How to the Methods of Calculating Banks Marketing Budget Essay

How to Decide Banks Marketing Budget? Introduction Now a day under taking marketing activities is compulsory and a key to exist in the business environment especially in the financial sector where competition is strong. In Ethiopia there are 16 private commercial banks and three public owned banks. There is strong competition among these banks to take market share and earn profit especially for those banks that enter the market recently. In addition according to the National Bank of Ethiopia Directive, all commercial bank have to reach 500 million paid up capital in the coming four years. In order to achieve this amount of capital these banks must sell new share, persuade their existing share holders to fully pay the subscribed amount and retain the earning instead of paying the dividend. These are achieved by undertaking strong marketing campaign. All the banks have marketing budget and the budget differs based on the size and depth of their capital. However, determining the size of marketing budget is not an easy task. It is big question often asked by marketers and bank executives. In Ethiopia it is common to see Television program and football events sponsored by commercial banks, advertisement of banks products and services in any time on electronics and print media especially money transfer adverts during the holiday season, distributing giveaway materials and entertaining their customers. The marketing budget for a bank generally includes expenditures for five different activities: Advertising Debub Global Bank, MPPE Department Compiled by: Behaylu Wondafrash Promotional activities Sales promotion Marketing research Sales/customer service training and Public relations: How a bank allocates its total marketing budget among various marketing activities depends largely on bank size in terms of capital and branch distribution and advertising cost (production and air time cost). Most the Banks in Ethiopia spends about 80% of their total marketing budgets on advertising. The rest activities took 20 percent of the budget. Most banks are currently using sales promotion activity like commercial bank of Ethiopia which provide awards for who save 1000 birr and above in any branch of it and promotional activities like sponsoring Ethiopian Great Run and donating to children aid. Advertising took about 80 percent of the budget. This due to the fact that time to time increasing cost of advertising rate and production cost. The lion share of the budget is goes to the Ethiopian radio and Television Agency and then to the private FM radio stations especially Fana FM and Sheger FM. Most banks also use print media like reporter and fortune news paper. But how does a bank determine how much it should spend for marketing in general and advertising in particular? There are methods of calculation. Methods of calculation According to author of Marketing Financial Services, there are different ways to calculate a bank’s marketing budget. Banks use at least four methods to determine what they will spend on marketing in general and on advertising in particular: Debub Global Bank, MPPE Department Compiled by: Behaylu Wondafrash The percentage method, The competitive parity method, The incremental method and The objective-and-task method. 1. Percentage method: the percentage method states bank’s advertising budget is 1/10th of 1 percent of a bank’s total assets. This percentage method has several drawbacks or flaws. First, it is based on the bank’s past performance rather than on objectives for the future. Second, it views assets or deposits as the cause of advertising rather than recognizing that increases in these variables might be, to some extent, the effect of advertising. Third, it discourages aggressive advertising and reduces advertising expenditures in periods of economic slowdown. Research indicates that firms that maintain or increase their advertising during periods of recession do better after the recession. 2. Competitive parity method this method is also known as follows the leader. A bank determines what its competitors are spending on advertising and simply follows their lead. This method is based on the erroneous assumption that the market responds in the same way to the same volume of birr spent by different banks. It fails to take into account the effects of variations in creativity, different uses of media, the timing of campaigns, and a bank’s image and recognition level in its market area. Furthermore, a bank’s competitors probably use no more rational a system for determining their advertising expenditures than does the bank that is following their lead. 3. Incremental Method: under this method a bank simply increases its advertising budget by a certain percentage each year. The percentage may take Debub Global Bank, MPPE Department Compiled by: Behaylu Wondafrash into account the rate of inflation or the growth rate of the bank or it may be dictated by a planner or budgeter whose primary objective is to make the bottom line show a targeted return on assets. Whatever the percentage increase, this method does not take in to account the desired objectives of advertising and the most cost effective ways to attain them. 4. Objective-and-task method. Using this method, the bank bases its advertising budget on what it will cost to meet the marketing objectives it had defined. The bank then weighs this cost against the expected net benefit of the new business to ensure that the cost of advertising will not reduce the profit margin on the newly acquired deposits or loans beyond acceptable limits. For example, Let us take Debub Global bank (DGB) and assume that a bank’s goal is to increase its one-year deposit volume by 100 million birr over its expected normal growth during a promotion period. It calculates that the profit margin on those funds (deposits) will be 6 percent (or 6,000,000 birr). The bank must then decide how much it is willing to invest in advertising in order to generate an extra 6,000,000 birr of income. The selected amount will vary from bank to bank. This method also has its drawbacks. While it works for specific promotions that have immediately measurable results, such as increased deposit or loan volume, it cannot be used to determine the level of advertising necessary to build awareness of the bank and to develop and maintain an image for it. A bank that advertises only when it has a specific promotion to communicate may be out of the media for considerable periods of time. Most marketers agree that some maintenance level of advertising, either product or institutional, is a necessary investment, simply to keep the bank’s name in front of its publics.

