Medication in health and social care Essay

The report that follows is a review of the final report from the LA, that I will present in the next team meeting. In the discussion I will refer mostly at the National Standards regarding the administration of medication (current UK standards and current legislation, national enquiries). To produce a good report, I need to include the risks of medication to service users, staff and organisation using examples from our context. In order to achieve the best results for my promotion, I need to structure clearly my report in such a manner that invites team members to express their opinion and to bring useful contribution through examples, for the best interest of our organisation. Good practice in the administration of medication is essential for users of health and social care services. For that, the social workers need to know the National standards requirements regarding the administration of medicines and the principles and policies on medicines handling and records. see more:who is responsible for medication in a social care setting Handling of medication requires knowledge on ordering, maintaining, administration, storage, recording and disposal of medication; the National standards refer to current standards and legislation, codes of practice and policies, national enquiries, ethical issues and risks for the service user. The current legislation that apply to the handling of medication comprises: The Medicine Act 1968, The Misuse of Drugs (Safe Custody) Regulations 1973, The Health and Safety at Work Act (1974), The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (1999) (COSHH), Hazardous Waste Regulations (2005). All care organisations and nursing services are regulated and inspected by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), and they must comply with the Care Standards Act 2000 and the National Minimum Standards. From the National Minimum Standards (NMS), the legislation that refers the most to the specific needs of our organisation regarding the medication is the Standard 9 of the NMS for care homes for ol der people, which gives information to the staff about the procedures of recording, storage, handling, administration and disposal of medicines, and also to the service users in concerns of their responsibility and risks for taking their own medication. Our organisation provides services for vulnerable people from diverse backgrounds, such as people with mental problems, with mental difficulties, and people with acquired brain damage. The mental condition of our clients imposes to the staff to be very careful  regarding the management of medicines and the risks associated with unsafe use of medication. First of all, the staff needs to have the necessary knowledge about medicines and the classification of medicines. Some of them, like Oramorph Concentrated Solution or Morphine, are very dangerous Controlled Drugs, so the care workers need to know the medicines indications, the necessary dosages and the side effects. The controlled Drugs must be kept in a locked metal cupboard and it can be administered by appropriately trained staff or by a registered nurse, in case that the patients receives nursing care. Older people can take several medications and errors can happen; to avoid any misuse of medicine, there should be kept a record of current medication for each service user. Regarding the Controlled Drugs, there is a register where there are recorded information about their administration and disposal. In the case that the staff monitoring the patients seizes any change in their condition, they need to announce the GP in order to review the medication. Between our patients, there are few that take their own medication, so we need to ensure that we provide them the necessary information in understanding their medical prescription properly. However, having in view that they have learning difficulties, they are assessed and monitored all the time in order to ensure that the process of taking their medicine is done accordingly.

Pornography and the Sexualization of Society

Pornography and the Sexualization of Society SOC101 11/27/12 The topic I chose is â€Å"Pornography and the Sexualization of Society†. I chose this article because I’ve noticed a drastic changes in the media, in advertising, and marketing that influences society in desensitizing us and our beliefs on what is normal and morally acceptable in terms of exposure to sexual content as well as the mass marketing of items that were once rarely seen in your corner drugstore or advertised in major publications.I can recall growing up as a teenager in the 1990’s and how big of a deal it was when a prime time television show featured it’s main characters having sex for the first time, or even making reference to explicit sexual acts. In contrast, in the last 20 years, it’s common place for teens or very young adults on television and in movies to have sex lives dramatized for entertainment. Additionally, television and print advertisements not only use explicit innuendo for contraception like condoms for example, but they also feature specialty enhancements for these products to make sex â€Å"better† for both partners.A visit to a local drugstore and there are sex toys advertised as â€Å"personal massagers† , lubricants for â€Å"his and her† pleasure and other items that would once have only been found in an adult bookstore. Pornography, not only in print and privately packaged covers can be found at most book stores as well as online websites with almost no age restriction. Soft porn is also readily available on cable television, and not just on premium channels designated adults only.HBO, Cinemax and Starz all have late night content that I would not want my teenage relatives to watch. Movies in theaters do have mandated content warnings, but it seems that even non â€Å"R† rated movies show a lot more today than they did 20 years ago. This contributes to what I would consider the Sexualization of our curr ent Society. The question for me is whether or not added exposure to sex, especially to teens and young adults contributes to deviant behavior.When applying Functionalist Theory, and the idea that society relies upon its members to have order, stability and an agreement on what values are and how they should be achieved, I can’t help but wonder to what extent does the overt sexualization of our culture have an impact on that stability. While our text does not indicate an increase in sex amongst youth in recent years, there is still a notable difference generationally speaking.This difference isn’t necessarily in the act of sex itself, but it our pop culture, in our mass communication online, in text messages and face to face conversations. If our society is to continue with overt sexualization as it has been†¦what will be the outcome? Will more teens have sex, will deviant sexual behavior become more and more prevalent? What mechanism should be employed to prevent the latter from happening? (Anderson/ Taylor 2011). References: Andersen, M. L. , and H. F. Taylor. Sociology, the Essentials. 6. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing Co, 2010. Print

Report on order entry points in the spectrum of supply management Coursework

Report on order entry points in the spectrum of supply management - Coursework Example Review of all the references quoted in my report and eliminated those which obstructed the flow of the report 5. I have also reviewed the relevancy of the case studies and made improvement over them. 6. At the end I would like to say big thanks to Dr. Rob Dekkers who help me and made me to produce such a model report. Table of contents Summary5 Introduction...6 Evolution of the Concept of Order Entry Point ........8 Research Methodology and Scope of the Report ..............................................9 Customer Order Decoupling Points - Concept and the Basics ..10 Customer Order Entry Point as Distinguished From Customer Order Decoupling point 16 Order Entry Point and Its Control Capability for Logistics ......17 O.E.P. and its effects on Supply Chain Management ..........20 Case Study23 Order Entry Point and Engineering Management ..25 Case Study27 Production Management Perspective in Order Entry Point ......28 Case Study29 Logistics Control and Physical Distribution 30 Case Study31 Conclusion ...33 10.0 References ...34 11.0 Glossary ..38 LIST OF FIGURS Figure # Description Page # 1 Order Entry Matrix. 13 2 Manufacturing Process and CODP 15 3 Representation of material Decoupling Point 22 4 Comparison of Material and Information Decoupling points within a Supply Chain 22 5 Changes that can be expected by a firm by implementing the Modular Design 26 SUMMARY: A firm to be successful in the global environment should manage its supply chain in such a way that the problems caused by distance, language, time ones, business practices, tariffs and other impediments to an efficient flow materials are eliminated or minimized to the maximum possible extent. Irrespective of... Report on order entry points in the spectrum of supply management Case studies enlightening the excellence and achievements in various fields of management are also included to make the report more interesting to the reader. Unlike the earlier reports, this one encompasses the relationship of order entry point to different fields of management like supply management, engineering management, production management and logistics and distribution which makes the report unique. A firm to be successful in the global environment should manage its supply chain in such a way that the problems caused by distance, language, time ones, business practices, tariffs and other impediments to an efficient flow materials are eliminated or minimized to the maximum possible extent. Irrespective of the time of placing the order or providing complete details with respect to his expectations, the customer always wants his delivery in the appointed time and date. The delivery date for the final product or service appears to be a strong concrete wall which will never move and every person and process walking towards this wall has to adjust their course of movements such that there is no direct hit against wall. An efficient distribution management has resulted in a higher sales turnover for ‘Timberland’ from $ 293 million in 1992 to $862 million in 1998. Based on the increase in the demand for boots and other products, the company made a reengineering of inventory management and distribution processes. With this reengineering process the company reduced the number of distribution centers to three from the unwieldy state of having thirteen distribution centers spread allover the country.

Pupil Annaual Progress Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Pupil Annaual Progress Report - Essay Example Recent assessment has shown that she has moved one levelr up and has secured level P3(ii) in communication and exploring and ordering the world (science and maths) of the level underpinning the National Curriculum. The prediction for the next year is that she will achieved level P4 in communication as she has already showning the ability which underpins this assessment level. Aaishah has increased her attention to regularly used objects in familiar activities. Within the year’s progress, As the year has progressed, Aaishah has developed an increasing awareness thatbecome increasingly more aware that her activities have expected steps and that she needs to keepbe active within them. She has become more consistent in using objects in the ways in which they are intended forto be used. Aaishah has become more consistent in carrying out independent actions within familiar activities such as reaching out for the morning parachute, holding the register, looking at a drum, putting items back in the finish box, and looking at the washing up bowl when getting ready to put her cup away. She has shown that she knows what the next steps in several of her activities are. Aaishah has continued to respond more positively to clear firm instructions from adults when taking part in less motivational activities. She has continued to become more responsive to clear fa cial expressions indicating praise or â€Å"stop†/†no† from familiar adults. Also, she and has developed an ability to can give a cheeky smile when she has tryingied to avoid something or deviated from thea routine. Recentlyisentlly, Aaishah has becomebecame consistent in carrying out independent actions within familiar activities, such as reaching out for the morning parachute, tapping a drum, putting items back in the finish box when adults indicate it is time to finish. In addition, Sshe

Outline and discuss the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) as means of Essay

