Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Nursing Theorist Grid Essay

Madeleine Leininger’s theory is call The Theory of Culture Care Diversity and Universality. Because Leininger had degrees in nursing and anthropology, her theory had a combination of derivatives of both disciplines (Bibb, 2006). While working as a nurse in the 1950s, Leininger became disturbed by nurses who could not understand nor respect the culture variations. She then set out to bridge the knowledge gap between nursing and cultures. Leininger became the authority on cultural diversity in healthcare. The key points of her theory include honoring a state of holistic well-being that is culturally defined, valued, and practical. Cultures include technology, religion, philosophy, kinships, socioeconomics, politics, and education. Term Definition Applied to Nursing Practice Applied to Nursing Education Applied to Nursing Research Person Culture-dependent and holistic and sometimes includes families, groups, and communities Nurses can establish individualized care plans and care by respecting and honoring the diversity of the patients. Nurses are continually educated on transcultural nursing. In nursing school and in the workplace, cultural diversity is taught. Continued research to increase the knowledge of the nurses to assess the â€Å"person† in different cultures. Health A state of well-being that is culturally defined, valued, and practiced After appropriate nursing education has been done, nurses have to assess and respect the individual’s decisions on health. Everyone will not accept smoke cessation and weight loss as a part of health. As we learn cultural health  preferences, it is imperative that nurses pass this information on to other nurses. Employee in-services are important to pass on these diversities. Continued research to increase the knowledge of the nurses to assess the idea of health in different cultures. Nursing A transcultural, humanistic, and scientific care discipline and profession with the central purpose to serve humans worldwide Care is still essential in the nursing process. Care is now individualized and culturally congruent by respecting preferences of diverse cultures. We continue to learn through formal education and staff development how to care for persons of different cultures. We honor the research on different groups. This is also used to educate nurses on cultural diversity. Environment A combination of physical, ecological, socioeconomical, and cultural settings. We learn to respect a person’s space even if it is very different from what we are accustomed to. Especially important in home health settings. Be careful of facial grimaces and nonverbal actions. Important to learn and teach others that our impression of a livable and decent environment are not the same as others. Research empowers and teaches nurses how to respect and interact in the patients’ personal environment. From the old adage, â€Å"When in Rome, do what the Romans do†. Research helps to dissect what the Romans actually do. Bibb, S. C. G. (2006). Leininger’s theory of culture care diversity and universality. New York: Springer Publishing Company.

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Desparate air Essay

Nash and CEO from Seglin article want to protect their companies, their mployees, their shareholders and their own income. In the case of RDCAR, first phase is recognition – raising ethical awareness is something that Desperate Air Corporation can implement in their organization. However, DAC have audit done on the property for sale six months ago and there was no red flags. Mr. Nash did reached out to lawyers of his firm who advised him that there is nothing in Florida law that states requirement of disclosure of hazardous substances on commercial property. It is safe to say he did little bit of a discovery to make sure he is not breaking the law. It sounds to me like he did discovery stage in business law rather than business ethics. Something that law says it is right thing to do, it might not always be ethically correct decision. Also, German philosopher Emmanuel Kant states â€Å"Act as if the maxim of thy action were to become by thy will a universal law of nature†. And what if every manager and every person acted like Mr. Nash, what would this world be like? Would everyone Just think of themselves and their closest surroundings and the world would become a cruel place of living where no one Mr. Nash went through entire cognition phase mentioned in RDCAR model. He hasn’t read all of the information papers about ethical decisions in different business situations. I feel that by Mr. Williams’s rushed suggestion to close the sale without fully evaluating the decision of his VP of Real Estate, DAC doesn’t care too much about cognition anyways. This might have influenced Mr. Nash’s decision as well, while not having enough time to evaluate entire situation and learn the perception. Both Mr. Nash and CEO decision was based on short term profit decision. I don’t believe that people that will be living in the future retirements home crossed the mind of Mr. Nash, same as lives of passengers haven’t crossed the mind of the CEO. He hasn’t thought about elders getting possible diseases and illnesses from hazardous materials at the property, as well as anyone else who spends time with them as well as workers of the new retirement home. If we look at the bigger picture what is the best for the society we have to look at Consequentialist Theory. Authors Trevino and Nelson of the textbook â€Å"Managing Business Ethics†, would say that Mr. Nash didn’t choose ethically correct decision based on consequentialist theory. The book states the best ethical decision is the one that yields the greatest net benefits for society, and the worst decision is the one that yields the greatest net harm for society’. DAC might not get in trouble because most likely information about hazardous materials will not leak to Fledgling industries or the press, same as in the article â€Å"How to Make Tough Ethical Calls† by Jeffrey Seglin, the word about failed engine parts might not reach the press. If Fledgling finds out after the sale, there is a possibility of a lawsuit where DAC can definitely loose and unethical managers will definitely bring this firm o bankruptcy. I don’t think that Mr. Nash is proud by his actions of closing the sale and not disclosing information about the property. In the â€Å"Action† phase of RDCAR, organization is supposed to recognize ethical achievements and negative unethical behaviors. Both Mr. Nash and CEO from the article â€Å"How to Make Tough Ethical Calls† made correct decision by business law but not ethically correct decision for the greater good. Mr. Nash might have asked himself some of the six questions that Michael Rion says in his book, The Responsible Manager: Practical Strategies for Ethical Decision Making also mentioned in the Seglin’s article: Why is this bothering me? Who else matters? Am I being true to myself? Mr. Nash knows that this wasn’t a correct decision since he was bothered by it and also consulted his wife and prayed. The questions also include â€Å"What do others think† which is also referred in Treveno/ Nelson textbook what would readers of New York Times think. They wouldn’t agree with Mr. Nash’s decision in my opinion. As in the final phase of RDCAR, â€Å"Reflection† readers of New York Times would think that it seems as a lot of managers and CEOs ould make a good decision for their company and employees which is based on short term profits, but rarely correct ethical decision while considering everyone else that might be influenced. This is why I would disclose the information about dangerous materials if I was in Mr. Nash’s situation. I couldn’t live with the fact that I was putting in danger lives of anyone that would be exposed to the radioactive materials. Also, I wouldn’t want to disappoint all of the current and future customers of Desperate Air Corporation. Even though Desperate Air is really desperate to make comeback and improve their financials, ethically correct decision would be to References: Dunfee et al.

