Pandora: disintermediator or disintermediated? Essay

For Pandora, one of the biggest players in Internet radio, figuring out the future is both challenging and intimidating. If the regular challenges of growing a new company aren’t enough, Pandora also faces a market that is reeling in turmoil. In the new digital world, the way people listen to music continues to change dramatically. It seems likely that Pandora will either lead the changes or fall victim to them. Pandora was founded just over a decade ago. At that time, a vast majority of music listeners were still getting their groove on in one of two ways: They either popped a CD into their home, car, or personal CD player or they turned on the old AM/FM radio. But the advent of digital formats like MP3s has had a huge impact on CD sales and has drawn people away from what is now called â€Å"terrestrial radio.† Moreover, like the music business, the radio business has faced major changes of its own. The Telecommunications Act of 1996 reduced limitations on the number of stations that one owner could hold. This led to huge ownership groups that consolidated and standardized listening formats. The result is less diversity on the radio, with shorter playlists and fewer artists represented. From one city to the next, all across the United States, radio stations have started to sound more alike. Both these trends – combined with the explosion of Internet usage and changes in online technologies – have led to a deluge of companies trying to capitalize on the future of music distribution. This includes download services such as iTunes, subscription services such as Rhapsody and eMusic, an endless number of Internet radio stations, and even satellite   radio network SirriusXM. Today, with an ever†growing list of listening devices and cloud music services that store personal music libraries so they can be accessed anywhere by any device, listening trends continue to evolve. But one thing about the future is certain: The business of listening to music is full of disruption and confusion. Things are changing fast and the winning products and services—indeed, the survivors—are yet to be determined. The Power of People Amid the chaos, Pandora has carved out its own niche, setting itself apart as an automated music recommendation service. It isn’t a play†on†demand service, where members can simply choose the exact song and artist they want. Rather, listeners enter an artist or song suggestion. The playlist starts with a track by the r equested artist and inserts additional songs by that artist every once in a while. But in between, Pandora cues up songs by other artists similar in nature to the requested material. If an unliked or unwanted song plays, the listener can click the â€Å"thumbs down† icon or just skip the song and it will be removed from the list. Users can also create stations by browsing artists alphabetically, or they can tune in to pre†made genre stations or to other users’ stations. Listener’s can create as many stations as they wish, each oriented around the initial input. Lots of online services employ similar recommendation features (think Netflix and Amazon). But Pandora has set a precedent by the predictive power of its recommendation software. The Pandora software is amazingly precise at choosing material that fits with what the user wants. According to Tim Westergren, founder and Chief Strategy Officer for Pandora,