759 store Competitive Business Strategy Essay

Introduction Strategic planning is central to management study. It defines the long term direction for the company and all other business functions orbit around their established strategies. This article studies how a company formulates business-level strategies, optimize their competitive positioning and obtain a competitive advantage over their rivals. In order to further illustrate this management issue, this article investigates into the successful competitive positioning of a leading Hong Kong imported food and daily necessity retailer, the 759 Store é˜ ¿Ã¤ ¿ ¡Ã¥ ±â€¹. Despite 759 Store has a diversified range of business, this article focuses on its major business function as an imported packaged-snacks retailer. The chain-store has grown exponentially since its establishment in July 2010. By November 2014, it has 210 stores across Hong Kong and has significantly increased its market share in the industry.1 This achievement should be credited to the unique competitive strategy the company has adopted. Michael Porter’s Generic Competitive Strategies analyzes how a company should formulate their business model to give them a specific form of competitive position in the market. The three strategies are low cost strategy, differentiation strategy and focus strategy respectively. Low cost strategy drives company to lower their cost and obtain high efficiency, so they can attract customers with lower prices than their competitors. Differentiation strategy, on the contrary, tries to satisfy customers’ needs in a way that its competitors cannot and it has the competitive advantage by charging premium prices. Focus strategy suggests firms specialize in few segments or target market to attain cost advantage or differentiation advantage in the market.2 759 Store’s competitive strategy, however, has adopted both the differentiation and the low cost strategy simultaneously to attract and retain customers. On one hand, it has successfully challenged the cost-leaders in the industry by providing more differentiated products. On the other hand, it has minimized its costs so it charges differentiated products at a relatively low price. The two sections below could illustrate how 759 Store achieves this distinctive strategy. Differentiation Strategy In the aspect of differentiation strategy, companies offer customers with the unique products which are extraordinary or high quality. The uniqueness of the products is usually highly valued by the customers. Thus, those products are competitive in the market and are difficult to be replaced. This section is going to examine how 759 Store differentiate their products from others snacks retailers. (1) Never selling the products which customers can find in chain supermarkets 759 Store differentiates itself from other competitors by providing uncommon products in the market. 759 Store cannot race their cost to the bottom when compare with ParknShop and Welcome, the two well established cost leaders. In order to survive under the oligopolistic market, the company differentiates itself by avoid selling the same products that the two major supermarkets are already selling. 759 Store would rather search for new products instead of competing directly with those supermarket chains.3 By selling different brands and types of snacks, customers cannot use the retail price to directly compare the products in 759 Store and supermarkets. Also, when compared, customers would find the products in 759 Store more trendy and unique than the products in the two traditional low cost leaders. (2) Exclusive sources of goods 759 Store differentiates its products by securing the exclusive source of goods by all means. The company first made headlines in 2011 when one of the local biggest distributor, Swire Group, refused to supply Coca-Cola to the store, claiming its retail price was too low which would harm supermarkets’ profit . After the incident, packaged-snacks imported directly from Japan accounted for over 60% of the main sales of 759 Store.4 Therefore, Coils Lam Wai-Chun, the CEO of 759 Store, have handled business connections with Japanese suppliers with great care. He has connected the first Japan snacks supplier in HKTDC Food Expo in 2011 by himself.5 In Japan, local products for domestic sales are not allowed to be sold to foreign companies. Thus, Lam even went to Japan in person searching for suppliers and set up shadow companies in Japan sourcing for any popular and fair-price snacks that are  not yet known to the Hong Kong market.6 That is the reason snacks sold in 759 Store always catch up with the trend in Japan. Thus, 759 Store provides exclusive products which cannot be found in its competitors’ stores. Furthermore, 759 Store establishes a stable and strong relationship with its suppliers in Japan, which are mostly small and medium enterprises. Some Japanese suppliers have even promised to supply their products exclusively to 759 Store as a gesture to thank the company’s support during the recovery hardship after the 311 Earthquake in Japan.7 All these business connections helped 759 Store to secure its exclusive sources of goods from Japan. (3) Higher autonomy on goods selection through bypassing local distributors Today, more than 95% of products sold at 759 Store are imported directly bypassing distributors in Hong Kong.8 Therefore, 759 Store enjoys greater autonomy on deciding the variety of products they sell. 759 Store successfully develops a new market segment providing new and popular Japanese snacks to Hong Kong people. The self-reliance nature of 759 Store in terms of product purchasing enables the company to maintain its unique choice of trendy and diversified goods, thus differentiating itself from its competitors. (4) Diversification of goods and fast moving trend 759 Store differentiate itself from others by diversifying its choice of goods and keeping its shopping shelves updated with new goods. Assuming customers from Japan, Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong all share the same trend and taste, the item selection of 759 Store is based on the seasonal snack sales in Japan. The company only retains its top-500 sales items on its shelves and imports these items again.9 The rest of the products are purchased according to the sales trend of snacks in Japan every week. The sales cycle for each snack product is around 3 months only.10 As a result, customers can always be surprised and refreshed by new snacks while enjoying their preferred snacks. The company has successfully differentiated itself from some traditional differentiators, such as Okashi Landé› ¶Ã© £Å¸Ã§â€° ©Ã¨ ªÅ¾. Both snack stores differentiate themselves from the cost leaders by selling imported snacks from Japan. However, the fast market reaction, diversification and regular replacement of products make 759 Store offers a higher value to  customers than its rivals, as 759 Store’s products are more responsive to customers’ preferences. Low Cost Strategy Though 759 Store uses a lot of tactics to differentiate itself from its competitors, the company still manages to keep their operation at low cost. Hence, the company does not need to charge their customers a premium price for the extra differentiation strategies. This section would explain how 759 Store do everything possible to lower its cost structure and develop its competitive edge against the cost leaders in the market. (1) Economies of scale through rapid horizontal expansion Horizontal expansion is a growth strategy that expands within the same stage of the production process. 759 Store experienced rapid horizontal expansion which it has opened 210 stores in 4 years. Through rapid horizontal expansion, 759 Store benefits from several economies of scale – the reduction of long run per unit cost when the scale of production of a company has expanded. One significant average cost advantage is that the company has increased their bargaining power when purchasing from suppliers. If the scale of the company is small, it cannot enjoy the wholesale price offered by the suppliers.11 After enlarging their scale of operation, 759 stores received a reduction in average input price and transportation cost by more than 10%.12 (2) Cost reduction through backward vertical expansion Backward vertical expansion is another growth strategy 759 Store practices to reduce the cost. By becoming companies’ own supplier, business can control its inputs and help them to provide more secure transaction.13 Due to the exclusive culture of the Japanese snack production industry, Japanese companies only supply their goods to local companies. To address this problem, 759 Store has to set up their shadowing companies in Japan to take up the functions of distributors. As 759 stores purchase the goods directly from the snack manufacturers without passing through any distributors and wholesalers, they could enjoy a lower import price and maintain a steady input supply by themselves. This in turn reduces the overall cost of  production by integrating different business stages of business functions. (3) Effective inventory management The storage and management of inventories could be a huge source of expenditures for retailers. Packaged snacks are perishable and thus requires accurate inventory management In order to reduce inventory cost while diversifying its products, for each new product, 759 Store would first import 2400-3000 pieces of them to Hong Kong. The company then experiments the market reaction to the product and decides whether to import the product in bulk or not.14 This practice has greatly reduced the risks of stocking up unpopular goods in the warehouse, therefore reducing the cost for inventory storage. (4) Less costly shop location choice When it comes to choosing shop location, 759 Store does not chase after prime retailing locations with expensive rent. Instead, it usually opts for large, more remote and less visible shop locations in residential neighborhoods. The per-foot-square rent at these locations is generally cheaper and 759 Store can bargain for a lower rent as the shop’s presence can improve pedestrian flow nearby.15 In fact, most 759 Store’s customers are willing to sacrifice convenience for lower price of products as they usually purchase a lot of goods at once.16 According to the annual report of 2013-14, rent for shops only accounted for about 9.8% of the retail revenue. 759 Store successfully lowers its costs by choosing less popular shop location and turns it to its own advantages. (5) Motivate employee: pay more for employees to work more The 759 Store regards its employees as important assets of the company. It can help reduce the operating cost of the company by successfully motivating its staff to enhance their productivity. It always stresses the provision of a reasonable salary and fringe benefit to its staff. For example, when the existing minimum wage in Hong Kong is $30/hour, 759 Store can pay its staff up to $38/hour. A manager may get an attractive salary up to $30,000 per month. 17 The CEO of 759 Store believes that a reasonable pay will increase working incentive of the staff to provide better service performance and  deliver excellent service to the customers. According to the annual report of 759 Store, one can find that even though the company is renting larger stores, the number of frontline staff is similar as previous year which is approximately 4.1 staff per shop.18 Although the per-labor cost is higher, the overall cost on labor is reduced because the staff is more productive and the company can hire less labor. (6) Inexpensive advertising and communication strategies 759 Stores adopts useful but inexpensive marketing strategies to gain its reputation. Unlike its competitors who promote their brands through traditional advertising channels, like newspaper, radio and television advertisement, 759 Stores uses word of mouth to promote its brand. Since their CEO has a good relationship with the media, he has been repeated interviewed by numerous press and television programs. It has helped 759 Store to gain exposure in the mass media without paying a penny. Also, 759 Store utilizes the technology to communicate with its customers, especially the internet platform like Facebook and blog. These platforms provide channels for 759 Store to communicate and respond to its customer directly. All these measure are cost-minimizing, yet they are very effective. Conclusion In a nutshell, 759 Store has developed its competitive business position by adopting features from both the differentiation strategy and the low-cost strategy. On one hand, 759 Store differentiated itself from traditional cost-leaders by providing exclusive, highly diversified and trendy goods to its customers, through exclusive sources of imported goods and autonomous purchasing practice. It has also avoided direct competition with the cost leaders on identical items. In terms of responsiveness to customers’ taste and catching up with trends, 759 Store’s performance is even superior to the traditional differentiators in the industry. On the other hand, the company has adopted the strategy to lower its cost structure, therefore it does not has to charge products for premium prices even extra values has been added to its products. It has lowered its per-unit cost by economies of scale through rapid horizontal and backward  vertical expansion. Other costs are being lowered by having better inventory control, choosing less costly shop location, using unconventional advertising methods and cutting overall labor cost by incentivizing individuals to achieve higher productivity. Some scholars identify this mixture of strategies as the broad differentiation strategy.19 The competitive advantage of companies adopting this strategy is that the company can offer customers quality products at reasonable prices. As 759 Store has demonstrated, it has chosen a level of differentiation that gives the company on the market segment it has targeted. Besides, they have achieved this in a way that has allowed them to lower their cost structure over time. Though it has higher cost than the cost leader, as well as less differentiated products than the differentiator, 759 Store offers more value than its industry rivals, and therefore threatening both the cost leader and the differentiator. In the case of 759 Store, ParknShop, the traditional cost leader in the industry, has even referred to the business model of 759 Store and opened a subsidiary brand in order to compete with 759 Store.20 It is a proof that 759 Store has successfully weakened the competitive position of its rivals by adopting the right strategy. Insights The successful competitive positioning of 759 Store gives insights to future managers on strategic planning, especially regarding how to enter an oligopolistic market. 759 Store has found its unique competitive position to create a ‘third way† in the oligopolistic packaged-food retailing market, which was dominated by two traditional cost leaders. By adopting the broad differentiation strategy, 759 Store achieved rapid growth rate of stores and increased its market share steadily in a very short period of time. The successful identification of and expansion into a specific market segment has allowed 759 Store to spread out geographically in Hong Kong quickly. Also, this model cannot be imitated quickly by its competitors. Hence, it is a business model which a lot of companies in the growth stage of their business might want to model upon. We can also find the practices for 759 Store to pursue differentiation and low cost strategies are very innovative. The company’s unique understanding of market taste and purchasing culture has enabled it to come up with efficient and effective strategies never  adopted by its competitors. The differentiation by trendiness and the cost minimization through shop location choice are good example of the creative strategies 759 Store has adopted. Moreover, the company’s culture of giving genuine respect to their employees and suppliers has even given 759 Store special competitive advantages in the market. The business model of adopting broad differentiation strategy, however, is not without risks. In order to achieve this distinctive competitive positioning, 759 Store has developed a number of potential risks. The company has an unhealthy amount of debts due to rapid expansion, which makes the company vulnerable to economic downturns. Besides, when compare with the differentiators and the cost leaders, the profit margin of 759 Store is significantly narrower. Profitability could be sacrificed during the growth stage of the company, but we foresee that the company has to adjust its competitive strategy in order to create a sustainable business model in the future. References 759 Store, â€Å"About Us.† Accessed November 2, 2014. http://www.759store.com/aboutus.php?lang=eng. 759 Store Blog. â€Å"759é˜ ¿Ã¤ ¿ ¡Ã¥ ±â€¹- Ã¥ °â€¹Ã¨ ³ ¢Ã¦ ±â€šÃ¦â€° !† Accessed October 24, 2014, http://759store-personnel.blogspot.hk/. CEC International Holdings Limited. â€Å"Annual report 13-14.† Accessed October 24, 2014. http://www.ceccoils.com/doc/art/finance/2014082201/201408220001.pdf. Hill, Charles W. L. and Gareth R. Jones. Strategic Management: An Integrated Approach. Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning. Hong Kong Celebrity Network. â€Å"Lam Wai Chung.† Accessed November 2, 2014. http://www.hongkongprofile.com/2011/10/759.html.

