Reporting Practices & Ethics Essay

Financial management can be defined as both an art and a science of organizing the financial resources of an organization in such a way as to achieve maximum output from the finances that are available to the organization. (Brigham & Ehrhardt, 2004). Financial management is one of the key aspects that each organization including healthcare facilities need to put more emphasis on to increase efficiency. The four elements of financial management There are four fundamental elements that guide the art of financial management (Baker & Powell, 2005) these include: i) Financial accounting and reporting This element of financial management enables both the financial managers and the general managers to be able to undertake the legal reporting responsibilities by providing the information and data that can be scrutinized. ii) Financial Analysis It is an indicator of the performance of an institution or a company. It can be used to expose potential shortcomings or any weaknesses which the management should put more focus on to be able to meet both short and long term goals of the institution. iii) Financial planning & Budgeting The first two elements of financial management i. e. financial accounting and reporting and financial reporting, lead to the third element which is financial planning and budgeting. The financial plans and budgets are prepared from the first two tools and will help to guide the company or institution in both the short run and the long run (Brigham & Ehrhardt, 2004). This is an important financial tool that can help to identify any shortfalls or deficits in the internal funds in an institution and thus point to the need for external funding such as debt or equity financing. iv) Financial Activities These are the activities which a company can explore to be able to make up for any deficit in the internal budget. These sources of financing could include: retained earnings, contributions from donors and governments, equity and debt financing and leases or concessions. Generally acceptable accounting Principles There are several principles that can be considered as acceptable in financial management and these include: i) Consistency-this means that across all time periods, all information that is gathered and presented should be the same. It holds that a company/institution cannot for example change the way in which they do their inventory without a valid reason for the change being included in the financial statements. ii) Relevance-this stands for the appropriateness of the information that is contained in the financial statements presented. These statements should be able to help one to predict the future financial state of the company or institution. Reliability-an independent party should be able to verify the information that is presented in the financial statements. The institution must be sure that an independent auditor would come up with the same findings if they were to carry out the same analysis (Brigham & Ehrhardt, 2004). This is a great way for the company or institution to prove that it is transparent and can be trusted. iv) Comparability- this means an institution’s financial statements can relate with similar businesses within the same industry. This enables investors to note the differences within an industry to compare the performance of a company in relation to others in the industry. These generally acceptable principles ensure that all the companies are on the same level playing grounds. General Financial Ethical Standards The ethical standards that should be closely observed in financial management include: i) Conflict of Interest It occurs as a result of a clash of the private interests of an individual with the interests of the company. As a result of these actions one is unable to effectively carry out the duties due to him/her in the organization. This can also be as a result of an individual or a member of his/her family receiving personal benefits in an improper way due to the position they hold in the organization (De Boers etal, 2007). Another case that can bring about a conflict of interest is when one at the time of working for a company has associations with a competitor. Thus all staff of a company should report to the executive officers any transaction that is likely to bring about any conflict of interest. ii) Corporate opportunities This deals with the fact that one should always help the company to advance its interests first wherever possible and there should be no use of corporate property or information for improper personal gain. Employees are also prohibited from competing with the company or organization either directly or indirectly. This ensures that the institution always gets top priority from its employees and at such improves business practices. iii) Compliance and Reporting All the employees of financial institutions should make it top priority to identify any potential problematic issues. They should also seek for help whenever they have doubts about the codes of conduct in the financial institution (De Boers etal, 2007). Any violation of this should lead to subsequent disciplinary action. This standard is important as it helps the institution to identify any potential problem way before they occur if all the employees observe this standard keenly. iv) Public Disclosure The information in the public domains should not only be fair and accurate, but also timely and understandable and should include the interest of all the key stakeholders in the institution. Information should not be knowingly misinterpreted or omitted or be presented in such a way as to cause others to do the same. This standard helps the institution to win the confidence of the public and more so the shareholders as it displays that their operations are transparent. v) Fair Dealing Each employee in the institution should strive to be fair in their dealings with all the involved parties and especially the clients, suppliers and service providers as well as employees and competitors alike. This helps the institution to gain goodwill of all the people the deal with and it helps to build the reputation of the institution (Baker & Powell, 2005). Reporting Illegal and Unethical Behavior It is the duty of all employees to report any one that is deemed to be going against these ethical standards. This reporting can either be internal or external and it should be treated with utmost confidentiality. References Brigham, E. & Ehrhardt, C. (2004). Financial Management: Theory and Practice. Boston Massachusetts: South Western College Publishing. De Boers, P. , Ruud, B. , & Wim, K. (2007). The Basics of Financial Management: An introductory course in finance, management accounting and financial accounting. New York : Routledge Publishers. Baker, K . ,& Powell ,G. (2005). Understanding Financial Management: A Practical Guide. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons Inc.

Greece working Conditions Essay

Introduction Business ethics examine the ethical, moral and principle problems that occur in a business environment, and its application applies to all aspects of a business, which include strategy implementation, policy formulation, organizational culture and legal proceedings, just to mention a few. Business decisions are best explained by the use of ethical frameworks, which include; the utilitarian rule, social justice, deontology and ethics of virtues. The task in the presentation is to research working conditions in Greece and then figure out which ethical framework is being used by the leaders of that country in that issue. A careful analysis of the matter indicates that the leaders employ the utilitarian framework, which states that given two or more choices to choose from, a person must choose the one that yields maximum benefits to the largest number of people (Windelband et.al, 1958). In other words, if a given choice is going to benefit a small number of people, it is of great importance. John Stuart Mill modified the law of utilitarianism and came up with a new utilitarian rule which stated that, one determines what is right by contrasting the outcome of all related agents of alternative policy for a particular condition (Quinton, 1973). Issue: Greece Working Conditions To understand the working conditions, data from the Institute of Employment is used. The data was provided by the Social Insurance Foundation and Labor Inspectors in Greece. This institute carried out a research in the year 2003. The objective of the research was to investigate the health and safety legislations in Greece. Questionnaires handed out to 324 people of various specialties. 35.8 percent specified that there were no health and safety provisions in the firm and 48.7% stated that, to their knowledge, there was no physician assigned to the firm. A small percentage acknowledges the being of a health and safety committee in their firm was only 32.4%. In the construction sector, 53.5% had a health and safety provision document while 58.9% in the manufacturing sector had the same. 66.1% of the respondents in the public sector said they lacked such a document (Aizenman, 2012). According to (Bentham 1948),  Ã‚   it is right to exercise what is good for the largest population of people. The study reveals that the greatest number of people in the work environment had the health and safety document.   Companies in Greece seem to value policies that yield the greatest benefit to the greatest number of people. However, James Rachel, critic of the utilitarian rule, would have argued otherwise. In his criticisms, he points out that, everyone is equal and that everybody’s happiness is important (Rachel, 1986). The group of people who lack the document in this case can claim that businesses in Greece did violate the business ethics. This indeed violates utilitarian moral framework. ‘’One issue in particular is already in danger of being subject to all kinds of populist rhetoric rather than objective assessment: free movement of people in general and of workers in particular, in the European Union’’, says President Boroso while addressing the European crisis, which pioneered numerous reforms in Greece labor laws. The reforms led to limited protection of workers in the labor market. This aspect violated business ethics and essential social rights. Law number 3863/2010 introduced fundamental changes in the labor market. The major areas changed included: The period given as a notice to the termination of white-collar workers significantly shortened. The golden handshake for white-collar workers reduced by a half due to the reforms made. Operational costs must be kept between 5% and 10%. The minimum wage rates for workers under the age of 25 years reduced to 84% of the set minimum wage. For underage workers, the minimum wage rate set at 70% of the set minimum wage (Lynn, 2011). According to (Bentham, 1948) these changes cannot yield maximum benefits to the society because they only cater for a few individuals. In fact, are in contrast with the labor minister, Algimanta Pabedinskiene, utterances, and I quote, ‘‘Tackling NEET problems will require a variety of measures facilitating the transition of these young people into the world of employment, or their return to the education system. In applying these measures, a special focus should be placed on vulnerable groups’’. The law set by the government aimed at protecting the community from mass unemployment by making the labor laws weak, but by doing so, individual interests were not considered.   According to (Allison, 1990) a rational individual wants to make more   money from their employment, and the same   individual does not want to work in conditions, which make him/her feel underpaid. This is to say that the government is doing more harm than good by introducing weak labor laws. However, the government encourages underage working, which is a way of depriving minors their rights. This is not in line with the utilitarianism because it violates the ethics (Thilly, 1957). Apart from the labor market reforms, the government instituted in 2010, service cuts in pension and other important reforms in the social security regulations (Pryce 2012). The key points to note are as follows: Zero increase in the current pension over the next 3 years For the uninsured persons over the age of 65, their basic pension criteria underwent reforms. The amount of the pension is set at â‚ ¬360. The national budget will finance the pension from the year 2018. With respect to minimum wages, the reduction of salaries in now fully permitted for all workers who are receiving the minimum wage rate in the country. This is now possible after an agreement in the National General Collective Agreement (NGCA). Signing of the agreement on 15 July 2010 was by the social partners. This agreement validation was to be effected after three years (Feldstein, 2011). Salary cut for employees between 25 years was set between 22% and 32%. The employer can impose this cut without the consent of the employee. These reforms further show how the government violates utilitarian principle. A salary cut without the consent of employees is unethical, and violates utilitarian rule. According to (Goodin, 1995), utilitarianism as a public philosophy has been broken. Goodin explains utilitarianism as a principle which should guide political leaders while making decisions that affect the society at large. He points out that leaders must take into account the impacts of the policies they pass on the entire society, other than focusing on a small group of people. In addition, (Copleston, 1975) states that people’s decisions and rights must be respected whenever the government passes policies that has direct impacts on citizen’s welfare. He further states that failure to exercise this, the government will be infringing citizen’s rights, which is unethical. Conclusion The government and companies in Greece tend to pass laws and policies in line with the utilitarian framework, but there are many instances where the leaders go contrary to the principles of the framework. Using quotes and criticisms of the law and data collected, it is evident that there exists infringement of the utilitarian rule. The Government of Greece ought to use this analysis to rewrite its policies. It is ironical that the government wants zero unemployment while it continues to pass laws and regulations that do not yield greatest benefit to the greatest number of people. The happiness of citizens and their rights must be respected if the government aims at reducing unemployment. References Aizenman, J. (2012). Developing countries’ financial vulnerability to the euro crisis an event study of equity and bond markets. Cambridge, Mass.: National Bureau of Economic Research. Allison, L. (1990). The Utilitarian response: the contemporary viability of utilitarian political philosophy. London: Sage Publications. Copleston, F. C. (1975). A history of philosophy. Westminster, Md.: Newman Bookshop. Feldstein, M. S. (2011). The euro and European economic conditions. Cambridge, Mass.: National Bureau of Economic Research. George, S. K. (2005). The moral philosophy of John Steinbeck. Lanham, Md.: Scarecrow Press.Copy & PasteParenthetical Goodin, R. E. (1995). Utilitarianism as a public philosophy. Cambridge University Press. Havard, W. C. (1959). Henry Sidgwick & later utilitarian political philosophy. Gainesville: University of Florida Press.Copy & Paste Lynn, M. (2011). Bust: Greece, the Euro, and the sovereign debt crisis. Hoboken, N.J.: Bloomberg Press.Copy & PasteParentheticalNardo, D. (2006). Ancient Greece. Detroit: Lucent Books. Pryce, V. (2012). Greekonomics: the Euro crisis and why politicians don’t get it. London: Biteback.Copy & Pastearenthetical Quinton, A. (1973). Utilitarian ethics. New York: St. Martin’s Press. Thilly, F. (1957). A history of philosophy (3d ed.). New York: Holt. Windelband, W., & Tufts, J. H. (1958). A history of philosophy. New York: Harper & Brothers.   

