Night World : Dark Angel Chapter 7

Gillian felt triumph, wild excitement-and something deeper. An emotion she couldn't describe because there weren't any ordinary words for it. David was looking at her, and it was almost as if she could see through his dark eyes. As if she could see inside him†¦ see the way things looked to him†¦ What she felt was a little like discovery and a little like deja vu and a little like waking up and suddenly realizing it's Christmas. Or like being a kid lost in a strange place, cold and bewildered, and then suddenly hearing your mother's voice. But it really wasn't like any of those things; it was more. Unexpected welcome†¦ strange recognition†¦ the shock of belonging†¦ She couldn't quite put it all together, because there was nothing like it in her experience. She'd never heard of anything like this. But she had the feeling that when David kissed her, she'd figure it all out and it would be the revelation of her life. It was going to happen-now. He was moving clser to her, not fast, but as if slowly compelled by something he couldn't control. Gillian had to look down, but she didn't move back or turn her face away. He was close enough now that she could hear his breath and feel him. Her eyes shut of their own accord. She waited to feel the touch of warmth on her lips†¦ And then something in her mind stirred. A tiny whisper, so far back that she could barely hear it, and she couldn't tell where it came from. Tanya. The shock went through Gillian like ice on bare skin. Part of her tried to ignore it, but she was already pulling away, putting a hand up, turning to stare at the window. Not out the window. It was too steamed up now to see anything outside. They were in their own cocoon of whiteness. Gillian said, â€Å"I can't. I mean, not like this. I mean-it isn't fair, because you already-and you haven't †¦ I mean†¦ Tanya.† â€Å"I know.† David sounded as if he'd been hit with ice on bare skin, or as if he'd come up from deep water and was looking around dazedly. â€Å"I mean, you're right. I don't know what I was†¦ It just-it was like I forgot†¦ Look, I'm sure that sounds stupid. You don't believe me.† â€Å"I do believe you.† At least he sounded as incoherent as she did. He wouldn't think she was a total fool; her facade wasn't broken. â€Å"I'm not that kind of guy. I mean, it looks like I am, right here, it looks exactly like I am. But I'm not. I mean I never-I'm not like Bruce Faber. I don't do that. I made a promise to Tanya and †¦Ã¢â‚¬  Oh, God, Gillian thought. And then a sort of inward scream: (Help!) (I was wondering when you'd remember me.) (He made her a promise!) (I'm sure he did. They've been going together a while.) (But that's terrible!) (No, it's admirable. What a guy. Now say you've got to get to school.) (I can't. I can't think. How are we going to-) (School first.) Dully, Gillian said, â€Å"I guess we'd better get moving.† â€Å"Yeah.† There was a pause, and then David put the car in gear. They drove in silence, and Gillian sank deeper and deeper into depression. She'd thought it would be so easy-just show David her new self and everything would fall into place. But it wasn't like that. He couldn't just dump Tanya. (Don't worry about it, kid. I have a cunning plan.) (But what?) (I'll tell you when it's time.) (Angel-are you mad at me? Because I forgot about you?) (Of course not. I'm here to arrange things so you can forget me.) (Then-because I forgot about Tanya for a while? I don't want to do anything that's wrong†¦) (I'm not mad! Heads up. You're there.) Gillian couldn't push away the feeling that he was mad, though. Or at least surprised. As if something unexpected had happened. But she didn't have time to dwell on it. She had to get out of David's car and gather herself and face the high school. â€Å"I guess-I'll see you later,† David said as she reached for the door handle. His voice made it a question. â€Å"Yeah. Later,† Gillian said. She didn't have the energy for anything more. She glanced back- once-to see him staring at the steering wheel. She could see people staring at her as she walked to the school building. It was a new sensation and it gave her a spasm of anxiety. Were they laughing at her? Did she look silly, was she walking wrong somehow? (Just breathe and walk.) Angel's voice sounded amused. (Breathe-walk-head up-breathe†¦) Gillian somehow got through halls and up stairs to her U.S. history class without meeting another student's eyes once. There, arriving just as the bell rang, she realized she had a problem. Her history textbook, along with all her notes, was floating somewhere down toward West Virginia. With relief, she caught Amy's eye and headed toward the back of the classroom. â€Å"Can I share your book? My whole backpack went in the creek.† She was a little afraid Amy might be miffed or jealous at the way she'd run off with David, but Amy didn't seem to be either. She seemed more-awed-as if Gillian were some force like a tornado that you might fear, but that you couldn't get mad at. â€Å"Sure.† Amy waited until Gillian had scooted her desk closer, then whispered, â€Å"How come it took you so long to get to school? What were you and David doing?† Gillian rummaged for a pen. â€Å"How do you know we weren't picking up Tanya?† â€Å"Because Tanya was here at school looking for David.† Gillian's heart flip-flopped. She pretended to be very interested in history. But she gradually noticed that some of the other students were looking at her. Especially the boys. It was the sort of look she'd never imagined getting from a boy. But these were all juniors, and none of them was in the really popular clique. All that would change in Gillian's next class, biology. Half a dozen of the most popular kids would be there. David would be there-and Tanya. Gillian felt, with a sudden chill, that she might not really care anymore. What did it matter what other people thought of her if she couldn't have David? But she had a fundamental faith in Angel. Somehow things had to work out-if she just stayed calm and played her part. When the bell rang, she hurried away from Amy's questioning eyes and into the bathroom. She needed a moment to herself. (Do something to your lipstick. It seems to have gone away somehow.) Angel sounded as puzzled as any human boy. Gillian fixed the lipstick. She ran a comb through her hair. She was somewhat reassured by the sight of herself in the mirror. The girl there wasn't Gillian at all, but a slender, insubstantial femme fatale sheathed like a dagger in black. The girl's hair was silky, the palest of all possible golds. Her violet eyes were subtly shadowed so they looked mysterious, haunting. Her mouth was soft, red, and full: perfect, like the mouth of a model in a lipstick commercial. Against the stark black of her clothing, her skin had the slightly translucent look of apple blossoms. She's beautiful, Gillian thought. And then to Angel: (I mean, I am. But I need †¦ a Look, don't you think? An expression for when people are staring at me. Like, am I Bored or Slightly Amused or Aloof or Completely Oblivious or what?) (How about Thoughtful? As if you've got your own inner world to pay attention to. It's true, you know. You do.) Gillian was pleased. Thoughtful, absorbed in herself, listening to the music of the spheres-or the music of Angel's voice. She could do that. She settled the canvas bag on her shoulder and started toward her locker. (Uh, where are you going?) (To get my biology book. I still have that.) (No, you don't.) Gillian maintained her Thoughtful expression, while noting that heads turned as she walked down the hall. (Yes, I do.) (No, you don't. Due to circumstances entirely beyond your control, you lost your biology book and all your notes. You need to sit with somebody else and share his.) Gillian blinked. (I-oh. Oh, yeah, you're right. I lost my biology book.) The door of the biology lab loomed like the gate to hell, and Gillian had trouble keeping Thoughtful pinned to her face. But she managed to walk through it and into the quiet buzz that was a class before a bell was about to ring. (Okay, kid. Go up front and tell Mr. Wizard you need a new book. He'll take care of the rest.) Gillian did as Angel said. As she stood beside Mr. Leveret and told her story she sensed a new quietness in the classroom behind her. She didn't look back and she didn't raise her voice. By the time she was done, Mr. Leveret's pouchy, pleasantly ugly face had gone from a startled â€Å"Who are you?† expression (he had to look in the class register to make sure of her name) to one of pained sympathy. â€Å"I've got an extra textbook,† he said. â€Å"And some outlines of my lectures on transparencies. But as for notes-â€Å" He turned to the class at large. â€Å"Okay, people. Jill-uh, Gillian-needs a little help. She needs somebody who's willing to share their notes, maybe xerox them-â€Å" Before he could finish his sentence, hands went up all over the room. Somehow that brought everything into focus for Gillian. She was standing in front of a classroom with everyone staring at her-that in itself would have been enough to terrify her in the old days. And sitting there in front was David, wearing an unreadable expression, and Tanya, looking rigidly shocked. And other people who'd never looked directly at her before, and who were now waving their hands enthusiastically. All boys. She recognized Bruce Faber, who she'd always thought of as Bruce the Athlete, with his tawny hair and his blue-gray eyes and his tall football build. Normally he looked as if he were acknowledging the applause of a crowd. Just now he looked as if he were graciously extending an invitation to Gillian. And Macon Kingsley, who she called Macon the Wallet because he was so rich. His hair was brown and styled, his eyes hooded, and there was something cruel to the sensual droop of his mouth. But he wore a Rolex and had a new sports car and right now he was looking at Gillian as if he'd pay a lot of money for her. And Cory Zablinski-who was Cory the Party Guy because he constantly seemed to be arranging, going to, or just recovering from parties. Cory was wiry and hyper, with foxy brown hair and darting fox-colored eyes. He had more personality than looks, but he was always in the middle of things, and at this moment he was waving madly at Gillian. Even Amy's new boyfriend Eugene, who didn't have looks or personality in Gillian's opinion, was wiggling his fingers eagerly. David had his hand up, too, despite Tanya's cold expression. He looked polite and stubborn. Gillian wondered if he'd told Tanya he was just trying to help a poor junior out. (Pick†¦ Macon.) The ghostly voice in Gillian's ear was thoughtful. (Macon? I thought maybe Cory.) She couldn't pick David, of course, not with Tanya looking daggers at her. And she felt uncomfortable about picking Bruce for the same reason-his girlfriend Amanda Spengler was sitting right beside him. Cory was friendly and, well, accessible. Macon, on the other hand, was vaguely creepy. This time the voice in her head was patient. (Have I ever steered you wrong? Macon.) (Cory's the one who always knows about parties†¦) But Gillian was already moving toward Macon. The most important thing in life, she was discovering quickly, was to trust Angel absolutely. â€Å"Thanks,† she said softly to Macon as she perched on an empty stool behind him. She repeated after Angel: â€Å"I'll bet you take good notes. You seem like a good observer.† Macon the Wallet barely inclined his head. She noticed that his hooded eyes were moss green, an unusual, almost disturbing color. But he was nice to her all period. He promised to have his father's secretary photocopy the thick sheaf of biology notes in his spiral-bound notebook. He lent her a highlighter. And he kept looking at her as if she were some interesting piece of art. That wasn't all. Cory the Party Guy dropped a ball of paper on the lab table as he walked past to get rid of his gum in the trash can. When Gillian unfolded it she found a Hershey's kiss and a questionnaire: R U new? Do U like music? What's yr phone #? And Bruce the Athlete tried to catch her eye whenever she glanced in his direction. A warm and heady glow was starting somewhere inside Gillian. But the most amazing part was yet to come. Mr. Leveret, pacing in the front, asked for somebody to review the five kingdoms used to categorize living things. (Raise your hand, kid.) (But I don't remember-) (Trust me.) Gillian's hand went up. The warm feeling had changed to a sense of dread. She never answered questions in class. She almost hoped Mr. Leveret wouldn't see her, but he spotted her right away and nodded. â€Å"Gillian?† (Now just say after me†¦) The soft voice in her head went on. â€Å"Okay, the five classes would be, from most advanced to most primitive, Animalia, Plantae, Fungi, Protista†¦ and Eugene.† Gillian ticked them off on her fingers and glanced sideways at Eugene as she finished. (But that's not nice. I mean-) She never got to what she meant. The entire class was roaring with laughter. Even Mr. Leveret rolled his eyes at the ceiling and shook his head tolerantly. They thought she was hysterical. Witty. One of those types who could break up a whole classroom. (But Eugene-) (Look at him.) Eugene was blushing pink, ducking his head. Grinning. He didn't look embarrassed or hurt; he actually looked pleased at the attention. It's still wrong, a tiny voice that wasn't Angel's seemed to whisper. But it was drowned out by the laughter and the rising warmth inside Gillian. She'd never felt so accepted, so included. She had the feeling that now people would laugh whenever she said something even marginally funny. Because they wanted to laugh; they wanted to be pleased by her-and to please her. (Rule One, dragonfly. A beautiful girl can tease any guy and make him like it. No matter what the joke is. Am I right or am I right?) (Angel, you're always right.) She meant it with all her heart. She had never imagined that guardian angels could be like this, but she was glad beyond words that they were and that she had one on her side. At break the miracles continued. Instead of hurrying out the door as she normally did, she found herself walking slowly and lingering in the hall. She couldn't help it, both Macon and Cory were in front of her, talking to her. â€Å"I can have the notes ready for you this weekend,† Macon the Wallet was saying. â€Å"Maybe I should drop them by your house.† His heavy-lidded eyes seemed to bore into her and the sensual droop to his mouth became more pronounced. â€Å"No, I've got a better idea,† Cory was saying, almost dancing around the two of them. â€Å"Mac, m'man, don't you think it's about time you had another party? I mean, it's been weeks, and you've got that big house†¦ How about Saturday, and I'll round up a keg and we can all get to know Jill better.† He gestured expansively. â€Å"Good idea,† Bruce the Athlete said cheerfully from behind Gillian. â€Å"I'm free Saturday. What about you-Jill?† He draped a casual arm around her shoulder. â€Å"Ask me Friday,† Gillian said with a smile, repeating the whispered words in her mind. She shrugged off the arm on her own volition. Bruce belonged to Amanda. A party for me, Gillian thought dazedly. All she'd wanted was to get invited to a party given by these kids-she'd never imagined being the focus of one. She felt a stinging in her nose and eyes and a sort of desperation in her stomach. Things were happening almost too fast. Other people were gathering around curiously. Incredibly, she was at the center of a crowd and everyone seemed to be either talking to her or about her. â€Å"Hey, are you new?† â€Å"That's Gillian Lennox. She's been here for years.† â€Å"I never saw her before.† â€Å"You just never noticed her before,† â€Å"Hey, Jill, how come you lost your biology book?† â€Å"Didn't you hear? She fell in a creek trying to save some kid. Almost drowned.† â€Å"I heard David Blackburn pulled her out and had to give her artificial respiration.† â€Å"1 heard they were parked on Hillcrest Road this morning.† It was intoxicating, exhilarating. And it wasn't just guys who were gathered around her. She would have thought that the girls would be jealous, spiteful, that they'd glare at her or even all walk away from her in one mass snub. But there was Kimberlee Cherry, Kim the Gymnast, the bubbly, sparkly little dynamo with her sun-blond curls and her baby-blue eyes. She was laughing and chattering. And there was Steffi Lockhart the Singer, with her cafe au lait skin and her soulful amber eyes, waving an expressive hand and beaming. Even Amanda the Cheerleader, Bruce Faber's girlfriend, was in the group. She was flashing her healthy, wide smile and tossing her shiny brown hair, her fresh face glowing. Gillian understood suddenly. The girls couldn't hate her, or couldn't show it if they did. Because Gillian had status, the instant and unassailable status that came from being beautiful and having guys fall all over themselves for her. She was a rising star, a force, a power to be reckoned with. And any girl who snubbed her was risking a nick in her own popularity if Gillian should decide to retaliate. They were afraid not to be nice to her. It was dizzying, all right. Gillian felt as beautiful as an angel and as dangerous as a serpent. She was riding on waves of energy and adulation. But then she saw something that made her feel as if she had suddenly stepped off a cliff. Tanya had David by the arm and they were walking away down the hall.