Human resource Management outline Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Human resource Management outline - Essay Example A majority of organizations would do exceedingly well if they integrated an efficient human resource management policies and practices. The latter would enable them to address the challenges faced by the professionals in the field and their daily routines. Also, it is a step in countering the goals set by the organization. However, this is not the case since not all the organizations value the role that the human resource management would play and the benefits that come with its acceptance into the business. The research will focus on how human resource management can aid in developing competitive advantage, particularly when aligned with a firm’s competitive tactic. I will further contest how Human Resource Management policies influence employees’ skills and motivations by contrasting two different companies and providing analytical examples to exemplify the various standings (Mazurek, 2015). The research will also seek to illustrate contradictory statements and why HRM policies fail by providing summaries to demonstrate each effect. The terms used at present in this paper include HRM referring to Human Resource Management The efficiency of a firm depends significantly on the abilities of employees to work on a common goal and the efficient utilization of resources. These measures cannot get achieved without developing a Human Resource department that needs to develop and identify the best human resource policies (Armstrong, 1999). The recruitment and facilitation of employee skills require a dedicated and well equipped HRM department. However, the success of the human resource department depends on the dedication of all stakeholders and without these the policies are bound to fail. Attaining objectives and the firm’s mission statement requires the cooperation and coordination of HRM policies with the top management. Through these

Earth Science Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Earth Science - Essay Example Usually, their association with other animals, such as that depicted in a food chain, gives an impression as to the place or habitat a particular food chain is present. As to the example above, one might consider a grassland as the place where this food chain occurs. Definitely, this is not something you will see on a marine ecosystem. On the other hand, biologists look at organisms at a closer way. They look at their anatomical structures, and how these structures allow them to function and live in the habitat where they are located. They also study how organisms reproduce so that it is able to exist for millions of years Biomes are general descriptions of areas based on the kinds of vegetation present and the adaptations that the animals have to undergo to flourish in such areas. It is different from a zoogeographical region, in that the latter are specific areas on Earth defined by the animals living in that area. These regions are divided by oceans, mountain ranges, or desserts ( http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/202763/faunal-region). Two types of biomes are desert and tundra. Deserts are dry areas of the Earth where rainfall is less than 50 cm/year. As such, the plants present in these areas have water retaining properties, such a thick cuticle to prevent excessive water evaporation. As well, they tend to be closer to the ground, and their leaves have limited surface area (http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/exhibits/biomes/deserts.php, 2007). On the other hand, plants in tropical forests exhibit wide diversity, with large canopies interspersed with small shrubs in between them. The plants are also tall, maximizing the amount of light present without having to compensate for the water losses that may occur upon evaporation http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/exhibits/biomes/forests.php, 2007). 2. Forrested areas tend to have acidic and less structured soils than that of grasslands because forest tree leachates are acidic in nature (http://www.soils.wisc.edu/cour ses/SS325/formation.htm#organisms). Aside from the organisms present in the soil, the climate, parent material, and time are important factors that affect soil development. Specifically, parent material affects greatly the soil development. The chemical and mineralogical composition of parent material determines the effectiveness of weathering forces. For example, that made up of mostly silica may not be as effectively weathered as that of soil composed of calcium carbonate. As well, the downward movement of water is controlled by the permeability of the material. However, on certain occasions, other soil-forming factors are more important than the parent material. For example, a plant growing on sandy soil with low moisture content is still better than another which is grown on clay, provided that the former is in area with better precipitation than latter. In addition, time is important, such that a relatively old and weathered soil contain more nutrients, both organic and inorgan ic, than a relatively young soil that has not undergone much weathering yet http://www.soils.wisc.edu/courses/SS325/formation.htm#climate. Through time, the surface of the Earth is modified by external and internal processes. External processes are driven by solar energy, and include wind-carried ash, glaciation, stream erosion, water cycle, the oceanic circulation system and weathering. On the other hand, internal processes driven by radioactive decay beneath the Earth’

Irish Soap Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Irish Soap Culture - Essay Example This paper is built around the central idea that soaps structure and inform the realities of many, and examines the phenomenon of soap operas in Ireland within this theoretical framework. The term 'soap opera' bears little resemblance to the nature of the genre itself, and is a curious amalgam of connotations. The origins of the term, which brings to mind a visual image quite unlike anything that is actually the content of a soap opera, have evolved - or perhaps 'mutated' is a better word - into the current avatar of the genre, the history of the nomenclature of which may be pieced together through a brief examination of the semantics of the term. It combines various ideas, as analyzed in this description: The "soap" in soap opera alluded to their sponsorship by manufacturers of household cleaning products; while "opera" suggested an ironic incongruity between the domestic narrative concerns of the daytime serial and the most elevated of dramatic forms. ("Soap Opera," paragraph 1) As the term itself suggests, the patterns of plot and characterization in soap operas have reached a generic level, and many theorists have identified several distinctive features of the genre. M. E. Brown has identified the following as the generic characteristics of soap operas: According to Robert C. ... 6. male characters who are 'sensitive men' 7. female characters who are often professional and otherwise powerful in the world outside the home 8. the home, or some other place which functions as the home, as the setting for the show. (Brown, 1987, paragraph 1) According to Robert C. Allen in Speaking of Soap Operas, there is much ambiguity involved in the attempted definition of the genre. He writes: "Since the 1930s the soap opera has been defined by what it pretends to be but is not, by what it lacks rather than what it is" (2). He points out that with reference to the definitions of what soap operas are, "we need to examine not only what was said about soap operas but also what was assumed and left unsaid" (12). Allen speaks in terms of the soap opera's "sense of kitsch," and opines that the soap has "eventual psychosocial consequences [on] mass culture, suggesting that the agenda of the soap opera is to take the "place of art in the lives of the masses," and that "what has taken place is nothing less than a subversion of an important part of the social order" (18). Therefore, he suggests that the objective of the soap opera is to undermine the fabric of society itself by seeking to replace the role that art has traditionally played in society. Helena Sheehan, author of Irish Television Drama: A Society and Its Stories, points out that soap operas originated with the supposed attempt to represent society, and followed a distinct and recurring pattern which could easily be identified as well as predicted as one was subjected to a series of soap operas all revolving around the same ideas. She writes that many soap operas create the illusion that what they are presenting to their audiences are grand but authentic portrayals of reality,

Phase 1 Discussion Board 1(ECON) Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Phase 1 Discussion Board 1(ECON) - Coursework Example To me, that there are fervent interactions with classmates in order to solve authentic problems aid in developing the content knowledge, problem solving while promoting communication, reasoning, patience and self-assessment skills individually and collectively. Problem based learning is motivating to the students too. A viable approach to developing and understanding the problem is working backwards from the questions. In this manner, there can be more integration of information. Information that will consolidate the problem and open more approaches to the question. Identifying and building on current debates in that particular field of study as well as having live interruptions can also be avenues for understanding the problem (Allen, 1996). It can be done by allowing time for class discussion of the problems during the end of the PBL sessions. Asking questions such as â€Å"what do we need to know?†, â€Å"What should we do?† The best part of this question is that it will lead the students to the library or searches online to search for more information on the subject. By presenting and supporting the solutions, the teachers require that students communicate both orally and in writing their findings and recommendations (Allen, 1996). The analysis help in beefing up the otherwise incomplete information while acquiring factual knowledge. After the problems have been created, they are now revised and improved. A better way of achieving sustainability to resolving the problem would be to have the problem administered several other times while being revised and adapted every time based on the student feedback (Barrows, 1996). Builds significant content- PBL projects are focused on teaching the students important skills and knowledge emanating from key concepts in the subject. This content also equips the students with important 21st century values such as critical thinking, problem solving, communication, creativity and innovation as well as

White paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

White paper - Essay Example Software development projects may on some occasion require accomplishing certain tasks such as making workflow changes, retrieving user’s lists, adding new data to issues. In this cases, JIRA can be can be called upon to help accomplish the above stated tasks. The use of JIRA is advantageous since its features are easily accessible. The top web browsers (Opera, Safari, Chrome, internet Explorer and Firefox) can access the JIRA’s user interface making it easily accessible. JIRA supports integration with integrated environments such as Eclipse, visual studio and Netbeans. And lastly but not least, JIRA has been optimized to be used on mobile devices and supports variety of mobile platforms such as blackberry, android, iPhone and windows. Atlassian, an enterprise company situated in Australia, focuses on developing software specifically for project managers and software developers. Some of the known software product produced by Atlassian company are JIRA, for tracking issues during software development and confluence, specifically designed to facilitate team collaboration. There are many users of the software produced by the company around the world. Some of the companies using the software include twitter, Audi, NASA, Cisco and infor. There are various software products that are JIRA’s competitors. Podio is one of them. Podio is preferred by most people as an alternative to JIRA since it is free, and open source. Most of users who can’t afford JIRA due to its high costs opt for Podio. Podio provides a web-based environment that is utilized buy software developers to facilitate team collaboration, communication, business process project management, data management, and content managements. The software is cloud based. The software package is suited to be used with business apps that can be selected by the users from the stores, or alternatively, users can create there on apps. A review by Daniel Johansen, an employee at Digicert, Inc.