Anthropology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 7

Anthropology - Essay Example Some of the mutations are silent and do not bring chances in the exonic sequence of the DNA, hence they remain silent. In certain cases these silent mutations may be expressed in the next generation or are lost with the individual. Thus, mutation or modifications of genomic sequences affects the expression of the genes in a given population. Equilibrium is observed for every inheritable modification and is studied with the help of Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. H-W equilibrium provides the basis to analyze the alleles of the gene(s). If no modification occurred, the static allele frequency, crossways generations, remain static. For instance, in the present case, characteristic of the earlobe, either attached or unattached could be studied as the simple case of single locus. The alleles are present on the single locus in two different forms namely; the dominant allele is denoted by E and the recessive by e with frequencies denoted by p and q respectively. Frequency of E freq (E) = p and frequency of e, freq(e)= q. In a given population, under ideal conditions p + q =1 The heterozygotes according to Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, freq (Aa) = 2pq. According to Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, p2 + 2pq + q2 = 1 (p is the dominant allele and q is the recessive allele). Punnett square for Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium explains the genetics of transmission of traits in a population. The equation explains the prevailing frequency of allelic forms of earlobe, attached or unattached and hence the equation is highly

Preparing the marketing audit for market entry Essay - 1

Preparing the marketing audit for market entry - Essay Example Contents Executive Summary 2 Introduction 6 Main Findings 6 Product 7 Price 8 Place 8 Promotion 8 People 9 Processes 9 Physical evidence 9 McKinsey 7S of Sony Corporation 10 Strategy 10 Structure 10 Systems 11 Style 11 Staff 12 Skill 12 Shared Values 12 Value Chain Analysis of Sony Corporation 12 Firm Infrastructure 13 Human Resource 14 Technological Development 14 Procurement 14 Inbound Logistics 14 Operations 14 Outbound Logistics 15 Marketing and Sales 15 Service 15 SWOT analysis of Sony Corporation 15 Strengths 15 Weakness 15 Opportunities 16 Threats 16 CIM Model of Sony Corporation 16 Political Forces 16 Economic Forces 17 Social Forces 17 Technological Forces 17 Legal Forces 18 Conclusions 18 Recommendations 18 Reference List 19 Introduction Sony Corporation or Sony as it is known commonly is a Japanese multinational conglomerate which is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. The company primarily focuses on electronic products in the consumer and professional markets. Sony has enough experience in launching new products in the overseas market. As the firm gains experience, it understands the global strategy more clearly. Early in his tenure Akio Morita, the founder of Sony developed business skills which allowed Sony Corporation to enter into foreign markets successfully. Initially he didn’t have such global strategy in his mind. ... In this paper we will look at Sony’s Strategy in entering into Indian market with new Refrigerator. The name of the refrigerator is ZKool. Main Findings In my opinion Sony should sue segmentation approach to target the Indian market. Through mass marketing they can create the largest potential market, which will lower their cost and hence their margins will improve. Hence it is better that Sony use Segmentation approach which will create a product which can be more fine-tuned according to the target segment. Also this strategy will enable them to choose the best distribution and communication channels. Figure 1: 7Ps of Sony Corporation Product Sony’s product strategy is to deliver the best quality product with the latest technology. Hence it will support features like Frost Free, Refigerent-134a, 2 door bottom freezer, Triple Ice tray, Twin Bio attacker, Premium look and design, Quiet and more reliable compressor etc. Sony has to spend money on their R&D department who are mainly responsible for their innovation. Sony’s multimedia features in other characteristics which have to meet the needs of the customers. Sony refrigerators will be designed such that they work on five power levels, compared to one power level of common refrigerators. It will enable it to run the refrigerator on low power during the nights or times when it is used less (Luh, 2003, p. 128). There will also be an automatic system which will adjust the power according to the usage. It will have e a combination of temperature sensor, inverter compressor, microprocessor technology etc. It will give best cooling sensation at minimum power usage. Price Sony will offer best of technology with plenty of new features which will make its price more expensive as compared to its

Essay NO. U2 M2 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

NO. U2 M2 - Essay Example This paper will examine the employability, retention, and recruitment of staff at Starbucks. Employability is a term that refers to the ability of a person to secure an employment position with a company. For a person to secure an employment position, that individual must have the right educational qualifications, experience, and skills. Therefore, it means that a person’s qualifications must match those required by a company for the organization to consider that person to be employable. Philips argues that for companies to determine the employability of prospective workers, they have to plan by first determining the objectives of their organizations. This is because workers who are to be selected must be capable of enabling the company to achieve its mission and objectives. The main objective of Starbucks is to provide its customers with an excellent experience while they are in the organization. This means that for a worker to be employable, that person must have the ability of serving customers in a friendly and efficient manner. Since the organization also deals with food stuffs, it means that employees must be capable of handling food efficiently, maintain a high degree of hygiene, and be knowledgeable about different brands of coffee, soft drinks, and other products that are sold in the company. The accumulation of these skills indicates that employable workers need also to have attained some education in food, catering, and customer care. It also means that prospective employees need to have acquired some experience in an environment that is similar to that of Starbucks. Employees at Starbucks need also to have certain personal skills that may be acquired naturally or in school. For example, these individuals must have the ability to communicate with all kinds of people successfully. Having the ability to communicate effectively enables workers at Starbucks to serve

ENGLISH LITERATURE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

ENGLISH LITERATURE - Essay Example It is also apparent that this journey is never easy on her, yet one that she makes with all the care and love that she has in her. Phoenix Jackson thus emerges from the story as a fully developed human being despite the short space of time in which she is introduced. At the same time, her walk through the countryside and into the towns symbolizes many aspects of American history as it progressed from the dark aspects of slavery to a more understanding yet still imperfect society of equal rights. Through eloquent imagery and careful progression, Welty is able to present Pheonix Jackson in loving detail as a fully fledged human being as well as a strong representation of American history to the point at which she is found making her trek. The normal path of life can be traced through the various types of fields Phoenix takes in her journey to town. Her path starts in the evergreen forest full of springy needles and bright sun. These evergreen trees represent the springiness and immaturity of youth. Just as the wood of the pine tree is softer and easy to damage, the young Phoenix was malleable and easily moved to new actions. In youth, she was still full of bright hopes and dreams that were often â€Å"almost too bright to look at† (142). Phoenix herself seems to realize this analogy as she crests a hill. â€Å"’Up through the pines,’ she said at length. ‘Now down through oaks.’† (143) as she aged into something harder and less able to bend. This aging process is symbolized by the additional trials Phoenix must undertake, the prickly thorns of the brambles and the chains of gravity, before she is able to internalize the strength of the oak that is imprinted upon her forehead, à ¢â‚¬Å"Her skin had a pattern all its own of numberless branching wrinkles and as though a whole little tree stood in the middle of her forehead, but a golden

