Monday, September 30, 2019

An Approach Model for Employees’ Improving Quality of Work

Iranian J Publ Iranian J Publ Health, Vol. 36, No. 4, 2007, pp. 81-86 Health, Vol. 36, No. 4, 2007, pp. 81-86 Original Article An Approach Model for Employees' Improving Quality of Work Life (IQWL) *H Dargahi 1, J Nasle Seragi 2 1 Dept. of Health Care Management, School of Allied Health Medicine, Medical Sciences/University of Tehran, Iran 2 Dept. of Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Medical Sciences/University of Tehran, Iran Abstract ch Keywords: Quality of life, Model, Employees, Iran ive Background: Organizational features can affect how employers view on their QWL is an important consideration for employees interested in improving employees' job satisfaction. The research reported here aimed to provide the processes used to investigate and implement a pathway for TUMS Employees Improving of Quality of Work Life as an approach model. Methods: A Quality of Work Life Strategic Planning Committee was formed to focus on enhancing TUMS employees' quality of work life. In the next step 30 QWL teams consisting of managers and employees were conducted in each of 15 as all of TUMS Hospitals. Committee members identified similar key themes of dissatisfaction. Based on the key themes identified, a survey was developed by QWL Strategic Planning by the questionnaires which distributed to 942 employees and 755 of them were returned. The collected data were saved by SPSS software and analyzed by statistical method. Results: The results from the survey showed that the perceived strongest areas among 12 categories developed by QWL Strategic Planning Committee that employees agreed to improve on their QWL were communication, leadership monetary an non- monetary compensation and support. This committee evaluated the outcomes of QWL managers and employees teams to improve the employees, quality of work life at 15 TUMS Hospitals. Conclusion: The QWL Strategic Planning Committee recommend a new approach model to suggest the ways which impressive on the employees' improving QWL. Introduction There is not a common accepted definition for quality of work life. In health care organizations, such as hospitals, quality of work life (QWL) has been described as referring to the strengths and weakness in total work environment (1). Organizational features can affect how employees view on their quality of work life. It is an important consideration for employees' to be interested in improving their job satisfaction (2). Organizational features such as policies and procedures, leadership style, operations, and general contextual factors have a profound effect on how employees view the quality of their work life. QWL is an umbrella term which includes many concepts. Because the perceptions held by Ar of SI employees play an important role in their decision to enter, stay with or leave an organization, it is important that employees' perceptions be included when assessing QWL (3). Achievement of the improving quality of work life (IQWL) promotes the better use of existing workforce skills and increased employees involvement. Most importantly, it encourages and supports the enhancement of the internal skills base to create a more professional, motivated and efficient working environment. There are several frameworks used by organizations to improve their performance through the development of their employees. The standard framework supports continuous improvement by encouraging managers to evaluate the internal 81 *Corresponding author: Tel: +98 21 88965608, Fax: +98 21 88951775, E-mail: [email  protected] ums. ac. ir D (Received 19 Jan 2007; accepted 6 Aug 2007) www. SID. ir H Dargahi, J Nasle Seragi: An Approach Model for†¦ Materials and Methods To assist in achieving defined objectives and recognition of quality work life issues and indicators, the Quality of Work Life Strategic Planning Committee was formed in Tehran university of Medical Sciences. T he members of this committee were two hospital medical managers, two hospital administrators and one occupational health expert teamed to gather to determine strategic planning and priority to focus on enhancing the quality of work life of TUMS Employees. In the first meeting, this committee ensured a continued commitment to improve and focus on the QWL of TUMS Hospitals' Employees as an approach model and recommended that 30 QWL teams consisting of mangers and employees were conducted in all fifteen of TUMS hospitals. Manager’s teams were formed with TUMS Hospitals Nursing Administrators and Head of Clinical and Supportive departments. Employee’s teams were formed with representatives of TUMS Nursing, Supportive and Paramedical employees. QWL committee members spent additional time to gather the information about the employees' improving QWL at each hospital. Following sev- ive ch 82 Ar of SI Results functions which shape their organizations, effectiveness. Such functions include performance management mechanisms, employee’s career development, and employees’ involvement. A tried a tested framework allows health care organizations such as hospitals to address key issues that are of concern for hospitals (4). Therefore, a high QWL is essential for health care organizations to continue to attract and retain employees (5). QWL is a comprehensive program designated to improve employees' satisfaction (6). Several studies found a strong relationship between job satisfaction and QWL for health care organizations' employees (7). The research reported aimed to provide the processes used to investigate and implement a pathway for TUMS Hospitals' Employees as an approach model to improve QWL for them. eral meetings, 30 QWL teams identified similar key common themes of dissatisfaction. These data are showed in Fig. 1. QWL teams declared these data to QWL Strategic Planning Committee. At first, based on the identified key themes a total of 12 areas were developed by the QWL Strategic Planning Committee (Fig. 2). In the next step, a cross- sectional, descriptive and analytical survey with 942 employees as 20% of total employees at 15 TUMS hospitals were asked to rate of their agreement or disagreement in relation to a series of statements using Lickert Type Scale were developed by QWL Committee as shown in Fig. 2. However, the questionnaires were distributed to 15 TUMS Hospitals’ Employees and 755 of them were returned, the response rate achieved to 90%. A number of employees were chosen to offer written comments. Many of the comments mirrored those that were made in the QWL Teams and Strategic Planning Committee. The collected data were analyzed by SPSS software. The results were broken into four sections of employees just managers, nurses, supportive (non- clinical) and paramedical employees. – 2/3 of the employees believed that they were unsatisfied because they could not participate in decision-making. – Only 20% of the respond ants indicated that they were satisfied and very satisfied with their job motivation. – 54. % of the respondents believed that their managers and supervisors did not observe fundamentals of human relations in their hospitals. – 2/3 of the respondents had not trust to their senior management. – The vast majority (96. 9%) of the respondents indicated that they are paid not enough. – The vast majority (98. 4%) of the respondents indicated that they were unsatisfied wi th their job welfare. D www. SID. ir Iranian J Publ Health, Vol. 36, No. 4, 2007, pp. 81-86 – The vast majority (92. 3%) of the employees believed that they were unsatisfied with cash payment to them. All of the employees expressed that they were unsatisfied with non cash payment to them. 72. 3% of the employees believed that they were unsatisfied with support from their supervisors. According to the results, there were no observable differences among the four groups in their rating of respect. †¢ Human resource issues relating to workload and staffing †¢ Management practices †¢ Leadership issues †¢ Inadequate rewards and income †¢ Loss of respect , trust and income among people †¢ More involvement in decision making Identified need from assistance for employees to deal with burnout and change †¢ Care taking function is not supported by TUMS Hospitals as a whole Fig. 1: Dissatisfaction Themes form employees and managers QWL teams. 1. 2. 3. 4 . 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Organization commitment Trust Ar Fig. 2: Set of 12 dissatisfaction measures developed by QWL Strategic Planning Committee ch Support 11. Respect Monetary Compensation Non monetary Compensation Leadership Attendance management Communication between managers and employees Communication between managers and managers 0. Overall Communication 12. Recognition ive of SI 83 D www. SID. ir †¢ Poor communication between employees and management H Dargahi, J Nasle Seragi: An Approach Model for†¦ Fig. 3: New Structural Approach Model to improve QWL at TUMS Hospitals, 2005 Discussion The results showed that the perceived strongest areas among 12 categories developed by QWL Strategic Planning Committee that employees agreed to improve on their QWL, were communication, leadership, monitory and non monitory compensation , and support. High scores for poor communication were noted between managers/supervisors with employees need improvement. Though, the developments of a à ¢â‚¬Å"communication strategy† suggest establishing clear communication focusing on linkages between managers and employees. The most important predictable QWL belief the organization carries out is mission statement, good communication, good organization support for training and development, good decision latitude and being satisfied with the organizations recognition of employees' contribution (8). Areas outlined for leadership improvement include visibility of senior leaders, increased awareness of employees' needs and perspectives including increasing of opportunities for participitation in decision making. Canadian Nurses Association Position Statement identified the following elements for which stakeholders in health care field have a responsibility: †¢ Staffing decisions based on existence with direct input from professional nurses. †¢ Opportunities for nurses at all levels to participate in decision making. 84 Ar h ive of SI †¢ Support for nurses to use e vidence- based decision making (9). – A formal, organization- wide system of monetary and non monetary compensation and rewarding employees for their accomplishments would be highly beneficial. Increased workload and fiscal restraint occurred in recent years, left employees feeling pressure in their jobs. It seems that the support structure at 15 TUMS Hospitals should be reviewed for improvement and available to employees, including review of workload and support from supervisors. Wood ward† studied about supervisor social support scale included supervisor helpfulness. Concern the welfare of employees and ability to facilitate effective interaction among employees in a large teaching hospital at Ontario (10). The information that gathered and analyzed by QWL managers’ teams and QWL employees teams in each TUMS Hospitals represented to QWL Strategic Planning Committee. QWL Strategic Planning Committee evaluated the results from this survey and developed new approa ch model to improve the employees, QWL at 15 TUMS Hospitals (Fig 3). The Chancellor's Coordinating Committee on QWL was formed late 2002 to provide a point of coordination and support to advance the QWL for University of California's Employees. The committee focused on three areas- communications, training and rewards. Recognition all of which D www. SID. ir Iranian J Publ Health, Vol. 36, No. 4, 2007, pp. 81-86 were identified as priorities by the chancellors based on results of employees survey (11). One of the initial goal of the QWL Strategic Planning Committee was the collaborative effort to define what an organization looks like with a high QWL. The committee created the following philosophy, which continuous to be celebrated to day: An organization with a high QWL is an organization that promotes and maintains a work environment that results in excellence in everything it does-by ensuring open communication, respect, recognition, truss, support, well being and satisfaction of its members, both personality and professionalism. The results of a survey were conducted in Canada at 2001 showed that QWL is a multidimensional construct and a global evaluation of one's workplace and context. The implications of these finding are currently being deliberated as they relate to improving QWL with each health care organization (12). The QWL Strategic Planning Committee recommend 15 TUMS hospitals as new approach model to suggest the ways which impressive on the employees improving QWL as below : – Communication: It investigates the ways not only to enhance employees skills on the quality assurance system, but to keep the system updated and organized, ensuring edified and easily available. Reward and recognition: It will significantly improve one initiative includes the development of a â€Å"star performer† program to allow all employees to recognize each other. Any employee that receives a star performer note is visited by TUMS Hospital Senior Management and presented with a â€Å"QWL Star â€Å"to recognize how important each of them is to the organization. – Attendance Management: It suggests turning the pre-existing attendance management policy from one that appears to punish employees for absenteeism, to one that rewarded employees for working to reduce their absenteeism. This may be achieved by developing a reward system for employees who worked for a three- month period without taking on unscheduled day off. Each ch ive quarter, a draw is held for prizes. To create further incentives, approval is received to create a grand prize for employees not to take day off and do additional work. There will be very positive feedback from employees and resulting in a reduction in absenteeism. – Leadership: It investigates leadership and literature attempting firstly to gain a better understanding of leadership techniques to find how practices at each TUMS Hospitals. The outcome to date is the development of a leadership education program to educate our management on the concept of leadership. – Support and Decision Making: It investigates employees participitation in decision making is a good opportunities to be satisfied with their job. QWL in Health Care Services organizations accreditation is a major step forward. Many concurrent initiatives across Canada address employees QWL needs and concerns from different angles. There is also significant progress in this direction in the United Status where the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organization (JCAHO) has committed to improve the quality of health care work place (13). We look forward to perform our Approach Model outcomes to improve QWL of TUMS Hospitals Employees in future. Ar of SI References Acknowledgements We would like to thank Medical Sciences/Tehran University Hospitals senior managers and employees because this survey would not have been possible without their assistance. This research has been supported by Medical Sciences/Tehran University. The authors declare that they have no Conflict of Interests. 1. Knox S, Irving JA (1997). Interactive quality of work life model applied to organization. Jona, 271:39-47. 2. Kruger P (2002). Organization predictors of job satisfaction findings from Canadian mul85 D www. SID. ir H Dargahi, J Nasle Seragi: An Approach Model for†¦ 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 86 Ar ch ive tisided quality of work life cross-sectional survey. BMC Health Services Research, 2(6):1-12. Yoder L (1995). Staff nurses career development relationships and self- reports of professionalism, job satisfaction, and intent to stay. Nurse Res, 44(5):290-97. Anonymous (2005). Improve the performance of your organization. A guide to investors in people and improving quality of work life (IQWL) practice plus for the NHS. Available from: www. Investor inpeople. Co. Uk/health Sendrich K (2003). Putting the emphasis on employees as an award. Winning employer. Baptist Health Care has distant memories of the workplace shortage. Trustee January, P (G-10). Anonymous (2005). Frequently asked question. Available from: http://www. Hhs. Gov/ohr/faqs/index. Html Blegen M (1999). Nurses job satisfaction. A Meta- analysis of related variable. Nurse Res, 42:36-41. 8. Joseph J, Deshpande SP (1997). The impact of ethical climate on job satisfaction of nurses. Health Care Manage Rev, 22(1):76-81. 9. Graham SL (2001). Quality Professional Practice Environment for registered nurses. Canadian Nurses Association. Position Statement, Ottawa. 10. Woodward C (1999). The impact of re- engineering and other cost reduction strategies on the staff of a large teaching hospital: A longitudinal study. Med Care, 37(6): 556-69. 11. Anonymous (2005). Chancellor forms committee to address work life issues. University of California, San Francisco. Available from: www. Pub. UCSF. Edu 12. Lohfeld L (2000). Personal Communication. ST. Joseph's Health system Quality of Work Life Technical Reports. 13. Eisenberg JM (2001). â€Å"Does a Healthy Health care workplace produce higher quality careâ€Å"? The joint commission journal on quality improvement. 27(a):444-57. of SI D www. SID. ir