Monday, July 29, 2019

How to Write the Wake Forest University Essays 2017-2018

Founded in 1834, Wake Forest University is located in the suburban North Carolina town of Winston-Salem. With approximately 4,800 undergraduates enrolled in either Wake Forest College or the Wake Forest School of Business, Wake Forest is respected for its personalized attention to students and challenging liberal arts curriculum, as well as for its resources as a large research institution. With its motto of â€Å"Pro Humanitate† (for humanity), students at Wake Forest are encouraged to volunteer, whether in the local community or around the world. Students also gain international experience through the study-abroad program, with approximately 60 percent of undergraduates taking advantage of this opportunity offered in more than 70 countries. In 2017, Wake Forest admitted approximately 37% of Early Decision applicants and 25% of Regular Decision applicants. Wake Forest currently stands at #27 in the U.S. News and World Report 2017 National University Rankings . In addition to the Common App essay (which you can learn more from the blog post How to Write the Common Application Essays 2017-2018 ), Wake Forest requires 7 short essays. (To view the essay prompts for hundreds of schools, check out our Essay Prompts Database .) While these prompts may seem intimidating at first, our essay specialists team here at will help you tackle Wake Forest’s 2017-2018 application to the best of your ability! The first thing to note here is the length of the essay. With a maximum of 150 words, it’s possible (but not necessary) to have a short introductory sentence. However, since the space available for response is so limited, there is no need to summarize or include a concluding sentence. For this prompt, there are no gimmicks; take the question literally . Essentially, admissions officers are looking for a genuine academic interest sparked by a task that might have been unusual or difficult. To begin to answer this question, first brainstorm for an activity to write about. If you are a prospective mechanical engineering major who built a life-sized trebuchet in your freshman design class, feel free to write about that. Or, if you are applying as a math major and proved from scratch the derivative rules in your pre-calculus class as an interest assignment, that would be a great topic too. Admittedly, it can be pretty difficult to think of an assignment that fits these guidelines so well. So if you can’t think of a high school assignment that’s a) unique and b) related to your field of study, try thinking of any moment that you truly enjoyed in an academic setting, even if it is not an â€Å"assignment† by traditional definition or related to your major. By pinpointing a moment or time frame of interest, you can then dig deeper into that incident and potentially come up with material for your essay. Taking a previous suggestion as an example, if you were particularly intrigued by a question in a literature discussion, then was there anything you did in response to it? Did you perhaps go to find your teacher during office hours to continue the discussion, culminating in an essay you penned for the school newspaper or literary magazine? Next, once you’ve brainstormed and described the interesting assignment, it’s best to explain what you learned and how that newfound knowledge has sparked your interest. For example, a Gender Studies major may have done a poster presentation on the history of feminism and now holds an appreciation for the historic roots of the movement. Giving these details will paint a clearer picture of your interest for the admissions officers. Again, this prompt is essentially serving as a â€Å"Why Major?† substitute, so admissions officers hope to learn the backstory of your academic interests through this essay. With these guidelines, you will definitely weave a more compelling narrative! Submit your essay and we’ll get back to you with helpful edits. For this prompt, Wake Forest is asking you to prove that you have both the empathy and critical thinking skills to derive meaning from works that may not be directly related to your own life. These skills, in turn, will be of great value to any college student! To approach this prompt, first choose the book about which you want to write. (Although â€Å"work of fiction† doesn’t necessarily specify a book, it’s typically more meaningful to write about a book, as opposed to a TV show or movie, since written words leave the most room for interpretation.) You can write about a classic, but if you do, try to avoid writing about something that you’ve read from school (e.g., 1984 , The Great Gatsby , The Scarlet Letter ) because it is likely that many, many others are writing about the same. But if the only thing you’ve read (in recent memory) is a school book, choose that over something you read recreationally from long ago. Once you choose your book, your next goal is to demonstrate your interpretation of the world and how your chosen text has helped shaped this perspective. For this essay, one way to do this is by explaining how the book has made you more empathetic to unfairness of random luck that everyone is subjected to, or how the text has motivated you to assume an active role in political events. For example, The Book Thief may have cemented your understanding of the nuances of human emotions during World War II, or The Kite Runner may have introduced you to the intricacy of early 20th-century Middle Eastern conflicts. With a relatively high word limit of up to 300, you can spend time explaining your perspective before reading the book and contrast it with your perspective afterwards. Including specific details from the book would be especially convincing to admissions officers. Finally, wrap up the essay by generalizing your new viewpoint on this particular political event to your novel perspective on the world as a whole. This illustrates to Wake Forest University your ability to learn from all mediums, and your ability to reflect on other’s trauma or difficult experiences as your own. Along with Prompt #7, this essay is your chance to show something about you that is not depicted by any other part of your application. Take this essay as your chance to be quirky or satirical, or simply take a literary risk! If you are having difficulty thinking of a possible theme, think about your culture and your relationships with family and friends. In both the Common App and other supplemental essays, it is rare that students reveal information about interpersonal relationships (e.g., â€Å"Top Ten Songs to Play on Car Rides with Mom†) or cultural norms (e.g., â€Å"Top Ten Foods When You Miss Home†). You could definitely use this essay to address personal aspects of you that don’t demonstrate your academic prowess, but simply show what you value in life. This essay prompt is self-explanatory, and with only 150 words, you should be fairly straightforward. When discussing how you became interested in Wake Forest, it would be best to use a personal anecdote (as opposed to, for example, saying that you became interested in Wake Forest after seeing it on the list of top U.S. colleges)! When discussing why you are applying to Wake Forest, take a look at what the university prides itself on providing. These points of pride include the rigorous liberal arts curriculum, small class size and professor attention, undergraduate research, philanthropic culture, study-abroad programs, and an accepting community. Include some of these key factors with a personalized twist. For example, instead of writing about the renowned professors who are extraordinarily accomplished in their respective academic fields, write about one or two instructors who you are especially excited to work with on your humanitarian research concerning global immigration policy for refugees. Providing these key, personal details differentiates your essay from the sea of other applications writing about the same key characteristics of Wake Forest. If you are applying Early Decision, include a memorable moment that cemented your determination to commit to the school. Did you have an â€Å"aha† moment when you visited the campus and were given a tour by a student when she saw you poking your head into the laboratories during one of her classes? Or did you attend a class and fall in love with the sharp insight that the professor provided on the current criminal justice system in the United States? Whatever the case may be, especially if you’ve visited the campus, remember to include any personal anecdotes about Wake Forest. With a relatively low word count, this essay would best be satisfied with a short anecdote of a time when you’ve spoken with, met, or debated with someone different from you. Generally speaking, it would be better to speak about a time when you engaged with someone closer to you rather than with a stranger. This is mainly because, although there are exceptions, it is far more believable that you learned a profound lesson from someone who you’ve known for years than from someone who you’ve only known for a few minutes. Let’s also remember that â€Å"different from you† is a very vague description that could refer to ethnicity, socioeconomic status, religion, or simply life experiences. Even the most homogeneous of communities have some distinctions between families. Utilize these distinctions to explain how you’ve become more accepting, philanthropic, or open-minded — all qualities that Wake Forest embodies and expects. Here, Wake Forest University wants to know that you care deeply about an issue that is greater than yourself. As we mentioned in the beginning, Wake Forest’s very motto proves its commitment to philanthropy. While it is possible to write about something silly (e.g., â€Å"gif† vs. â€Å"jif,† chunky vs. smooth peanut butter), given that Wake Forest mentions American politics in the essay prompt, it would be best to write about something more serious. Here, the fairly low word count means that the best method may be to employ a personal anecdote to â€Å"argue† for an issue that directly affects you. This not only answers the question but also provides yet another dimension of your personality and personal history. If you cannot think of an issue that directly affects you, try to think of a current event or controversy that affects someone else in your life (like a friend, grandparent, etc.), to give your argument the benefit of pathos. Some topics that come to mind are travel ban, current debate surrounding immigration policy, and how proposed changes to the H-1B visa will affect the medical industry and prospective doctors. This essay serves as your final chance to make a lasting impression on Wake Forest’s admissions officers. You’ve already spoken extensively about your love for the school, the origins of your academic passions, your â€Å"top ten,† and your life’s defining moments and works. Here, Wake Forest is looking for a topic that you are passionate about, which is unrelated to academics. Take this essay as a final chance to humanize yourself and prove that you’re not a robot trying to get into college! You can do that by writing about a hobby or passion that you did purely for enjoyment and not necessarily â€Å"for the resume.† If you love freestyle rapping in your free time, entitle your podcast â€Å"The Key to an Easy Groove† or something more humorous. If you love knitting, entitle it â€Å"The Key to a Good Weave,† or something along those lines. In the same vein, I would caution you from writing about something that your extracurricular activities already prove; for example, if your application includes a slew of awards for debate, try to avoid writing more a podcast that gives tips on becoming a good lawyer.

Sunday, July 28, 2019

Sombrero Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Sombrero - Essay Example They are also a strong symbol of the wearer’s economic and social status and his culture. The history of sombrero hats goes back to Mongolia where they were worn by horse riders back in the 13th century. There are different hypotheses about how sombrero hats originated in Mexico and who made them. Mestizo workers are thought the be the inventors of these hats and they were from native American and European decent who used to work in Mexico and United States. Others prefer that sombrero hats were invented by horse riders who made it part of their uniform. They came from Jalisco capital of Guadalajara. And some think that early cowboys in Texas adopted the Spanish sombrero as a practical solution for the problem of strong sun and heat. Most of the people believe they were made common by the Mexican peasants who used to wear them while working in fields to protect themselves from the extreme heat of south (History of Hats n.p.). Mexican sombrero hats are worn by people belonging to different walks of life now. Traditionally the mariachi folk musicians who wear embroidered outfits, with beading and gold threads wear wide sombreros that are decorated in a manner similar to them. The traditional horsemen called Charros also wear them. The famous dance known as sombrero dance also utilizes a sombrero hat which is known as Jarabe Tapatio (Schmitt n.p.). It moves on a folk song which tells about a love story between a poor Charro peasant and his beloved. In an attempt to win her heart, he tosses his sombrero hat on the ground, which is his most valuable possession, as a gift and as a sign of his seriousness of his love. Thus, she accepts his love and starts a dance on the brim of the sombrero hat. A part from these cultural and traditional uses, sombrero hats are still worn by Mexican peasants in fields. Lately, after becoming the symbol of Mexican heritage, they have become an

Increased Labor Demand and the Equilibrium Wage Essay

Increased Labor Demand and the Equilibrium Wage - Essay Example For example, in the given scenario, that the September 11th attacks on the United States altered the perceived need for a particular type of labor, to wit, security personnel, the relevant market shift is an increase in demand. Once the demand has increased, supply and demand are no longer balanced, and the market equilibrium is disrupted. To reset this balance, wage and the value of marginal production must also increase to the point where stability is again achieved. Simply put, and assuming that supply remains unchanged, the greater the demand for a particular type of labor, the greater the marginal value of a particular worker's product, and, thus, the greater must that worker's wage be to achieve market equilibrium. It is logical that the September 11th attacks created a greater demand for security personnel. Society became much more concerned with creating safe environments at locales such as airports, in airplanes, at events where large amounts of people congregate, and at globally-recognized structures.

Saturday, July 27, 2019

Introducation to computer science assingment Assignment

Introducation to computer science assingment - Assignment Example Q6. The value that can be retrieved from the table by the pop instruction is 11 C. this is because it is possible to get the pointer in to the first element of the vector through incrementing this pointer in order to access the second pointer. The value that will be found in the pointer after the pop operation is 12 A. on the other hand, the deque is not a guarantee of a contiguous storage which contains the same elements (10, 11 12) and getting the pointer to the first element does not guarantee that you will get access to the second pointer by incrementing the pointer (Finkel, 1996) Q7. Assuming that the stricture above represents a queue, the value that will be removed from the queue is 14.this is because it is obtained after several increments of 10. The head pointer will next point at 13 which will be the value before 14. *In order to obtain the left child of a certain index, we multiply the current index 2 and we add 1. *for us to get the right child on this specific index, we multiply the current index by 2 and then we add 2. Q10. The reference data types are used to refer to objects while the primitive data types usually contain some values. Some of the example of primitive data type includes the byte, int Boolean and the float. Q11. When writing a chessboard structure that has an 8-by-8 grid, the programmer can consider using arrays that contains chess like structure which is a two dimension array. In order to store the position of the chess piece. The two dimension array is used in pinpointing individual elements in the array (Finkel,

Friday, July 26, 2019

EasyJet Airline exam note Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

EasyJet Airline exam note - Essay Example A PEST analysis of the organisation is carried out to establish the macro-environmental impact on the firm. EasyJet operates in more than 30 countries that have do not have trade restrictions. This increases revenue since the firm can cover more areas. Due to the global terror threat, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Israel, and Spain among other countries have put restrictions to ensure passenger safety. This has reduced travels to some extent. Governments have also put baggage restrictions for airlines along with passengers (Taneja, 2012, p.56; easyJet, 2013). The firm complies with various tax policies in its areas of operation. Most of the tax regulations are favourable to the firm, thus impacting positively on the flight operations. For example, the corporate tax policy in Europe is business-friendly. This has also enabled the process of optimisation in service delivery to meet the customer needs and requirements regardless of existing precedents and territories on implementing the system (Jones, 2012, p.34). The reduction of fuel costs have made the firm increase its revenue due to reduced operational costs, thus reducing the cost of capital for the firm (easy Jet, 2014). The reduction in fuel costs has also increased competition in the aviation industry as various airlines have reduced the ticket prices, thus making more customers use service and also leading to price wars (Katie, 2013, p.123). Besides, globalisation is projected to boost air traffic in the long run. More people are projected to travel due to increased interconnection among people across the globe. In the same way, as Europe becomes integrated; the introduction of the single currency is expected to bring more business to easyJet (easyJet, 2014). The Euro is used in over 19 nations among the member states of the European Union. The financial reports evidence that the firm is improving economically. At the moment, pound is against the

Thursday, July 25, 2019

Classical Realism and Neo- Realism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Classical Realism and Neo- Realism - Essay Example Realism is basically a dimension to look at the relations between different states being insecure and constantly gaining power. In other words, it could be said that under the study of realism, states remain in state of war to exercise their power to get more privilege than other states of the world. As studied by Hans Morgenthau, all states seek power that makes them to remain in a state craft. It is the strength of realism in explaining the war that it defines the phenomenon of politics in a sole larger aspect of international system. Realism posits that it is mainly because there is no supreme authority above the states that would allow rules and policies for them to follow to restrain international relations with other states. It is because of the insecurity among states that leads to war. Realism falls short in explaining the causes of war in terms of international system being categorized in different polarity. This weakness has been addressed in theories which were coined late r. On the other hand, neo-realism refers to the causes of war being as the result of polarity of international system. This states that international systems being categorized in bipolar and multi-polar systems have different degree of probability for being at war. Under this position, multi-polar international system which is basically formed with the inclusion of more than two countries is safer and less likely to result in a war. This is merely because the bipolar international system including two states.