Outline and discuss the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) as means of valuing securities and their risk. What are the drawbacks - Essay Example Thus each firm has to bear the cost of debt and cost of equity. These costs are calculated through various financial models designed to give an accurate analysis of the costs the firms have to bear. There are three models used by analysts and firms to calculate their cost of capital; the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM), the Dividend Valuation Model and the Arbitrage Pricing Theory. The focus of this report is the CAPM model and a comparison between this model and the Dividend Valuation Model. â€Å"The capital asset pricing model attributable to Sharpe (1964) is a cornerstone of modern financial theory and originates from the analysis of the cost of capital.† (Chouodary 2004) this market model encompasses the concept of risk and comes under the domain of risk premium market models. This model takes into account the risks borne by the investor for investing in the securities. When an investor puts his money in any security he faces many risks ranging from liquidity to inflat ion etc. The underlying principle of the capital asset pricing model is that investors want to be compensated for bearing the risk in the form of extra return. This extra return is over and above the risk free rate as risk free securities have no risk due to their guaranteed nature. All government securities are risk free as the government will pay back all its investors and there is no default involved in this case. Thus, before actually giving you the CAPM equation one needs to understand the logic of risk and return i.e. the concepts that make up the component of the CAPM equation. Risk and return valuations are the most important part of investment decisions. The risk and return go proportionately with each other i.e. greater the risk greater will be the return. Deriving from the basics an expected return is the mean of the probability distribution of possible future returns. ‘The expected return on an investment is the average return from the investment and is calculated as the probability weighted sum of all potential returns.’(Rao, 1989) The concept of risk and return arises due to the uncertainty of future outcomes. The underlying factor here is that the actual return received may be different from the expected return, thus generating risk for the investors. All financial assets produce cash flows and the riskiness of these assets is derived from the riskiness of these cash flows. An asset considered in isolation carries stand-alone risk and is considered to be less risky as compared to when it is held in a portfolio. In a portfolio, assets with different expected return are grouped together. The risk of the portfolio is divided into two parts: diversifiable risk and market risk. The diversifiable risk is the one that can be eliminated and therefore this type of risk is not accounted for in the risk computation. The risk that the investors are really interested in calculating is the market risk (the non-diversifiable risk) i.e. the relevan t risk which arises from the broad market movements. The measures of the risk are variance and standard deviation. The variance of a stock can be calculated using the below formula provided the required rate of return is given: N Var(R) = ?2 = ? pi(Ri – E[R])2 i=1 Where: N = the number of states pi = the probability of state i Ri = the return on the stock in state i E[R] = the expected return on the stock The positive square root of variance is standards deviation which

Stem Cell Research Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Stem Cell Research - Assignment Example The fact that stem cells are undifferentiated makes it easy to program them into any cell of the body or protein. This creates hope for the people with terminal and previously incurable diseases for example diabetes. Stem cells are pluripotent cells, which are not specialized. In embryos, the stem cells differentiate into the different organs of the body. In adults, stem cells are important in the repair mechanism, which replaces the damaged cells of the various organs and tissues of the body (National Institutes of Health, 2009). Stem cells divide continuously as long as a person is alive. The number of stem cells decreases with age. In this case, embryos have many stem cells, children lower stem cells but higher than the number in adults. Reduction in number of stem cells with progression in age is due to the specialization of the cells by forming tissues and organs. It is no wonder research focuses more on the embryonic stem cells. They are easy to obtain and easy to work with as many researchers confirm. The controversy of obtaining stem cells from embryos made scientists to focus on obtaining these important cells from the Umbilical cord with the authorization of parents to the child born ( Bethesda, 2013). . Stem cells have two unique properties. One, they are not differentiated and can renew themselves even after a long period of inactivity. Second, stem cells can form any protein or organs of the body when induced under specific conditions (National Institutes of Health, 2009). Scientific research implies that different organs of the body develop at varying conditions. It is also possible to induce to perform certain functions of the body organs. Stem cells are readily available in embryos especially in the 5th to 8th day after fertilization of the ova and subsequent formation of the zygote (Cox, 2012). In adults however, stem cells are restricted to the bone marrow and certain

Am I a Constructivist Teacher Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Am I a Constructivist Teacher - Essay Example I also have group activities once a day. Reading to each other, playing math games, and other activities are encouraged. Every lesson also has an open discussion. I allow all students to participate with answers, questions, and even stories. I am at the middle of the constructivist spectrum due to my views on individual teaching. I feel that children can play around or distract when grouped together too often. Interspersing constructivist activities with traditional assignments seem to keep the children focused better. A child does not automatically understand self-control, autonomous behavior, and self-reliance without doing traditional assignments by themselves. On the other hand, after doing a traditional assignment constructivist activities about the traditional assignment are handy. This helps the children do the assignment on their own merits while learning from their and others’ mistakes and successes. My current teaching habits do reflect my constructivist-based views. I like to mix both traditional and constructivist views. Children cannot be programmed like computers. It is essential to use constructivist-based activities to help the child learn. Upon learning a skill a student can then reproduce the skill alone. For example, creative writing is a test given in the 5th grade. All year descriptive writing is examined by the students. Papers are written and shared by the entire 5th grade. Students bounce ideas off of each other in groups and through open discussion, however when taking the writing test the student must perform on their own. This is why I prefer both methods. Discipline is another reason I am in the middle on constructivist views. Some students cannot handle group interaction. Often these children have rough backgrounds. These children need a more traditional approach. This is especially true when speaking about emotionally disturbed (ED) children. Every child is different. If a

Entrepreneuria venture report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Entrepreneuria venture report - Essay Example On September 15, 1997 Google.com was officially registered as domain (Google, 2013). In June 1999, the venture released their first press release where it announced strategic stake sell to Kleiner Perkins and Sequoia Capital for $25 million. In 2001, Eric Schmidt became the CEO of Google while Brin and Page became the presidents of technology and products respectively. During 2002-05, Google launched many popular products like Adwords, Google News, Adsense, Google Books, Orkut, and Google Map that highlighted their accolades (Google, 2013). Larry Page and Sergey Brin are the co-founders of the venture. Their initial objective was to establish a search engine algorithm that will be able to determine the importance of individual webpages (Google, 2013). Larry started with launching ‘web crawler’ that works like search engine and explores web that originated from the home page of Stanford. Founder’s primary responsibility was to convert back-link data that the search engines gathers for a particular web page into importance measuring webpage (Google, 2013). In the year 1996, Robin Li designed a small search engine named RankDex under a subsidiary of Dow Jones. This technology worked on the same concept as Google search and it was also patented. Hence, according to my opinion as the venture grows it would be best for the company to include Li in their team which will help Google to acquire all the intellectual properties of Baidu in China that was used by Li when he founded Baidu. It is the art of mobilizing others to struggle for shared aspirations. Creativity is the inborn trait of an entrepreneur who effortlessly succeeds in his work and can work with a team by providing them proper guidance & leadership. As discussed earlier, Google’s mission is to organize the information of the world and make them universally available. These envision of imagining exciting

Statement of Purpose Essay Example for Free

Statement of Purpose Essay Firstly I would like to introduce myself as an undergraduate student of the bachelor of engineering program From the M.S.Ramaiah institute of technology, one of the most prestigious institutions of the Bangalore U university . I have completed my course of engineering in the field of Industrial Engineering’, which was for a period of four years. I graduated in the first class with distinction. I was ranked among the top five in the class. During these four years of my undergraduate course, I gained in-depth understanding of the various techniques involved in problem solving, mainly to cater to the services of the industries. Manufacturing Processes, Operations Research, Industrial Management, Quantitative techniques were the other subjects which enabled me to blend the required action whenever an problem was posed to me. Behavioral Science was the most interesting subject which I mastered during this four year peroid.This subject provided me with valuable information which helped me to develop leadership skills .The factor of empathy really coerced me to instigate leadership skills.. Since computers have become inseparable part of INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING I deemed it fit to learn more about computers and I am presently doing my course in C,C++. I have worked on software packages like MS Project,LINDO, LOTUS 123.To meet my B.E. Degree requirement ,I executed a project titled REDUCTION OF LEAD CYCLE FOR MANUFACTURE OF STEAM TURBINES under the expert guidance of N.V.R.Naidu and this project was presented in the O.R. Society of India. The main aim of the project was to reduce the lead cycle of manufacture of a particular class of turbine so as to reduce the inventory costs and enable the industry to forecast accurately for the period ahead. The techniques involved LINE OF BALANCE METHOD for scheduling and Controlling and Post college, I AM presently working in KIRLOSKAR ELECTRIC COMPANY WHERE IN I am going through a rigorous training program which will be completed very shortly. The undergraduate course as well as my training at KIRLOSKAR ELECTRIC COMPANY has provided me with a strong base for further growth in any of my desired fields. I would like to delve deeper into the fields of my choice and their technical aspects completely. I hope to acquire the requisite professional skills and develop a thorough understanding in these following areas. I wish to contribute towards these areas and indulge in research which ultimately should have a meaningful contribution to science and technology. I AM confident that my academic capability and analytical skills coupled with my perseverance and single minded devotion will see me through to this goal. To this end, the first step is a sound graduate study. I have chosen the graduate program to further my interests. It is my belief that knowledge gained has to be shared. I believe that imparting knowledge is an enjoyable and satisfying experience. I have enjoyed giving ideas, lectures and making presentations on technical/non technical topics at college and at the workplace. Hence, I am eager to obtain An assistantship.Consequently,I understand that the choice of the University is of paramount importance. After perusing your brochures and consulting my professors, I reached the conclusion that the with its reputed faculty, excellent facilities and tradition of academic excellence will be the ideal place to work towards the fulfillment o my goal. Moreover, I am confident that the wholesome education that I will receive at the will stand me in good stead throughout my career. Thanking you,