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Myths And Reality Of Crime Essay

a. Imagine asking 100 strangers to describe a criminal. Predict whether those descriptions would be likely to focus on street criminals, or the variety of topics covered in this video. With everything that’s going on nowadays I would say that it’s a combination of both, although it is more likely that those 100 strangers will choose the street criminals. Most people don’t know too much about the white collar or corporate crimes until it happens and maybe because it something that affects them or they think will in the future. b. Describe how society defines crime. Do not provide a definition – instead, explain how the definition is reached. Society defines crime in different ways. What that mean is some people see crime as someone who violates the law. Killing, stealing and raping someone are some of the things that people and society defines as a crime behavior that violates law. It can be defined through laws, through official police reports of crime, or through victimization surveys of persons who have been involved in crime but perhaps not involved with the police department. c. Discuss how society decides what to define as a crime. Society decides that crime is defined as an unlawful act that to the state is punishable by jail time. Society also thinks that crime modern criminal law does not have a simple or universally definition when it comes to criminals, although there have been different definitions that some people have been using for centuries that they believe is form of crime. The most popular thing that people view as a crime is if it’s declared by a relevant and applicable law. Another way that society defines crime is that a when an offence is an act that’s harmful not only to an individual person but also to a the community, society and the state as what they think is a public wrong. d. Present a clear statement about a particular crime, something we know to be absolutely true. Illustrate how we know that this is an accurate statement. The Atlanta Child Murders, known as the â€Å"missing and murdered children cases was murders that was committed in my home state of Atlanta, Georgia, beginning in the summer of 1979 and going on until the spring of 1981. Over the two-year period there were 28 African-American children, adolescents and adults that were killed. During this time many parents were keeping a close eye on their children or just keeping them indoors in order to keep them safe. I know because I was one of those children who had their parents keep them indoors during that time. We were only allowed outside to go to school, and our parents walked us to and from the bus every day to make sure that we were safe. Schools were also taking precautions too; either keeping the students in the schools or making sure that no child was left alone. It has been said that a native of Atlanta, Wayne Williams, who was 23 years old when the last child was murdered was arrested and convicted of two of the adult murders. It i s aid that the murders started on July 21, 1979 with the last being on March 12, 1981. In 1979, Edward Hope Smith and Alfred Evans were both 14 and disappeared four days apart. It was said that they were the first victims with the last victim being a 27 year old named Nathaniel Cater. e. Present an example of a widely held myth or misconception about crime and society. Determine how we know that this is a myth. Explain why this myth is so difficult to abandon. Myth 1: Mass murderers snap and kill indiscriminately. That’s not true. What I have found out is that Mass murders carefully plan out their attacks, months in advance. Myth 2: Mass shooting are on the rise With all the school shootings happing today, is it no reason why people are saying that mass shootings are on the rise and people wanting there to be some kind of solution to the mass killings. Myth 3: Violent entertainment, such as video games and movies are linked to mass murders. I believe that there are some games that can lead to mass murders. Myth 4: Restoring the federal ban on assault weapons will prevent these horrible crimes. I think that when the ban on military-style assault weapons expired in 1994 it should have been restored. Having this ban will not stop all the killings but it can slow them down. Myth 5: Increasing physical security in schools and other places will prevent mass murders. Although increasing security in schools is a good idea and it being said that it may cut down on the mass murders that’s going on in the world today, if a killer wanted to kill a large group of people he will find a way around all the protection that people are putting up these days, the security is not going to stop him. References: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3zuAbqY6Hw https://secure.films.com/OnDemandEmbed.aspx?Token=47476&aid=18596&loid=137445&Plt=FOD&w=320&h=240

