Executive Summary on Bee Farming Business

I. Executive Summary A. Type of Business Nature The nature of the business is bee farming. The proponents’ primary purpose is to examine the impact of interventions in bee-keeping. Beekeeping (apiculture) does well in a wide range of agro-ecological zone and fits into a broader category of diversification of agricultural activities. The intervention provides an avenue for increased income. Name The proponent chose â€Å"BAMBU BEE FARM† as a business name. It’s because the word BAMBU came from the first letter of the partners’ last names.The location of the business will be Agbuacan, Agsungot, Cebu City. Products/Services The proposed business revolves on bees and the production of honey. B. Management, Marketing & Financial Highlights The business is a sole proprietorship. It does not need to have a complicated business venture to have a successful beekeeping business. In the marketing aspect, the businesses that require the use of honey are: bakeshops as an alternative for sugar, fast food chains (i. e. McDonald’s, Jollibee, etc. as syrups for breakfast meals, skin clinics as facial masks or treatments, and households for personal use. As there are lesser producers for organic honey which is the main product of the proposed business than processed honey, competition is not that high so the business is not that risky. In financial aspect, it shows the financial activities and its profitability in operating the business. With only a little capital, the return on investments will be fairly high. C. Socio-Economic ContributionsMankind has been interested with bee farming/beekeeping for centuries even before the use of sugar cane has been discovered because of honey – use as a primary sweetener. This golden, sweet treat is from the nectar of the flowers, gathered by the bees. As a result, agriculture has recognized the primary participation of bees in the pollination of the different fruits and flowers around us. Many would suffer if bees would stop in their pollinating activities – crops will die, flowers will wither, trees will bear no fruit and most of the entire ecosystem will fall.The rewards of beekeeping to mankind is not just the sweet, succulent honey but also other products such as royal jelly, propolis and beeswax that could serve as food supplements and medicines to some illnesses. Even the pollen that they harvested can be a good source of protein for a healthy diet. Honey and propolis have antibacterial qualities. Royal jelly (the substance that is secreted from glands in a worker bee's head and is used to feed brood) is loaded with B vitamins and is widely used overseas as a dietary and fertility stimulant.Pollen is high in high protein and can be used as a homeopathic remedy for seasonal pollen allergies. Apitherapy  is the use of bee products for treating health disorders. Even the bees' venom plays a vital role here — in bee-sting therapy. Venom is administered with s uccess to patients who suffer from arthritis and other inflammatory/medical conditions. This entire area has become a science in itself and has been practiced for thousands of years in Asia, Africa, and Europe.

Early year’s child care Essay

Being able to motivate members of staff is a progression towards this. As Mayo found with his workforce, if the staff felt valued, they were more willing to work harder and longer for their manager. Motivating the staff is by no means a simple task, as it means utilising a balance of both people and interpersonal skills. These skills can be grouped into various management styles and each member of staff will require the manager to adapt the style according to their own personality. The setting, which is the subject of this work, provides a good example of the various styles of management needed in order to supervise the workforce. One member of staff is very carefree and relaxed in her work and therefore needs an autocratic, or coercive management style. She is, however, always willing to do as she is told and thrives on carrying out instructions as they are given. Were the manager to employ a laissez-faire approach here, the jobs allocated to this member of staff would not get done. To examine this in more detail, just one of the manager’s duties is to ensure that craft supplies are adequately stocked. As with many of the manager’s tasks, this is one that can be delegated to another member of staff. This particular worker is given this task to do and due it being given to her as a direct instruction, she is happy to proceed with enthusiasm and little procrastination. If, however a more laissez-faire approach were used, she could feel that the task was not important and may leave it until such a time as she chose to do it. These skills and qualities of the manager are familiar with Herzberg’s (1968) two factor theory of motivation. He recognised that offering staff the opportunity of achievement, recognition, involvement, responsibility and empowerment, is the path to true motivation (Dale, 1992). This is the opinion of Ridderstrale and Nordstrom. In early years leadership it is particularly important. The manager constantly has to implement change, often following government legislation. It is the role of the manager, as the leader to ensure all staff members can adjust to these new implementations, instead of clinging on to methods previously followed. The manager of the chosen nursery has an effective method of executing change. If the change has occurred at nursery level, the chances are it has arisen and been discussed during a staff meeting. If the changes come from elsewhere, for example, a government paper, the manager would first address the urgency of the change, before deciding on a course of action. The agenda for meetings is always displayed onto a notice board for all the staff to view. If the change is one that does not require immediate action, it will be added to the board, next to the agenda. However, should it be necessary to act immediately, then a meeting will be called, either with all the staff, or with individual members accordingly.

Contrasting Differences Between “the Cooperative” and “Hsbc Plc”

The purpose of this essay is to explain and analyze contrasting differences between â€Å"The Cooperative† and â€Å"HSBC plc†, and to explain its stakeholders. At the end I will explain and evaluate their mission aims, objectives and impact of their companies. The simplest form of ownership and possibly the most common too, is sole-trading, which is owned by one individual. Possibly this individual opened his company by using his savings or quite commonly by means of a bank loan. He is capable of running every aspect of his business and is solely responsible for is business.Most multinationals generating billions of pounds per year of our days started as sole-trading companies. Partnerships are the next evolutionary step. They are owned by two or more individuals, usually specialists who join venture. As sole-trading all parties contribute privately towards the business’ capital through savings or bank loans, usually profits are shared depending on how much capi tal was invested by each party. There can be partners who usually do not take part in the running of the company called sleeping or dormant partners they mainly invest and share the profits.Private Limited Companies (Ltd) are companies whose ownership is divided into equal parts called shares, who own these shares in turn are called shareholder, only by consent of all shareholders can shares be sold to a particular buyer and usually who owns more shares ultimately has majority of the decision making. This type of company is considered to be an entity of its own, the owners only run it. Public Limited Companies (Plc) follow the same principle has Ltd companies but they must first of all, raise sufficient capital, minimum of ? 50,000. 0 by selling its shares in the stock market . A minimum of two directors, two members and a qualified secretary are needed to trade as a Plc and its directors must provide statutory documentation to the companies house. Cooperative Companies are raised t hrough an association between individuals united usually by socio-economical factors. Capital is raised privately and no matter how much one shareholder invests in contrast with others, shareholders he or she has only one vote, meaning this every shareholder has the same power. Democracy is the cornerstone of this type of company.Shared responsibilities towards decision planning policy making and aims of this company are done by every member, capital is owned in common property of the cooperative. Main advantages are equally shared ownership, equally shared profits depending on how much invested social and economic awareness services and products, environmental awareness. Main disadvantages can be financial control, management effectiveness poor planning, `and longer decision making less trust in the cooperative ideology. Franchises are defined as trading under the name of a third party company.The franchiser gives a license to the franchisee to trade under its name. Its main charac teristic is how the business is ran, the franchisee owns and operates the business but the franchiser maintains control over the products or services sold, its marketing, quality and standards of the entire business. The two companies I will talking will be The Cooperative which falls into the cooperative type of company and HSBC Holdings which is under the public limited company category. HSBC Holdings exist to provide financial services worldwide.The Co-operative are democratically run by members to meet their common needs and aspirations Their main reason is not chasing profits like other types of ownership businesses, but the ability to steer their products and services in a more responsible direction. The Cooperative provides food and retail products, financial, funeral care, legal, pharmacy and travel services. HSBC Holdings provide a range of financial services, personal, commercial, corporate investment and private banking customers. The Co-operative is run by over two-and a -half-million of members who share on how the businesses are run.HSBC Holdings is run by a board of directors but the owners are the investors and shareholders who have bought the company’s various types of shares. HSBC Holdings is an entity of its own, meaning it has legal rights and responsibilities and is used in such way to conduct business totally in the interests of its shareholders who invest their capital and the employees who contribute towards the company with their labour. The Co-operative is defined as being an association of individuals who voluntarily unified to meet common cultural, social and economic needs.They come to be a democratically owned and controlled business. Its members have a say in how the business is run, by attending meetings, voting for their representatives, this way members influence policies, both at ethical and operational levels. The level of influence is irrespective of how much a member invests, it can be one pound or one hundred thousa nd pounds. Stakeholders are individuals or groups who contribute voluntarily or involuntarily with their wealth to create profitable businesses. They are the potential beneficiaries or risk bearers of their business.They can be active or non-active representatives members in their companies. Commonly these days stakeholder term is used to represent individuals or organizations who have legitimate interests in projects or entities. The concept of stakeholder can be more widely used to include other forms of individuals or organizations that may not take part in benefit or profit sharing but still have a â€Å"stake in the business involved, this can be employees, pressure groups, customers, suppliers, communities, governmental bodies.HSBC Holdings, and The Co-operative have various types of stakeholders and the ones with a direct influence over the company are the internal stakeholders. In the case of HSBC Holdings these are the owners, board of directors, and employees. In the case of The Co-operative these are the owners, board of directors, employees’ and its members who actively are encouraged by the company to take part in the running of the business. The mportance of stakeholder is to support its organization in achieving its strategic objectives, by interpreting and influencing the external and internal environments and creating positive relationships, the stakeholders through correct management of their expectations and agreed objectives. This management is a process that must be planned and guided by the principles stipulated by the stakeholders. In the case of the Co-operative we can see their entire business in managed in accordance of all their members.Has the business was created to help and support communities all their stakeholders from directors to staff members have the same influence on how the business is run. Most importantly all its shareholders agree the main factor of the company is to provide goods and services at reasonable pric es, ethically viable and do not look for profit margins with the exception to stay in business and grow. HSBC Holdings believe their success is the only outcome required by their shareholders if not their stakeholders would not invest, good employees would not want to work for them and the customers would not want to bank with them.They want to be the largest international financial institution, have a cosmopolitan customer base and to have considerable financial strength. Except for The Co-operative whose stakeholders do not necessarily look for profits, like HSBC Holdings, both cases owners and senior staff look for performance and direct their business according to their aims and objectives they want to get a good return on their investment, non-managerial staff mainly look for quality and security of jobs, good pay of rates, job satisfaction, good benefits promotion prospectus.Their main external stakeholders even if not necessary for this essay I feel it is important to explain their importance too, governments look for low employment risks and ability to gain profits through taxation, trade unions look for working conditions, wages and legal requirements, customers for quality, value and more recently for ethical services or products and local communities who want to be involved in their business and expect job security, expect environmental and social issues best interests to be answered.Both companies have been around for more than a century, both believe their stakeholders internal or external have a fundamental importance in their companies both have different objectives and aims but, similarly both believe in managing their business in a sustainable way and taking responsible attention in their decisions to be successful in the long term. They have taken very different routes simply because the aims and objectives expected by their stakeholders are not just that.Creating aims and objectives is no easy task especially when both terms have vague disti nctions and imprecise definitions. All business has a hierarchy which usually starts from their mission statement to their aims and finally to their objectives. Objectives give the business clear defined targets it is a detailed picture of the business and plans must then be setup to achieve the objective in question, they are stated into measurable targets using â€Å"S. M. A. R. T. † definition-. †-Specific; Measurable; Achievable; Realistic and Time.Objectives can then be considered medium to long term goals required by a business to maintain its path these are the strategic objectives, the day -to-day or short-term objectives are called tactical objectives they help the strategic objectives being accomplished. Aim is the goal or general statement a business wants to achieve. They are important in developing implement and evaluate a business future. Aims are long term plans necessary for a business and where businesses objectives derive.Usually businesses may have se veral aims and objectives, all simply depend of the nature of the business. The most common can be to make profit, survive, expand, break even, improve quality, competitive value, and more recently, more and more business aim to be environmentally friendly. All of these help any business to be able to stay, in business. Objectives and aims provide a clear structure for all of the various activities that an organization carries out.Measuring how well an objective have or not been achieved, managers can make necessary arrangements to their activities to ensure progress and achievements of the stated mission statements, aims and objectives are followed. Aims and objectives within an organization are established at a number of levels from top level corporate objectives, all the way down to team objectives and individual objectives that create a framework for operational activities.An example could be the customer service department of HSBC Holdings which aims to satisfy customers, and t he marketing department which aims to identify customer’s needs. HSBC Holdings mission statement is â€Å"We are the world’s local bank† meaning they want to be the largest international emerging markets bank, widespread international network focus on a unique international customer base and have unquestioned financial strength. To achieve this their aim is to run a sustainable usiness in long terms, to do this they want to give their stakeholders sustainable profits, have and build long-lasting relationships with their customers, value their employee, respecting environmental boundaries and investing in communities. The Co-operative mission statement is â€Å"From community projects to a share of the profits, we’re good for everyone†. They believe in providing ethical services and goods from banking travel, pharmacy, legal services, funeral care, food and on-line shopping only in the United Kingdom.They are a group who base their aims on their eth ical values, influencing this way the way they do business. Their aim in this way is to show good quality products and services do not have to come at the expense of honesty and social responsibility. We can see HSBC Holdings and The Co-operative mission statements, aims and objectives focus their business in maintaining their purpose. Both businesses believe in sustainability of their employees, communities and environmental values but differ on how their profits are shared and who runs the business.The Co-operative by being managed in a democratically way focus its aims and objectives in ethical issues, in the interests of all their internal and external shareholders. HSBC Holdings most important aim and objective are actually to produce profits for their internal shareholders and expanding worldwide.Bibliography: www. hsbc. co. uk -Accessed more than once www. thecooperative. coop -Accessed more than once Tutor Handouts: http://go. guildford. ac. uk/webapps/portal/frameset. jsp? tab_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_9140_1%26url%3D