Shouldice Hospital Limited. Case Study Analysis

EXHIBIT 1 Acceltion,s Service Guarantee Quaury oF Srnvlcn GueneNTEE TheAccelIionQualitvofServiceGuaranteedefines,AcceI1ion,sassurance*, Ifj:r:fl†. ‘,f†,iljtm3;:ru:mlFj *-Hiri,†Ã¢â‚¬ Ã¢â‚¬  dil;;affi,. irn † 1. Perfonnance Guarantee a†ri,,iuo. , or'te-. *r,sea ne. â€Å"i,, is the same as Accellion guarantees that the performance of the. Net-work uproading and downloading content, Accellion service' will be no t*t p†. â€Å"*t of that w1n hich';;. hr;†*d by a benchmik origin as a resurt of usine the site being accessejfrom r. ‘ ‘r†Ã¢â‚¬ Ã¢â‚¬Ëœibii , ffi,ltji'fi ::,Ti:T:t ‘u p†Ã¢â‚¬Ëœf†Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃ¢â‚¬ Ã¢â‚¬ ilffi, p†,ro. *u,'†Ã¢â‚¬  *iTly*il? ::T::#? Jr:[:il:,:xHi. il:ilabilitv, 3.Customer Service -â€Å",****,L,;;tr o;;;,%li o, o†. ;r,o. ,. excludingForce Maieureand schedured Maintenance for customers Guarantee should Accellion fail to meet the service levels set out in section s 1 and 2 with one (L) month's service fee ror Accenion will credit ttre monttirir†Ã¢â‚¬ tua-*n†r,,n† r†,i†[Gl3bove account .;;†d;;;;iili,i†t*. mer the customer,s ritten notice to Accellion of such failure gives w withi'ii;;6) aays rrom ttre J* ,†Ã¢â‚¬ r1 rrrr†re occurred. with this requirement,wil r†rr†it. rt†t†;il;;/r The Customer's rrii†* t†. â€Å"*fry right to receive such credit. Accellion will notify the c†ttom†Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ. ,o L:::I†frffixirabre or anv other iI* ir'i1 ;s r,or. , liauyrf;;;y*. J of scheduled Maintenance. I reas†Ã¢â‚¬ ;;;ni†;;ii p;fi;', ffir;tn† c,,i. -,†Ã¢â‚¬ . 1;J;;i;;ii,†Ã¢â‚¬ Ã¢â‚¬ ,saryf the service acrion to *†fffflflffi[rffi;';::lJ;:,Ji;:;†*,†. :il$J;t3i:J:fl*f;::il::#*il::::†* 4. Security and privacy policy ,o any inquiry in re,a,ion,o Accellion has comolete respect for the Customer's privac y and that of any custome,r data stored in Accellion service does not require Acce,ion servers. The Customers i† prtJa† i†y;a:lr'r†i;;te servers' All information provided details for the data being stored on the to a†. â€Å"uio†iy' tLr† c†. r. i',†r';;;r†i'i;, he Customer,, ;il:ilT I†v r,u,,† u†t†,, ,or† b†r,†rit. A,ccerion w,I not hat the Disclosure of Customer's itrtt'†Ã¢â‚¬Ëœti. † 5. iui]'i. A. â€Å"†[ion's ;t;il:;,,, &:i:T†Ã¢â‚¬ ,t:ffi:1nir. ;r',1;li:ffi;d##Hi; ilJ'A'ff1†³Ã¢â‚¬ËœX;1T'. |,H:†fiH^dr:1[:o'aut, to possession shalr i-tu†t *'† . ifntI . ,*p. ffity onlybe made where such disclosure is *a to the terms or use or â€Å",,]o,† Accellion will ensure-that th† ct'stom†Ã¢â‚¬ s informatiorr and data [areJ ke{1cur9 or imProPer use' which includes t'trqg;ii*r;uur† rt†p, io rr. ri,fil,tr1r,. mer,s adenrity d protected from unauthorized access i before granring access. EXHllBlr Dear Team, 2 orAcclrionEmail to All Accellion staff Announcing the Launch of the oos Guarantee [T X':i'ji:#:ffi11:;J:T? ,i? :]†#t'^Y^:l:1*8 vua,ry ot ervlce guarantee read it over very carefully. vo† iulLri†Ji;;;;;1/†;†*u16 Quarirvof service suarantee (Qos). prease Please ancr puts t ‘† ownership o in this company to deliver. C†r,o. â€Å"†. , ompanf c ustomers aon,r wen+ . â€Å"J9,flT? ‘L†l31d irt nuts *he -o*r,†rrnipi†n ever d o,. ,;t;;t-;1q6btcDDrve' ;†;;;;† ,;;h#; theirnetwo'rkrip;*;;irr†rilrhcfi–,*–. –. ,f1. ‘-t-â€Å",LevelAgreement(sLA);ttruy;†rt**i *::::;ilffl:r. H,ffi :Slfl a*Xi A;::#J:ffi â€Å"‘,,*:mf :'†**:*;$ii+,r,fr;y:'^,'†j,:nTffi 18,. #,†l*iF:iqd-. i†Ã¢â‚¬ ;'ffi â€Å"H? ::1H:J:†H:'†;T†;1f 3†³tr:; As a member of the Accellion –Lt, vl\_. 1. team, you are key to our client,s satisfaction. Thanks in advance for your suPport in making our clients and ourselves successful. |.. 4? j:|ir!. -. ‘!. ii. ‘,l:*||-:i;:1:†|:|i||::l.. ;:::1,;:::;:;j::i. ];::|:i:]i::::::jl:]]j:::::]:. :::]] L. what is the marketing impact of a well-designed guarantee? 2. Eaaluate Exhibit the_ seraice design of Acceilion,s guarantee shown in r-. How ffictiae wilr it ui rn communicating seraice exceuence to potentiar and current customers? would you recommend any changes to its design or imple_ mentation? 3†² will he guarantee be successfut in creating a curture for seraice exceilence within Aiceilion? whit erse may be needed for achieoing such a culture? . Do you 4' think customers mEht take adaantage of this guarantee and â€Å"stage† seraice f;ilures to inaokeTlrr'grorantee? If yes, how could Acceuion minimize potentiar iheating on its guarantee? The Accellion Service Guaran tee Sg1r Case 16 Shouldic e Ho spit al Limite d (Abri dge d) JeuEs Hpsrprr AND Rocnn HellowELL A Canadian hospital specializing in hernia operations is considering whether and how to expand the reach of its seraices, including expansion into other specialty areas.Various proposals haae been adaanced to increase the capacity of the hospital without demotiaating the staff or losing control oaer seraice quality, which, in addition to achieoing excellent medical outcomes, has created a aery deaoted base of patient â€Å"alumni. † Options include adding Saturday surgical operations, building an extension, and constructing a neTD hospital in another location, perhaps in the United States. TWo shadowy figures, enrobed and in slippers, walked slowly down the semi-darkened hall of the Shouldice Hospital. They didn't notice Alan O'Dell, the hospital's managing director, and his guest.Once they were out of earshot, O'Dell remarked good nature dLy, â€Å"By the way they act, you'd think our patients own this place. And while they're here, in a way they do. † Following a visit to the five operating rooms, O'Dell and his visitor once again encountered the same pair of patients still engrossed in discussi. g their hernia operations, which had been performed the previous morning. HrsroRY An attractive brochure that was recently printed, although neither dated nor distributed to prospective patients, described Dr. Earle Shouldice, the founder of the hospital: Dr. Shouldice's interest in early ambulation stemmed, ffi:.? :T,]1;5,T? j:T]:J†H-â€Å",H,::,T#|'^# the girl's subsequent refusal to stay quietly in bed. In spite of her activity, no harm was done, and the experience recalled to the doctor the postoperative actions of animals upon which he had performed sur gery. They had all moved about freely with no ill effects. By 1,940, Shouldice had given extensive thought to several factors that contributed to early ambulation following surgery. Among them were the use of a local anesthetic, the nature of the surgical procedure itself, the design of a facility to encourage movement without unnecessarily causing discomfort, and the postoperative egimen. With these things in mind, he began to develop a surgical technique for repairing herniasl that was superior to others; word of his early success generated demand. Dr. Shouldice's medical license permitted him to operate anywhere, even on a kitchen table. However, as more and more patients requested operations, Dr. Shouldice created new facilities by buying a rambling 130acre estate with a 17,}}0-square foot main house in the Toronto suburb of Thornhill. After some years of planning, a large wing was added to provide a total capacity of 89 beds. Dr. Shouldice died in 1965. At that time, ShouldiceHospital Limited was formed to operate both the hospital and clinical facilities under the surgical direction of Dr. Nicholas Obney. In 1999, Dr. Casim Degani, an internationally-rec o g nrzed autho rity, b ecame surge on-inchief. By 2004,7,600 operations were performed per year. THr SHouLDtcE METHoD Only external (vs. internal) abdominal hernias were repaired at Shouldice Hospital. Thus most first-time repairs, â€Å"primaries,† were straightforward operations requiring about 45 minutes. The remaini. g procedures involved patients suffering recurrences of hernias previously repaired elsewhere. Many of the recurrences and very difficult hernia repairs required 90 minutes or more. In the Shouldice method, the muscles of the abdominal wall were affanged in three distinct layers, and the opening was repaired-each layer in turn-by overlapping its margins as the edges of a coat might be overlapped when buttoned. The end result reinforced the muscular wall of the abdomen with six rows of sutures (stitches) under the skin cover, which was then closed with clamps that were later removed. (Other methods might not separate muscle layers, often involved feH,er :ilil';,†#:1â⠂¬ ³3i*:ffi':T,'†:nvorvedtheinsertionotCoPyright O 2004 President and Fellows of Harvard College. To order copies or request permission to reproduce materials, call 1-800515-7685, write Harvard Business School Publishing, Boston, MA021,63, or go to http://www. hbsp. harvard. edu. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, used in a spreadshee! or transmitted in any form or by any means–electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise-without the permission of Harvard Business School. Professor James Heskett prepared the original version of this case, â€Å"Shouldice Hospital Limited,† HBS No. 583-068.This version was prepared jointly by Professor James Heskett and Roger Hallowell (MBA 1989, DBAI997). HBS cases are developed solely as the basis for class discussion. Cases are not intended to serve as endorsements, sources of primary data, or illusfrations of effective or ineffective management. 592 A typical first-tim e repair could be completed with the use of preoperative sedation (sleeping pill) and analgesic (pain killer) plus a local anesthetic, an injection of Novocain in the region of the incision. This allowed immediate post-operative patient ambulation and facilitated rapid recovery. THe PaTIENTS' ExpERIENcEMost potential Shouldice patients learned about the hos- pital from previous shouldice patients. Although thousands of doctors had referred patients, doctors were less likely to recommend shouldice because of the generally regarded simplicity of the surgery, often considered a â€Å"bread and butter† operation. Typically, many patients had their problem diagnosed by upersonal physician and then contacted Shouldice directly. Many *tru made this diagnosis themselves. The process experienced by shouldice patients depended on whether or not they lived close enough to the hospital to visit the facility to obtain a diagnosis.Approximately 10% of shouldice patients came from outside t he province of ontario, most of these from the United States. Anoth er 60†³/o of patients lived beyond the Toronto area. These out-of-own patients often were diagnosed by mail using the Medical Information Questionnaire shown in Exhibit L. Based on information in the questionnaire, a shouldice surgeon would determine the type of hernia the respondent had and whether there were signs that some risk might be associated with surgery (for example, an overweight or heart condition, or a patient who had suffered a heart attack or a stroke n the past six months to a year, or whether a general or local anesthetic was required). At this point, a patient was given a operating date and sent a brochure describing the hospital and the shouldice method. If necess ary, a sheet outlining a weight-loss program prior to surgery was also sent. A small proportion was refused treatment, either because they were overweight, represented an undue medical risk, or because it was determined that they di d not have a hernia. Arriving at the clinic between 1:00 p. M. and 3:00 p. M. the duy before the operation, a patient joined other atients in the waiting room. He or she was soon examined in one of six examination rooms staffed by surgeons who had completed their operating schedules for the day. This examination required no more than 20 minutes, unless the patient needed reassurance. (patients typic ally exhibited a moderate level of anxiety until their operation was completed. ) At this point it occasionally was discovered that a patient had not corrected his or her weight problem; others might be found not to have a hernia at all. In either case, the patient was sent home. After checking administrative details, about an hour fter arrivin 8 at the hospital, a patient was directed to the room number shown on his or her wrist band. Throughout the process, patients were asked to keep their luggage (usually light) with them. All patient rooms at the hospital were semiprivate, containi^ g two beds. patients with similar jobs, backgrounds, or interests were assigned to the same room to the extent possible. upon reaching their rooms, patients busied themselves unpack ing, getting acquainted with roommates, shaving themselves in the area of the opera- tion, and changing into pajamas. At 4:30 P. M. , a nurse's orientation provided the roup of incoming