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Assignment 5 Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Assignment 5 - Thesis Example The essay explores such issues, and why MBAs shun such important sectors of the economy. There are various importance and centrality of HR departments in today’s chaotic and competitive world. For example, HR departments are tasked with the employment of both personal and group psychology for the purpose of committing workers to the attainment of organizational objectives. Similarly, it is the role of HR to strike the link between the company and the workers through retention and development of workers (Hunter 78). Alternatively, in order to keep with the current competition, HR departments assist in the decision making through constant communication with the General Management on the fundamental goals and objectives of the company. In the same aspect, there is the element of injecting inspiration in order for maintain the low worker turnover rate. Furthermore, HR ensures there is proper management and training of workers in the organizations through different ways. For example, assisting managers becoming better managers is crucial when establishing the relation ship between workers and managers. In other words, this helps in the prevention of distractions that may lower the morale of the employees. On the same scope, HR teaches the management on how the management can effectively deal with employees through prevention of unnecessary conflicts and disagreements. HR also ensures the management puts their whole focus on their roles in the organization as their fundamental centrality of meeting the goals of the company. There are several ways in which HR departments help bring a company to an early demise. For example, lack of employee development through solving their crucial problems on time may result to demoralization. In the same aspect, failure to attract to competent and skilled workers has a likelihood of leading to reduced production and productivity of the workforce. Alternatively,

Friday, September 27, 2019

Shakespeare Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Shakespeare - Essay Example Cassio: I do. I would have given all that I am to save Othello’s reputation in the least. I deserved all I got for being drunk and brawling in the streets, destroying my own reputation as well as his. As I told Iago, I would rather sue to be despised than to deceive so good a commander with so slight, so drunken and so indiscreet an officer (II, iii). But I was confounded by that evil rogue just as my noble commander. I live my life in darkness thinking perhaps I could have assisted my good commander in his time of confusion. Banquo: Madness can often strike unawares. It did so with my good friend and compatriot, Macbeth. He was always my good friend until the madness of the witches took him and he became convinced I was designing against him. Cassio: Ah, Banquo, would that I could attribute Othello’s madness to something as external as what afflicted your Macbeth. Alas, I fear a good portion of Othello’s madness stemmed from my own actions, ill-advised as they were by the evil Iago though well-intentioned by myself. Cassio: I sought out admission to the lovely Desdemona, Othello’s bride, for assistance in regaining his ear and my position. There was naught in our relations to suspect Desdemona and I had anything other than concern for Othello and a desire to serve him, but Iago was able to convince him, through Desdemona’s pleas for my benefit and my presence with her, that she and I had dishonorable intentions. Had I not sought her assistance, Iago would not have had such a ready weapon to use against so noble a man. Buckingham: You do not hold any blame. A man cannot be expected to do anything other than further his station. You acted correctly in seeking any means possible of regaining your status. You cannot be held to account for the misdeeds of another. Horatio: I disagree. I, too, have held some responsibility for the destruction of a good and noble prince. I knew of Hamlet’s father’s

Thursday, September 26, 2019

How can Human Resources protect an organization from the risks and Essay

How can Human Resources protect an organization from the risks and liabilities associated with HR Technology and Digital Communications - Essay Example Human resource management is a company’s first contact point with its employees because it is the arm of the company that recruits and as such it is in a good position to train them on how to use its technology and digital communications responsibly. User training is important in protecting organizations from the risks and liabilities associated with human resource management technology and digital communications because many of these risks arise from their inappropriate use (Baldwin, 2010). The human resource department should train employees on the organization’s acceptable-use policy for its digital machines and software applications. Important areas that this training can touch on include proper use of the email system, password administration guidelines, login requirements and desktop security. Some of the training activities that can help protect against risks and liabilities associated with human resource management technology and digital communications can include sensitizing employees about policy changes, in-person seminars and web-based courses. Requiring employees to sign a security awareness agreement at the end of every training session enhances employees’ adherence to policies on human resource technology and digital communications security policies (Kerr et. al., 2011). The human resource department should adopt mechanism that can help detect user violations of responsible and acceptable use of human resource technology and digital communications which can bring risks and predispose the organization to liabilities. Timely detection of such violations enables timely mitigation of risks and the management of the things that damage a company’s reputation and brand. The human resource department should require auditors to assess for the effectiveness and adequacy of IT security policies and procedures to protect against risks and

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Inquiring Minds want to know Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Inquiring Minds want to know - Case Study Example It also has an acceptable margin of error for the survey was  ± 4 percent at the 95 percent level of confidence The stratified disproportionate random sampling allows Penton to focus on the reply of the decision makers of which their ads were directed making the sampling a more accurate representation of the target market. It can also be relatively cost efficient because having 676 respondents as an accurate representative of the 1.7 million subscribers saves the company money in handling a huge population. Above all, this guarantees that their intended market is well represented in the study. The other groups can also be subjected to another study which Penton no longer to spend to get representatives from said population. This however has a weakness of requiring more administrative effort and therefore time consuming and laborious because the huge population has to divided into 42 cells. 4. Describe the research design. Analyze its strengths and weaknesses. The method of getting the sample from a huge population of 1.7 million domestic subscribers through stratified disproportionate random sampling may have an effective in getting the right respondents of their target market. The coverage of the research was also extensive covering 1992 with 648 ads and 1997 with 697 ads. The research design however defeated the efficacy of the sampling because it made a faulty comparison of these subgroups by the sheer gap in the years of comparison. They are measured by the same parameter of the number of leads generated by each ad but their circumstances were entirely different. Thus, the result of increase from 3.3 in 1992 to 4.1 in 1997 is a suspect because the sample population in 1997 had more facility where potential customers can respond compared to 1992 whereby customer’s response was limited to traditional snail mail and perhaps telephone call where it can be tracked by cards to track inquiries from customers. Compared to 1997, there are more convenient th rough Information and Communication Technology options where customers can respond to the ads. They can conveniently send an email, go to the advertiser’s website and perhaps can chat in addition to traditional toll free call and fax. Tracking is also convenient because it is done digitally compared to cards previously used. The availability of website address in 1997 was also 60.9 percent (3 out of 5) where they can email at 17.7 percent of ads compared to 1992 which were non-existent. Postal mailing address may be up in 19992 at 69 percent and only 55.5 percent in 1997 but this is almost irrelevant when customers can send an email. The base of the sampling population but the research design was able to get samples that decently represent the entire population. When a survey was done, it had 710 completed questionnaires were received out of 1.7 million subscribers and 4,000 managers, executives, engineers, and purchasing agents selected from the U.S. Penton database. Of the 710 completed questionnaires, 676 respondents were decision makers indicating that the survey has indeed reached the right respondents. One of problem in quantifying the survey was also responses is weighed by their percentage mark up in the overall population. All other things being equal, this would have been an ideal method since it can accurately measure the increment or decrease of response to ad in relation to their representation from the overall population. Except that the 1997 population had access to information

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Prescribed methods and tools can be developed for all consulting jobs Essay - 1

Prescribed methods and tools can be developed for all consulting jobs because all Organisations eventually have the same type of problems - Essay Example many organisations to seek advanced management concepts, lean production through Total Quality Management, business process re-engineering (BPR) techniques, and leveraging. Leveraging mainly refers to the techniques of multiplying gains and losses. In this regard, leveraging ratio cannot be avoided by organisations. Leveraging ratio is typically the amount of organization’s equity in relation to debt. This aspect, in management consultancy, implies to the knowledge and skills that an organisations has in terms of human capital to what the organisations lacks according to Carmeli (2005). Organisations are constantly striving to improve efficiency, as such; consultants bring with them a multitude of tools and methods, many of which can add great value to the client (O’Mahoney & Markham 2013). The consulting industry is broad and encompasses a wide range of projects. Any organization for instance, an organisation might require changes to its human resource structure, as seen throughout ROLE PLAY (?). Management consultancy is a new form of management that deals with execution of ideas and knowledge, and therefore it requires commodification of knowledge in its expansion. Commodification in this context means the process of transforming management ideas in a particular manner that can be sold on a market for management solutions (Heusinkveld & Benders, 2005). The process of knowledge commodification is unproblematic and linear since it is concerned with only turning new ideas into marketable commodities. Therefore, methods and techniques used in management consultancy are applicable to all organisations; as all organisations strive for ideas that are marketable. Consulting firms are capable of packing management knowledge into a saleable form then they transmit these solutions by advising the organization appropriately. Most organizations are profit and growth driven, and the techniques developed by consulting companies should be the same. Demand for new

Monday, September 23, 2019

Spirituality and Holistic care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Spirituality and Holistic care - Essay Example old among the Australian adults is low (Dick, 2003), it remains a fact that there is a higher probability that individuals who suffer from at least one type of chronic illness may end up becoming partially or totally dependent on other people when performing their own activities of daily living (ADL) such as walking, bathing, dressing, and feeding. The family structures In Australia has significantly changed over the past twenty years. As reported by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (2007), it has been very evident that the number of divorce rates had increased whereas the marriage rates had decreased. Considering the high number of divorce, separation, and never been married cases, the number of elderly including the physically and mentally disabled individuals who continuously seek for a long-term care and treatment from the professional nurses has significantly increased over time. Managing chronic illnesses can be very time-consuming and inconvenient on the part of the patients’ family members. (Sawyer et al., 2003) For this reason, spirituality has considered as a principle of practice when rendering holistic care to the patients (Dyson, Cobb, & Forman, 2007). As part of the study, the student nurse will first discuss about the essential nature of spirituality as a core component of holistic care. Aiming to prove that the student nurse has gained a better understanding with regards to the role of nurses in supporting individuals spiritually when taking care of patients who are chronically ill, disabled, and/or dying; several real-life clinical examples wherein nurses should care for the patient will be provided in the study. Caring for the sick individuals is not limited to the administering of medications, symptom management, and personal care. When providing holistic care to the patients, it is essential for nurses to know that their health care practice should be delivered not only to the patient but also the patient’s family members. This