Analysing on Liberty by John Stuart Mill Essay Example for Free

Analysing on Liberty by John Stuart Mill Essay Humanity’s attempts to study the state of society have stretched back throughout the ages. From forefathers such as Socrates or Aristophanes to the great enlightenment philosophers of Locke or Voltaire, all have grappled with the questions of how humanity best functions as a collective. John Stuart Mill, hailed as a paradigmatic liberal political philosopher, continues this tradition of thought in his work On Liberty published in 1859. Mill’s major argument made is that the individual is sovereign in their actions insofar as they do not impeach upon the rights of others. His justifications centre strongly on the principles of utilitarianism, providing a model he believes to offer the greatest happiness to the greatest number. Through specific analysis it can be seen that he optimizes societal benefit by placing import on individuality but conversely justifying exactly when governance and restraint need to be exercised. Overall, his conclusions are an attempt to unify two competing social factors, individual liberty against circumstances in which power can be exerted over another, articulated in what has become known as the ‘harm principle’. The first and most fundamental principle Mill holds is outlined in the introductory chapter and describes the necessity for man to be free over â€Å"Over himself, over his own body and mind† (Mill, 1859: 31). Individual liberty is not only considered personally fulfilling, but also beneficial to the progress of civilisation for â€Å"Mankind are greater gainers by suffering each other to live as seems good to themselves, than by compelling each to live as seems good to the rest† (Mill, 1859: 33). It is important to note that Mill does not endorse freedom of expression for its own sake but for the greater purpose of stimulating discourse â€Å"His argument for liberty of expression is in fact an argument for liberty of discussion† (Larvor, 2006: 3) To support his claims, he highlights three primary freedoms in order of importance. Firstly, the freedom of thought itself should be unrestricted; second we should have the freedom to pursue ‘tastes †¦ to suit our own character’ (Mill, 1859: 33) regardless of whether social convention deems  otherwise; lastly, the freedom for citizens to unite, providing such action will not harm others. This idea of the ‘harm principle’ is prominent in On Liberty for each of these freedoms are subject to the overarching rule that liberty is complete so long as it does not â€Å"without justifiable cause, do harm to others† (Mill 1859: 72). He also notes that it is obvious that freedom of thought and of the mind does not directly correlate to freedom of action, for â€Å"No one pretends that actions should be as free as opinions† (Mill 1859: 72). He bases this on the logic that if ones free actions impinge upon another’s happiness, then the affected party’s own freedom is violated, outweighing the benefits of the first individual’s liberty. His conclusion is therefore â€Å"that in things which do not primarily concern others, individuality should assert itself† (1859: 73). This reasoning is fundamentally based in utilitarianism, which Mill is a eminent proponent of, as the key deciding factor needs to be maximum pleasure for minimum harm. The harm principle is the primary restraining factor on an individual’s calculus of liberty however Mill is not so blindingly liberal that he does not acknowledge the importance of government in maintaining social stability. In fact, Mill’s definition of liberty itself is intimately linked with authoritative intervention for he takes liberty to be the absence of human interference with the individuals actions (Crocker, 1980: 1). Again, utility becom es the object of question in deciding how pervasive governing bodies ought be. Mill contends, â€Å"the sole end for which mankind are warranted, individually or collectively in interfering with the liberty of action of any of their number, is self-protection†¦ His own good, either physical or moral, is not sufficient warrant†. It is here where Mill refers to the idea of ‘tyranny of the majority’, that pressure from the masses can be as pervasive as an oppressive state for there is more intangible a difficulty in arguing against the tyranny of the prevailing opinion and feeling. (Mill, 1859: 7) Yet here it is apparent that Mill defends the use of public pressure to control offensive opinion. Where then is the line drawn regarding what is unique, individual and valuable thought, and what is deemed inappropriate? While Mill’s consistent self-criticism often enriches his argument, there are contradictory moments wherein his â€Å"expressions are not only ambiguous, but contradictory† (Parker, 1865: 5). The idea of utility is once again at play, however Mill’s contradictions destabilise his  main point being that the use of outside force can be used defensively against another’s individuality if it would cause another’s liberty harm. As well as discussing and arguing Mill offers a number of disclaimers in his argument including the inapplicability of children or those who require the care of others and also â€Å"backward states of society in which the race itself may be considered as in its nonage† (Mill, 1859: 14). He also notes that a person â€Å"A person may cause evil to others not only by his actions but by his inaction† such as failing to help save a person when they are directly able to but choose against it. This idea has been argued against extensively in modern debate, particularly on a legal level. Many states, Australia amongst them, require no duty or obligation to act in such a way, the rationale [being] the protection of the autonomy (Edelman, 2011: 2). Liberty is irrevocably violated if one has no choice in a matter, even if that matter may be for social good. In an attempt to promote utilitarianism and provide an argument that supports social wellbeing, Mill has contradicted his own seemingly inviolate idea of individual sovereignty. Another hole in his discourse is that There seems then no obstacle in principle within utilitarian morality to a policy which indeed prevents harm but at the expense of the most basic interests of a minority (Gray, 2003: 7). Once more the tyranny of the majority is at question and Mill’s regard for individuality is destabilized by the conflicting interest of utilitarianism. It is apparent that Mill’s account is not watertight and this is acknowledged with the criticism On Liberty has received. In essence Mill concerns himself with the struggle between authority and liberty, (Mill, 1859: 3) as the essential factors to be balanced in order to maintain stable society. On an individual level, liberty is restrained by the harm principle and on a social plane; governance and public pressure control it. Beyond these factors, individuality is considered a sacred thing, which should be embraced for the good of progress. His entire theory is grounded solidly in utilitarian ideals, whereby social progression and greatest satisfaction is the primary goal. While a number of contentious arise throughout Mills’ discussions, overall the arguments are logical and coherent. On Liberty will continue to be an iconic if not contentious piece in political literature, as will most social theory which has been and will come in the future. Reference List Edelman, James. 2011. ‘Change of position: A defence of unjust disenrichment’ (presented at the launch of the Restatement (Third) Restitution and Unjust Enrichment, Boston University Law School 16-17 September 2011) Gray, John and Smith, G.W., eds. 2002. ‘JS Mill’s On Liberty In Focus’. London: Routeledge Gray, John. 1983. ‘Mill: On Liberty. A Defence’ Gray, John. 1979. ‘John Stuart Mill: Traditional and Revisionist Interpretations’. Literature of Liberty 2(2): 7-37 Hayek, F.A. 2011. ‘The Constitution of Liberty’. New York: The University of Chicago Press. Larvor, Brendan. 2006. Mill on Liberty of Thought and Discussion in John Stuart Mill: On Liberty Discussions (British Humanist Association). Mill, John Stuart. (1859). On Liberty. London: Cambridge University Press.

