Management Information Systems Essay Example For Students

Management Information Systems Essay 1. General Motors has several internal and external influences that are challenging them to reduce their operating costs and become more efficient. In doing an analysis of the General Motors using Porters Competitive Model these influences become clear and opportunities for the company to reduce costs and increase efficiency using information systems becomes obvious. Porters Competitive Model is a model used to describe the interaction of external influences; specifically threats and opportunities that affect an organizations strategy and ability to compete Laudon Laudon, 2005, p. 103. Starting at the center of the model is the current industry, which includes General Motors and their typical competitors, such as, Ford, DaimlerChrystler, and the Japanese Laudon Laudon, 2005. All of these traditional competitors are able to produce cars at a much cheaper cost than General Motors. Looking at the supplier portion of the competitive forces model, part of the reason General Motors was u nable to produce cars inexpensively in comparison to their competitors was that they were producing a lot of their own parts. Their competitors were able to purchase parts from outside vendors at lower prices. General Motors viewed this as an opportunity and has since shed a lot of workers and factories and are currently searching everywhere for the lowest prices on parts. Also General Motors was very slow at producing cars because of old information systems and outdated processes. A lot of General Motors systems could not communicate with each other, which was causing a major lag in the production of automobiles. By integrating these systems they were able to become faster and leaner and were able to increase their customer focus Laudon ; Laudon, 2005. In the competitive forces model, General Motors also has influence from new products and services to reduce costs and increase efficiency. General Motors wants to experiment with new ways to serve their customers, one of which was on line shopping, allowing customer to shop for car models and colors online and giving them dealerships in the area that were currently in possession of the car they preferred. By utilizing the Internet, GM was able to provide additional services to their customers and allow them to also purchase vehicles online. General Motors also found an opportunity to build vehicles to order. This allows them to reduce the cost of inventory and sales incentives by finding ways to make cars that customers have actually ordered Laudon ; Laudon, 2005. Another new technology-based service General Motors has been experimenting with is called OnStar. OnStar is a navigation, Internet, safety, and communications capability that is available on a majority of GM models. Customers have to subscribe to the service but with the service they receive roadside assistance, stolen-vehicle tracking, and concierge support such as making dinner reservations Laudon ; Laudon, 2005, p. 111. OnStar is a comprehensive ser vice, however, has not been successful in gaining interest of a lot of GM customers. New entrants to the automotive market have been a threat to General Motors. Some of these entrants include Nissan and Hyundai. Although, they have been around for a while, they are increasingly gaining a large portion of the market and have been very efficient in product development and bringing new models to the market quickly. In response to this threat General Motors has attempted to stream line their product development portion of their business. In the past, General Motors would have to go through several departments and systems to take a car from design phase to actual production. The average was typically 48 months for this process. After some analysis, General Motors has formed a single committee that now handles the entire product development process. They removed all of their former design and engineering systems and replaced them with a single system called EDSs Unigraphics Laudon Laudon , 2005, p. 112. Everyone involved in the committee has access to this new system and are able to access from a web-based interface to share three-dimensional designs Laudon Laudon, 2005. It now takes General Motors approximately 18 months from initial design to production. Customers also play a part in the competitive forces model. General Motors still struggles in changing potential and actual customers perception of the company from a second rate automobiles compared to their competitors. With the Internet service and new product development technique they hope to change this perception and bring new automobiles and services to these customers. Information technology has played a large role in the redesign of General Motors. They have been able to successfully reduce operating costs by becoming more efficient and competitive. They have integrated several systems and have stream lined internal processes to reduce costs and have also utilized the Internet to gain new customers and aid in sales of automobiles. General Motors will need to continue using information systems to gain advantages over their competitors and to stay a major competitor in the automotive market. 2. Within the last few years preventing future terrorism attacks like the one that occurred on September 11th has become a major concern for both citizens and the government of the United States and globally. In response to this concern, governments and their organizations have created massive databases of personal information on citizens and whom they think could be potential terrorists. These databases have brought up questions of social and ethical issues regarding citizens privacy and rights in regards to the information being collected. Drug and Alcohol Abuse EssaySince this technology reaches customers globally, businesses need to ensure that their new systems are capable of supporting international customers. Language and cultural barriers can create a chaotic environment but with the right system and business processes this challenge can become obsolete Laudon Laudon, 2005. When building the information architecture companies must be aware of what they currently need to do business, but also allow the system to be upgraded in the future for changes that may occur. Business is changing rapidly and the system that they create should allow them to adapt to these changes and not hinder them. Hardware and software should be compatible and allow information to flow freely. This is crucial in the design process Laudon Laudon, 2005. A final challenge of management is in regards to responsibility and control. They need to find a way to ensure that proper security is stored and sensitive information is only handled by those that need it to do their job. Although they want the information shared they also need to have control of the information Laudon Laudon, 2005. Internet technology is crucial to a companys success in regards to reducing operating costs and increasing efficiency. It can provide the company with new customers and streamline business processes. However, there are some management challenges that need to be addressed when using this technology. If the company is aware of these challenges and addresses them successfully the full potential of this technology will be reached. 