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Final Project Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Final Project - Assignment Example that has to be carried out in detail, and the effectiveness of the intervention method weighed using relevant data collection methods to ensure its effectiveness. Most companies with the right approach to QI have been able to claim a competitive edge in the market and achieve major benefits raging from reducing costs, to increasing the quality of goods, adding value of the entire process in goods or service manufacturing. Therefore, QI is a value proposition approach aimed at satisfying customers and facilitating effective business operations. In any organization, continual improvement in systems and process to ensure quality has to be made part of the organizational culture. Continual improvement requires management to determine the problem in an organization, seek ways to solve the problem, plan implementation of the plan, and then ensure system checks to uphold quality in systems and processes. This leads to the principles of quality improvement. Quality improvement story may be described as systematic plans and procedures taken by a company with an aim of improving quality in goods production or services, to offer more value proposition to customers, while at the same time reducing costs to the company. An example of this is the Just in time (JIT) system, which is a Japanese quality improvement process that reduces inventory costs, resulting in reduced operating costs to the company, increased efficiency, and more value to customers. The quality improvement process as defined by Omachonu & Ross (2004) involves seven s ystematic steps that have to be taken to solve a specific problem. These are identifying a problem, planning how to solve the problem and putting long term measure to ensure the problem does not reoccur in the process again. Quality improvement story involves the use of the quality improvement wheel that requires checking, doing, planning, and acting as a continuous process aimed at improving systems and ensuring quality (Dessler & Farrow,

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Immunizations and Autism Essay Example for Free

Immunizations and Autism Essay Immunizations and Autism Seven years ago I took my son to his doctor appointment to receive his one year immunization shots; little did I know that my little boy would never be the same again. I was furious when the doctor told me that my son now had autism! How could this be, I thought, he was fine before his immunizations? I did some research and found out that immunizations are filled with poisons and can cause serious side affects, autism being one of them. Autism is a developmental disability that affects one in every one hundred and fifty children in the United States (Rozario). It causes sensory issues, communication delays, and social problems amongst many other side effects. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is the fastest growing developmental disability in the US alone. It has increased one hundred and seventy-two percent since the 1990s, and the number of those diagnosed continues to grow. The media refers to autism as a world-wide epidemic (Rozario). There are many different treatments for autism, but there is still no cure, and the link between immunizations and autism is a huge controversial topic. There are many sources explaining the link etween the two, as well as there are sources that try to dispute the idea. The link between autism and immunization shots has been an ongoing debate for many years. There have been multiple studies done to try and disprove that autism could be caused by immunizations, but there is also a lot of research that links autism with immunization shots. Many believe that the immunizations are a cause of autism. RataJczak wrote an article entitled Theoretical aspects of autism: Causes. She did what nobody else apparently has bothered to do. She reviewed not Just one theory uggested by research, such as the role of MMR shots, or the mercury preservative thimerosal; but all of them (Rozario). Documented causes of autism include genetic mutations and dilations, viral infections, and brain damage, after receiving the vaccinations. Therefore autism is the result of genetic defects and inflammation of the brain (Rozario). Some doctors believe that the vac cines are scientifically linked to brain damage, but not scientifically linked to autism. Doctors often argue on this topic. Some seriously believe the immunizations cause autism, and will even advise arents not to get certain shots. While there are many other doctors who will refuse to say that there is any link at all. Yet they do not say why they disagree or give any other reasons or opinions of where autism comes from. Despite official insistence that the evidence linking injected thimerosal to autism is inconclusive, the data suggests otherwise. Considering what is put into the vaccines that are injected into hours-old infants, it is easy to understand why they are at the top of the list of suspects. These vaccines include: formaldehyde (used in embalming), thimerosal nearly 50% mercury), aluminum phosphate (toxic and carcinogenic), antibiotics, phenols (corrosive to skin and toxic), aluminum salts (corrosive to tissue and neurotoxic), methanol (toxic), isopropyl (toxic), 2-pheoxyethano (toxic), live viruses, and a host of unknown components considered off limits as trade secrets (Omeara). These are Just part ot the vaccine mixture. The tact that doctors are 0k witn injecting babies with all these toxic chemicals blows my mind! Another factor that has not been widely discussed is human DNA contained in vaccines. Human tissue is currently used in twenty-three vaccinations. Ever since the introduction of human DNA to MMR vaccinations there has been an increase in autism incidences. The DNA is incorporated into the host DNA, now it has changed and the altered self and body kills it (Rozario). This is most expressed in the neurons of the brain, so now you have body killing the brain cells and it becomes an ongoing inflammation. It does not stop, it continues through the life of that individual (Rozario). There have also been an increasing number of vaccines given in a short period of time which can throw the bodys immune system out of balance, and babies already have a low immune system ecause they are so young. The MMR and Hepatitis B vaccines are said to be the vaccinations that have autism as a highly possible side effect. Several national autism groups are actively addressing a vaccine induced cause for the disease. The first Hepatitis B vaccine was liscenced in 1986, and by 1991 it became the first DNA vaccine to be recommended by the CDC (Center of Disease Control) as a universal childhood vaccine. With increased use of the vaccine, reports have come in from around the country of serious autoimmune and neurological reactions to the vaccine (Rozario, 2002). With such reports as this you would think that doctors would reconsider what they are putting in the immunization shots before they are injected into babies. Vaccines linked to autism have even gone to the courts. A federal vaccine court ruled that the preponderance of evidence suggested that a nine year old girls autism was in fact caused by the vaccinations she received as a child. Autism activists said that the decision was the first official admission that vaccines can cause autism. There are currently over 5,000 autism cases pending in the vaccine court today (Bailey). Cases like the nine year old little girl happen all the time, but they usually do not go anywhere or get resolved. Could you imagine if they finally admitted to vaccinations causing autism? There would be millions of lawsuits like this and a lot of angry parents, which makes me think they will never admit it because it will cost them way to much money. Autism is a huge world wide epidemic that is still on the rise. Many people have different views on what causes autism, but it is no secret among government and health officials that mercury is extremely toxic, and causes serious adverse reactions. Parents of autistic children wonder when health officials will wake up to the epidemic that has claimed hundreds of thousands of children in the United States, with no end in sight.