Child Soldiers Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Child Soldiers - Research Proposal Example soldiers forms a grave issue and the international community with the assistance of international as well as non-governmental organizations should work towards curbing this problem. Child soldiers have been used for conflict by military groups for years because they are considered to be more submissive as compared to their adult counterparts and exist in greater numbers. These young children not only suffer from physical violence but they are also afflicted to psychological trauma and injuries. The child soldiers are used for various purposes ranging from carrying materials to acting as spies and also as combatants (Young 2007). Young girls are raped and Fatmata who was a young child soldier narrated that she was kidnapped when she was 12 years old and she gave birth to the child of her captor. Fatmata and her child were both suffering from AIDs (Wessells 2006). Another child soldier Edward narrated that they were first asked to kill the victims and then forced to lick their blood. Edward escaped and returned to his village but many young children still suffer in such horrific and inhuman conditions (Mark 2013). The issue of child soldiers needs to be dealt with strategically with the cooperation of national and international forces. Participation of International organizations and non-governmental organizations is also of significance. The plan for putting an end to child soldiers should basically work around five key points: resolution of the issues which have led to fighting, prevention of kidnapping of young children, better ways of being able to distinguish and isolate the children from the militant groups, â€Å"demobilize, rehabilitate and reintegrate† the children followed by adequate funds and opportunities for the freed child soldiers to study or get trained (Young 2007). The plan for the protection of children from becoming a part of warfare is beneficial and will be of assistance in tackling the issue at its roots. Resolving of the warfare by the

Big data Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Big data - Term Paper Example There is a huge amount of data available on the Internet. This report presents an analysis of big data. The basic purpose of this research is to present an overview of big data and how it can be used by the organizations for the betterment of their organizational tasks. This report will start with an introduction of big data. After that a general discussion will provided on big data and its associated aspects. In the start this report discusses the general concepts associated with big data however after that a detailed discussion will be provided on the impact of big data on a specific organization. In this scenario, this report will present a detail discussion on the impact of big data on healthcare sector. ... In view of the fact this era is known as the age of information and communication technology in which everything appears in digital format, and as a result everything comes under the domain of data. For instance in the medical sector, an electrocardiogram is now used in digital format which can be collected and stored as a dataset and information (attained after the processing of these data). In the same way, MRIs, CT scans and a variety of medical images are at the present digital, and these unique digital records and files are being stored and processed in the form of datasets. Hence, thousands and thousands of distinct datasets are adding up to the big data (Ackerman). Opportunities offered by the Big Data At the present, with the big data the majority of business organizations and retailers make use of data more efficiently to make planned decisions that commence with the customer and help to develop a more thorough design process. In addition, â€Å"this analytics-driven design can intensify major touch points all the way through the customer experience at the same time as improving sales beneficially† (Trank p.2). The research has shown that the organizations that use big data for their business can be familiar with their customers and the way they communicate with the business and shop online much better than many of those customers can be familiar with themselves. In fact, these datasets are not only the huge volumes of data but also they provide the organizations with excellent ways to determine and keep records of their transactions as well as other communications with suppliers, retailers, banks, utilities and service providers. In addition, at the present there have emerged a number of algorithms which can be applied on

New Information Technology Systems Speciation Essay

New Information Technology Systems Speciation - Essay Example On the other hand, information systems are used to make effective decisions and manage internal processes of the organizations. The basic aim of this report is to discuss the implementation of information technology for an organisation. For this purpose, this report discusses the implementation process for the fine food company. 1-Introduction This report presents a detailed analysis of information technology based system implementation for the Fine Food Company (FFC). Fine Food Company (FFC) business is a well known and well established business in the food industry. The main setup of the business is established at London, UK. In addition, the business manufacturing setups are located at other sides of head office all through the UK. In this scenario, all the business clients use products delivery source from Ashville warehouse. Additionally, the business of The Fine Food Company is based on selling prepared and partly prepared food products. These products are obtained from the food products manufactures. Fine Food Company finishes and packages these products for resale (The Fine Food, 2011). Moreover, The Fine Food Company offers premium quality food for events all through the UK. In addition, The Fine Food Company does not compromise on the quality, freshness and provenance of the food offered (The Fine Food, 2011). Th is report will discuss the implementation of information technology for managing its operations. This report will use different analysis techniques to determine the importance of this implementation for the business. 2- Business Overview The business of the Fine Food Company has obtained a steady growth in the business and organizational structure. Despite the extensive improvements in currently operational paper based working structure, the performance of the business still lacks high performance. This makes the overall working structure less effective. Thus, in this scenario, the management of the business has decided to implement a new technology based structure that will improve the business performance and working capability. In addition, FFC management desired to implement the new information technology at four main departments which are listed below: Sales and marketing Warehousing and distribution Manufacturing Finance 2.1- Products/services The Fine Food Company offers foll owing products and services: (The Fine Food, 2011) Rotisserie Chicken Quarter Chicken and Chips Half Chicken and Chips Burgers Original Chicken Burger Barbeque Chicken Burger Chilli Chicken Burger Breakfast Rashers Smoked back bacon Rashers Smoked back bacon and egg Sausage and egg Double egg and cheddar Rashers Smoked back bacon, 140g sausage and egg Kids’ meal deal Smaller portions of above, for children 3- Mission Statement The mission of The Fine Food Company is to improve the business status by reaching into the larger marketplace. At this point, business is focused on taking a better competitive edge by offering new and innovative products all through the country. Currently, the company’s web site presents only the overview of company. In this scenario, management wants to connect it with corporate working and offer live updates. The new technology based business will offer an excellent support for business working in following areas: Sales and marketing Warehous ing and distribution Manufacturing Finance The new technology will reform and improve the overall business working and operational aspects in above listed

Organizational Impact Paper Essay Example for Free

Organizational Impact Paper Essay Organizations today use creativity and innovation to change the products and services they provide to accommodate market demands. Companies may have difficulty with changes if there is no consideration for a competitive advantage or plans to transform and adjust their company to accommodate the demands for innovation of products and services for consumers. Organizations will conform to changes or transformation to achieve an economical advantage in business for innovation or it will fall behind its competitors. It will then be known as an organization of past success and current market absence. This paper will evaluate the impact of innovation, strategy, process, product, and services on three different organizations American Family Life Assurance Company (AFLAC), Microsoft, and Nike. American Family Life Assurance Company (AFLAC) The impact of innovation can be evaluated by looking at how organizations react or interact with the changes that are necessary. Commonly known as Aflac, the organization was founded November 17, 1955 by three brothers from Columbus, Georgia, (AFLAC, 2008). Aflac has been operating for more than 50 years, and is the number one provider of guaranteed-renewable insurance in the United States, and provides insurance protection worldwide for more than 40 million people (AFLAC, 2008). Internationally, Aflac targeted Japan, entering the insurance market almost 30 years ago and writes business for two-thirds of Japan, ensuring one in every four Japanese households (Best Review, 2003). A definite marketing strategy that contributed to Aflac rising market was their well-known pekin duck. An individual could not travel far without  meeting a stranger who could easily identify the duck icon and mimicking its tagline, â€Å"Aflac!† The market tagline was created in 2000 by the Kaplan Thaler Advertising Agency Group and recognized by nearly 90% of Americans; the pekin duck is an international icon and has done wonders for the organization (Best Review, 2003). For Example, after airing Aflac’s first duck commercial in January 2000, the organization rose practically overnight and became one of the most recognized brands of insurance in the market (AFLAC, 2008). The company advertised for six days and received more hits on their website for all 1999 and sales increased by more than 29% that is more sales increase during the first two weeks of the year than two previous years combined (Best Review, 2003). Aflac would never have experienced such success without the demands granted by innovation. Able to differentiate their competitor’s products, Aflac enforced an important marketing strategy in 1986, when the company expanded from rural to the metropolitan areas (AFLAC, 2008). The company used more independent insurance brokers rather than exclusive producers to sell their insurance and they recognize that brokers had already directed major medical coverage, other financial services, and could represent the organization with an excellent distribution channel (McCoy, 1996). Aflac offers a number of different services and products, including life, dental, vision, and supplemental health insurance such as cancer, hospital, accident, and disability. Microsoft Microsoft was found in 1975 and has become the world leader in software services, applications, and solutions (Microsoft, 2011). The organization leads the way in creativity, innovation software, hard ware products for individuals and companies, and offers products such as financial management tools, networking, web browser, and desktop (Microsoft, 2011). Almost every organization within an industry uses Microsoft products and often use customize applications to accommodate better that particular organization (Microsoft, 2011). One strategy that has enable Microsoft to stay ahead of the innovative curve is the development of the a new software computing called Microsoft surface that responds to hand movements, is capable of identifying genuine objects,  and can use barcode tags (Microsoft, 2011). The surface computer with a 230-inch display in a table-like form provides effortless interaction with digital content through hand touch movement and physical objects (Microsoft, 2011). This product is revolutionary because of future possibilities and innovations that will come from it, and will show the next generation a profitable outlook that will allow every user to remove and improve communication barriers, encourage social interaction, gain customer loyalty, and provide a unique shopping experience (Microsoft, 2011). Microsoft envisions that with the innovation of technology, surface computing will be available and used at all levels of government, organizations, and industries. Nike Nike, athletic shoes was found in 1962 by Phil Knight, who saw a gap and a need in the market of athletic shoes (Nike, 2000). Nike had a profound change on its marketing strategy and product when it introduced the Air Nikes, featuring Michael Jordan with the â€Å"Just Do It† slogan and â€Å"Bo Knows† commercial, (Nike, 2000). These innovative styles made the Nike shoes more recognizable and popular to consumers worldwide (Nike, 2000). Nike could modify its products and services through its innovative marketing strategy taken from evaluations on customer benefits and needs, whereas the product succeeded innovation technology with fashions that cater to customer satisfaction on a global level (Nike, 2000). Nike currently seeks out innovative ways to create advance athletic products and methods to speak creatively to the market because the success of Nike is based on marketing strategy that weighs current factors and trends (Nike, 2000). If Nike continues the innovation of new marketing ideas for their services and products, the organization will maintain their current role of innovative leadership with products, developments, and revenues in the athletic sports-wear industry (Nike, 2000). Conclusion Based on the information given from the three above organizations it has been determined that innovation can either make or break an organization.  Innovation is inevitable in organizations today because businesses have to make preparations for an innovative market by focusing their efforts on current market strategy, process, product improvement, and services. The three organizations discussed above used innovation and creativity to change the products and services they provide to accommodate the market demands. As the organizations indicated above, innovation is an important advantage for business growth and profitability and an important contributor to the business strategy to gain a competitive advantage. . References A Brief history of Microsoft. Retrieved January 18, 2011, from http://www.microsoft.com/misc/features_flshbk.htm. AFLAC. (2008). About AFLAC. Retrieved January 18, 2011, from http://aflac.com/us/en/aboutaflac/history.aspx. ENEWS Best’s Review (2003, May). The mighty duck. Retrieved January 18, 2011, from http:goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/gi-0199-2846151/The-mighty-duck-Aflac-is.htm. McCoy, T.A. (1996). Independent agents benefit from AFLAC’s marketing strategy. Retrieved January 18, 2011, from http://findarticles.com/p/arrticles/mi_qa3615/is-199612/ai-n8754524microsoft(n.d.). Nike History and Heritage. 2000. Retrieve January 18, 2011, from http://www.nikebiz.com/company-overview/history/1950.