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Ronald Reagan work in Cannon, Diggin Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Ronald Reagan work in Cannon, Diggin - Essay Example Several biographers have written a lot about Reagan as a president as well as his earlier and later life. This paper shall attempt to put in relation to one another the historical and philosophical presuppositions written by some of his biographers. Michael Schaller is one of the acclaimed historians of the United States political right. In his writings, he offers the readers a detailed account of Ronald Reagan’s life and achievements. This, he does right form Reagan’s upbringing in the rural Illinois to his success in Hollywood, entry into the American politics as a governor, to his later rise to the White House. In his writing, Schaller documents that Ronald Reagan was born to John Edward and Nelle Wilson on 6th 1911 in Illinois. His father, who was fondly known as Jack struggled with alcoholism and often forced his family to move frequently ahead of the bill collector (Schaller 2). This resulted to the family moving to several small towns within Illinois and briefly to Chicago before a final settlement in Dixon. Through constant encouragements from his mother, Reagan participated in sports and dram as a teenage in school. In college, Reagan majored in sociology and economics (Schaller 10). Later in life, Reagan associated the success of his life to his happy childhood. Peggy Noon, one of Reagan’s most effective White House writers, described Reagan’s outward amicability as a fruit of his childhood life. According to her, Reagan found it his duty to make other people happy. The biographer Sean Wilentz also writes that Reagan spent all his life trying to be someone else. He says that the small boy became a Hollywood actor, the open-minded democrat became a republic conformist, and the citizen superstar became governor and later president. Reagan graduated from collge in 1932 and secured a job as a sports announcer of a radio. As a youth,

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

The influence of diet and probiotics on the intestinal microbiome Essay

The influence of diet and probiotics on the intestinal microbiome - Essay Example These microbiota are influenced by various external factors and internal factors. Some of the external factors which are widely studied and are interesting for human health are diet and probiotics. In this essay, influenceof diet and probiotics onintentinal microbiota will be discussed. The intestinal microbiota play a major role in the various nutritional, immunological, physiological and metabolic processes of the human body. Certain dietary polysaccharides are indigestible and intestinal microbiota extract energy from these resistant starches and fibers. Such metabolic activities cause release of various vitamins like vitamin K, folic acid and B12, short chain fatty acids and various aminoacids which are not produced in the human body. The microbiota also participate in various pathogenic defence mechanisms like resistance of colonisation and production of various compounds with antimicrobial properties. The microbiota are also involved in the maturation, development and maintenance of various sensory and motor functions of the gastrointestinal tract, the barrier system of the intestine and also the immune system of the intestinal mucosa (Gerritsen et al, 2011). According to the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations and the World Health Organi zation (cited in Hemarajata and Versalovic, 2013), probiotics are defined as ‘living microorganisms, which when administered in adequate amounts confer health benefits on the host.’ The most commonly used probiotics are Bifidobacterium and lactobacillus. Other probiotics in market include certain species of enterococcus, streptococcus, propionibacterium and bacillus. Yeast like Saccharomyces are also used as probiotics. The probiotic organisms interact with the intestinal microbia either directly or through enzymatic action. They interact directly with the epithelial and mucosal layer of the intestine and thereby influence the functions of the intestinal

Project management and strategic planning Essay Example for Free

Project management and strategic planning Essay Question: Language style: English (U.K.).   Write strategic planning and implementation steps involved in any project within IT department. Mention the Total quality management steps followed. What are the problems faced? Which problem solving and decision making methods would you suggest to be utilized? Explain. References: Any 2 Sources from the Internet, or Textbooks or journals. An organisation’s IT Strategic planning should combine some amount of tactical planning.   An IT department would require a strategic planning policy to ensure that the staff members and students can use the network on the campus as and when required.    As per the university requirements, all the schools should have a functional IT system, with certain criteria and specifications.   The IT planning would also help the school to share and receive technology from other schools and in this way be of immense help to the students. An IT Department should form a part and parcel of the education policy and processes of the educational institute.   It should be considered as a very important educational and information tool, for the students and staff members.   Let us now look at the actual strategic planning process and how it can be implemented in an educational institute. Strategic Planning is a process of making important decisions in the organisation so that a link between the present and the future trends is formed, choosing the organization’s goals, establishing the policies needed to meet specific objectives and recognising the means of assuring that policies are implemented in an appropriate manner. In a nutshell strategic plans are the â€Å"action plans† (Majdà ºchovà ¡, 2003 Strategic Initiatives, 2007). STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS: Considering an example of a Management institute with special reference to the project to be carried out in the IT department, the following detailing a manager in the unit will have to accomplish and organize (ICFAI). A Manager who is responsible for strategic planning would convert the intentions or objectives of the organisation concrete and measurable strategic plans, policies and budget allocations (Majdà ºchovà ¡, 2003 Strategic Initiatives, 2007). Step one: Defining the mission of the organization Based on the above work assignments, companies change their mission over a period of time to reflect changes in the external environment. The IT unit should address three important issues: What is the business supposed to do? Who are the customers? What goods or services does it offer? An IT department targets the various problems and issues, which are normally faced in a laboratory system of an organisation.   The IT department would provide services to the staff and the students and not merely provide goods alone to the audiences mentioned above (Kotler, 1999). Step two: Drawing up organizational objectives The strategic planning process in an IT department will broadly comprise of the following main objectives to be achieved.   This would help to determine the means of accomplishing the mission: Students online exams / reports / marks, Laptop management (Wi-Fi connection), Internet control, LAN Connections, PC Maintenance, AMC – annual maintenance contract, Software and hardware troubleshooting, UPS, Vendor management, Requisition and procurement of PCs, UPS etc, Intranet management, ERP package connectivity, and Server support  Ã‚   (Kotler, 1999 ICFAI) Step three: Assessing and Analysing SWOT The mangers need to analyse thoroughly the organisation’s current situation in order to develop an effective strategy to gain a competitive edge: Availability of KRA’s Availability of E-commerce technologies and processes Availability of skills in management of the supply chain or the vendor Management of Proprietary technology, superior technological skills, IP, Patents, and the issues concerned with them (Kotler, 1999 ICFAI) Step four: Formulating strategy Michael Porter has described three strategies which can help a firm / unit to gain competitive edge over others. Overall Cost Leadership: An IT firm has to consider the capital investment and access to it, the engineering skills required, intense supervision of labour, products designed for ease in manufacture, etc in order to achieve the its objectives (Kotler, 1999). Differentiation: The IT department may differentiate its products and services into technical and engineering support, strong capability in identifying the LAN, vendors, ERP, Wi-Fi, Internet, skills of the staff members needed, Intranet, etc (Kotler, 1999). Focus: All the above mentioned policies should be directed towards meeting the strategic target of fulfilling the staff’s and the student’s requirements (Kotler, 1999). Step five: Implementing strategy According to McKinsey et al, the best-managed companies exhibit the following 7 elements, known as â€Å"McKinsey 7-S framework for business success†. These include strategy, structure, and systems (known as ‘hardware to success†); and style, skills, staff and shared values (known as â€Å"software to success†) (Kotler, 1999 ICFAI). In an IT department, style refers to the common ways of thinking and behaving of the staff members.   Skills refer to the unique method of handling problems experienced by the organization, especially using creative solutions.   Staffing is the process of hiring, training and allocating the work by the department.   Shared values refer to the common guiding values shared by the staff members (ICFAI). During the implementation, the manager should constantly monitor the technology, staff, incentives/reward system, decision-making processes, structures and functions (ICFAI). IMPLEMENTING TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT This involves selecting the right staff members and using ensuring that the services are of high quality.   The process of TQM is continuous in the organisation so that quality of the organisation would improve (through having appropriate processes, products and services).   Feedback regarding customer satisfaction is gained, and accordingly improvements are made.   The company needs to gain an insight of how the user would be using the product.   Any shortcoming should be identified and modified, as and when needed.   Some of the steps in TQM include: Studying the current quality situation Defining the quality needs Planning for a quality control program initiated by the managers Having structures, functions and strategies for implementing the quality program Allocating and obtaining the resources Monitoring and evaluation of the quality control program (Hashmi, 2000) PROBLEMS FACED: The IT department may face several major problems in cases of IT resource troubleshooting, logistics management, customer satisfaction, changes in the vision of the organisation, leadership problems, incompetent human resources, adoption of new technologies, managing the IP, obsolete facilities, etc (ICFAI). One of the major problems faced by the organisation previously, was regarding the presence of viruses in various network systems.   This seemed a threat to the security of the network.   The organisation had to develop a policy to prevent entry and spread of such virus on its network system.   This ensured that all external connections including CD’s, pen drives, removable discs, etc, were thoroughly scanned so that any virus threat would be contained.   The users were also informed of the security measures that had to be followed whilst using the network.   A strong firewall was installed to ensure that all data entering and existing the network was thoroughly monitored.   In this way, the IT department effectively handled virus threats. A study was conducted in the Institute’s IT Department to determine the effectiveness and the efficiency of the IT department’s network system.   More than 100 individuals were interviewed, which included 80 students and 20 teachers.   It was found that when a definite plan was introduced since 2004, the quality of services provided by the IT department improved drastically.   About 75 % of the staff members and 65 % of the students agreed to this.   The IT personnel are conducting quality checks at various levels to ensure that the services are effective and can enable the organisation to achieve its goals. Services Provided Percent of Staff who felt that the services were good Percent of Staff who felt that the services were satisfactory Percent of Staff who felt that the services were poor Comments Internet 75 21 4 Internet services are very good with fast connectivity and lightning speeds Intranet 50 35 15 Intranet exists, but not updated regularly Messenger 25 13 63 Not utilised very often during instruction Mail 65 26 9 Utilised very frequently and beneficial to all the faculty members and students.   Each staff and student is given their own id and password Library 78 12 10 Services are limited (no of databases subscribed) College Database 50 24 26 Not updated for long Teleconference system 56 25 19 Although, the system is effective and very useful, frequent disruptions occur PROBLEM SOLVING AND DECISION MAKING METHODS: Group Decision making method may be useful in large and complex departments, as the decision adopted seem to be better. Delphi group technique brings a panel of experts together in order to identify the problem and develop solutions for them.   Responses are collected and averaged by the people coordinating the group. It is utilised more often to immediately solve acute problems faced by the unit.   Such problems are time consuming and expensive to solve.   Interacting groups is the most common form of group decision making, in which the members openly discuss the problem, develop ideas, argue about each of them, and choose the best alternative. Decision Tree is a complex instrument that helps the decision-maker to consider various alternative courses needed to solve the problem and select the most appropriate alternative. The decision-maker can implement and monitor the alternative (Kotler, 1999 ICFAI).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Overall, I do feel that from the efforts of the management of the organisation and from the IT department itself, an effective network system has been develop which is very useful for the students and the staff members.   This educational tool helps in education, instruction, and research and even in providing information to the general public.   Regular feedback should be taken from the users, administrators, etc, in order to determine if any modification is required for the IT System, and effectively introduced into the IT strategic plan.   Over, the last four years, incorporation of an IT plan has ensured a faster network, security, greater access, and increased support.   The IT department has also certain trouble shooting devices in place to handle any situation.   This has helped the organisation to achieve its objectives. References: Hashmi, K. (2000), Introduction and Implementation of Total Quality Management (TQM), [Online], Available: http://www.isixsigma.com/library/content/c031008a.asp, [Accessed: 2007, November 23]. ICFAI Introduction to management, ICFAI Center for Management research. ICFAI Project Management, ICFAI publication of management research.    Kotler, P. (1999), â€Å"Marketing Management: the Millennium edition,† 10th ed, Prentice Hall. Majdà ºchovà ¡, H. (2003), â€Å"Strategic Management For The Nonprofit Organizations†, Electronic Library of Scientific Literature, vol. 51, no. 3. http://www.sav.sk/journals/ekoncas/ekon2003_07.htm   Ã¢â‚¬Å"Strategic Initiatives Leading Transformative Change†, [Online], Available: http://www.strategicinitiatives.com/, [Accessed: 2007, November 23]. The University of Colorado at Boulder (2002). â€Å"2002 Information Technology Strategic Planning Report.† [Online], Available: http://www.colorado.edu/ITplan/2002itsp.pdf, [Accessed: 2007, November 23]. The University of Colorado at Boulder (2002). 2002 IT Strategic Vision, [Online], Available: http://www.colorado.edu/ITplan/vision.pdf, [Accessed: 2007, November 23]. The University of Colorado at Boulder (2002). Current Situation (Trends), [Online], Available: http://www.colorado.edu/ITplan/trends.pdf, [Accessed: 2007, November