Friday, September 20, 2019

The Changing Value Of The Currency Economics Essay

The Changing Value Of The Currency Economics Essay Exchange rates are relatively the most common issue that any government are willing to analyse. Except from factors such as interest rate and the inflation, the exchange rate is the most important economic indicators that are more likely affecting the largest economy in the world (Hill 2006). This report is aim to provide an overview of the international currency wars in between China and the US which recently have been highlighted in the medium. The Republic of China is one of those countries which economically called as an emerging economy. This decade has seen the rise of China economy in international trade, according to the World Trade Organisation; it is currently the third largest trading nation (WTO.org, 2010). In Section 1, graph figure 1.1 will be analysing the China Yuan against the US$ for the past 12 months starting from 2010 October. Part 2 of the report will be discussing and evaluating the merits of appreciation and depreciation of the Country`s currency related to its economic and business aspect. Briefly describe (with a Figure, labelled Figure 1.1 etc with a title, key and source of the data) the path of the currency against the US$ over the past 12 months Part 2 Figure 1.1 (Source: yahoo.com/finance) Table 1.1 Percentage change Calculation : 1 US$ to China (Renminbi/Yuan) = 02/11/09 = 6.82890 02/11/10 = 6.70090 Source: http://www.oanda.com/currency/historical-rates Percentage change for the past 12 months is 1.9% decreases of Renminbi/Yuan to US$. In other words, the US dollar has appreciated over the 12 months from November 2009 to November 2010. The reason behind this change as compared to previous months, when the Renminbi/Yuan has remained almost fixed for more than a year is government intervention policy. In the next part of this report, further research will justified this change. Explain the key factors that have contributed to the changing value of the currency and comment on the relationship of these factors to exchange rate theories. In 2009, the China Yuan remained more likely constant by floating averagely around 6.85Yuan to 1$. This constant fixed float have been caused by inflation furthermore The Chinadaily.com (2009) pointed that the National Bureau Statistic measured the rate of inflation in China in November 2009 and concluded the inflation as the major problem in the economy. On the other hand, FT.com (2009) reported that the inflation rate rose by 20% from 1995 to 1995 and this fixed rate anchor has helped china to gain price level stability which lasted until May 2010. In mid 2010 June/July the Central Bank of China has announced that the increase of Yuan would led to more flexibility, in the same way from July 2010 the exchange rate of the Yuan drastically slumped as a result of government intervention for example; According to Reuters (2010) china has deliberately devalued its currency thus making them having more emphasize on purchasing power parity and world market competition in terms of exports. This debate has been recently discussed during a G20 meeting in South Korea (Reuters, 2010). In addition, the US have also planned to buy bonds through quantitative easing, all this part of a planned strategy by the Obama Government who were focused for a weaker dollar for hope of more export in the next five years but with the appreciation of the dollar, there are no hope of more exports in the future. (Reuters.com, 2010). To an extent, the decrease of 1.9% of the Yuan/Renminbi and the appreciation of the US$ might affect directly FDI and MNE`s, in the contrary a dollar depreciation will serve a longer term interest by generating inflation and lessen the debt of the US. Discuss the relative merits of currency appreciation/depreciation; including the economic and business implications in the country you are looking at. The value of a currency can vary with time and affect different factors in an economy, either domestically or internationally. Various factors such as inflation, employment rate, balance of payment and GDP (Hill 2006:?) Changes in exchange rates are described as depreciation and appreciations, for instance if the Yuan changes from 6.68 Yuan per dollar to 6.58 Yuan per dollar, it shows depreciation (Krugman 2006). Depreciation will also serve as long term interest by generating inflation and also help in reducing the national debt (Hill 2006). Furthermore a depreciation of a currency for instance China; can add more value to economic terms of a country for example more future prospect of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) which other words promotes MNE`s to adjust their organisation on a local based operation. Secondly, the public and private transfer payments, thirdly, the house of property might be cheaper for foreign investors who wish to buy land or real estate investments. In brief, if China does not raise its currency, the imports of the country might increase thus leading more deficits in their national debt which is bad for economic growth. To solve the problem an increase in monetary policy with an increase of money supply. With the introduction of the Quantitative Easing (QE), the value of the currency depresses to those printing money and forces the value of other currency upfront (Salvatores, 2006). Consequently, the Economist (2010) stated that China`s government in mid-2010`s have been printing more money in order to buy bonds thus it shows that there has been a result of quantitative. Further research was mentioned by Krugman et al (2003) who suggested that an appreciation of a country`s currency makes its goods more expensive for foreigners. In theory, a rise of China currency would benefits the country as the consumers would have more purchasing power, secondly lower inflation rates. To back up this theory, a report from Reuters (2010) indicate that the Chinese governments are planning to raise their currency exchange rate but this could result to an economic downturn in its microeconomic environment such as unemployment and downturn to small businesses and if it happen to appreciate more in the future, it would eventually have a big impact for the exporters. Furthermore, The New York times (2010) argued that China is manipulating its currency by keeping it artificially under-valued as a mean of increasing its exports and boosting its economic growth (NewYork Times, 2010). On the other hand, a devaluation of the Yuan would benefit multinational corporations (Hill 2006). Multinational organisations have been outsourcing and relying on China for their product and services, a weaker Yuan would help them be more productive for example the case of Nike, apple and others American Companies which have joint ventures with Chinese company for manufacturing their product at cheap reliable price.(Ref) Conclusion The battle of currency wars in between the China and the United States are well discussed into the medium, until recently the appreciation of the dollar to the yuan in Mid- 2010 after more than a year of the exchange rate being relatively fixed. This international currency wars might start to be a common practice used by other countries to take advantage of economic downturns of certain countries weaken by recession or economic growth for example countries such as Greece and Iceland. To sum up, China managed to initiate its floating currency which was based on market demand. This mechanism has productively promoted an economic restructuration and sustainable development on leveraging its macro- economic environment (Nexis.com, 2010).

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Important Elements of a Written Loan Policy :: essays research papers

Assignment # 4 1)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the most important ways a bank can make sure its loans meet regulatory standards and are profitable is by establishing a written loan policy. A loan policy gives loan officers and the bank’s management specific guidelines in making some loan decisions and in shaping the over all portfolios of the bank. The following are the most important elements of a Written Loan Policy;   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Statements of Lending: A statement that defines the type of loan, its maturities, quality and the size of loans.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Establish a Lending Authority: It should clearly define who is authorized to a loan   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Establish Lines of Responsibility: It is making sure that all the information is reported to its department.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Operating Procedure: There should be appropriate operating procedures for soliciting, reviewing, evaluating, and making decisions on customer loan application.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  5.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Required Documents: All the required documents should be obtained for every loan application and must be filed properly.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  6.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Lines of Authority: Responsibility for maintaining and reviewing the bank’s credit files should be well defined.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  7.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Guidelines: Proper guidelines must be given as to how you can take a loan, evaluate it and perfect a loan.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  8.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Policies’ & Procedures: Policies’ & Procedures for establishing interest rates, payments, fees and repayments must be present.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  9.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Establish Quality Standards: A statement of quality standards applicable to all loans. That is, if a person does not meet the standards then the loan should be denied.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  10.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Establishing Upper Limit to Loans: A statement defining the upper limit to a loan beyond which a loan cannot be allowed   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  11.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Define its Community: A description of the bank’s principal trade area, which most loans should come from.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  12.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Trouble Loan: A discussion of the preferred procedures for detecting, analyzing, and working out problem loan situations.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  For loan to be good three conditions should be fulfilled, ie. First that the borrower should be creditworthy. Which could be known by a detailed study of the following six aspects:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Character: The loan officer must know the purpose of the loan and make sure that the customer will be able to make the repayment of the loan. He should also determine that the borrower has a responsible attitude towards using borrowed funds, is truthful in answering the bank’s questions and willing to make every effort to repay what is owned.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Capacity: The loan officer must make sure the borrower has the authority to request a loan and the legal standing to sign a loan agreement.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cash: The loan officer should make sure that the borrower has a stable stream of income and the ability to repay the loan.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

McMurphy is Not a Christ Figure in Ken Keseys One Flew Over the Cuckoo

McMurphy is Not a Christ Figure in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest      Ã‚  Ã‚   Literary fiction is littered with references to Christianity. It is very obviously a large and influential force in the western world so it is hardly surprising that a novel such as One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, which is so questioning of our society and moral values, should be so full of references to what is arguably the basis of these values. What the question asks, however, is if the character of McMurphy is portrayed as a Christ figure. A Christ figure being a reflection of the New Testament messiah within the characters actions, beliefs and effect on those around him. The figure will then redeem his followers, lead them to salvation, be martyred and resurrected.    The similarities are prolific in their presence in certain parts of the novel, the very context of both stories shows similarities, both are dealing with an oppressed factor that is set free by an outsider who teaches and challenges the system in which the oppressed are caught.    The first allusion to the New Testament comes when the chief introduces the reader to the patient Ellis. Ellis' arms our outspread in the pose of crucifixion, an affectation caused by many treatments on the Electro-Shock Therapy(EST) table, a pose that McMurphy later adopts when he receives the treatment. Ellis also tells Billy Bibbitt before the fishing trip to be ` a fisher of men' one of Christ's instructions to his disciples. The purpose of the character seems to be an introduction for the reader to this theme and to have it introduced so early on both highlights the universal nature of the struggle that McMurphy and the patients face and also allows the reader to be ... ...erely alludes to Christ.    Works Cited Kesey, Ken. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Toronto, Ontario Canada: The Macmillan Company of Canada Limited, 1962. Kunz, Don. Symbolization in Kesey's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. A Casebook on Ken Kesey's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Ed. George J. Searles. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press. 1989. Pratt, John Clark. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. New York: The Viking Press. 1973. Semino, Elena, and Swindlehurst, Kate. Metaphor and Mind Style in Ken Kesey's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Northern Light (online posting) Spring 1996. Unknown Author. Ken Kesey's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. (online posting)   

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Free Argumentative Essays: Oregons Euthanasia Program :: Euthanasia Physician Assisted Suicide

Oregon's Euthanasia Program Since 1998, due to a legal opinion by U.S. attorney general Janet Reno, Oregon physicians have used their federal prescribing licenses from the Drug Enforcement Administration to order controlled substances - usually secobarbital - for use in terminally ill patients' suicides. However, new attorney general John Ashcroft was an outspoken critic of the Reno opinion when he served in the U.S. Senate. He authored a 1997 letter to Reno signed by seven other Senators urging a contrary opinion, and criticized her final ruling as "bending the law" to facilitate assisted suicide. George W. Bush also criticized the ruling and endorsed a bill to reverse it, the Pain Relief Promotion Act, during the presidential campaign. The Oregon Health Division's third annual report on operation of the "Death with Dignity Act," summarized in the New England Journal of Medicine, was said by the law's supporters to offer "compelling evidence" that the Act "has given Oregon citizens comfort and control at the end of their lives." Said Estelle Rogers, executive director of the Death with Dignity National Center: "Oregon is a model for the nation, a place where doctors and patients alike approach end-of-life issues with due seriousness and compassion. We believe it's time for President Bush and the Attorney General to do the same" [U.S. Newswire, 2/21/01]. But the same report hailed by Rogers as "a third year of good news" was said by a prominent critic of Oregon's law to confirm that "the assisted-suicide experiment has failed." Dr. Gregory Hamilton of Physicians for Compassionate Care says that Oregon officials monitoring the practice of assisted suicide "have neglected to report meaningful results." Case reports are chiefly self-reporting by the physicians involved, and no effort is made to find "complications" or problems not reported by those assisting the suicide [PCC press release, 2/21/01]. The Oregon Health Division reported 27 deaths from physician-assisted suicide in 2000, the same number as in 1999. The only case it found of incomplete compliance with the Act was one in which a physician submitted a consent form signed by one witness instead of two. Dr. Hamilton notes, however, that the chief case of assisted suicide to receive extensive news reporting in 2000 showed more irregularities than this. The case of Joan Lucas received feature-length coverage for two days in her local newspaper in June. Suffering from Lou Gehrig's disease, she originally tried and failed to commit suicide by herself on January 16 - but she and her family soon found more expert "assistance" and she died on February 3.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Constitutional Development Essay