patients with information about what to expect, including the need for exercise after the opera- tion and the daily routine. Accordi. g to Alan OiDell, â€Å"Half are so nervous they don't remember much. ,, Dinner was then served, followed by further recreation, and tea and cookies at 9:00 p. M. Nurses emphasized the importance of attendance at that time because it provided an opportunity for preoperative patients to talk with those whose operations had been completed earlier that same duy. Patients to be operated on early were awakened at 5:30 A. M. tcl be given preop sedation. An attempt was ade to schedule operations for roommates at approximately the same time. patients were taken to the preoperating room where the circulating nurse administered Demerol, an analgesic, 45 minutes before surgery. A few minutes prior to the first operation at 7:20 A. M. , the surgeon assigned to each patient administered Novocain, a local anesthetic, in the operati. g room. This was in contrast to the typical hospital procedure in which patients were sedated in their rooms prior to being taken to the operating rooms. upon the completion of their operation, during which a few patients were â€Å"cha tty', and fuily aware of hat was going on, patients were invited to get off the operating table and walk to the post-operating room with the help of their surgeons. According to the director of nursing: Ninety-nine percent accept the surgeon,s invitation. while we use wheelchairs to return them to their rooms/ the walk from the operating table is for psychological as well as physiologicai [blood pressure, respiratory] reasons. patients prove to themselves that they can do it, and they start their all-important exercise immediately. Throughout the day after their operation, patients were encouraged to exercise by nurses and housekeepers alike. By 9:00 P. M. n the duy of their operations, all patients were ready and able to walk down to the dining room for tea and cookies, even if it meant climbing stairs, to help indoctrinate the new â€Å"crass† admitted that duy. on the fourth morning, patients were ready for dis- charge. During their stay, patients were encouraged to take advantage of the opportunity to explore the premises and make new friends. Some members of the staff felt that the patients and their attitudes were the most important shouldice Hospital Limited (Abridged) 593 (HIBIT ;†EF 1 Medical lnformation O,uestionnai re 5 ‘n,ti,rBER (or Rural Route or P. O. Box) Province/StateTown/City SHOULDICE HOSPITAL 7750 Bayview Avenue Box 379, Thornhill, Ontario L3T 4A3 Canada Ph one (418) 889-1 125 Telephone # (Thornhill – One Mile North Metro Toronto) tq-Frhrr. 1^i il3$-1- rr=CBlv'lATlON: Please give name of lnsurance Company and Numbers. MEDICAL .nS,-IANCE: (Please bring hospital certificates) INFORMATION nLR3r:,r- ‘. a – r. l IJCE: (Please bring insurance certificates) OTHEH SURGICAL INSURANCE Patients who live at a distance often prefer their examination, admission and operation to be arranged all on a single visit – to save making two lengthy journeys. The whole kEl&anr:r Name of Business Are you the owner? f Retired Yes – purpose of this questionnaire is to make such arrangements possible, although, of course, it cannot replace the examination in any way. Its completion and return will not put you Former Occupation No under any obligation. Do you smoke? Please be sure to fill in both sides. tr-! n? -? : asr,ssrcn date? (Please give as much advance notice as possible) ry*esi:,-s =-(–, Sa:-‘:a;' cr Sunday. ffiEr h ,s *crJ FOR OFFICE USE ONLY Type of Hernia This information will be treated as confidential. ;I†EXIEEIEEIRIE: ffi iMEfrgles ory' cqJd n=trr [email  protected] :rE] cr*en rr d yotrr operatirn a tir lrctrr ru=ight EXHIBIT 1 (ConttnueolPLEASEBEACCURATE! :Misleadrngfuures.. *fiâ‚ ¬rl. cFeoxâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€š ¬]r3†² admissionday,couldmeanposFonementolyqJropeGlhontrlll†,yc'-,,[e,Etri Waist (muscles THIS IS YOUR CHART – PLEASE MARK IT! APPROXIMATE SIZE. † Walnut (or less) Hen's Egg or Lemon GraPefruit (or more) INFORMATION ESSENTIAL EXTRA and put that apply to your hernias Use only the sections v. lu H a / in each relaxed)†Ã¢â‚¬ Ã¢â‚¬ Ã¢â‚¬ Ã¢â‚¬ Ã¢â‚¬ Ã¢â‚¬ Ã¢â‚¬ Ã¢â‚¬ Ã¢â‚¬ Ã¢â‚¬ Ã¢â‚¬ Ã¢â‚¬Ëœins' is your health now E treatment: Pressure Excess bodY fluids Chest Pain (â€Å"angina†) lrregular Heartbeat Ulcers Anticoagulants (to delaY blood-clotting or to â€Å"thin the blood†) F t ‘ Name of anY Prescnbe: pills, tab lets or caPsutres 1otake regularlY – A nY condition Please tick regular for which You are having Diabetes Asthma & Bronchitis Y ,JI GOOD ; Blood ,JI Chest (not exPancld' il il t] t] I il I il still be finished in time for a 12:30 P. M. lunch in the staff dining room. Upon finishing lunch, surgeons not scheduled to operate in the afternoon examined incoming patients. A surgeon's day ended by 4:00 P. M. In addition, a surgeon could expect to be on call one weekday night in ten and one weekend in ten. Alan O'Dell commented that the position appealed to doctors who â€Å"want to watch their children grow up. A doctor on call is rarely called to the element of the Shouldice Program.Accordi^g to Dr. Byrnes Shouldice, son of the founder, a surgeon on the staff, and a 50% owner of the hospital: Patients sometimes ask to stay an extr a day. Why? Well, think about it. They are basically well to begin with. But they arrive with a problem and a certain amount of nervousness, tension, an d anxiety about their surgery. Their first morning here they're oPerated on and experience a Sense of relief from Something that's been botheri. g them for a long time. hospital and has regular hours. † Accordi. g to Dr. They are immediately able to get around, and they've got a three -duy holiday ahead of them with a Per- Obney:When I interview ProsPective surgeons, I look for experience and a good education. I try to gain some insight into their domestic situation and personal interests and habits. I also try to find out why a surgeon wants to switch positions. And I try to determine if he's willing to perform the repair exactly as ,::it i ? ffi : †'il† JilI% IL:x *,x'*#: have the run of the 3 patients, make friends easily, and hospital. In summer, the most common after-effect from the surgery is sunburn. he's told. This is no place for prima donnas. Tue NuRsEs' ExPERtENcE Dr. Shouldice added: 34 full-time-equivalent nurses staffed Shouldice each 24 hour period.H owever, during non-oPerating hours, only six full-time-equivalent nurses were on the premises at any given time. While the Canadian acutecare hospital average ratio of nurses to patients was 1,:4, at Shouldice the ratio was 1:15. Shouldice nurses spent an unusually large proPortion of their time in counseli. g activities. As one suPervisor commented, â€Å"We don't use bedpans. † According to a manager, â€Å"shouldice has a waiting list of nurses wanting to be hired, while other hospitals in Toronto are short-staffed and perpetually junior resident in surgery performs. Hernia repair Tiaditionally recruiting. † hernia is often the first operation thatThe hospital employed 10 full-time surgeons and other major operations. This is quite wrong, ES is borne out by the resulting high recurrence rate. It is a tricky anatomical area and occasionally very complicated, especially to the novice or those doing very fer*hernia repairs each year. But at Shouldice Hospital a surgeon learns the Shouldice technique over a periol of several months. He learns when he can go fast anc when he must go slow. He develops a pace and a L?. xli;J!. T,:i'†Ã¢â‚¬ *11:1†²-x1'*:1i#;il'It;. TJ: geons. We teach each other and try to encourage a 8 each duy. a scrubbing scheduled operation at 7:30 A. M. hortly before the first If the first operation was routine, it usually was completed by 8:15 A. M. At its conclusion, the surgical team helped the patient walk from the room and summoned the next patient. After scrubbrng, the surgeon could be ready to operate again at 8:30 A. M. Surgeons were advised to take a coffee break after their second or third operation. Even So, a surgeon could complete three routine operations and a fourth involving a recurrence and Shouldice Hospital Limited (Abridged) tr– achieve absolute perfection. Excellence is the eneml' of good. part-time assistant surgeons. TWo anesthetists were also on site.The anesthetists floated among cases e xcept when general anesthesia was in use. Each operating team required a surgeon, an assistant Surgeofl, d scrub nurse, and a circulating nurse. The operatirg load varied from 30 to 36 operations per duy. As a result, each surgeon typically performed three or four oPerations A typical surgeon's duy started with a L' regarded as a relatively simple operation compared to group effort. And he learns not to take risks Tne DocroRs' ExPERIENcE 595 ‘ a Chief Surgeon Degani assigned surgeons to an oPerating room on a daily basis by noon of the preceding da1†² This allowed surgeons to examine the specific patienE hat they were to operate on. Surgeons and assistants H-ere rotated every few days. Cases were assigned to give do. tors a non-routine operation (often involving a recurrencâ‚ ¬ several times a week. More complex Procedures ^'erâ‚ ¬ assigned to more senior and experienced members of th† staff. Dr. Obney commented: If something goes wrong, we want to make sure t ha: we have an experienced surgeon in charge. Experience is most important. The typical general surgeon mai perform 25 to 50 hernia operations per yeaL Ours Perform 750 or more. The L0 full-time surgeons were paid a straight salan' typically fi,aa,000. In addition, bonuses to doctors 'ere distributed monthly. These depended on Profit, indir-icual productivity, and performance. The total bonus Pc-‘i paid to the surgeons in a recent year was aPProximate-‘r $400,000. Total surgeon compensation (including benefir was approximately 15% more than the average income for kitchen staff several times a d,ay, and the hospitar staff to o'D efi, â€Å"weuse arl fresh ingredients and prepare the food from scratch in the kitchen. ,, The director of housekeeping pointed out: a surgeon in Ontario. Training in the shouldice technique was important eat together. Accordi^g to ecause the procedure could not be varied. It was accomplished through direct supervision by one or more of the seni or surgeons. The rotation of teams and frequent consultations allowed for an ongoing opportunity to appraise performance and take corrective action. where possibre, I former shouldice patients suffering recurrences were assigned to the doctor who performed the first operation â€Å"to allow the doctor to rearn from his mistake. ,, Dr. obney commented on being a shouldice surgeon: ilH:*XX##'#Hlti:iJf mx;^:†x$::: ing notes [for confidence], e.. oriaging eachither, and walking around, getting exercis.. briourse, e,re in the rooms straightenirg ,p throughout the day. This gives the housekeepers ; chancl to josh with the patients and to encourage them to exercise. A doctor must decide after several years whether he to do this for the rest of his liie because, just a Iultt in other speciarties-for exampre, radiology_h. s loses touch with other medical disciplines. If h; stays for five years, he doesn't leave. Even among younger doctors , few elect to leave. ?,. i. |. 