Executive Summary

Executive Summary Executive Summary For Wingate systems to work, a relationship marketing model can be used via e-commerce to increase success. To most, it would seem late in the game to begin assessing whether continuous relationship marketing (CRM) can work in e-commerce. In the decade or so since the issue first arose, several things have become apparent, not least of which is that simply segmenting a market to serve different populations of customers, especially online customers, is inadequate. In fact, relationship marketing has been defined, since the 1980s, as â€Å"attracting, maintaining, andin multi-service organizationsenhancing customer relationships,† (Stern, 1997) In addition, â€Å"the reality of customers forming relationships with people rather than [with] goods† is what drove it, and made it a key source of benefits to the firm. (Stern, 1997) For traditional relationship marketing to work as it should in any organization, all other business parameters also need to be in place. Recently, this has been identified in a forward-looking model as a â€Å"holistic, dynamic and dialectical† model. (Chang, 2004) Not surprisingly, this model was developed in an Asian developing economy context. The author noted that local firms in developing countries need to be creative in developing e-business strategies because they are operating in under-developed e-business environments. It that is true for relationship marketing success in developing countries, it should, therefore, be even more valuable to mature organizations operating in mature business environments. E-business is sometimes identified as the â€Å"convergence of digital technology, intellectual property and customer supremacy† (Chang, 2004) and it emphasizes the interconnectedness of both the hardware and human capital functions within any company that wants to be successful in using CRM in an e-business environment. Done right, it will transcend â€Å"the traditional boundaries of space, time, individuals and organizations.† (Chang, 2004) Introduction Despite the dot-com failures of the recent past, few would doubt that e-business is a main driver of the new and future economy globally. It is also safe to assume that relationship marketing began its development when bricks-and-mortar businesses were able to operate without substantial Internet presence. Then, it was ‘relationship marketing, and depended on such things as ‘personal bankers, and ‘personal shoppers, and arguably, within each organization that had added the relationship marketing function, it was viewed as a ‘must have but with little relative impact on the bottom line. However, three things entered the business arena that made it paramount for relationship marketing to become both continuous (CRM) and integrated into the business structures. Those three things were the development of digital technologies, the importance of intellectual property, and â€Å"customer supremacy,† defined as customization of product/service and reduced cycle time. (Chang, 2004) E-business has altered prior relationships so that the complex of digital technology, intellectual property and customer supremacy when integrated with business activities makes conventional rules of business obsolete. â€Å"E-business seems to have the capability to change the competitive landscapes in the traditional industries, create new industries, and affect the configuration and coordination of firm-level business activities, especially such external activities as customer relationship management†¦..† (Chang, 2004) Companies that use e-commerce successfully within the holistic CRM paradigm will necessarily have integrated all these elements rather than treating each as a separate profit center or line item, with convergence merely found on the balance sheet and not in the conduct of the business itself. Background Organizational form, business model and strategy have been considered the framework of commerce. In the holistic viewpoint, there are only two factors, business configuration and business coordination. In this context, business configuration is used to mean the scope of business coverage by a company, what was once known as strategy. Business coordination refers to the style of business relationships both within a company and with its customers and suppliers. (Chang, 2004) If these two components of business are used in a truly holistic manner, the result will be virtually zero distance between customers and suppliers, zero inventory and (near) zero working capital. In short, the relationship marketing function will have made the company—whether a product- or service-based business—into a simply go-between. The profit comes from performing the service of obtaining supplies that become product or service, ‘warehousing that product or service only minimally, and transmitting it to the customer. Obviously, the trick to it all is knowing the suppliers and customers well enough that there is no additional negotiation needed and order and payment change hands almost simultaneously. For this, e-commerce would seem ideally suited. Strategies Intimacy model A second new thrust identified in relationship marketing is the intimacy model of relationship marketing. Personal sales, the traditional basis for relationship marketing, occur in real time. In some respects, so do e-commerce sales, with the difference that they are not happening in a ‘real place but rather a virtual storefront. That advertising—communication through a nonpersonal medium—is essential to e-commerce relationships brings into the equation the theory of intimacy. Some researchers regard evaluation of customer intimacy as a business concept as important as the holistic model. (Stern, 1997) Intimacy theory â€Å"accounts for the influence of emotion in relationships as well as that of cognition (feelings as well as thoughts).† It also allows insight into the deterioration of relationships, and finally, it â€Å"emphasizes the association between relationship stages and persuasive communication that enhances the services firms ability to apply relationship management to advertising as well as to personal sales.† (Stern, 1997) Because e-commerce is a blending of all of these elements, but not in the presence of a ‘live intermediary, it may be useful to consider whether these factors are included in ecommerce relationship marketing today, or only in ‘bricks and mortar settings (Theodosiou, M. and Leonidou, L.C., 2003). Five bases of intimacy in relationship marketing Just as Chang identified two elements to the setting in which relationship marketing can occur and be holistic, Stern identifies five components of intimacy in relationship marketing (Vorhies, D.W. and Morgan, N.A., 2003). Communication and sympathetic listening This includes self-disclosure, a willingness to share personal or attitudinal information. In the relationship-selling arena, the communication will generally be one way, from customer to company. The listener, in this case the company, must provide the sympathetic, that is, non-judgmental, listening. In that way, the customer reveals needs and desires and the company builds trust. So, â€Å"relationships in which a consumer tells all to a non-disclosing partner are perceived as intimate as long as the partner communicates a sympathetic attitude to what is being told.† (Stern, 1997) â€Å"Advertisements aimed at conveying sympathetic listening transform one-way media communication (that is, non-interactive messages) into a representation of responsiveness,† Stern adds. (1997) An example she gives is direct mail and online marketer Lands Ends headline, â€Å"Well knock ourselves out for you.† The copy reads, â€Å"Ever since we started doing business back in 1963 . . . weve done our level best to satisfy our customers. So you can be sure that whenever you call, well do whatever it takes to satisfy you, in our friendly Wisconsin way.† (Quoted by Stern , 1997) Commitment: Bonding with Consumers. A sense of â€Å"weness† is the belief that each member of a relationship is committed to the welfare of the other. (Stern, 1997) As a customer grows accustomed to positive responses in a business relationship, that feeling develops and they begin to say â€Å"my credit card company† or â€Å"my car dealership.† Stern notes that bonding techniques are an increasingly popular marketing strategy for services marketers attempting to establish long-term bonds with consumers so they can be retained. By 1997, it had been ascertained that retention beat prospecting in terms of profitability. (Stern, 1997) This goes so far as to allow a firm to lose money, be design, on a particular transaction in order to retain the customer. In a credit-card relationship, this might include waiving a fee for a late payment when it was clearly an oddity in the customers usual behavior. Caring and Giving Altruism is the watchword here, and not demands for reciprocity, even though it is a ‘relationship. Companies carrying out relationship marketing can activate perception of this by basing decisions and reactions on a â€Å"needs rule rather than an equity rule† to establish a closer mental association. (Stern, 1007) This has been successfully used in financial services POS advertising. Chase Manhattan Bank used a message at the bottom of its ATM receipts that said, â€Å"Chase give you 6 other ways to connect.† (Stern, 1997) So, even though it was an impersonal, practically an online, setting, and the ‘reach out factor was present. But the appearance was that the bank cared enough about all users of its ATMs to offer the information, at least. Comfort (Compatibility) A consumers sense of security in a relationship is central to retention. In dealing with service firms, consumers have been found to â€Å"evaluate their level of comfort†¦. on the dimension of mutual engagement in a joint venture.† (Stern, 1997) The vocabulary of intimacy is used in advertising to create this image. For example, New England Life positioned itself as â€Å"Your Financial Partner,† and showed images of three-generations meeting, conveying an image of long-term relationships. (Stern, 1997) Conflict Resolution and Trust This is a sort of last-ditch tactic in any relationship-marketing program. Although at times conflict may be inevitable, even in a well-maintained relationship, conflict resolution and problem-solving abilities including skill in listening, negotiation, and conciliation are essential to maintaining relationship marketing. (Stern, 1997) How possible this is in an e-commerce setting, especially in a service such as credit, might be problematical. There must, then, be a mechanism to resolve conflicts satisfactorily (Doty, D.H., Glick, W.H. and Huber, 1993). Campaigns: Advertising and Subscription How does a not-so-well known company show what they have, or how does a known company attack new segments seeking more consumer attention? Since the rolls on the net became voiceovers, the consumer retrieves what it wants, and the producer has to be hunted. The advertising model is based on using creative advertising banners and links in very frequented web-pages. Some companies have successfully advertised their new products and services through this system making sure their ads are more creative and attractive for the roaming eyes of the consumer (Gupta, A.K. and Govindarajan, 1991). The biggest winner here though, is the page that offers that space. Search engines like Amazon or Yahoo have made big use of this model. All the services they offer (e.g. chats, games, e-mail, search engine etc.) are for free, charging companies for the use of space for ads on their Web-pages. The more frequented a page is the more it costs to display an ad. Companies starting to use this model are def initely at an advantage for their present position and the its cost. Wingate proposes to use this model to advertise its latest concepts and designs (DiMaggio, P.J. and Powell, W.W., 1993). Wingate therefore plans to use the intimacy model and combine it with both the subscription model and the advertising model in order to market its product. The Subscription Model has become a very popular model with a high range of success. By subscribing in any service or company on the net, all your given information is stored on a special data base that is used to classify users. With this data-base that has all the records of visited products and purchases, the providers are able to target the visitors on a more personal basis. An example of this is Hotmail. Hotmail is not only one of the most popular, free e-mail services, but it also belongs to Microsoft. The new way to link the customer to the wanted page can also be manipulated by the new Passport system of Hotmail (Gresov, C. and Drazin, 1997). All the information given in subscription to Hotmail is automatically transferred to other services Microsoft offers. Say you entered, your hobby is to travel, therefore you will get e-mails about travel with new offers on where to fly, it also facilitates one with the advantage of not having to re-enter all their personal details all over again when subscribing in a new company run by Microsoft. This model is very powerful and it does not end there, consumers are followed through their life cycle becoming aware of what the company has to offer to the specific consumers. It is more likely that a father will consider the idea of a family insurance rather than a child. For the child, the company will target for example new bikes. This model divides the segments even further, making sure that the consumer feels special, with not costing much extra. Therefore, it will be important to start a database of existing customers and retain their information in order to provide them with updates of Wingates latest offers and ideas. Furthermore, a website could be setup and advertised to allow individuals to know about this subscription service if they would like to sign up for information. More information about how this concept can be advertised overall is discussed below in the basic advertising model. Controls Wingate plans to budget $3000-$5000 for monthly advertising. The idea will be to run banner ads on various websites for a fee, and to also advertise on pay per click websites such as Google adwords. Other Internet marketing companies can also be hired to keep keywords high on the search engine lists. Below is a chart demonstrating this. References Bielski, Lauren. (2001). â€Å"Making the customer relationship work.† ABA Banking Journal, 93(3). Chang, Steven Tung-lung. (2004). â€Å"A holistic framework of e-business strategy: the case of Haier in China.† Journal of Global Information Management, 1 April. DiMaggio, P.J. and Powell, W.W. (1993) The iron cage revisited: institutional isomorphism and collective rationality in organizational fields, American Sociological Review 48(2): 147-160. Doty, D.H., Glick, W.H. and Huber, G.P. (1993) Fit, equifinality, and organizational effectiveness: a test of two configurational theories, Academy of Management Journal 36(6): 1196-1250. Gresov, C. and Drazin, R. (1997) Equifinality: functional equivalence in organization design, Academy of Management Review 22(2): 403-428. Gupta, A.K. and Govindarajan, V. (1991) Knowledge flows and the structure of control within multinational corporations, Academy of Management Review 16(4): 768-792. Ohung, Sungmi and Mike Sherman. (2002). â€Å"Emerging Marketing: Companies dont need state-of-the-art tools, huge volumes of customer information, and armies of experts to use continuous relationship marketing effectively.† The McKinsey Quarterly, 62+. Stern, Barbara B. (1997). â€Å"Advertising Intimacy: Relationship marketing and the services consumer.† Journal of Advertising, 26 (4), 7+. Theodosiou, M. and Leonidou, L.C. (2003) Standardization versus adaptation of international marketing strategy: an integrative assessment of the empirical research, International Business Review 12(2): 141-1 71.

Bowling for Columbine :: essays research papers fc

Bowling for Columbine, directed by Michael Moore, has been given numerous awards for the best documentary. For many, such as Jim Ferguson of KMSB-TV, he says, â€Å"Moore has done it again, the year’s most powerful documentary. An eye opener" (Bowling for Columbine). Yes, a real eye opener to how Moore will rely on fictitious facts and his audience’s sympathy towards certain events to get his message across. Documentaries have many different modes of presenting their material. Mockumentaries define itself as â€Å"fictional films which parody the forms and conventions of documentary, often for humorous effect† (Bowling for Columbine). While Bowling for Columbine does not exactly classify as a mockumentary, it does ridicule many of the events or people portrayed throughout the film. However, Moore shapes the viewers’ thoughts about guns during this film by appealing to their emotions with events such as the Columbine shooting, Kayla Rolland†™s murder and the issue of how the United States has the most deaths by guns. Documentaries remain neutral and only present information for the audience’s benefit or to tell history. Bowling for Columbine reflects a bias documentary because all â€Å"facts† presented are told only as Moore views it. However, these â€Å"facts†, false in nature, do not show both sides to the story. Many like Ferguson believe Bowling for Columbine to be an eye opener and true, it does open eyes to the harsh reality of the United States and how people kill each other because of they live in a â€Å"culture of fear†; however, it fails to give the complete truth to many of the events given. Works Cited Bowling for Columbine. Dir. Michael Moore.