Monday, July 22, 2019

Practice and Principles of Nursing Essay Example for Free

Practice and Principles of Nursing Essay Principles and Practices of Nursing We will describe collaborating with other health care professionals in the management of health care, and what should be done according to this regulation. (Oklahoma Board of Nursing, 2011). We will describe confidentiality and discuss how it affects the Nurses professional decision making in this Case study. We will discuss the ethical implications of placing this patient on the ventilator. We will discuss things the Patients brother Mr.Y should consider before agreeing to allow Dr. K to place the Patient Mr. E on the ventilator, and facts that affect the Patients Advance Directive. We will discuss violations of HIPAA seen in this Case Study. We will discuss the conduct of the Nurses in this case study. We will discuss the steps the professional Nurse should take based on the ANA code of ethics. Collaboration is not just cooperation, it is the combined efforts of a team to provide the best care possible (Nursing World, 2010). The Physician and nurse should be working together to achieve the best care for this Patient. The Nurse and Physician should discuss the Patients condition and wishes and the wishes of the family if the Patient is incapable of making decisions for himself (Nursing World, 2010). The nurse and Physician should make certain the patients brother knows about the advance directive, so he will be able to make an informed decision about his brothers care. Confidentiality is very important in the medical field. Confidentiality represents a relationship between Patient and care giver of trust and respect for his privacy (Nursing World, 2010). If a Patient is unsure of privacy then the communication will be adversely affected. The Nurse in this scenario should never discuss patients in the dining area, the waiting room, or anywhere else that privacy can not be guaranteed (Nursing World, 2010). The nurse should never discuss the patients condition with family members if they do not have medical power of attorney or been given permission by the medical power of attorney to do so (Nursing World, 2010). The nurse should not discuss patient with other staff members unless they are directly responsible for giving care and have a need to know (Nursing World, 2010). This Patient has signed an Advance Directive and has named his brother as Power of Attorney (Nursing World, 2010 ). This fact was never discussed with the brother before this Patient was put on the Ventilator. The patients brother was not the one who gave permission for the procedure to put patient on the ventilator(Nursing World, 2010). The brother needs to tconsider these facts before giving Dr. K permission to place the patient on the ventilator. The patient has a low oxygen level of 88%. He has a low grade temp of 101 degree F. His mental capacity may not be adequate to make this decision without assistance (Nursing World, 2010). The brother needs to consider the fact that the patient had the Advance Directive before he became ill, and consider his ability to make decisions at the time he signed the advance directive (Nursing World, 2010). There were several HIPAA violations noted in this scenario. The physician spoke to the niece about the condition of the patient without consent of the power of attorney or the patient (Sheahan, 2011). The nurse spoke to other staff who were not directly responsible for the care of this patient (Sheahan, 2011). The nurse also discussed patient information in a very public place where anyone could overhear the conversation (Sheahan, 2011). The nurse who was directly responsible for this patient did not advocate for this patients rights. The nurse had information that she never gave to anyone in a position to make decisions for this patient (Nursing World, 2010 ). The nurses used derogatory language when speaking of this patient (Nursing World, 2010). The nurses had no consideration for the patients privacy or dignity in this scenerio. None of the nurses offered to help educate the nurse who admitted she knew nothing of HIPAA. The Nurse needs to protect the Patients privacy at all times. The nurse should Advocate for the Patients rights to refuse treatment or have his Power of Attorney make this decision for him (Nursing World, 2010). The nurse needs to insist the Physician or she herself speak with the brother again to clarify that the niece could give permission to place Patient on Ventilator before the procedure is performed. The nurse should never have gone to lunch before she had obtained permission from the power of attorney to allow the procedure to be performed. The Nurse should also give her fellow employees in the cafateria a copy of the Nurse Practice acts of Oklahoma, the Nurses Code of Ethics and HIPAA. She needs to be certain that all of the nurses involved including herself understands all three of these papers. The nurse should request that they not speak in a derogatory fashion of any patient, and make certain they understand that they are in violation of the nursing code of ethics and HIPAA (Nursing World, 2010). We have discussed the nursing regulation collaborating with other health professionals in the management of health care, it’s importance, and what the health care team should do in this situation (Nursing World, 2010 ). We have discussed confidentiality, and the professional Nurses role in maintaining confidentiality. We have discussed the ethical implications of putting this Patient on the ventilator. We have discussed things his Brother needs to know and consider before making this decision for the patient and things that could interfere with the Advance Directive. We found several HIPAA violationa.  We have discussed the conduct of the nurses in this scenerio. We have discussed the things the professional nursw should do.