News has been defined differently by different experts. Some of the definitions are given below: 1. News is anything out of the ordinary 2. News is the unusual picture of life. 3. News is anything that people talk about; the more it excites the greater its value. , 4. News comprises all current activities which are of general human interest and the best news is that which interests most of the reader*. 5. Anything that enough people want to read is news provided it does not violate the canons of good taste and the law of libel. 6. News is like a hot cake coming straight from oven. 7. News is the report of an event that is fresh, unusual and which is interesting to a greater number of people. From these definitions we are now clear to have understood the elements of news. Let’s see what these are. Objectivity News is the factual report of an event. What the reporter sees is supposed to report. Objectivity means to report the facts exactly the same way as they occurred. It goes against objectivity if the reporter adds something from his own imagination. Comment/suggestion or proposal is not the task of a news reporter. These are considered right in a column, editorial, etc. In these formats of journalistic writings the writer can provide in-depth and background information. In simplest words objectivity means just to report the tip of the iceberg and leave the rest to analytical and in-depth reporting. It will not be an objective reporting if the reporter wants to angle, slant or shade the news. Introduction Of News Values News values are general guidelines or criteria used by media outlets, such as newspapers or broadcast media, to determine how much prominence to give to a story. They are fundamental to understanding news production and the choices that editors and other journalists face when deciding that one piece of information is news while another is not. According to former Times and Sunday Times Editor, Harold Evans, a news story†¦ †¦ Is about necessary information and unusual events †¦ Should be based on observable facts †¦ Should be an unbiased account †¦ Should be free from the reporter’s opinion However, the selection of news stories is subject to a wider range of influences than this simple basic definition. News values is about examining the process of selecting news sources, and how news Values inform the process. News values, sometimes called â€Å"news criteria,† are commonly held to be active at several stages in the gate keeping process.   First, they supposedly make a story or event more likely to be chosen as news (the â€Å"selection† hypothesis). Second, they’re said to be underscored, or even exaggerated when a news story is written (the â€Å"distortion† hypothesis), and finally, they are purportedly further emphasized as a news item passes through each stage of the Production process. A variety of external and internal pressures influence journalists’ decisions on which stories are covered, how issues are interpreted and the emphasis given to them. These pressures can sometimes lead to bias or unethical reporting. Achieving relevance, giving audiences the news they want and find interesting, is an increasingly important goal for media outlets seeking to maintain market share in a rapidly evolving market. This has made news organizations more open to audience input and feedback, and forced them to adopt and apply news values that attract and keep audiences Some news organizations use the term ‘News Values’ to describe a different concept: the ethical standards expected of journalists in their work. These ground rules spell out the good practice journalists should apply as they gather and process news stories. They are simply a code of ethics or canons of good and responsible journalism. These guidelines attempt to ensure the integrity of the journalist and guarantee the reliability of the news story. Both professional journalism associations and individual news organizations often make these rules freely available so that the public may know what to expect from their journalists. The BBC lists the following values: †¢ Truth and accuracy †¢ Impartiality and diversity of opinion †¢ Editorial integrity and independence †¢ Serving the public interest †¢ Fairness †¢ Balancing the right to report with respect for privacy †¢ Balancing the right to report with protection of the vulnerable †¢ Safeguarding children †¢ Being accountable to the audience History In 1965, media researchers Galtung & Ruge analysed international news stories to find out what factors they had in common, and what factors placed them at the top of the news agenda worldwide. In 1965, media researchers Galtung & Ruge analysed international news stories to find out what factors they had in common, and what factors placed them at the top of the news agenda worldwide. They came up with the following list of news values. – a kind of scoring system – a story which scores highly on each value is certain to come at the start of a TV news bulletin, or make the front page of a newspaper. Journalists and editors also draw heavily on their experience – of what an audience expects, of what stories have had a major impact on public consciousness in the past, of what is important – and each news organisation will have their own system of setting a news agenda. Galtung and Ruge, in their seminal study in the area put forward a system of twelve factors d escribing events that together are used as a definition of ‘newsworthiness’. Focusing on newspapers and broadcast news, Galtung and Ruge devised a list describing what they believed were significant contributing factors as to how the news is constructed. Their theory argues that the more an event accessed these criteria the more likely it was to be reported on in a newspaper. Furthermore, three basic hypotheses are presented by Galtung and Ruge: the additivity hypothesis that the more factors an event satisfies, the higher the probability that it becomes news; the complementarity hypothesis that the factors will tend to exclude each other; and the exclusion hypothesis that events that satisfy none or very few factors will not become news Gatlung and Ruge introduces the major factors related to news values as explain under Gatlung And Ruge, 1973 * Relevance – How relevant is a news story to the audience in question? For example, a California earthquake is almost always more relevant to a West Coast audience than to an audience in Calcutta. * Timeliness – How recently did the event unfold? Timing is of the utmost importance in today’s 24 hour news cycle. Recent events, or events in the making, are most likely to lead the news. * Simplification – Stories that can be easily simplified or summarized are likely to be featured more prominently than stories that are convoluted or difficult to understand. * Predictability – Certain events, such as elections, major sporting events, astrological events, and legal decisions, happen on a predictable schedule. As the event draws closer, it typically gains news value. * Unexpectedness – On the other hand, events like natural disasters, accidents, or crimes are completely unpredictable. These events are also likely to have significant news value. * Continuity – Some events, such as war, elections, protests, and strikes, require continuing coverage. These events are likely to remain in the news for a long time, although not always as the lead story. * Composition – Editors have to keep in mind the big picture—the sum of all content in their media outlet. For this reason, an editor might select soft human interest stories to balance out other hard hitting, investigative journalism. * Elite People – Certain individuals, like politicians, entertainers, and athletes, are considered, by virtue of their status, more newsworthy. If someone throws a shoe at an everyday person, it’s probably not news. If someone throws a shoe at the President of the United States, it will likely be in the news for weeks. * Elite Countries – Famine, drought, and national disasters are more likely to draw attention if they are happening in â€Å"First World† countries than if they are happening in developi ng countries. * Negativity – Generally speaking, editors deem bad news more newsworthy than good news. Shoemaimker Et Al., 1987 * Timeliness – Shoemaker et al. also recognize timeliness as a critical news value. * Proximity – Similar to Gatlung and Ruge’s â€Å"Relevance.† The closer an event takes place to the intended audience, the more important it is. This is why huge local or regional stories might not make the national news. * Importance, impact, or consequence – How many people will the event impact? Issues like global warming issues have become big news in recent years precisely because environmental changes affect the entire planet. * Interest – Does the story have any special human interest? For example, the inspirational story of a person overcoming large odds to reach her goal appeals to a fundamental human interest. * Conflict or Controversy – Similar to Gatlung and Ruge’s â€Å"Negativity.† Editors generally deem conflict more newsworthy than peace. * Sensationalism – Sensational stories tend to make the front pages more than the everyday. * Prominence – Similar to Gatlung and Ruge’s â€Å"Elite People.† The actions of prominent people are much more likely to make the news than non-public figures. * Novelty, oddity, or the unusual – Strange stories are likely to find their way into the news. Dog bites man—no story. Man bites dog—story. In the present era of audience fragmentation, individual audience members increasingly choose what kind of news content they receive, yet traditional news values often still govern how deeply a news story permeates a community. In 1973, Gatlung and Ruge developed one of the first models of news values. Shoemaker el al. followed up in 1987 with a similar model. Both offer a useful framework for understanding how gatekeepers evaluate potential news stories. Elements Of News While dealing with news, two stages we have covered so far. First, to see what we call news, what actually isnews? Second, to understand those features that convert an ordinary event or statement or opinion, into News. Now we go into details of news elements. News must carry following elements to come up to the ideal Standards of news. 1.Accuracy 2.Meaningful 3.Interesting 4.Factual 5.Objectivity 6.Conciseness 7.Clarity 8.Comprehensiveness 9.Cohesiveness Ingredients Of Good News 1. Proximity Closeness, either because of geographical proximity or because of relationship For example: News about the area (geographical) or news about things of interest/concern to locals (relationship). Example LAHORE, Feb 5: One person was killed and six others suffered multiple injuries in a roof collapse incident at Muhammad Ali Chow in Johar Town early on Tuesday.dawn 2. Timeliness The news happened recently (since the last edition) It’s new , otherwise, we’d call it â€Å"olds† Almost every story has some timeliness aspect For example: A teen driver is hit by another car at the intersection of Miller and Russell today, in the newspaper tomorrow. Example LAHORE: Dense fog causes problems in Lahore Interchange of the motorway has been closed due dense fog here, SAMAA reported Wednesday night. Several cars collided with each other owing to dense fog on Lahore-Islamabad Motorway, leaving 11 people injured near Thokar Niaz Baig on Tuesday. National Highway and Motorways Police said that around three kilometers distance from Thokar Niaz Baig on Motorway, 10 cars collided in to each other due to reduced visibility on the Motorway. They said Lahore-Islamabad Motorway would remain close in the foggy hours to avoid any such incident 3. Consequence The subject of a story has an impact on how people live their lives. For example: A story on a new curfew that will take effect, or a street that is under construction, or a scientific breakthrough Example Measles spreads in Gujranwala; affects 100 children GUJRANWALA: As many as 100 children have been diagnosed with measles in just three days here, SAMAA reports on Sunday. Several cases of the disease are being reported in the city’s hospitals. Right now at least 100 children who are affected by measles are under treatment. 4. Uniqueness /wonderfulness Weird stuff. For Example . A 77-year-old Ukrainian man won a jar full of sour cream for coming first in a dumpling eating contest and then promptly died, local media reported on Wednesday. Example World’s longest cat dies Stewie the Cat, the longest domestic cat in the world, measuring more than 4 feet long from nose to tail, has died after cancer battle. 5. Number of people Big crowd makes a big news but small crowd is not news. . For example protest of young doctors is a news . Example LAHORE: Young doctors of Punjab continued to observe a hunger strike in Lahore for the third straight day on Wednesday. Dozens of young doctors working in various health facilities staged a sit-in to order to pressureize the provincial government for accepting their demands regarding service structure and reinstatement of suspended fellow workers. According to reports, some participants of the hunger strike were hospitalized after their condition deteriorated. Others are getting necessary medical help in the camp. According to doctors, the government is yet to make any contact with them. Office bearers of Railway Labor Union also met the protesting doctors and assured their complete support. 6. Mystery A profound secret; something wholly unknown, or something kept cautiously concealed and therefore exciting curiosity or wonder to the audience when it is disclosed to them . Example Meher bukhari mubashir luqman the anchor person on Duniya News channel did the pre planned intrerview of Malik Riaz the owner of bahria town society and considered as a very rich person of Pakistan,to damage the position of Chief Justice Of Pakistan Ch Iftikhar that show was totally fake and planted and that cheap clipping was leaked by Tallat Hussian the senior anchor person of Dawn News 7. Emotions New which is related to the emotions of the people or effects them emotionally Example The cold-blooded murder of 20-year-old Shahzeb Khan in Karachi, at the hands of two young feudal despots – Nawab Siraj Talpur and Shahrukh Jatoi – is just another example of our collective failure in this regard 8. Prominent personality New related to prominent personality,s life Example Famous singer Mehnaz laid to rest in KarachiI: Pakistan’s prominent female singer Mehnaz Begum, who died in Bahrain on Saturday, was laid to rest here on Monday, Her funeral prayer offered after Zohar in Khairul Amal Masjid at Ancholi area. She was buried in Wadi-e-Hussain graveyard near Karachi Super Highway. 9. Adventure and invention News related to something which is like a invention or adventurous to the public Example The heaviest ride able bicycle weighs 750 kg (1650 lb) and was built by Wouter van den Bosch (Netherlands) Conclusion Every news outlet has a different protocol for selecting which stories to run, but some traditional values often determine the â€Å"newsworthiness† of a story News values are criteria used in newsroom practice to Select, out of the several contending items that are potential news, only a few items That qualify for inclusion in the news. Journalists judge news events in terms of their News values quotient. It has also shown that news values, in addition to being seen as Professional ideologies constructed by journalists, are exercised in augmentation with