American Dream Short Essay Essay

Since the United States of America was born the â€Å"American Dream† has been alive. When it was first established the â€Å"American Dream† was defined as the ability of having freedom, democracy, and financial stability. Today it appears that the â€Å"American Dream† has faded there is poverty, crime, government taking full control, and the social classes have a larger margin than ever. According to the article â€Å"More people express uncertainty in chance to achieve the American Dream† the Washington Post-Miller Center Poll found that â€Å"almost two-thirds of people express concerns about covering their families basic living expenses, compared with less than half the public four decades ago.† The thought of working hard, studying, and being able to retire use to be easy but now this has become a hardship. As values have changed and the pace of society has increased Americans want everything right here and right now but don not want to put the effort forward, those that still have the working mentality are those who achieve the true â€Å"American Dream.† People are becoming less motivated and more lazy. We try to finding an easy solution to all of our lives complicated problems, we no longer want to go to school, for it has become a â€Å"nuisance† and children are following in the footsteps of those that are not wise. Reading this article really opened our eyes. It’s not that the American Dream is unachievable, Americans just don’t want to work for it. We have become lazy and feel like everything should be handed to us, instead of believing that we should work for our accolades and make our opportunities. Bibliography Morello, Carol, Peyton M. Craighill, and Scott Clement. â€Å"More People Express Uncertainty in Chance to Achieve the American Dream.† Washington Post. The Washington Post, 28 Sept. 2013. Web. 14 Oct. 2013.

Idependent research Study (Proposal) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Idependent research Study (Proposal) - Essay Example However, there is increasing evidence that consumers are affected more strongly by their interaction with staff members within the hotel industry than through their exposure to promotional marketing and make future purchasing decisions based on this previous experience within the hotel brand. Why is this of interest to today’s marketers? Employees are only going to provide superior service when they are content with their environment. If the hotel is structured improperly or does not improve the morale of workers, they are likely not going to be as devoted to their job role tasks in the degree expected by corporate policy. Employee satisfaction would seem to be of high concern to the hotel industry due to the fact that consumers often come face-to-face with employees during a periodic or long-term stay in the hotel brand. When customers reflect on their visit, they conduct what is referred to in marketing as a post-purchase evaluation. In this evaluation, they are likely to assess not only the tangible factors such as aesthetic appeal or the comfort of the mattress, they are going to consider how they interacted and were treated by the service staff. Specific individuals will likely be remembered over others based on the level of quality of this interaction. Post- purchase evaluation is part of the general consumer profile after making a purchase, therefore making a good impression the first time is a key business success strategy for positive service delivery. This independent research project explores the relation of employee satisfaction on overall service delivery, specifically attempting to discover how reduced satisfaction can adversely impact the consumers’ perception of quality and value. In what ways does reduced employee satisfaction cause future sales problems with hotel brands in achieving success in positive service delivery. To discover: In what ways does reduced employee satisfaction impact service delivery in the

Structural Assimilation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Structural Assimilation - Essay Example Majority of them were former industrialists, white collar employees, land owners, managers and bankers. They went ahead and laid the economic foundation to absorb waves of Cuban immigration. The Cubans created an economic enclave in South Florida where solidarity in view of ethnicity was translating business ties. This is what created a mechanism which enabled Cubans to access cultural and physical capital needed for prosperity. One of the key mechanisms was the rotating credit associations. These were informal associations which provided loans to Cuban society based on their reputation .They did not need to have any collateral to qualify for the loans.Also, Cuban employees were paid less; thus making Cuban businesses more competitive. Despite the fact that employees were paid less they were given promotions, onjob training, and were also helped by their employers to start their own business. The geographical concerdration of businesses played a central role and was an important element that led to success of South Florida enclaves. This was because of the proximity of Cuban customers and clients. Cubans could afford to run a business without any knowledge on English. On the other standpoint, through direct conquest of their homelands, Mexican entered the American society. The news from the American media that Mexicans living in America were guaranteed security of their properties and Spanish will be respected turned out to be a false promise from Americans. Hence, through manipulations, Americans seized vast tracks of land from Mexican. This deprived Mexicans their physical capital thus diminishing their ability and capacity to prosper. Though Mexicans initially entered American society through conquest, the immigrants suffered racial discrimination and discrimination to speak Spanish as well as being confined to poor neighbourhoods.All those factors led to the greater success of Cuban with respect to Mexican immigrants regarding