Jealous Nature of Othello Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Jealous Nature of Othello - Essay Example The seed of jealously can destroy a perfectly healthy relationship and the same happened in Othello. Jealously does not remain jealously, it turns into anger and brutality which leads to unprecedented trouble in a tragedy. Jealous nature of Othello The tragic hero or the protagonist in this tragedy, Othello, suffers from the tragic flaw of jealously in the tragedy. Other characters are well aware that he is a very jealous man and they exploit his weakness to the fullest. Iago is the mastermind in the tragedy who tries to dethrone Othello; he exploits the jealous nature of Othello to turn his people against him. He creates several misunderstandings to put Othello in a fix and he succeeds in doing so on numerous occasions. Othello is very possessive of his wife Desdemona and he often says â€Å"My Desdemona† in the tragedy. He believes that he has won her; possessiveness is also a very big sign of jealously. This again goes to show the jealous nature of Othello, a major reason f or his downfall was his jealous nature and there are no two ways about it. He is also an extremist and his behavior is also violent in the tragedy at times. He loses his head when the handkerchief goes missing; his impulsive nature leads to his destructions. He is of swaying nature; he thinks that his wife has been unfaithful to him, which again goes to show how other people who he considers his well-wishers can easily influence him. His jealous nature comes to the forefront after the intervention of Iago, before his intervention there are no evidences of his jealous nature. Iago is a very sagacious man in the tragedy, he is astute and extremely manipulative. This powerful emotion of jealously in the tragedy affects Iago, Emilia, Bianca, Roderigo and Othello. They do things that one hardly expects them to do, their persona gets changed after this feeling grips them. The characters find a resolution which differs and they deal with their problem in a different way. They adopt differe nt methods when it comes to dealing with this powerful emotion. Iago is a character who develops jealously from the very first time in the tragedy, as discussed earlier, the jealously quickly transforms into anger and then into revenge against those who he thinks have done wrong. Iago, from the very beginning of the tragedy expresses his jealously towards two main characters namely Cassio and Othello. Cassio becomes the lieutenant in the tragedy and the same makes Iago jealous of him. Iago firmly believed that he was more deserving than Cassio and he should have been made the lieutenant instead of Cassio. Iago was furious with Othello for two reasons; the first one was because Othello promoted Cassio as the lieutenant and the other being his intimate relationship with Emilia. â€Å"It is thought abroad that 'twixt my sheets / He has done my office.† (Othello, 369-370) Iago is a very insecure character in the tragedy; he decides to take revenge against Othello and Cassio. He s aid he will only be satisfied after getting his due revenge. â€Å"Till I am evend with him, wife for wife, /Or failing so, yet that I put the Moor / At least into a jealousy so strong / That judgment cannot cure.† (Othello, 299-302) Conclusion Othello is a great tragedy; the traits of several important characters have already been discussed in the paper. Iago, Emilia, Bia

Media studies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Media studies - Essay Example Thus, scholars place information online where people can search and find such information. Digital search has changed in terms of sophistication and capability of search techniques and practices, which have evolved in tandem as they expand the search culture. Such has led to overtaking of the normal library search for scholars and individuals in different regions and locations. This is evident in the development of the Google android system, which enables individuals to use mobile phones as the means of searching for information. The search culture is also integrated in the global position system, which enables individuals to use their mobile devices to locate different areas. The education sector has also adopted the culture of search from Google. This is evidenced by the tutors who give assignments and tasks to students and requests such students to engage with Google and search for detailed information. Hence, Google has been able to create a unique culture, which has the common denominator of searching for information via the online

U.S Response to Terrorism Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

U.S Response to Terrorism - Research Paper Example In addition, doing a research about this subject will give me a chance to expand my knowledge and be up to date of the current events in the global environment. By working on this paper, my primary goal is to find better ways of defining and dealing with terrorism. This research report provides useful information about Terrorism where it discusses different ways of handling terrorist events, such as Boston booming. The research report consists of three major subtitles, created to engage the audiences and give a general idea of the content of each body paragraph. In the introduction, there will be a gnarl description and history of terrorism followed by the threats of domestic and international terrorism. Last but not least, I will provide some facts about U.S policy response to any terrorist threats followed by how I think they should response to these threats. My only hope after completing this report, the audience would have a better understanding of terrorism and realize how the w orld would be more peaceful if we used different strategies in dealing with terrorist threats. Sincerely, Aziz Almughyirah Aziz Almughyirah Table of Contents Table of Figures iv Abstract v INTRODUCTION 1 Description and History 1 Statement of Purpose 2 Target Audience 2 THE THREAT OF TERRORISM 2 Domestic vs. International 2 U.S. POLICY RESPONSE 3 Boston Booming 3 International Relations 3 DIFFERENT POINT OF VIEW 4 CONCLUSION 5 WORKS CITED Abstract Terrorism is a terminology that has being around since the existence of our kind. We as humans created terrorism from our shameful historical events where we failed to live in peace and decided to play the dominance role over each other. We sow the seed of fear in our souls, which became a barrier against our desire of peace. Our fears and doubts of others intents created an aggressive reaction against any threat or belief that could challenge our countries or its interests. Then, we apply direct or indirect pressure on the source of threa t, which create a fertile environment for many terrorist acts in lieu of eliminating the threat. These terrorist acts usually associated with four vectors of action, which are political, psychological, violent and deliberate. The main aspect of most terrorist acts is concentrated on political goals. When a society experiences some form of injustice for a long period of time where all efforts to bring justice are demolished, some form of violence starts to cut its way through in this oppressed society. If the concerned party does not take immediate action for the quest of reform, the violence could escalate to reach the political authority. The escalation of the situation can be extremely dangerous where it becomes out of control and terrorist acts trying to take the lead. Here is where the situation takes the opposite direction and different tactics. At that time, the terrorist groups work hardly to harness all the circumstances to their benefit where they support the insurgency and pave the way for guerrilla warfare. These terrorists would apply whatever it takes from offensive strategies, defensive measures and terrorist threats, which can have a severe psychological impact over that society or the region as whole for the purpose of achieving terrorism objectives. INTRODUCTION Description and History The idea of terrorism has been around since the creation of our kind where nations used to terrorize each