1.. lrt|ii;. ; |ii|:. :. ||::)|:|ii||. |i::|||||:. :|::||:::|:::|:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: The shouldice Hospital contained two facilities in one uilding-the hospital and the clinic. On its first-level, the hospital contained the kitchen and dining rooms. The sec_ ond level contained a large, open tounge area,the admis_ sions offices, patient rooms, and a spacious grass-covered Florida room. The third revel had aaaitiond fatient rooms and recreational areas. patients could be seln visiting in each others'rooms, walking up and down hallways, loung_ irg in the sunroom, and making use of light recreational facilities ranging from a pool table to an exercycle. Alan o'Dell pointed out some of the features of the hospital: The rooms contain no telephone or television ets. If a patient needs to make a call or wants to watch terevi_ sion, he or she has to take a walk. The steps are designed specialry with a smalr rise to alow patients recently operated on to negotiate the stairs without undue dis comfort. E-â€Å"†Iy rqluru foot of the hospital is carpeted to reduce the hospital feeling and the possi_ bility of a fall. Carpetir,g urro gives tf,e phce a smell other than that of disinfJctant. ‘ This- facility was designed by an architect with input from Dr. Byrnes shouldice and Mrs. w. H. uiquhart (the daughter of the founder). The facility was discussed for years and many changes in the lans were made before the first concrete was poured. A number of unique policies were also instituted. For example, parents accompanying children here for an operation stay free.. you may wonder why we can do it, but we learned that *. rrre more in nursing costs than we spend for the parent's room and board. have- only three on my housekeeping staff for the entire facility. one of the reasons for ; f†* housekeep_ that we don't need to change rinens during a ::? ,tr patient's four- duy stay. Arso, the medical staff doesln,t The clinic housed five operating rooms, a labor ator y, and the patient-recovery room. In totar, the stimated cost to furnish an operating room was $30,000. This was con_ siderably less than for other hospitals requiring a bank of equipment with which to administer anesthetics for each room. At shourdice, two mobile units were used by the anesthetists when needed. In addition, the complex had one â€Å"crash cart† per floor for use rf a patient should suffer a heart attack or stroke. ilin|,4|'i|4? l|:j:i|'i|:|j|!. :||i:|. |::::::|||:::;:i. :|:::):':|::::::|::::|::::):::::::::':1: Alan O'Dell described his job: we try to meet people's needs and make this as good a place to work as possible. There is a strong concern or employees here. Nobody is fired. [This was later reinfor. â€Å"-d by Dr. shouldice, who described a situa_ tion involvirg two employees who confessed to theft in the hospital. They agreed to seek psychiatric help and were allowed to remain on the itu. l As a resurt, turnover is low. our administrative and suppor t staff are non_ union,. b†, we try to maintain a pay scale higher than the union scale for comparabl. Jou, in the area. we have a profit-sharing prin that i, ,. prrate from the docto*: year the administrative and support -LTt staff divided up $60,000. If work needs to be done, peopre pitch in to herp each other.A unique aspect oi o,,r, administration is that I insist that each secretary is trained to do another's work and in an emergency is able to switch to another function immediatlly. we don,t have an organization chart. A chart tends io make people think they're boxed in jobs . a r try to stay one night a week, having dinner and ristening to the patientJto find out how things are really goinf uro. rnd here. Patients and staff were served food prepared in the same kitchen, and staff members picked up iood from a cafeteria line placed in the very .. r,t. , of the kitchen. This pro'ided an opportunity for everyone to chat with he Operating Costs The 2004 budgets for the hosp ital and clinic were close to $8. 5 millions and $3. 5 million, respectively. 6 Shouldice Hospital Limited (Abridged) Sgz EXH lB lT FIoor Supenisor 2 Organization Chart Lab (4) Operating Laundry Room Housekeeping Office Accounting Medical Grounds (3) (2) Supervisor I Head Head Nurse urse (2) Record (2) Dietary (r7) I5 (2) (3) i al[eets three limes a year or as needed. bUeets as needed (usually twice a month). lnformallv reports to Executive Committee. Physical Surgeons Assistant Plant (12) Surgeons (7) Anesthetist (t) pared to an average charge of $5,240 for operations per_ ormed elsewhere. if. l. rlii. ,i. l. ,,:::. ::i:ll|::::l. ::. :::l:.. ::::|:. :|:::|::. :::::|:'. ::|::):|::::::::::: Hernia operations were among the most common per_ formed on mares. In 2000 an estimated r. ,000,000 such operations were performed in the united states alone. Round-trip fares for traver to Toronto from various major cities on the North American continent ranged from roughly $20A to $600. when our backlog of scheduled operations gets too large, we The hospitar arso provided annual checkups to alumni, free of charg.. Muny occurred at the time of the According to Dr. Shouldice: wonder patient reunion. The most recent eunion, featuring dinner and a floor show, was held at afirst-class hotel in down_ town Toronto and was attende d by 1,000 former patients, many from outside Canada. ho* many peopre decide instead to p†rfor* the operation. Every have their rocal doctor time we've expandea o11 capacity, th† backrog has declined briefly, onry to climb or,. u again. Right now at 2,400,]1 ir rarger than it has ever been and is grow_ irg by 100 every six months. The hospitar relied entirely on word-of-mouth adver_ tising, the importance of which was suggested by the results of a poil carried out by i. :i|,i. ]||,)|:i. ||. ;|,. ii:. ||:||:. |,. )||:|:||. :||,.. |:|||::::||:::'. ::::::::::::: when asked about major questions confronting the man_ agement of the hospital, Dr. s hourdice cited I aesire to seek ways of increasing the hospitals capacity while at the same time maintaining . oriror over the quatity of service delivered, the future role of government in the operations of the hospital, and the use of the shouldice name by potential competitors. As Dr. shouldice put it: Im a doctor first and an entrepreneur second. For students of Depaul lrxiriuit 3 shows a portion results). Although little systematic data about university as part of a project of these atients had been collected, Alan o'Dell remarked that ,,if we had to rery on wearthy patients onry, our practice would be much smaller. ,, Patients were attracted to the hos pitar, in part,by its reasonable rates. Charges for a typical operation were four days of hospital sta y at $? 20 p. iau anda $650 surgical fee for a prim ary inguinar (the most common example, we courd refuse permission to other doctors ah. – hospitar. The y may copy our technique and Tisappry it or misinform *,. i. pati ents about the use of it. rni, resurts in failure, and we are f, who want to visit hernia). An additional fee of $300 was assessed f generar anesthesia was required (in about 20% of cases). These charges com_ ExHlBlr Direction: you. 5. B concerned that the technique will be blamed. But Shourdice Hospitar Annuar Patient Reunion Data For each question, please place a check mark as it applies to 4 /7 22 Nationalitv Directions: please place a check mark in nation you represent and please write in your province, state or country where it applies. Canada America Europe J6 -]] province sate a†*r, ee 2 /o ua'rl ,o/ // 63% 5 /6 /960 7 5†² %dt 39. 54% 5/. /6% fl. 63% 4/. 56% 30. 23% /6. 26% occupation Ilave you been overnight in a hospital other than u*@' houldice befone your operation? !* j! _ No lZ What brought Shouidice Hospital to your attention? Friend 8†² ,1 Doctor Rerative . . , 6r. 1//o _0. %% EzW,/. rticre ,9 , Did you have a si',gle 26; or double /6 other 4 ,iiJ†#Zw hernia operation? 56,/4% fi. s6% 9. Is this your first Annual Reunion? yes No fi .10 . , If no, how many reunions have you iiM ,,a†fz',fl ^tt 10. Do you feel that Shouldice Hospital to, ,* * – per,son? â€Å"r†Ã¢â‚¬ 0 Most definitely Definitety 6 JZ Very iittle Not 66,05% /a%% 7 Z_. reaubrc _fl 42. 6J% 6-/0 ruo,rn,re – 5 z17J% !:;::::; :'r'; #, at all Shouldice Hospital Limited (Abridged) 599 EXHIBIT 3 (Continued) fhat impressed you the most about your stay at Shouldice? check one answer for each of the following. for operation and hospital P1ease s Not Somewhat 27. 9d1 Imporiant /4 Somewhat Imporbant 32. 56% // Somewhat Important 25. 5/l /5 Somewhat Important 34. 5E% Not 7 /6. 26% Important 32. 56% Not ImPortant 6 /S,6dl 3 6,96% Not 27,9/k Somewhat 5 /0 Important 25 Important n. fi% 23,2fl1 56. /5% † sbouldice Hospital hardly seemed like a hospital at all. † Somewhat Very 5 /3 Importani 25 Importani Important //. 63% 30. 23% 55. /4% gi ve the MAIN REASON why you reiurned for this annual In a few words, reunion. Very Important 2 4. 65% SomewhaiVery 39. 53% Friendships witb Patients Not Important / 2. 3? l Not Important 3 6'96% Not ImporLant we're doctors, and it is our obligation to help other Alan O'Dell added his own concerns: surgeons learn. On the other hand , it's quite clear that others arc tfying to emulate us. Look at this ad. [The advertisement is shown in Exhibit 4. ) This makes me believe that we should add to our capacity, either here or elsewhere. Here, we could go to Saturday operations and increase our caPacity by 2O%. Throughout the year, no oPerations are sched- How should we be marketing our services? Right now we don't advertise directly to patients.We're uled for Saturdays or Sundays, although patients whose operations are scheduled late in the week remain in the hospital over the weekend. Or, with an investment of perhaps $4 million in new sPace/ we even afraid to send out this new brochure we' ve pu: together, unless a potential patient specificallrrequests it, for fear it will generate too much demand. Our records show that just under 1% of our EXHIBIT 4 Advertisement by a Shouldice Competitor could expand our number of beds by 50%, and schedule the operating rooms more heavily. On the other hand, given Sovernment regulation, do we want to invest more in Toronto?Or should we establish another hospital with similar design, perhaps in the United States? There is also the possibility that we could diversify into other specialties offering similar opportunities such as eye surgerf, yancose veins, or diagnostic services (e. 9. , colonoscopies). For now we're also beginnirg the process of groomirg someone to succeed Dr. Degani when he retires. He's in his early 60s, but at some point we'll have to address this issue. And for good reason, he's resisted changing certain successful procedures that I think we could improve on. We had quite a time changing the schedule for the admi nistration ofDemerol to patients to increase their comfort level during the operation. Dr. Degani has oPPosed a Satutday operating program on the premise that he won'tbe here and won't be able to maintain proper control. 500 Shouldice Hospital Limited (Abridged) Canadian Hernra Ctinic Hernias (Ruptures) Required Under local anesthesia as by Canadian method. No Overnight Hospital Stay, Co nsult atio n s Witho ut Char ge 23061St. Rd. 7 BOCA R{ION, FLA. 33433 482-7755 patients are medical doctors, a significantly high percentage. How should we capttahze on that? I'm also concerned about this talk of Saturday operations.We are already getting good utrltzation of this facility. And if we expand further, it will be very difficult to maintain the same kind of working relationships and attitudes. Already there are rumors floatirg around among the staff about it. And the staff is not pleased. The matter of Saturday operations had been a topic of conversation among the doctors as well. Four o f the older doctors were opposed to it. While most of the younger doctors were indifferent or supportive , at least two who had been at the hospital for some time were particularly concerned about the possibility that the issue would drive wedge between the two groups. As one put it, â€Å"I'd hate to see the practice split over the issue. † EruDNOTES Most hernias, knows as external abdominal hernias, are protrusions of some part of the abdominal contents through a hole or slit in the muscular layers of the abdominal wall which is supposed to contain them. Well over 90% of these hernias occur in the groin area. Of thes e,by far the most common are inguinal hernias, many of which are caused by u slight weakness in the muscle layers brought about by the passage of the testicles in male babies through the groin area shortly before birth.Aging also contributes to the development of inguinal hernias. Because of the cause of the affliction, 85oh of all hernias occur in males. 2. Ba sed on tracking of patients over more than 30 years, the gross recurrence rate for all operations performed at Shouldice was 0. 8%. Recurrence rates reported in 1†³. the literature f or these types of hernia varied greatly. However, one text stated, â€Å"In the United States the gross rate of recurrence for groin hernias approaches 70†³/†. † monet ary references in the case are to Canadian dollars. $1 US equaled $1. 33 Canadian on February 23, 3. A11 2004. n Exhibit 2 was prepared by the casewriter, based on conversations with hospital personnel. 4. The chart 5. This figure included a provincially mandated return 6. on investment. The latter figure included the bonus pool for doctors. SIUDY OuEsrtoNs L. What is the market for this seraice? Hout successful is 2. Shouldice Hospital? Define the seraice model for Shouldice. How does each of its elements contribute to the hospital's success? 3. As Dr. Shouldice, what actions, if any, would you take to expand the h ospital's capacity and how utould you implement such changes? Shouldice Hospital Limited (Abridged) 601