Macroeconomics (savings ratio) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Macroeconomics (savings ratio) - Essay Example A change in any factor that has an impact on the consumption apart from the income is said to result in a shift in the consumption function and this would ultimately affect the saving potential of an individual. The factors affecting the consumption function are: A cut in the interest rate will enhance the consumption at all levels of income and will lead to an upward shift in the consumption function. Lower interest rate act to reduce the cost of servicing any mortgage or other debt and thereby increases the effective disposable income in the hands of the homeowners. Contrastingly a period of higher interest rate is expected to curtail the consumer spending. Any apprehension about rising unemployment levels resulting in worsening situations of income level might result in a reduced confidence level of the consumers and a fall in the spending at all levels of income. In contrast to this situation any expectations of improvement in the health of the economy would increase the confidence of the consumers and the resultant planned spending. The changes in the spending behaviour of the consumers affected by the above factors will have a direct bearing on the saving potential of the individuals. ... In contrast to this situation any expectations of improvement in the health of the economy would increase the confidence of the consumers and the resultant planned spending. The changes in the spending behaviour of the consumers affected by the above factors will have a direct bearing on the saving potential of the individuals. The consumption function thus determines the amount of saving that an individual can earmark out of his disposable income towards saving. This ultimately goes to decide the saving ratio which is a factor of the saving against the disposable income. Saving Saving represents a decision to postpone the consumption by saving the money out of the disposable income. There exist a number of motivations behind the saving habits of individuals: Precautionary Saving With a view to avoid the future inconveniences and other potential financial issues that may arise due to unemployment or any other reason, people resort to saving by smoothing their present spending. Building Spending Power Saving presently will enable any one to acquire a future spending power and to meet any major financial commitments at a future data that may arise due to unexpected happenings. Interest Rates and Savings The incentives offered by higher interest rates from banks, building societies and other financial institutions may generate more willingness to save. Desire to Bequeath Strong desire to bequeath more wealth to future generations act as a strong motivator for saving habits Impact of Life Cycle of Consumers At the young age the consumers may borrow more to meet their commitments and once they become older with the easing of

Video games Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Video games - Essay Example 03 need for speed underground (Sewart, 2006), they game introduced car body customization in which the players could change the appearance of their cars based on their preferences. There have been several versions of the game each with its own unique upgrades; the most recent version is need for speed hot pursuit. This paper is going to focus on the more popular â€Å"most wanted† version which preceded latest one. The game is set in a fictitious city by the name Rosewood and its environs comprising the shorelines sprawling conurbation, and industrial complexes (Need for Speed, 2002). It commences with a pre-arranged story line in which the player enters the game at the bottom of a blacklist and has to make his way up to the top to earn respect rank and money. Other significant future include the fact that one makes money by earning a bounty which is the money rewarded for causing destruction and traffic offences wrecking police cars as well as winning races. In the game, one gets to pick the car of choice from a list of top of the range cars, nevertheless they have to earn their car by making enough virtual money to buy them or qualify to unlock them by winning specific races. The main skills tested in the game are the player’s ability to drive at high speeds and keep ahead of other drivers to win races, on uneven and confusing tracks often under a lot of pressure. This requires a great deal of practice since there are myriad challenges including police officers who arrest and reverse gains made by players by fining or impounding their cars. The game can be played on various platforms e.g. Mac ,windows or desktop or laptop, the player has to first install the game from a DVD (Cannot use CD as it is almost 4 gigabytes), they need a machine that has at least 1 Gb Ram and sufficient memory so as to launch and run the game smoothly (Ltucker, 2009). On the computer keyboard, the players have the option of customizing the customizing the keyboard but the default

Determination of Resistance to Fragmentation by the LOS Angeles Test Assignment

Determination of Resistance to Fragmentation by the LOS Angeles Test Method - Assignment Example 4. Compare the results of the test with the specifications and diagnose there appropriate use. Apparatus The apparatus that are used for this test are as follow and these all conform to the BSI standard â€Å"BSI. (1998-2006)EN 1097-2.. Tests for mechanical and physical properties of aggregates ? Part 2: Methods for the determination of resistance to fragmentation†. 1. Electronic Weighing Balance with a precision of 0.1 g 2. Test sieves used for los Angeles Test are of the aperture sizes of 1.6 , 10, 11.2/12.5 & 14 mm. 3. Los Angeles Apparatus with all parts and mechanisms. 4. 11 Spherical ball loads/charges with diameter of atleast 45 mm and atleast total weight of 4690g. 5. Miscellaneous apparatus for assistance in movement of material during the test. Procedure 1. The first step would be sampling and preparation of test specimen according to the that mentioned in the standards. BSI. (1998-2006) EN 1097-2dictates that an initial separation is done by sieve of 10mm and sieve no 14mm. Then from this acquired sample another specimen is produced which contains about 60-70% of passing of 12.5mm sieve and 30-40 % of passing of 11.2 mm sieve. 2. About 5000g of the above sample is prepared and exact weight is measured and recorded along with all details of the aggregate. 3. This sample is then shifted into the Los Angeles Apparatus and then 11 spherical charges are placed along with it. The lid of the drum is closed. 4. The drum is set to 500 rpms, then the sound proofing cabinet is closed and test is initiated. 5. When due rounds are done the fragmented sample is acquired from the drum and then sieved from sieve of 1.6 mm and the retained material is weighted. 6. Lastly the Los Angeles test Value is acquired through the following formula Los Angeles Value = L.A Value = x 100 Where FW= Final Weight retained on 1.6mm Sieve Data and Calculations Type of Aggregate = Recycled Aggregate Initial mass of the sample = 5000 g Final mass of the sample retained = 3778.39 g On 1.6 mm sieve Los Angeles Value = L.A Value = x 100 Where FW= Final Weight retained on 1.6mm Sieve L.A Value = x 100 = 24.43 % Type of Aggregate = Thames Valley (Natural Aggregate) Initial mass of the sample = 5000 g Final mass of the sample retained = 4100 g On 1.6 mm sieve Los Angeles Value = L.A Value = x 100 Where FW= Final Weight retained on 1.6mm Sieve L.A Value = x 100 = 18 % Discussion (a) Sources of Error There are several points during this experiment where that might cause an error in the test results.The first point which can be a source of error is the faulty preparation of standardized test specimen for testing, and the standards are not followed. Hence it is suggested that all specifications must be followed and exact percentages of aggregates are to be used.So that the test results can be corrected and recommendations validated.Then the no of rpm must be 500 and the no of charges must be exactly 11. Then the material must be properly handled and after fragmentat ion process it should be ensured that the all the sample is taken from the drum and sieved properly. Then throughout the sieving process the sieves should be proper that is the aperture size should be uniform throughout the sieve. Old and over used sieves might have larger openings in them, hence contaminating the standard samples. b) The above table is an

The Incorporation of Immigrants in Growing Urban Areas ( Style is Essay

The Incorporation of Immigrants in Growing Urban Areas ( Style is Annals of the Associatio n of American Geographers , AAAG) - Essay Example This has also led to discrimination and racial segregation when it comes to certain privileges. Immigration has been used as a means to human right violation and slavery in certain parts of the world yet in certain areas human rights have been observed with the best effort. While the phenomenon immigration has existed for centuries, it was after the Second World War that immigration started gaining momentum. This was due to factors such as religious conflicts, political instability, and economic constraints in their countries of origin. Migration has led to changes in how countries shape up in areas such as education, economy, culture, and even social life. The new environments that migrants experience present diverse challenges which have led them to adapt in different ways. In Greece, for example, the Cold War made natives flee their country which had a poor economy, in search of better life in places like the United States, Canada, Australia, and other more developed counties (Skandalis 2012). However, after the Cold War and with the fall of the communist era in Eastern Europe, Greece became an attractive place for immigrants from Albania, Bulgaria, Romania, and other less developed countries in Eastern Europe. Other immigrants in the country came f rom outside of Europe, from India and Afghanistan. This had a huge impact on the economy and society of Greece. What was once a homogenous society became a culture and linguistic mosaic. The immigrants managed to deal with barriers such as confusing legislation and unfriendly entrepreneurial climates to become farmers, construction workers, and employees in other sectors, overwhelming even the natives (Skandalis 2012). This led to Greece experiencing a transformation in regard to its occupational structure. Occupations such as manufacturing and small trading that characterised the traditional family are on the decline. On the other hand occupations such as salaried clerical

The Purposes of Budgeting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Purposes of Budgeting - Essay Example Resources are scarce and the budgeting is used as a tool to deploy available resources judiciously for improving the organisational performance. The Purposes of Budgeting Budgeting helps in several ways: it helps control expenses and works as a tool to monitor planning processes; it also helps forecast future revenues for businesses; it documents and serves the purpose of a guide giving future directions to the businesses. With the help of budget, the management conveys its aspirations across different divisions of the organisation and it also serves as a vehicle to resolve conflicts between the groups within the organization. Thus, budgeting is helpful to the organisation in myriads of ways. Conventional Budgeting Process in the Global Context Conventional budgeting process employs the incremental approach. The incremental approach, while preparing this year’s budget, essentially takes into account last year’s budgetary numbers and depending upon the aspirations of the management, all numbers on different heads such as revenue, labour charges, utility expenses, overheads are revised suitably. For example, twenty percent increase in revenue generation will provide corresponding rise in raw material consumption, utilities and other necessary charges. If the increase in revenue does not warrant any increase in manpower then there would be no increase in the manpower expense except the salary revision granted to the existing staff. It would be worthwhile to elaborate some of the drawbacks with traditional budgeting in the larger context. The incremental approach in the traditional budgeting process misses out several things that include careful evaluation and audit of the several wasteful processes that warrant improvement in order to increase efficiency in the business. For example, it fails to encourage a scrutiny on improving productivity levels through changed processes or employing means that lead to reducing wastages in the production processes . The production department is considered a cost center in the organization. In the traditional budget approach, the management straight away grants funds for all necessary expenses based on last year's budget and production department continues to follow the same old routine; however, in this process, innovative ideas do not get enough support and motivation that is highly required for an organization operating globally for satisfying changing needs of the customers. The same is equally applicable to other departments of the organisation. The traditional budgeting approach was fine during pre-marketing era when competition was not intense and consumers were not demanding (Better Budgeting (2004). Zero-based Budgeting Zero-based budgeting is a step forward refining conventional budgeting process where things do not start from the previous year's budgeting level. In fact, it all starts afresh and the managers need to justify every single activity to run their departments. The manager carefully studies departmental activities and breaks them into several decision packages. Each decision package is then studied intensely to arrive at its budgetary needs systematically. Each decision package is described with details and its related costs. Carefully choosing each package with its likely impact on the objectives to be achieved automatically justifies whether expense is necessary on the chosen activity or not. Accordingly, some activities are chosen and some are discarded. The budgetary allocations on chosen activities help make a realistic budget for a given department and thus, for entire organization. This is certainly a better approach from the traditional b