Asset Forfeiture as a Tool in Combating Terrorist Financing Essay

Asset Forfeiture as a Tool in Combating Terrorist Financing - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that asset forfeiture can be employed as a tool against terrorist financing to control this crime. â€Å"Asset forfeiture laws allow for the seizure (and eventual forfeiture) of property connected with criminal activity†. In addition, Worrall informs, â€Å"forfeiture extends beyond criminal proceeds to include property that is used to facilitate or carry out criminal activity. Such forfeitures can include property that â€Å"is used or intended to be used in any manner or part to commit or facilitate the commission of a violation†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Therefore, asset forfeiture is a confiscation of the assets that are part of a criminal activity and among such criminal activities, terrorism is of superior quality as it affects a wide number of people nationally as well as internationally. The law enforcement agencies working in the USA are of the opinion that asset forfeiture is a fruitful way to combat against terrorist financing. Eric Green informs that money laundering and terrorist financing are such criminal activities that can be controlled by means of asset forfeiture, as â€Å"the criminal proceeds† will be taken away from â€Å"the criminals†. The illegal forces are somewhat dejected to stop their unlawful activities and the proceeds can be utilized for building purposes. According to Green, â€Å"Asset sharing enhances international forfeiture cooperation by creating an incentive for countries to work together, regardless of where the assets are located or which jurisdiction will ultimately enforce the forfeiture order.†Ã¢â‚¬  Therefore, asset forfeiture to control terrorist financing can be used for increasing cooperation between countries and this cooperation is also for combating against terrorism financing internationally. Asset forfeiture is also categorized by some critics as an effort to rob people of their rights under jurisdiction. They claim that government tries to snatch away people’s property making them liable for any criminal activity whether they are indulged in it or not (Levy, 1996). There should be proper lawful activity and the accuser should be facilitated with a right to fight for his right. Otherwise, law enforcement officials consider it their right to confiscate any one from his assets accusing him of involving in any kind of crime (Levy, 1996). To combat terrorist financing, the government of USA has taken enough measures out of which, categorization of suspicious activities is one. Incoherent account transactions, high amount of inward bound and outward account transactions without any specified purpose or reason, transference of large amounts of money from one bank account to another on the name of charities with no particular need and so on. All the mentioned activities point towards suspicious activities and come under suspicion in terms of terrorist financing and require a check from law enforcement agencies. If the people using account for any suspicious activity are caught and there are proofs for terrorist financing, then asset forfeiture or confiscation is taken as a crucial step by law enforcement authorities with prior permission from government bodies (Rush & Hackett, 2004). Credit card fraud, smuggling, welfare fraud, trading, money laundering methods for funds transfers and much more are employed by terrorists on international basis for transferring and using money for terrorist activities (Levy, 1996). According to The Economist (2005), â€Å"Many experts, both in government and the private sector, admit that the chances of detecting terrorists' funds in a bank sufficiently far in advance of a planned attack that it can be prevented are incredibly small.† Because of minimized chances to stop such activities and financial transactions, the government and law enforcement agencies carry a higher responsibility to find solutions to handle international

Paraphrase Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Paraphrase - Essay Example Over the past two decades, there has been a rapid increase in outbreaks of foodborne illnesses and other cases that are due to fresh produce. Estimates show that produce accounts for about 20 million illnesses in the US, which is about 24% (Farber, Crichton, and Snyder, 2014). That leads to an estimated cost of $38.6 Billion every year. In the 1970s, produce rarely earned recognition as a major vessel of outbreaks and cases of illnesses in the US. It only accounted for 0.7% of the outbreaks and 1% of cases of the illnesses. However, due to increased evidence, the numbers increased in the 1990s and produce now accounted for about 6% and 12%. Between 1990 and 2003, there was a further increase and the estimates in the US were now 16% of outbreaks and 30% of total cases. Some estimates also indicate that between the year 1990 and 2005 produce accounted for about 13% of all outbreaks of illnesses and 21% of the cases in the US. Using a more recent interval from 1998 to 2007, the estimate s show that produce accounts for about 14.8% of the outbreaks and 22.8% of all cases of foodborne illnesses that occurred in the US. Produce, which includes fruits, vegetables and salads contributed to about 111, 228 and 345 illness outbreaks respectively (Farber, Crichton, and Snyder, 2014). Of the illnesses reported, vegetables and salads contributed the largest number of illnesses. That was about 11,200 illnesses caused by each of the two categories. According to an analysis of data concerning outbreaks in the US for the period between 1988 and 2008, on average, the illness outbreaks caused by produce amount to between 6.3 and 13.2 per year. In recent times, leafy greens contribute to a third of the outbreaks. Reports indicate that in Canada, produce accounted for 15 outbreaks for the period between 1991 and 2000. The cases due to foodborne illness in that period were about 1360 (Farber, Crichton, and Snyder, 2014). There are several microorganisms, which

Professional Ethics in Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Professional Ethics in Education - Essay Example To what extent should teachers use their power? Cases of teachers misusing their powers have risen. Some teachers may use their powers to exercise their personal interest. For instance, a teacher may favor a specific student for financial support or relationship favors. In an argument by Ryan (2012), many favors students do for teachers are not willingly. They do the favors in fear of consequences they might face. This is an example of misuse of power by teachers. However, in recent years, student bodies have been established which are aimed at minimizing cases of teacher ­- student manipulation. Another power experience in teaching is the ability to make decisions without being questioned. Sometimes teacher make decision without the consideration of the students needs. This is a breach to the rights of the students. In decision making all the concerned parties should be part of the deliberation (Higgins, 2011). With teachers taking advantage of their power and make decisions students have the right to protest the decisions. In every school there should be other bodies which help I the decision making in schools. With the neutral party, fairness and consultation is guaranteed (Robinson, 2005) The management of power among teachers should be recommended. With growing concerns on the ethics of teachers, stakeholders should ensure the code of ethics I teaching profession is followed to the letter. Management of these powers means that teachers’ responsibilities and rights should be controlled. The rights of the students should also be outlined. To oversee the adherence to the rules, there should proper consequences for any breach (Higgins, 2011. With the outline of the rights of students the power in the teachers’ hands will be well managed. It will also give students’ the voice to air their grievances without manipulation by the teachers. The management of the teachers will

Personal Philosophy of higher education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Personal Philosophy of higher education - Essay Example In particular, learning is an evolutionary process that enables the humans to survive naturally under this phenomenon, and individuals lacking in such natural skill are dead. On the other hand, education is a wider concept existing in contrast with the phenomenon of learning, as it includes different aspects that are absent in learning, such as teaching, knowledge, discipline, and procedural proficiency (Daniels, 1996). In other words, education involves intellectual, ethical, and artistic development of individuals, and thus is a process of creating hierarchy among people, families, societies based on certain principles. In this regard, it is very imperative that educators and scholars should put some efforts to distinguish the two different notions that might enable them to improve and enhance the effectiveness of current higher education system. Besides, in the past, higher education system had no requirement of global perspective; however, it is an understanding that after huge advancements in the field of science and information technology, it has now become essential to include a global perspective in the philosophy of higher education. In addition, until today, higher education institutions, particular universities are still enjoying the status of stable bodies, although there might be an alteration in their forms, however, higher education institutions will always enjoy their importance and demand in the human society. One of the reasons of such significance will be their crucial role in providing extensive interpretation of a number of things that do not make sense in the world. However, as the world is changing its form, the term stable itself has become unstable, and constancy is now becoming a short-term phenomenon. In the result, there has been a constant alteration in personal philosophy of higher education since the day one until today that is something very constructive, and it is an understanding that this process of change

Compare the ways in which 3 poets write about relationships Essay Example for Free