Analysis of a Health Care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Analysis of a Health Care - Essay Example Much has been said about the reform, which should take place at Medicare, and to view the necessity in these reforms, it is important to define, how the system works and how effectively it uses its resources. Medicare healthcare delivery system is influenced by a number of factors, among which are: the level of payment, medical education support, regulations relating to probable conflicts, the decrease in funding, etc. These issues are crucial in the activity of any healthcare delivery system, but attention should also be paid to the way these services are delivered to the elderly patients, as well as the ways of positive changes in quality and cost-effectiveness in healthcare delivery. It is important to notice, that hardly any company, even the most successful, uses its resources to the fullest, and thus there is always a possibility for improvement in any area of health care delivery system. One of the primary purposes of Medicare at the time it was created was 'to provide coverage for hospital care'. (Marmor 2000, p. 25) 'This coverage was expected to be equivalent to the types of coverage available to the working population, however, typically required acute care services for accidents and injuries. Having all the necessary resources at its disposal, Medicare tried to duplicate the health care coverage received by employees for coverage to elderly and disabled persons, but slowly came to the recognition that hospitals should not be the centerpiece of health care'. (Marmor 2000, p. 23) Thus, the main contribution and role of Medicare in the state healthcare delivery system was in making its main stress on chronic diseases, moving away from the hospitals being the center of any healthcare delivery system. Another contribution of the system was in less attention to how to decrease the number of inpatient days, and more on how to provide the highest quality care in the optimal time. One of the drawbacks in the Medicare activity lies in its wrong management of primary care. First of all, it lacks financing for geriatric care. The model of primary care, which is used by Medicare, can be called disease-based system. The main principles of using and creating this system lie in regular brief visiting of elderly people, each visit relating to a separate disease; the follow-up is minimal and the use of auxiliary specialists and services is frequent, which are often not necessary, but demand additional financing. On the other hand, if Medicare used its resources to the fullest, and made this effectively, there could be created other health delivery system, which, to my mind, would be much more effective. There should be created a team of several specialists for several medical disciplines, who would develop a complex primary care plan and would also perform a qualified evaluation of the health status of each patient, together with implementing the created plan. Taking into account that here we speak about elder people, it is better if the above mentioned plan includes possible so-called 'end-of-life' wishes of old patients. The new progressive system could also include more frequent visiting, with monitoring of the patient's health via telephone calls and home visits. Among the possible options of the

Zara - A Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Zara - A Review - Essay Example The company boasts of an efficient distribution channel as well as computer-aided design and manufacture which together ensure timely arrival of products in stores. The use of e-strategy requires that the company and its producers work together for good coordination of information flow so that the transport of raw materials, manufacture, distribution, and delivery of products is carried out efficiently in the international markets the company operates.2.E-Collaboration in e-business E-collaboration takes advantage of the current internet-driven business environment and requires the companies adopting it to participate in external business relationships through computer interactions. E-collaboration, especially for international businesses, enables a company to eliminate the barrier of time, distance, and resources and interact with other companies, stakeholders, suppliers and customers in different countries. Through e-collaboration at Zara, there is coordination of different decisio ns and activities all over the internet. Zara’s hybrid model highly supports e-collaboration. For instance, store managers collaborate with manufacturers in specifying orders needed at their stores based on customer preferences. Market research at Zara is also made possible through e-collaboration whereby Zara employees gather information on employee preferences online and different groups in the company are assigned to analyzing the information and making speedy decision-making and supervision of all stores.

IS TAX-SUPPORTED HIGHER EDUCATION JUSTIFIED Term Paper

IS TAX-SUPPORTED HIGHER EDUCATION JUSTIFIED - Term Paper Example This paper seeks to establish arguments and reasons why tax-supported higher education is justified based on Immanuel Kant’s principle. Immanuel Kant: On Good Will, Moral Worth and Duty According to this philosopher, the term â€Å"good will† is characterized by the ideas of â€Å"person with good will.† To understand this, it is better to take a deeper analysis on what makes a person good (Johnson, 2008). Kant states that a person is good because of his possession of a good will, in a way, that his decisions are determined by on the basis of the moral law. In addition, he believes that anyone would say that his actions are morally clean and and  considered  it as reasons for guiding his  behaviors. Further, he points out that a good will is a will whose decisions are determined entirely by what he called as the Moral Law. There must be no circumstance in which moral goodness would be regarded as worth forfeiting just to exchange it for something desirable. Say for example, desirable qualities like courage or cleverness would be demeaned and sacrificed as to lay it aside if injustice requires, or, will be discarded if cruelty demands, thus, making good will not be good at all. Further, he explains that duty, has moral worth if the actions are not derived with motivations, in particular, self-interest, self-preservation, sympathy and happiness. However, it may be dutiful but does not express a good will. For instance, the government has the main duty, according the law of the land--the Constitution to serve and protect its constituents, and abide to the norms and standards, for the welfare of all. Also, duty performed out of motivations like love and friendship is a duty of good will. Furthermore, if a duty is done in the respect for moral law, then it is a motivation of respect. For instance, Maria in her being a member of an organization, by which rules and regulations are strictly implemented, would follow the said policies because it is her duty. To that effect, Maria thinks that she is respecting laws pertaining to her. The Categorical and Hypothetical Imperatives Kant formulated the Categorical Imperative in which he explains, â€Å"ought never to act except in such a way that I could also will that my maxim should become a universal law.† According to him, this motivates a good will. It is imperative because it is a command. For example, â€Å"Take me away from him.† This shows that Categorical Imperative, exactly, commands us to act on our wills. It is not conditional and does not have willed ends. Unlike Hypothetical Imperative, it requires a certain degree of condition. Hence, it is imperative but to the extent that in doing a particular action or duty, there is an underlying motivation such as condition. Hypothetical imperative is one that requires an exercise of wills, only, to certain degree of condition--a command of unconditional form. For example, â€Å"If you want to pass from this subject, then buy me a pair of shoes.† This shows a conditional imperative. The Formula of the Universal Law of Nature As stated above, categorical imperative denotes that an act done in accordance to this maxim can and will become a universal law. Suppose, in a democratic country, the legislator made a law prohibiting all constituents from getting an education. Such law is invalid because it simply violates the principle of freedom