The Nature, Scope and Methods of Economics Essay Example for Free

The Nature, Scope and Methods of Economics Essay Most introductory textbooks of Economics begin by asking the question ‘What is Economics about? ’ Although Economics is a vast subject and precise definitions are usually complex and controversial, it is not a difficult matter to give a simple and sensible answer to this basic question. Economics is essentially a study of the ways in which people provide for their well-being. Economists are concerned with the study of human behavior as a relationship between ends and scarce means which have alternative uses’ (Lionel Robbins). Economics can be divided into microeconomics and macroeconomics. Microeconomics is the study of individual markets. (A market is an arrangement which links buyers and sellers. ) For instance, an economist may study the market for compact discs. This will involve looking at the decisions and behavior of people who buy compact discs, the firms that sell the compact discs and any other groups which influence the price and availability of compact discs, such as the government While macroeconomics is the study of the whole economy. It includes, for example, the study of the nature, causes, consequences of unemployment, inflation, economic growth and international trade and government policy.Economics, both macro- and microeconomics, is about the satisfaction of wants. It is necessary to be quite clear about this; it is people’s wants rather than their needs which provide the motive for economic activity. People go to work in order to obtain an income which will buy them the things they want rather than the things they need. It is not possible to define ‘need’ in terms of any particular quantity of a product, because this would imply that a certain level of consumption is right’ for an individual. Economists tend to avoid this kind of value judgment which tries to specify how much people ought to consume. It is assumed that individuals wish to enjoy as much well-being as possible, and if their consumption of food, clothing, entertainment and other goods and services is less than the amount required to give them complete satisfaction they will want more of them. Resources are scarce when they are insufficient to satisfy people’s wants. Scarcity is a relative concept. It relates the extent of people’s wants to their ability to satisfy those wants. Neither people’s wants nor their ability to produce goods and services are constant. Most countries’ productive potential is increasing but so is the appetite of their citizens for goods and services. When a certain living standard is reached, people strive for even better living conditions. A good example of this is health care. As medical science and technology advances, people expect more ailments to be treated. So scarcity is a feature of all societies from the poorest to the most affluent. CHOICE:- The resources available to satisfy people’s wants are, at anytime, limited in supply. As most people cannot have all the goods and services they want, they have to make choices. With no rise in income, if someone wants to buy, for instance, a new coat they may have to spend less on eating out for a while. Similarly with limited resources, if a country wishes to devote more resources to health care it will have to reduce the resources it devotes to, for example, education. In considering scarcity and choice economists make use of opportunity cost. This is a very important concept in economics. It makes clear the true resource cost of any economic decision. For instance, building a new hospital may mean that the construction of a stretch of motorway has to be postponed. So opportunity cost is the cost in terms of the best alternative forgone. For example, if a person buys a watch it may cost ? 50 but what is more significant is what has to be given up to make the purchase. This may be the opportunity to purchase a pair of shoes or the opportunity to have extra leisure instead of working to earn the. In the case of the vast majority of goods and services, resources have to be used in order to produce them. For example, to provide health care requires the use of labor in the form of doctors and nurses, land on which the hospital is built and capital in the form of beds, operating tables, dialysis machines and other equipment. So the production of most goods and services involves an opportunity cost — the resources employed could be put to other uses. These products are called economic goods. However there are a few goods which do not involve an opportunity cost, for example sea water and sunshine. This is because they do not require resources to produce them — they are in existence naturally. These products are known as free goods.

Regent Hotel: Case Study on Pricing and Weaknesses

Regent Hotel: Case Study on Pricing and Weaknesses The Regent Hotel Case Study 1. Pricing Strategy Review – Key Issues There are several key issues which must be considered when determining the pricing strategy for a hotel. The main variables that affect hotel room pricing in general will include transient demand at the location, for example during festivals, conferences or major tourist occasions, and also whether it is currently high, low, or ‘shoulder’ season. Weekly arrival or departure patterns can also affect occupancy: there may, for example be many spare rooms on a Thursday night, or even worse, excessive demand on one night of the week, due to overlap from arriving and departing guests, which means that rooms may end up being empty on the surrounding days. For example, if guests staying from Monday to Friday choose to also stay Friday night, it may make the rooms unsuitable for people who want to stay over the weekend, thus leaving a shortage of rooms on Saturdays. Equally, the ratio of guest rooms to meeting, or conference, rooms can dictate pricing strategy, as if the hotel has plenty of guest rooms, but little conference space, it may have to offer excessive discounts to attract conference guests, but in the opposing scenario, it may be able to charge a premium. In a similar vein, a hotel with a successful history of holding meetings or conferences, and thus a good reputation in corporate circles can also command a premium for business functions. The potential for incremental revenue from the restaurant and bar areas should also impact on pricing, both for the rooms and the facilities themselves. Should a hotel have a high proportion of guests using its additional facilities, then it can use these revenues to subsidise the cost of the rooms, thus enabling it to lower prices and thus attract more guests, who will ideally also use the facilities. However, should the facilities be of poor quality, or too expensive, then the price of the rooms m ay have to be raised to compensate for the shortfall. A final factor to consider is the potential for risk to the hotel, such as the likelihood of cancellations or damages, which can be mitigated to some extent by including cancellation and attrition clauses in the terms and conditions, provided these are made clear to guests at the time of booking. Pricing strategies at major brand hotels also tend to fluctuate more with the market, because of their size and power. Serlen (2004) reported that many of the major brands lowered rates dramatically during the recent period of difficulty for the industry, but these rates were unprofitable, and thus the hotels couldn’t maintain those rates and be profitable. As such, most hotels chose to keep rates more stable, sacrificing some revenue during that period, but meaning that they wont be the same pressure of profitability once demand has returned. However, a Datamonitor Company Profile (2005) of the market in which the Hyatt and other premium hotels, such as the Regent, operate; has shown that pricing power within the market is currently heavily influenced by the hotels’ capacities, and also the pricing decisions of competitors. The downturn in the travel industry has led to a competitive environment where supply currently outstrips demand. Therefore the market as whole, ra nging from low costs leisure up to the premium end in which the Regent operates, is currently dictated by the pricing strategies of competitors. Competitors’ actions generally within the current climate could cause supply growth to outstrip demand growth, which could be disastrous for the Regent, and thus attention should be paid to these considerations. Specifically for the Regent, the refurbishing of the conference rooms has enabled it to offer high quality corporate facilities, which should enable it to charge a premium for conferences, over and above what other hotels in the region can charge. However, the opening of the Edinburgh International Conference Centre could lead to problems for the hotel, as it appears of offer far superior facilities to that which the Regent, or indeed any hotel, could possibly offer. Therefore whilst the Regent can still hope to gain significant conference revenue, especially during high season when the EICC will be in great demand, it may not be able to rely on conference revenue as a key stream. However, given that delegates who use the EICC still need to be accommodated, the Regent could potentially attempt to negotiate with the Edinburgh Convention Bureau to become the hotel of choice for conferences using the Centre, and this would enable it to charge the desired premium. With regards to the additional facilities, such as the bar and restaurant, given that there is currently not a high proportion of guests using these facilities, it is difficult to justify using them in the pricing strategies of the rooms, as reducing the price of rooms to attract more guests will not necessarily greatly affect the revenue generated by the facilities. However, it is important to review the pricing strategy of the bar and restaurant, to ensure that these are not priced so high as to drive away guests, and possibly including some meals in the price of the room could be a good way to increase demand for the rooms and the additional facilities, whilst potentially also slightly increasing the price. Finally, it is important to determine whether the customer dissatisfaction is being caused by pricing at all, and also whether other hotels in the city are pursuing aggressive pricing strategies which are taking demand away from the Regent. If this is the case, then it may be necessary to accept some short term losses in order to fight back and prevent the Regent Hotel losing so much business that it has a stigma attached to it, and is unable to attract any guests back, however this is likely to be a drawn out and costly process. 2. Front Office Operation – Key Issues There are several other key issues concerning the hotel that it is vital to assess if the brand is going to be developed and revitalised in the eyes of the public. Using the SWOT analysis (Appendix One) Firstly, it is important to determine which of the first three identified weaknesses are causing the decline in customer satisfaction, and ensure that remedying this is given highest priority in the coming refurbishment. However, regardless of which of the identified weaknesses are most responsible for the sharp decline in customer satisfaction, it is vital that all weaknesses are addressed as part of the refurbishment and handover process in general. Firstly, the outdated financial and reporting systems need to be replaced with an integrated solution, which connects all the different departments, and facilitates the transfer of information between the various heads of the departments. This system should enable food and beverage staff to input orders directly into the cash registers in the bars and restaurants, and these orders should then be transferred directly onto the relevant customer’s bill, perhaps using the customer’s signature, or their room key, as proof of their identity and room number. A similar system should also be put in place for the mini bars, enabling housekeeping to update the charges on the mini bar bills as they replenish the bars every day. An improvement to the reporting system would also enable staff to check the usual and predicted levels of occupancy when taking group bookings, thus enabling them to charge the relevant amounts for each period. This would help avoid the potential for offering groups too great a discount during busy periods, and would also help let staff know to when offer larger discounts, such as during quiet periods. Equally, sales and financial data and targets for Front Office, Sales and Food and Beverage could be shared across the three departments, so that each department knows what other departments are doing, and also what all three departments are aiming for. This would enable each department to maximise its own contribution to the hotel’s revenue, without adversely affecting the performance of the other relevant departments, for example Sales would know not to offer a cheaper meal option to large groups if the Restaurant is likely to be very busy for that period. The question of modernising and replacing the linen appears to be the main reason for the refurbishment, and Andrew Brennan should have this well in hand. However, no mention has been made of plans to refit or expand the laundry facilities, which is a key consideration, as not only does it appear to be affecting guest satisfaction, but it is also resulting in insurance claims, which drive up costs, and thus put a drain on the hotel’s profits. The whole laundry operation should be reviewed, and its capacity should be increased so that, not only can it handle the demands placed on it by the normal running of the hotel, but also to ensure that it has sufficient spare capacity to complete all laundry requests to a high standard and on time. The threats arising from the slow tourist industry, and the loss of bookings from Milton Hotels could be problematic, however provided the customer satisfaction issues can be resolved, word of mouth, together with a successful refurbishment and re-launch of the hotel should be sufficient to attract customers back, and the number of bookings appear to be picking up, as can be seen from the trendline on the room occupancy graph in Appendix Two. However, the final main issue to be addressed is that of revenue maximisation. As can be seen from the financial analysis (Appendix Two), only in the highest season does the hotel come close to completely using all its rooms, and occupancy often drops below the 60% mark. Equally, even in the busy months of June, July and August, total revenue realised is less that half that if all the rooms were charged at their full rate. As such, it is vital to reassess the marketing and advertising used to attract people during high season, as not only should rooms be as fully occupied as possible, but they should also attract as high a price per room as possible, and currently this is not the case. References Serlen, B. (2004) Hotel Programs Grow. Business Travel News; Vol. 21, Issue 15, p. 1. Datamonitor Company Profiles (2005) Global Hyatt Corporation SWOT Analysis. Appendix One: SWOT Analysis Strengths Beautiful Victorian architecture Excellent location with fine views. Modern food and beverage areas Prestigious banqueting and conference areas. Weaknesses Outdated financial and reporting systems. High need for modernisation of rooms and replacement of linen. Inadequate laundry facilities. Lack of revenue maximisation across all departments. Opportunities Potential to house EICC guests. Growing importance of Edinburgh. Chance to completely refurbish and re-launch hotel. Threats Declining customer satisfaction. Slow tourist industry. Loss of bookings from Milton Hotels. Lack of customers using dining facilities. Appendix Two: Financial Analysis