Compare the ways in which 3 poets write about relationships Essay Introduction To his coy mistress, Remember and Since theres no help are all poems about relationships, the difference is the interpretation of the poets message, structure and other various aspects of the poems. To his coy mistress by Andrew Marvell and Since theres no help by Michael Drayton were both written around the 16th and 17th centuries and explain very different characteristics of love. Drayton wrote a poem about the end of a relationship with a partner expressing that the love between them is dying. On the other hand Marvell writes, in a poetical way, someones argument to a lover trying to persuade them to have sex with them. This poem captivates your attention with the extremes a man would go to have sex with a young virgin, unlike the other poems that are about two partners love for each other. Similarly to Draytons poem, about love in a relationship, Christina Rossetti wrote a poem in the late 19th century to her partner telling him what to remember about their time together. Themes/subject The poem To his coy mistress starts with Marvell addressing the young lady, whom he wishes to be his lover that there is no time for her to be coy. Straight away this gives the impression that hes an intimidating and powerful man. Had we but world enough, and time, this coyness, lady, were no crime Marvell tells the lady that being coy is alright when you have time but implies their time is limited and therefore she has no time to be coy, in effect he is pressurising her to do something that she is uncomfortable with. Through the repetition of time in the above sentences you may have guessed that it plays an important role in the poem. Marvell refers to time regularly in the poem as part of his persuasion techniques. The way in which he uses time pressurises the woman into doing what he wants. For example Times winged chariot hurrying near implies that she cant live forever so must make the most of the time she has. He uses time again in the concluding lines of the poem as a last persuasion to get his way Thus, though we cannot make our sun stand still, yet we will make him run Here Marvell explains to the lady that they cannot make time stand still completely but they can make the most of the time they have. When you feel bored and upset your time seems to go slowly compared to when you are happy and this quote uses this to say that their time will be running if they are together due to the good times they will have. Similarly to Marvell, personifying time, Drayton uses the same technique by personifying love Now, if thou wouldst, when all have given him over, from death to life thou mightst him yet recover Here Drayton has personified love by saying it is dying but may come back to life. I feel this is a good method by which the poet can get his message across with ease. In this case Drayton has personified love as a person on the verge of death. When comparing the two poems it becomes clear that this technique is also useful in distinguishing the message from a speech or letter into a poem. Images A positive image in the love poem Remember is where Rossetti writes Better by far you should forget and smile than you should remember and be sad. She is expressing that she would rather be forgotten if that is the way to make her husband remain happy as she doesnt want to be remembered if it will make him sad. Rossetti symbolises her love for her husband because she couldnt bare him being sad by remembering her, therefore giving an optimistic image of their relationship. Rossetti also expresses sorrow images Gone far away into the silent land. When you can no more hold me by the hand portrays that when she dies she will go to a silent land where she will be all alone, in comparison to when she is alive she can hold her husbands hand, this reminding him that when she dies they will be separated forever. This is a sad image because it implies that their close bond will be split for eternity. The sadness is emphasised further because their relationship together was obviously true love yet now it is near its end. Marvell uses death in his persuasion, Times winged chariot hurrying near A downbeat quote persuading the young lady that if they do not have sex that soon times winged chariot will collect them. He is implying it will be too late if they wait as eventually they will get old and die. Marvell personifies time as a chariot and I think his meaning is that a chariot collects people once they die and as they age the chariot gets nearer and so tries to put across this image to the woman. Marvell attempts to persuade the young lady that he will spend an age to admire each part of her and at the very end of the admiration she will love him back. He then says that she deserves no less than this and that he will never give her less than what she deserves. An age at least to every part and the last age should show your heart: for lady, you do not deserve this state; nor would I love at lower rate this quote is not intimidating, like most of the poem I think he says it so the young lady thinks he is a good man. I dont think Marvell wrote the poem because of his love for her, even though in some parts of the poem he tries to re-assure her that he does love her, instead I think he uses it to take advantage of her naivety quote gives a pleasant image but has malicious intentions. I feel he says this only because writing about love is a good method when trying to lure her into bed and even though this quote may be deceiving she will probably not realise due to her young age. At the end of the poem Marvell tells the young lady that he would rather die than be without her Rather at once our time devour than languish in its slow-chapped power Lines 39-40. This gives an image that he would rather all his time go, and would prefer to die than be without her because he would have to suffer in times power as his life would seem to be going slower if he wasnt with her. As this quote is written in the concluding lines of the poem it continues to lead your thoughts to think he uses love as a means of enticing her into doing what he wants and to trick her into believing that hed rather die than be without her. In the poem Since theres no help there are a lot of negative images with few positive ones. This is due to the fact that love is dying out compared to Marvells poem in which the man wants the lady to believe he is in love with her, so if he expresses too many negative images then she would be less likely to believe him, different in that of Rossettis poem in which the relationship is very strong but the circumstances are of the person dying and not the love and by this she portrays how much love she has for him. In the opening lines Drayton tells the lady he wants nothing more to do with her you get no more of me even the phrase itself gives you the image that he doesnt want them to be together any longer. He continues to feel bitter and depressed and he reflects his mood in the negative images he gives in the poem. I am glad, yea, glad with all my heart, that thus so cleanly I myself can free Drayton is almost trying to persuade her and himself that he doesnt love her anymore and that he can be free of her, if their relationship ends. I dont think Drayton does want the relationship to end but says this because he feels that he has no choice and doesnt want to give his partner the impression that he would forgive her, whatever she does, otherwise she will take him for granted. Structure Marvell, Drayton and Rossetti all use rhyming couplets in the structure of their poems and this makes the poem easy and interesting to read. If it excluded the rhyming couplets reading the poem would be dull and the poets message would probably be lost in what would sound more like a speech. Drayton and Rossetti both wrote traditional love poems, the differences being that Rossetti wrote about the great amount of love between a couple and Drayton wrote about the lack of love in the relationship. Both poems include only 14 lines as opposed to the 46 of Marvells poem, however, all three poems work well. I felt Marvell chose to write a longer poem so he could properly express the argument and message it contained whereas I felt Rossetti and Drayton chose the shorter structure would be the most efficient way to explain what they wanted as they may have felt that choosing a longer structured poem to end a relationship or to express someones feelings would make the poem dull and boring. The difference between Rossettis and Draytons traditional love poems is that Rossetti split the poem into two stanzas; one with 6 lines and the other with 8 and thus uses the structure of a Petrachan sonnet whereas Drayton used the Shakespearean Iambic Pentameter which contains what would now be 10 syllables per line. Rossetti and Drayton writing a sonnet is evidence that they must love their partner. To write a sonnet to someone puts across the fact that you love them through the structure alone because of it being a traditional love poem. Language / Tone Marvell wrote his poem with persuasive and argumentative language. He tries to pressurise the person it is written for by consistently using death in his argument. At the beginning he says that there is no time to be coy but later says the opposite by saying if you please, refuse till the conversion of the Jews. As Jews are renowned for the pride they have in their religion he may feel there is not much chance of his succeeding with the young lady unless he poses this argument to change her opinion. Marvell tries to allure the young woman into having sex by using shock tactics Then worms shall try that long-preserved virginity and your quaint honour turn to dust and into ashes all my lust Notice the language that he uses, as opposed to saying that someone else will take her virginity he gives her the image of her losing it to worms once she dies. This is a horrific image and using this destructive image it is far more effective because of the message behind it. Rather than using kindness to persuade his mistress into having sex he tries to scare her and in using such a forceful phrase on someone he claims to love further confirms his intimidation of this poor innocent girl. In comparison Rossetti wrote her poem in a more relaxed way but still with an important point to make. This is because she was writing it to someone who she has loved for most her life, however, she still wanted to persuade him not to grieve. Remember is repeated throughout the poem, this is because she wants to be remembered but doesnt want to be mourned. Her message is expressed when she writes Only remember me; you understand and and afterwards remember, do not grieve both these quotes found in the second stanza of her poem prove that she doesnt want him to forget her nor grieve. Rossetti, unlike Marvell, didnt write on her own behalf as Rossetti wrote solely for her husband and mentioned herself rarely in the poem, I felt this was sad as she is the one dying but she didnt want to meake her husband feel more upset so she couldnt tell him how she was really feeling. You can tell she loved her partner and that the poem was written with good intentions. Drayton wrote his poem in such a way that it seemed that he was trying to persuade himself that he would be better off ending the relationship as well as telling his partner that their relationship had finished. Draytons intitial message to his partner is that their relationship is worth nothing, however, at the end begins to realise the love he has for her and so tells her the love may come back and as he does this the message at the end is very similar to the message expressed by Rossetti when all have given him over, from death to life thou mightst him yet recover Drayton, talking about love personifying, hints that the love may come back to their relationship and may this happen his relationship could be similar to Rossettis loving relationship with her husband. My response to the poems My feelings about each poem differ; I feel the poem by Rossetti is sad as you can tell the relationship was strong and the poem was written to give her husband strength to go on after her death and remember the good things once shes dead. It is effective as you know they had a good relationship because information such as their planned future together can be taken from the poem no more day by day you tell me of the future that you planned. It is also sad because she showed no self pity and so makes you feel sorry for her husband who wouldnt know how his wife felt about her nearing death. My feelings about Marvells poem are completely different. I think this poem is quite threatening and harsh. He tells the young lady in the poem that she has to make her decision before she is old and ugly as he will no longer love her. I think he is also mean to write a poem in the persuasive language he does because she is young and naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve and he uses this to his advantage. The horrific images he portrays further prove that he uses love falsely because if he did love her he wouldnt scare her into having sex against her will. Then worms shall try that long-preserved virginity and your quaint honour turn to dust and into ashes all my lust This illustrates the extremes the speaker is prepared to go to in order to get what he wants, he is trying to give her negative thoughts of what will happen if she rejects him. As mentioned before, the poem was written in the 17th century in an era which girls normally married as virgins and usually at a very young age. Marvell uses this to his advantage by continuing to express, what I think, is false love because by getting her to believe he is in love with her he feels he stands a greater chance of her losing her virginity to him. I felt sorry for Drayton after reading his poem because I felt he wrote it after finding out about his partners affair and this would account for his harsh way of ending their relationship and angry tone used when ending it. However, to tell his partner that he can be free without her is surprising, especially when at the end of the poem he says the love may come back. I think Drayton wrote this poem on the back of an affair his partner had been having, Now at the last gasp of loves latest breath, when, his pulse failing, passion speechless lies, when faith is kneeling by his bed of death. The phrase speechless lies could be a reflection of the times she lied to him while having the affair and faith kneeling by deaths bed shows that along with the love, faith had also left the relationship giving further reason to think she had an affair. Aswell as this Drayton lets his partner know that the love in their relationship is dying and has nearly gone completely, by saying that it is taking its last gasp of breath. Shortly after, Drayton gives his partner the impression that the love may come back. Now, if thou wouldst, when all have given him over, from death to life thou mightst him yet recover. This quote gave me the feeling that the relationship could come back giving reason to believe that the poem was written as retaliation after finding out about an affair. Understandably he would be distraught and so uses the harsh images mentioned in the early stages of the poem but finally ending by realising the amount of love he has for his partner and so says that they might be able to overcome this and love each other again. The poem I preferred Overall the poem that I most preferred was Draytons poem Since theres no help This is because unlike Marvells poem it isnt as long and is kept to a simple 14 line structure. I feel that this made it easier to understand as opposed to Marvells longer poem. Even though the longer length may have added more detail I found this made it far easier to lose interest. Rossettis poem, like Draytons, was short, however, I liked the way Drayton personified love throughout his poem by expressing loves life in his relationship. I disliked the overuse of remember in Rossettis poem, even though it was obviously intentional, I thought it made the poem repetitive with Rossetti continually telling her husband what to remember and remember what not to do. However, I did think that Marvells poem was strong in its persuasiveness and thought it would probably be successful in taking advantage of the young girl, which was the purpose of him writing it. Another reason for my preference of Draytons poem is that it questions the strength of the relationship and whether feelings can be turned off so easily.