4. Information systems and technology is allowing businesses to reach consumers in ways that they were unable to do before. One such method is direct sales over the web, where manufacturers are now cutting out the intermediary and directly selling to the consumer. This process is called disintermediation Laudon ; Laudon, 2005, p. 123 and is allowing consumers to purchase goods at a cheaper cost by eliminating the middleman who would typically raise the price in order to make a profit. Web personalization has also made a large impact on consumers. Web personalization is the tailoring of web content directly to a specific user Laudon ; Laudon, 2005, p. 123. Basically when a customer visits a website and either purchases a good or views certain items the web page alters according to each customers preference. For example, at Amazon.com if a certain book is purchased the next time that customer logs on there is a suggested list of books that are similar to the one previously purchased ar e listed that Amazon.com finds may be of interest to that customer based on there previous purchase. Many websites are using web personalization because it allows them to provide customer service and a sales tactic without having an actual salesperson present. It also makes the customer feel as if they are being catered to and that they are valued Laudon ; Laudon, 2005. Data is also collected from purchases of customers to find what is the best selling product so that the company can keep plenty of that product in stock. For example, Dillons stores in Wichita uses what is called a Plus Card which keeps the information of the customer contains the customers demographic information. Every time the customer uses their plus card Dillons keeps track of what is being purchased. Items that are popular can be put on sell to increase revenue or inventory can be updated to provide for these items. Besides being used as a marketing tool, businesses also use the Internet to provide customer service. Instead of having a call center where a customer needs to talk to a physical person they can use the Internet and browse frequently asked questions to get information or answers. They also can send emails to the business and expect a response in little time. Using the Internet for customer service allows the customer to be in control and tailors to the customers tim e schedule. There are many benefits in using technology to gain customer information. The most popular is as a marketing function to provide customers with the products that are most popular. Also, it allows them to provide salesman type services without a physical salesperson or customer service representative. This is saving businesses money by reducing the cost of employing this person and is tailoring to the flexibility needs of the ever-demanding consumer. ReferencesLaudon, K.C. ; Laudon, J. P. 2005. Essentials of Management Information Systems: Managing the Digital Firm. Upper Saddle, NJ: Pearson Education Inc.

How to Write the First Clinical Interview Report free essay sample

Somewhere, sometime, as a mental health clinician we might conceivably do an evaluation and provide a complete course of treatment, or in our case, a complete document of first clinical interview of a patient. Regardless of where you work or who your patient may be, you will have to communicate your findings to someone. Working in hospitals, university counseling centers, community clinics, or private practices; you will commonly share your reports with psychiatrists, and any other medical personnel. And the reports that you prepared for your first clinical interviews will be one of those shared reports. I. The Aims of Report Writing for the First Clinical Interview According to Cansever (1982), the aim of the psychological assessment report is to present the patient’s personality and to recommend the ways that will help the patient to solve his/her problems. However, in order to draw up a psychological assessment report, a clinical psychologist gathers information from three sources: interviews, observations, and psychological test results. We will write a custom essay sample on How to Write the First Clinical Interview Report or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page For this semester and for this course; however, we only have a very first part of these three sources, namely first clinical interview. Nevertheless, in my opinion, the aim of the clinical psychologist may not be so different while he/she is writing a report of first clinical interview from the one while he/she is reporting the whole psychological assessment procedure. The aim is again to present the â€Å"patient† to others, and also to declare need of further information (from tests etc. ), to declare the treatment plan–if it is decided to begin the treatment, and if it is applicable–, and prognosis; all depending on the information that can be collected during a first session. In addition, I think, simply to keep a record of the first session or to use it as a rich educational resource in academic settings can be some of the purposes while writing a first interview report. II. The Organization of the Written Report (Morrison, 2008) It is highly necessary to organize your findings before writing them. II. a. Identifying Data The identifying data provide the reader with a framework upon which to construct a mental image of the patient whose history you are reporting. In the first lines of the report, you state the basic demographic data, including age, sex, marital status, education, and any other item that seems relevant. In any case, you should note that the patient either is new to your facility or has been seen there before. II. b. The Chief Complaint The chief complaint is the patient’s stated reason for coming to treatment. It is often written as a direct quote, but sometimes you may want to paraphrase or summarize it–especially when it is vague, long-winded, or multifaceted. Moreover, a clinician may cite two chief complaints: one from the patient, and the other from a relative, friend, or other informant. This double reporting is especially useful for patients who are too confused or too uncooperative to respond appropriately when you request the information. In our reports written as a requirement of this course, of course, there will not be a chief complaint section since the individuals who we will be interviewing will not come to the session due to a complaint, rather they will be there to â€Å"help† us. II. c. Informants Briefly state the names of those whom you have obtained your information from, and estimate the reliability of each. Besides the patient, mention relatives, friends, other health care workers, and old charts; that is to say, mention anything or anyone you have used to help visualize the picture of the patient. II. d. History of the Present â€Å"Illness† This section is the most important of the entire report. When you are writing up the history of the present â€Å"illness†, keep in mind several rules. 1. This should be a chronological history. Like all good stories, this one should have a beginning, some development, and an ending. In most cases, it will begin with the onset of the first episode of illness. For example, it may be marked with an opening phrase like this: â€Å"Mr. Jackson was well until age 30, when he suffered the first of several episodes of depression. † In this single economical sentence, note that the reader is alerted to (1) the principal area of clinical interest (mood disorder: depression), (2) the age of onset, (3) the fact that Mr. Jackson’s problem is not a new one, and (4) the patient’s good health during the decade of his adult life prior to the onset of his illness. The additional information should proceed more or less chronologically, ending with the reasons that made your patient to enter the treatment at this time. 2. Support your best diagnosis/diagnostic impression/clinical conceptualization. This means that your writing should form a picture in which history, mental status, and possible diagnosis are mutually supportive portions of a consistent whole. 