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Electrical and electrochemical activities of heart Essay

Heart is the chief organ of body it can be defined as â€Å"The hollow muscular organ its rhythmic retrenchment flows blood all the way throughout the body†. (Heart electrical) Natural pace maker is established in human heart, this pace maker start working from right atria and ventricle it stimulates their muscles. Sinoarterial node SAN is found in between upper portion of the heart, after stimulating right portion of heart it stimulates the left atria and ventricle afterward adrenaline is secreted from nervous system which speed up the spark electrical impulses or in supplementary words regulates the electrical impulses. Normal heart beats are 72 per minute but in case of running, exercising, taking stress high fever heart beats are increased because Nervous system release more adrenaline. Another motivating topic of our article covers is electrocardiogram that is the measurement of heart beats by special electrode on paper or screen. So at this point in this article we will study in detail regulatory activities of heart which factors are involves in regulation of heart beats and keeps heart normal and vigorous, how these factors are generated and how did they achieve their work this is all we are going to study in element to enhance our understandings about facts of science. Electrical and electrochemical activities of heart In human heart natural pace maker is found, the function which naturally has been given to pace maker is to regulate the heart for performing this responsibility it has to go from very different phases. Pace maker is found in the superior right portion of heart that is Right atrium this is the place from where the pace maker gathers the specialized cells termed as â€Å"Sino arterial node â€Å"so these cells are also termed as pace maker. As the heart beats it generates the electrical sparks per minute, the spark which has been generated by specialized cell, the function of these sparks is to stimulate the muscles. First it stimulates the superior chamber of heart it has to wait unless the atria get empty from blood. After stimulating the upper atria it stimulates the ventricles electrically, similarly it affects the left atria and ventricle in this sequence. If we go in depth we will come to know that everything function of body is being controlled by the nervous system, here nervous system is releasing the adrenaline the adrenaline is computable to increase or speed up the sparks per minute, the normal heart beats are 72 per minute but incase of fever, excitement, stress or any mental or physical stress can speedup the rate of heart beats in result breathless condition occur while on the other during resting situation it is decreased . Let us talk about the phases or ladder which takes place in the electrical activity of heart ,As we have talked before it is generated in the sinoatrial node (SAN) which is located in superior Right chamber of heart this is the location from where these electrical impulses propagated to the artrioventricular node ( AVN ) artrioventricular node is seen between the atria and ventricles. After reaching at (AVN) these electrical impulse are send to the into branching tissues right bundle branch is termed as (RBBB) and left bundle branch is termed is as the (LBBB) there are further more division to there Left bundle branches which are known as fascicles first of all electrical impulses are generated in SAN which primary makes the right and left atria to treaty and after couple of seconds it makes right and left ventricle to contract this depolarization takes place continuously in every 2-3 seconds, when SAN is at rest it makes 60-70 signals a minute rate can be speedup by SAN due to exercise or and physical activity which can produce stressed up condition. When SAN fails to work AVN can takes its position but AVN is slow as compare to SAN the reason is that SAN at resting position produces 60-7- signals while AVN at resting position produces 30-40 signals which are very less as compare to SAN’S signals. ( How heart works) this sequence of electrical activities of heart can be noted by electrocardiogram this is the process by which activities can be registered on paper by special electrode use for this process (Heart Electrical Activity). In human body there are many chemicals found every chemical has its own duty assign by nature in regulation of heart there are also few chemicals involved which stimulates the function of heart . Neuroendocrine system helps heart to maintain its regulation this system is linked with the brain and endocrine system this is the system in which neurons and endocrine system work together electrical impulses are given by SAN whereas the endocrine system gives the chemical impulses , Neuroendocrine system is the complex system which work together this is very complicated system , it uses the nerve symbol to and changes the activity of cells as well the diameter of blood vessels it can also effect the heart rate and the rate of contraction. ( Heart Failure) Electrochemical activities of heart stimulate the heart beats heart regulation, they play very important role in life, in the body as everything depends upon the function of hearts because when heart gets electrical stimulation it transport/ pumps the blood to the system another factor which helps in pumping the blood is heart beats which is also generated by stimulation of muscles. standard heart beats are 72 per minute which are created by stimulation of heart muscles but if they are less than harmfl affects are possible to the body the less then normal heart beats could be 35 – 40 heart beats per minute then blood stream to body’s organ reduces which is dangerous (How heart works) It is a firm believe that reduction in I reduces AP polarization which in result reduces the electrochemical diving force similarly amount of SR Ca is also reduces which is necessary for the contraction of hearts muscles if we go in depth we will come to know that Na, I, K also reduces due to some abnormality and it is like a chain system if one thing is affected the entire system will be affected but here we are sescribing only the loss cause by reduction in Ca as Ca is reduced it reduces heart beats and blood transport is reduced if thing is not cover soon it can cause breathless condition as blood carries oxygen and reduction in heart beats reduces blood transport so this is one bad trait for body. Similarly reduction in I causes reduction in polarization this system is interlinked with one an other. It has also been believed that potassium K changes into HF and HF reduces Ca, it has been observed that many late HF patients who doesn’t notice their ailment before gets death because of heart abnormality, DADs, EADs and Refs decreased the amount of Ca in myocytes this reduced amount of Ca in myocytes causes systolic disjunction in Hf. Systolic means when heart contracts it is termed a systolic and when it rest it is termed diastolic so here Reduction of Ca in myocytes reduced the heart contraction it is an another thing if Ca continue leaking it may cause to death. Electrical and electrochemical regulation of heart Conclusion After reading this attention-grabbing topic we can come up with the conclusion that heart is one of the biggest gifts of God given to humans. As nature has assign functions to every part of the body similarly nature has given special function to heart which makes heart extremely important organ it transmit blood to complete body parts. There are few electrical and electrochemical behavior found in heart which helps heart in performing its main function that is creating heart beats carrying impulses. In right atrium of heart sinoatrial node (SAN) is found which also works as pace maker these sinoatrial nodes are special cells found in right atrium they generate the electrical impulses which stimulates the right atrium cell and wait unless it get emptied after now these electrical impulses moves to the atrioventricular node (AVN) now these electrical impulses are send into branching tissues right bundle branch is called (RBBB) and left bundle branch is termed as (LBBB) first it functions in right atrium and ventricle and then in few seconds after performing its task in right part of heart it moves to the left part of the heart and functions in left atrium and then left ventricle this is how electrical impulses carry in heart and makes it empty and refill in couple of seconds. Adrenaline also plays very important role in this process here nervous system plays an important role it secreted adrenaline to it is chemical by nature and it is responsible for speeding up the sparks ( electrical impulses) per minute so in this way heart continue to work by electrically and electrochemically. The methods which has been found by the scientist to record these impulses is ECG electrocardiogram this is recent and helpful technique to check whether the heart is working normally or not in this method heart rhythms are noted on paper or screen by specially assigned electrode. Now a days artificial pace maker is also being made to control abnormalities of heart. Here in this important topic we also read about that what the lack of any element present of excess of any element or chemical can do with our heart. Nature has given quantity to everything increasing from that or decreasing from that spoils the entire system here we also read about the reduction in Ca, Ca is basic need of heart to continue it heart beats here we come to know that reduction in Ca is mainly caused by reduction in things which are supporting it in background, Ca reduction causes great loss to heart that is it decreases contraction rate of heart when the heart start contracting less than it is required entire system of body is effected because heart carries blood to all part of the body if heart starts working slow then blood also starts reduces and in this way all system are being effected that’s what makes one lazy and the major loss cause by this is the heart failure if it is continuously reducing than a time will come when heart will stop working and one meets his death. After reading this prolong article we come up with the conclusion that heart is not only one organ which is supporting all the functions infect heart is being supported by many internal plus many external features such these all things work together in a chain like system if one thing is effected the entire system got effected this chain which consist of Electrical impulses electrochemical impulses , heart , factors affecting heart , environment and many more things are involved this chain system is necessary for healthy life we should take care of our health for out better tomorrow.