Breaking Up Essay -- Personal Narrative, essay about myself

It should have been raining. It almost always rains in the movies when girls get their hearts broken. When that young man with a bittersweet smile and â€Å"I’m sorry† eyes shows up on the doorstep; telling his sweetheart that he is going off to war or beginning a battle with a fatal disease. Instead here I am: the blundering heroine of my own crazy film, with a script that seems to have a few gaping holes where all the witty lines are supposed to be. In the hot, sticky passenger seat of a black ’02 Grand Am, subconsciously capping and uncapping an Ice Mountain water bottle, listening to my boyfriend jumble up a bunch of words that eventually translate into: it’s over. C’est fini. He stops talking and takes a deep, shuddering breath and I realize that it’s my cue to talk. He’s waiting for me to say something along the lines of: â€Å"Sure Matt, I totally agree with you. I think it’s a great idea to end this relationship that I have put my whole being into for two years. I’m so relieved that you brought it up first, seeya around and good luck with all your future chicks.† I look out the...

Safeguarding Children and Young People

1.1 Explain the policies, procedures and practices for safe working with children and young people.The 2nd Joint Chief Inspectors Report defined safeguarding children and young people as the act of taking reasonable measures to ensure that the threats of harm to children & young people’s welfare are diminished by all those who work with children. The document expressed that all agencies involve with the provision of services to children and young people should take appropriate actions to raise and address issues of concerns whilst working to agreed local policies and procedures established by Local Safeguarding Children Board, and in partnership with other local agencies to safeguard a child or young person. (CQC archive (2005)).SAFEGUARDING CHILDRENThe second joint Chief Inspectors’ Report on Arrangements to Safeguard Children. In short all those that work with children & young people have a duty of care to safeguard and promote their wellbeing.Children & Young Peopleà ¢â‚¬â„¢s Safeguarding Guidelines and LegislationsThe Children Act 1989This act was introduced to make child protection a paramount issue whereby parents are responsible for ensuring the safety of their children and local authorities are charged with the duties of identify children at risk of harm and to safeguard and promote their welfare. This act places responsibility on all agencies including those providing services for adult to protect children and young people.The Children Act 2004This act saw the creation of the Local Safeguarding Children’s Board, for local government to enforce children’s safeguarding and to investigate alleged cases of abuse. The Act stipulates that though a service might cater to the needs of adults, its staff has the duty of care to safeguard all the children and young people they come in contact with. The act places a burden  on all agencies that works with children to work collaboratively in raising concerns and addressing allegations o f abuse.The Every Child Matters Green Paper. This guidance was introduced to improve outcomes for children and young people in the following 5 areas as a result of the serious case review into the death of Victoria Climbie Being healthy Staying safe. Enjoying and achieving. Making a positive contribution. Achieving economic well-being.Working Together to Safeguard Children (2010)This act emphasis on the need for individuals and inter-agency to work jointly to safeguard and promote the welfare of children & young people as stipulated by the Children’s Act 2004. The act stresses the importance for practitioners working with children & young people to be aware of their responsibility and be competent in their duties.Safeguarding Disable Children (2009)Due to the vulnerability of disable children as they are dependent on others for their personal care and are perhaps prone to being isolated socially through bullying, the act ensures that there are robust complaints and representa tions measures in place that are accessible to disabled children and their families across all agencies. The act seeks to ensure that all staff working with disable children are adequately trained to safeguard and guarantee the well-being of their service users. (Department for children schools & family (2009) Safeguarding disabled children Practice guidancehttps://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/190544/00374-2009DOM-EN.pdf (accessed 22/08/13).The Protection of Children Act 1999This act introduces the concept of pre-employment screening to prevent those who are unsuitable to work with children from being employed through the following checks. verifying identity: verifying the right to work in the United Kingdom (UK). confirming employment history and qualifications. verifying criminal record.Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006This act reinforces the need for employers to screen potential employees to ensure that they do not pose a threat to the safety and welfare of children & young people along with vulnerable adults. An essential aspect of this act is that it stipulates employers duty to conduct on going suitability checks instead of one-offs checks to identify those who commit an abuse during their employment.The Children and Young Person Act 2008Though children under the age of 16 are assume to lack capacity to consent, young people 16 and over are able to give consent. This act ensures that children and young people’s voice are heard in relation to all decisions patting to the provision of their services. It certifies transparency in the quality of care given by agencies, the act safeguards the stability of children by ensuring that they are placed in suitable accommodations that promotes their safety and welfare. The act provides supports to young adults leaving care and to ensure that they are not forced out of state funded care facilities before they are ready. (National archive (2013) Children & Young Perso n’s Act 2008 http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20100202100450/dcsf.gov.uk/everychildmatters/publications/childrenyoungpersonsact2008/ (accessed 22/08/13).2.1 Describe the possible signs, symptoms, indicators and behaviours that may cause concern in the context of safeguardingAccording to information published by the NSPCC there are four types of child abuse which are described in the below table (NSPCC (2010) Child Protection Fact Sheet http://www.nspcc.org.uk/inform/trainingandconsultancy/consultancy/helpandadvice/definitions_and_signs_of_child_abuse_pdf_wdf65412.pdf (accessed 22/08/13).Type of Abuse Physical sign Behavioural Indicator PHYSICAL ABUSE Unexplained bruising, marks or injuries on body Bruises which reflect hand marks or fingertips (from slapping or pinching) Cigarette burns Bite marks Broken bones Scalds Fear of parents being approached for explanation Aggressive behaviour or severe temper outbursts Flinching when approached or touched Reluctance to get changed, for example wearing long sleeves in hot weather Depression Withdrawn behaviour Running away from home EMOTIONAL ABUSE A failure to thrive or grow Sudden speech disorders Developmental delay, either in terms of physical or emotional progress Neurotic behaviour, e.g. hair twisting, rocking Being unable to play Fear of making mistakes Self harm Fear of parent being approached regarding their behaviour SEXUAL ABUSE Pain or itching in the genital/anal areas Bruising or bleeding near genital/anal areas Sexually transmitted disease Vaginal discharge or infection Stomach pains Discomfort when walking or sitting down Pregnancy Arrange marriage Sudden or unexplained changes in behaviour, e.g. becoming aggressive or withdrawn Fear of being left with a specific person or group of people Having nightmares Running away from home Sexual knowledge which is beyond their age or development age Sexual drawings or language Bedwetting Saying they have secrets they cannot tell anyone about Self- harm or mutilation, sometimes leading to suicide attempts Eating problems such as overeating or anorexia NEGLECT Constant hunger, sometimes stealing food from others Constantly dirty or ‘smelly’ Loss of weight, or being constantly underweight Inappropriate dress for the conditions Complaining of being tired all the time Not requesting medical assistance and/or failing to attend appointments Having few friends Mentioning their being left alone or unsupervised2.2 Describe the actions to take if a child or young person alleges harm or abuse in line with policies and procedures of own settingIn situations where I am Concerned about a child’s safety I will Take the following actions Listen to the child’s allegation & respect his/her point of view reassure the victim clarify information without over questioning; make a written statement of their allegation or support them with writing it down Explain my duty of care to ensure their safety and if the information shared suggested that they are being abuse I have to share it with the relevant people (only those that needs to know) Explain the safeguarding process  consult with manager immediately Record all relevant steps taken. The below chart is a flow chart for refereeing allegations of abuse to the local safeguarding board2.3 Explain the rights that children, young people and their families have in situations where harm or abuse is suspected or allegedUnder the Children’s Act 1989 and the Human right Act 1998, children and young people have the right to be protected from significant harm. In cases of alleged abuse the initial step should be protecting the children by removing them from the environment where the abuse occurred, and taking actions to investigate the allegation so the perpetrator could be prosecuted. The storing and processing of personal information about children and young people is governed by the Data Protection Act 1998, which states an individual has the right to privacy and for their personal sensitive details to be held confidentially.The European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms also declare that children & young people have a right to privacy. The data protection act provides guidelines on the safe processing and sharing of confidential details. An aspect of the data protection act is to seek the consent of the individual for their information to be used, as children & young people under the age of 16 are presumed to lack the capacity to give consent, their advocate will have to consent on their behalf. There are various legislative guidelines and best practice tools promoting joint delivery of service in safeguarding adults, it is inevitable that information recorded by one agency will be shared with other professionals.In such situation the guidelines issued by the data protection act should be adhered to, not only to maintain the rights of the vulnerable child but to also maintain the privacy of the family (siblings parents etc). The protection of children which is public interests out-weighs the family’s right to privacy, and as such information about the family might be shared amongst agencies when investigating allegations of abuse.