Boston Consulting Group on Strategy Conformity

Today, management of various organizations are obligated to ensure success is achieved despite the plexity and dynamism of the current business environment. It thus largely depends on the organization structure as well as the appropriateness of the strategies formulated by the management. Apparently, the business strategies need planning gurus who can align business projections with short term and long term objectives. Besides, group influence plays a critical role in one’s ability to formulate decisions. In most cases, an individual may decide to take a particular decision just to conform to group norms. This discussion, therefore, has addressed Yves Morieux contributions on organization strategy and Asch conformity experiment to examine individual conformity to group thinking. Yves Monrieux assertion concerning structure and strategy conforms to the current management imperatives (Yves & Peter, 2014). Today, the success of business greatly relies on the ability of the management to establish effective operational and strategic aims. These goals are supposed to be timely instituted, and affirmative action is taken to ensure they have implemented accordingly. The success needs an administration structure that is flexible and making new decisions based on the situation. There should be smooth coordination and understanding within the departments to enhance a mon focus on the organizational objectives. Thus, it is notable that the blog presents the following ideas: Soundness of the management to the success of the business. The importance of the enactment of effective goals. The relevance of flexibility in the administrative structure. The management levels matter most in determining the responsible authorities in handling various issues. A good administration structure should be the one that roles are clearly assigned and everyone better knows the power to report to (Carl and Michael, 2006, p. 162-190). The ever-changing business environment requires sound business strategies to maintain a petitive edge.   With the consumers varying needs, measures need to be established to ensure the pany is fully satisfying their needs. To remain petitive, businesses are investing in technology, and further encouraging creativity and innovation among staffs to ensure profit is maximized. Notably, a good organization structure enacts operational strategies based on the research and findings. The support of such initiatives is only experienced in an organization where individuals work as a team towards a mon purpose (Lim, et al. 2010).   People hold positions based on the qualifications and capability. And it significantly helps the management understands plans that are relevant to the business, set aside appropriate financial resources and further monitor and evaluate the plans accordingly. Good administrative structures empower employees through training programs, coaching and more to make them relevant to organization needs. Good strategies borrow from the management tools such as SWOT and PESTLE. A thorough understanding both internal and external business environment aids in the formulation of the right business plan (Butler, 2000, p. 39-43). Therefore, it is imperative for the current managers to ensure that the administration structure put in place facilitates the achievement of the business goals and objectives. The structure should facilitate faster decision making, support productive activities intended to propel the organization towards prosperity and that gives the pany petitive edge (Haslam, et al. 2011, p. 23-67). Usually, human beings have various characters and behave differently based on the situation. Getting a plete understanding of an individual regarding how he/she will respond to different scenarios is quite difficult (Griggs, 2015, p. 137). Based on the blog, the following ideas can be extracted: People are influenced by circumstances in making decisions. Personal decisions can also be influenced by individuals around us. One should remain objective in formulating decisions while holding management positions. Group conformity is real and can be avoided if one is required to disclose a solution via writing and further if the matter is a subject of personal accountability. People are however, influenced by various factors in making a personal decision. For example, the student can respond to a perceptual question posed by the instructor, based on the other bright student suggestion even if he know the answer is wrong (Aronson, et al. 2010, p. 99-120). Therefore, personal decision making depends on the circumstances facing the individuals and the people around. Before I discovered my capabilities, I used to make decisions based on views from my friends and individuals around. Even if I knew they were wrong, I just planned according to their suggestions to conform and fit the group. This group conformity justifies Asch Conformity Experiment regarding the power of the group. In most cases, the primary forces that determined my decision making when I was in a group were normative and informational factors (Eysenck, 2004, p. 345-370). The primary reason why I conformed to group norms was to avert punishments, rejection and further gain from social rewards associated with the members. Also, lack of information due to unfocused minds in class used to affect my conscience in answering perceptual questions. Thus, I could just stick on what a group member’s opinion. Currently, I make a decision based on the objective. The knowledge I have gained in the university is significant to allow me stand alone but stick to the truth. The present organization's requirements need leaders who understand themselves and have abilities to align the business goals with strategic plans. Therefore, buying groups’ suggestions just to be accepted at the expense of the firm can lead to business failure (Breckler, et al. 2006, p. 126). Usually, some people who lack leadership qualities and cannot stand alone from a group are susceptible to conformity to group norms. This conformity should not be the case. If we realize the relevance of staying objective to every matter in the organization set up, elements like creativity and innovation will be natured.   As a result, individuals can grow and always feel free to contribute to the organizational management. However, a group can force an individual to conform to its norms because of the following factors: Difficulty of the task, ambiguous situation, lack of information and identification purposes. First, when a group discovers that the job is tough, it can force a knowledgeable member to take the groups’ stand so that they cannot be judged as failures (Turner, 2005, p. 1-22). Secondly, an ambiguous situation may make a group to require its members to behave in the same way. Further, when a group lacks adequate information about a subject, it may force members to adopt one stand. Finally, a group can force a member to conform to the norms for identification purposes. Appearing different may portray a wrong image of the group. To sum up, organization strategy is a roadmap that guides the management about the organization priorities. The establishment of the right strategies and strict implementation increases the chances of business success. However, the effectiveness of the strategies depends on the administration structure and the support it has regarding the organization objectives. Besides, group conformity is real, and members conform because of various reason. Managers should thus, always focus on organization needs than following workers thought just to be accepted. Aronson, T. D.,Wilson, R. M., Akert, E. (2010). Social Psychology (7 ed.). Pearson.p. 99-120 Butler Jr., J.K. (2000). A global view of informal organization: Academy of Management Journal, 51, 3, 39-43. Breckler, S. J., Olson, J. M., & Wiggins, E. C. (2006). Social Psychology Alive. Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning, p.126 Carl W. Stern and Michael S. Deimler. (2006). The Boston Consulting Group on Strategy: A collection of articles on strategy and management, p. 162-190 Eysenck, M. W. (2004). Psychology: An International Perspective. New York: Psychology Press, LTD, p.345-370 Griggs, R. A. (2015). "The Disappearance of Independence in Textbook Coverage of Asch's Social Pressure Experiments":   Teaching of Psychology, 42 (2): 137. Haslam, S., Reicher, S.D., Platow, M. J. (2011). The new psychology of leadership: Identity, influence and power. New York, NY: Psychology Press, 23-67 Lim, M., G. Griffiths, and S. Sambrook. (2010). Organizational structure for the twenty-first century: Presented the annual meeting of The Institute for Operations Research and The Management Sciences, Austin. Turner, J. C. (2005). "Explaining the nature of power: A three-process theory": European Journal of Social Psychology. 35: 1–22. Yves Morieux & Peter T. (2014). Six Simple Rules: How to Manage plexity without Getting plicated, 87-100.

Microeconomics Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Microeconomics - Case Study Example The firm has various assortments of brands which emanate from its strategies aimed at being among the leading marketers of automobiles alongside the core competitors such as Toyota, BMW, Ford motors among others. This paper will address the microeconomic issues relating to the firm’s operation globally. These include the manner in which the firm determines what to produce, how to produce, and the quantity to produce and for which market segment to produce for. Determination of the Quantity to Produce and Methods of Production The department of logistics and marketing are wholly responsible for determining the quantity that is to be produced and the methods to be used in the production of Mercedes-Benz. The departments in question applies Evidence Based Supply Chain Practice (EBSCP) in determining the in plant flow of materials which seem to increase the speed of production. As part of the attempts the teams makes decisions to invent new procedures in the warehouses given the c urrent procedures restricts it to carry out such duties such as selection, sorting, staging and hauling to the line of assembly. The departments ensure that raw material components are available on time at the line of assembly to enhance production process. The team starts by carrying out a brainstorming exercise of numerous ideas which seek for ways to enhance availability and complete efficiency in the firm. The teams seek to determine the type of ideas that would work and the best ways of implementing the ideas to enhance effective and timely production. The members in the teams carry out consultation from the websites in regard to the customer’s preferences, tastes, trends in demand and buying behavior to determine exactly the quantity to produce. The teams under these departments understand that the consumer always seek to maximize utility. Therefore in an effort to understand the consumer behavior, the teams make various assumptions about the consumers after a thorough research by the marketing department. Some of the assumptions made include; consumers’ preferences are complete in the sense that they are fully aware of their tastes and preferences. This occurs in such a manner that Mercedes-Benz is meant for luxury where consumers seeking luxurious automobile will have Mercedes-Benz as one of their choices. Consumers show a habit of not being satisfied which helps the teams to invent ways of changing the model of the Mercedes-Benz and varying the models to suit their tastes and preferences. The theory of the firm in relation to the team production is also very critical within the firm. Mercedes-Benz firm management fully understands that production of Automobiles requires team work and thus the employees and staff are to be mobilized to pool their ideas in an effort to meet the production targets in the market according to the demand (Pride & Ferrell, 2012, p. 211). Owing to this dimension of thinking Mercedes-Benz assembles about 20,000 c omponents and raw materials which are kept in the warehouse to ensure continuous flow of production. However, among these items only 0.5% was delivered just-in-time to the line of assembly upon being picked from the storage zone that was dedicated. The team then opted for pull system where the employees in the assembly plants give out internal orders in the materials resource planning system for production of the automobiles in batches. The team has ensured that cases of stock-outs do not occur in the near future.

Gender Diversity at the workplace in the Financial Industry Dissertation

Gender Diversity at the workplace in the Financial Industry - Dissertation Example This is mostly due to the perception that the female employees tend to have low level of skills therefore they should not be deal with more complex needs of the clients. It is also due to this reason that women are specifically assigned to the roles which are people specific but requires very little or moderate level of skills. This research study adapted the qualitative research approach to understand and explore as to how women face the discrimination in the financial services industry. Introduction Diversity is a relatively diverse concept with different variables being included in the workplace diversity. These variables range from gender, race as well as cultural backgrounds and values each of different variables having strategic importance for the firm. It is therefore critical that the firms must develop their strategic HRM strategies in a manner which value diversity and gender equality. The aim of this dissertation is to show the benefits and importance of women at workplace in general and specifically in financial industry. . Financial industry is going through some strategic changes with many international firms are making layoffs in order to be more competitive and sustain their profitability. What is also important to note that financial services industry is relatively male dominated though at the customer services level as well as the client dealing level, many women work as important employees of the organization. Since financial industry typically operates in a manner that on one hand, it has to deal with the retail customers face to face whereas for its corporate customers it has a relatively different setup. Typical firms in financial services industry include banks, securities firms, and insurance as well as real estate sectors. The overall composition of the workforce in the financial industry therefore varies from particular sector of the industry. Financial industry is typically considered as an industry which requires risk taking and it i s generally believed that men are better at managing risks as compared to women. It is however, critical to note that these trends are now changing with women are increasingly managing large investment amounts. These trends indicate that financial institutions are willing to attract and retain the female employees. The fact that organizations like UBS and Goldman Sachs have female executives indicates that the large organizations in the financial services industry are willing to attract and retain female employees. Despite the fact that women form important part of the overall workforce in financial services industry however, gender inequality as well as gaps is relatively higher in the industry as compared to other sectors of the economy. Issues such as pay gaps are common in the financial services industry. Equality and Human Rights Commission has specifically highlighted the gender inequality within the financial services industry. The commission conducted investigation regarding the persistent sex discrimination as well as the pay unequal pay and highlighted strong evidence about the industry practices. Various other surveys have also highlighted specially the issue of unequal pay between men and women working in the financial services industry critically highlighting the need to boost the morale of