The Transformation of Gilgamesh in the Epic of Gilgamesh :: Epic Gilgamesh essays

The Transformation of Gilgamesh in the Epic of Gilgamesh In many literary works we see significant transitions in the hero's character as the story is developed. This is also true in the Epic of Gilgamesh with its hero, Gilgamesh. In this narrative poem, we get glimpses of who Gilgamesh is and what his purposes and goals are. We see Gilgamesh act in many different ways -- as an overbearing ruler resented by his people, a courageous and strong fighter, a deflated, depressed man, and finally as a man who seems content with what he's accomplished. Through all of these transitions, we see Gilgamesh's attitude toward life change. The goals he has for his own life alter dramatically, and it is in these goals that we see Gilgamesh's transition from being a shallow, ruthless ruler to being an introspective, content man. The epic begins with the men of Uruk describing Gilgamesh as an overly aggressive ruler. "'Gilgamesh leaves no son to his father; day and night his outrageousness continues unrestrained; And he is the shepherd of Uruk, the enclosure; He is their shepherd, and yet he oppresses them. Strong, handsome, and wise. . . Gilgamesh leaves no virgin to her lover.'"(p.18, Line 23-27) The citizens respect him, but they resent his sexual and physical aggression, so they plead to the gods to alleviate some of their burden. The gods resolve to create an equal for Gilgamesh to tame him and keep him in line. This equal, Enkidu, has an immediate impact on Gilgamesh. When they first meet, both having never before met a man equal in stature, they brawl. "They grappled with each other, Snorting like bulls; They shattered the doorpost, that the wall shook."(p.32, lines 15-18)   In giving Gilgamesh a real battle, Enkidu instantly changes him; having this equal gives Gilgamesh a sense of respect for anoth er man. These two men fighting each other creates a serious mess, but they both end up without animosity toward the other.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The next time we see them, their friendship is concrete. "They kissed one another, And formed a friendship."(p.33, line 19-20) Gilgamesh seems to be the leader at the start of their relationship, and right away, he plans an adventure for them. "In the forest dwells the terrible Huwawa. Let us, me and thee, kill him, And let us destroy all the evil in the land."(p. 34, line 96-98) Here, Gilgamesh reveals one reason that he wants to kill Huwawa - to destroy the evil in the land.

The Last Full Measure :: essays research papers

The Last Full Measure is a vividly detailed account of the events that took place in the Civil War after the Battle of Gettysburg. In the novel, the author tells the story of the war after July of 1863 from several points of view. He uses three main characters to depict these points: Ulysses S. Grant, General of the U.S. Army, Robert E. Lee, General of the Confederate Army, and Joshua L. Chamberlain, a simple professor from Maine. The reader can gain a detailed understanding of the war by seeing it through Grant and Lee’s eyes. The reader can experience a more firsthand account of war by seeing it from Chamberlain’s point of view, who is not a professional solder. After reading this novel, the reader begins to realize what war actually means. To Lee, it is fighting for a way of life, while for Grant, it is the value of the Union and it’s dwindling future. The reader also realizes the hardships that come from war. For Lee, it would be not being able to see his family grow, while for Grant, it would be his struggle with alcoholism and depression. Also while reading the book, the reader is able to pick up two sides to almost every situation, the sides of Lee and Grant. In the foreword, Shaara states that his objective is to tell the reader the feelings of the men of the Civil War, which he achieves by using an immense collection of knowledge to probe into the lives of the soldiers. Shaara gives the audience an objective novel that shows the hardships in one of the greatest wars ever fought. Toward the end, Shaara takes a clear, anti-war stand. It is obvious that he realizes why wars are fought, but cannot understand why we have never learned from our mistakes. The novel is ended eloquently by showing the war’s effects on each of the main characters and what has become of them in the time after the war. Lee tries to make up lost time with his family, while Grant serves two terms as President and later enjoys retirement. Chamberlain was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor and later became a governor. Both Lee and Grant eventually publish their memoirs at the end of the novel and look back on the war, which is told by Shaara to be a key event in The Last Full

Holy Sonnet 10 :: John Donne

William Penn, an English philosopher and founder of the Province of Pennsylvania, once said that, â€Å"For death is no more than a turning of us over from time to eternity.† He is saying that death is not the end of our lives, but just another stage. In the poem â€Å"Holy Sonnet 10† by John Donne, the poet talks to death itself and gives his opinion on his view of death and others’ views: it is something that cannot control anything, can be replaced by others things, and is not the end of a person’s life. Through the use of his figurative language, Petrachan form, and tone and language, Mr. Donne expresses the message that death is not to be feared because one lives on in heaven. John uses many examples of figurative language in his sonnet. To begin with, when Mr. Donne first commences his poem, he uses the personification â€Å"Death, be not proud† (1). The author is giving death the human characteristics of being â€Å"not proud.† The rest of the line continues as â€Å"though some have called you thee. † Death should not be prideful even if people think it is. John displays through this first line how he feels about death: he is too prideful for his own good. Furthermore, Donne uses another personification when he states â€Å"Mighty and dreadful, for thou are not so† (2). Again, he is giving death, a concept not a human, real characteristics. He believes death is not â€Å"mighty† or â€Å"dreadful† but something else. It gives his opinion that death is not â€Å"dreadful† to people in their lives but possibly beneficial. Later, the poet says â€Å"Thou art slave to fate, chance, kings, and desperate menà ¢â‚¬  (9). Death is merely being controlled by things like fate which is the only way he can act. He has no way to move on his own without these other forces. Like with war, death is the result not the cause: death cannot physically make people fight. This comparison devalues death in its importance and therefore its necessity. John Donne’s use of metaphors and personifications in his poem to emphasize his belief that death is not as bad as people or death thinks it really is but can actually be advantageous. The tone and allusions are important for John to portray how death is insignificant and irrelevant and that after death one moves on to a better place: heaven.

Open-Economy Macroeconomics Notes

Ch28 â€Å"Open-Economy Macroeconomics† FOREIGN TRADE AND ECONOMIC ACTIVITY Imports ? goods and services produced abroad and consumed domestically Exports ? goods and services produced domestically and purchased by foreigners Net exports ? defined as exports of goods and services minus imports of goods and services Net foreign investment ? counterpart of net exports Denotes net US savings abroad and is approximately equal to the value of net exports ? ? ? appreciation in the exchange rate and a corresponding decline in net exports; monetary easing does the opposite. The impact of changes in interest rates on net exports reinforces the impact on domestic investment In a full-employment closed economy (always holding other things constant), higher government spending, lower taxes, or lower desired private saving will raise the real interest rate and lower equilibrium saving and investment net exports are determined by the difference between national saving and national investment, which is determined by domestic factors plus the world interest rate changes in exchange rates ? re the mechanism by which saving and investment adjust Domestic expenditures ? equal to consumption plus domestic investment plus government purchases Examples of open-economy saving-investment theory in the small open economy an increase in private saving or lower government spending will increase national saving; this will lead to a depreciation of the exchange rate until net exports have increased enough to balance the increase in domestic saving an increase in domestic investment, say, because of an improved business climate or a burst of innovations, will lead to a shift in the investment schedule; this will lead to an appreciation of the exchange rate until net exports decline enough to balance saving and investment. In this case, domestic investment crowds out foreign investment an increase in world interest rates will reduce the level of investment. This will lead to an ncrease in the difference between saving and investment, to a depreciation in the foreign exchange rate, and to an increase in net exports and foreign investment (this would be a shift along the investment schedule) integration of a country into the world economy adds an important new dimension to macroeconomic performance and policy o the foreign sector provides an important source of domestic investment and a potential outlet for domestic saving o higher saving at home— whether in the form of higher private saving or higher public saving will lead to higher net exports o a country’s trade balance is primarily a reflection of its national saving and investment balance rather than of its absolute productivity or wealth ? The volume and value of imports will be affected by domestic output and the relative prices of domestic and foreign goods – Marginal propensity to import ? the increase in the dollar value of imports for each $1 increase in GDP ? Because a fraction of any income leaks into imports in an open economy, the open-economy multiplier is smaller than the multiplier for a closed economy. OPEN ECONOMY Multiplier = 1/ (MPS + MPm) Where MPS = marginal propensity to save and MPm = marginal propensity to import ? ? – Real exchange rate ? corrects for movements in the price levels in different countries Overvalued currency ? one whose value is high relative to its long-run or sustainable level High mobility of financial capital ? hen financial investments can flow easily among countries and the regulatory barriers to financial investments are low ? Foreign trade produces a new and powerful link in the monetary transmission mechanism when a country has a flexible exchange rate. When m onetary policy changes interest rates, this affects exchange rates and net exports as well as domestic investment. Monetary tightening leads to an ? o o adjustments in a country’s trade accounts require a change in domestic saving or investment in the long run, adjustments in trade accounts will be brought about by movements in the country’s relative prices, often through exchange-rate changes ptimal currency area ? one whose regions have high labor mobility or have common and synchronous aggregate supply or demand shocks. In an optimal currency area, significant changes in exchange rates are not necessary to ensure rapid macroeconomic adjustment European Monetary Union ? one of history’s great economic experiments. Never before has such a large and powerful group of countries turned its economic fortunes over to a multinational body like the European Central Bank. Never before has a central bank been charged with the macroeconomic fortunes of a large group of n ations with 325 million people producing $16 trillion of goods and services. While optimists point to the microeconomic benefits of a larger market and lower transactions costs, pessimists worry that monetary union threatens stagnation and unemployment because of the lack of price and wage flexibility and insufficient labor mobility among countries. The financial crisis of 2007-2009 is the first major test of this new monetary system. Stable macroeconomic climate ? taxes are reasonable and predictable and that inflation is low, so lenders need not worry about inflation confiscating their investments ? promoting economic growth in an open economy involves ensuring that business is attractive for foreign and domestic investors who have a wide array of investment opportunities in the world economy. The ultimate goals of policy are to have high rates of saving and investment in productive channels and to ensure that businesses use bestpractice techniques. Achieving these goals involves setting a stable macroeconomic climate, guaranteeing dependable property rights for both tangible investments and intellectual property, providing exchange-rate convertibility that allows investors to take home their profits, and maintaining confidence in the political and economic stability of the country Success for the countries of North America and Western Europe: robust economic performance o rapid and sustained economic growth emerging monetary system o conduct independent monetary policies with flexible exchange rates, while smaller countries either float or have â€Å"hard† fixed exchange rates tied to one of the major blocks reemergence of free markets Competitiveness ? refers to the extent to which a nation’s goods can compete in the marketplace; this depends primarily upon the relative prices of domestic and foreign products Productivity ? easured by the output per unit of input, fundamental to the growth of living standards in a nation; to a first approximation, a nation’s real income grows in step with its productivity growth ? conclusion on productivity and competitiveness ? as the theory of comparative advantage demonstrates, nations are not inherently uncompetitive. Rather, they become uncompetitive when their prices move out of line with those of their trading partners. The surest route to high productivity and high living standards is to expose domestic industries to world markets and to encourage vigorous domestic competition with foreign companies that have adopted the most advanced technologies –

