of â€Å"ch’i† indicating that physical nature could be good and/or bad (Lecture Notes). In this regard, the Confucian concept of li refers to that which is real. In terms of human nature, li refers to that which is passed onto man from Heaven and in this regard it is good. However, li had to be cultivated to ensure that man followed his moral nature (Yao, 2000). Therefore the concept of li provides the justification for law and order which is intended to cultivate man’s moral nature for maintaining order. The concept of ch’i provided even further justification for law and order in regulating the lives of the individual. Ch’i refers to material and vital forces which operate either in cohesion with li or inconsistently with li (Yao, 2000). In other words, man was naturally good, but physical forces could have a negative impact on man’s moral nature if the moral nature was no cultivated. Buddhists on the other hand, do not recognize that which they cannot â€Å"see, hear, speak, think, and move† and only those thin gs they can see, hear, think, speak, and move are regarded as nature (de Barry & Bloom, 1999, p. 714). From the Buddhist perspective, that which is heard, seen, spoken, though or moved, does not have to be clear in order to be qualified as nature. In this regard, nature may be confusing and this explains why Buddhists do not generally perceive â€Å"the many moral principles inherent in them† (de Barry & Bloom, 1999, p. 714). Classical Confucianism As for classical Confucianism, the original traditions of Confucianism were founded by Confucius and Mengzi and Mengzi’s theory of human nature served as the background for the classic Confucian concept of moral nature. Mengzi’s theory of human nature were among the most influential and provides the foundations for what is widely accepted as human nature. Mengzi’s theory of human nature provides a profound understanding of how law and order is maintained (de Barry & Bloom, 1999). Mengzi’s contributions w ere converted into the Four Books by Confucian scholars in the Song Dynasty. At the same time, Xunzi developed a theory that was different from Mengzi’s. According to Xunzi, â€Å"human nature was evil and Heaven† was an â€Å"impersonal power or natural principle† (Yao, 2000, p. 71). Xunzi stressed â€Å"law (fa) and ritual/propriety (li)† as opposed to â€Å"

Financial Decision Making Process within the Organisation Essay

Financial Decision Making Process within the Organisation - Essay Example Apart from generating profits from the shareholders, financial management also aims to maximise the profitability of the company to ensure a sustainable growth in future. Ensuring the sustainability of the organisation through proper reserve creation and re-investment of the profit amount is one of the crucial tasks in the realm of financial management. Financial Statement analysis and making investment decisions are two most crucial responsibilities of the financial managers. Financial Statement analysis includes the analysis of various ratios and financial statements like balance sheet and profit and loss account. A balance sheet discloses the financial condition of an organisation in a specific period of time. It mainly shows â€Å"what is owned by a business, what is owed, and the owner’s share (or net worth) of the business† (Langemeier & Klinefelter, n.d.). A profit and loss statement of any company discloses the organisation’s revenue and expenses for a specific period of time. Financial ratios assist in the evaluation the financial reports like balance sheet and profit and loss statement (Brigham, Ehrhardt, 2008). There are four types of ratios. These are liquidity ratios, solvency ratios, efficiency ratios and profitability ratios. Liquidity ratios are those ratios which measure the liquidity state of the organisation by evaluating the company’s liquid assets against its current liabilities. Financial leverage has certain important implications on the performance of the organisation. This mainly takes into account the long term liabilities against the total capital employed. This is also known as the ‘gearing ratio’ (Financial Times, 2009). A certain level of financial leverage can result in huge profitability; however, the company must be aware of the risk attached to it.