3. If the story is complicated, try to disentangle it. One way to accomplish this is to leave until later details that don’t support your best â€Å"diagnosis†. This less relevant information can be included later in the personal and social history. You can also present distinct themes as separate paragraphs in your history of the present illness. After describing your patient’s depressive illness, which was actually the cause of his coming to the session, you might continue as follows: â€Å"In addition to his depression, Mr. Jackson has also had a problem with cross-dressing. This began at about the age of 6. † 4. Edit your material so as not to make the readers learn far more than they will need to know. To boil down your material, you can summarize previous treatment in a line or two, categorize hospitalizations, and list symptoms of a typical episode. This saves your reader from multiple repetitions of essentially identical information. As Platt and McMath (1979) have noted, â€Å"The present illness should be an elaboration of these primary data, not a saga of medical care. † 5. Include significant negatives that helped you choose the most likely â€Å"diagnosis† on a differential list. They should be reported in your history of the present illness, along with the important positive answers: â€Å"Although Mr. White said that he felt severely depressed in the week since he lost his job, he denied insomnia, loss of appetite, and lack of interest in sex. † 6. Report your findings in plain language. Your readers may include people who are unaccustomed to the jargon of the mental health field. Short sentences and active verbs will demonstrate the clarity of your thinking. Avoid abbreviations other than commonly used ones. 7. The person is a person, not a case. It is considered bad form to refer to patients as â€Å"this manic† or â€Å"this schizophrenic†. Always strive to refer to your patient as â€Å"this person† or â€Å"this patient/client with schizophrenia†. Such wording helps to preserve the reader’s feeling for the humanity of your patient. II. e. Personal and Social History II. e. 1. Childhood through Adult Life Chronological sequence is again very important in this section. Therefore, begin with birth and early childhood, and proceed through education, military experience (if any), sexuality, marriage, work history, legal history, and religion. You can use either a paragraph or outline style. In this section, strive to present a reasonably complete picture of your patient’s background. Even so, you should generally omit data already covered in the history of the present illness. Edit out the anecdotes and trivial details which patients invariably illustrate their life stories with. You should include important negatives, such as the absence of childhood sexual abuse in a patient you suspect of borderline personality disorder. Also include important past positives, such as previous drug or alcohol abuse, which you have omitted from the history of the present illness because they no longer affect your patient’s life. II. e. 2. Family History It is important/useful to report the family history in a separate paragraph in order to emphasize the biological and environmental effects that families can have on the development of the adult individual. Include the data you have obtained for physical as well as mental disorders. When reporting the mental disorders, be sure to include not just the diagnosis, but also whatever data you have obtained that would substantiate (or refute) that diagnosis. Moreover, if the patient was adopted or if the family history is completely negative, report so and move on. II. e. 3. Medical History Mention any operations, major medical illnesses, current and recent medications, and hospitalizations for reasons not related to mental health. Mention any habits such as the use of tobacco or alcohol. II. e. 4. Review of Systems Mention any positive responses to your questioning about past and present physical problems. If somatization disorder has been a consideration in the differential diagnosis, list the symptoms you detected in that disorder’s specialized review of systems. II. f. Mental Status Examination For many patients, much of the mental status examination will be normal and can therefore be covered briefly. In describing your patient’s mental status, keep in mind which details would be needed to support or refute the â€Å"diagnoses† You should report not only positive information, but also the important negatives. Describe the patient’s general appearance and clothing; contrast apparent age with stated age. Be sure to mention all aspects of affect with their lability and appropriateness. When you are trying to describe abnormalities, don’t use general terms such as â€Å"bizarre† or â€Å"peculiar†. Instead, take the trouble to choose words and phrases that are truly descriptive: Instead of â€Å"The patient’s clothing was strange† say, â€Å"The patient was dressed in a tutu and bodystocking hand-stitched from old flour sacking. † Remember that written mental health records are legal documents. They can be cited by lawyers and requested by patients themselves, so make sure that your tone and wording will withstand scrutiny. Avoid jokes, complaints, and any other comments that should be kept private. If you need to express an opinion that could be considered unpleasant, qualify the statement by admitting that this is your inference: â€Å"Her manner seemed seductive †¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"He appeared to be intoxicated †¦Ã¢â‚¬  Moreover, be sure to mention any abnormalities of association, as well as rate and rhythm of speech. Use examples with direct quotes both to show the flavor of the patient’s speech and to provide a baseline for judging later change. The patient’s content of thought is another aspect you should describe briefly. It will generally mirror what you have already mentioned in the history of the present illness: â€Å"The patient’s content of thought largely concerned his past infidelities and the fact that his wife was about to leave him. He expressed no delusions, hallucinations, obsessions, or phobias. † When your patient has language deficits, state what they are, and also give an example of what you mean. In reporting cognitive abilities, it is not sufficient simply to mention that the patient was â€Å"normal† or â€Å"intact†. You should note that what tests you made (during a first session), the responses given, and how you interpret the responses. In reporting insight and judgment, you will usually have to make an interpretation (such as excellent, good, fair, or poor), but be sure to cite your reasoning. III. Case Formulation In the case formulation, you attempt to synthesize all that has been learned about the patient’s past in order to point the way toward a better future. There are several reasons for preparing a formulation: To focus your thinking about the patient, to summarize the logic behind your â€Å"diagnoses†/decisions, to identify future needs for information and treatment, and to present a brief summary of the patient. While doing a formulation, a number of formats can be used; some of them are so involved that they risk presenting again all the material you have just covered. The method presented here combines the advantages of brevity, completeness, and simplicity. A sample formulation is composed of the sections as follows: Brief Recapitulation, Differential â€Å"Diagnosis†, Best â€Å"Diagnosis†, Contributing Factors, Further Information Needed, Treatment Plan, and Prognosis. The two most important sections of the formulation are the differential diagnosis and the contributing factors. They contain the original thinking you will do in putting together all the material you have collected. III. a. Brief Recapitulation