Ansel Adams Photographs Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Ansel Adams Photographs - Research Paper Example Fine arts, therefore, were visual in nature and dealt primarily with aesthetic value while applied arts mainly focused on the purpose of such arts and how they could be used in day to day operations. More and more description of art continues to manifest with the most recent one defining it as a reflection of human creativity. At the beginning of the 20th century, the significance of different forms of art had been classifies in to nine categories. These include; film, comedy, painting, architecture, dance, sculpture, music, poetry and lastly photography. Another variation that had been developed included the establishment of design and graphic arts in place of plastic and visual arts as well as the introduction of other terminologies advertising, television, video, performance, and etcetera. We shall be placing more emphasis on the visual forms of art and more specifically the works of photography done by one Ansel Adams. His black and white classical photographs created a revolutio n in the field of photography. The paper will discuss the various elements of art used in his photographs as well as the meanings they convey. Clear definition of the artistic nature of photography will come out in this research. Background Information Born and raised in a wealthy family in 1902, San Francisco, Ansel Adams was a typical teenage boy. His shy and introvert nature coupled with an attack by a hyperactive disorder forced him to undertake most of his learning at home. It was during his home learning lessons that he stumbled upon a book by James Mason that transformed his life altogether. The book fueled his love for nature and soon they relocated to Yosemite National Park where he managed to coin his skills in photography. Using his camera donated to him by his parents, he managed to capture breath taking pictures of the landscape in the park. It is these photographs that marked the beginning of an incredible lifetime artistic productivity. His first debut published photo graph appeared at the Sierra Club bulletin where he worked as a caretaker at the time. Later on in 1927, he received an award for his critically acclaimed image of a landmark in Yosemite known as the ‘Monolith, the Face of Half Dome’1. He claims that he had visually pictured the result of the photograph before he even clicked away his camera. In his own words, he stated that the image had a distant sharp peak against the backdrop of a dark sky with deep shadows and a brooding form. It is these elements that became the foundation of all forms of visual art. He later on married his longtime girlfriend and musician, Virginia Best, with whom they bore two children, Michael and Anne. Both siblings also got involved the photography and later on took charge of the family business after the passing away of Adams and renamed it the Ansel Adams gallery. Other exemplary works of photography done by Adams include; photographs of skiing and ice skating as well as sledging, which was used by the government to promote winter tourism. Addition, he also took extensive photographs of the inventory of the structure of the historic Ahwahnee Hotel before it got transformed into a hospital by the U.S. Navy. Photographs of Kings and Kern Rivers used by congress to deliberate for the creation Kings Canyon National Park had been captured by his powerful lens2. Additionally, he managed to document a Japanese American internment camp, popularly known as Manzanar, through the use of photographs. His ability to visualize the outcome of

Constitutional Rights Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Constitutional Rights - Research Paper Example These inherent rights have never been more happily expressed than in the declaration of independence, that new evangel of liberty to the people: "We hold these truths to be self-evident" -- that is, so plain that their truth is recognized upon their mere statement -- "that all men are endowed" -- not by edicts of emperors, or decrees of Parliament, or acts of Congress, but "by their Creator with certain inalienable rights" -- that is, rights which cannot be bartered away, or given away, or taken away, except in punishment of crime -- "and that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and to secure these" -- not grant them, but secure them -- "governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed." (Butchers Union v. Crescent City Co., 1884) The reader should study that passage carefully and read it several times. Slowly read it out loud, listening carefully to the words. What is the difference between ordinary rights and so-called â€Å"Constitutional Rights†? There is no difference, except that those rights enumerated and guaranteed in the US Constitution get more attention. Breathing is not a Constitutionally protected activity, yet the Declaration of Independence clearly claimed a â€Å"right to life† exists. The Supreme Court has repeatedly claimed to have found a right to privacy, yet we find no such concept enumerated in the articles or amendments of the Constitution. In the US the Supreme Court is the final arbiter of what your rights are. Pay careful attention to what they have to say. There are many rights, but the issue is focusing on rights that are generally acknowledged to both exist and be â€Å"fundamental† rights. Not knowing one’s rights, one cannot protest when they are violated and lacking a timely objection the courts consider the matter to be waived. We shall discuss in the following report a few critical rights that anyone, post arrest and post conviction,

Are humans born with a conscience will send assignment sheet for 300 Research Proposal

Are humans born with a conscience will send assignment sheet for 300 level english class - persuave writing - Research Proposal Example What he is saying is that many theologians believe that some people are born with the capacity to be good, and others aren’t. Paul doesn’t agree with this assessment. He believes that we all have the capacity to be good, because God gave it to us. While he also believes that â€Å"one must love to do good and avoid evil,† (120) the fact is that whether we choose the right road has nothing to do with the fact that God’s grace has given us all the possibility to always choose good. Paul added, â€Å"Conscience is not an infallible judge; it can make mistakes† (121). This is obviously true. The Bible teaches us that none are perfect, and that all fall short of God’s glory. Still, Paul maintains that the important thing is to know the difference in what we choose, and what we have the ability to choose. While it is clear to Paul that we have, innately, all we need to make good decisions, we still need to study the Bible, and attend, church as a c ompass to keep us headed in the right direction. In Lois Walker’s â€Å"Religion Gives Meaning to Life,† Walker writes about a similar belief. It is her opinion that who we are is determined at the time of our births. She writes, â€Å"We are not the products of chance† (626). Walker’s essay is in response to an atheist who claims that people only need to practice being responsible to know the right thing to do. According to Walker, the atheist proclaimed, â€Å"We don’t need a big Daddy in the sky. We need to grow up and become our own parents† (624). While we do need to know how to govern ourselves, we do, also, need our Father in heaven. Walker is states that she believes in the theistic philosophy that holds, â€Å"The universe is suffused in goodness and that good will win out over evil† (627). God’s purpose, according to Walker, is to give us a continuous reason to want to behave. If God can give his son

Assimilation of US Snipers back to the Society Research Paper

Assimilation of US Snipers back to the Society - Research Paper Example As the paper stresses it is important to undertake critical analysis of the psychological realignment that these people undergo when they are in this work and the complications associated with their transition from service back to the society. The nature of any job creates a new person in somebody and the military snipers are not exceptional. It therefore tend to take some process and time to get them assimilated back to the society after they retire or get their jobs terminated under some condition. Due to the type of the training they go through, their mentality gets altered towards some code of conduct and this significantly affects their interpersonal skills. Appropriate approaches of rehabilitating this special group of people who has served the nation to conform to the ordinary society system need to be investigated. This report declares that it is important to explore the personal attributes of a sniper which are partly acquired through training and partly by birth. One of the conditions to be a sniper is having worked as a government security agent or a military officer with in-depth prior knowledge of handling different types of guns and rifles. The concept of knowing the various concepts about the arms is not limited to use but should cover even the ability to understand their structural components. The training of a sniper is costly and requires perseverance of the highest degree with maximum self-discipline. This explains why a single sniper is worth more that several untrained rifle users. These people go through a series of thorough physical and mental training that steadily realign their perception about various issues within the confines of social order (Austin, 1992). Due to their critical role in the military operations, snipers are people with high intelligence that goes beyond shoot ing .They also have internal psychological understanding of any social environment and that is the reason they are able to camouflage and single out the target from a crowd without interfering with non-target (Perline & Goldschmidt, 2004). Their ability to take any angle and take into consideration the physical factors like wind and other environmental impediments that

Is Google Violating Users Privacy Essay Example for Free

Is Google Violating Users Privacy Essay Google Violating Users’ Privacy? The use of the Internet has become an indispensable tool for students, workers and people in general. Moreover, the use of search engines like Google is a daily routine activity when someone wants to inquire something. Google search engine is used to perform approximately two billion searches a day. Even though, it is a free services the rights of privacy can be compromised. According to the terms of use of the Google search engine, all the queries a user do can be stored for Google Company forever, although, after 18 months these queries become anonymized. According with these previous paragraphs, there are two points of view that we are going to discuss: 1. Google’s storage of user data is legitimate and does not constitute a violation of user privacy. 2. Google’s should not store user’s data as this data can be misused or accessed by the government. According with the policies and principles of Google web site, they can collect information in two ways: with your consent when you log in into Google with a user ID given them voluntarily your personal information. Also, they do collect information without your consent thru the anonymous mode. In both cases your IP address is taken, and in this mode much other information can be captured like the phone line you are using, the device specific information, and of course all the queries you do. In addition, according with these policies Google has the privileges to use this information collected with third parties. Actually there is a latent treat that stored information could be stole and used for incorrect purposes. Google index and encrypt all they stored information to prevent being stolen. However, there is no certainty on this. Personally I have to say that Google is my favorite search engine, is fast and most of the time give me the right information related with the topic I am searching for, also, they have the rights to store information that you give to them voluntarily or anonymously, and use it according with the policies they stand for. I agree with the government right to search for information in Google’s data base, as long as, it is used in the right path, for example to prevent terrorism, for national security, or to find sick people like rapist or any human rights violator.