Assessment of the Operation Performance Objectives

Assessment of the Operation Performance Objectives A company should be concerned to satisfy its customers requirements for fast and dependable services at reasonable price, as well as helping its own suppliers to improve services they offer.   There are five basic performance objectives and they apply to all types of operation: Quality Speed Dependability Flexibility Cost Flow of flowers in VBA Operations and Critical Points It starts from the sellers section, here the flowers are received and kept in cold storage area and it moved to auction. Next it moves to the buyers section, the area for preparing and packing flowers for shipment. They pack the flowers and moved for to the auction area. With lot of manpower they handle the flowers and plants for packing and moving to the auction area. Once they reached the auction area, flowers are brought into standard container. They packed each flower with a reference number. Then flowers are arranged by its category and placed into different halls for auction. Once the auction done by the buyers for the flowers, lots are distributed on the trolleys to the appropriate packing and loading Ares. Critical Point in this Flow After moving flowers from the sellers section to the buyers sections, and moved from the auction area to the destination, it is critical to preserve the freshness of the flower. Another important critical to take care of the bidding price and flower. The first bidder to press desk operation stops the clock and become buyer of the lot. VBA have to take care of two or more bidder pressed desk operation at the same time. Scientific Management relates to Modern Job Method Design To avoid manual things which lead to error, it is resulted in information processing technology. Job Method Design is used in VBA with its useful features such as task simplification, automation, specialized tools and procedures. This approach stems from the scientific management school of thought, time and motion study and work simplification and specialization. Its primary scientific basis is classic industrial engineering. Jobs high in mechanistic features can be staffed by almost anyone and training time is typically very short. Because mental demands are minimal, stress and overload are unlikely. Errors are less common because mistakes are less likely to occur. Measuring Performance Performance in VBA can be measured based on each Performance Objectives. Quality Speed Dependability Flexibility Cost Doing things right by providing error free goods and services, which will satisfy the customers, is known as quality. VBA operations have to export their flowers to be perishable and so they made the quality inspection by VBA staff and kept in cool storage place. Performance objective speed means doing fast, it means to minimize the time between the order and the availability of the product or service that gives the customer speed advantage.VBA are focused operations to reduce difficulty by having ten thousand people to work at the center to handle seventeen million flowers and two million plants by their information processing technology. To do the things in time for customers to receive their goods or services when they are promised this performance objective known as dependability. In VBA everything tiered to the auction computer so that each buyer can have uninterrupted view of the flower and price. A clear result of responding to a dynamic environment is that organization change their products and services and changes the way they do business.   This performance objective is known as flexibility. The whole bidding process by VBA including processing time takes only a few seconds and the lots are distributed on the trolleys to the appropriate packing and loading Ares. Companies compete with prices is cost.   Low price is a universal attractive objective to customers, which can be achieved by producing goods at lower costs. In order to do things cheaply. The high level of computerization and automation of material flow allow VBA to operate with low cost at high speed and dependability. Business Process Engineering fits into the Improvement Activity The fundamental rethinking and radical redesign of business processes to achieve dramatic improvements in critical contemporary measures of performance, such as cost, quality, service, and speed encompasses the envisioning of new work strategies, the actual process design activity, and the implementation of the change in all its complex technological, human, and organizational dimensions. BPR, if implemented properly, can give huge returns. BPR has helped giants like Procter and Gamble Corporation and General Motors Corporation succeed after financial drawbacks due to competition. It helped American Airlines somewhat get back on track from the bad debt that is currently haunting their business practice. BPR is about the proper method of implementation Example General Motors Corporation General Motors Corporation implemented a 3-year plan to consolidate their multiple desktop systems into one. It is known internally as Consistent Office Environment (Booker, 1994). This reengineering process involved replacing the numerous brands of desktop systems, network operating systems and application development tools into a more manageable number of vendors and technology platforms. According to Donald G. Hedeen, director of desktops and deployment at GM and manager of the upgrade program, he says that the process lays the foundation for the implementation of a common business communication strategy across General Motors. [12] Lotus Development Corporation and Hewlett-Packard Development Company, formerly Compaq Computer Corporation, received the single largest non-government sales ever from General Motors Corporation. GM also planned to use Novell NetWare as a security client, Microsoft Office and Hewlett-Packard printers. According to Donald G. Hedeen, this saved GM 10% to 25% on support costs, 3% to 5% on hardware, 40% to 60% on software licensing fees, and increased efficiency by overcoming incompatibility issues by using just one platform across the entire company Cause of failures and Prevention Corporate failure models can be broadly divided into two groups: quantitative models, which are based largely on published financial information; and qualitative models, which are based on an internal assessment of the company concerned. Both types attempt to identify characteristics, whether financial or non-financial, which can then be used to distinguish between surviving and failing companies. Quantitative models identify financial ratios with values which differ markedly between surviving and failing companies, and which can subsequently be used to identify companies which exhibit the features of previously failing companies. Commonly-accepted financial indicators of impending failure include: low profitability related to assets and commitments low equity returns, both dividend and capital poor liquidity high gearing high variability of income. Many other lists of symptoms of failure exist. For example, there is a list of 65 reasons on the UK Insolvency website which include:1 Failure to focus on a specific market because of poor research.2 Failure to control cash by carrying too much stock, paying suppliers too promptly, and allowing customers too long to pay.3 Failure to control costs ruthlessly.4 Failure to adapt your product to meet customer needs.5 Failure to carry out decent market research.6 Failure to build a team that is compatible and has the skills to finance, produce, sell, and market. Failure to pay taxes (insurances and VAT).8 Failure of businesses need to grow. Merely attempting stability or having even less ambitious objectives, businesses which did not try to grow didnt survive http://www.accaglobal.com/pubs/students/publications/student_accountant/archive/sa_jj08_mpogue.pdf. Changes affecting customer services, efficiencies in operations and improvement in stakeholder value PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION SPECIALISTS What is so difficult with the split between production and distribution specialists? It is to accommodate the variety of business situations likely to happen. There is no standard way to cooperate between a financial services producer and a distributor and there will not be any before long due to the fragmentation of the banking industry. It means that each couple of partners to- be will have to find and negotiate its own answers reflecting the power relationship as well as both specific strategies to the basic questions: Under what brand and what packaging are the services sold to the end customer? How are determined the service prices? Who does prepare, print and send the invoices? What are the roles vis-à  -vis the contract? Who does sign? Who does endorse the commitments to the customer? To the legal obligations? Who does carry the risks a priori? A posteriori? Who does manage the disputes, claims, litigations? Who does book the accounts? Who does manage the reporting to the regulators? Who may access and use the clients information files? How is organized the after sales service to clients? Who is accountable for the reporting to the clients? How are designed the processes to combine the client orientation with the product expertise? What are the incentives pushing both parties to enhance the global performanc e? The security? The IT efficiency? How are determined the earnings of both parties? In order to get the best result out of this discussion, a bank will have to be as flexible as possible in its ability to accommodate a variety of interactions with its partners IS. Let us take some examples. In the case of a brokerage partnership (where the bank does not play an important role in the contract management after the sale) as many banks have built for instance with insurance companies: The production specialist (e.g. insurance) will supply high level services: a full portal or at least application services supporting complete processes (salesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) to be integrated in the portal of the distribution specialist, Conversely, the distribution specialist will supply lower level services such as objects (addressesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) or data flows (contracts inputs). In the case of a outsourcing partnership (where the production specialist is more an outsourcer of data processing and back-office processes) as many banks have built for instance with joint ventures set up as shared service providers with competitors: The production specialist will rather supply functional services (scoring, etc.) to be orchestrated within the processes of the distribution specialist, access to simple objects (pending orders, etc.) or even data flows (reporting), The distribution specialist will supply higher level functions than in the first case (pricing decision, risk analysisà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦). A Capacity planning Capacity planning is the process of determining the production capacity needed by an organization to meet changing demands for its products.[1] In the context of capacity planning, capacity is the maximum amount of work that an organization is capable of completing in a given period of time. the phrase is also used in business computing as a synonym for Capacity Management A discrepancy between the capacity of an organization and the demands of its customers results in inefficiency, either in under-utilized resources or unfulfilled customers. The goal of capacity planning is to minimize this discrepancy. Demand for an organizations capacity varies based on changes in production output, such as increasing or decreasing the production quantity of an existing product, or producing new products. Better utilization of existing capacity can be accomplished through improvements in overall equipment effectiveness (OEE). Capacity can be increased through introducing new techniques, equipment and materials, increasing the number of workers or machines, increasing the number of shifts, or acquiring `additional production facility ies. Capacity is calculated: (number of machines or workers) ÃÆ'- (number of shifts) ÃÆ'- (utilization) ÃÆ'- (efficiency). The broad classes of capacity planning are lead strategy, lag strategy, and match strategy. Capacity planning is long-term decision that establishes a firms overall level of resources. It extends over time horizon long enough to obtain resources. Capacity decisions affect the production lead time, customer responsiveness, operating cost and company ability to compete. Inadequate capacity planning can lead to the loss of the customer and business. Excess capacity can drain the companys resources and prevent investments into more lucrative ventures. The question of when capacity should be increased and by how much are the critical decisions. Capacity planning and control is an issue which every operation is faced with. Furthermore it is an activity which can profoundly affect the efficiency and effectiveness of the operation. Capacity planning and control is concerned with making sure there is some kind of balance between the demand placed on an operation and its ability to satisfy that demand. If an operation has too much capacity at any point in time it will be underutilizing it resources, paying out for machinery and facilities and often paying its staff but, because demand is lower than capacity, its costs are spread over two few customers. Therefore its costs per customer will be high. If it has too little capacity, its costs will be low (because its facilities will be fully utilized) but its customer service will be poor because it is either turning customers away or making them wait for their products and services. This will potentially undermine the companys success in the future. Therefore there are serious cons equences of getting the balance between demand and capacity wrong B (Antti Tenhià ¤là ¤, 2008)The different planning methods are by no means mutually exclusive (Meal, 1984). However, a concept called bottom-up re-planning helps to define the main method of capacity planning (Fransoo Wiers, forthcoming; Vollmann et al., 2005). It is the method that is used to ensure the feasibility of master production schedules. The variance in the sophistication of the main methods is interesting because the more advanced methods specifically aim to improve operational per-formance by reducing errors in planning. Some studies, which have focused on non-systematic methods, RCCP, and CRP, have provided preliminary evidence of the more advanced methods benefits (Sheu Wacker, 2001; Wacker Sheu, 2006). Including the finite loading techniques in the comparisons is important because a lot of efforts have been put in their development during the last two decades (Kouvelis et al., 2005). The use of progressive methods would be well justified if there was evidence on the relationship between the accuracy of the planning methods and performance. Hence, the following hypothesis is formulated: 8 Globalization refers to the process of integration across societies and economies. The phenomenon encompasses the flow of products, services, labor, finance, information, and ideas moving across national borders. The frequency and intensity of the flows relate to the upward or downward direction of globalization as a trend. Business operations are those ongoing recurring activities involved in the running of a business for the purpose of producing value for the stakeholders. They are contrasted with project management, and consist of business processes. The outcome of business operations is the harvesting of value from assets owned by a business. Assets can be either physical or intangible. An example of value derived from a physical asset like a building is rent. An example of value derived from an intangible asset like an idea is a royalty. The effort involved in harvesting this value is what constitutes business operations. Business operations encompasses three fundamental management imperatives that collectively aim to maximize value harvested from business assets (this has often been referred to as sweating the assets): Generate recurring income. Increase the value of the business assets. Secure the income and value of the business. All three imperatives are mutually dependent. The following basic tenets illustrate this interdependency: The more recurring income an asset generates, the more valuable it becomes. For example, the products that sell at the highest volumes and prices are usually considered to be the most valuable products in a businesss product portfolio. The more valuable a product becomes the more recurring income it generates. For example, a luxury car can be leased out at a higher rate than a normal car. The intrinsic value and income-generating potential of an asset cannot be realized without a way to secure it. For example, petroleum deposits are worthless unless processes and equipment are developed and employed to extract, refine, and distribute it profitably. Globalization has a huge impact on business operations The extent of globalization unfolds in an uneven fashion to the degree that the question is raised whether international trade is more focused on regional rather than global integration. Trading blocs, such as the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the European Union (EU), the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC), Mercosur (South American trading bloc), the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), and the East Africa Community (EAC), support regional cooperation between geographical neighbors. Georgios Chortareas and Theodore Pelagidis research findings on openness and convergence in international trade indicate that intra-regional trade increased more than global trade in most situations. They stated that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ despite the positive international climate resulting from important reductions in transportation costs, the development of new technologies and trade liberalization markets continue to be determined, to a large extent, regionally and nationallyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Within NAFTA, intra-regional exports rose from 34 percent in the 1980s to more than 56 percent in 2000; exports between Asian country members amounted to 48 percent in 2000; and exports within the EU were sustained at about 62 percent. An example of limitations to fair market access for developing countries is that developed countries subsidize agricultural producers with about $330 billion per year, which creates a significant disadvantage for poorer economies without such subsidies. The impact is exacerbated because 70 percent of the worlds poor population lives in rural communities and depends heavily on agriculture. Hence, one of the concerns with uneven distribution of globalization is its impact on poorer economies by perpetuating systems of inequality.