Marketing Nike Essay Example for Free

Marketing Nike Essay Growing up there was one brand that all professional athletes used in my eyes, Nike. The Swoosh, was the icon that all kids had to have, and why not? All the big time players not only had it, but endorsed it. Ads, which had Michael â€Å"Air† Jordan, Bo Jackson, or Wayne Gretsky â€Å"The Great One† doing amazing physical feats, always, motivated the crowds. The Nike company new this, and blasted it marketing campaign through all sorts of media. In this essay I will break down this multi-billion dollar company’s marketing techniques in the areas of: customer value, promotional items, marketing’s four p’s of the marketing mix, the segmentation, targeting, and positioning (STP) approach to market the product, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), environmental trends, the largest customer base, its competitors, and ethical marketing for this corporation both stateside and overseas. Putting these athletes in the ads is just one way to build value for a company. From Ashford universities â€Å"Principle of Marketing† by â€Å"Sara White† We are introduced to marketing with the definition of marketing as â€Å"an activity designed to stimulate exchanges that have value for customers, partners, and society at large†. With this definition of marketing intact the question that still is out pondering is what is value? â€Å"Value was defined as the perceived trade-off between benefits and the sacrifice required to take possession of those benefits†. To break it down further we will look at customer value. Customer value is a title for the cost of a particular trade for the purchaser (buyer) instead of the company (seller). Looking into a selling Nike abroad, whatever a customer may pay in the United States may not be the same overseas. The first thing is to look at is how the current client group influences the market in the states. Nike had a humble start with creators Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight trying to improve on the track shoe of the day. The former â€Å"Blue Ribbon Sports Company† now known as Nike wanted to increase value into their product by having athletes endorses it. So they found the person that they thought would be the best at building future customer value, Steve Prefontaine. During his college time he never lost a race on his home track, and was exposed to national notoriety with is fourth place finish in Munich. This was one of their first successes in marketing. As popularity for their product rose the selected new sports models to display the shoes on the track. This really kicked of the sale of the shoes. Seeing how this success worked at their home setting, taking it to other countries should be no problem. Paving the way with athletes that had above average ability in their field was how Nike struck the marketing campaigned. Finding someone in another country that could spark the same influence over the masses would keep thing on track for Customer value overseas. This would all depend on what country we planned on taken our product to. The last thing that we are going to look at with customer value is the four utilities of customer value. The four utilities are: Form, Time, Place, and Ease of Possession. The form in the four utilities shows what effort Nike puts into their product that makes it desirable. Part of this desire is the quality and showmanship they place in every item. The other part is who they put in their invention. This was very clear in the mid-80 when Nike was the company that took on NBA rookie Michael Jordan, to represent their company’s goals. Being one of the leaders of in business, time is important. Nike put their product out when they need to. They also change it enough to keep things fresh. Time also goes along with place. Not only does the timing of releasing product play a huge role, the place does as well. Lastly, ease of possession is just that, how easy will it be to get the product. Included in this is can I get my item fixed or replaced easily also. With internet available in almost everyone’s pocket from smartphones to tablets getting Nike’s items have become very accessible. With ease of possession we have to look at what trends are working or not, so that we may fix them. Understanding these four utilities just scratches the surface of what we need to know. To be more in-depth with a strategy we must look at the targeting and market mix portion of promoting. In order to utilize the four utilities properly we must look at the STP approach of marketing. This Approach involves segmentation, targeting, and positioning looks at what a byer values. â€Å"Segmentation can be defined as the process of splitting a market into smaller groups with similar product needs or identifiable characteristics, for the purpose of selecting appropriate target markets. Targeting (or target market selection) refers to: An organization’s proactive selection of a suitable market segment (or segments) with the intention of heavily focusing the firm’s marketing offers and activities towards this group of related consumers. And positioning (which is sometimes referred to as product positioning) is: Positioning is the target market’s perception of the product’s key benefits and features, relative to the offerings of competitive products. † With the number of competitors only the rise it is important for an organization to forecast what the consumers buying trends are. Nike, although one of the largest establishments in their field, they still are not untouchable. They have to stay a success by continually improving on the products. Nike leads the way with new technology that innovate all sports. In the late 80’s the introduction of Nike air did this well. Again they launched a promotional campaign that introduced a series of ads by Bo Jackson one of the top athletes at the time. They saw the future of what their clients wanted, Air. It was the first shoe out on the market with air in the sole. Following the marketing targeting set at this point propelled them ahead of their competitors. To stay ahead of the game the implementation of the four P’s is the next tool to evolve business plan. The four P’s that come from the widely used â€Å"marketing mix† developed in the 60’s includes production, price, place and promotion. â€Å"Product: The combination of tangible goods, services, and beliefs offered at a specific price. † To stay on the breaking edge of athletic gear with rivals on your heels they have to produce a â€Å"product† that reaches the masses. The creations did just that, they made it tangible for all with a specific price. â€Å"Price: The amount of money or other consideration a customer must exchange for the offering. † Nikes merchandise because it was ahead of others cost a little more. At the same time they could justify their cost due to the fact the merchandise operated better than anyone else’s. â€Å"Place: The strategy by which a company gets the right goods in the right quantity to the right place. † Because Phil and Bill both had roots on the west coast mainly Oregon, this is where the perfect place to offer the product out of was. Now, a global sensation you can get it from any corner of the world. â€Å"Promotion: The advertising and selling activity a company undertakes to create demand for the offering . † The only real way to endorse this type of product is to show the benefits in different people that use it. This not only sums up the four P’s but gives examples of how it applies to this enterprise. While putting all of these aspects together there has to be a way to track certain trends to be more productive. This can be done by customer relationship management or CRM system. CRM is a good tool to utilize once your product has hit the market. This system tracks the companies’ relationship with the purchaser. The data collected will be from sale and overall marketing . Some items that might be pulled from this information are demographics of the individual buying an item. This is so important to direct and promote ads to those that will actually be utilizing them. When I got my first pair of Nike shoes I was stoked. They were everything that I wanted and more. I was fast to show them to my friends. At that point I would have done anything that Nike asked me to (I was a typical kid). Inside the box was a card and at the time I did not understand what it for. It had questions on it like race, age, sports that I played in at school level†¦etc. This was there way of finding out who is buying their goods. Some places will add in rewards or freebies to get their customer feedback. This information can also give feedback on when to promote certain items so that there will be a larger return. Now that all the information is being tracked and fixed, we can now see how it does abroad. In the 90’s Nike wanted to figure out how to reach an even larger fan base. Soccer was the ticket to gain that popularity not only in one country but almost every country in the world. At the point of taking production to another country the process of building customer value and marketing kind of starts over. Knowing this Nike took players from the World Cup-winning Brazilian National team. They redesigned the uniforms and pulled in some US teams as well . This organization could go a little farther by endorsing other sports as well. One of the most important things about going into other countries with this appeal line is to see what effects it has on the area. From â€Å"Principles of Marketing† by â€Å"White† there are a couple of things that affect the marketing environment. The acts that affect the environment are actors and forces . They both exist in two different categories Micro environment and Macro environment. In Micro-environment actors are individuals like: stockholders, board members, competitors, public, and customers . In this category there are also forces which include: Strategic moves by, competitors, Channel partners, Changes in consumer behavior . Macro- environment deals actors with leaders in Culture/society, Politic, Economics, Technology development, Finance and Law . Forces in Macro-environment are; globalization, Technology and media . Let’s see how this looks with Nike. If Nike is to be a success in other countries they have to know how they are going to affect the environment where they go. They also need to know how other countries can affect them. An example of this would be in the Middle East females are not treated as equals. Therefore it would not be a good idea to start up only female sporting lines there. Another example of how they could be affected by the environment is the culture is different that the US, some countries that would use their product cannot afford American prices. This would cause a new marketing scheme. A good place to start is checking the CRM to see what trends these cultures prefer. So currently who is Nike’s biggest byer? Nike hits such a wide range of sports, from their start in track, to sponsoring golfer Eldrick â€Å"Tiger† Woods. Almost every sport today has some kind of influence from Nike. The largest in today’s market is probably the NFL. The National football league has just signed up Nike to create some new gear for this 2012 – 2013 season. The great thing about Nike is it now has sister labels that produce more than just athletic products. â€Å"A significant event in Cole Haan’s timelines happened in 1988 when Nike acquired Cole Haan . Thence, international flagship stores and more outlets opened making the reach to influence the use of quality and fashionable footwear become broader and wider . † â€Å"Then the technology of Nike Air was incorporated in the design of women’s shoes which made a mark on Cole Haan’s emphasis on providing comfort and protection not only for men but also for women. This was the first at that time and the demand for Cole Haan shoes continued to rise . † Nike seems to be unstoppable but they are only a small percentage of the market. There are so many different shoe companies out there today. If an individual can get it in the States they can get overseas via the internet. A few brands that compete with Nike are: Reebok, Adidas, Asics, and New balance. But they are not close to the company that distributes to over 170 countries. Unfortunately although Nike from the stand point of business is a great company they have a dark side also. Ethics is gaining power in the business world. People are tired of seeing cooperation’s destroy morale of the world and marketing is no different. There is a responsibility to the public to give honest communications and things that are not going further corrupt children mind. A lot of marketers will play to children’s weaknesses. Rebecca Clay wrote an article on advertising to children. The article goes on to explain that children’s psyches are not to the level to decipher fact from fiction. This weakness is exploded and ads well over load kids with ideas of toys and games that they do not need nor should they have. One case of unethical marketing goes deeper than what we can see. It was what was going on behind the curtains. According to† Mail Online† that put out an article on Nike, about the treatment in the converse factory . They continue on to say that the employees are under paid, making around 50 cents an hour. Terminology such as; dog or pig from supervisors are thrown around in a derogatory way. This is a decade after Nike came under fire for their child labor seat shops in Indonesia. Should something be done to this marketing tycoon? Some kind of apology should come to the public not only in America but to the world. This is part of their obligation to the society has a whole. As kids we can be drawn into many different that catch our attention. Mine, like many juveniles was following the dream of growing up to become a professional athlete. It was the lifestyle at the time that seemed effort less. Nike open my eyes to this more than probably any other brand. The slogan† Just do It† was what I needed to pursue my goals. For a while it felt as though they were not just talking about sports but life who knows maybe they are. Whatever it may be there marketing plan from the start of the back of a trunk; to multibillion dollar cooperation is one of the best. Going through the marketing world with Nike we covered the following: customer value, promotional items, marketing’s four p’s of the marketing mix, the segmentation, targeting, and positioning (STP) approach to market the product, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), environmental trends, the largest customer base, its competitors, and ethical marketing for this corporation both stateside and overseas. References: (n. d. ). Clay, R. A. (2000, September). Advertising to children is it ehtical. Retrieved Jan 11, 2013, from American Phychological Association: http://www. apa. org/monitor/sep00/advertising. aspx Fripp, G. (2012). .segmentationstudyguide. Retrieved Jan 14, 2013, from www. segmentationstudyguide. com Reporter, D. M. (2011, July 13). Mail Online. Retrieved Jan 13, 2013, from daily mail: http://www. dailymail. co. uk/news/article-2014325/Nike-workers-kicked-slapped-verbally-abused-factories-making-Converse-line-Indonesia. html uknown. (2011). History Heritage . Retrieved 01 10, 2013, from Nike, inc : http://nikeinc. com/pages/history-heritage unknown. (2013). A History of Cole Haan. Retrieved jan 13, 2013, from Shoe metro delivering sole satisfaction: http://www. shoemetro. com/t-history-of-cole-haan. aspx unknown. (2013, jan 13). Forbes: profile and News. Retrieved Jan 2013, 2013, from Forbes. com: http://www. forbes. com/companies/nike/ White, S. (2012). Principles of Marketing. San Diego: Bridgepoint Education,inc.