Sunday, July 21, 2019

A Case Study Of Barclays Bank Marketing Essay

A Case Study Of Barclays Bank Marketing Essay Marketing is the process of planning and executing the developing, pricing, promotion and distribution of good and services to satisfy individuals needs and organisational goals. This simply means that marketing deals with general public by identifying their needs and wants through the research process to anticipate the future to make such a product that satisfies the required needs and generate reasonable profit for the organisation. During the past banking era their was no need of marketing strategies which include creativity, innovation, customer relations, public relations, promotions and marketing research. Businesses operates in such a market where little or no attempt was made to care much about customers needs, however products are sold as a result of less availability of substitute goods. But in the recent years banking industry has been evolved by the intense competition, due to the deregulation in the financial system of the economies. Banks realised the role of marketing in understanding needs of individuals and provision of the services accordingly. In todays competitive world where every one wants to get value for their hard earned money Banks has recognised that marketing is the only tool towards the sustainable life of banking system. Keeping in mind the customers sovereignty more attention has now been given to the consumers. This situation creates more need for adopting various marketing strategies to satisfy customers. To create a good impression with the use of marketing strategies, variety of promotional activities have to be inculcated in banking system, to get customers attention, to prompt advertisement and public relations to induce the interest of the public. Generally provided services by the banks to the customers are in the form of depositing money and then subsequent credit to the customers account, provision of loans, factoring services to companies, overdraft facilities and advances to the clients. In conclusion, now banks have to do more emphasis on marketing strategies in Oder to fulfil their obligations towards, customers, public, shareholders, stakeholders, employees, and the whole nation in general. PART 1 Project objectives and overall research approach Background of the Company: Barclays is one of the major and world wide famous global financial service providers, founded in 1690, headquartered in London, United Kingdom. Its is a universal bank which is engaged in retail and commercial banking, debit cards, credit cards, investment banking, investment and wealth management, and corporate banking etc with more then 300 years expertise in banking Barclays have extensive existence in more then 50 territories including Europe, Asia, America and Africa and have more the 48 million customers. In 2008 Barclays has signed an agreement to purchase the investment-banking and trade divisions of Lehman Brothers, a United States financial Institute who got bankrupt. In that deal Barclays acquired the headquarter building of Lehman Brothers bases in New York. Reports show that in 2009 the UK government offered to inject  £40  billion (US$69  billion) into three banks including Barclays, which may look for over  £7  billion. Barclays later confirmed that it refused that offer and raised  £6.5  billion of new resources ( £2  billion by annulment of dividend and  £4.5  billion from private investors). Barclays has developed very advanced and extremely diverse portfolio of financial services in the provision of services to customers in managing their money in such a way that benefits them most. Barclays bank operates within two business clusters: Corporate and Investment Banking and Wealth and Investment Management; and Retail and Business Banking. An overview of financial services provided by Barclays bank includes: World wide banking Barclays card Barclays Capital Barclays Wealth Retail banking and commercial banking Global Investors Strategic Overview of Barclays: The ambition of Barclays bank is to become the leading global financial service provider of all universal banks. By this statement means providing a wide range of retail and commercial services to consumers throughout the world. Barclays Strategies follows a simple principle: fulfilling needs of its customers, by providing excellent customer service and helping them in achieving their goals. Barclays bank has a clear overview of the growth sources in financial service industry, to align them in terms of capability to capture the opportunities arose from the investment trends. Organisational Structure of Barclays: Sir David Walker is the Group Chairman who joined the board in 2012, and Antony Jenkins is the Group Chief Executive since 2009. The topic selected and its context: The topic selected for the Research and Analysis Project is about the marketing strategies of an organisation and its effectiveness. Barclays bank has been chosen for the Research and Analysis Project in the context of An evaluative report on Barclays bank to overview its marketing strategies and in depth analysis of their effectiveness. Reasons for selecting this topic: Marketing concept is the business philosophy that states that customers want and satisfaction is the economic and social justification for a firms existence. Once a service has been offered with specific distinctive features customer appeal, the customer is prepared to buy the service/product and switch from other providers to the one with the appeal. By focusing on that philosophy following are the reasons of selecting this topic. As an student I get the opportunity to explore more about the marketing strategies of world re-known organisation especially while studying the topic in preparing towards exam, where this topic was briefly discussed I have sufficient knowledge to determine the business strategies used and figure out its effectiveness in the growth and profitability of the organisation. Instead of this point can we add below point Can we say My studies in the areas of Accounting and Finance and business and management work experience advantaged me with good business and management knowledge which certainly help me to devise business strategies and evaluate their contribution towards the growth and profitability of the organisation however the research will develop my knowledge and understanding about the use and effectiveness of marketing strategies in the perspective of financial institutions which are normally not associated with marketing area. The marketing strategy of an organisation and its effectiveness is not only the vital part of syllabus, but also advocates the organisation to satisfy customers needs rather then to persuade the customer to buy what they provide. (Link Marketing and Finance such as Marketing attract customers and make sales happen which eventually generates finance therefore Being in the area of Accounting and Finance it is important to have good knowledge about Marketing in order to manage and predict companies financial position accurately. ) Adopt the red highlighted area if you consider it appropriate. To evaluate the marketing strategies of an organisation and measuring its effectiveness, both business and financial analysis are very important. Financial analysis only tells how a business is doing and its financial position and business analysis explains the businesss strategy about how the business has gained such a financial position. So the combination of both analyses is the best way to analyse the businesss position. 1.3 Project objectives To analyse the marketing strategies of Barclays bank and forming an in-depth discussion of how these are directly related to the revenue, profits, customers satisfaction, losses, controvercies, cash balances, and stock prices of Barclays plc. To evaluate the factor s that lead to the direct effect on growth rate of the Barclays plc. To ascertain the macroeconomic as well as microeconomic factors those affect the financial performance of Barclays plc. To understand the global trends and fashions adopted in the industry as well as viewing the Barclays as playing a key role in global aviation industry. Observation of the effects of modern technology on the performance of Barclays on financial and economic grounds. 1.4 Question Selected for Research: In the history of banks failure and as a result its impact on the overall economy are the reasons why banks are unable to fulfil their obligations towards their employees, customers, shareholders and stakeholders. Financial service industry has lost the confidence reposed on them by the customers because of the incompetent service, impersonal treatment and inability to satisfy the effective demand of the community for bank services. All these result in customers dissatisfaction and disgust. In reaction, the success of the financial service industry depends largely on the application of marketing techniques in their day to day operations in meeting the challenge of competitive business environment. Since competition was more or less unknown in the immediate past banking era there was a little or no need for marketing strategies which include innovation into consumers needs and wants through marketing research, new service development, public relations and sales promotions. Banks then concentrated mainly on the advertising as their only marketing strategy. In pursuing this research endeavour, the researcher has focused on the marketing strategies which play an important role in competing in the market place to adopt the marketing concept towards achieving aims and objectives of Barclays plc. 1.5 Rationale of the Research With the help of this research, the researcher tried to explore the strategies that lie within the organisation. By focussing on the Barclays plc, the researcher has tried to bring out the benefits of marketing techniques adopted which helped them being one of the re known bank of the world. Thus, this research can really prove to be beneficial as it has highlighted the effectiveness in terms of customer satisfaction towards Barclays plc. 1.6 Methodology used for Research: An organized effort ensures profiting results. Therefore, a well-planned and organized research effort promises worthwhile outcomes. Research Methodology is basically à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the manner in which we attempt to solve problems in a systematic effort to push back the frontier of human ignorance or to confirm the validity of the solutions to problems others have presumably resolved (Leedy, 1985). This gets the researchers involved into the decisions of the technical and practical considerations regarding the particular research endeavour. Mouton and Marais (1988) regards it à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the logic of the application of scientific methods to the investigation of phenomenonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the logic of the decision making process in scientific research. In short, the research methodology is a decisive outline of the intended study, its philosophy, design or, the techniques and the tools that are to be used to collect and analyse the primary data, the sampling from the population, and the contemplation for the reliability, validity and ethical considerations. It also includes how the researcher is going to present t he data in the easily comprehendible manner. All these things compliment the research topic chosen and opted for (Goddard, 2004). It is the concern for the researcher to get an effective and reliable data for research work. In this regards both primary data and secondary data has been used. It was observed by the researcher that only single method employed may not be enough for res I used various methods to collect data and information which was required for the research project. The worthiest way was the meeting with the financial director which answered most of my research questions to achieve the research objective and it also helped me to understand the business objective of the company. I did a lot of search through internet search engines to analyze and interpret my research questions and without this I wouldnt have been able to achieve my objective. Comment: This section informs what research methodology is but does not tell us what methodology has been adopted whether research will be carried out through quantitative, qualitative or mixed methods. Please specify that you justify why a particular methodology will be adopted. PART 2 Information gathering and accounting/business techniques For the information gathering different approached has been used for the research and analysis project: see my comment highlighted in blue in 2.2. Internet is one of the main secondary sources of quick information and research, which has been widely, is used in doing this project. It took considerable time to separate the related data from the information available. I also used the companys website for collection of information where most of information was available. Further information was also collected regarding marketing policies and strategies, ethical issues and their impact on the business and economy. ACCA Professional level Manuals, namely P1 (Professional Accountant) and P3 (Business Analysis) also helped in my understanding of ethical issues and their impact on the business. Conventional library research: soon after choosing the topic for my research and analysis, I started to read relevant reports from different books, in articles published in business magazines and journals and existing reports on the company. All research was carried out in libraries across London such as British Library, City Business Library, and Ilford Central library London, This process enabled me to gather and analyses the information relating to Barclays plc. Questionnaires for getting the general views and opinions of the general public has been used as primary source of information, which is more reliable as research has put a lot of effort to administer them as accurate as possible to get best outcome, which could justify with the project as well as could be helpful for Barclays in future. 2.2 Methodology used to collect information Based on the Research and Analysis project objectives of the research primary and secondary data collection techniques, a questionnaire will be formed in order to collect the primary data for this research project. Comment: This statement should be presented in the beginning of Part 2 of your report above. You have to elaborate the Primary and Secondary sources that what techniques will be applied for primary and secondary data. (Merge this section with above and explain primary and secondary sources separately. You gain need to make sure it links with your chosen research methodology (qualitative, quantitative or mixed methods). 2.3 The limitations of information gathering Although there was a huge sum of information available about marketing techniques, the objective of researcher was to only gather information related to the service industry. While collecting the data some limitations was considered: Most of the information researcher has used to produce this repost is collected from the books, questionaries and internet Researcher focused on using of secondary data for project which was conveniently available and reliable but some problems with secondary data included: Data out of date Incomplete Data Format incompatible for peers comparative information Data inaccessible / not presented in useful form Sometimes the information about the current marketing techniques which are highly sensitive for any company was not readily available and it appeared to be very difficult to arrange a meeting with the management of company. At times, some information may have characteristically been overlooked due to human error which may have not resulted in the desired results in information gathering. Some of the information required specialist knowledge to understand and may be difficult for public to understand. The management of the most of the organization is reluctant to provide any information which is publicly not available. So I have to rely on the data which is publicly available through different sources. Another problem with information gathering was that organizations normally never publish information which could have an adverse impact on their image. In view of this, I gathered the information from secondary sources although it may have proved relatively less reliable and fair. 2.4 Ethical issues arose during information gathering and their solutions Some of the ethical issues arose in information gathering processes are: I got some of the information from different articles which were published about Barclays plc. The ethical issues to look out for in the articles were any possible examples of potentially misleading advertisements, or complaints of customers. Most of the information collect and utilized by the researcher used in report is unbiased. Researcher did not get any information or feedback of questions which could have been ethically wrong. Researcher has tried to get feedback and opinion from the public through questionnaires but some members of the public were reluctant to give their views, although some were not aware of the terminology. Researcher has tried to gather information from individuals who could have had an influence in the economic forums / discussions / financial industry and marketing managers of financial service providers about marketing strategies; however they appeared to be more concerned about economic wealth and companys individuality. Researcher of the project tried to gather some of information from staff members of the company, based at Barclays plc. Main branch in, London but that was very hard to approach them regarding the topic chosen for the research and analysis project. 2.5 The accounting/business techniques used and their limitations I used internet search engines Google search. I found Google search to be a very good tool to get answers from different websites. It returned relevant web results to my search queries and directed me to various websites, newspapers and books. And I also put my questions on Yahoo Answers and got different answers from different panels. This was very useful tool as it helped me a lot on different occasions. I used MS Excel to create a questionnaire in the form of a check list, and marked relevant boxes with (Æ’-) or ( ´) depending on my findings. The sheet can be seen in Appendix 1. For this information I visited the companys websites for both Barclays plc. And read all information which provided answers to the questionnaire prepared in the Excel sheet. Graphical presentation of data obtained from the questionnaires of the general opinion of the public has been which helped me understand the strategic view point about marketing and customers thinking and approach of banks and financial services. It also indicated how the banks plan to achieve their targets by operational efficiency and new technology. PART 3 Results, analysis, conclusions and recommendations 3.1 The United Kingdom Financial System: It is very difficult to highlight the importance of banks in todays economic system to have a good relationship between banks and other sectors of the economy. This is because of the crucial role that banks plays in an economys financial system. According to Adam Smith in 1934 the banking system was one of the key agents in the whole process of development. Banks speed up the process of economic development by mobilizing the available resource and making more funds for them as well as for economy. Financial system stability assessment, prepared by the Monetary and Exchange affairs and the European I Departments, Approved by Stefan Ingves Micheal Deppler Feburary 7, 2003. This financial system stability assessment (FSSA) is based on work of an IMF mission that visited United Kingdom (UK) as part of financial sector assessment programme (FSAP) in February, May and July, 2002. In addition, mission members visited supervisors in New York and Germany to discuss cross border supervision related issues related to the UK, and undertook work related to global market in London during an international Capital Markets Department mission in there March 2002. Follow up discussions on the FSAP findings took place from November 21-27. 2002 in the context of the 2002 Article IV consultation. Potential risks for the UK banking system arise from both domestic and International sources. Slower than envisaged recovery in global demand or further declines in global equity prices are the major risks for UK banking system. On the domestic side, high household and corporate debt levels have so far been offset by effects on servicing capacity of low interests rates and a relatively mild slowdown in activity in late 2001 and early 2002. However, risk to the financial system could arise from deteriorating domestic economic conditions, rising unemployment, or higher interest rates than currently expected, especially if these are accompanied by significant declines in property prices from their current high levels. These factors also need to be seen against the trend towards some narrowing in profit margins at least among the bigger banks, due in part to continuing competitive pressures, regulatory pressures to limits some service fees, and rising loan loss provisions. 3.2 The Market Concept and Service Marketing: The growth of services industry is not only because of marketing development but due to economic growth and advanced standards of living. Initially service sector of the economy is not marketing oriented. Marketing factor has been ignored and lagged behind as compared to the product sector of the economies. And generally been slow in promotional activities, strategies and marketing techniques. By the research on this project few reasons for the lacking of marketing in service industry could be identified. Services are intangible and hence create difficult marketing challenges for service industry. Services providers such as in banks think themselves as a creator rather than as a marketer of financial services. They emphasise to equate marketing with selling and they fail to consider other part of the marketing system. Now most of the successful banks adopted advanced marketing strategies in order to achieve their objectives, as from the past experiences it has been noticed that marketing in both sectors is very crucial. Now we can see the established marketing function, and research in marketing and development is emphasised. 3.3 Features of Financial Services: Specific nature of financial service creates specific marketing challenges and opportunities. These results in strategic marketing programs which are generally different from product marketing. Some of the important features of financial services are: Intangibility Heterogeneity Fluctuating Demand Inseparability Barclays Marketing definition is Marketing stretches you right from the beginning of a marketing process to launch. (Robin Martin, 2011 Future Leader Marketing and Products) 3.4 Evaluation of services provided by Banks: Banks are doing lot of effort to attract retail businesses as well as individuals. For the customers continence banks credit cards have been introduced. More advanced and upgraded services such as insurance policies, monthly bills payments methods, personal financial help, 24 hour money withdrawal facilities and e banking have been launched. Some of the highlighted services of banks for individuals, and business customers are: Debit cards Cash dispenser and automated teller machine Investment management Safe custody and safe deposit Finance provision for businesses Money transfer facilities Insurance policies Advisory services. 3.5 Marketing Processes: As it is obvious that customers are central to the marketing so banks or any financial institutes have to do continuous research to identify and respond to the needs of the customers profitability. In the marketing process starting point is to recognise the individuality and recognising their importance, which they differ from each other and hence their needs and wants are different from each other. A bank cannot satisfy all needs of the customers, so the second stage in the marketing process is recognising which customers and which needs would be potentially profitable for them. Marketing is a continuous process and for effective and successful marketing, banks needs to make their purpose clear also strategies they employee to accomplish their objectives. Bank Marketing Objectives Banks Strengths and Weaknesses Opportunities and ThreatsThe overall marketing process starts with the corporate objectives of the Barclays as illustrated in the figure, in the context of mission statement, as the directional beacon provides the strategies and objectives for the realisation of the objectives.Consedring other aspects of strategic management, the process involves continuous discussion, analysation, evaluation, review feedback and decision to reconcile and harmonize the marketing techniques with corporate objectives from which the marketing objectives derive. Environmental Analysis Bank Marketing Organisation Bank Marketing Strategy Appraisal Relocation of Sources Strategic Planning 3.6 Approach of marketing of financial services: Developing marketing programme in service industry is very challenging, however as in product marketing management should first define its marketing objectives and its target markets. For that management should develop, design and implement marketing mix strategies to figure out its markets and fulfil marketing goal. Marketing manager of financial services should understand the component and population and income as they affect the market for the services. They need to determine for each market segment, why customers buy the given services. Market segmentation for the financial services enables the banks to select the potentially most profitable segment, and to concentrate resources on the segment chosen, thus making activity better focussed and less wasteful. 3.7 Planning and Developing Strategies of Services: In the marketing process of planning and developing new services, management should select appropriate strategies regarding: What services will be offered. What will be the length and breadth of the services mix offered? What needs to be done in the way of service attributes such as customer relations or providing guarantees? It is impressive to take into account consideration the centrality of the customer and what makes him need the services. Whether corporate or personal, customers needs vary and change throughout their lifetime. Design, audit, producing and developing the service require continuous research and regular review of it features, the use of packaging with other associated services and the trend in the market place. Competitors services and their effects similarly require continuous marketing research, as do the changes in the consumer preferences, so that new and modified services can be introduced to meet anticipated changes in demand and consumer requirements. 3.8 Pricing Strategies of services: Price is very important factor for customer consideration. Subject to regularity constraints, price is relatively flexible element in the market. The elasticity of demand for financial services should influence the price set by the seller. 3.9 Channel of Distribution of Services: In recent years, some organisations have realised that the characteristics of inseparability is not an insurmountable limitation to a sellers distribution system. The location of the service seller or the sellers agent should be conveniently accessible to customers. Banks have increased their businesses their business by installing 24-hour mechanical tellers and by setting up teller windows for drive in customers. The laudable week 3.10 Customer Relations: As on the one hand government provides the legislative and regulatory environment, same like on other hand customers provides the market. As suppliers of the stock in trade deposits and consumers of the services, customers constitute the pillar and lifeline for banking. Therefore they make the greatest demand on banks, the most important being getting their money back when they want it and some of the banks money when they need it. In the market place customers are broken down into groups with different ideas of what they want. The largest group is the one looking for a low-price, no frills services- but of course low prices often go hand in hand with low profits. The group who are prepared to pay for exceptional quality is small, but probably more profitable for the company. The company has to decide where its own strengths lie in terms of meeting customer expectation, and then decide whether it is able to meet the needs of its chosen target group better than the competition can do it (Jim Blythe, Principle Practice of Marketing, 2005, p-178) In these different groups of customers, the Barclays plc lies in the group D, which customer are willing to pay more for exceptional quality, because the airline are operating at premium services. Premium customers also want reliability and consistency in the services and like the increased flexibility. 3.11 Statistical Tools Applied in Data Analysis: Questionnaires as a primary source of information are used in collecting data. In the questionnaires both the open ended and close ended form of questions has been used to control and guide the respondents from deviating unnecessarily from the subject of the research and to prevent them from giving irrelevant views about the subject matter. The data obtained from the questionnaires is administered and analysed accurately, but to the concern of the researcher is to obtain the desired result from the diverse opinion and multiple suggestions. Different tools such as tables, charts, pie charts, diagrams and other mathematical and statistical calculations involving averages, ratios, and percentages have been used to analyse and evaluate the data obtained from the questionnaires. Comments: Part 3 is a major part and it is very weak. You mentioned that questionnaire will be used. Then where is the analysis of those questions asked in the questionnaire. That analysis should be presented in this section. The project is related to accounting therefore you would have presented some factual information through Balance Sheet or Profit and Loss statement and indicate how much expenses organisation is making on Marketing. It would be good if some rations are used to calculate that the expenditures on marketing is producing some profits for the company. The information can be collected from internet ot other sources etc. Overall project should be for 60