The Damage Humans Cause Exploiting the Earth for Their Own Conveniences

The Damage Humans Cause Exploiting the Earth for Their Own Conveniences As humans continually exploit the earth for their own conveniences they become increasingly aware of the damage they cause. In the last 30 years the population has begun to notice just how serious the problem is and as a result great efforts have been put into amending the environment from our technological follies. Since the use of fossil fuels causes 70% of the earth's air pollution it's only logical that the human race must restrict the use of oil (Exploring Alternative Fuels) One of the main reason that fossil fuels are extracted from the earth is to provide oil for the propulsion of transportation vehicles. Scientist and researchers realized that oil is unnecessary to power ground transportation vehicles such as cars and trucks. In fact electricity is just as effective for propelling vehicles as gasoline is. Due to "the major concern of air quality, energy diversity, and the innovations of the automobile industry" electric vehicles began to be researched and produced (Electric V ehicle Report). Electric vehicles are now becoming the future of the transportation because they secure a long-term answer to the problem of fueling and they greatly reduce the earth's air pollution. The most viable options to replacing gas-powered vehicles are the three different forms of electric powered automobiles; hybrid, solar and fuel cell. Although electric vehicles were not recently invented most of their development has occurred in the last 15 years and with the application of modern technologies, developers have enabled electric vehicles to be powerful and cost efficient, without causing harm to the environment (Information on Electric Cars). Electric vehicles have had a relatively long history compared to most transportation devices. The first known electric automobile was a small model built by Professor Strtingh in 1835 in the Duct City of Groningen. This car, however, was extremely impractical because of its expense and the short life of the battery. The first practic al electric vehicle to be built was a small automobile that was produced in the United States by Thomas Davenport. Thomas made great improvements to his electric automobile, reducing its cost, and implicating a battery with a longer life span and greater power. Even with these improvements Davenport's electric automobile was not... .... Online. AOL. 27 Jan. 1999. "Electric Vehicles and Activities". Triangle E.A.A. Online. AOL. 13 Dec. 1998. "Electric Vehicles as a Viable Means of Transportation". Sacramento E.V.A. online. AOL. 5 Dec. 1998. "Electrically Powered Vehicle Rallies". Electra America. online. AOL. 5 Dec. 1998. "Exploring Alternative Fuels". Global E.A.A. Online. AOL. 13 Dec. 1998. "Home Built Electric Vehicles". Japan Electric Vehicle Club. Online. AOL. 13 Dec. 1998. "Industrial Efforts for Applying Electric Drives to Military and Commercial Vehicles". Mid Atlantic Consortium for Advanced Vehicles. Online. AOL. 13 Dec. 1998. "Information on Electric Cars". Southern Coalition for Advanced Transportation. Online. AOL. 13 Dec. 1998. "National Gas Vehicles". IANGV. online. AOL. 5 Dec. 1998 "Oil Market is Becoming Unstable". Clean Environment Association. Online. AOL. 27 Jan. 1999. "Oil Shocks Will be felt globally". World Economy Statistics. Online. AOL. 27 Jan. 1999. "Renewable Fuel". Government Solar Testing. Online. AOL. 27 Jan. 1999. "Small Electric Cars for Access to Mass Transit Stations". National Station Car Association. Online. AOL. 13 Dec. 1998.

Kate Chopin and Local Color :: Expository Essays

Kate Chopin and Local Color The background setting of most of Chopin's stories is the Creole culture of southern Louisiana. Southern Louisiana was far more French than American as a large portion of the culture was Creole -- those being the descendants of French and Spanish colonists. This Creole society was united in its Catholicism, and the French language and therefore became a "cultural subgroup which had little in common with, [and] was often in conflict with, Anglo-American society" (Walker, 97). This region of Louisiana was referred to as a "Southern Babylon" (Walker, 97). And it was this backdrop of society that Chopin used in her work which earned her the label of being a local-colorist. Consequently the term local-color is generally "taken to mean that the work has only a narrow appeal as a "novelty= piece" and are "noted more for skillful regional description than for insight into human nature" (Bourn). One common characteristic of the local color movement is the intermixing of the languages of the area, being in Chopin's stories: English and French. Yet the use of dialect, also being part of the realist tradition, "reveal[s] the various ethnic groups and ... provide[s] some regional color" (The New Laurel Review). The use of language is important to Chopin's character's status in society: for example, the higher up the character's status is the less his/her accent is discernible; while the "'lowest'" character in the story, speaks an exaggerated mix of Creole dialect and black dialect" (Bourn). However the "dialect [used] does not become a central focus obscuring the more imaginative aspects of [Chopin's] stories" (The New Laurel Review). Yet Chopin surpasses the limitations set by the local color movement, such as being novelty pieces and having a narrow appeal, because the ethnic characters that she creates "are individuals first and members of a race or nationality second" (The New Laurel Review). Chopin is "not [there] just to record the lives of people in an area, but to show how people in these places encounter and deal with issues that have universal value" (Bourn). And therefore, in direct contrast to "a local color novel ... [being] one in which the identity of the setting is integral to the very unfolding of the theme, rather than simply incidental to a theme that could as well be set anywhere" (May, 216).