Branding, Pricing, and Distribution

Branding, Pricing, and Distribution Gary D. Tate Strayer University Marketing-500 Instructor: Brett Jordon 5/17/2012 Branding, pricing, and distribution are all integral parts of a strategic marketing plan. Each segment of the plan needs to be developed individually with the entire culmination of the plan in mind. In other words, each segment should be a link in the chain to a completed marketing strategy.The ultimate goal is to reach a successful culmination of all three tiers that will have a successful impact in introducing the brand, pricing it correctly, and forming a distribution model that will maximize the competitive advantage to the company or service in question. This report will outline the steps in developing a local branding outline as well as an international branding strategy . The idea behind branding is to differentiate your product, value, quality or service from your competitors, and make it more readily identifiable to the end user.There are at least four questio ns that need to be asked before implementing a branding strategy. The first of course is whether to brand the product vs, a no brand decision. The second decision would be to use a manufacturers brand vs. a private label strategy. The third question entails whether to go with a single brand vs. multiple brands. The final decision is to decide whether to brand in a local market or a global market or a combination of both. Branding in a global market is much more complicated than branding in a local market. When branding in a global market. Culture becomes a major consideration.It is generally wise to chose countries that have similar or closely related cultures and, or language skills to expand your brand globally. International marketing is the last frontier of the marketing discipline. International marketing is yet to be fully explored but is being increasingly tested to reach an ever growing sea of future consumers. The Lanham Trade-Mark Act of 1947 defines a trademark as â€Å" any work, name, symbol, or device, or any combination thereof adopted and used by a manufacture or merchant to identify his goods and distinguish them from those manufactured or sold by others. Preoccupation with the marketing aspect of branding without giving due consideration to the legal aspect may easily defeat the main purpose of a trademark and protection of the owners valuable property. Onkpisit (2001). The legal rights to a registered trademark do not necessarily prevent others from illegally using it from counterfeiting in other countries. Branding in the host country (United States) is protected by law but this does not extend to foreign entities. A brand is an idea or image of a specific that customers can identify with.It can be associated to the product or service by name, slogan, or image portrayed by the initiating company. Branding is when the idea or image is recognized by more and more people. Branding is especially important in e-business. People will naturally se arch for brands or names they can quickly associate with. The foundation of your brand is your logo. Branding is developed through your website, packaging, and all promotional materials. Your brand strategy consist of how, what, where,, when, and to whom you are to communicate your brand message to.Branding is a continuous marketing strategy that may continue through numerous generations of existing and potential customers. The brand should add intrinsic value in the form of perceived quality or emotional attachment. The brand, slogan or logo should be placed on every aspect of your business. The brand is what helps to differentiate your product from all others. The significance of branding is important whether you are involved in a domestic market or a global campaign. One of the most difficult is to decide how much to charge for your product or service.There is no single or right way to determine the correct price for your product. There are several considerations that may be cons idered when pricing your product or service. How do want to position your product or service. Do you want to be perceived as a discount outlet? If this is the case, you will want to keep your prices low. On the other hand, If you want to be perceived as a limited edition or luxury product or service, you will command a higher price structure. People really do equate price with quality. Other criteria for pricing would be to estimate what the demand will be for your product or service.The price will normally affect the demand curve. The higher the price, the less the demand in most cases for the product or service. In order to get the best possible price, a marketer might do some test marketing in several similar markets using a different price for each. Generally, the best price will be the one that provides the maximum amount of profit to the company. Example: 100 widgets for $1. 00 get 78 sales. 100 widgets for $2. 00 get 49 sales. 100 widgets for $3. 00 get 14 sales. The middle p rice would constitute the biggest profit for the company.The first example provides 78 dollars in revenue, the second 98, and the third 42. The $2. 00 price would be the most appropriate. Another consideration concerning pricing involves the costs associated with the manufacture and distribution of the product or service. All costs fixed or variable must be considered in pricing the product to maximize profit. The main consideration for any business is to maximize profit. Profit margins can vary drastically from industry to industry, but no matter the margin, a profit must be maintained to sustain the company. Environmental considerations must also be taken into account.Certain regulations place constraints on the price the company can charge. Lowering your price to low might trigger price wars from your competitors. A company needs to examine what external factors might affect the price charged. The next step is to determine what pricing strategy should be used in implementing your price. Short-term profit maximization might be considered for optimal cash flow for a cash strapped company, but may be a hindrance to long term profits. Short-term revenue maximization may be the approach used to lowering costs through economies of scale.This approach is frequently used when trying to lure investors. The company realizes little profit but builds market share. Maximizing quantity can be used in lowering long term cost or to maximize market penetration. A company may chose to maximize profit margin. This strategy is used when sales are lower than expected or sporadic in nature. Differentiation is another extreme that sets the company up as different from other competitors and generally commands a higher price. The perceived differentiation is one created by the marketer to command a psychological benefit to the customer.No matter what pricing strategy you may chose, the price must seem fair to the consumer, or they will not buy. Strategic distribution channels lead to a competitive advantage from the configuration network. The company must determine what type of distribution channels will be used to supply the product or service to the end user. Two basic methods are basically used to channel goods or services to the customer, direct and the use of subsidiaries. If you will be dealing directly with the customer, a simplified warehousing and shipping department should suffice.If you are using intermediaries to deliver the product or service, it is crucial to select partners who will be excellent stewards for delivering the product or service to the customer or end user in a timely manner. The distribution strategy should be defined on the number and types of customer interface. Much of the decisions will depend on the order entry points and how fulfillment to the customer is handled. Careful thought must be given to the cost factor when establishing a distribution network. Consumer products fall into two basic categories, remote access( web or catalog sales or local access( typically brick and mortar operations.Remote access is generally made by phone, mail, e-mail, or from a website. Fulfillment of an order is generally shipped directly to the end user by Fed-Ex, UPS, or Postal carriers. Local access is still the most prevalent form of distribution. Sales from the web have been increasing and according to news reports have reached a staggering six percent of all sales. In many cases the distribution strategy has led to a cooperative mingling of both remote access and brick and mortar retail or wholesale outlets. This trend should continue to grow with the increased ease of shopping through advanced technical means.Shopping by phone is becoming increasingly popular. The downside of this type of transaction lies in the security issues that abound. References Distribution Strategy retrieved May 19th from Faculty. msb. edu/homak/homahelpsite//WebHelp/Distribution_Strategy. htm Onkpisit (2012). , What is Branding? Retrieved f rom Entrepreneur Media, Inc. on may 20th, 2012 from www. entrepreneur. com Allen, Scott, Pricing Strategy How much should you Charge? Retrieved on May 21st, 2012 from http://entrepreneurs. about. com/od/salesmarketing/a/pricingstrategy. htm Branding, Pricing, and Distribution Branding, Pricing, and Distribution Gary D. Tate Strayer University Marketing-500 Instructor: Brett Jordon 5/17/2012 Branding, pricing, and distribution are all integral parts of a strategic marketing plan. Each segment of the plan needs to be developed individually with the entire culmination of the plan in mind. In other words, each segment should be a link in the chain to a completed marketing strategy.The ultimate goal is to reach a successful culmination of all three tiers that will have a successful impact in introducing the brand, pricing it correctly, and forming a distribution model that will maximize the competitive advantage to the company or service in question. This report will outline the steps in developing a local branding outline as well as an international branding strategy . The idea behind branding is to differentiate your product, value, quality or service from your competitors, and make it more readily identifiable to the end user.There are at least four questio ns that need to be asked before implementing a branding strategy. The first of course is whether to brand the product vs, a no brand decision. The second decision would be to use a manufacturers brand vs. a private label strategy. The third question entails whether to go with a single brand vs. multiple brands. The final decision is to decide whether to brand in a local market or a global market or a combination of both. Branding in a global market is much more complicated than branding in a local market. When branding in a global market. Culture becomes a major consideration.It is generally wise to chose countries that have similar or closely related cultures and, or language skills to expand your brand globally. International marketing is the last frontier of the marketing discipline. International marketing is yet to be fully explored but is being increasingly tested to reach an ever growing sea of future consumers. The Lanham Trade-Mark Act of 1947 defines a trademark as â€Å" any work, name, symbol, or device, or any combination thereof adopted and used by a manufacture or merchant to identify his goods and distinguish them from those manufactured or sold by others. Preoccupation with the marketing aspect of branding without giving due consideration to the legal aspect may easily defeat the main purpose of a trademark and protection of the owners valuable property. Onkpisit (2001). The legal rights to a registered trademark do not necessarily prevent others from illegally using it from counterfeiting in other countries. Branding in the host country (United States) is protected by law but this does not extend to foreign entities. A brand is an idea or image of a specific that customers can identify with.It can be associated to the product or service by name, slogan, or image portrayed by the initiating company. Branding is when the idea or image is recognized by more and more people. Branding is especially important in e-business. People will naturally se arch for brands or names they can quickly associate with. The foundation of your brand is your logo. Branding is developed through your website, packaging, and all promotional materials. Your brand strategy consist of how, what, where,, when, and to whom you are to communicate your brand message to.Branding is a continuous marketing strategy that may continue through numerous generations of existing and potential customers. The brand should add intrinsic value in the form of perceived quality or emotional attachment. The brand, slogan or logo should be placed on every aspect of your business. The brand is what helps to differentiate your product from all others. The significance of branding is important whether you are involved in a domestic market or a global campaign. One of the most difficult is to decide how much to charge for your product or service.There is no single or right way to determine the correct price for your product. There are several considerations that may be cons idered when pricing your product or service. How do want to position your product or service. Do you want to be perceived as a discount outlet? If this is the case, you will want to keep your prices low. On the other hand, If you want to be perceived as a limited edition or luxury product or service, you will command a higher price structure. People really do equate price with quality. Other criteria for pricing would be to estimate what the demand will be for your product or service.The price will normally affect the demand curve. The higher the price, the less the demand in most cases for the product or service. In order to get the best possible price, a marketer might do some test marketing in several similar markets using a different price for each. Generally, the best price will be the one that provides the maximum amount of profit to the company. Example: 100 widgets for $1. 00 get 78 sales. 100 widgets for $2. 00 get 49 sales. 100 widgets for $3. 00 get 14 sales. The middle p rice would constitute the biggest profit for the company.The first example provides 78 dollars in revenue, the second 98, and the third 42. The $2. 00 price would be the most appropriate. Another consideration concerning pricing involves the costs associated with the manufacture and distribution of the product or service. All costs fixed or variable must be considered in pricing the product to maximize profit. The main consideration for any business is to maximize profit. Profit margins can vary drastically from industry to industry, but no matter the margin, a profit must be maintained to sustain the company. Environmental considerations must also be taken into account.Certain regulations place constraints on the price the company can charge. Lowering your price to low might trigger price wars from your competitors. A company needs to examine what external factors might affect the price charged. The next step is to determine what pricing strategy should be used in implementing your price. Short-term profit maximization might be considered for optimal cash flow for a cash strapped company, but may be a hindrance to long term profits. Short-term revenue maximization may be the approach used to lowering costs through economies of scale.This approach is frequently used when trying to lure investors. The company realizes little profit but builds market share. Maximizing quantity can be used in lowering long term cost or to maximize market penetration. A company may chose to maximize profit margin. This strategy is used when sales are lower than expected or sporadic in nature. Differentiation is another extreme that sets the company up as different from other competitors and generally commands a higher price. The perceived differentiation is one created by the marketer to command a psychological benefit to the customer.No matter what pricing strategy you may chose, the price must seem fair to the consumer, or they will not buy. Strategic distribution channels lead to a competitive advantage from the configuration network. The company must determine what type of distribution channels will be used to supply the product or service to the end user. Two basic methods are basically used to channel goods or services to the customer, direct and the use of subsidiaries. If you will be dealing directly with the customer, a simplified warehousing and shipping department should suffice.If you are using intermediaries to deliver the product or service, it is crucial to select partners who will be excellent stewards for delivering the product or service to the customer or end user in a timely manner. The distribution strategy should be defined on the number and types of customer interface. Much of the decisions will depend on the order entry points and how fulfillment to the customer is handled. Careful thought must be given to the cost factor when establishing a distribution network. Consumer products fall into two basic categories, remote access( web or catalog sales or local access( typically brick and mortar operations.Remote access is generally made by phone, mail, e-mail, or from a website. Fulfillment of an order is generally shipped directly to the end user by Fed-Ex, UPS, or Postal carriers. Local access is still the most prevalent form of distribution. Sales from the web have been increasing and according to news reports have reached a staggering six percent of all sales. In many cases the distribution strategy has led to a cooperative mingling of both remote access and brick and mortar retail or wholesale outlets. This trend should continue to grow with the increased ease of shopping through advanced technical means.Shopping by phone is becoming increasingly popular. The downside of this type of transaction lies in the security issues that abound. References Distribution Strategy retrieved May 19th from Faculty. msb. edu/homak/homahelpsite//WebHelp/Distribution_Strategy. htm Onkpisit (2012). , What is Branding? Retrieved f rom Entrepreneur Media, Inc. on may 20th, 2012 from www. entrepreneur. com Allen, Scott, Pricing Strategy How much should you Charge? Retrieved on May 21st, 2012 from http://entrepreneurs. about. com/od/salesmarketing/a/pricingstrategy. htm