Germanys Proposals on EU Multiannual Financial Framework

Germanys Proposals on EU Multiannual Financial Framework GERMANY’S REFORM PROPOSALS ON THE FUTURE STRATEGIC DIRECTION OF THE MULTIANNUAL FINANCIAL FRAMEWORK Introduction This report is written from the perspective of Germany concerning the EU Multiannual Financial Framework, which is the seven-year structure that regulates its annual budget. The account starts with a review of the existing financial state and standing of Germany within the context of her strength within the network of states. It provides an assessment of the demographic and human resource capabilities of Germany in the areas of education and skills, technology, and research and development. The report proceeds by giving an outline of the reform proposals of Germany on the future strategic direction of the financial framework by highlighting areas of particular interests as regards increasing or decreasing the package, and the potential areas for a rebalancing of the budget. The report concludes by outlining how the proposed spending priorities will give value-added opportunities for the EU as a whole. In writing the report considerations were given to the overall evolution of the budgetary debate over the recent years. 2.1  Reform Proposals Two policy areas which have dominated the overall EU expenditure over the past decades are agricultural and structural policies. The two policy areas are the focus of Germany’s reform proposals. Germany seeks a reordering of spending priorities, maintenance of the overall budget level while exploring other means of revenue generation for the EU budget. The reforms proposed are as follows: 2.2  Proposal 1 Reduce CAP Spending By 10% (Heading 2) According to (EC, 2011), currently over a fourth of the EU budget is expended on subsidies to farmers whether they are involved in any significant economic activity or not. The EC outlines that direct payments to farmers are based on traditional entitlement as opposed to definitive need for social protection in agriculture. Germany proposes that direct payments received by the top 11 EU member states be reduced by 50%. These measures will result in a reduction of CAP spending by 10%, which represents â‚ ¬27.8 billion in the next financial package. 2.3  Proposal 2 Reduce Cohesion Fund Spending by 10% (Heading 1b) According to (Bachtler, 2003), the convergence objective is to correct fiscal and societal disparities amongst EU member states with a GDP less than 75% of the EU average. Currently all regions in EU member states with a GDP above 75% of the EU average are covered under Heading 1b. Germany proposal is that the requirement to have a GDP below 75% should apply to member states only and not the regions. Germany is of the view that restructuring of the eligibility conditions would save a total of â‚ ¬32.5 billion. 2.4  Proposal 3 Increase the EU’s Foreign policy budget by 5 % Heading 4 of the MFF is currently allocated about 6% of the EU budget. (Sà ¶derbaum, 2005) observes that since the institution of the Common Foreign and Security Policy in 1992, the tendency has been to put the heading at the bottom of the budget. He asserts that the poor funding has negatively impacted the management of EU external relations. The 5% additional spending would represent an increase of â‚ ¬2.94 billion. 3. HOW PROPOSED SPENDING PRIORITIES WILL CREATE VALUE-ADDED OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE EU 3.1  Value Added Opportunities Thus, Germany would like to see the savings from the aforementioned proposals reallocated into the following priority areas: 3.2  Youth Employment According to (Eurostat, 2014), there are 7.5 million youth in the EU not in employment, education, and training. Germany’s youth unemployment represents 7.7 % of this figure. Germany believes this problem can be addressed by apprenticeship schemes and initiatives in Germany and across the EU. Companies who engage in the schemes will benefit from net profits on their investment, and the apprentices will learn skills that will increase the prospect of future employability that will result in increased tax revenue and less welfare payments. 3.3  Competitiveness Research and Development According to the (EC, 2011), the EU accounts for 24 % of global research investments. (Van Noorden, 2014) believes that the EU needs a push presently to increase its Research Development spending because it faces the risk of falling behind its international competitors in America and Asia. Additional spending will help to increase collaboration between science and industry and augment the extent to which researches are successfully translated into new technology, ensuring that the EU is prepared to face the challenges of the future. 3.4  Expansion of the Trans Europe Network According to (Spiekermann, 1996) the purpose of the trans-European networks (TEN) is to improve economic and social cohesion through efficient connection of the main economic centres. The savings from the cuts should be reassigned to completion of key transport projects through the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), the EUs funding system for trans-European transport. This would expedite completion of networks that will improve the inter-operability between the central and outer regions of the union, and bring economic opportunities and beneficial social impact. 3.5  EU Foreign Policy (Euractiv, 2011), outlines that the EU struggles to find a single voice global affairs and is often marginalized by other countries. It presents the argument that the EUs declining influence abroad is proportional to its foreign expenditure and the size of its diplomatic corps. (Emerson, et al, 2011), expresses the need for a restructuring of European diplomacy through the building of a first rate diplomatic corps. The spending will strengthen EU’s influence so it can play an active role in creating peace and well-being in an interdependent world. 3.6  Renewable Energy (105 Words) References Bachtler, J., 2003. Reforming EU Cohesion Policy: An Assessment of the Debate.Intereconomics,38(6), pp. 302-305. Emerson, Michael, Rosa Balfour, Tim Corthaut, Jan Wouters, Piotr Maciej KaczyÅ„ski, and Thomas Renard.Upgrading the EUs Role as Global Actor. Centre for European Policy Studies, 2011. EurActive (2013, January 23) .The EUs role in global governance. Retrieved March 5, 2014, from http://www.euractiv.com/global-europe/eus-role-global-governance-linksdossier-503726 European Commission. (2011). CAP Towards 2020 Impact Assessment. Retrieved February 10, 2014, fromhttp://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/rica/pdf/PO0202_direct_payments.pdfEuropean Commission. (2011). Innovation Union Competitiveness Report 2011. Overall picture: Europe’s competitive position in research and innovation. Retrieved March 5, 2014, from http://ec.europa.eu/research/innovation-union/pdf/competitiveness-report/2011/overall_picture.pdfEuroStat (2014).Unemployment Statistics. Retrieved February 10, 2014, from http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/statistics_explained/index.php/Unemployment_statistics Sà ¶derbaum, F., Van Langenhove, L. (2005). Introduction: the EU as a global actor and the role of interregionalism.European Integration,27(3), 249-262.Van Noorden, R. (2014, January 08). China tops Europe in RD intensity. Retrieved February 14, 2014, from http://www.nature.com/news/china-tops-europe-in-rd-intensity-1.14476. Conclusion Germany considers that the principal means by which the EU can meet its objectives is through innovation, technological advancement, research and development, employment creation, training, new skills development, economies of scale, a modern energy policy, and a comprehensible and participatory foreign policy. In order to achieve these key targets fundamental changes are necessary in the content of the budget, revenues, and the overall spending programs so that budget expenditures can add beneficial value to the EU. Under this budgeting approach, priority would be given to policy areas that are most favourable to long-term competitiveness. Given the traditional budgeting pattern of the past Germany appreciates that this is an ambitious budgeting framework to advocate, but it is one that would provide lasting value by making the EU the most competitive and modern society in the world. Lastly, Germany recognizes the need for other means of revenue to finance future EU budgets. Many options has been proffered, such as an EU tax on financial transactions, revenues from greenhouse gas emission, EU tax linked to air transport, EU VAT, and EU energy tax. The issue of EU own resource is a controversial one because Member States have always shown opposition to the idea of an EU tax. In addition, introducing a new tax in the current economic climate runs the risk of disaffecting citizens and other Member States. However, Germany is of the view that deliberation must continue on the development of viable options through which the EU budget can be financed in order to relieve the donor fatigue on her part and other net contributors.