Following some minimal identifying data, state the symptoms and course of the present illness as based on the facts in the history of the present illness and the mental status examination. Draw from all parts of your report (as needed): â€Å"Mrs. Johnson is a 27-year-old married woman with two previous hospitalizations for a psychosis that has been previously called schizophrenia. For 3 weeks she has stayed in her room, fasting and ‘preparing for the end of the world,’ which she says she has caused. Her husband brought her to the hospital when he became concerned about her weight loss. † III. b. Differential â€Å"Diagnosis† Each of the possible diagnoses in your differential listing is presented with the principal arguments for and against it. Consider Axis I and Axis II disorders. III. c. Best â€Å"Diagnosis† State the diagnosis you favor (disorder you suspect), why you have chosen it, and the authority (e. g. , DSM-IV). Note that your best â€Å"diagnosis† may not be the one highest in the hierarchy. For example, a cognitive disorder must always be ruled out first, but it frequently is not the most likely diagnosis. III. d. Contributing Factors Here you describe how the various factors you have identified contributed to the development of your patient’s main problems. Where applicable, mention biological, dynamic, psychological, and social factors. Depending on the material you have identified, this section could be long or short. III. e. Further Information Needed Briefly cover interviews, tests, and records you may need to firm up the â€Å"diagnosis†/decision. III. f. Treatment Plan Outline your recommendations for treatment such as psychological (e. g. , psychotherapy focused on feelings of guilt and grief) and social (e. g. , assistance with financial planning, education of the patient’s family regarding his/her disorder) III. g. Prognosis In order to declare the prognosis, the clinical psychologist asks the question of â€Å"What is likely outcome for this patient? † â€Å"Mrs. Johnson is expected to recover completely. Psychological and social intervention plans may prevent subsequent episodes. † IV. An Outline for the First Clinical Interview Report (Cansever, 1982) In order to present you an outline for the first clinical interview report, I used the relevant sections (i. e. , section regarding the first interview) of psychological assessment report that was outlined in Cansever (1982) (pp. 270-271) and translated them into English. That is to say, I simply changed the title of the report and eliminated the sections regarding the discussions of psychological test results in order to emphasize the difference of first interview report from the report of a whole interview process (See in Appendix A). In the outline of Cansever (1982), there is no section that assesses the risks of suicide and homicide; however, (as applicable) presence of ideation, plan, imminence, and risk levels of both suicide and homicide must be indicated. V. Some Issues to Be Considered in Report Writing If a psychological assessment (e. g. first clinical interview) is not employed under preferred/standard conditions, this should be noted in the report since it affects the symptoms of the patient. It should also be noticed that psychological assessment report cannot be a series of assumptions or vague statements. That is to say, the idiosyncratic aspects/symptoms of the patient and causes of them must be reported confidently (Cansever, 1982). Furthermore, it should be noted that the psychologist must not only understand the person who has been the subject of his/her investigation, but he/she must know the degree of psychological sophistication of the recipient of the report (Stapleford, 1955). However, recent graduates indicated that they had not been taught to provide and explain data in a way understandable to non-psychologists (Harvey, 2006). In this website you can attain some further psychological report writing tips: http://www. msresource. com/psy_rpt. html VI. Common Mistakes Made During Report Writing While writing a report, a clinical psychologist may fall into some errors: Generalizations regarding the patient (comments that are appropriate for anyone, like the ones in horoscopes), exaggerations of symptoms (dramatizations), ignoring the positive aspects/strengths of the patient, failing to notice symptoms that are appropriate to context or culture, reporting unnecessary information about the patient, and simplifying the richness of the patient’s psychological aspects and dimensions of his/her personality (Cansever, 1982). VII. Summary All in all, via this presentation, I have tried to present you how to write a first clinical interview report by explaining the aims of report writing, organization of the written report, case formulation, Cansever’s outline, some issues to be considered, and common mistakes made in report writing. As a conclusion; I may contend that as you see in this picture, even if we have with the same inks with same amounts, we may end up with highly different paintings (i. e. , in our concepts: different assessments/reports). However, I believe that through education and hardworking, it is possible that we will be able to create same or similar paintings/reports. VIII. References Cansever, G. (1982). Klinik psikolojide degerlendirme yontemleri. Istanbul: Bogazici Universitesi. Harvey, V. S. (2006). Variables affecting the clarity of psychological reports. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 62(1), 5-18. Morrison, J. (2008). The first interview. (3rd ed. ). New York: Guilford Press. Plath, F. W. , McMath, J. C. (1979). Clinical hypocompetence: The interview. Annals of Internal Medicine, 91, 898-902. Stapleford, E. (1955). Review of writing clinical reports. Canadian Journal of Psychology, 9(1), 59. Appendix A First Clinical Interview Report (Confidential) Name of the Referring Person Date of Issuance Address of the Referring Person Name of the Patient/Interviewee Age of the Patient/Interviewee Date of First Clinical Interview Duration of the First Clinical Interview (First Section) The reason/reasons for the patient to enter the assessment procedure The aim of the assessment (i. e. , the first clinical interview) (Second Section) Description of the general appearance of the patient (e. g. , his/her physical health, clothing, motivation, reactions to be assessed, relationship with the clinical psychologist, cooperation, and salient characteristics of his/her personality) (Third Section) Mentioning the factors that has lead/contributed to the patient’s current complaint (e. g. , birth traumas, developmental disorders, physical illnesses, pathological processes within the family) (Fourth Section) Explaining life conditions that are related to the aim of the assessment (The patients’ and the family members’ educational, vocational, marital, and socio-economic status; the relationships of the patient with his/her family members, friends, and the individuals in school or job; his/her attitudes, values, rules, future expectations; his/her adaptive and non-adaptive behaviors, the positive and negative effects of those behaviors on the patient and his/her family; the factors that increases and decreases the complaints) (Fifth Section) Diagnostic impressions Explaining how positive and negative factors will change the future of the patient (i. e. , â€Å"onkestirim† estimation? ) (Last Section) Recommendations of the clinical psychologist to treat or reduce the symptoms of the patient (e. g. , medical or psychological treatment, educational interventions, etc. ) Sign of the clinical psychologist Note: This report has been written to help the specialist. It is crucial not to give the patient or his/her family overt information regarding its content.