Evolution of Financial Management Essay

The Traditional Phase:This phase has lasted for about four decades. Its finest expression was shown in the scholarly work of Arthur S. Dewing, in his book tilted the Financial Policy of Corporation in 1920s. In this phase the focus of financial management was on four selected aspects. It treats the entire subject of finance from the outsider’s point of view (investment banks, lenders, other) rather than the financial decision maker in the firm. It places much importance of corporation finance and too little on the financing problems of non-corporate enterprises. The sequence of treatment was on certain episodic events like formation, issuance of capital, major expansion, merger, reorganization and liquidation during the life cycle of an enterprise. It laid heavy emphasis on long-term financing, institutions, instruments, procedures used in capital markets and legal aspects of financial events. That is, it lacks emphasis on the problems of working capital management. It was criticized throughout the period of its dominance, but the criticism is based on matters of treatment and emphasis. Traditional phase was only outsiders looking approach, over emphasis on episodic events and lack of importance to day-to-day problems. The Transition Phase: It began in the early 1940’s and continued through the early 1950’s. The nature of financial management in this phase is almost similar to that of the earlier phase, but more emphasis is given to the day-to-day (working capital) problems faced by the finance managers. Capital budgeting techniques were developed in this phase. Much more details of this phase is given in the book titled Essays on Business Finance. The Modem Phase: It began in the mid 1950’s and has shown commendable development with combination of ideas from economic and statistics has led the financial management to be more analytical and quantitative. The main issue of this phase is rational matching of funds to their uses, which leads to the maximization of shareholders’ wealth. This phase witnessed significant developments. The area of advancement was – capital structure. The study says the cost of capital and capital structure is independent in nature. Dividend policy, suggests that there is the effect of dividend policy on the value of the firm. This phase has also seen one of the first applications of linear programming. For estimation of opportunity cost of funds, multiple rates of return-gives way to calculate multiple rates of a project. Investment decision under conditions of uncertainty gives the formula for determination of expected cash inflows and variance of net present value of project and also defined how probabilistic information helps the firm to optimize investment decisions involving risk. Portfolio analysis gives the idea for the allocation of a fixed sum of money among the available investment securities. Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM), suggests that some of the risks in investments can be neutralized by holding a diversified portfolio of securities. Arbitrage Pricing Model (APM), argued that the expected return must be related to risk in such a way, that no single investor could create unlimited wealth through arbitrage. CAPM is still widely used in the real world, but APM is slowly gaining momentum. The Agency theory emphasizes the role of financial contracts in creating and controlling agency problems. Option Pricing Theory (OPT), applied Martingale pricing principle to the pricing of real estates. The cash management of models (working capital management) by Baumol Model, Miller and Orglers, Baumol models helps to determine optimum cash conversion size; Miller model reorder points and upper control points and Orglers model helps to determine optimal cash management strategy by adoption of linear programming application. Further new means of raising finance with the introduction of new capital market instruments, such as Pads, Fads, PSBs and Caps, etc. Financial engineering that involves the design, development and the implementation of innovative financial instruments, and formulation of creative optional solutions to problems in finance. Even though, the above mentioned developed areas of finance is remarkable, but understanding the international dimension of corporate finance formed a very small part of it, which is not sufficient in this era of globalization.

Book Report on the Blind Side Essay

The Blind side The Blind Side directed by John Lee Hancock was a visual text about a teenage boy named Michael. Based on a true story Michael, nicknamed Big Mike has grown up in a poor and broken family and goes to a public school where no one really cares about him. Growing up this way has left Big Mike emotionally deprived and lonely. Thanks to his Friend’s dad Michael gets the opportunity to go to a private school on a scholarship. Suddenly he has teachers that care about him and while his life seems to be slowly improving, Big Mike still uses other people’s washing machines in the Laundromat, does not sleep at home and stays at the gym at school because it was warm. The biggest turning point in this movie was when Leigh Anne Touhy sees Big Mike on the side of the road and lets Big Mike have a place to stay. Leigh is a woman that gets what she wants and it is clear from the moment she meets Mike that she would care for him. From this point Big Mike and Leigh build a strong relation ship, he ends up moving in with them and becomes a part of the family. Michael is a big man and one of the reasons he was accepted into the school was because he had the perfect build to play American football and by the end of the movie Big Mike was one of the top players and went on to have a career in it. My favorite character throughout the book was definitely Big Mike, I love how complex of a character the director made him. Appearance wise, Big Mike looked big and tough, he was the type of boy that you would walk the opposite direction when you see him on the street, but when you see him in the movie you discover how kind hearted he is. A classic example of this is when Big Mike is first playing football and he doesn’t tackle anyone because he doesn’t want to hurt anyone. He reminds me of a giant teddy bear that wouldn’t hurt anyone. But then as well as his kind heart if you dig deeper you can see the inner strength he possesses. From a very young age Michael is forced to look after himself and to get through it the way he did could only be done with utter strength. When most people are left with no one they give up but I admire Big Mike so much for turning to himself and doing all he could to make his life work. Not only is this but his loyalty unbreakable. To get Big Mike to tackle at the practice Leigh said to him to pretend that these guys were going to hurt her and his family and that’s when he finally tackled with aggression. You could see then and there that Big Mike would take on anyone that tried to hurt his family and those he cared about. To me it Big Mike is, for lack of a better expression, a total cutie. My favorite part of the movie is when Leigh asks Big Mike if he would like to be part of their family and Big Mike looks at her dead seriously and replies ‘I thought I already was.’ Throughout the whole movie it was this character that constantly impressed and engaged me and the fact that it was based on a true story just adds to this. One of the main ideas in the visual text The Blind Side is courage. Leigh Touhy shows courage when she takes Mike Oher from off the streets and gives him a roof over his head and someone to lean on. This showed courage in the best of ways and it couldn’t off been done to anyone else. Although Leigh’s family did not agree with having Mike there in the first place, then soon got to like the guy and really enjoyed having him there as another brother or son. It also took real courage for Leigh and Michael to legally adopt Big Mike as a child, get his driver license and help him get into the best school available for Mike to go to on a football scholarship. Leigh also had courage for going to her own friends and telling them about Mike. A conversation held with her friends is. Friend: â€Å"You’re changing that boy’s life† Leigh: â€Å"No He’s changing mine†. I thought that Leigh had courage to say this to her friends as Mike is not her own son yet she is taking care of him as he is the only child in the family. A quote from the film The Blind Side to represent Courage is â€Å"that’s why courage is tricky. Should you always do what others tell you to do? Sometimes you might not even know why you’re doing something. I mean, any fool can have courage†. This is saying that courage is important but it’s hard. You should do what you want to do and not what others tell you to do,  but the main point is that anyone can have courage; weather their big, small, tall or short. The text that I immediately thought of was The Dead Poets society and in particular Neil. The reason for this is in my mind I started to immediately compare the difference between Neil and Michael. As I previously stated Big Mike had to deal with the loneliness in his life and the way he did this was by turning to himself for support. I think the reason that Neil committed suicide was loneliness, by this I don’t mean that he had no friends, as it was obvious from the start he did, but that he felt like he had no support from those that mattered. If his dad had shown a slight interest in his acting career then Neil would have been satisfied but because his dad seemed not to care Neil felt like he had no one to turn to and no options. This is the difference that I see between Neil and Michael, inner strength. While Michael appeared soft throughout the visual text, to carry on living especially in certain points in his life took incredible inner strength and as much as I liked Ne il’s character I don’t think he possessed the same strength. Neil is kind of the polar opposite, on the outside he appeared to be strong and content with life but on the inside the way his father was acting slowly killed him inside. Both of these characters had parents that weren’t at all good at their job but it was the difference between the two personalities that ended with one dead and the other a professional football player.