Socio Political Context Of The Welfare Policy Social Work Essay

Socio Political Context Of The Welfare Policy Social Work Essay According to the World Health Organisation, most developed world countries have accepted the age of 65 years as a definition of elderly or older person. (WHO: 2012) However, in the UK, the Friendly Societies Act 1972 S7(1)(e) defines old age as, any age after fifty, where pension schemes mostly, are used, it is usually, age 60 or 65 years for eligibility. (Scottish Government: 1972) The term ageism, is defined as process of discrimination and stereotyping against people because of their age. Around a quarter of older adults in the UK, report having experienced age discrimination. (Age Scotland: 2012) It affects many institutions in society and has a number of dimensions, such as job discrimination, loss of status, stereotyping and dehumanization. Ageism is also about assuming that all older people are the same despite different life histories, needs and expectation. (Phillipson: 2011) The policy, All Our Future also (Scottish Government: 2007) indicates that over the age of fifty, is a stage where life circumstances start to change in ways that can be significant for the future. An example of this can be; children leave home, change in working patterns, people have less work and more time for themselves. In addition, from fifty onwards, this can be a time when physical health may deteriorate, causing possible health problems, such as, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis or coronary heart disease. What is more, the state of general health overall, decreases substantially, people face changes in appearance, their physical state deteriorates and they are not as fit as they used to be. Surely, this must be difficult to accept! However, ageing can also cause some psychological effects, such as, changes in memory function, a decline in intellectual abilities, or even memory loss. As a result of a degenerative condition of brains nerve cells or brain disorders, many people may develop dementia, Alzheimer or Parkinson disease. Wilson et al. (2008) who draws attention to physical, biological and psychological effects of the ageing, pointing out that ageing is not itself a disease, but some specific diseases may be associated with this process. Older people are a group that used to be in a marginal concern in the social work profession, but has recently moved to one of central importance. (Phillipson: 2011) This is caused by the remarkable speed of demographical change. The number of older people is increasing, both in absolute numbers, and as a proportion of the total population. The ageing of the population indicates two main factors: the downward trend in the birth rate, and improvements in life expectancy. (Phillipson: 2011) In Scotland, in 2010, there were an estimated 1.047 million older people age over 60, with older people being one fifth of the Scottish population. (Age Scotland: 2012) In the last hundred years, Scotlands life expectancy has doubled from 40 in 1900, to just over 74 for males, and just over 79 for females in 2004. By 2031 the number of people aged 50+ is projected to rise by 28%, and the number aged 75+ is projected to increase by 75% (Scottish Government: 2007) This issue requires to be deeply anal ysed in terms of how society will be able to respond effectively to the complex needs of older people. This part of the report takes into account the socio-political context of the welfare policy. Social work underwent fundamental changes from the 1960s, following broader ideological, political and economic developments. To understand the current role of social work within society and wider policy framework, particularly with older people, it is important to analyse the past that has reflected on contemporary practice. By the 1960s, more attention was beginning to be paid to the social consequences of capitalism, that started to be seen as the economic order of an unequal and unfair society. The strong critique of that system is known as radical social work, that grew on the ideology of Marxism. (Howe: 2008) The publication of the Kilbrandon Report (1964) consequently led to the introduction of Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968. This embedded social work firmly within the state sector, with the voluntary sector as complementary. (Ferguson Woodward: 2011) Social work wanted to be seen a s a unified profession, that offered generic services, to overcome earlier fragmentation and overspecialisation of services. Social workers were obligated by law, to assess needs and promote social welfare by providing services. However, the government of Margaret Thatcher began to weaken the state welfares responsibilities to help people in need, leading to the major ideological shift in 1980s called neoliberalism. As a result, the Barclay Report (1982) intended to clarify the role and task of social workers employed within statutory or voluntary sector. The later Griffiths Report (1988) was similar to Barclay Report, in terms of promoting greater choice, participation and independence of the service user and carers. However, neoliberalism undermines the role of welfare professionals, allowing the rich to become richer, and marginalise the poorest and most vulnerable individuals. (Ferguson Woodward: 2011) Woodward and Ferguson (2011) argue that the neoliberal trend has been contin ued under the new labour government, leading to managerialism and bureaucratisation. Therefore, contemporary practice is drawn by extreme pressure of marketisation and managerialism, leading to a profession dominated by stress, frustration and strongly focused on meeting deadlines. The labour government has also been driven by the developments associated with consumerists ideas, such as, personalisation that places the service user at the centre of service design and delivery, or direct payments that emphasise independence and individual choice, through giving service users their own money, to buy their own services. (Woodward Ferguson: 2011) For a long time, neoliberal economic and social policies in the UK speculated a very different concept of what social work should be about. The Changing Lives report of the 21st Century Social Work Review (Scottish Government: 2006) has brought a significant shift within social work polices, through an expression of dissatisfaction of social w ork, that was mainly caused by a lack of opportunity for relationship based working with service user. The policy has reshaped the profession, providing social workers with additional space to develop good social work practice. There have been initiatives to improve recruitment, and increase professionalism and standards within the workforce, as well as improve integration in the planning and provision of social work services. (Scottish Parliament: 2008) Integration has been developed through Modernising Community Care: An Action Plan (1998) and Community Care Joint Future (2000) that introduce Single Shared Assessment (SSA). In Scotland, Joint Future is the driving policy on joint working between local authorities and the NHS. The other key policy themes are personalisation, self-directed support, early intervention and prevention as well as mixed economy of care. (Scottish Parliament: 2008) Another significant report that brought about change in policy, and later, in Scottish legi slation, is the Sutherland Report (1999). This provided free personal and nursing care on the basis of assessed needs. (Petch: 2008) The above review of social work policies framework, is a good illustration of the constantly changing role and function of social work. Social work operates within the wider context of a constantly developing policy, ideology and legislation. The reality and ideology has changed people and society to face a new challenges. Social work makes a key contribution to tackle these issues by working with other agencies to deliver coordinated support to increase the wellbeing of older people. In terms of needs and issues when working with older people, the first thing to consider is the partnership of health and social care, especially within areas such as: assessment, care management, intermediate care and hospital discharge. The main problems are, tight budgets, resources and reconciliation of financial responsibility between bodies. Which always raises dispute who should pay for services? Wilson et al. (2008) stresses the importance of rationing services in social work, due to a low budget, which leads to delays in provision of services, and lack of time to develop more creative forms of practice. This causes unnecessary delays and constraints. One might expect that new Integration of Adult Health and Social Care Bill (Scottish Government: 2012) will resolve these problems by the joint budget and equal responsibilities of Health Boards and Local Authorities. The next issue is the assessment and intervention process, that are seen as balance between needs and resources, evidence and relationship based practice. It can be an issue to find appropriate resources that will meet the needs of the individual. A major element during assessment is the relationship with service user, and that the appropriate methods of communication are adopted to identify the needs of older people. The practitioner must take the time to get know the older person and resist pressure from other professionals to do a quick assessment. (Mackay: 2008) In social work there is constant need to utilise evidence based practice on the grounds that it is empirical knowledge which guides the decision making process, such as three stages of theory cycle (Collinwood Davies: 2011) There is no doubt evidence based practice is important, but this view may undermine relationship based practice, which is equally important. Rightly, Wilson et al. (2008) refers to relationship-based as a main feature of social work practice, that shapes the nature and purpose of the intervention. It is a unique interaction between the service user and the practitioner, that helps to obtain more information and define the best way of intervention. The problem of autonomy and protection is another factor in the relationship when working with older people. This raises the question of capacity, consent and the deprivation of liberty of older people. This group of service users is often a subject of legislation that deprives their human rights, this is because they are likely to be affected by cognitive disorder such as dementia. The term dementia, includes Alzheimers disease, vascular and unspecified dementia, as well as dementia in other diseases such as Parkinsons. It has been estimated that in the UK the number of patients diagnosed is 821,884, representing 1.3% of the UK population. (Alzheimers Research Trust: 2010) The assessment of incapacity or mental disorder is not straightforward and proves ethically and morally difficult for both service user and social worker. Social workers have to manage the balance between acting in accordance with the wishes of the individuals, and what is in their best interests. It has been sugg ested by policy and legislation that the views and wishes of people expressed through self-assessment would remain at the heart of intervention. (Wilson et al.: 2008) Another issue is abuse of older people, which may have many forms, and can be very severe in extend. Older people are vulnerable to abuse, or indeed, not having their rights fully respected and protected. The problem came to public awareness not as long as few years ago. Despite the fact that legislation came into force through Adult Support and Protection (Scotland) Act 2007, it is estimated that elder abuse affects 22,700 people in the Scotland each year. (Age Scotland: 2012) Older people are a subject of physical, psychological abuse, neglect, sexual or financial harm, that normally takes place at home, in hospital, residential care or day centre. (Ray at al.: 2009) Age discrimination is next issue one wish to consider, older people are disadvantaged because of their relatively low socio-political and cultural status in a contemporary society. They are repeatedly presented as a drain on resources as they no longer actively contribute to the growth of society. They do not work and do not pay taxes anymore. Older people are systematically disadvantaged by the status they now occupy within society. Wilson et al. (2008: p. 620) rightly suggests that old age is socially constructed. A good example of this is retirement, which officially, makes people old and unavailable to work, despite the actual physical and emotional state of the individual. Other forms of social construction that significantly affect the experience of old age are class, gender, race and ethnicity. (Wilson at al.: 2008) An illustration of this can be the statement that older people have much more in common with younger people from their class, than they do with older people from other classes. (Philipson: 2011) Disadvantages and inequalities, experiences during life can magnified during the process of ageing, through differences in access to health facilities, health status and lifestyle that may influence life expectancy. There is no doubt that experience of ageing is subjective, and depends on many factors, but it seems to be a matter to firstly, consider class, gender and race at the first place. When discussing poverty and inequalities, the points to bear in mind are issues of discrimination of older women, who are less likely to have as great a pension as a male partner, due to the fact many women are paid a lower wage then men. Moreover, women tend to live longer than men, therefore, are potentially more vulnerable to live alone and in poverty. (Age UK: 2012) There are many forms of disadvantage associated with older people in poverty such as; low income, low wealth and pension, debts or financial difficulties, feelings of being worse off, financial exclusion, material deprivation and a cold home. The first three are experiences by around 20% of older people, half of older people experienced at least one of the nine forms of poverty described above, and 25% had two or more. A minority 3% suffered from three or more forms of poverty. (Age UKa: 2012) In terms of ethnicity and race there are significant inequalities in the process of ageing. An illustration of this can be the black community of older people, who are more likely to face a greater level of poverty, live in poorer housing and have received lower wages. In addition, they are more susceptible to physical and mental illness often due to heavy manual work, racism and cultural pressures. (Phillipson: 2011) All these discussed factors must be taken into account when working with the older person. It can be argued that one of the main needs of older people is the importance of active listening to this group of service users, who are often because of age ignored or disregarded. This is supported by Kydd et al. (2009) who highlights how important it is for older people to feel that they are being listened too. Another important need of this group of service users, is the need to stay at home as long as possible, which is supported by the policy, All Our Future (Scottish Government: 2007) that offers; free personal care, telecare development programme, care and repairs services or travel scheme free bus passes. The policy aims to improve opportunities for older people, foster better understanding towards this group of service users, create better links between generations to work together and exchange experiences. Improve health and quality of life by promoting well being and an active life within the community; enhance care support and protection of older people. Improve housing and transport as well as promote lifelong learning. The last part of the report identifies policy framework and organisational responses. The discussion about social care for adults began in the UK through Green paper Independence, Well-being and Choice (Department of Health: 2005) and the subsequent White Paper, Our Health, Our Care, Our Say (Department of Health: 2006) these documents set out the agenda for future. This is based on the principle that service users should be able to have greater control over their own lives, with strategies that services delivery will be more personalised than uniform. The contemporary social work is driven by emancipatory issues such as social justice, empowerment, partnership and minimal intervention. (Dalrymple and Burke: 2006) Empowerment theory is the process of helping people gain greater control over their lives. Empowerment is not simply a matter of enabling or facilitating but it involves helping people to become better equipped to deal with challenges and oppression they may face. (Thompson : 2009) On the grounds of empowerment grew the idea of service user participation that came to law in 1990 through NHS and Community Care Act. (Ray et al.: 2012) There is still increasing acceptance that people who receive services should be seen as own experts in defining their own needs. This is in accordance with the exchange model of assessment presented by Smile and Tuson et al. (1993), where the social worker views the individuals as experts of their own problems. The role of the practitioner is to help the service user to organise resources in order to reach goals that are defined by the service user. The Scottish Governments policies and initiatives addressing to older people, highlights the importance of developing services that focus on maintaining independence, encouraging choice and promoting autonomy, such as; Changing Lives (2006), All Our Future (2007), Independent Living in Scotland (2010), Reshaping Care for Older People (2012a). These policies highlight the importa nce of service user participation in the process of decision making and intervention. These tendencies of improving choice and autonomy of older people, have resulted in the creation of personalisation and self-directed support programmes. Personalisation enables the individual to participate and to be actively involved in the delivery of services. Personalisation also means that people become more involved in how services are designed by shaping and selecting services to receive support that is most suited to them (Scottish Government: 2009) The programme directly responds to wants and wishes of the service user regarding service provision. Personalisation consists of a person centre approach, early intervention and prevention, and is based on mentioned above empowering philosophy of choice and control. It shifts power from the professionals, to the people who use services. (Department of Health: 2010) However, it could be argued that approaches which extend to service user control, in realty, can be seen as transferring risk and responsibilities form the local authority to the individual service user (Ferguson: 2007) Another option, recently promoted by the government, is Self Directed Support (SDS), a Bill that was introduced into the Scottish Parliament last year, and recently has passed stage three. The bill seeks to introduce legislative provision for SDS and the personalisation of services and to extend the provisions relating to direct payments. (Scottish Parliament: 2012a) The SDS approach had been brought into Parliament previously, and was reflected in many reports and policy initiatives such as: Changing Lives, Reshaping Care for Older People. SDS allows people to make informed choices about the way support is provided, they can have greater control over how their needs are met, and by whom. Social workers, working on behalf of local authority, will have a duty to offer SDS if the individual meets the eligibility criteria. The four options to consider are; direct payment to the individual in order that that person will arrange their own support, the person chooses the available support and the local authority will make arrangements for the services on behalf of that person, the social worker will select support and make arrangement for provision, the last option is a mix of the above. (IRISS: 2012) The idea of SDS is a great opportunity for service users to expand their control over which services provided. However, this raises a question of how many people will be ready to utilise option one of SDS. Would an ordinary person, who uses the services, have the skills and knowledge to take responsibility for their own care, for example to employ their own carers, a personal assistant or to buy their own services. One could envisage that it could be possible if the role of social worker changes from care management, to brokerage and advocacy. A potential care broker will provide assistance to obtain and manage a support package, drawing on individualised funding. It can be questioned if social workers who are mostly accountable to local authorities are reliable to perf orm this task whilst working across three sectors. (Wilson at al.: 2008) In conclusion, there is a shift from a paternalistic stance of social workers to viewing service user as experts of their own lives. From institutional care, through service led and needs led, to outcomes focus provision. A fundamental part of working with older people is to recognise and respond to the way in which they may be marginalized. This can be achieved by a deeper understanding of the process of ageing, and the issues that older people may face. Working with older people, based on new premises, will be focused on to maximise resources, and the role of the social worker will be transferred from care management to advocacy and brokerage. One may expect that active involvement and participation of older people in service provision will have a crucial role not only by exercising more control and choice but also in challenging social exclusion.