Applying your knowledge of immunology, analyse the causes of Essay

Applying your knowledge of immunology, analyse the causes of Cl.difficile. Discuss interventions for the prevention of Cl.difficile and the appropriate treatment for this infection - Essay Example C. difficile is a spore forming, anaerobic bacilli, shows positive Gram reaction and is known to be associated with nosocomial diarrhea. It is an etiological representative of pseudo membranous colitis (PMC) and 15-25% of diarrhea associated with the intake of antibiotics (Bartlett, 2002). It is known that bacteria adapt to the shifting environment and so do their response to antibiotics, making them resistant and more virulent. Severity of CDAD is also associated with similar paradigm. In severe and acute cases CDAD may cause ulceration and hemorrhage. The disease encompasses diarrhea, fever, amplified fecal leukocytes, abdominal cramping and dehydration; leading to hypoalbuminaemia, toxic megacolon, colonic perforation and PMC causing amplification in morbidity and mortality (Poutanen, 2004). Pathogenic Clostridium difficile produces exotoxins- A and B. They have potential role in causing CDAD (Pothoulakis, 1996). Strains producing toxin either A+ B+ or A‑B+ are responsible for virulence while non-toxin producing strains are non virulent and do not cause diarrhea. In normal individuals, enteric pathogens are prohibited from establishment due to native intestinal microflora, contributing to host’s defense mechanism. Clostridium difficile is a potent pathogen that successfully establishes infection because of its immense ability to produce toxins thereby paving the way for C. difficile colonization. Toxins generated by C. difficile are highly enterotoxic and cytotoxic. Healthy individuals possess antibodies serum IgG and intestinal secretory IgA against toxin A, and efficiently bind to the intestinal receptors of toxin A. This is a condition where humoural response to toxin A is hampered and thus C. difficile finds way for proliferation. The action of toxin A causes disruption of epithelial cells, enhanced fluid emission, damage of mucosa, irritation and tenderness due to enhanced permeability of tight junctions causing diarrhea or PMC

Financial Decision Making Process within the Organisation Essay

Financial Decision Making Process within the Organisation - Essay Example Apart from generating profits from the shareholders, financial management also aims to maximise the profitability of the company to ensure a sustainable growth in future. Ensuring the sustainability of the organisation through proper reserve creation and re-investment of the profit amount is one of the crucial tasks in the realm of financial management. Financial Statement analysis and making investment decisions are two most crucial responsibilities of the financial managers. Financial Statement analysis includes the analysis of various ratios and financial statements like balance sheet and profit and loss account. A balance sheet discloses the financial condition of an organisation in a specific period of time. It mainly shows â€Å"what is owned by a business, what is owed, and the owner’s share (or net worth) of the business† (Langemeier & Klinefelter, n.d.). A profit and loss statement of any company discloses the organisation’s revenue and expenses for a specific period of time. Financial ratios assist in the evaluation the financial reports like balance sheet and profit and loss statement (Brigham, Ehrhardt, 2008). There are four types of ratios. These are liquidity ratios, solvency ratios, efficiency ratios and profitability ratios. Liquidity ratios are those ratios which measure the liquidity state of the organisation by evaluating the company’s liquid assets against its current liabilities. Financial leverage has certain important implications on the performance of the organisation. This mainly takes into account the long term liabilities against the total capital employed. This is also known as the ‘gearing ratio’ (Financial Times, 2009). A certain level of financial leverage can result in huge profitability; however, the company must be aware of the risk attached to it.

Prostitution in US Essay Example for Free

Prostitution in US Essay History records prostitution as one of the world’s oldest profession. However this profession is considered a crime in many countries today. The number of countries legalizing prostitution is growing. No wonder with upcoming new life style issues like homosexuality and gay marriages, the global liberal view is indeed spreading fast and quick. Among the countries of today which have legalized prostitution in some form or other include Australia, New Zealand, Philippines, Thailand, Canada and most of Europe. Some of these countries may have restrictions and even criminalization of certain aspects of prostitution like pimps, health testing, brothel restrictions, soliciting methods, advertising etc. . However, one of the most notable countries which haven’t legalized prostitution is US. Today in most states of the US, prostitution is still illegal. The UN General Assembly had on December 18, 1979 adopted CEDAW (Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women), which the then US President Jimmy Carter signed in 1970. The CEDAW is an international statute intended to better the rights of women worldwide, and establishes a framework for the nations to work, for ending discrimination against women (HRW, 2007). Although the US claims to be a front-runner in providing women’s rights, it failed to ratify the