Ralph Ellisons Invisible Man Essay -- Ralph Ellison Invisible Man Ess

Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man A twisted coming-of-age story, Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man follows a tormented, nameless protagonist as he struggles to discover himself in the context of the racially charged 1950s. Ellison uses the question of existence â€Å"outside† history as a vehicle to show that identity cannot exist in a vacuum, but must be shaped in response to others. To live outside history is to be invisible, ignored by the writers of history: â€Å"For history records the patterns of men’s lives†¦who fought and who won and who lived to lie about it afterwards† (439). Invisibility is the central trait of the protagonist’s identity, embodied by the idea of living outside history. Ellison uses the idea of living outside the scope of history as way to illustrate the main character’s process of self-awakening, to show that identity is contradictory and to mimic the structural movement of the novel. Ellison’s protagonist asks on the day of Tod Clifton’s death, â€Å"Where were the historians today? And how would they put it down?† (439). With these inquiries he begins to question his own identity and position relative to history. Once the Invisible Man accepts that he too exists outside of history, he steps outside the novel into the prologue and epilogue, a point from which he recognizes, internalizes and verbalizes his invisibility. The Invisible Man never considers that he might live outside of history because he typically identifies with white people who both live inside of history and are the recorders of history. While chauffeuring Mr. Norton, he proclaims, â€Å"I identified myself with the rich man reminiscing on the rear seat†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (39). In contrast to the â€Å"inevitable collection of white men and women in smiles, clear of feature... ...hereas in the main text he blames Clifton for â€Å"plunging outside history.† The framing of the novel reveals the contradictory nature of identity because Ellison uses the prologue and epilogue to show that the main text could not exist on its own. The protagonist’s story must be narrated by a wiser version of himself, showing that each identity is dependent on the other. Finally, despite the Invisible Man’s initial claim to a solid identity, the epilogue does not portray a character who has completely solidified his identity. When the Invisible Man advises that â€Å"the mind that has conceived a plan of living must never lose sight of the chaos against which that pattern was conceived† (580), he warns that it is foolish to attempt to define such fluid concepts as identity in strict and unyielding terms, thus allowing for the contradictions identity presents in the novel.

Analysis of “The Oval Portrait” by Edgar Allen Poe Essay

â€Å"Art is a jealous mistress.† Ralph Waldo Emerson’s quote easily summarizes â€Å"The Oval Portrait,† written by Edgar Allen Poe. It is a chilling tale, describing the two different passions of a married couple. The husband, a painter, requests that the wife let him paint her portrait, and in obeying him, she meets her doom. As the painting matured, her health and spirits declined and yet she remained and, without objection, she continued to sit for him. His passions increase and after many weeks, as the painting nears completion, each stroke of the brush strips her of her beauty, and finally, upon the conclusion of the painting, it robs her of her life. This is a bewitching story of passion, murder, vampirism, and murder. Poe’s story is an uncanny analysis of two passions: art and romance. It is a given that the artist loves his wife, but he seems to share a much deeper bond with his art. It is unfortunate for the wife to have fallen in love with a painter who was â€Å"passionate, studious, austere and having already a bride in his art.† As she was young and happy, she seemed to have a love of all things, and yet she came to loathe his art and to despise his brushes and the other tools of his passion. All the way through the story, it is made very clear that art is not simply his occupation, but it becomes an actual woman who rivals with the wife for the painter’s affection. As the wife withers away, the portrait comes to life, thus the painter achieves any artist’s ultimate fantasy: the preservation of his true love and passion (whether it be the wife or the painting) against the total destruction of time. It is well known that the women in Poe’s time were banned from the public sphere and stripped of power and identity. Taking this into consideration, it is safe to say that the artist may have wanted her to die. Though the story never indicates it, the wife could have been very outspoken, and because of this, it is likely that the painter could be tremendously ashamed of her. The painter, knowing that she would do anything for him, could have asked her to be the model of his portrait. Then, he would be likely to take as long as he needed to paint this portrait of her. His only cover-up for her death would be that she loved him enough to sit that long, and he loved art enough to get that carried away with it. â€Å"Art itself is involved in the transfer of vitality; the process of creation is vampiric.† In Poe’s tale, it is evident that as the painting comes to life, the wife gets closer to death. The way that the inanimate portrait gains life from the living is comparable to vampirism. The vampire myth itself is an ideal paradigm for love that is too demanding, or art that is too life consuming. The artist in this story, who can be depicted as a vampire, seems to  have to kill in order to renew life. Throughout the entire life of the painting, the wife’s cheeks lose color and she grows weaker, so it would seem appropriate to say that he could be painting with her blood. The artist transfers the life essence of the wife into his painting of her; draining her with each sitting until she dies at the moment he completes his work. Poe investigates the nature of human relationships, including love and lust and develops his theme to observe the vampiric qualities inherent in the creative or artistic process. Therefore, Poe manages to subtly demonstrate that a vampire’s life depends upon the death of another. There is definitely a sense of mystery in this narrative. From what an audience can gather, no one else was in the room with the painter and his wife. Whoever wrote the history of the painting could not have known what happened to the wife, unless the painter himself wrote it. Anything could have occurred in that room. From what the reader can tell, it is a good possibility that the painter strangled his wife himself and painted her dead body. It is nearly impossible to tell what exactly happened. Poe also left the audience hanging at the end of the story. Nowhere in the final paragraph does Poe state or even infer that the painter had come to blame himself for his wife’s death. In fact, the tale ends precisely where the reader’s questions should have been answered and the conflict resolved. Some may like to believe that the painter was at least capable of grieving for his bride, but it is hopeless to even assume that there is a real answer. It is basically left up to the reader to make up his or her own mind about what happened afterwards. To put it briefly, â€Å"The Oval Portrait† is a very mysterious, dark, and creepy story. The life that the young painter takes from his wife illuminates the painting. But in the end, she bears the tragic consequences of her husband’s love for his art and her own love for him. Through this story it becomes obvious that love triangles are dangerous to life, as are vampires and society itself. This story is a prime example of the hazards of loving someone that already loves another.