Can Regulation Of Tobacco Affect Health Care Costs Economics Essay

Can Regulation Of Tobacco Affect Health Care Costs Economics Essay The economic calculations associated with tobacco use are very complicated. For every savings, there are increased costs in other areas. Many productivity costs are subjective, while things like tax revenues are very definitive. These costs can be absorbed by various entities; public, private, and governmental. The tobacco industry has been viewed as the root of many of these costs. This industry has historically been exempt from oversight by any governmental agency, other than taxation. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recently taken charge of overseeing and regulating many tobacco products, including cigarettes. Can the new regulations have any effect on health care costs? Why is tobacco use such a big deal? According to the World Health Organization (WHO), tobacco is the second major cause of death in the world, responsible for one in ten adults and the fourth most common risk factor for disease worldwide (2010). Costs (both public and private) associated with health care related to tobacco are astronomical. Productivity is reduced or lost when people are at their prime due to tobacco use. A 1994 report estimated that the use of tobacco resulted in an annual global net loss of US$ 200 thousand million, a third of this loss being in developing countries (World Health, 2010). This paper will look at the costs associated with tobacco use in the United States and the relationship regulation may have on reducing these costs. Compared to the length of time tobacco has been used, the health effects of its use are just recently becoming understood by the general public. Prior to this knowledge, the tobacco companies were free to advertise without any regulation. 1789 saw the first tobacco advertisement in the U.S for snuff. Communication, transportation, and manufacturing constraints of the time prevented any major branding and marketing successes. The first strong national tobacco brand didnt emerge until near the end of the Civil War, when both Union and Confederate soldiers in Durham, North Carolina raided a local farmers tobacco crop while waiting for a surrender to be completed. After the war was over, these soldiers began writing to the farmer, Mr. John Green, requesting more; Green went on to establish the successful Bull Durham Tobacco Company. (Collins Lapsley, 2010) The cigarette machine was one of the two major innovations that changed the industry and embedded tobacco into the minds of Americans. It was introduced in the 1880s and allowed companies to go from producing 40,000 hand-rolled cigarettes a day to over 4 million. The other major innovation came in the form of advertising. The color lithograph revolutionized advertising and packaging. These factors allowed companies to brand their products, searing them into the fabric of everyday life. Promotions, such as trading cards, were packaged with cigarettes and became collectors items. World War II came and went with millions of soldiers and sailors addicted to nicotine courtesy of free cigarettes issued along with meals. Marketing remained pretty much unregulated throughout the 1950s. Advertisements promoted how healthy it was to smoke and how doctors (whom the public trusted) recommend one brand over another. Sponsorship of television shows, like The Flintstones and Gunsmoke, propelled cigarette smoking into a normal and expected part of life. For tobacco companies, it was the Golden Age: cigarette ads featured endorsements from dentists, doctors, babies and even Yankees slugger Mickey Mantle (Collins Lapsley, 2010). Research evidence was beginning to mount of a link between tobacco use and lung cancer. Filtered cigarettes were born, which eventually led to light and low tar brands all of which have been proven to be no safer than regular ones. Rising public interest in health issues associated with tobacco use and concern about social costs associated with the care of sick tobacco users have created an atmosphere less tolerant than before. In the United States, social acceptance of tobacco use is rapidly declining. 1964 saw the first real public scrutiny of the tobacco industry when the U.S. Surgeon General released his first report on Smoking and Health. This comprehensive report outlined how tobacco had been shown in over 7,000 scientific studies to be linked to lung cancer, emphysema, and other diseases. This was the tipping point for many. Warning labels were mandated on packages. Advertising restrictions for radio and television were put in place. The public was put on notice that tobacco may not be all the things the industry was telling them. 18 Surgeon General reports have followed, as new findings have been proven. In 1996, cigarettes were labeled an addictive drug. The FDA sought to gain control over the industry and limit the sales and advertising of tobacco products (Brant, July 2008). With presidential support, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the industry in 2000 claiming the federal agency was never given the proper authority to regulate tobacco by Congress (Brant, July 2008). Restrictions are not new to the tobacco industry. Extremely deep pockets have allowed them the opportunity to design ways around most hurdles in the past (See Appendix). Regulation comes in many forms. State and local governments have passed laws throughout the years, most of which regard taxation. The recent passage of the U.S. Food and Drug Administrations (FDA) tobacco regulation bill will give the national government much more power over the manufactures actions. This is the broadest and most comprehensive regulation over the tobacco industry ever. The FDA will be able to control product ingredients, labeling, marketing, and determine whether new products should be distributed. The budgetary impact of smoking Costs related to tobacco use can be looked at from different perspectives. There are related costs that are only seen by the individual, their family, and those close to them. Then there are the costs that are seen by society. These social costs are what drive many of the regulatory policies we have in the U.S. These costs must be balanced and weighed with the benefits associated with tobacco use. Organizations from several fronts are quick to weigh in on advantages and disadvantages of such policies. Each has their own agendas and use data to support them. High social costs justify more restrictive policies, while lower social costs support the argument against such policies. Calculating these costs is not simple. It is important not to count the same costs twice. A sick smoker that becomes dependent upon welfare payments instead of their job salary should not be seen as lost productivity and the cost of welfare payments. The first is a real cost (a real loss of resources) while the second is a pecuniary cost (a redistribution of resources from taxpayers to the smoker) (Adhikari, et al. December 30, 2008, p. 1227). Health care costs in the United States continue to account for an ever increasing percentage of personal and public expenditures. The budgetary impact of tobacco use generally is looked at as whether the tax revenues cover the costs that tobacco use imparts on government agencies. These costs are not just paid by these agencies. Personal and business costs, such as those of health insurance companies, bear massive burdens too. While we are often asked: Do smokers cover the smoking-related costs that the rest of the community bears?, the more relevant question is: Does the tobacco industry cover the communitys smoking-related costs?. The answer to this second question is almost certainly no' (Lindblom, 2010, p. 2). It has been estimated by the CDC that each pack of cigarettes sold in the United States costs the nation more than $7 in medical care and lost productivity (2010). The lifetime health costs of tobacco It is important to understand the difference between the lifetime personal health care costs of smokers compared to non-smokers. There is an argument that smoking provides benefits as well. It may be obvious that smokers have higher costs during their lifetimes, but one must consider the non-smoker lives a longer, more productive life, and therefore uses health care services for a longer period of time. Philip Morris, a major tobacco company conducted a detailed data analysis and submitted a 1999 official report to the government of the Czech Republic that they should let Philip Morris sell cigarettes in their country. They (Philip Morris) said that the government would save approximately $1,227 US per person on savings of health care for older people and increase in taxable revenue (Philip Morris, 2000). The industry is in a catch 22 situation when arguing this point. Premature death associated with tobacco use must be admitted and the economics must outweigh human life. The Center for Disease control estimates that male smokers have approximately $16,500 more lifetime health care cost and females have approximately $19,500 than those that do not smoke. (Campaign, 2010) This adds up to considerable amounts that someone must absorb. The nationwide total in 2004 was almost $98 billion(Adhikari, et al. 2008, p. 2228). Measures to reduce tobacco demand There are many different regulatory measures that can be used to significantly impact tobacco use, such as bans on direct and indirect tobacco advertising, tobacco tax and price increases, smoke-free environments in all public and workplaces, and large clear graphic health messages on tobacco packaging (Collins Lapsley, 2010). Tobacco taxation Taxation is probably the most effective (and certainly the most cost-effective) means of reducing tobacco consumption. Studies have shown that higher prices equate to less people using, especially youth. Young people have less disposable income than older people. This makes them more sensitive to changes in price. Adult tobacco use also changes in relation to price increase too, but not as much as youth. Burman notes that research has shown that a 10 percent increase in the price of cigarettes would reduce youth smoking by more than 10 percent (Brandt, July 31, 2008, p. 447). Taxes can be used to this benefit, along with the increase in public funds that can be focused on tobacco prevention programs. Cigarette taxes can be seen as a double edged sword. Governments can become as addicted to the tobacco tax income as smokers are to lighting up every day. The amounts of money are astronomical. The President of the United States, Barack Obama signed into law on February 4, 2009 a 62-cent federal tax increase per pack of cigarettes, along with increases in other types of tobacco too. This money is to be used to fund the State Childrens Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), a major childrens health reform package. The federal cigarette tax is $1.01 per pack and the average state tax is just over $1.00 per pack. According to the Tax Trade Bureau, over 16 billion state tax-paid packs were sold in FY2009. The total tobacco revenue generated for government use is approximately $39 billion. This significant figure is enough to get any legislator looking for the source and wondering how to keep it. Several states have hoped to fund health care with tobacco dollars. Massachusetts, California, Oregon, and even the federal SCHIP program have come under heavy opposition from the tobacco industry. The SCHIP program was finally approved, but the other propositions ultimately failed. The primary argument used against such taxes is that a tobacco tax is a regressive tax, meaning that it affects poor people more so than others. Approximately 33 percent of those living at or below the poverty level smoke. The argument is that a greater portion of their income is spent on tobacco, and therefore the tax would be greater. Counter to this argument for the SCHIP funding is that the program is designed to disproportionately benefit those in this income level. And so, under an expanded SCHIP, low-income families would have essentially paid $164 to get $1,700 worth of coverage (Robert Wood, May 18, 2009). Theres a big difference in the cost to society and what society is getting back in tax, said Dr. Terry Pechacek, the associate director of the CDCs Office of Smoking and Health. We believe society is bearing a burden for the individual behavioral choices of the smokers. A study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention put the nations total cost of smoking at $3,391 a year for every smoker, or $157.7 billion (Curfman, Morrissey, Drazen, June 22, 2009). Poverty and tobacco are closely linked. Some studies have noticed that in some countries, the poorest households can spend up to 10 percent of their entire income on tobacco products. It is difficult to ascertain how this might have a direct impact on malnutrition, health care and longevity of life, as well as things like literacy rates. Tobacco has a wide reaching impact. Restrictions on advertising and other promotion Anti-tobacco campaigners support restrictions on advertising and promotion. It seems obvious that promotion and advertising increase the demand to use, or the industry would not spend the amounts they do. According to the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, from 1998 to 2006, tobacco industry marketing has increased, nationwide, by more than 85 percent, with tobacco industry marketing in 2006 totaling at least $12.8 billion (or more than $35 million per day) (2010). The tobacco industry addresses these concerns with the rhetoric that advertising does not increase the market size, merely determining the market shares of individual firms. While this point is difficult to determine, a key finding from the national youth tobacco survey indicates that the three most heavily used brands of cigarettes by teens are the three most heavily advertised by the industry. Studies on the effect of these restrictions indicate that partial restrictions (i.e. location or type only) have little impact on demand. Restrictions on advertising and marketing do not change the amount the industry spends, only the location and types of activities. They simply shift to non-restricted types of marketing. This is why it is difficult to determine the effectiveness of marketing restrictions. When restrictions are imposed that affect multiple avenues, tobacco consumption goes down significantly. This supports the thought that marketing increases the market size, not just move customers from one brand to another. Health information and counter advertising Anti-tobacco campaigns use pro-health messages and counter-marketing campaigns have been show to have some effect in swaying people away from use. The premise is that the better educated users or potential users are, the better chance they will chose not to us the products. This is a difficult avenue to promote anti-tobacco messages, as it is extremely costly and directly competes with the marketing expenditures of the tobacco industry. There is no way to match, dollar for dollar. Success comes from the combination of efforts counter-marketing with the other restrictions. There is a synergistic effect. Smoking restrictions and bans on sales to youth Youth tobacco use is of utmost importance to the tobacco industry and the anti-tobacco movement organizations. From the 1950s to the present, different defendants, at different times and using different methods, have intentionally marketed to young people under the age of twenty-one in order to recruit replacement smokers to ensure the economic future of the tobacco industry (Campaign, 2010). Where someone can smoke has become a frontline issue. Restrictions of the location, such as restaurants, workplaces, and other public places, make it more difficult for the smoker to light up. This creates an incentive to quit and reduces the opportunity for others to start. These restrictions reduce the amount of tobacco people use, reduce the prevalence of smoking, and have a direct impact on the exposure of second-hand smoke to others. Other smoking cessation interventions Cessation programs have made an impact on tobacco prevalence too. Pharmacological product advancements, from nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), to newer products such as Chantix à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ have helped the tobacco user assure success. These products are heavily marketed and many health care organizations provide them with little or no costs associated to the patient. Some argue the cost benefit of public subsidy of these products is a win-win based on health care costs saved. FDA Tobacco Legislation Through the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, the Food and Drug Administration of the U.S. federal government was recently granted authority to oversee many tobacco products. Members of Congress and health organizations have worked toward this goal for many years. This new authority includes many of the items discussed above, i.e. manufacturing standards, marketing and sales practices. The legislation is a very comprehensive approach to changing tobacco use among Americans, now and for future generations. New standards for additives, flavors (other than menthol), restrictions on sales, distribution, and marketing apply. Detailed ingredients will have to be disclosed. The FDA will have the authority to require changes to products. This is the first major governmental step to protect the public from the harms of tobacco. The new law: Restricts Marketing and Sales of Tobacco Products to Children bans ads within 1000 feet of schools and playgrounds eliminates sweetened (candy flavored) cigarettes Requires Detailed Tobacco Product Disclosure Provides Access to Tobacco Manufacturers Research Strengthens Tobacco Product Warning Labels warning labels must cover 50 percent of the front and back of the pack. Allows FDA to Require Changes to Tobacco Products to Reduce Risk Where Technologically Feasible Regulates Health Claims For Scientific Accuracy And Public Health Impact Evaluates Reduced Risk Health Claims For New Products eliminates cigarettes from being labeled light or low tar Regulates Only Manufacturers, Not Farmers The Congressional Budget Offices (CBO) examination of the new law shows an expected reduction in the number of underage tobacco users of 11 percent by 2019. CBO also estimates will lead to a further decline in smoking by adults by about 2 percent after 10 years. The expected impact of the legislation on the use of tobacco products stems from a combination of regulatory and economic factors. (Congressional, 2009) Impact of FDA Regulation of Tobacco on Medicaid The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) anticipates that the new FDA tobacco rules will lead to a reduction in smoking among pregnant women. Pregnant women that do not smoke during pregnancy are less likely to have low birth weight children. Low birth weight kids cost more at birth and during childhood. As a result, state spending for Medicaid would decrease by an estimated $17 million over the 2010-2014 period, with additional savings in subsequent years (Yang Novotny, 2009). Medicaid expenditures are expected to be reduced by $100 million over 10 years. Other Medicare expenditures are positively affected by the FDA rules too. Heart attacks and stroke are less likely to occur in non-smokers, which will mean acute care services costs will decrease, but it is unclear as to by how much. Medicare costs may increase in some areas due to increased life spans and the payout associated with that. Conclusion A key aspect of tobacco prevention is that as people decide not to use tobacco products, their health will be generally better. If all Americans stopped smoking-beginning with this generation of teens-that would do more to improve the health of the nation that any other reform (Adhikari, et al. December 30, 2008, p. 1227). The economic calculations associated with tobacco use are very complicated. For every savings, there is an increase in costs in another area. Many productivity costs are subjective, while things like tax revenues are very definitive. Public and private costs have to be figured separately. However, there are situations where they overlap and care must be taken to count them in only one spot. For instance, someone that lives just below the poverty line and smokes may rely on public assistance for many things, like health care. That same person quits and their relative household revenue and productivity increases. They may not be as reliant on public assistance. The i ncrease in their revenue and productivity cannot be counted if the decrease in public assistance spending is also counted. It is certain that more regulation, like that in the new FDA program will indeed reduce tobacco use. It is certain that reduction in tobacco use equates to less money spent overall on health care compared to the smoker, but may increase health care costs long term due to extended life span. It is certain that overall productivity will increase as tobacco use decreases. The real questions occur when these issues are followed by the question of By how much?. It is almost like Newtons Law of motion, for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. The factor that must be considered is the value of life length and productivity. These values can sway the equation massively in one direction or the other. The latest estimates of total smoking-attributable health care costs approach $100 billion. Private insurance covers 50 percent of smoking-related medical costs for people aged 19-64 (American Academy, 2010). Education about the effects of smoking on health continues to escalate. As more is learned, the estimates increase as to the costs associated with tobacco use.