Research Paper Topics You Should Avoid in Future

Research Paper Topics You Should Avoid in Future Research Paper Topics to Avoid Choosing a topic for writing a research paper is usually quite hard, but there are some peculiarities which will help you to avoid bad research topics. While selecting your topic, youre focused on whether it is interesting for you and informative for an audience, however, some topics should be avoided. For instance: Personal information and stories Topics with a lack of approachable information Too narrow topics Too broad topics Controversial topics Personal information and stories You cannot write a research paper based on your own biography or stories from your life unless youre famous, or unless you have at least one book written about you. A research paper requires you to do a research, which means that there should be some sources available to use in order to do it properly. Topics with a lack of approachable information Just the same as with topics about yourself, you cannot write a topic without any available materials. If you choose something too specific (e.g. color of Albert Einsteins socks or what he ate for breakfast) you probably are going to be stuck because of lack or even non-existence of information Too narrow topics Still the same issue. You dont want to pick a topic which is hard or even impossible to write just because its too narrow. You can easily write about volcanoes as a future source of energy, but it will be much harder to write about how deep Vesuvius is and why it is so because it is way too specific. Too broad topics Sometimes, you are drowning in information about your subject, but cannot write anything. Familiar? Thats because there is too much information around, and its hard to distinguish the most important. Free-enterprise system would be a nice topic to pick as a counter to writing about economy in general. Economy is something general and includes a lot of different information and notions to write about. Controversial Topics Some topics can offend someones feelings, so you should be extremely accurate in picking the right one. For instance, college students are afraid to write about death penalty or abortions, because it may hurt somebody. Nevertheless, its okay to pick a controversial topic, if you are 100% sure that its not going to offend anybody. You cant just explain your points of view in your research paper, especially if they are controversial. Support your essay with some research and data and the reader would understand its value, even if their view doesnt match with one in a research paper.

How does the use of the Life of Hadrian for historical reconstruction Essay

How does the use of the Life of Hadrian for historical reconstruction support or problematize Hayden White's argument on the c - Essay Example The global nature of the world today necessitates scrutinizing of one’s views because there are so many historical points of view. The development of historiography means that the practitioner must develop his/her practice and conscience. Thus, Hayden White’s concept of narrative history is representative of constructivism in historiography. History is a difficult and ambiguous issue and may seem unreachable. However, it can be apprehended by structural thought. A historian should possess an array of skills, as well as the ability to utilize them in concert. For this reason, using the life of Hadrian to reconstruct history supports Hayden’s argument as it uses literature from other writers, some born a long time after his death, to reconstruct his story and that of the era he lived in. This is because little information about Hadrian exists with only snippets of information in historical texts. The 2nd century AD has numerous literary and documentary sources cove ring numerous issues. However, it is ironical that that little if any reliable historical narrative on the Roman emperors of this time exists. For this reason, Hadrian’s life can only be reconstructed using abbreviated accounts in Historia Augusta. Senator Marius Maximus, for example, proves to be a major contributor to the reconstruction of this period as he is quoted in the narrative. This is despite the fact that he lived two centuries after Emperor Hadrian’s death. For example, when reconstructing Hadrian’s interactions with the Spaniards after they refused to pay their levies, the text contends that â€Å"†¦to use the very words of Marius Maximus, and the others very vigorously, he took measures characterized by skill and discretion† (HA, Hadrian 39). Marius Maximus’ writings and works are used as the main basis for the Historia Augusta. The HA does seem to be based on hearsay and rumors and has signs of abbreviation and fabrication. For example, the author contends that â€Å"Even without the aid of a nomenclator he could call by name a great many people, whose names he had heard but once and then all in a crowd† (HA, Hadrian 65). For this reason, this historical narrative should be cautiously treated. However, seeing, as this is one of the only remaining sources still in existence about Hadrian and this era of emperors, it cannot be discarded. In fact, it becomes vital in filling in the gaps in the historical narrative of this period. Cassius Dio was a Roman Senator of Greek origin, and he lived in the third century. However, this does not stop the author of Historia Augusta from using him as a source to recreate this historical narrative. Again, this is because his writings deal directly with Hadrian and shed light on his life. Different from Marius Maximus, who has an unfavorable view of Hadrian, Dio is more favorable and so offers a different opinion of Hadrian that allows the writer to reconstruct Hadri an’s life. It is Dio who tells of Hadrian’s biography, which has since been lost by saying that, â€Å"So desirous of a wide-spread reputation was Hadrian that he even wrote his own biography† (HA, Hadrian 51). While the fact that Hadrian was known to love Greek culture, for example, the fact that he always reclined at table dressed either in a Greek cloak or a toga (HA, Hadrian 69), it offers

Barefoot Running vs Traditional Running, The Pros and Cons Research Paper