CEDAW. The Foreign Relations Committee of the US Senate had passed the CEDAW on September 29, 1994, but it has still not been ratified by the full Senate. The provisions of the CEDAW allows voluntary prostitution as a profession of choice, like any other profession; and access to healthcare including family planning, which includes abortion (Dave, 2005). Before deciding on legalization, it is important to know the prevailing facts on prostitution, in the US. The National Task Force on Prostitution estimates that about one million people to have worked as prostitutes in the US, which is about 1% of American women. About 70% of women prostitutes and 20% of male prostitutes are arrested. An interesting fact behind the arrests is that about 85 90% of the arrested are street prostitutes, although street prostitutes account for only 20% of prostitutes in US. The ratio of street prostitutes is varied based on the local laws, and policies followed in corresponding cities. Smaller cities having limited indoor venues may have street prostitution even up to 50%. The ratio of male and female prostitutes vary from city to city, like in San Francisco, where male prostitutes are about 20 30%, and 25% of the female prostitutes being transgender. Another social issue related to prostitution is drug abuse, with rate of abuse ranging from 0 84%, depending on the population studied (PENet, 2008). However, drug addiction is relatively rare among women prostitutes who work off the streets. Disease is another problem associated with prostitution. The US Department of Health estimates prostitution related sexually transmitted diseases to be about 3 5%, although it is 30 – 35% due to teenagers. The advocates of anti-prostitution law point out that legalizing prostitution would only help the pimps and subject prostitutes to more harm, apart from increasing violence. The stand of the federal government was made known in 2004, when it said, â€Å"The United States government takes a firm stance against proposals to legalize prostitution because prostitution directly contributes to the modern-day slave trade and is inherently demeaning.† Although prostitution is legal in parts of Nevada, the government claims that legalizing prostitution would create an increased demand for human trafficking victims. According to a recent study by Steven Levitt and Sudhir Venkatesh, based on data from the Chicago Police Department, prostitutes get arrested only about once in every 450 sessions (Bazelon, 2008). They also discovered that there was a high demand of prostitutes for sex, from police officers themselves. The American social view of prostitution, as being immoral has been in place since the 19th century. The United States Victorian era (1840-1900) saw a transition of social view from sympathy and support at the start of the century, to rejection at the end (Hickenbottom, 2002). Although the debate on legalizing prostitution, continues in the US, there are many Americans who still consider prostitutes as ‘whores’ and see them as trash. REFERENCES HRW (2007) CEDAW: The women’s rights treaty [Electronic Version] Retrieved on March 22, 2008 from http://www.hrw.org/campaigns/cedaw/ Dave, (2005) What countries have legal prostitution? [Electronic Version] Retrieved on March 22, 2008 from http://www.sexwork.com/coalition/whatcountrieslegal.html Bazelon. E (2008) Why is prostitution illegal?. [Electronic Version] Retrieved on March 22, 2008 from http://www.slate.com/id/2186243/ PENet (2008) Prostitution in the United States – The statistics [Electronic Version] Retrieved on March 22, 2008 from http://www.bayswan.org/stats.html Hickenbottom. I.L (2002) Prostitution: Then and now [Electronic Version] Retrieved on March 22, 2008 from http://www.cwrl.utexas.edu/~ulrich/femhist/sex_work.shtml#Victorian

Strategic Planning, Mintzberg

Strategic Planning, Mintzberg Roll of strategic planning and implementation Introduction According to Mintzberg et al (2003, p.10) ‘A strategy is the pattern or plan that integrates an organisations major goals, policies, and action sequences into a cohesive whole. A well formulated strategy helps to marshal and allocate an organisations resources into a unique and viable posture based on its relative internal competencies and shortcomings, anticipated changes in the environment, and contingent moves by intelligent opponents. Likewise Haberburg and Rieple (2008, p.6) defined strategy as ‘ a strategy is the set of actions through which an organisation , by accident or design, develops resources and uses them to deliver services or products in a way which its users find valuable, while meeting the financial and other objectives and constraints imposed by key stakeholders. In contrast White (2004, p.5) defined strategy as ‘a coordinated series of actions which involve the deployment of resources to which one has access for the achievement of a given purpose. Furthermore strategy ‘is a process of translating perceived opportunity into successful outcomes, by means of purposive action sustained over a significant period of time. Lynch (2000, p.8) defined corporate strategy as ‘ it is the pattern of major objectives, purposes or goals and essential policies or plans for achieving those goals, stated in such a way as to define what business the company is in or is to be in and the kind of company it is or is to be. Morden (2007, p.14) revealed, Strategic Management is concerned with the character and direction of the enterprise as a whole. It is concerned with basic decisions about what the enterprise is now, and