On Golden Pond Essay

Mark Rydell’s â€Å"On Golden Pond† is a drama that emphasizes the stages people of various ages endures. Utilizing Erik Erikson’s Psychosocial Stages as learned in Dr. Malone’s class, each of the main characters can be placed within a stage and their age-related crises analyzed. As this film is a drama, it was relatable to the audience, prompting personal reactions as well as implementing life examples of some of the theories studied in Malone’s class. Perhaps the most significant character, Norman Thayer is a force to be reckoned with. A grumpy old miser, Norman may appear at times to not fully be capable of taking care of himself; however, he is still very sharp. Norman demonstrates Erikson’s last stage, termed Late Adulthood, which features the issue of integrity versus despair. A person in late adulthood is much more concerned with his long-term future, death, than someone in a younger life stage. Early in the film Ethel remarks that death is all Norman thinks about, to which Norman responds, death is the most fascinating thing he has to think about. Besides looking into the future and comprehending death, a person in late adulthood, looks back upon his life and if he is satisfied with his life, past and presently, he feels a sense of integrity. However, if the person is dissatisfied with his life he is in a crisis of despair. It is obvious Norman is not satisfied with his life when he begins to browse the newspapers in search of a job. Norman often appears mad at everyone around him, but this anger is really directed at himself. For example, in the fire scene, Norman yells at Billy but really Norman is mad at himself. Ethel points o ut to Billy that Norman yells to â€Å"remind himself he still can†. Norman feels powerless as his aged body betrays him. Although Norman was smart alek and grumpy throughout the movie, he was much more pleasant after bonding with Billy. Billy was a much needed remedy to Norman’s despair. Being around such a carefree yet, tenacious adolescent had a very positive influence on Norman. Instead of sitting around thinking about the inconveniences of being older, Norman is sharing hobbies and various things with Billy. This sharing completes the generativity versus stagnation crisis. Norman is giving back by connecting with Billy; therefore, Norman feels accomplished. Norman realizes there are still things he can do before he dies. The turning point in Norman’s crisis is when he and Billy release Walter the fish, explaining they figured â€Å"if he has lived this long, he deserves to keep living†. This comment says a lot  about how Norman is coping with getting older. Norman reminds me of several people combined, but there is someone in particular that Norman reminds me of. His grumpiness and smart remarks remind me of my own maternal grandfather. My grandfather actually just reached late adulthood s o I guess there is still a chance that he could face an issue of despair. He has not had to deal with the issue of despair I believe because he still works. He owns a dairy and he still runs it. My grandfather like Norman wants to keep working, and unlike Norman he still has the chance to. My grandfather is fourteen years younger than Norman and I believe that their physical differences are because of this. It will be interesting to see how capable my grandfather is at eighty years old. Norman also reminds me of my paternal grandmother because she like Norman can be pessimistic about the future. I realize now after this class that she is not trying to be negative. Rather, she is just trying to be realistic and remind herself and us that we should value this time we still have together. Lately she has been babysitting my younger cousins more often and this has had a very positive effect. No one likes to sit around and feel as if they do not have a purpose so tasks and hobbies appear to be important in late adulthood. Watching Norman suffer was also hard to bear because he reminds me of my grandfather and others. In high school, I worked as a waitress in a cafà © and several of my customer were people in late adulthood and these are the people Norman also reminds me of. As beautiful as life is, it can be hard to watch someone get older. When our bodies do not work the way they used to, people feel betrayed. I grew very close to some of my customers and when one of them was sent to a retirement home so he could be cared for it was very sad. However, now thinking about this was the best decision to make. Ethel Thayer also is in Erikson’s psychosocial stage Late Adulthood, dealing with the crisis of integrity versus despair. Unlike Norman, Ethel is very satisfied with her life and what the audience sees is a woman of integrity. For sometime I thought Ethel might still be in the stage of middle adulthood, but instead I think she is just a very well-adjusted older woman. Ethel likes nothing more to be outside collecting strawberries or watching the loons. Ethel makes strong attempts to ensure her loved ones are satisfied with their own lives. She has a hard time understanding why Norman and Chelsea cannot be as satisfied and reprimands both of them. In a  dramatic confrontation, Ethel points out to Chelsea that regretting childhood events â€Å"doesn’t have to ruin your life†. Although she may not be as grumpy as her husband, Ethel worries about death jut as he does. Following Norman’s heat att ack, both Norman and Ethel realize they have precious time left together. Ethel reminds me very much so of my maternal grandmother. Even Ethel and Norman’s relationship resembles my maternal grandparents’. After watching this movie, I feel that I appreciate my grandmother more, and I hope to make more time to visit with her. Similar to Ethel wanting to visit with Chelsea and Billy, my grandmother would love to see me more. Sometimes my grandmother tries to give me advice that I do not want. Now I realize I should at least give her the courtesy of listening because who knows, one day I might find her advice relevant. Billy demonstrates the stage of adolescence. He faces a crisis of identity versus confusion. As Billy nears adulthood, he is finding himself; being a child of divorce, he could possibly have a harder time doing so. In this stage, Billy is discovering his values and his place in society. Having strong role models like the Thayers can only have a positive influence. In the film Billy wants to learn from Ethel and Norman, but he also wants his independence. Billy expresses his independence when he takes the boat for a joy ride. Norman trusting Billy to navigate Purgatory Cove gives Billy the confidence boost that a person in the identity versus confusion crisis needs. Billy also seems to have issues with feeling wanted. When he realizes that his father is taken off to Europe, Billy feels abandoned and assumes the Thayers do not want to have him around. It surprises him to realize that they do want him around. This is another boost for his confidence. Billy reminds me of my younger brother who recently turned sixteen. My brother tries very hard to act like the men in my family, which consists of: my father, my uncles and my maternal grandfather. All of the men in my family are hard workers and self-reliant. As my brother finds his own identity I feel confident I will like who he becomes because he has such great role models. Chelsea, like many of the characters in the film is not satisfied with her life. Age wise, she is in the Mid Adulthood stage, but she is still dealing with the crises of adolescence. In a confession to Ethel, Chelsea says that being at Golden Pond is like being a teenager all over again. Since Chelsea did not have a good relationship with her father Norman, she  has a hard time knowing who she wanted to be. Chelsea resolves this by marrying Bill who is not confused about his identity and also by talking to Norman. Chelsea reminds me a lot of myself. When I’m away at college, I’m very sure of myself, but when I visit back home at times I have a difficult time getting along with my father. I often want to change my father and his actions. My grandmother who reminds me of Ethel tells me that part of growing up is realizing who people are and loving them anyways. This realization helps, but my and my father’s relationship is still a work in progress. Despite being filmed in 1981, watching â€Å"On Golden Pond† was an enjoyable experience. I loved Norman’s humor and the relationships reminded me of those in my own personal life. Each of the characters reminded me of at least one person significant in my life. The movie highlighted the fact that these theories covered in Malone’s class are indeed very much realistic. Also the film made these theories relatable, producing a greater understanding. The movie opened my eyes and helped me understand those people who I hold close. It also made me realize that I need to work on my relationship with my parents. Using this new-found understanding, I can work on how I interact with people therefore, strengthening my relationships.

Active Transport – Essay

Active transport: requires that a cell expend energy to move molecules across a membrane against the solute’s concentration gradient (the side where it is more concentrated) Feedback inhibition: Metabolic reaction is blocked by its products. A product acts as an inhibitor of one of the enzymes in the pathway to regulate metabolism. Centriole: a structure in an animal cell composed of microtubule triplets arranged in a 9+0 pattern. An animal usually has a pair of centrioles within each of its centrosomes. Chloroplasts: photosynthesizing organelles of all photosynthetic eukaryotes. Competitive inhibition: resembles the enzyme’s normal substrate and competes with the substrate for the active site on the enzyme. Countercurrent exchange: the transfer of a substance from a fluid or volume of air moving in one direction to another fluid or volume of air moving in the opposite direction Cytochrome system: The cytochrome system is found in the many cristae of mitochondria, which are tiny stalked particles found on its outer layer. Degradative: The reduction of a chemical Compound to one less complex, as by splitting off one or more groups. Degeneration Elucidate: to make clear Entropy: amount of disorder in a system Enzyme: protein that serves as a biological catalyst changing the rate of a chemical reaction without itself being changed into a different molecule in the process Enzyme Catalysis: lowers activation energy Exergonic reaction: reactions that yield products that are rich in potential energy. Energy is absorbed form the surroundings as the reaction. Energy is stored in the covalent bonds of the product molecules. Facilitated diffusion: Use of specific transport proteins to move substances down the concentration gradient. Type of passive transport, does not require energy. Rate depends on number of transport proteins. 1st law of Thermodynamics: Energy cannot be created or destroyed, only converted. Glycocalyx: extracellular polymeric material (glycoprotein)[1] produced by some bacteria, epithelia and other cells. The slime on the outside of a fish is considered a glycocalyx Golgi apparatus: an organelle in eukaryotic cells consisting of stacks of membranous sacs that modify store and ship products of the endoplasmic reticulum. Spontaneous reactions: no input of net energy, release of energy. Hypertonic: a solution with a higher solute concentration than the cell Hypotonic: a solution with a solute concentration lower than that of the cell. Inhibitor: stop the binding of a substrate, competitively or noncompetitively, or through feedback-products. Isotonic: The solute concentration of a cell and the isotonic environment are equal. Light microscope: passes visible light through a specimen. Glass bends light to magnify image, living organism. 1000 times Lipid bilayer: fat molecules, hydrophilic heads face outward, exposed to water on both sides of the membrane. Hydrophilic heads point in, shielded from water. Selectively permeable polar or not. Lysosomes: contain digestive( hydrolytic) enzymes enclosed in a sack, break down things, recycling centers, damaged cells, destroys cells. Micrometer: 10-6 of a meter Microtubules: straight hollow tubes composed of globular proteins =called tubulins. Elongate by adding subunits consisting of tubulin pairs. Readily disassembled, provide rigidity and shape. Anchorage for organelles and as tracks for organelle movement within a cytoplasm. Mitochondria: Organelles that carry out cellular respiration in nearly al eukaryotic cells, convert the chemical energy of foods to chemical energy ATP: Mitochondrial density: The increase in mitochondrial density is associated with an increase in the duration one can perform endurance exercise and the ability to spare total body glycogen stores (Fittz et al. , 1975). Generally, more lipids are used to generate ATP as a result of the increased mitochondrial density in response to exercise Nucleolus (nucleoli): Building blocks of ribosomes and RBA messenger ribosomes to amino acid sequences in proteins. Oxidation (catalase): oxygen and other molecules, hydrogen peroxide is broken down with a catalase to create water and oxygen. Passive transport: the diffusion of a substance across a biological membrane. Oxygen, co2 in lungs. No energy needed. Peroxisomes: These are tiny circular membrane bound organelles containing a crystal core of enzymes (such as urate oxidase, peroxidase, D- amino oxidase and catalase, example- liver cells and kidney cells). These enzymes are required by peroxisomes in detoxification activity, i. . , in the metabolism or production of mitochondrial or cytosolic reactions. Peroxisomes are also related with beta- oxidation of fatty acids and thermogenesis like the mitochondria and also in degradation of the amino acids. Phagocytosis: â€Å"cellular eating: pinocytosis â€Å"cell drinking† Plasma membrane: individual proteins and phospholipid molecules can drift fluid. Tails in phospholipid, double bonds in unsaturated fatty acid tales-temperature. Surface has carbohydrates bonded to proteins and lipids in membrane. Cell identification, distinguish cells. Plasmodesmata: channels between adjacent plant cells, circulatory and communication system connecting the cell sin plant tissues. Receptor mediated endocytosis: highly specific, plasma membrane indents to form put lined with receptors that puck up particular molecule from surroundings, pinch to form vesicle. Ribosomes: cell organelle consisting of RNA and protein organized into two subunits and functioning as the site of protein synthesis in the cytoplasm. Scanning electron microscope: study detailed architecture of cell surfaces; surface hit with electrons deflects into device to video screen-three dimensional. Sugar vs pasta 8 micrometers Smoother er: network of interconnected tubules-synthesis of lipid, process drugs, detox enzymes-build resistance, stores calcium ions for contraction. Sodium potassium pump: sodium binds to pump, becomes phosphorylated cost of ATp conforms, translocate sodium ions across membrane, low affinity for sodium ions, diffuse. New conforms high affinity for potassium- bound dissociated and reforms to original formation. Transmission electron microscope: used to study the details of internal cell structure-laced with gold, electron beam electromagnets as lenses, bends beam magnify and focus. In the mitochondrial matrix in the mitochondria, cristae increase surface area- better atp production compartmentalization. Light, sun All in eukaryotic cells Ribosomes and centrioles