Barefoot Running vs Traditional Running, The Pros and Cons - Research Paper Example While some dismiss the growing trend of barefoot running as a mere fad, some believe it will be a new wave in the history of sports. Innumerable debates have ensued in popular media over which one, barefoot running or shod running, is better, more beneficial and safer. However, scientific evidence is not yet enough to settle the debate. A lot of research has gone into analyzing the biomechanics, impact characteristics, etc of traditional and barefoot running and based on the findings of these studies, the pros and cons of both types of running have been weighed. The use of cushioned and protective footwear for running began in the 1970s with the invention of modern running shoes (Lieberman et al. 531). Prior to this invention, humans ran with none or minimal footwear. Human ancestors used simple and minimal foot coverings such as moccasins made of leather (Jenkins and Cauthon 231). Earlier dogmas claim that human feet are â€Å"evolutionarily unsuccessful† and that they are fr agile because of which protective cushioning for the feet is vital (Jenkins and Cauthon 231). However, this dogma was refuted by a study in Nature, which argues that human ancestors, who practiced barefoot running, were remarkably good at endurance running and that it may have been â€Å"instrumental in the evolution of the human body form† (Bramble and Lieberman 345). ... As most of the present research on this subject is yet inconclusive and is still in progress, it cannot be ascertained as to whether barefoot running is better than shod running, but the pros and cons can however be weighed based on currently available evidence. I. Pros of Barefoot Running vs. Traditional Running A. Less susceptibility to injury in barefoot running The surging interest in barefoot running has been largely because the rates of running-related injuries are high amongst shod runners as compared to barefoot runners (Robillard 13; Edwards, Foster and Wallack 150). Kerrigan et al. (2009) have shown that the hip, knee and ankle joints are more prone to injury in shod runners than in barefoot runners, making them more susceptible to disorders such as knee osteoarthritis. In another study, Hamill et al. (2011) found that the footfall patterns in shod running and barefoot running are different, and therefore, the impact patterns of the two types of running vary from one anothe r. The differences in impact patterns are responsible for varying extents of injury caused by both types of running. Robbins and Hanna have also shown that barefoot running populations report an extremely low frequency of running related injury (148). They further state that the human foot has developed adaptations that result in shock absorption and these adaptations are non-functional in traditional running. Many other studies such as those by Warburton have found that barefoot running is associated with a significantly low rate of acute ankle injuries and chronic lower leg injuries. Scientific data as to the level of protection of athletic

Business Plan For A Handicraft Business In UK Marketing Essay

Business Plan For A Handicraft Business In UK Marketing Essay INTRODUCTION The objective of this report is to study and prepare the business plan for a handicraft business in UK. This business plan deals with the feasibility analysis, idea generation, and industry analysis at both the local and global level to understand the market and business factors. The market analysis is also done, primarily through the secondary sources to capture the potential demand of handicrafts in the UK market and the trends which the customer are looking for in this industry. After analyzing the demand, the technical analysis was done for the business. For the success of any business, it is necessary that the idea or the basis of the plan should be strong. But it is also imperative that the plan should take into account a true picture of financials to have a strong foundation on which the business can be built upon. Therefore in the report, a detailed preparation of cash flow analysis, profitability analysis and the expected expenditure in the business has been taken care of. The report has taken into consideration the risk factor also which the business needs to consider before commencing on the work. Handicraft is a business which needs not only financial capital but also human capital and it is necessary that skilled labour is available in plenty. The attrition rate is low in this industry provided they are provided with adequate support and wages. In the report I have tried to touch upon that issue as well. Also the manner in which the products would be sold and promoted in the market would be taken care of. We would not be opening our own stores for now and would be selling on to other retailers. However the idea of opening the stores is not discarded as whole for now and would be seen as an option at a later stage in the life of the business. Heavy spending is planned to promote the products in the initial phase of the business and various media vehicles would be tried upon to promote the products well in the market. The business as of now focusing primarily on the UK market and later on in the later stage, the business can be expanded further. Contents Introduction Handicraft Industry The handicraft industry is one of the most productive sectors in the economy. The reason being that this sector not only uses the raw materials but also give employment opportunities to a number of people. Thus not only financial capital and raw material is employed but also a lot of human capital is also used in this business (Garrison, 2008). According to United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) International Symposium on à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Crafts and the International Market: Trade and customs codificationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ , Manila, Philippines, October 1997. Handicrafts can be defined as products which are produced either completely by hand or with the help of tools. Mechanical tools may be used as long as the direct manual contribution of the artisan remains the most substantial component of the finished product. Handicrafts are made from the raw materials and can be produced in unlimited numbers. Such products can be utilitarian, aesthetic, cultural, artistic and may have a social, religious and symbolic significance (Robertson, 2002). Industry Analysis UK has been a country with a rich and diverse culture. Lot of migrant population also resides in various parts of the country. It is because of this that handicraft industry has played an important role in this country. The industry provides economic advantage much because of the demand from various strata of the population (Mathias, 2001). Handicrafts have always attracted people much because of their cultural importance and it crosses barriers too. The customers in any market look for handicrafts from not only the local market but also from the other countries (Barlow, 1991). Therefore both the cultural and financial values are attached to this industry. This industry