what it is to be in the future. It determines the purpose of the enterprise. It provide the framework for decisions about people, leadership, customers or clients , risk, finance, resources, products, systems, technologies, location, competition, and time. It determines what enterprise should be capable of achieving, and what it will not choose to do. It will determine whether and how the organisation will add value, and what form that added value should take. Strategic management is also concerned with management planning and decision making for the decision making for the medium and long-term future. It is considered with the anticipation of that future and with the establishment of a vision or view of how the enterprise should develop into the future that it must face. Strategic Planning According to Marios I.Katsioloudes (2006) â€Å"Strategic planning is the process by which a system maintains its competitiveness within its work environment by determining where the organization is, where it wants to go, and how it wishes to get there. In other words, strategic planning involves examining what strategies will enable to corporation or association to prosper in future† Strategic planning is a process where you determine the strengths and weakness of your business. You also can set your companys goals, objective and mission statement during this process. We can say this that strategic planning is a management tool for organizing. Its also lead an organizing from where is now to future. A good definition is strategic planning is â€Å"the process of determining a companys long-term goals and than indentifying the best approach for achieving those goals.† Without a strategic planning an organization will never know where it going. Importance Strategic planning is a very important for an organization. And its help to achieve An organizations goals and its also helps to provide direction and focus for all employees. It points to specific results that are to be achieved and establishes a course of action for achieving them. A strategic plan also helps the various work units within an organization to align themselves with common goals. Strategic planning Process In the earlier 1970s, various large firms adopted an official top-down strategic planning model. With this model, strategic planning became a planned process in which top executives from time to time would prepare the firms strategy, and then communicate it down the organization for implementation. The following strategic planning process model discuses below. Mission | V Objectives | V Situation Analysis | V Strategy Formulation | V Implementation | V Control This process is most appropriate for strategic management at the business unit level in organization. For large corporations, strategy at the corporate level is more concerned with managing a selection of businesses. In the process outlined here, company or firm will be used to signify a single-business firm or a single business unit of a diversified firm. Mission A mission is important key factor of any organization. The mission often expressed in the form of a mission statement of any organization, which conveys a sense of purpose to employees and projects a company image to customers. In the strategy formulation process, the mission statement sets the mood of where the company should go. Objectives Objectives are actual goals that the organization will achieve, for example, an earnings growth target. The objectives should be challenging but achievable. They also should be considerable so that the company can monitor its progress and make corrections as needed. Situation Analysis Once the firm has specified its objectives, it starts with its current situation to set up a strategic plan to fulfil those objectives. Changes in the external environment and make new opportunities and new ways to achieve their objectives. An environmental scan is performing to find out the available opportunities. The situation analysis therefore involves an analysis of both the external and internal environment. The external environment has two dimensions: the macro-environment affects all firms and a micro-environment that affects only the firms in a particular industry. The macro-environmental analysis includes political, economic, social, and technological factors and sometimes is called PEST analysis. An important part of the micro-environmental analysis is the industry in which the firm operates or is considering operating. Michael Porter devised a five forces framework that is useful for industry analysis. We also can use SWOT Model to Analysis Companys internal and external situation. Strength and weakness use for internal analysis and opportunity and threats use for external analysis of any organisations as show in the diagram below. Strategy Formulation Once we get a clear image of the organization and its environment in hands, exact strategic alternatives can be applied. Infect different firms has different alternatives depending on their situation, there also exist generic strategies that can be applied across a wide range of firms. Control Once we applied the strategy, the results of the strategy need to be calculated and evaluated, with changes need to be required to keep the idea on path. Strategy implementation De Wit and Meyer (2005, p.278) revealed, the implementation of the strategy comprises a series of sub activities that are primarily administrative. If purpose is determined then the resources of a company can be mobilized to accomplish it. An organisational structure