The Bean Trees Essay Essay Example for Free

The Bean Trees Essay Essay Life’s Journey Vijay Sherigar wrote in his poem Journey that, â€Å"From where I started to where I am today. The journey has been long tiring from nothing to something I am today. It’s not been an easy journey.† The journey and its paths that we travel are in both the poem My Rebirth and the book The Bean Tree and all three poem, book and journey lead to the rebirth of something bigger, better, brighter and most importantly new. A thematic similarity of renewal through pain, love, time and life’s journey, is found in both the poem My Rebirth and in the story The Bean Trees. Though fears can hold one back, patience, accompanied with a little love can help to overcome those worries, even those from the worst past imaginable, and can also lead to the road of finding oneself. The poem begins and later closes in stating that, â€Å"Where there were once tears of sorrow, they are no more. Body and soul, I seek potency within†¦.I must not be afraid, where there is fear, comfort will come, patience is the key†¦.Have faith, I know I am loved, I am free, this is me, this is the story of my rebirth. â€Å"Just as in the poem elegiacally puts, it takes time to heal, to overcome fears, to dry the tears of pain away and  go on with life. Turtle takes her time to, for lack of a better phrase, come out of her shell, no pun intended. She was abused in many different ways, resulting in her fear, and seemingly lack of emotion or â€Å"personality†, as Lee Ann so kindly puts it. Slowly, as she is showed love, gentleness and patience, and given time, she begins to develop a character. She holds on literally to anything stable she can find, or grip that is, and metaphorically holds steadfast to her fears and meekness. At first, she found it necessary to retract and almost be robotic or nonexistent, but as she is exposed to something in all sense of the word, though not blood linked, a loving, nurturing, family, slowly she lets go of her fear and begins to talk, play, learn, and even remember her past, and she is able to do so because of her knowledge that she is loved, free of he r former horrors. Taylor finally decides to take Turtle, on account of her abusive history, to the physician. In this visit, the doctor concludes that Turtle ceased growing as an outcome from her previous â€Å"environment of physical or emotional deprivation†. The condition is known as â€Å"failure to thrive† and though it is appalling that such a past was forced on such a small and innocent little girl the silver lining of the situation is the condition is reversible (p. 166). Turtle did just as the condition describes and failed to bloom, almost to the point of failing to exist, making herself near to invisible. But as time and love worked its magic, Turtle, realizing she is not alone anymore, slowly begins to reverse her condition. She faces her fears and begins to start again. Though not free from all terrors she is given the chance to flourish and she grasps the opportunity, with just as firm a hold as her literal grip. She finds restoration in the opportunities that patience and love have handed to her. Later on as Turtle buries her doll, Shirley Poppy, Taylor begins to explain to her that while seeds grow, dolls, on the other hand, do not. But, when Turtle pats the pile of dirt and says â€Å"Mama,† Taylor feels the need to ask her, â€Å"Did you see your Mama get buried that way?†(p. 281). After Turtle acknowledges that she did indeed see her mother buried, Taylor consoles her, later telling her, â€Å"You already know there’s no such thing as promises. But I’ll try as hard as I can to stay with you.†(p. 282).As Turtles grows, she able to remember more of her past and as she becomes more courageous, she begins to confront that horrific past. As she gains strength, she is able to give that same quality;  thus through Turtles maturing and prospering, Taylor is given the strength and reason to face her fears, in her case, tires, motherhood and depending on others . With a little time, patience and love Turtle is able to â€Å"have faith†, because she knows of that love for her and is therefore able to be renewed or freed, beginning to find herself in the process. Just as the poem states, even â€Å"tears of sorrow† and fears from the past, can be overcome with love and the knowledge of that love along with perseverance and endurance. Comfort can follow the fears that remain and sometimes eventually drive them away, leaving faith, love and freedom behind. Through the time, chances, and hopes that tribulations offer, a certain peace and happiness can be obtained and sometimes allow troubles to be let go of. The poem ends explaining the journey and prospects ahead in saying, â€Å"Behind the door lies a pool, if I trust, than will I bathe in its waters. I leave behind all misfortunes, I shall be reborn. Breathe again, all is forgiven, I appreciate this second chance. Time is what I have. â€Å"Just as in the poem, time and leaving behind all burdens has given a second chance, the same chances are offered to Esperanza and Estevan. Through their misfortunes, such as losing their daughter and being forced to flee from their country, they are offered opportunities in the United States, the â€Å"pool†; sneaking across the border, they find refuge in Mattie’s â€Å"sanctuary†, the â€Å"waters.† They trusted the doors opened for them by their plights and left behind many worries, allowing them to â€Å"breathe again† and giving them more â€Å"time†, though still not freeing them of all troubles. Estevan talks about torture methods used in Guatemala. He also tells Taylor how he and Esperanza had a daughter, Ismene, â€Å"she was taken in a raid on their neighborhood† in Guatemala (p. 183). Estevan and Esperanza’s attachment to the teacher’s union caused them to be a threat to the government, but because they â€Å"knew the names of twenty other union members† and because they wanted the names of those people, the government kept them alive for their valued information and took Ismene to lure Esperanza and Estevan into offering up the names (p. 183). But they chose saving the other union members’ lives instead of redeeming their daughter; they then fled to the United States. Neither Estevan nor Taylor cried at or during the retelling of such a horror and later Taylor defends their actions, or lack thereof, saying, â€Å"It’s hard to explain, but a certain kind of horror is beyond tears† (p. 183). Estevan continues to describe how  he finds peace in believing that his little girl is thriving somewhere else, in a safe and respectable environment, something he cannot provide in his present situation. In reminding himself that he cannot provide a safe atmosphere for a child, much less himself and his wife, he finds peace in the chance that Ismene, through the horrible conditions she has endured, is possibly able to gain opportunities that could not have been given to her if she had not been taken away. In choosing to save the other union members he and Esperanza were able to grasp a new beginning in what is thought of as the American Dream and unknowingly give Ismene better prospects. But with Border Patrol and immigration laws they are forced to sneak, hide and sacrifice, yet they are safer and still have more than before; the chances to find a fresh start still remain, somewhere and somehow. He is revitalized in his hope for chances, opportunities, dreams, and fresh starts for him and his broken family. Later, at Mr. Armistead’s office, Estevan and Esperanza pretend to be Steve and Hope Two-Two, saying they are Turtle’s birth parents and Taylor poses as Turtle’s adoptive mother. Mr. Armistead, believing the performance in front of him whole-heartedly, reminds them all of the permanence of the adoption, and asks the â€Å"Two-Two’s† to confirm that they are ready to give up their daughter. Esperanza begins to sob at this and says, â€Å"We love her. Maybe someday we will have more children, but not now. Now is so hard†¦.we have nothing, no home.†(p. 287). After the entire episode is over and Turtle is now â€Å"April Turtle Greer† all four friends head to the safe house in Oklahoma inside a church for a fresh start for both Estevan and Esperanza. Somewhere in Esperanza’s speech Taylor realizes that there is no acting needed in this situation for Esperanza; in her mind she is now letting go of Ismene and giving her over, symbolically, into safe hands, in this case Taylors care. This is her closure and allows her to finally be at peace. Now she and Estevan are able to move on and begin again, in their new lives at the safe house. In the likeness of Turtle to Ismene and symbolism of the situation of her adoption and their role-play, she is revived to someone much closer to the true Esperanza and is a step closer to happiness. Just as the poem beautifully puts, the leaving behind of troubles or better known as moving on, and time provides, even as outcomes of misfortunes, opportune  chances, not able to be reached without the trials. Even as the poem metaphorically sets up an imaginary picture, bringing faith to those in the midst of the trials, the hope and dreams of the chances of results and the future bring peace. Both the poem and book are closely tied on a theme, motif, and even character basis. Both express the need for time, love, patience, faith, hope for favorable chances, and even misfortunes and these are the needed for the journey. It was once said, by Lao Tzu, that, â€Å"A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.† But what was left out was what would be needed for the rest of the journey, for as it is known it’s not enough just to take one step. Though maybe needing to take a detour to obtain these qualities, possibly crossing over few, to many tribulations, they are still needed. Once being exposed to them and or obtaining them one is ready to begin to find themselves. Therefore, leading to the rebirth of a new and matured person. In Corinthians 13:13 it says, â€Å"Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.† These things, though in no way easy to possess, how we express them and if we allow ourselves to take what they offer are what define us and our life’s path or journey. This proves what Vijay Sherigar said in his poem Journey to be true, â€Å"Tried with luck; tried with hard work, tried with destiny too†¦.It’s not been an easy journey.† Works Cited: 1 Corinthians 13: Love Is the Greatest Works Cited: Holy Bible, New Living Translation. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House, 1996. My Rebirth Works Cited: Deaths, Maiden. â€Å"My Rebirth.† All Poetry. http://allpoetry.com/poem/2314032-My_Rebirth-by-Raven_Tears (20 August 2011). Journey Works Cited: Sherigar, Vijay. â€Å"Journey.† PoemHunter. February 25, 2008. http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/journey-41/ (20 August 2011). The Idea of Resurrection (Restoration; Rebirth; Renewal; Revival) as a Motif Works Cited: Kingsolver, Barbara. â€Å"Literary Analysis: The Bean Trees. Helium. April 30, 2007. http://www.helium.com/items/307860-literary-analysis-the-bean-trees-by-barbara-kingsolver (20 August 11). Works Cited: SparkNotes Editors. â€Å"SparkNote