Saturday, July 20, 2019

The Suppression of the Other and Self-Enlightenment in William Wordsworths Resolution and Independence :: essays research papers

My response to William Wordsworth’s Resolution and Independence focuses upon the precept that Wordsworth’s narrator uses the tale of the Leech Gatherer as a means to achieve ‘resolution’ to his own internal crisis. This is highlighted by, in my opinion, the narrator not so much paying attention to the Leech Gatherer’s tale, yet instead his pre-occupation with what he wants to interpret from the tale in order to satisfy his needs. I further argue that in doing so Wordsworth’s poem constructs the Leech Gatherer as the ‘other’, and that his ‘otherness’ is suppressed by converting him into a mere instrument by which the narrator attains enlightenment. Although my reading of the poem is heavily focused on the encounter between the narrator and the Leech Gatherer, this doesn’t occur until the eighth stanza. The poem starts with the narrator out for a stroll, feeling â€Å"as happy as a boy† marveling at the offerings of nature in the sunshine following a â€Å"roaring in the wind all night.† What struck me from these opening stanzas was the rhyming pattern used throughout the poem. Set in ‘rhyme royal’ I found the meter both inviting and accessible, which made for an entertaining read from the outset. However from this pleasant beginning, quite suddenly and apparently inexplicably during the fourth stanza, the narrator undergoes a violent mood swing: ‘As high as we have mounted in delight/In our dejection do we sink so low;/ To me that morning did it happen so.’ This sudden change left me quite disorientated and perplexed as to cause of his depression. After re-reading the passage and considering it in the context of the entire poem I felt that this mood swing was the reader’s first indication of the narrator’s status as a poet. This notion of a poet’s perspective remained at the foreground of my reading and I felt constantly reminded that the narrator’s subsequent quest for resolution and enlightenment came from the perspective of a poet, not merely an individual. My view of the narrator within this context was not an entirely positive one, as in addition to seeming over-analytical and emotionally fragile – ‘Perplexed and long ing to be comforted’ - I felt he came across as condescending toward the Leach-Gatherer; as if he came from a position of higher moral ground by virtue of his occupation as a poet. Within this context, an observation I found significant was