appropriate for the efficient performance of the required tasks must be made effective by information systems and relationships permitting coordination of subdivided activities. Furthermore the role of personal leadership is important and sometimes decisive in the accomplishment of strategy. Although we know that organisational structure and processes of compensation, incentives, control and management development influence and constraint the formulation of strategy, we should look first at the logical proposition that structure should follow strategy on order to cope later with the organisational reality that strategy also follows structure. When we have examined both tendencies, we will understand and to some extent be prepared to deal with the interdependence of the formulation and implementation of corporate purpose. According to Henry (2008, p.10) ‘effective implementations of strategies require the organisation to be sufficiently flexible in its organisational culture and design. Strategies need to be communicated, understood, and properly coordinated with the stakeholders inside and outside the organisation. In an age of collaboration, this may involve discussions with suppliers and partners. Although the leader of the organisation will ultimately be responsible for a strategys success or failure, their role should be to encourage and create an organisational culture which empowers managers to respond to opportunities. In this way each employee will be confident to try out new ideas and innovate without fear of reprisals. White (2004, p.618), the implementation of a successful strategy is to focus on the five Cs as the basic requirement needed to keep the separate units in any organisation to achieve the objectives of strategy. The five Cs are: Coordination, Communication, Command, Control and Conflict/consensus. Coordination: There should be coordination at every step of strategy making, certainly in the process of formulation and implementation between the stakeholders, different cooperating enterprises and organisational levels, and between different internal units within the enterprise itself. Communication: Coordination is only possible with the help of proper communication of information concerning objectives and threats, capabilities and threats, risks and threats. The accurate information must be communicated. Command: â€Å"It is passed downward, reflecting the hierarchy of authority which characterizes every organisation. It should be rarely given and only when absolutely necessary, in crises or to resolve a particular conflict. It is held in reserve for when is needed. Everyone should be aware of possibility of command but it does not have to be used. There are some occasions when decisive action is necessary, but most the time staff should be aware of what they need to do without being prompted. Control: It is often exercised indirectly and discretely, through incentive structures and globalization of a corporate culture. There are direct control systems in certain areas such as finance. It is better that all become committed to following the broad directions of the strategy without explicit instructions. The outlines of strategy provide the guidelines are internalized and do not require endless repetition. Each decision maker has their own domain or is of control, all well understood, and obtains from intervention on other domains unless invited or if there is a crisis. Conflict / Consensus: Honest disagreements are certain in any organisation. It is a vital aspect of any creative activity, since creative thinking means thinking outside the normal boundaries. If a new idea is to change behaviour, it needs to be argued out in the forum of enterprise where there will inevitably by those who cannot agree. Any proposal for change for change almost always invites conflict of kind, hostility from those opposed to a new way of thinking or to change.† Strategic Management Process Thompson and Strickland (2003, p.6) defined term strategic management â€Å"it refers to the managerial process of forming a strategic vision, setting objectives, crafting a strategy, implementation and executing the strategy, and then over time initiating whatever corrective adjustment in the vision, objectives, strategy, and execution are deemed appropriate. Strategic Vision: A strategic vision of a company reflects managements aspirations for the organisation and its business, providing a panoramic view of ‘what we are doing and giving specifics about its future business plans and giving specifics about its future business plans. It brings out long-term business purpose and shape the organisational identity. A strategic vision helps an organisation in a particular direction and in a strategic path for it to follow. Setting Objectives: ‘The purpose of setting objectives is to convert managerial statements of strategic vision and business mission into specific performance targets, i.e. results and outcomes the organisation wants to achieve. Crafting a Strategy: Strategy making brings into the critical managerial issue of how to achieve the targeted results in light of the organisations situation and prospects. Objectives are ends and the strategy is the means of achieving them. Implementing and Executing the strategy: Strategy implementation concerns the managerial exercise of putting a freshly chosen strategy into place. Likewise ‘strategy execution deals with the managerial exercise of supervising the ongoing pursuit of strategy, making it work, improving the competence with which it is executed, and showing measurable progress in achieving the target results.