Quality Of Life Among The Elderly

Quality Of Life Among The Elderly Loneliness is a geriatric giant leading to impaired quality of life, greater need for institutional care and increased mortality. Routasalo, Pitkala, 2003 The phenomenon of loneliness occurs in people of all ages it may be a particular problem in the elderly according to a study carried out at Edinburg University in the nursing science department. It is acknowledged that loneliness is not necessary accompaniment to ageing and that ageing is not solely responsible for the development of loneliness in the elderly people; however there is a relationship between ageing and loneliness. There is a need to understand the casual relationship between life-events and loneliness, how to predict it and whether negative consequences maybe alleviated.(Routasalo, Pitkala, 2003). This study is about loneliness among the elderly people. I was interested in this topic because the fact that many old people are still experiencing loneliness at different levels cannot be overlooked. Loneliness and social isolation have often been used to characterise the social world of older people and as an indicator of their quality of life (Victor, scamber and Bond, 2009) but loneliness among the elderly has been under addressed.Like many other social science concepts,loneliness is often a taken-for-granted idea from every day life.Loneliness is a common problem among the elderly that lead to widespread unhappiness and social exclusion. The purpose of this study is therefore to portray loneliness among the elderly ,the main influencing factors and strategies to address it. This study is entirely based on Qualitative Research methodology by probing into different academic disciplines so as to gather a deeper understanding of this particular topic. WHAT IS LONELINESS? Loneliness is a situation experienced by the individual as one where there is unpleasant or inadmissible lack of (quality of) certain relationships. This includes situations in which a number of existing relationships is smaller than is considered desirable or admissible as well as situations where the intimacy one wishes for has not been realised. (De jong gierveld, 1987, p.120 quoted in vangelisti and pelman 2006, p. 585-500) (Peplau, 1981 quoted in vangelisti and pelman 2006, p. 585-500) defines loneliness as the unpleasant experience that occurs when a persons network of social relations is deficient in some important way either qualitatively (Quality related) or quantatively (size related). Loneliness categories (Weiss, 1973 in vangelisti and pelman 2006, p. 585-500) categorise loneliness as: Emotional loneliness This is as a result of absence of an intimate figure or a close emotional attachment (a partner, best friend) e.g. in divorce or widowhood. We can further subgroup it as: Developmental Experienced when there is a need for intimacy balanced by a pursuit for personal happiness and independence (goals). Internal Often includes feelings of low-esteem and vulnerability. Social loneliness This kind of loneliness arises with the absence of a broader group of contacts or an engaging social network like friends, collegues and people in the neighbourhood. It can also be termed as Situational/Circumstantial which can be explained by situations like loosing a relationship or moving to a new city. Measurements of loneliness among the elderly Loneliness is subjective(It is based on somebodys opinions or feelings rather than on facts or evidence) and is measured using questions that seek perceptions of relationships,social activity and feelings about social activity(British Columbia ministry of health ,2004) Loneliness is very cultural and temporally specific(jylhà ¤ 2004).It is and has been difficult to compare levels of loneliness accross cuntries because the meaning of loneliness is highly cultural(and possibly temporary)specific. Variations in measures used to measure loneliness by researchers in different countries has made it difficult to make a comparison across different countries. Findings of the study Main factors influencing loneliness among the elderly Health resources Chronic poor physical or mental health, Sensory impairments, Falls and Self-rated health and Health expectations (Tijhuis et al 1999) found that increase in loneliness was attributed to poorer subjective health but not on activity limitation or cognative function.Lonely and isolated peoples health may deteriorate becausethey lack the environmental support,social ties and assistance by others that become critical factors in the maintainance of their independence later in life.(Bosworth and schaie 1997 p.197) Mental health issues such as depression can impact self-rated score in an indirect way as those who are depressed may evaluate their social relationships negatively and therefore create apparent associations with other risk factors when infact it is depression that is the issue.(Russel et al,1997) Social resources E.g. Availability of family, friends and Social contacts Recognition of the importance of the importance of the relationship between social engagements and quality of life is not new (Victor, scamber and Bond, 2009). Social relationships and social engagements are a very important part of quality of life in old age according to (Victor, camber and Bond 2009).Rowe and Kahn (1997) suggest that a high level of social engagement is a key factor in achieving the goal of successful ageing. This same observation has been made in ideas of healthy ageing and active ageing. Demographic factors E.g. Age, gender, household composition, neigbourhood and Marital status Age and gender Being widowed and living alone are more common among women because of their tendancy to outlive male partners. Neigbourhood Favorable neighborhood is associated with feeling safe and secure. Immediate neighborhood is of particular importance to the well-being and quality of life of older people(bowling 2006,Victor,Scamber and Bond 2009)Whilst there has been much focus on the importance of maintaining older people at home this has been often interpreted as the narrow confines of the built dwelling or house rather than the wider environment of neighborhood or locality. Yet place is clearly important in providing the spatial context within old age (Berkman et al., 2000; berkman and Glass, 2000, Victor, Scamber and Bond 2009) Household composition Most people who live alone are lonely but not all people who live alone are lonely.Living alone also interacts with many other variables to create varying pictures of loneliness.Living together with someone and living in ones own apartment(as opposed to an institition) showed a positive influence on feelings of loneliness for this population(Holmen et al 2000 as cited in gierveld,Tilburg and Dykstra in Vangelisti and perlmans 2006) Material resources E.g. Home ownership, access to car and education Qualifications Economic status and self-esteem have been found to have a relationship with loneliness. Loneliness was expressed by those older persons with less adequate self-rated economic conditions and those living in actual poverty.(Mullins,Elston and Gutkoiski,1996) agrees that the less financially adequate individuals perceive their situation to be the more lonely they were. Access to Transport/car Driving status and transportation have an effect on the loneliness and social isolation of the elderly because of their role in facilitating access to the social network.(Kivett 1979) categorized older rural adults with transportation problems as a high risk of loneliness. Many seniors are restricted to pre-arranged van trips with community or volunteers drivers. Dependence on others for transportation related socializing may change the nature of social interaction for those people (Hall Havens,1999). Programs for seniors will be ineffective if they cannot access them. Life Events E.g. Bereavement ,widowhood and onset of illness Death of a spouse and living alone is a major additive risk factor for loneliness and isolation. Events like widowhood emphasize that bereaved persons are especially vulnerable for emotional isolation(loneliness)rather than social isolation (Van baarsen et al,1999) Discussions of findings Given the potential harmful effects of social isolation and loneliness in seniors,it is important to persue this issue in order to reduce emotional damage to seniors and inappropriate health and social service usage.However,caution should be observed when again interventions without knowing the target population and assessing the possible negative consequences of the planned intervention.( British Columbia Ministry of Health.March 2004) Strategies to address loneliness and isolation for older people. A survey done in campaign launced by leeds metropolitan university on behalf of the british gas to combat isolation and lonelness developed recommendations with the older people to address the issue of isolation and loneliness.Through interviewing older people and trying to identify what they want,the following suggestions were arrived at. Involving older people in planning,developing and deliverly of activities that target social isolation and loneliness. Practical,flexible and low level assistance that could help older people to remain indipendent,gain confidence to identifytheir own solutions and support them in retaining their own social networks. Individually tairoled solutions to meet specific needs,within a variety of activities available within their local neighborhood and within the reasonable travelling distance. Transport that takes the mobility of the elderly into account. Availability of Services that cater for specific groups such as carers,ethnic minorities,older men and those with hearing impairments or mobility problems and those who have been isolated for a long time. Support and encouragement for the elderly to learn new skills as well as the opportunity to share their skills with other older people.

Journal article :: essays research papers

Journal article   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Using an academic search engine (Staffordshire university website), a link was found to www.sro.org, which contained many psychology journals on the topic of sleep and dreaming. Many journal articles were found, though the selected journal was ‘Slow wave & REM sleep mentation’ (Cicogna, Natale, Occhionero, Bosinelli 2000), previously used as assessment for the Internet journal assignment. Identifying hypothesis (10)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The title is clear and straight to the point, highlighting the essential elements of the study. As the abstract shows, the aim of the journal is to compare the characteristics of rapid eye movement (REM) and slow wave sleep (SWS). This would be to accept the hypothesis that dreaming is a continuous act, with allowing the different distributions and levels of REM and SWS to occur at different times during the sleep process. It has been acknowledged that the sleep process is divided into certain stages of REM and non rapid eye movement (NREM), being a crucial difference and the main point for NREM, i.e., SWS not being a part of the dreaming process. There has been much previous research about whether REM sleep can be connected to dreaming, outlaying different theories both for and against. An example of a study is to test participants on recall of their dreams through extreme controlled situations. It was found that 60-70% of SWS stage (3rd & 4th stage of NREM) could be recalled. Though this has not systematically been researched since 1968, it was argued how SWS could be bracketed as a continuous dreaming act when the recall results were so high, compared with the minimalist recall of REM stages. It has been suggested, therefore, that there are multiple generators dealing with these different stages, with the theory that it must be a discontinuous act, due the change of generators. However to put a different spin on the issue, most researchers believe there are some realities between REM and NREM s the term ‘dream’ or ‘dreaming’ does not have a uniform definition. The aim of the experiment is to try and find evidence to establish any connection between REM and SWS and infer a continuous dreaming process. This will be done by studying the differential elements between mental experiences collected in REM and NREM, leading to the suggestion that they are all quantitative. If this is proved then the idea of multiple generators may be eliminated, and replace by a single generator, considering dreaming continuously as fantasies & daydreams during sleep and those during wakening hours)

The Great Gatsby :: The Great Gatsby F. Scott Fitzgerald

In the novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Jay Gatsby is a mysterious man living in the West Egg district of Long Island. Gatsby is extremely wealthy and owns a mansion with a large swimming pool, a fancy car, and dozens of servants. Every Saturday night, he throws extravagant parties which many people, most of whom haven't even been invited, attend. No one really knows anything about Gatsby, except that he is rich and generous. However, many rumors are created about him. Some say that he was a German spy during the war and some say that he killed a man. As the summer progresses, Nick Carraway the narrator who is also Gatsby's neighbor, learns more about who Gatsby really is, or rather who he isn't and reasons why he lives his life as he does. Nick doesn't approve of Gatsby's lifestyle and the way he earns his money, but nevertheless he sees Gatsby as superior to those who surround him. Nick admires the romantic hope that motivates Gatsby to pursue his drea ms. Jay Gatsby's greatness is a result of his naive belief that he can make his dreams a reality. In the beginning of the novel, Nick sums up Gatsby's character and the reasons why he respects him. "...Gatsby who represented everything for which I have an unaffected scorn. If personality is an unbroken series of successful gestures, then there was something gorgeous about him...This responsiveness had nothing to do with that flabby impressionability which is dignified under the name if the 'creative temperament'--it was an extraordinary gift for hope, a romantic readiness such as I have never found in any other person and which is not likely I shall ever find again."(6) Nick makes it very clear that he doesn't agree with the way Gatsby makes and uses his money. Although Nick comes from a very wealthy family himself, he was taught to work hard for his money. Nevertheless, he does find himself admiring Gatsby. He values Gatsby's hope, no matter how false it is, that one day he will have a life with the woman whom he loves. Wealthy people often use their money to get everything they have always wanted for themselves, but Gatsby uses his money to get everything that he thinks Daisy has always wanted in hopes of winning her back.