Buenavista Plywood Corporation

Garcia has to achieve in the course of action he has to take: 1. To maintain a stable and reliable workforce; 2. To protect the company’s reputation by avoiding confrontation with formal union groups; 3. To address production problems and costs; 4. To meet the rated capacity of the plant; 5. To safeguard the long-run profitability and stability of Buenavista Plywood Corporation. Situational Analysis The Buenavista Plywood Corporation was organized in Cagayan de Oro City in 1950 by the Santiago Family. Don Jose Santiago, the present head of the family, was well qualified to carry the traditions of this prominent family. The Santiagos have been involved in politics in nearby Bohol, the ancestral home. They had been pioneering industrialists in the plywood business. Don Jose had been an early advocate of local processing of lumber as opposed to the shipping of log abroad. VISTAWOOD, the trademark chosen for their plywood, was one of the first export plywood production in the Philippines. Late in the fall of 1960, at a time when the plant was operating at capacity, working three shifts a day, some representatives of a national labor organization gained the allegiance of a large group of workers to establish a union at VISTAWOOD. Over the period of several months, the union activists who were assigned to the logging concessions left the company at their own initiative. These events marked the end of any organized activity at VISTAWOOD. As a matter of general policy, management preferred to hire people from Bohol and even tolerate some irregularities due to this peculiar working arrangement, than to risk another confrontation with formal union organizations. In fact, Don Jose soon began to rely on political leverage this group of workers afforded him in his election campaigns in Bohol. Late in 1967, VISTAWOOD was facing serious production problems. Rated capacity and management profit goals had not been attained for several years. Fierce competition in the export market and decreasing selling prices, coupled with new duties being levied by importing countries had aggravated the situation. It was apparent to management that the only source of improvement would have to be the production function. Costs of operating the plant had been steadily rising without no accompanying rise in production volume. Mr. Antonio Garcia was brought to VISTAWOOD Superintendent in the hope that he could bring some improvements in the plywood plant. Discovering the absentee rate of the plant, Mr. Garcia began to examine this and other related problems at VISTAWOOD. It became increasingly clear that: (1) production was low and highly erratic and (2) one of the main causes of this gloomy situation was the unstable and unreliable workforce. The absentee rates fluctuated between 50% during Monday and Saturday nights and 30% during the rest of the week. Daily production was so adversely affected by this shifting workforce, that Sundays had to be regarded as regular work days but with higher labor costs. Mr. Garcia was convinced that the plant could be run on a six-day schedule and meets the rated capacity if an adequate workforce could be maintained in the ratio of 3:2. Decision Framework Constraints Given the problematic framework on situation described, Mr. Garcia now had to decide what to do with the problem on the imported workers from Bohol. The fluctuating absentee rates of these employees has resulted to serious problems such as the unstable, unreliable and inadequate workforce unable to meet the rated capacity at the plant and resulted to low and highly erratic roduction. Rated capacity and management profit goals had not been attained for several years. Aside from the fierce competition in the export market, decreasing selling prices, and rising production costs, imported workers from Bohol have created greater problems. Increasing the production volume through having an adequate stable workforce is the only solution to the problems faced by the company. And that would mean to fire those workers from Bohol who have absentee problems. These people create greater inefficiencies for the company. However, this will risk the company to face formal union organizations. And these would mean putting the company in bad public image ore reputation. Retaining the employees from Bohol will protect the company’s reputation but the absentee rates of these employees affect production costs and volume. And if not addressed will result to financial ruin for the company. Mr. Garcia is therefore caught in a seemingly difficult dilemma and has to formulate a decision which would both safeguard stability and profitability at the company and at the same time, protect the reputation of the company. DECISION ALTERNATIVES The following choices are open to Mr. Garcia: 1. Fine the employees from Bohol who have absentee problems but spell ruin on the company’s reputation; or 2. Retain the employees from Bohol but creates problems on the production costs and volume and eventually spell financial ruin to the company. RECOMMENDATION The first alternative to fine employees from Bohol is preferable given the following considerations: 1. It will decrease absentee rates of employees and having a stable and reliable workforce will result in meeting the rated capacity and volume of the plant. 2. It will dissociate political expediency from management decisions. 3. Mr. Garcia could talk to the workforce from Bohol to avoid establishing a union at VISTAWOOD. CONCLUSION Firing the workers from Bohol will address production problems of the company and insure the long-run stability and profitability of VISTAWOOD. Such a course of action, therefore, would achieve all the objectives set out earlier in the present dilemma. Buenavista Plywood Corporation Garcia has to achieve in the course of action he has to take: 1. To maintain a stable and reliable workforce; 2. To protect the company’s reputation by avoiding confrontation with formal union groups; 3. To address production problems and costs; 4. To meet the rated capacity of the plant; 5. To safeguard the long-run profitability and stability of Buenavista Plywood Corporation. Situational Analysis The Buenavista Plywood Corporation was organized in Cagayan de Oro City in 1950 by the Santiago Family. Don Jose Santiago, the present head of the family, was well qualified to carry the traditions of this prominent family. The Santiagos have been involved in politics in nearby Bohol, the ancestral home. They had been pioneering industrialists in the plywood business. Don Jose had been an early advocate of local processing of lumber as opposed to the shipping of log abroad. VISTAWOOD, the trademark chosen for their plywood, was one of the first export plywood production in the Philippines. Late in the fall of 1960, at a time when the plant was operating at capacity, working three shifts a day, some representatives of a national labor organization gained the allegiance of a large group of workers to establish a union at VISTAWOOD. Over the period of several months, the union activists who were assigned to the logging concessions left the company at their own initiative. These events marked the end of any organized activity at VISTAWOOD. As a matter of general policy, management preferred to hire people from Bohol and even tolerate some irregularities due to this peculiar working arrangement, than to risk another confrontation with formal union organizations. In fact, Don Jose soon began to rely on political leverage this group of workers afforded him in his election campaigns in Bohol. Late in 1967, VISTAWOOD was facing serious production problems. Rated capacity and management profit goals had not been attained for several years. Fierce competition in the export market and decreasing selling prices, coupled with new duties being levied by importing countries had aggravated the situation. It was apparent to management that the only source of improvement would have to be the production function. Costs of operating the plant had been steadily rising without no accompanying rise in production volume. Mr. Antonio Garcia was brought to VISTAWOOD Superintendent in the hope that he could bring some improvements in the plywood plant. Discovering the absentee rate of the plant, Mr. Garcia began to examine this and other related problems at VISTAWOOD. It became increasingly clear that: (1) production was low and highly erratic and (2) one of the main causes of this gloomy situation was the unstable and unreliable workforce. The absentee rates fluctuated between 50% during Monday and Saturday nights and 30% during the rest of the week. Daily production was so adversely affected by this shifting workforce, that Sundays had to be regarded as regular work days but with higher labor costs. Mr. Garcia was convinced that the plant could be run on a six-day schedule and meets the rated capacity if an adequate workforce could be maintained in the ratio of 3:2. Decision Framework Constraints Given the problematic framework on situation described, Mr. Garcia now had to decide what to do with the problem on the imported workers from Bohol. The fluctuating absentee rates of these employees has resulted to serious problems such as the unstable, unreliable and inadequate workforce unable to meet the rated capacity at the plant and resulted to low and highly erratic roduction. Rated capacity and management profit goals had not been attained for several years. Aside from the fierce competition in the export market, decreasing selling prices, and rising production costs, imported workers from Bohol have created greater problems. Increasing the production volume through having an adequate stable workforce is the only solution to the problems faced by the company. And that would mean to fire those workers from Bohol who have absentee problems. These people create greater inefficiencies for the company. However, this will risk the company to face formal union organizations. And these would mean putting the company in bad public image ore reputation. Retaining the employees from Bohol will protect the company’s reputation but the absentee rates of these employees affect production costs and volume. And if not addressed will result to financial ruin for the company. Mr. Garcia is therefore caught in a seemingly difficult dilemma and has to formulate a decision which would both safeguard stability and profitability at the company and at the same time, protect the reputation of the company. DECISION ALTERNATIVES The following choices are open to Mr. Garcia: 1. Fine the employees from Bohol who have absentee problems but spell ruin on the company’s reputation; or 2. Retain the employees from Bohol but creates problems on the production costs and volume and eventually spell financial ruin to the company. RECOMMENDATION The first alternative to fine employees from Bohol is preferable given the following considerations: 1. It will decrease absentee rates of employees and having a stable and reliable workforce will result in meeting the rated capacity and volume of the plant. 2. It will dissociate political expediency from management decisions. 3. Mr. Garcia could talk to the workforce from Bohol to avoid establishing a union at VISTAWOOD. CONCLUSION Firing the workers from Bohol will address production problems of the company and insure the long-run stability and profitability of VISTAWOOD. Such a course of action, therefore, would achieve all the objectives set out earlier in the present dilemma.