† Case: British Airways Airline industries and carriers are facing very hard time, because recession has affected the business and the industries have to reduce their prices and are not making well profit as compared to the past. As it is a worldwide fast growing industry making airlines more complex and challenging. Because of recession and increased number of unemployments in airline industries. British Airways is the UKs largest international airline, flying to 6 domestic destinations over 148 international destinations at multiple times, to the all best located airports. The major place of business is Heathrow, one of the worlds premier airport locations. BA also operates a worldwide air cargo business. But still British Airways had to restructured and make some serious strategic changes to avoid the bankruptcy or the closure. BA had his vision to achieve their goal and took effective and reasonable steps to compete in the market with its performance and operation under the last couple of years. Market fell from more than 30 per cent in 1998 to about 20 per cent in 2005. This year, BA announced the worst half-year losses in its history. During the six months to September 2009, the company face a  £292m ($485m) loss, compared with  £52m profits during the same period a year earlier. In order to survive and to make an easy recovery in this competitive environment and to attain a leadership in the industry BA has taken strong steps to upgrade the systems and technology, In order to increased the fleet size British Airways ordered 36 new long haul Aircraft on 27th September 2007 which includes 12 A380s,and 24 Boeing 787s. British Airways also ordered on 1st February 2008 Airbus A318s to run a premium services out from London City Airport to New York. This fitted luxury 32 lie flat beds in business class cabin. The increase in technology like online ticketing, online checking also enhances the BA business. Because customer has no need to stand in queue. Innovative flight service such as sleeper service will attract more customers. Introduction of the terminal 5 on the HEATHROW AIRPORT will help increasing of the flig hts of the BA and able to provide more relaxed environment to its customers. Possible merger of the BRITISH AIRWAYS and QANTAS AIRLINE could be the great opportunity to become absolute market leader of the world. Willie Walsh stated that British Airways had reduced 1,450 staff members since March 2009. They also reduced the overtime and 500 redundancies were made. Twenty percent of future capital expenditure is reduced this year from 725 million pounds to 580 million pounds and it will be the same through out this year. Mr. Willie Walsh also admitted that this structural change of British Airways is necessary for survival and long term success. British Airways managed with its comprehensive and proactive strategy to accelerate its return to profitability and economic welfare well in advance of its rivals. The airline announced that it is planning to raise  £680 million of liquidity through a  £350 million convertible bond issue and by gaining access to bank facilities which are currently used to provide guarantees to its pension funds. This will increase liquidity to approximately  £2 billion. Conclusion A successful and well-organized strategic plan can recognize the organisations strength, and related weaknesses, determining the new opportunity and with useful action resolve the problems. These can be either from the capabilities and expertise of an organisation or from the actual market demand. Successful strategy plan is when there is a continues perfection and effective use of time and resources. The role of manager is very important to make organisation profit-making or non- profit making with taking right decisions. He should think strategically rather than operationally. The main factor of strategic planning is that how the information gained, implement and used. References Mintzberg, H., Lampel, L., Quinn, J. Ghoshal, S. (2003) The Strategic Process, 4th edition, Prentice Hall publishing, New Jersey. White, C. 2004, Strategic Management, 1st edition, Palgrave Macmillan, New York Lynch, R., 2000, Corporate Strategy, 2nd edition, Prentice Hall, Harlow Morden, T. 2007, Principles of Strategic Management, 3rd edition, Ashgate Publishing, Aldershot. Haberberg, A. Rieple, A. 2008, Strategic Management: theory and application, 1st edition, Oxford University Press, New York. De Wit, B. Meyer, R. 2005, Strategic Synthesis: Resolving strategy paradox to create competitive advantage, 2nd edition, Thompson, London. Henry, A. 2008, Understanding Strategic Management, 1st edition, Oxford University Press, New York. Thompson, A., Strickland A.J., 2003, Strategic Management: concepts and cases, 13th edition, McGraw-Hill, New York. Marios I.Katsioloudes Ph. D, (2006) Strategic Management, Global Cultural perspectives for profit and non-profit organisation, p 2, 6 Lynch, R., 2003, Corporate Strategy, 3rd edition, Prentice Hall, Harlow URL Source: www.investorwords.com/4774/strategic_planning.html Date of Access: 25th February 2010 URL Source: http://www.onlinebusadv.com/index.php?PAGE=14 Date of Access: 25th February 2010 URL Source: http://www.netmba.com/strategy/process/ Date of Access: 25th February 2010 URL Source: http://hrmadvice.com/assets/images/swotanalysis.jpg Date of Access: 25th February 2010 URL Source: http://www.britishairways.com/travel/about-british-airways/public/en_gb Date of Access 25th February 2010