Professional Boundaries Essay example -- Health, Nursing, Medical Dire

Introduction Nurses frequently work in situations where the boundaries of the nurses are being tested. Their respond to these â€Å"tests† is a matter of nurses and professional integrity, by virtue of the power inherent in their professional role are expected to do the right thing even it is not always clear what â€Å"doing the right thing† might look like. Similar to the fence around one’s yard or the walls around one’s house, metaphorically boundaries mark the parameters of the professional role. (Baron, 2001; Wysoker, 2000). According to Holder & Schenthal (2007), a broad definition of professional boundaries is the â€Å"limit which protects the space between the professional’s power and the patient’s vulnerability†. Professional boundaries are the spaces between nurses and patients, nurses and doctors or even nurses with others multi inter professional health worker. The power of the nurses comes from the professional position, increase of knowledge, advance of role and accountability. Establishing boundaries allow the nurse to control this power differential and allows the safe connection in other to meet patient needs. The government policy makers shown that nursing service are provided and to affect the career pathways and education. The policies are impacting on professional roles and boundaries in health care service. Nurses are becoming more individually on their own practice and they have been at the vanguard of new role development. The nursing profession has also been challenges by advances technology in health care. By becoming more knowledgeable about policy, legal and ethical standard decision-making, nurses can conquer these challenges. The demand of policy, legal and ethical standard would promote greater knowledge, acco... ...ere taken to protect nurses. Common practice here is medical directive. Medical directive means a medical instruction given to paramedic regarding medical management or procedure to perform to patient. The document should include the procedures approved that can be performed by nurse and endorse by the head of department. These documents also have to audit frequently to ensure it is updated and relevant with the current situation and demands. As conclusion, crossing a professional boundaries bring a lots of benefits and weaknesses. However, nurses must remember they are nurses all the time thus it is vital to seek advice early when problem around professional boundaries arise and as for the medical profession, they have to value nurse’s knowledge and expertise in order to shares experience, knowledge and skills for future development of healthcare practitioner.

Oedipus Who’s fault was it? Essay

Who’s Fault Was It? If one were to look for an individual to blame in the tale of Oedipus many characters would stand out. Assigning fault on Just one character of this story would be challenging since almost every character is trying to cheat fate. If there was really one character that could have prevented all this tragic Father killing and Mother â€Å"loving† who would it be? The story spirals on in a whirlwind of destiny with each step taken by all characters to avoid an impending fate and leading to an even more imminent and closer step to the final tragic outcome. One could look to the beginning, the exact point where King Laois seeks an audience with the Oracle of Delphi to learn his future. The question to ask is if the oracles prophecy had never been spoken would the chain of events have taken place causing King Laios to fear his own son and send him away to die. Laois being so curious of his destiny could have avoided his own death had he not learned the prophecy and tried so hard to avoid it. If Oedipus had been raised by his biological parents the probability that he would ave killed his father and marry his mother might have decreased. When taken away to be destroyed the herdsman responsible for leaving baby Oedipus to the elemenst did not have the resolution to complete the task. Instead he gave Oedipus toa messenger in the hopes that he would take the infant to a faraway land and no one would ever know that Oedipus had not perished as ordered. If Oedipus had died as an infant then the prophecy would never come true and Laios’s death would have been prevented. Oedipus was received by a childless King and Queen to raise as heir own. King Polybus and Queen Merope loved Oedipus very much and did not tell him that he was not their biological child. Rumors did circulate about Oedipus’s true parentage so he decided to visit the oracle and learn the truth. Instead of hearing that his parents were not truly his he learned that he would kill his father and marry his mother. The oracle did not mention that Polybus and Merope were not his biological parents so in fear of the foretold prophecy Oedipus flees from his home and travels far away in hopes of avoiding his proclaimed fate. Upon fleeing from his home to evade such a gruesome outcome, Oedipus meets a group of men at a crossroads. The carriage driver tries to push Oedipus off the road. In a rage most likely exasperated by the news of his learned prophecy Oedipus kill most of the men in the caravan. Unbeknownst to him he had Just completed the first part of his prophecy. He had killed his biological father King Laois. In an attempt to sidestep fate Oedipus actually makes it come true. When Oedipus arrives at Thebes he defeats the riddle of the Sphinx there in saving the city. This makes Oedipus a hero and by becoming the savior of the city he ends up marrying Jokosta, a newly widowed Queen. It makes sense that a city without a King would wish that their new hero would become their new leader. Oedipus doesn’t realize that he has Just married his biological mother. He lives for years with her thinking he has successfully avoided the prophecy yet in reality ne nas completed the prophecy by marring his own mother and killing his father. Many aspects happened in this story that causes

Leaders Creating Value in Organizations

Leadership in today’s world has a vital role for organizations in achieving and maintaining long-term success, to create sustainable values and to improve the quality of business. Without good leader any activity is doomed to survive in changing environment. Only purposeful leader with clear vision and openness to diversified world can effectively achieve goals, creating and keeping up certain values. Actually, leadership is about â€Å"understanding people, and mainly about the process of getting people all pointing and acting in the same direction. It is about listening, and making a real connection with the followers. It implies unique vision, making strategic choices, and designing and enabling an organization to conduct business.† (Leader Values)   In short, leadership has evolved to the creation of a culture around a shared vision and value system based on certain principles. Creating a vision that encompasses the ultimate goal of the organization gives direction to the purpose, processes, and employees. Through communicating this vision, the leaders are able to tie in the vision to the work processes, constructing a solid structure to bring focus to the organization’s goals. A clear vision creates an environment of support from lower management and as well as their subordinates. In other words, leadership can be defined as a way to influence others ideas. Values represent a leaders standards and what exactly a leader represents. Leadership has stood the test of time as a way to influence other actions, thoughts, and ideas. The primarily purpose of leadership is to create goals to follow and live by. Values play a central part of a leaders psychological makeup. Values are an important component of the moral reasoning process. Values also serve to organize attitudes, which are general and enduring positive or negative feelings about some person, object, or issue. Leaders value the relationships they hold with their co-workers and employees. A leader sees his or her relationship with others as the window to how effective they are at leading.   If they have good relations with others, then that reflects how they operate and who views them as valuable.  Ã‚   Although many leaders can have the wrongful impression that they are the ones that make things happen and that is untrue.   The realization that the leader does not know everything is an attribute that makes them a better leader.   A leader that is humble creates an environment that is relaxed and warrants the creation of better work and products from other employees. Trust of the leader among employees becomes a major responsibility in the office when leading others.   It is impossible to lead people who think that you are not trustworthy. A good leader knows that they must earn the trust of their co-workers rather than expecting it to be handed to them with their position within the office.   Leader must also give full support to his employee base in times of prosperity and ruin.   Employees must have a sense of confidence in their leader when decisions are to be made and operational changes that affects them as a whole. Effective leader is also good listener and communicator.   I think that employees find a grave difference between hearing and listening.   Listening involves taking time to understand not only the problem but also the details surrounding the situation that is occurring. A good leader is cultivated through hearing the troubles of employees at a deeper and more personal level.   Employees are conscientious that their leader take the time to know intimate details about them and this increases their loyalty and motivation to reach higher levels of productivity. This relationship also improves the work environment and enables employees to commit to their jobs, the corporation, and to their leader. Appreciation is another value-creating activity and is an esteem-builder that is irreplaceable by any other means.   It energizes people, and it makes them want to exceed their goals and commit to a lasting relationship to a particular company.   By creating a supportive atmosphere, it aids the overall productivity of the employees because they feel successful when the corporation succeeds. It is vital for leaders to â€Å"conduct their work in an ethical manner to earn and maintain the confidence of team members, colleagues, employees, employers, clients and the public† (Gray and Larson, 550). Leadership integrity must be firmly grounded in the company’s values and integrated into individual employee values.   Leaders must build a company culture based on its core values and supported by a storehouse of stories, by telling your people what the organization stands for, what it is trying to achieve and what is in it for them.   The changing world calls for leaders who will react openly to the introduction of new cultural identities and diversities and who will face ethical issues responsibly. â€Å"Leadership comes from within us, in the sense that deeply held values and principles provide the road map for the way we lead, and the way other people respond. Whether the leader is a person of impeccable moral fiber, or quite disreputable, it is always their personal value system that sustains them in their quest.† (Leader Values) First of all, we must realize, understand and communicate our own value systems, and must focus on balancing the interests and concerns of others, helped by understanding their value systems. This is a precondition to enable others to recognize, understand and then follow any leader’s activity. In conclusion, it is clear to see how many difficult characteristics a leader must possess, making the importance of the leadership role irrefutable.   Much like sheep needing a shepherd, a group needs a leader to guide them in the right direction.   In order to be classified as a leader, one must have a sense of drive, leadership motivation, integrity, self-confidence, and knowledge of the business.   It is with these characteristics that a true leader can accomplish the ever-important aspiration of getting a group of people to work with each other towards a goal and create sustainable value in organization. References:  §Ã‚   Leader Values. 4 E’s in Short. Leader Values Website, 2004 Gray, Clifford F.; Larson, Erik W. Project Management – The Managerial Pr