Should the Drinking Age be Lowered? Essay -- Law, Sociology

Although exceptions to every generality exist, alcohol is usually present in most gathering where adults are also in attendance. If one really examines the idea, alcohol is usually at every social event even if adults are not. At this point it would probably be important to know who actually is considered to be an adult. From country to country the answer varies but in the United States of America anyone of the age of eighteen is liable and treated just like adults of any age. Consequently, one could say that the previous statement is technically, in the majority of circumstances, incorrect in that when alcohol is around so are adults. When mentioned in such a way, nothing seems to be out of place except that in the United States the legal alcohol consumption age is twenty-one. There are not many sides one may take when contemplating this alcohol consumption law, one is either for it or against it. Many believe that if the drinking age is lowered it should rightfully be lowered to eighteen. These individuals have a number of reasons to support their ideology. John McCardell Jr. is one of those individuals and actually developed a complete organization in 2006 known as Choose Responsibility that promotes his philosophy (Cloud). McCardell Jr. is the head of Middlebury College and believes eighteen to twenty year olds should be eligible to consume alcoholic beverages as long as they are licensed (Cloud). To receive this license one must first complete a course that is around forty-two hours long and consists of the explanations of the chemistry, history, psychology, and sociology of alcohol that may include AA, alcoholics anonymous, meetings (Cloud). McCardell Jr., along with others, also believes that if one is considered an a... ...at can be done to minimize all the problems alcohol provides; I think the first step in assimilating a similar attitude is by education and through example from older adults to young adults. Maybe McCardell’s forty-two hour course of everything one should know to fully understand the results of consuming alcohol would be beneficial for the general public. With that being said the age should still remain twenty-one and adults should not be one-hundred percent intolerable towards teens that might have slipped some alcohol by, after all who has not broken a rule here and there? I believe if a little ignorance is given to the provocation it will disappear. Works Cited Cloud, John. "Should the Drinking Age Be Lowered?" Time.com. Time US, 06 June 2008. Web. 05 Feb. 2012. Scrivo, Karen Lee. "Drinking on Campus." CQ Researcher 20 Mar. 1998: 241-64. Web. 5 Feb. 2012.

National Science Foundation Pre-doctoral Fellowship Essay -- Medical E

National Science Foundation Pre-doctoral Fellowship Biotin is an essential vitamin for humans; it must be included in infant formulas and in fluids for intravenous nutrition. Even though it is a necessary component of our diet, we do not yet know the mechanism by which biotin, also known as vitamin H, is synthesized in the body from dethiobiotin. The enzyme that accomplishes this conversion has been termed biotin synthase. This enzyme catalyzes the insertion of sulfur at nonactivated positions of dethiobiotin, between carbons C1 and C4, to generate biotin. This mechanism is of interest because it appears to involve uncommon chemistry and because of the commercial value of the product. Biotin is sold as a pharmaceutical and as a food and cosmetic additive. This water soluble vitamin is essential for the growth and well-being of animals and humans, and it is used in the formation of fats the utilization of carbon dioxide. Prof. Richard H. Holm's bioinorganic chemistry class sparked my interest in the understanding of enzyme mechanisms as model systems for the design of more selective drugs and better synthetic catalysts that allow us to run reactions with good yield, little waste, and inexpensively. Having worked for two years with Prof. JoAnne Stubbe on the mechanism of nucleotide reduction in E. coli by ribonucleoside diphosphate reductase, I have come to appreciate the positive effects of an understanding of this mechanism in the synthesis of more efficient drugs for the treatment of cancer and viral diseases. Increased knowledge of the biotin biosynthase mechanism should allow us to produce biotin more efficiently, and the knowledge gained from this mechanism could be applied to similar enzymes. Despite recent advan... ...should aid me in designing more successful experiments. Works Cited 1. Sanyal, I., G. Cohen, and D.H. Flint. (1994) Biochemistry 33, 3625-3631. 2. Birch, O.M., M. Fuhrmann, and N.M. Shaw. (1995) J. Biol. Chem. 270, 19158-19165. 3. Sanyal, I., K.J. Gibson, and D.H. Flint. (1996) Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 326, 48-56. 4. MÃ ©jean, A., B. Tse Sum Bui, D. Florentin, O. Ploux, Y. Izumi, and A. Marquet. (1995) Eur. J. Biochem. 217, 1231-1237. 5. Frappier, F., M. Jouany, A. Marquet, A. Olesker, and J.C. Tabet. (1982) J. Org. Chem. 1982, 2257-2261. 6. Parry, R.J. (1983) Tetrahedron 39, 1215-1238. 7. Parry, R.J. and M.G. Kunitani. (1979) Methods Enzymol. 62, 353-370. 8. Trainor, D.A., R.J. Parry, and A. Gitterman. (1980) J. Am. Chem. Soc. 102, 1467-1468. 9. Baldet, P., H. Gerbling, S. Axiotis, and R. Douce. (1993) Eur. J. Biochem. 217, 479-485.

The Arguments For and Against Coastal Protection Schemes :: Papers

The Arguments For and Against Coastal Protection Schemes The sea is constantly eroding the coastline. This destroys property, and people living nearby have reduced value on their houses. Natural beauty spots and walks are lost, reducing tourism in seaside towns. Solutions to this are coastal protection schemes that slow the waves down and delay the process of erosion on the cliffs. The arguments for sea defence schemes are as followsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Sea protection plans help to prevent further loss of economy caused by coastal erosion, for example; reduced property prices in 'at-risk' areas, less tourism due to destruction of tourist spots (which results in less money), and the replacement of important sites e.g.: industrial areas, ports and places of historical and geological interest would be expensive. Coastal protection schemes protect the habitats of plant and wildlife, which cannot be replaced. The arguments against sea defence schemes areà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Most sea defence schemes are expensive to build and maintain, and this money is taken from taxpayers. Some people say their money is wasted, because the coastal defences themselves will eventually be eroded away. Coastal defences create visual pollution, and ruin the natural atmosphere of the beach. Also, if they are poorly maintained, they may pose a hazard to swimmers and sunbathers. Methods of protecting the coast are: Sea wall. This is a barrier that reflects the waves and withstands storms, completely protecting the cliff. Although they effectively reduce erosion, they are costly at  £6000 per metre, and spoil the natural view of the coast. Beach Re-building. The sand on a beach inhibits the sea from eroding the coast as much, by absorbing some energy from the waves as they hit the shore and slows them down as they go up the slope to the cliff. This costs  £3 per cubic metre. Groynes are small walls that jut out into the sea to stop the sand (that protects the cliff) being washed away. These cost  £10000 each. But as groynes collect sand to stop it from being carried away, the amount of sand on the other side of the