Kettering :: essays research papers

Kettering Tape   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In listening to Kettering’s lecture there are five main points that I was able to pick out: 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Point of view of failure – The example he gave was that a person going to grades K – 12 take several tests and if they fail just one they are out, however inventors can fail 999 times but if they succeed just once then they are a success not a failure. 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are two kinds of education – Kettering claims that one kind of education is being specialized in one particular subject, and the second form of education is knowing a little bit on a wide variety of subjects. This second form is what Kettering claims to be how inventors were educated. 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I.Q. Tests – Kettering claimed that I.Q. tests have nothing to do with the person taking the test, but rather, what the person administering the test wants them to be. 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Teach kids the future – We are going to spend our time in the future not in the past, so why do we not study the future and study what is going to happen rather than what has already happened that we cannot change. We should educate people for the next 15 – 20 years. 5.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The â€Å"problem† – Kettering states â€Å"The ‘Problem’ has to be the ‘boss’.† From what I get of this he means that you have to come up with a resolution from the problem. The problem has to be the main focus for a reasonable solution to be approached. What do I think of what Kettering said? Where is he right? Where is he wrong? Why?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I cannot say that I agree totally with what he says, but then again I cannot say I totally disagree. He brings up several points that are infinitely arguable. I do agree with the two kinds of education that are stated in number two above. I don’t think there is one best way to teach children wether it be specialized in one subject, or in a wide variety of subjects as each child learns differently and at their own pace.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I don’t think that we can teach children or adults the future.

Friday, July 19, 2019

Competitive Analysis - Car Wash Industry Essay -- Business Analysis

Introduction The task of this assignment is to complete a competitive analysis of two of the largest competitors in the industry of chosen study. This researcher’s chosen field is the Car Wash industry. Unlike many industries, the Car Wash industry does not have dominant players or franchise names that rule across the country. Unlike other automobile related industries such as oil change (Rapid Oil Change), tires and batteries (Goodyear), and auto parts retailers (NAPA), where these types of name players may have thousands of locations throughout the country, there are no big name players in the Car Wash industry. Although there are companies that own and operate multiple car wash facilities, most of these multi-location owners operate multiple locations throughout a metropolitan or regional area and their overall location totals are nominal. Since there is a lack of dominant competitors to analyze, this researcher will focus on an analysis between the two main categories of car wash ownership: full service vs. unattended operations. Industry Overview and Description The Car Wash industry began to start and grow across the U.S. after the conclusion of World War II. America’s economic rebirth and prosperity created a boom in the housing and automobile industry. What began as a business to satisfy Americans’ love of the automobile has grown over the past several decades into an international industry. From washing one’s car in the driveway with a water hose and bucket of soapy water, to the do-it-yourself, unattended coin operated high-pressure wand locations, to today’s professional car washing businesses which feature complex automatic equipment and technological systems to wash cars more safely and effectively than ... ...ion wash bays are a huge competitive risk as these gas retailers usually offer discounted car washes with the purchase of gasoline. For the full-service wash model, they too have to be in tune with cheaper and less service options as in challenging economies, their services become more difficult to justify for the consumer who is worried about income. Competitive rivalry, threat of substitution, and threat of new entry are the forces that the full-service model is at most risk with. Poor service reputation and lack of a strong value proposition puts this car wash model at serious risk of substitution. The treat of new entry for both business models can be significant as there are many new innovations in car wash businesses such as mobile wash stations and new and used car dealerships that are adding this business in what has been a very difficult car economy.