Publix Case Essay

Identify the relevant marcroenvironmental factors. What impact do these issues have on the focal organization? Level I: The Global Business Community The macroenvironment consists of the global business community, focusing more on the external environment of an organization. The macroenvironmental factors that are relevant to Publix and its industry includes society, demographics, economic, natural, political/legal, and technological. I.Society: Publix serves over 1 million customers every day. This consists of individuals being influenced by others, organizations, society, and the subcultures, which they identify with. Publix is based in the United States, initially being founded in Florida. In places such as Atlanta, Florida, South Carolina and Tennessee, where Publix has presence, consist of a melting pot of cultures that have come to the â€Å"land of the free† for convenience and freedom of choice. Due to this, there are many subcultures that have their own preferences. Some only eat Kosher, organic, or specialty products, that may only be found in certain supermarkets; alternatively, consumers may just be looking for the best deal they can get their hands on. Customers, both men and women, are becoming more knowledgeable about products and are more demanding on quality in the goods they purchase, therefore being more involved in company’s decision making process. â€Å"Nutritional conscious supermarket shoppers are checking labels as never before†(Mujtaba et al, 2012). II.Demographics: The growth rate of the population, the age distribution, and household patterns all account for many of Publix’s’ innovative ideas. In Florida, Atlanta, South Carolina, and Tennessee, all have a strong student population, as well as dual employed family homes. In such a fast paced society, a majority of this population can be categorized as time impoverished customers. They opt for already pre-cut food and prepared cooked dinners. Studies show that 37% of households buy prepared products at least once a week, a major increase from 27% in the previous year(Mujtaba et al, 2012).This is the reason why Publix was one the first to incorporate self-checkout within their stores to cater to this market. Similarly, Publix tried to penetrate the online market due to the trends of customer behaviors  to buying goods online. â€Å"By 2007, 20 million households in the United States will purchase groceries, goods, and other household items online†(Mujtaba et al, 2012). This is an approximate expenditure of $85 million dollars for mainly good items. The pattern of most household shows that individuals, families, and any other consumers in the supermarket industry, on average, live in a geographical area for about 10 years. This means that the average revenue spent by consumers every year have a lifetime value of ten years, and that relationship needs to be nurtured. Despite educational level, since the recession of 2008, many individuals have felt the effects not only in their bank account, but also within their daily lives. Therefore, in general, the United States has shifted to a â€Å"bargain shopping† way of purchasing goods. However, those living in the United States also seek the full package, and want to be taken care of [customer service], at a reasonable price. Therefore, there has been a trend showing cost- conscious customers turning away from premium brands towards individual store brands. III.Economic: Fortunately for all in the food industry, US food spending is on the rise. However, unfortunately for Publix and other supermarket retailers, they are not capturing their fare share of that market. Instead those penetrating the available market are alternatives to supermarkets, such as supercenters, warehouse clubs, and drug stores. When regarding the food industry in the United States it is a market-based economy, where there is currently an oversupply in choices available to the consumer. It has been 5 years since the recession hit consumers, thus companies all over the United States, and the average customer now spends $50,000 dollars as a lifetime value over ten years. However, due to recent trends, the average income of online target customers would deliver a higher profit those regular shoppers. IV.Natural: Over the last decade, there has been a lengthy move toward environmentalism. In the past, environmentalism would not have much to do with the food industry, but this view is incorrect. Generally speaking, most companies are expected to have a corporate social responsibility towards the environment, its well being, and the well being of its stakeholders. According to the food industry, across the board, consumers believe that corporations should  have their best interest in mind and provide foods that are of quality and are not detrimental to the human body. Global activists group have arisen such as Greenpeace, who have formed two other coalitions, including True Good Now and GE free Markets. V.Political/ legal: As mentioned, as customers obtain more knowledge and want a voice ion what is in the goods that they purchase, food safety is becoming a major issue in the grocery industry. Therefore, there have been many laws and regulations that have been enforced to ensure this. For example, seven of the nations largest grocery stores have admitted to re-dating meats and fish that had already reached their original sell by date. VI.Technological: Due to technology, 20000 new items are hitting the market every year across the board. The on-going innovations brought forth by technology are bringing changes and new procedures in all industries, not just food retailers. Therefore, the value of understanding and anticipating changes in consumer preference cannot be overestimated. Technology is a major success factor in the food industry and plays a major role in efforts to offer more value for the customers needs. It’s a new force in the environment that should not be reckoned with. It enhances the competitive position offering better service to the time- impoverished customer, and even those customers seeking convenience. Level III: The Focal Organization Each successive level is part of the preceding one. This is why macroenvironmental factors affect the focal organizations.   The fact that Publix serves over 1 million customers in America, does not mean that all of these consumers are similar in behavior, values, or associated subcultures. America has become a melting pot of cultures with various beliefs and household patterns. Due to the fact that these customers are becoming more demanding, it is important to have an environment that takes care of their employees, customers, suppliers and community that they serve, to bring increased value to the customer. This results in better quality and more needs that are satisfied. Their mission is to become the premier quality food retailer in the world. Customers are delighted with their shopping experience because Publix is responsive to the wants and  needs of customers, such as already prepared food, due to their Customer Intimacy Programs. To cater to the wide range of subcultures and demographics, Publix had to employ the Deliver plus 1% philosophy. You must meet the customers shopping needs, plus exceed it by 1%.   Despite the cost- conscious consumers, they get the full package they seek at Publix, that they would not find at another competitor such as Wal-Mart. Publix supermarkets are ranked third among 46 chains, nationwide. As their prices are slightly higher than some of its competitors, Publix received neutral ratings on prices but excelled in checkout speed, service, and cleanliness. This shows that the customer perceived value was higher than the customer perceived cost of paying slightly higher prices for high quality goods. Consumers do not mind spending a little extra to shop at Publix, once their ‘full package’ service is satisfied, with clean stores staffed with trained and friendly front line employees. Environmentally, Publix does their part. They are a caring employer, and are known for being socially responsible in the community. By adhering to the needs of consumers and abiding by safe and clean environments, this becomes a major strength of the Publix brand. Last but not least, technology is a major force that has aided Publix get to where it is today. They were one of the first companies to have water fountains, self- service shopping, shopping carts, and computerized scanning technology. These are all innovations that add to the Publix brand, where shopping can truly be a pleasure. Self-service checkouts cater to the time- impoverished customers, and the computerized scanning technology that assists in keeping shelves stocked. Technology has also allowed Publix to explore the online market, founding PublixDirect. Even though they did not do well, it is a start to discovering a whole new market, where opportunities for major profit exists. All Macroenvironmental factors have had a direct influence on Publix’s operations, as described above, especially technology. 2.Discuss the market factors. How do collaboration, competition, supplier, and regulators affect the performance of the focal  organization? Level II: The Market The market consists of the microenvironment. This includes all factors such as collaboration, competition, suppliers, and regulators. I.Collaboration: At Publix, †where shopping is a pleasure†, everything revolves around pleasing the customer. This philosophy does not change, and should never be compromised. To do this associates are encouraged to interact with their customer on a daily basis, resulting in immediate and local feedback. The advantage of this information is that Publix can better determine customers needs, wants and desires. To allow customers to enjoy shopping at Publix’s clean facility, management believes employees should also conduct work in a place â€Å"where working is a pleasure†. Publix offers their employees world class training programs, especially for their perishables department like the deli, bakery, produce and seafood. With over 1,000 stores, Publix has retained the largest employee- owned supermarket chain in the United States because it has a loyalty and commitment to employee training. In an industry that can be categorized with having high turnover, most of their employees have been working with them for 10 or more years. Associates are taught to understand that they are not just in the grocery business, but also in the people business. Through this world class training program, Publix has created its Publix Customer Intimacy Program that enables managers to keep their fingers on the pulse of the customer on a daily basis (Mujtaba et al, 2012). This is not only a phrase, but has turned into a philosophy. This allows Publix to get both information from their own consumers, and also from their competitors. Another program implemented in its stores is called the Associate Voice Survey (AVS), and Quality Improvement Process (QIP). The focus is not on the customer, but instead their associates. The fact that Publix is constantly rewarded for 100 Best Companies to Work For, Employers of Older Workers, and Employers of Choice, speaks a lot to the way they treat their employees, results in quality improvements and assures that front line employees carry out Publix’s philosophy. II.Competition: Despite the strong competition in the supermarket industry, Publix has no immediate plans to expand internationally at this time. Whether Publix is being undercut or imitated, they are not willing to concede its customers to  the competition. The idea is that â€Å"only [they] can give [their] customers a reason to shop elsewhere. As long as [they] take care of [their] customers better than anyone else, [they] will defeat [their] competition†( Mujtaba et al, 2012). Wal-Mart is one of their top competitor, similarly challenging other industries across the globe. They are number one retail grocer in the world and opened major supercenters throughout Florida, and in many other countries(Mujtaba et al, 2012). Due to economies of scale, they are able to successfully compete on price by undercutting almost all of their competitors. Therefore focus is beginning to shift to differentiation and performance improvement versus pricing, as no profits come from matching Wal-Mart prices. Within the food Industry, Safeway and Kroger Co. take second and first place as competitors, doubling and almost tripling their revenues, respectively, in 2009. Other companies such as Lacklusters financial performance has plagued some supermarket players in recent years, and also Walgreens, a food and drug store is one of the most admired companies. Whole foods, is a close runner up, which has achieved one third of Publix’s sales, and should be considered competition. Publix is still small relative to other giants in the food industry. However, it consistently ranks highest among its competitors. To stay among these ranks, Publix retains their customers by benchmarking by studying the best practices of their competition; find gaps between customer needs and availability, thus, trying to fill them. Despite major profit possibilities, none of the major grocery chains have mastered the online arena. III.Suppliers As with most companies, the suppliers that distribute to Publix are not noted in the case. However, Publix prides itself on a corporate culture of an organization that creates superior value, but also high quality goods. Suppliers are likely to have a relationship with Publix, such as the one they have with their employees. Its about quality products at good prices, with a good shopping experience. Offering â€Å"functional foods† that are fortified with popular herbs, vitamins, and healthy additives implies that Publix must have a healthy relationship with their suppliers to supply this. Also, with the rise of cost- conscious consumers, Publix offers their own brand to cater and retain them. With private label branding continuing to  grow, Publix must have their own supplier, which differs from all others, which supply their individual local brand. Private label branding grew 10.2% from 2007, and accounts for 25%( Mujtaba et al, 2012). 64% of shoppers said they often or always buy a store brand versus a national brand (Mujtaba et al, 2012), which has major implications for supermarkets and their own suppliers. IV.Regulators Mentioned previously, food safety has become a major concern. Therefore, in the food industry, leaders are paying more attention to ensure that the food products are in a safe and clean environment. They are required to constantly look at all risks that are associated with providing good quality as well as good safety, while attempting to get rid of them. Level III- Focal organization: Embedded in Publix’s business culture is that everything revolves around the customer, and servicing them with a smile. Their value proposition for customers clearly states that its customers want more than just groceries. Customers must be satisfied, delighted, and excited every time they visit or shop at your store. Some try to copy Wal-Marts style of providing low cost goods to customers, and almost guarantee a re-purchase. However, studies show that this is not an easy task, and is not likely favorable to those retailers. Hence the reason Publix strives for differentiation. How do they maintain this competitive advantage whole competing with supermarket giants? Through the different programs at Publix, such as the Customer Intimacy Program and the AVS, employers are able to provide customers with value. They have created cross-functional and ad hoc teams to discuss opportunities for improvement that prove the fact that â€Å"two heads are better than one†. That is a competitive advantage in itself, being equipped with front line employees committed to making the arena a better place for the company’s consumers. They are committed to satisfying the needs of its customers better than their competition. This is why they passionately focus on customer service, because only they can give their customers a reason to leave, and attracting  new customers is about five to six times more costly than retaining the ones they. Service is what Publix built its reputation on. As a result, Publix is ranked third among 46 chains, nationwide. Collaboration and Competition are the major factors regarding the microenvironment that affect their focal organization.