by its mass and production scale lies in the middle class as not much finance and manufacturing facilities are needed in this business. The industry is decentralized and is labour intensive. Not many players fight in this market and only small players operate in this area. The sector employs a lot of people and thus acts as a medium of employment for lot of people. The sector has seen an increase in growth much due to the fact that people have been more open to the culture of other countries and are accepting it more often. The era of globalization has helped in the revival of this industry not only in the UK market but also in other markets too (Andrews , 2009). Classification of Handicrafts Industry Handicraft products can be distinguished into the following: Metal ware Wood ware Hand printed textiles Embroidered and crocheted goods Shawls Carpets Embroidered goods Bamboo products Zari goods Earthenware and jute products Miscellaneous handicrafts SWOT Analysis of Handicraft Industry Strengths Market is diversified and has huge potential Presence of large product variety because of various cultures Low capital investment Flexibility in production of goods as per market demand Low barriers to the entry of new players Products sold are high value ones and have diversified usage Weakness Lack of coordination between government bodies and companies Inadequate information on the current market trends Lack of skilled labour Opportunities Development of domestic tourism sector which helps in boosting sales. Usage of internet and other technologies in boosting the market potential Rising demand because of people becoming more open to cultures Threats Lack of branding opportunities in this sector Threats from the developing countries like India and China in terms of resources Business Proposition We would be dealing in the limited set of handicraft industry as many products come under its purview. Our company would serve the needs of the customers in only the wooden handicrafts market. The reason for choosing this is that in UK market these products are used almost in every home. Products like decorative chairs, desks, beds, sofas which are made by hand are seen as high value products in the market as customers look for something different. Particularly for the UK customer, they need products which not only serve their functional purpose but also add something extra. It is with this that we plan to enter in this industry with this specific set of products. Wooden handicrafts refer to a wide range of wooden items carrying utilitarian and artistic value that are made by hand o with the use of simple tools. They are made by unmatched workmanship, have fine designs and have subtle elegance. The products require low capital investment to manufacture. The wooden handicraft sector provides a high ratio of value addition and has emerged as one of the major sources of foreign exchange in the country too. (Sumption, 2010) Market Analysis Majority of the current players in the market deal in almost all the product categories in the wooden handicraft industry. (Macleod, 2006) Retailing is not done by them and they deal in mostly the production part. They have retailing contracts with other partners which help them sell the products Monthly production units are majorly in the range of thousands of units for all the products combined Wooden and glass handicrafts are majorly in demand in the UK market. (John, 2006) Inventories are usually kept low as these products are sold and produced in lower units in the market. Almost all the players in the market hire the labor at a contractual basis rather than on a permanent basis. Many of the players take the route of exhibition to promote their products to the customers. (Mathias, 2001) These products are high margin products as they are mainly value based ones. Hence high margin and medium volume is generally the trend in the industry Competition The following players currently operate in the market and sell wooden handicrafts in the market. World Art and Crafts Ltd. Java Art Elements Ltd. Demand Analysis and Forecasting During our study we also analysed the demand pattern for the various products in the wooden handicraft market and it came to around 50000 units per month on approximation. There is a demand supply gap in the market as according to our supply the current players in the market are able to provide close to 30000 units only. Hence we consider a huge potential to be catch up in the market.(Boseley,2009) The market is growing closely at an annual rate of 15%. Hence it is decided that the capacity would be initially 60% for the first year and then it will grow accordingly. Marketing Channel As mentioned before, our business involves only manufacturing the products. Therefore we would use a network of retailers called partners to sell our products in the market. These would be mainly big retailers like WalMart, Tesco etc. Strategic Marketing Plan Wooden handicraft particularly the furniture part is an unbranded commodity and hence manufacturers generally do not have to spend too much on the promotional part. It is better for them to increase the margin given to the retailers so that they push the company product more in front of the customers. However in order to differentiate our offering and to capture the customer base, it is necessary to have a basic strategic marketing plan. The following would be the strategies used by us: Steady supply with timely delivery to fulfill the demand in the market thereby providing products with high quality Products would be given emphasis on the design front. Designs would be based on several themes Orders would also be taken online from the customers apart from being available in the retail The company plans to both manufactures the products locally in the UK market as well as import some of it from the Indian market. Indians play a vital role in UK both in terms of trade and demographics and thus there is a market to serve the Indian community. The other reasons to source the products from India are: The demand for Indian wooden handicrafts is evergreen. It is both difficult for the labour in UK to produce these handicrafts as the design in Indian art work is quite intricate. Hence it is decided that some portion of our products would be sourced directly from the Indian producers, mainly based in states like Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. Indian being a developing country, both the labour and raw materials are quite cheap as compared to other developed countries. Hence it makes sense to outsource some of the production work. Indian artisans are well known around the world. British make a major portion of