Thursday, July 18, 2019

World Religions Report In APA Style

Judaism is the Jewish religion. It is one of the oldest of the great world religions, and is the mother religion of both Christianity and Islam. Judaism was not founded by one towering personality, as were most other religions. Abraham and Moses are not regarded as founders. Abraham was the â€Å"father of the Hebrew people† and Moses was the â€Å"law-giver†. With the destruction of Solomon’s temple at Jerusalem in 586 B. C. began the scattering of the Hebrews over many lands. From then on Judaism developed as a religion without the priestly class of the ancient temple. Moreover, Judaism is one of the oldest beliefs that are still observed and practiced up to the present and considered as one of the first recorded â€Å"monotheistic† faiths. The Jewish’s values and history are the main part of the foundation of different Abrahamic religions like Christianity, Islam, Samaritanism and the Baha’i Faith. In 2006, Judaism’s devotees are approximately 14 million that makes Judaism faith as the eleventh-biggest organized religion globally. Unlike with other religions, Judaism is totally distinct in such a way that its â€Å"central authority is not vested in any person or group† but it abides in its writings and traditions. This would mean that Judaism religion does not have a head or a leader that oversees them but they rather obey what is written in its writings and traditions. Moreover, the Judaism church is continually bound to a number of religious practices and beliefs, specifically its belief that there is one, omnipotent, omni benevolent, transcended omniscient God who made the heavens and the earth and continually have its control over mankind. The conventional Jewish belief stated that the God who made the universe had made a covenant with the Jewish people only and gave his laws and commandments through Torah. Judaism‘s belief and practices are focused on these laws and commandments (see Asheri, Michael. Living Jewish: the Lore and law of the Practicing Jew, 1999). According to Jewish law, anyone who has a Jewish mother counts as a Jew, even if he or she is not religious. Many Jews do, however, actively follow the religious practices of Judaism. Judaism is one of the world’s oldest religions, beginning some 3,500 years ago in the Middle East. Today, there are about 18 million Jews. They live all over the world, but mostly in the United States, Europe and Israel. There are many different groups of Jews with different ways of practicing their faith. The main groups are Orthodox, Reform and Conservative Jews (see Jacobs, Louis. The Book of Jewish Belief (Behrman House, 2000). II. Background According to the Jewish holy books, the first Jew was a man called Abraham, who is known as the father of the Jewish people. He was the leader of a group of nomadic people, called the Hebrews. At that time, the Hebrews worshipped many different gods. Abraham taught his people that there is only one God and that they should worship only him. Jews believe that God made a covenant, or agreement, with Abraham. If Abraham and his people worshipped God and lived good and just lives, God would look after them and give them a land of their own to live in. This was the Promised Land of Canaan (see Shenker, Israel. Coat of many Colors: Pages from Jewish Life (Doubleday, 2001). The Jews settled in Canaan but centuries later, famine forced their descendants to move to Egypt in search of food. They worked for the Egyptians but were treated like slaves and their lives were extremely miserable. God remembered his promise to Abraham and sent a man called Moses to lead the Jews to freedom. Several times, Moses asked the Pharaoh to let the Jews go, but each time he refused. Only after God sent ten terrible plagues to Egypt did the Pharaoh change his mind. Moses led the Jews out of Egypt and into the desert. After 40 years of wandering, God guided the Jews back to the Promised Land (see Prager, Dennis, and Joseph Telushkin. Nine Questions People Ask About Judaism (Simon & Schuster, 1999). The Jewish scriptures are called the Tenakh. They are divided into three parts—the Torah (5 Books of Teaching), the Nevi’im (21 Books of the Prophets) and the Ketuvim (13 Books of Writings). The initials of the three parts—T, N and K—give the word Tenakh. For Jews, the Torah is the most important part of their scriptures because it contains the rules that teach Jews how to live their lives. These are the teachings that God gave to Moses on Mount Sinai during the Jews’ journey through the desert. They are summed up by ten rules, or commandments (see Musaph-Andriesse, R. G. From Torah to Kabbalah: a Basic Introduction to the Writings of Judaism (Oxford University, 1998). 1. I am the Lord your God. 2. Worship no other gods but me. 3. Do not use God’s name falsely. 4. Keep the Sabbath day holy. . Respect your father and mother. 6. Do not kill. 7. Do not commit adultery. 8. Do not steal. 9. Do not tell lies about other people. 10. Do not be jealous of other people’s possessions. Copies of the Torah are handwritten on scrolls and kept in the synagogue, the Jewish place of worship. Traditional Jews follow the Torah exactly and believe that its teachings should not be changed. Less traditional Jews believe that the teaching of the Torah can be adapted to make them more suitable for modern life. Jews can worship anywhere but many choose to pray with other Jews at the synagogue. The word synagogue means â€Å"meeting place†. Synagogues are not only places of worship but also centers for study, celebration and for the community to meet. Large synagogues have services every day but many Jews go to the synagogue only on the Sabbath (called Shabbat in Hebrew) (see below) and special holy days. The service on the morning of the Sabbath lasts for about two hours. A service includes prayers, blessings and readings from the Torah and is led by a teacher, called a rabbi. Readings from the Torah are given from a raised platform, called a bimah, in the centre of the synagogue. When they are not in use, the scrolls of the Torah are kept in a special alcove, called the Holy Ark. This is the holiest part of the synagogue. Everyone faces the Ark as they pray (see Musaph-Andriesse, R. G. From Torah to Kabbalah: a Basic Introduction to the Writings of Judaism (Oxford University, 1998). At services in the synagogue, Jewish men wear a small cap, called a kippah, to show respect for God. At some services, men also wear a prayer shawl that reminds the person wearing it of God. Traditional Jews may also wear two small leather boxes, called tefillin. One is worn on the middle of the forehead; the other is tied to the arm, facing the heart. Inside the boxes are tiny scrolls on which passages from the Torah are written. The tefillin remind Jews that they should love God with their whole hearts and minds (see Musaph-Andriesse, R. G. From Torah to Kabbalah: a Basic Introduction to the Writings of Judaism (Oxford University, 1998). III. Discussion A. Name and Location of the Site The interview was conducted at Mikvah Chabad House at New Brunswick, New Jersey this is where I had the chance to conversed and interview Gary Austein. It is the place where Jewish people go for spiritual purification. Going in these place help Jewish women come together with their husband and together with their love for each other where in they also follow the commandments that God has established for His people. Mitzvah of Mikvah is one of their tradition in which helps them get more connected with their God. B. Interview Summary During the interview I asked Gary Austein the important holidays and traditions of this religion. He answered â€Å"The important holidays and tradition of Judaism are Yom Kippur. Rosh Hashana and the Passover. The holiest day in the Jewish calendar is Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. This day is set aside to repent for the sins of the previous year. It is a day when any adult who has been Bar/Bat Mitzvah’d (age 12-13) fasts and reflects on the past year and asks God for forgiveness. Rosh Hashana is the previous weeks and is the Jewish New Year. Passover is in the spring and it is a time when Jews cannot eat unleavened bread reflecting on the Israelites exodus from Egypt. † When I asked him on how Judaism has shaped his life. And I quote â€Å"Religion defines who I am as a person. I would say I am a Jew first and an American second, that is how important it is to me. My value and belief system is a product of my Jewish identity and upbringing. My adult life has brought my Judaism more into my life than ever as I now have a Jewish home, Jewish wife and child on the way. I also work at a Jewish Day School so I am always reminded of my Jewish identity as both my professional and personal life revolves around my religion. † Jews throughout the world are always a target of anti-Semitism. This is a fact that they accepted and so with other families. It is scary that millions upon millions of people have been murdered because of their belief in Judaism. Between the Holocausts, pogroms in Russia, and terrorist’s attacks, an astounding amount of Jews have died because of their belief. Society is not very conducive for an observant Jewish lifestyle; Jews are supposed to observe the Sabbath (Friday night to Saturday night) and are not supposed to drive, work, spend money, etc. A lot happens on the weekends so this is difficult. Also if you keep Kosher (Jewish dietary restrictions) it is difficult to eat out as the vast majority of food and restaurants are not kosher. People have much false impression about Judaism. A lack of understanding and acceptance has led to misconceptions, not only of Judaism, but throughout the world. People need to always remind themselves that both Christianity and Islam were born from Judaism. Both religions accept the Torah (the Jewish Bible, also referred to at the Old Testament) as the word of God and credit Judaism for the birth of their respective religions. If people are more aware of this people then maybe open to differences of people. Judaism defines who a Jew is, they wear it as a badge of honor. For them it is amazing that time still honors traditions that are still practiced at present. Something like male circumcision is the oldest religious tradition in the world today. It is amazing that it has lasted for thousands of years. It shows the resiliency and the testament of the Jewish faith that they are able to continue throughout the generations. Judaism has greatly shaped his life as a Jew. And it is through the people around that have helped him a lot in his Religious belief. His parents gave him his Jewish identity and the friends of his family have nurtured it. His best friend who is a rabbinical student has been very influential in shaping his Jewish identity. His marriage also shaped his Jewish identity as his wife converted to Judaism which has given him a newfound zeal and love for his religion. His study of Holocaust has been a dramatic part of his Jewish identity. Finally his visits to Israel, the Jewish state has given him a unique pride in his homeland. He considers himself a Conservative Jew which is best classified as the middle of the road. For the most part, Jews of different backgrounds are fairly understanding and respectful of the traditions and practices of other sects of Judaism, with the exception of the ultra-Orthodox movement. He believes that if you are a Jewish according to the laws and traditions of Moses then it does not matter how you practice as long as you believe it in your heart. However, he believes that there are certain misinterpretations some of the other sects have undertaken, but that is not something that he could be worried or be burden about. Judaism has been the common bond of the Jewish people. It is the foundation of their culture and the reason for the creation of Israel, the Jewish State. Israel is the most important tangible asset they have and something that must be protected at all costs. Judaism is the reason the Jewish people have and are persecuted, yet is the belief and intangible asset that keeps them together as a people. The Covenant is the â€Å"agreement† between God and Abraham, the patriarch of the Jewish people, that the Jews will be â€Å"the chosen people. This is a fact that is accepted by both Christians and Muslims alike. This covenant was symbolized by Abraham being circumcised and is something that is required for all Jewish males a week after they are born. This is a common misconception. All three of the major monotheistic religions, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam have more similarities than differences. Their major prophets are the same; their historical texts are born out of the Je wish Bible, and their belief in one all powerful, all knowing, and benevolent God are distinct commonalities. They all practice and worship God in different ways, but when it comes down to it, they were all born from Abraham and Sarah, meaning they are all brothers and sisters. IV. Comparing Judaism to Christianity A. Christianity Christianity is the religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. It began in Palestine and was proclaimed the fulfillment of Jewish teaching regarding the coming of the messiah, promised by God to redeem man from sin. Jesus taught the doctrine of the Hebrew prophets that the Jews were God’s chosen people and therefore had the right to hear the message of the Gospel before all others. However, his teachings had a universal objective and were destined to reach every man and nation (see McCollister, J. C. The Christian Book of Why (Jonathan David, 2000). Christianity is a missionary religion, holding that Christ’s message was intended for the whole world, not just for a particular area of people. In Mark 16:15-16, Jesus is quoted as saying: â€Å"Go ye into the entire world, and preach the gospel to the whole creation. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Christianity has been not only a religious force, but also a social and political one. Often it has been imposed by military power that hardly seems in keeping with the precepts of the gentle Jesus. Nevertheless, the moral lessons taught by Christianity have had a profound effect in teaching man to deal justly with his fellows and to observe the pleas of Jesus to â€Å"love thy neighbor as thyself† (Matthew 19:19). About one-fourth of the world’s people are Christians. Christian churches have an estimated world membership of more than 1. 6 billion—more than twice the membership of any other religion. The original basic beliefs of Christianity are stated in the Apostles’ Creed. It affirms that Jesus Christ is the son of God and that God sent him to earth to live as a man and to suffer and die for the redemption of mankind. It also states the belief that Jesus, after being crucified, arose from the dead and ascended to heaven, from which he will return to earth to judge the living and the dead. Belief that Jesus was born of a virgin mother and that there is a life for man after death are essential parts of the creed (see McCollister, J. C. The Christian Book of Why (Jonathan David, 2000). Man’s need for help from a higher power was stressed in religions earlier than Christianity. The concept of God as benevolent and forgiving—rather than as vengeful— is a main tenet of the Christina’s faith. Another Christian belief is that even though man has sinned seriously and separated himself from the love of God, he can be saved by repentance. The necessity, and therefore the possibility, of communion between God and man are accepted by all Christians (see Wiggins, James, and R. S. Ellwood. Christianity: a Cultural Perspective (Prentice-Hall, 2002). B. Doctrinal Differences At first, the gospel of Jesus was spread by his disciples, followers who remembered his sayings. As gentiles (non-Jews) as well as Jews entered the church, the influence of other minds began to be seen in the interpretation of doctrines. In this work, early Christian theologians borrowed ideas from the teachings of the Greek philosophers. At the same time, national traits and customs began to affect rituals and observances. Even within each of the three great divisions of the Christian church—Roman Catholic, Protestant, and eastern Orthodox—there are variations of practice. This is particularly true of the Protestants. The sacrament of baptism provides an example. Baptists hold that the convert must be completely immersed in water; Methodists believe that sprinkling water on the head is sufficient. Most denominations baptize infants, but some insist that the individual be old enough to understand the meaning of the sacrament (see Walker, Williston. A History of the Christian Church, 4th edition (Sribner’s, 1998). There are other differences. The Disciples of Christ and certain other Protestant groups insist upon using the Bible alone as a source of guidance. The doctrine of the Trinity—the belief that God is three beings (the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) in one divine nature—is accepted as basic by most Christians, but is rejected by Unitarians and Universalists (see Wiggins, James, and R. S. Ellwood. Christianity: a Cultural Perspective (Prentice-Hall, 2002). Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox and Anglicans recognize seven sacraments, while most Protestants recognize only those of Holy Communion (also called the Eucharist or Lord’s Supper) and baptism. Catholics believe that the priest by the sacrament of the Eucharist changes bread and wine into the body and blood of Jesus. Most Protestants see in the ritual only a spiritual representation of the presence of Jesus (see Wiggins, James, and R. S. Ellwood. Christianity: a Cultural Perspective (Prentice-Hall, 2002). The method of church government us a common cause of differences between denominations. The Roman Catholic Church places final authority in the pope, whom it calls the Vicar of Christ. The Episcopal form of church government is headed by bishops of equal authority. Authority over the churches in the Presbyterian form of government is exercised by boards, called presbyteries, ministers and elected laymen. In churches with the congregational type of government, each congregation has complete local rule (see Walker, Williston. A History of the Christian Church, 4th edition (Sribner’s, 1998). IV. Conclusion Judaism is the United States has four branches: Orthodox, Reform, Conservative, and Reconstructionist. The total membership of the four branches is lower than the estimated total number of Jews in the United States, because many Jews are not outside the United States and Canada are Orthodox. Orthodox Jews advocate strict observance of traditional rituals and customs. Hasidic Jews form a small, extremely orthodox, mystical group. Many orthodox synagogues are members of the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America. Reform Jews have abandoned many rituals and customs that they consider unsuited to modern life. They stress the prophetic ideas of the Bible rather than the Law, and emphasize the mission of the Jews to spread godliness throughout the world. The reform movement began early in the 19th century in Germany and is now centered mainly in the United States. The Union of American Hebrew Congregations is an association of reform congregations. Conservative Jews hold a middle ground between the orthodox and the reform. In the United States, this movement began during the 1890’s. The United Synagogue of America is the national organization of Conservative congregations. Reconstructionist Jews observe many of the traditional rituals and customs, but reject supernaturalism and divine revelation. Reconstructionist Judaism was founded by Mordecai Kaplan in the 1920’s as a movement within the Conservative branch. With the establishment of Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in 1968, it emerged as a separate branch of Judaism.