The Filipino youth exemplary leaders Essay

Is the Filipino youth empowered? First let me ask you this question: Is youth, in general, empowering? Does being young bring about a sense of knowing what you can and need to do? Does it give us the divine power known as empathy? Well, no, not all youth are given that chance. Not all people are given the loving embrace of a parent or the right societal values- that is what separates the Filipino youth from any other youth.We may say that the Filipino people have their mistakes. Of course, they’re not perfect. However, what is fascinating in the country is the zest and the rejuvinating enthusiasm that the youth have. The youth of today, eqipped with the technology and resources, have been ever vigilant in their opinions in the different issues in the country. Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and even 9gag, we all see a little preview into the young Filipino mind. Viral videos pertaining to public issues and blogs which call for change in the country are found here and there. The Filipino youth is empowered because of the fact that they’re Filipinos. They’re Filipinos immersed in a world of corruption, hate, and indifference. In the same light, they’re exposed to hope. They’re exposed to a tiny sliver of hope, passed on from the line on great heroes, illiterate or no. The collective hope, the hope that the country can still be changed, that is what empowers the Filipino youth. Their hands, however calloused or bruised, have time to type speeches about empowered Filipino youths. They have time to joke about current issues and write blogs about it because they hope. The Filipino youth is empowered. The Filipino youth is hoping.

Effects of Mass Media Essay

What were the major developments in the evolution of mass media during the 20th century? The major developments in the mass media during the 20th century include electronic and digital communication. The first electronic device use for communication was the telegraph, which feature dot-dash signals. Thanks to the telegraph, people did not need to use transportation to deliver a simple message. With the telegraph a message was received in a matter of minutes. The telegraph was the foundation to many other electronic devices like the radio, fax machine, and the cell phone. With the digital era, communication has transformed our way of life. Cable TV and the internet have evolved so quickly that some traditional media have (like the newspaper) have lost their control over information. Other traditional media are also losing ground thanks to the development of emerging media. Media sites like Facebook, YouTube, and Tweeter are attracting more audience than traditional media. Facebook alone has over 1 billion users worldwide and its still growing. With new technology been develop every day, people are more connected than ever before, because of this, business like the post office are losing money every day because people no longer need to write letters, or mail a check to pay for their bills. News can be broadcast almost instantaneously by anyone with a mobile device. Devises like ipads, smart phones, and laptops allowed people to view anything from magazines, news articles, television shows and movies. Read more:Â  Essay on Mass Media Advantages and Disadvantages Most TVs are now been develop with internet and wi-fi connection, so people have a reason to purchase it. The development of mass media will continue to grow and new ways of information will eventually replace the old ones. How did each development influence American culture? The development of mass media has influence American culture in many ways. Before the development of new age technology, American culture way of communication was oral and written. People rely on books, manuscripts, and word of mouth to get information delivered. Even politicians depended on oral and written communication to get the vote of the people. With the development of the telegraph and eventually the radio, in America, people started moving from a farming culture, into a urban life style, where new industries and economic opportunities beckoned. With the development of digital communication, people started taking control over information. Publishers and TV station began losing ground over the control of information as well. With each development, people began to depend on themselves to get the information, rather than relying on teachers, or storytellers. The internet has allowed our culture to do interact in different ways. You can buy anything online, without leaving the house, you can work from home, take college courses and earn your degree, make a video conference, and many other things that could not be done in the past. There are many advantages to the development of mass media in our culture, but it has also disadvantages. I believe that the internet has made people lazier and less responsible. There are people that instead of going to the market to get food, they prefer to order groceries online to get it delivered home. When it comes to education, some students just search for the easy answers available online, instead of taking the time to do the research.

Why Is Testing Stage of Sdlc so Important?

Why is the testing stage of systems development so important? November 2012 Introduction †¢ Systems Development Lifecycle †¢ Types of SDLC †¢ Stages of SDLC †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Waterfall method Testing Programme Testing Acceptance Testing Limitations of Testing Case Study 1: University of Salford Case Study 2: Knight Capital Group Summary Conclusion References Systems Development Lifecycle †¢ Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC) is the process of developing information systems through various stages from identifying initial requirements through analysis, design, testing, mplementation and maintenance. †¢ Many different models but each generally consists of a series of defined steps or stages. Laudon & Laudon (2006) Types of SDLC †¢ Waterfall †¢ Fountain †¢ Spiral †¢ Rapid prototyping †¢ Incremental Bocij et al (2006) Waterfall †¢ One of the oldest, best known †¢ Li near sequential set of phases †¢ Review at end of each phase before moving on to the next †¢ Logical chain of events, e. g. programming cannot begin until specification completed †¢ Many different versions †¢ Many critics – does not work? Laplante & Neill (2004) Dennis et al (2008) Stages of SDLCVary according to the methodology used but usually some variation of the waterfall method which has Galin (2004) served as a framework for others. †¢ Systems analysis – identify problems & establish requirements †¢ Systems Design – create design specifications †¢ Programming – translate design specification into code †¢ Testing †¢ Conversion – plan conversion, train users †¢ Production & Maintenance – operate, evaluate and modify the system Laudon & Laudon (2006) Testing Why test? System should be tested to ensure that it meets the requirements laid out at the start of the process. Develop a test plan †¢ Involve users as well as developers †¢ Simulate data and test system processes e. g. entering a new record, inserting incorrect data Laudon & Laudon (2006) Test Plan Test Number Purpose of Test Test Data Expected Result Actual Result 1 Test the validation rule on the â€Å"Date of Birth† field to ensure that valid dates of birth can be entered. 15/02/1988 Accepted Accepted 2 Test the validation rule on the Date of Birth field to ensure that a date in the future cannot be entered. 14/10/2013 Rejected Accepted Adapted from: Laudon & Laudon (2006) Testing 2 basic phases of testing: programme testing – ensures that the programmes work as expected in controlled environment †¢ acceptance testing – ensures users are able to use the system and that it operates as expected when in use. Laudon & Laudon (2006) Programme Testing 3 phases †¢ unit testing – individual modules of the system are tested for any potential errors in the code. †¢ integration testing – to check the modules work together as expected †¢ complete system testing – see how all the components will work under various conditions Bocij et al (2006) Acceptance Testing User Acceptance Testing (UAT) by actual end users of the ystem to determine how well it meets their expectations and requirements. †¢ alpha testing – using simulated data †¢ beta testing – using actual data – final stage before implementation Bocij et al (2006) Acceptance Testing †¢ Security testing – whether security policies have been implemented as intended †¢ Recovery testing – how the system reacts when it has been forced to fail †¢ Performance testing – in different environments †¢ Stress testing – attempts to â€Å"break† the system by not following guidelines. Looks at how the system performs under heavy demand. Bocij et al (2006) Limitations of Testing Impossible to guarantee that once a system is tested it will work exactly as expected †¢ Too many factors to carry out exhaustive testing †¢ It is often given insufficient importance and other stages overrun at the expense of testing †¢ Cannot rule out unforeseen problems further down the line BUT: Gives a good idea, identifies major errors Morris (2005), Bocij et al (2006) Case Study 1 – Careers Service †¢ New system to manage Careers Service appointments, workshops and events †¢ Alpha testing revealed few errors which were resolved †¢ Beta testing revealed significant issues re: student status, ducation details, appointment booking abilities †¢ Issues were resolved and pilot system launched †¢ Phased implementation. Testing continues†¦ Case Study 2 – Knight Capital Group †¢ Trading US equities electronically (high frequency trading) †¢ Dormant software from a legacy system inadvertently reactivated †¢ Multiplied stock trades by 10 00 †¢ 45 minute delay in shutting down the system †¢ Proper testing and â€Å"appropriate market simulations† †¢ Estimated $440M loss Detterman (2012), Ruhle, Harper and Mehta (2012) Summary †¢ Defined SDLC †¢ Types & Stages of SDLC †¢ Types of Testing †¢ Limitations of Testing Case studies demonstrate importance of thorough testing Conclusion †¢ Testing reveals any errors and incompatibilities †¢ Essential to ensure they can be corrected before implementation †¢ Testing is a continual process. There needs to be a cut off point before implementation but it can (and should) continue †¢ Testing is critical because it is the only way to determine whether the system operates to requirements and actually works! Laudon & Laudon (2006), Cervone (2007) References Cervone, H. F. (2007),†The system development life cycle and digital library development†, O CLC Systems & Services, Vol. 3 Iss: 4 pp. 348–352 [online ]. Available from: [Accessed 12 November 2012] Dennis, A. , Wixom, B. H. & Roth, R. M. (2008) Systems Analysis and Design, 4th Edn, Oxford: Wiley Detterman, E. (2012) â€Å"Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) Case Study – Result = $440m Loss. † Solid Logic Technology. 12 August 2012 [online]. Available from: [Accessed 11 November 2012] Galin, D. (2004) Software Quality Assurance: from theory to implementation. Harlow: Pearson Education Laplante, P. A. & Neill, C. J. (2004), â€Å"The Demise of the Waterfall Model Is Imminent† and Other Urban Myths†, ACM Queue, Vol 1, No. 10 [onliine].Available from: [Accessed 12 November 2012] Laudon, K. C. and Laudon, J. P. (2006) Essentials of Management Information Systems: Organization and Technology in the Networked Enterprise, ninth ed. , New Jersey: Prentice-Hall Morris, S. , (2005) â€Å"Software Development Cycle†, Tessella Support Services plc, available at < http://www. tessella. com/wp-content/uploads /2008/05/softwaredevelopmentcycle. p df> [accessed 12 November 2012] Ruhle, S. Harper, C. & Mehta, N. (2012) Knight Trading Loss Said to Be Linked to Dormant Software. Bloomberg. 14 August 2012. [online] Available from: {Accessed 01-11-2012]