Mitosis and Meiosis Essay -- essays research papers

Cell division may happen by either mitosis or meiosis, depending on what type of cell is invovled. Mitosis is a process by which a cell divides to form two daughter cells. They each have the same exact number and kind of chromosomes as the parent cell. Meiosis occurs in the primary sex cells leading to the formation of viable egg and sperm cells. They reduce the number of chromosomes to half in each gamete so that when they are getting furtilized, the species chromosome number is kept even. Mitosis happens in the reproduction of unicellular organisms and in the addition of cells to a tissue or organ in a multicellular organism. There are four stages of mitosis. The first stage is the prophase. In this stage the chromosomes become shorter and thicker and they each consist of two chromatids. The nuclear membrane begins to disintegrate. The centrioles in animal cells, fungi, algae and some other ferns double and a pair move toward each pole and the chromosomes begin to move toward the equator of the cell. The second stage is called the metaphase. In this stage the centrioles move to the poles. The chromosomes line up at the equator of the spindle and the spindle fibers are attached to the centromeres connecting them to the poles of the spindle. The third stage is called the anaphase. By this time, the centromeres split apart. The chromatid pairs of each chromosome separate from each other and they move quickly in opposite directions, one toward each pole. The last stage is cal...

Poor Teaching Style Essay -- School Teacher Student Education

The teaching style of my humanities teacher during my senior year, Mrs. Jones, had a negative impact on her students. She delighted in giving people bad grades by being critical and was not helpful towards struggling students. She belittled her students by laughing at them when they received a bad grade or had a question that she thought was simple. Mrs. Jones deliberately makes her grading system harder than the other humanities teachers, even though each student is taking the exact same test. Another example of a poor educational system is portrayed in the essay, "’I’ll have to help some of you more that I want to’: Teacher power, student pedagogy," by Christian Zawodniak. Some of the examples used in this story are similar to Mrs. Jones’s style. Even though some teachers have different teaching styles, the end result and goal of each teacher should basically remain the same. One quality that Mrs. Jones has that demonstrates a poor educational system, is her way of belittling the students. She never said comments like, "try harder next time," or anything encouraging. She just looks down upon students who do poorly. This is similar to the comment made in the story by Zawodniak where the teacher, Jeff, says, "I’ll have to help some of you more than I want to"(125). Both of these types of attitudes make students intimidated and afraid to ask anymore questions. Teachers should say comments more along the lines of, "if there are any questions†¦." Or anything encouraging. They should be open and willing to do anything for the students, but this is definitely not the attitude taken on by Mrs. Jones, or Jeff. Mrs. Jones loves giving back tests with bad grades. When the time came for Mrs. Jones to hand back a te... ...hings, including humanities class. My feelings towards her are similar to these of Zawodniak. I almost never wanted to try hard in her class, because I know that I can’t succeed in it. She makes me feel stupid a lot, which is the wrong way to act to a student. Her rude comments, laughing, and grading methods make me, as well as my other students, feel discouraged. No matter how much we studied, no on could ever do good in her class. Even if some teachers teach differently than others, all of them should want the student to feel confident about what they learned in the end. Mrs. Jones’s view is different in a negative way because she gets more joy out of watching students struggle than succeed. For these reasons, Mrs. Jones is the perfect example of a bad teacher whose policies and practices have detrimental effect on students’ ability and desire to learn. Poor Teaching Style Essay -- School Teacher Student Education The teaching style of my humanities teacher during my senior year, Mrs. Jones, had a negative impact on her students. She delighted in giving people bad grades by being critical and was not helpful towards struggling students. She belittled her students by laughing at them when they received a bad grade or had a question that she thought was simple. Mrs. Jones deliberately makes her grading system harder than the other humanities teachers, even though each student is taking the exact same test. Another example of a poor educational system is portrayed in the essay, "’I’ll have to help some of you more that I want to’: Teacher power, student pedagogy," by Christian Zawodniak. Some of the examples used in this story are similar to Mrs. Jones’s style. Even though some teachers have different teaching styles, the end result and goal of each teacher should basically remain the same. One quality that Mrs. Jones has that demonstrates a poor educational system, is her way of belittling the students. She never said comments like, "try harder next time," or anything encouraging. She just looks down upon students who do poorly. This is similar to the comment made in the story by Zawodniak where the teacher, Jeff, says, "I’ll have to help some of you more than I want to"(125). Both of these types of attitudes make students intimidated and afraid to ask anymore questions. Teachers should say comments more along the lines of, "if there are any questions†¦." Or anything encouraging. They should be open and willing to do anything for the students, but this is definitely not the attitude taken on by Mrs. Jones, or Jeff. Mrs. Jones loves giving back tests with bad grades. When the time came for Mrs. Jones to hand back a te... ...hings, including humanities class. My feelings towards her are similar to these of Zawodniak. I almost never wanted to try hard in her class, because I know that I can’t succeed in it. She makes me feel stupid a lot, which is the wrong way to act to a student. Her rude comments, laughing, and grading methods make me, as well as my other students, feel discouraged. No matter how much we studied, no on could ever do good in her class. Even if some teachers teach differently than others, all of them should want the student to feel confident about what they learned in the end. Mrs. Jones’s view is different in a negative way because she gets more joy out of watching students struggle than succeed. For these reasons, Mrs. Jones is the perfect example of a bad teacher whose policies and practices have detrimental effect on students’ ability and desire to learn.

The Masque of the Red Death Essay -- essays research papers

To begin I would like to state that this is the first time I have had the experience of reading Poe and as such the reading process was greatly intriguing. The short story I chose was the Masque of the Red Death, which I found to be very dark and vile. From the beginning of the story to the end I found great concentration on the issues of life and death, among other things, which made the story very dynamic for its size. Another point of interest I found in the story was Poe’s concentration on historical accuracy as he successfully attempts to illustrate the feudal system at its best. However, two aspects of Poe’s writing that I did not exactly enjoy was the use of obscure words and seemingly long sentence which can some times take away from the flow of the story but overall it was enjoyable. In this short story Poe successfully illustrates matters of life and death specifically through imagery and projection of morals through diction and mood. This is important to make note of because Poe provides very vivid and precise images pertaining to the message he is trying to convey. The concentration on colour is the most prominent element throughout the story. The use of the colored chambers was greatly effective in delivering its massage of night and day. However, while the implicit theme of the coloured chambers are in fact night and day it again relates back to the more larger theme life and death and the rooms symbolize that progression through life, starting with birth (the...