the people visiting India every year and hence they come in contact with Indian art and culture too. Thus getting products from market like India helps in understanding the customer taste and keep the product portfolio up to date. Some of the Indian players which have been shortlisted and considered for sourcing of the products are as follows: Khan Arts India Madnik International Goyal India Indus Trade Handmade Crafts Antiquity Handicrafts All the products in the portfolio would be sourced from these six major exporters in India. These players have been selected after thorough search of their business and their financials. They enjoy good reputation in the Indian market and also export to other players in different countries. It is decided to have business with six players as it will help us diversify our risk and help us maintain a steady flow of products from India. These players are from different parts of the country and thus the products served by them would have different designs as India being a vast country has many sub cultures which attract many people worldwide. Technical Analysis Wood carving is a time consuming process as craftsmen take time to make every piece. The process may take a week to months depending upon the level of intricacy in the design. The process use a lot of different tools also like saw, lathes, drills, chain saws etc. Machinery Involved The following machinery would be used by the workers in the business: Chemical treatment plant Seasoning plant Surface planner Grinder Driller Gaze machine Sanding machine Structure and Civil Work Sr.No. Particulars Area (Sq. feet) Amount (British Pounds) 1 Factory shed 1800 6000 2 2 stock room 360 1050 3 Guard room 80 250 4 Power room 80 250 5 Boundary wall 3200 6 Washroom 48 150 5 labour quarters 7 Rooms 120 18000 8 Wash rooms 48 700 9 Office rooms 180 550 10 Fire fittings 600 Total 30750 Labour Requirements Handicraft is a labour intensive product and thus a lot depends on the kind of labour employed. Employees Number Annual Salary (British pounds) Production supervisor 1 25000 Accountant 1 25000 Skilled workers 5 20000 Semi skilled workers 8 16000 Unskilled workers 3 13000 Peon 1 10000 Guard 1 10000 Total 20 119000 Financial Analysis Particulars Land and site development Building Plant and Machinery Other fixed assets Preoperative expenses Preliminary expenses Provision for contigency WC Margin Total Means of Finance Particulars Promoterà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s capital Long/Medium term loan from banks Total Basic Assumptions underlying the financial projections The construction period will last one year The company would work 365 days a year The expected capacity utilization will be 60% in first year, 65% in second year and the increment based on past performance. The term loan would be re-paid in 14 equal half-yearly installments. The interest rate on the outstanding term loan would be 12% The bank finance for working capital will cost interest rate 12% The depreciation rates for company law purpose would be Building 3.34% Plant and Machinery 8% Misc fixed assets 5% The suppliers for raw material would provide credit for 15 days The salvage value is assumed to be 5% of fixed assets. Sales Forecast Sales Forecast (units) Year 2010 2011 Units 9500 12000 Conclusion The business plan has been prepared keeping in mind all the factors and taking financials to the best of the present picture. It is therefore expected that the actual outcome would represent the true picture of this outlined plan. Finally, my personal interest in this field will lead to establish my own business. These will result in successful and sustainable business. References Andrews, J.(2009).Handel allinglese, Playbill,. Accessed from: http://www.playbillarts.com/features/article/4236.html (Last Accessed: 5th March 2010) Barlow, I.( (1991) Metropolitan Government. Accessed from: http:// www.new.wales.co.uk (Last Accessed: 5th March 2010) Boseley, S (2009). The question: Whats behind the baby boom? The Guardian. Accessed from: http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2008/jul/14/familyandrelationships.women (Last Accessed: 5th March 2010) Garrison, Webb B. (2008).Why You Say It. Accessed from: http://www.readbooksonline.net (Last Accessed: 5th March 2010) MacLeod, Donald (2006). Britain second in world research rankings. The Guardian. Accessed from: http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2006/mar/21/highereducation.uk4 (Last Accessed: 5th March 2010) Mathias.P (2001). The First Industrial Nation: the Economic History of Britain. Accessed from: http://www.johnbirchall-economist.com (Last Accessed: 5th March 2010) Mathias.P (2001).The First Industrial Nation: the Economic History of Britain. Published by: Routledge, ed.2, pp. 56-58 Mensah. J (2006). British culture on a high rise. Robertson, Kirsty (2006), How to Knit an Academic Paper. Queens University, 30 March 2006 Sumption, M.(2010). The UKs new Europeans: Progress and challenges five years after accession. Equality and Human Rights Commission. Accessed from: http://www.equalityhumanrights.com (Last Accessed: 5th March 2010)

Prostitution Should be Illegal Essay -- social issues

Prostitution Should be Illegal Prostitution should be cleaned off our streets. It first started in the early 1800’s. Prostitution is defined as providing sexual service, for the return of money. Exchange of money for sexual service. Heterosexual prostitution is the most common. Homosexual, gays and lesbians exists on smaller scales. Prostitution is a hazardous business. People selling themselves are at high risk. The women more then men. Both men and women are at risk in getting disease that has no cure. Prostitution all together should be stopped and put an end to. Prostitution takes place in many different places. Massage parlors, call-girl and call-men (also know as escort services), street prostitution, strip clubs, etc. It was believed that the most population in 1800’s was migrants. These migrants were mostly single men, husbands who left tem who left temporarily left their wives and children at home. Massage parlors were located close to railway stations. Prostitution increased during world war one when hardly and employment during world war one when hardly any employment for women was offered and it decreased during world war two for grater economic opportunities for lower-class women in war related industrials. 50% of the women in Toronto work for themselves. Street prostitution is the most visible form of prostitution that receives the most attention. Prostitutions needed the money not only to support themselves but to support but to support there family’s....