International Business Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

International Business Project - Essay Example Recommendations are given at the end on the viability of the business opportunity. As this project is on identification of a business opportunity for an American consumer product in a foreign country, it will analyze this opportunity for an American burger chain, The Counter, for its custom-made burgers for the leading emerging market country, India. It will discuss the viability of introducing a yet another burger type, distinct with its unlimited variation range. The Counter’s custom-made burgers are a unique concept in the fast-food chains of burgers because their combination range offered to consumers is quite vast – more than 312,000 – to appease to customers’ taste-buds with their endless range of combinations. The concept is very challenging. The idea itself is innovative in the sense that The Counter dares to give a tryst to new delicacies by experimenting. Their menu offers Build Your Own Burgerâ„ ¢ Sheet, with various Market Selection and Signature Burger/Bowl alternatives in their restaurants (The Counter, 2015). Currently, The Counter is operating from North America, Ireland, and Saudi Arabia, offering various reward points to the member customers on their purchases. Considering the appreciative remarks by the GQ magazine, as â€Å"one of the 20 Hamburgers to eat before you die† and â€Å"Best Burger† on OPRAH ®, The Counter is expanding its outlet numbers all across the U.S. It is the right time that expansion happens further in foreign locations as well of this fast food and quick service restaurant chain (The Counter, 2015). Indian food market although boasts of consumers’ localized tastes but people have a liking for trying brands, and love to taste a range of products at various costs irrespective of the fact they can afford it or not. Most of such people belong to middle class. Incidentally, Indians spend nearly 40 percent of their average household income on food and transportation, while

Organizational Communication Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Organizational Communication - Assignment Example In addition, he used a leadership style that was transactional as its entailed management through enhancing compliance via punishment and rewards. The committee had been given powers to make decisions, but Gassner had the final say in every decision they made. Gassner made sure that each execute committee member headed different regions of that company (Hill, 1995). Gassner had a strategic vision which he ensured was met. He made sure BMG international became successful. He ensured that he was involved in every decision (Hill, 1995). Gassner was tough on ensuring his decisions are followed to the later. In systems theory, there is the issue of interdependence in any organization. Rudi acknowledged this fact and hence created an executive team that was in charge of various regions. He acknowledged interdependence since the regions which they operated differed on the basis of external environment that dealt with customers, competitors, suppliers, financial markets and world economy. In addition, they also differed in complex issues related to external relations, internal operations, strategic decision making plus institutional leadership (Hill, 1995). Gassner’s management style was transactional. He ensured that he established compliance of the workers through coming up with reward and punishment systems. Gassner had been hand-picked by the given CEO, Dornermann. Gassner was an expertise from Polygram and had a good track record on the basis of management. He had his own style of management and involved ‘push’ and ‘pull’ strategies. That ensured high level of awareness existed and resulted in accurate perception of his role and vision (Hill,

Engaging in Evidence Based Practice and Clinical Effectiveness Essay

Engaging in Evidence Based Practice and Clinical Effectiveness - Essay Example (Parahoo, 1997) EBP is also a key factor in the NMC (2008) Code of Professional Conduct, which states that nursing professionals are personally accountable for their quality of care giving, and must provide the highest quality of service to patients that is consistent with evidence-based research. In 2005, NICE was combined with the Health Development Agency as an independent organization to deliver quality healthcare based on professional standards of medical practice in a standardized manner across public healthcare institutions and in order to assist with government programs intended to improve the quality of service in the industry. Nurses are increasingly expected to base their practice on empirical medical research data represented in scientific literature or established medical treatment practices that are generated through research publications (Burns & Grove 1999). The purpose of this report is to apply the principles of Evidence Based Practice (EBP) to the use of supplemental oxygen (O2) in hospitals as a treatment response for myocardial infarction (MI). The rationale for this search is that supplemental oxygen is used in hospitals and clinics traditionally in ways that is inconsistent with latest medical research and this has led to a recent change in practice in healthcare institutions as well as in public policy that still may not be represented in everyday nursing practice. By applying EBP principles, a nurse can review the medical literature and research regarding the use of oxygen in MIs by focusing on the most recent clinical trials. By understanding the use and contra-indications of supplemental O2 in MIs as accepted in published literature, nurses on coronary care units (CCU) can be more prepared for work in the workplace. In order to effectively search the topic of oxygen use in clinical applications related to heart treatment, it w as important to clearly define the research by using the PICO framework (Patients, Interventions, Comparisons and Outcomes) to develop the areas of inquiry. The search criteria focused on were based initially the keywords: â€Å"Myocardial, Infarction, Hyperoxic, Coronary, and Oxygen†. Published papers were identified through a search of online databases via the University of Plymouth intranet site including; CINAHL, MEDLINE, SwetsWise, Taylor & Francis, Oxford Journals & ScienceDirect. In the search, very few original research studies published between 2001 to 2011 were found, it was required to revise the search to include a more specialized use of keywords, all relating to â€Å"oxygen and myocardial function†. Five research papers were then selected as representative of consensus in medical research through peer review and implementation in cardiac treatment programs. CRITICAL REVIEW OF LITERATURE Previously oxygen was given as a standard aspect of MI treatment, re gardless of the patient’s level of oxygen saturation level, as part of the standard response of health practitioners to a critical care emergency such as a heart attack. Although NICE (2010) have amended their guidelines to recommend that patients only be given oxygen if their blood saturation level is below 94% , many nurses on general wards are still giving oxygen to critical heart attack patients as a regular aspect of treatment, as they are unaware of its detrimental effects in counter-indications or the latest research on the topic. Since many hospitals are

World War I and the End of the Progressive Movement Essay

World War I and the End of the Progressive Movement - Essay Example at everything we learned about the war, and the weapons of destruction that were used during the battles were more than just mere bullets, grenades, and canons. In fact, World War I laid out the foundation for modern germ warfare as we know it today. It is just that very little is known about how gas warfare was originally conceptualized and launched during the era. But thanks to historical researchers such as Ulrich Trumpener and his essay â€Å"The Road to Ypres: The Beginnings of Gas Warfare in World War I†, the readers are given a look into the little known facts about the Battle of Ypres which many believe to be the very first time that gas warfare was used in battle. Trumpeners argument in the essay is that the successful mounting of gas warfare at Ypres on April 22,1915 is incorrectly celebrated at the day that modern chemical warfare began. It actually began much earlier than that since records show that primitive methods of gas warfare began to see its wartime function on the battle front a year earlier in 1914. Records indicate that the French forces actually started using something similar to chemical warfare early on in the war. Trumpener also discussed the facts pertaining to the weak methods by which the German military developed their germ warfare program. Trumpner was right in saying that very little information can be found about the germ warfare program of both sides back in World War I. Reading his essay actually had a profound effect on the way that I viewed the history of the first world war. For me, it went from a war that used the most basic of armaments, to the war that redefined the meaning of battle. I originally believed germ warfare to have been used to annihilate the Jews during World War II. Little did I know that the terrors of germ warfare had been around far longer than that. In fact, it is probably the early existence and experimenting of the German forces during World War I that led to the death camps of Nazi Germany during World

Managing People Global Context Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Managing People Global Context - Essay Example Two major objective of HRM should be ensuring availability of the competent and developing a willing workforce of the organization (Mondal and Shastri, 2009, p.245). With the rise in competition talent acquisition and retention has become an integral part of the corporate strategy. Organizations now identify human resource as the most valuable asset. This study looks to analyze the Human resource strategy of an organization with respect to some focal points such as workforce, work environment, organizational culture, innovation, and consistency in HR strategy, extrinsic and intrinsic motivation. Keeping the focal points in mind and after conducting in depth research H & M has been chosen. H & M has been very highly appreciated due its unique and innovative human resource policy. It has also been tagged as a fun place to work and is respected as one of the leading employer brand. This study will focus on the overall HR strategy of H & M with respect to the key focal points mentioned before. H & M is famous for their innovation. Initially they were a single women’s wear store in 1947. Since then they have become a global company providing fashion products for all the family members, and their home, under the variety names of H&M, Monki, COS, Weekday, Cheap Monday, as well as Other Stories and H&M Home. Therefore the employees require having ability to be flexible and adapt to changes probably a lot faster than any other tech. firm. This is where H & M is believed to be different from other firms. H & M doesn’t try to provide any formal learning plan to the employees. Rather they expect the employees to be self- sufficient. Many would be surprised to know that the retail sales force of H & M doesn’t get any formal training on selling. This is certainly unconventional to say the least. For H & M it’s simple. They feel that providing stagnant training can reduce self sufficiency and innovation. On the other hand self owned training and developme nt program