Prometheus Essay

Johann wolfgang Von Goethe â€Å"Prometheus† 1. Prometheus is the speaker of this poem, and he is speaking to the god of the gods. 2. In the first stanza, a simile occurs, it says â€Å"And, like the boy who lops the thistles’ heads† This simile here was revealed by Prometheus and he was referring Zeus to an evil trickster young man. Furthermore, the purpose of this simile is to visualize the boy who is ripping off the heads of a beautiful flower, which is an evil action. However, The reason that Prometheus is referring Zeus to this evil young man is because he thinks that he is an innocent person and Zeus is abusing him. 3. In the second stanza, Prometheus explains the procedure to make all the Gods powerless. Prometheus, who is the speaker of the poem, suggests that Gods are not confident enough of their place and they feel weak. The Gods are nourishing their hunger by people’s worship, prayer, and their obedient towards him. However, the speaker also reveals that they are taking advantage of people who are in trouble, therefore people would rely on them. In conclusion, the Gods would not be as powerful without people’s prayer and worship. 4. The rhetorical questions in stanza five focuses on the God and their unique characteristic such as selfishness. Prometheus reveals their personality in a negative way. Prometheus says that Gods do not help people who are in trouble if they don’t get a reward from it. Also, he mentions that if a God feels pity on another God, the other Gods would try to avoid that God and treat him differently. In the last rhetorical question in the last sentence is towards the readers, exploring the reason why people would worship these kinds of Gods. The overall effect on this series is to convince people to stand on Prometheus’s side and avoid the Gods. 5. in the fifth stanza, there are two words which are personified. These words are time and fate. In the text, it says â€Å"time is omnipotent† which mean time is very powerful and have authority to rule and control over man. And another one is fate; it says â€Å"fate is eternal that never dies or ending† It emphasizes that fate is powerful as well as time. 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 6. Dreams was an image used in stanza six, was helping the reader to learn about the speaker. He says that even his dream or wish is not accomplished, he will not run away. He will follow his dream and not be defeated no matter what happens. 7. He says that he will create a human being who is just like him. So, the Gods would not get any prayer or worship from the people. Prometheus plans to destroy the gods using human beings. 8. The overall tone of this poem is anger and hate. Prometheus curse towards Gods and especially Zeus. Prometheus’s strong tone reveals his anger and feeling towards Zeus. Lord Byron (George Gordon Byron) â€Å"Prometheus† 1. There are two significant differences between both â€Å"Prometheus† poems. The poem from Von Goethe is written in Prometheus’s point of view and he was addressing it to Zeus. But, the other one is written in Lord Byron’s point of view. Where â€Å"Prometheus† is unidentified. In this poem, there is no direct evidence that we can find the speaker, but we could assume who it is addressing to, which Prometheus. In addition, the poem by Von Goethe is full of anger and hate towards Gods, However, the poem by Lord Byron is much more calm and has some love towards Prometheus 2. The rock, the vulture, and the pain. These three symbols are representing Prometheus’s punishment by Zeus. According to Prometheus’s myth, he is chained to the rock and he is getting tortured by the vulture which comes everyday and eats Prometheus’s river. The poem is saying Prometheus sacrificed himself to help human, which caused him to feel the pain that never ends. 3. â€Å"The suffocation sense of woe†¦ And then is jealous lest the sky should have a listener† Instantly, I could imagine how big this woe could be that it is enough to suffocate one, it doesn’t mean that woe itself suffocating physically. It means that the sense of woe is too concerning that it suffocating one mentally. Also, sky is personified and the image of Prometheus arises. This quote is saying Prometheus is suffering because of loneliness too. He has no company but the sky, to talk to. The loneliness causes him to have more pain. 4. These three words are creating an image of heaven and hell. The word â€Å"Fate† used to represent heaven and â€Å"Hate† represent hell. 5. Thunderer is Zeus. Zeus’s main symbol is lightening or thunder. 6. The speaker gives an image of Prometheus getting punished by Zeus and how much he is enduring the pain and the torture. The speaker also gives the reader an idea of the cruelty of Zeus. 7. â€Å"Man† defines a symbol referring to Prometheus. 8. I think Prometheus is a symbol for rebel, but also a reader. I agree with the speaker’s statement, because even Prometheus is one of gods, he loved human more than his own kind. Prometheus decided to disobey Zeus and helped human by stealing fire from god. By this event, human could have enough power to stand by themselves without asking for help to gods. 9. This statement is paradox, because usually death is not good thing, but it is good thing for Prometheus. Prometheus never gave up or regrets his choice even he is getting torture every day, so if he dies finally, he will not have any pain. Also, Lord Byron was Christian and he believed there is an afterlife. So, if Prometheus dies

Harley Davidson marketing plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6000 words

Harley Davidson marketing plan - Essay Example This study aims to provide a complete marketing plan and strategy for bringing Harley on the UK market segment. The plan is to include marketing principles, tools and models to bring effective outcomes for the future market growth and valuation. The study will analyze the segments of environment, market structure, competition and organizations key functions to comprise a deliberate market plan for the respective three years period. The study will include two parts, the first will have a market analysis and the second will have the actual plan to get applied on the market circumstances (Grant, 2004). Company Profile and Background Harley-Davidson mostly symbolized by H-D is an American based company, heading forward since the start of 20th century with Harley Classic Motorbikes. With a strong market share of 10.77 Billion, the brand is on its march in the United States market, a market where the brand took its origin and got recognized from the very first Harley lovers (Leffingwell, 2 003). The specialty lies in the Harley heavy-bikes and Harley classic models which are on an esteem of Harley patrons. It is one of the brands that survived the period of low quality control and competition from the Japanese rivalries, which shows corporation’s diversified approach to deal with market challenges (Grant, 2004). A distinctive class like a class of luxury stands out for the upcoming models of Harley motorbikes. This shows that there is a strong commitment which Harley customers show to Harley products and services (Grant, 2004). According to Jim Ziemer (Former President at Harley Davidson Inc), â€Å"It is a unique brand that is built on personal relationship and deep connections with customers, unmatched riding experiences, and proud history† (Qumer & Purkayastha, 2012). It is in the trend and culture of Harley Davidson that they have been producing designer based luxury bikes. In Harley’s models there is an exclusivity of heavyweight, cruiser, to uring and custom motorbikes, which are always overwhelming and astonishing for the luxury bike lovers. With heavy design attribute, Harley has been able to inspire the motorbike brand industry, as the designs are enough to amaze and surprise the motorbike branders (Leffingwell, 2003). The design includes heavy customization, which has become Harley’s attraction point for selling its new brand models. No matter where Harley has been intruding like in Argentina, Aruba, Germany, Australia, Chile, China or Costa rice, there heavyweight design attribute has been the trade mark to lead out the brand on diversified markets (Walker & Broughton, 2010). It is one culture that started from classic Harleys (early 20th century) and then transferred to second and third generations of Harley Davidson motorbikes (Scott, 2008). With the rise there has been falls too which Harley experienced in its business journey. It was the year 2009, when reports indicated a loss of US$ 55.1 million in Har ley Davidson m

Within a health economic framework, discuss and analyse one chronic Essay

Within a health economic framework, discuss and analyse one chronic disease issue and the possible future implications and impact that they may have on the Australian Health Care System - Essay Example The country’s model for chronic disease management aims to ensure delivery of care during the continuum. Disease prevention strategy starts at the primary level in the healthy population, then to secondary prevention and early detection in the at-risk population and ends with disease management once disease is established besides management and tertiary prevention for people with complex chronic diseases. Although strategies may vary from region to region, they are characterized by the aims of improved access, reduced health inequalities and better outcomes for those with chronic diseases through the policies of self-care, continuity and quality of care (Snodden 2010). Chronic disease As defined by the World Health Organisation, a chronic disease is one, which is of permanent nature with residual disability and caused by irreversible pathological changes. 12 chronic diseases identified by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) as having a significant impact on t he country’s health care system (Zwar, et al. 2006) are â€Å"coronary heart disease, stroke, lung cancer, colorectal cancer, depression, diabetes, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic kidney disease, oral diseases, arthritis and osteoporosis.† (Zwar, et al. 2006, 8). As already mentioned, chronic diseases are managed at primary care level by general practitioners and other professionals of primary health care with tie-ups with specialised agencies. The Bettering the Evaluation and Care of Health (BEACH) report states that most of the above chronic disease are treated at the primary care level except lung cancer and colorectal cancer (Zwar, et al. 2006). Australia’s health system Australia’s health system is considered one of the best in the world with the country’s universal medical insurance scheme Medicare providing access to health care for all. Because of the robustness of the system, life expectancy has increased, childhood and maternal mortality rate, incidence of cancer and heart disease have reduced. Demographic changes to the population are characterised by the increase in the population of people over 65 years. Their population has been estimated at 2.9 million (13.3%) in 2009 as against 1.1 million (8.3 %) in 1971. In spite of the overall achievement, health status of the indigenous peoples is far below the status of mainstream communities. Thus, Australian health system is under constant challenges due to rise in demand, constrained capacity and insufficient health care professionals and infrastructure as are with any other industries such as banking, transport etc. Rise in demand is due to combination of factors such as higher expectations from the health seekers who are now better informed, increasing burden of diseases arising out of problems affluent living conditions attendant with risk factors, increased life span and people’s ability to use advancements in the medical field. These problems of plenty are responsible for ever increasing burden of chronic diseases that make up 70 % of Australia’s health burden which is expected to increase to 80 % by 2020 (Boyages 2010). Since cancer diseases especially lung cancer and colorectal cancer are not being managed at the primary care level, this paper will choose cancer as one chronic disease that is impacting on the country’s health care system. Cancer epidemiology AIHW reports that in 2007 alone new cancer cases diagnosed were about 108,368, 57 % of which were males. There is a risk for 1 in 3 in males and 1 in 4 in females to be diagnosed with cancer before they the age of 75 years. Most common types of cancer were prostate cancer (19,403 cases0, bowel cancer (14,243 cases), breast cancer (12,670 cases, skin cancer (10,432 cases) and lung cancer