Journal Entry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Journal Entry - Essay Example As a result, I lost meaningful friendships owing to barriers in communication that developed from the arguments. Previously, I had no strategy on how to handle a conflict. In the main, it is essential to uphold the principle of fairness, in which one admits a mistake when wrong and argues with a nonbiased mind. My biased arguments previously leaned on my point of view. In addition, as an introvert, I had difficulties maintaining friendships and hence I was not concerned about the outcome of a negotiation process and it effect on interpersonal relationships. However, it is essential to maintain a relationship with others and ensure that friendship continues after a negotiation process. Negotiation seeks to benefit both parties in the argument, and a resolution must favor all those involved in the process. At the end of the semester, I developed a different approach to negotiations. I have changed my approach to negotiation from an assertive approach in which I seek to satisfy my individual needs, to cooperativeness, which intends to satisfy the interests of others. I learnt the need for a structured approach to negotiation, which has so far proven successful in several cases that I have encountered in the course of the semester. The main aim of negotiation, as I have learnt, is to negotiate towards a Win-Win outcome in which both parties become satisfied. This involves a process of preparation and discussion, in which we discuss all issues and identify the main cause of the conflict. Preparation involves naming the parties involved, including witnesses to the conflict. Third parties/witnesses are invaluable in any negotiation forum because they always present an unbiased view to an argument. In addition, I have learnt the need to have a time-scale for a negotiation process to ensure that all issues are resolved in a timely manner. I have also gained skills in negotiation in the discussion process. In particular, I have

Power of Religion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Power of Religion - Essay Example There are various elements in the world which are beyond the power human intellect and it is this incapacity which has made him to seek the refuge in religion from time immemorial. Thus, one finds that world religions offer its followers the scope for finding meaning to basic elements that are beyond human intellect. This important role of religions, as commented by Ezra Niesen, includes providing â€Å"an explanation for what makes the universe work, some way for people to escape their physical mortality, ways for people to build healthy families and strong communities, and ways for people to make themselves feel satisfied with their lives.† (Niesen). There is obvious role of religions to provide the humans with the capacity to understand the factors which completely beyond the power of their intellect. It is through the working of the hankering in every human being to go beyond what he or she can grasp and it is through the power of the intellect and the will that humans are able to reach things beyond their knowledge.

Risk and Quality Management Essay Example for Free

Risk and Quality Management Essay Executive Summary The following paper will be addressing the Risk and Quality management of one of the leading health care organizations in the world today and an organization whose benefits many of us have had the pleasure of experiencing: Kaiser Permanente, which is one of the most esteemed and flourishing organizations within the health care field. Kaiser Permanente provides and offers leading health care technologies, outstanding doctors, emergency services, laboratory needs, pharmaceuticals, and other hospital services among other things. They also have a very detailed and successful risk and quality management program which they enforce within their various organizations. Purpose of Risk and Quality Management â€Å"Quality assurance, corporate compliance, and risk management have common elements, they all represent processes by which care and services are scrutinized, audited, and generate action plans intended to benefit patients† (Sollins, JD, 2008). So it is no surprise that within the health care field, risk and quality management’s main purpose is to ensure that patients and employees are always safe and receive the best care possible. Ensuring that both patients and employees are always safe reduces the possibility of any undue or unnecessary risks to the organizations which is why quality assurance and/or management go hand in hand with risk management. In health care Risk management is very critical as it covers so many different areas ranging from proper procedures when handling medications, protecting patient information, making sure training is happening for all employees, and so much more. Risk management is so important because it is what makes sure the facility is operating in accordance with regulations. Quality management insures that patients are receiving quality care for a decent market value, which includes good customer service, timely visits and advanced technology. At Kaiser they value both risk and quality management and make it a core focus at all  times. In fact, â€Å"Kaiser Permanentes Care Management Institute (CMI) is one of the first organizations in the United States to earn disease management (DM) certification from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). The 2-year NCQA DM certification was awarded in program design. The program design certification was awarded for four areas: diabetes, asthma, heart failure, and depression. CMI was one of 18 to apply for the NCQA certification/accreditation† (ManagedHealthcare.Info, 2002). Managing the Risks Like all other health care organizations Kaiser Permanente faces many risks on a daily basis, especially since they are dealing with people’s well-being. It is critical that first and foremost a health care organization knows what their risks are and what strategies are in place to address these risks. â€Å"Kaiser Permanente is concerned that too many diverse drug safety programs will impose a burden on the healthcare system and on patients and that this will drive up costs and limit access to therapies. At issue is the growing number of Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies. The FDA has approved nearly 100 in the last three years† (Wechsler, 2010). Suffice it to say any industry that deals with the making or distributing of pharmaceutical or any other type of drugs made for the consumption of the general public has to make sure they have great risk management because there are many risks involved. In drug distribution situations if situations are not handled prope rly, they can lead to not only costly mistakes but can also put people’s well being in danger. Two other typical risks for this type of organization would be patient confidentiality and cleanliness as there are so many germs and diseases that these facilities face daily. These risks could affect the quality because medication may not be correct, confidentiality breaches will have negative results on the organization and the patients, and cleanliness risks will affect the patients, and possibly even the employees’ overall experience and/or health.  Kaiser is always taking steps towards better risk management and trying new policies and training to achieve this. â€Å"Licensing agencies and professional organizations prescribe minimum standards for a health care risk management program. These standards require direct interaction and support between the Risk Management Team, Administration, the Legal Department, Medical Staff, and Quality Management. Mechanisms must be in place for expeditious investigation and reporting of occurrences, prospective and retrospective analysis, and implementing preventive programs. The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations published its guidelines for hospitals in its Accreditation Manual for Hospitals. A major part of health care risk management is being knowledgeable of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organization guidelines and ensuring that departments comply with them. Valuable safety measures with inherent checks and balances are put into place which increase quality of care and also help to curtail liability claims†. Kaiser believes that a complementary relationship exists between risk and quality management and that this relationship, in part, helps improve quality. It is this belief that created a synergistic approach within their Quality Management and Risk Management Departments. In the mid 90’s The Los Angeles branch of Kaiser Permanente’s Patient Care Management Committee voted on actions to improve their risk management. Those actions were: * Incorporation of collective instructional programs to assist in keeping health care staff updated on new techniques. * Develop deeper understanding of confidentiality practices. * Annual risk management refreshers for health care employees. * Providing courses on how to improve medical record documentation. * Updating protocols on preoperative and post-operative administration. * Educating and establishing centers of excellence for catheter replacement and selection processes. * Upgrade existing incident report forms to ensure more accurate documentation. * Revamp the use of Administration Records * Audit of Critical Care Units * Upgrading the admission policies and procedures. * Introducing policies for patient medication procedures. Managing Quality There are clearly so many factors which can negatively affect the quality of an organization let alone one that is in the health care field. In fact Health Care organizations may face a magnitude of issues which are not seen in other types of organizations. This is mainly due to the nature of having to deal with not only their employees but also with the welfare and  wellbeing of so many different patients. However, as you can imagine some internal factors that this organization or any other health care organization may face would be training, customer services, and services rendered to the patients. In addition, some external factors that can affect the quality of an organization would be third party vendors, budget cuts, and technical issues with electronic medical records or even any other technology system. These factors could be detrimental to any organization if not addressed properly and quickly. However, one of the reasons that Kaiser is considered one of the leading health care organizations is that Kaiser has a very large focus on quality management and wants to makes sure they are always providing the best quality. Their attention to detail is not only evident in how they perform but also in the reputation that they have acquired based on their extreme attention to these details. According to â€Å"Health Span† (n.d). â€Å"The Kaiser Permanente Quality Management program was designed to improve the quality and safety of clinical care and the quality of services provided to our members. The Quality Improvement (QI) program prioritizes quality activities aligned with the region’s strategic plan and provides resources in support of achieving the QI work plan. This complies with applicable regulatory and accrediting body requirements. Kaiser Permanente’s QI work plan must address: * Quality and safety of clinical care * Quality of service * Program scope * Yearly objectives * Yearly planned activities * Timeframe within which each activity is to be achieved * The staff member responsible for each activity * Monitoring of previously identified issues * Evaluation of the Quality Improvement (QI) program Kaiser Permanente’s Goals Kaiser Permanente’s organization has many goals many of which include helping to lower the nation’s obesity rate, promoting wellness care, promoting global health care, educating the public on health and wellness through classes and seminars, offering the best quality health care for a  good price, and much more. According to the organization’s website in 2002, Kaiser Permanente and CAPH/SNI entered into a formal business cooperative effort to broaden their ability to offer quality care as well as work towards improving the type of health care that is available in many communities regardless of their economic standing. This goal is not only one that would benefit the communities in which they are used but also serve to broaden the vision of those involved in the partnership at the state and local levels between community health care providers, organizations and leaders and staff of Kaiser Permanente to cooperate towards mutal objectives which include: * Collaborating on strategies and resources to promote quality care and enhance the efficiency within the systems * Working in association with community partners to improve the health within our neighborhoods In closing, Kaiser Permanente is one of the leading health organizations in the nation and it is no surprise that they also have some of the best risk and quality management practices to go along with their great reputation. In my experience with Kaiser risk and quality management are a focus at all times. One policy that I know is in place, just from visiting them, is that they conduct mailer surveys regarding patient satisfaction. This is important because it gives the patient the opportunity to voice what they think is great or what the organization could improve about the quality of care and services they received. It is also an important point that this industry has and strives to maintain good risk and quality management because they are dealing on a daily basis, every day of the year with the health and wellness of quite a number of people. Based on the facts stated above, Kaiser is always striving for the best quality and risk management possible. It is evident thru the numerous awards that this organization receives, that they are clearly doing a great job and they are example of how an organization should and could properly manage risk and quality management in a way that not only benefits the organization itself but also the people which it serves. References California Health Care Safety Net Institute. (2013). Partnership with Kaiser Permanente. Retrieved from http://safetynetinstitute.org/goals/enhancequalityofcare/kaiserpartnership/ Health Span. (n.d). Kaiser Permanente’s Quality Management program. Retrieved from http://providers.kaiserpermanente.org/html/cpp_oh/quality.html#Kaiser%20Permanente %E2%80%99s%20Quality%20Management%20program ManagedHealthcare.Info, . (2002, November 11). Quality Assurance; Kaiser Permanente institute earns NCQA Disease Management Certification. NewsRx. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/docview/210597878?accountid=458 Sollins, JD, H. L. (2008, May June). Quality Assurance, Corporate Compliance, and Risk Management: Overlapping but Not Identical Tools. Geriatric Nursing, 29(3), 157-159. Wechsler, J. (2010, February). Kaiser Questions Safety Policies. Pharmaceutical Executive, 30(2), 1-18. ProQuest.