Learning Essay

Learning something new it’s no easy. I have learned a lot of things in my life like cooking, surfing and horse riding, and I’ve always known that to be pessimistic is not a good choice. That’s why I decided to put a good face to the idea of learn how to dance salsa. A few months ago, I decided to sign up for salsa classes, everything began when we were celebrating the birthday of a friend and suddenly they all got up of their seats to dance salsa, everyone, except for me. Not knowing how to dance salsa is not something special but that day, at that moment, in that birthday, it meant a lot to me because my father was a professional salsa dancer and I am supposed to have that gene in my veins. The first few weeks were the hardest in the dance studio. I was scared, I felt that I had two left feet and for my bad luck always touched me dance with the most awkward of the boys. His name was Marcos. A very friendly guy, handsome and gentlemanly, but dancing was not his best skill. The first steps that we learned were basic but the most painful, I was not used to dance that type of music because it is a very fast dance and every song seemed endless. â€Å"The Salsa is very spontaneous, involves a lot of movement of the hips and feet† always said our instructor, he was a very funny man but what we most love about him was his patience and commitment to us. He showed us that we must first overcome the fear and shame that involves dancing in from of a group of people so we can show all the confidence that we have. And that’s exactly what I did, with time and practice I became the best in my class. Salsa dancing became my obsession I could not stop thinking about it, especially knowing, that the last session was a competition dance. The prize was a medal and that medal was my goal. I practiced day and night, in every spare moment, until the day of competition. I confess I was very nervous but I still succeed in overcoming all my fears and given the best of me on that dance floor. And you know what? I won, I won the medal and became the best in my class, I am very proud of myself because I showed that it is never late to learn something new and that everything in life involves patience, effort, practice and above all dedication . All these aspects made ​​me the person that I am now. A person more confident of itself and of what can be achieved in life. So if you still do not know how to dance salsa, what are you waiting for? It’s never too late, because now I’m sure that for the next birthday of one of my friends, I’ll be ready for dance Salsa until dawn.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Politics in Europe Essay

The move in the direction of higher levels of European integration over the years has concerned the changing of powers over a number of important public policy sectors from member state governments to the European institutions. Advancement towards higher levels of policy integration has been difficult and slow in some areas. After 1990, German objectives and actions were altered detectably and legitimately in two EC/ EU policy areas, the structural funds and the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). New government positions in Brussels, which began with adjustments to federal policies, came about in response to the profoundly novel regional and agricultural challenges thrown up by unification and its aftermath. In each case, the eastern Land governments were at the forefront of pressure for changes in federal policy, and were able to utilize the access and information granted them under formal policymaking arrangements at the national and supranational levels to good effect (Loehnis and de la Dehesa, 83). In others it developed more quickly and completely because of the temperament of agreements hit when the Communities were forged and because of the interests of powerful member states. The establishment of the ECSC and the successful policy integration in these industrial sectors so vital for the economies of the 1950s resulted from a coincidence of member state interests and skillful institution building.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The organization of the Euratom and the EEC in 1958 led to further projects for common decision making. Central to the goal of forging an ever closer union among the people of Europe was the idea of an enmeshing of member state economies, in large part through the instrumentality of trade (Clout, 16). Thus came about the establishment of a customs union for intra-EEC trade in all industrial goods. This feature of the nascent Community was evidently of benefit to West Germany. With reverence to underlying, the organization of the EEC was one connecting the two most powerful founding member states, France and West Germany, whereby France, because of her large, and, in the European context, comparatively efficient agricultural sector, was accorded a general agricultural policy in return for the creation of a customs union for trade in all goods that was in the interest of the FRG, the budding Community’s most efficient industrial economy. Indeed, it became normal to refer to the European enterprise as a customs union with an agricultural guiding principle.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) replaced member states’ farm policies. Implemented to increase efficiency and productivity in the agricultural sector, to help bring about stable food prices, and to provide a secure supply of high quality foodstuff for the Community citizens, another objective, the maintenance of a fair standard of living for those gaining their livelihood in the industry, became preeminent. Agricultural goods are traded freely within the Community and policy decisions, including those on agricultural prices, are made in Brussels. The CAP consists of a structural fund that is intended to support financially modernization of agriculture. To realize the CAPS main objective and thus to maintain prices at levels that result in acceptable incomes for member state farmers, a levy is placed on agricultural imports form third countries. Locally, agricultural supplies are â€Å"purchased into intervention† once their price falls under a certain level. Because of the tendency for protectionist practices to lead to increased production, the CAP has often in the past led to huge oversupplies of such commodities as grains, meat, milk products, and wine, which have been bought up and stored at great cost so as not to depress prices. Exports of these high priced commodities are subsidized, again at great expense. These export subsidies have guided EU’s trading partners to accuse Europe of dumping these commodities and have even been the cause of major trade disputes with them over the years. The cost of the CAP reached 70 percent of the Community’s budget at times in the past. In recent years, measures have been implemented to reduce production of commodities in surplus supply, with the result that farm expenditures will gradually decline, and the EU’s trade officials have been able to convince her trade partners that decreased production will gradually lead to a less prominent role for EU farm products on international markets (Harris et al., 325).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Germany’s interests, on the whole, have not been well served by the CAP. Internationally, she is interested in peaceful economic relations in her role as one of the great trading nations of the world and the disruptions caused by disputes between the EC/EU and its trading partners over agricultural trade have not provided her well. As a highly industrialized country with a small agricultural sector and as a large net importer of foodstuffs, the high price European food policy is not in her national interest. Germany’s donations to the CAP amounted in 1993 to about 30 percent of total expenditures whereas receipts flowing to Germany amounted to only half that amount (Black, 323). And yet her agricultural ministers have often supported high prices in Brussels. This anomaly can be explained not so much by German government’s generally pro-integration attitude (although German governments know that a price has to be paid for European cooperation) as it can by domestic politics. Despite the small number of farmers, the agricultural sector is highly organized and dominant politically. In addition to this, public opinion is likely to be supportive of protecting the economic and social viability of rural areas and maintaining agricultural land in production. The CAP’s amplified importance on environmental concerns has helped to make it more pleasant to the ecologically cognizant German public.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Unification has led to some extent increased importance of the CAP for Germany. Eastern Germany has in the past had excessively large agricultural sector, and the GDR had a large agricultural workforce of 800,000 as well as two times as much farm land per capita as West Germany. Because of its low productivity, GDR agriculture was extremely supported financially. It was severely challenged by the transition to the market economy after unification, and by 1994 the agricultural workforce in the five new LaÈnder had been reduced to 224,000. CAP funds contributed importantly in the adjustment to more efficient production and laying fallow of some 17 percent of farmland there. But even with the added CAP funds flowing to her as a result of the disproportionately large agricultural sector in the new LaÈnder, Germany still supply in a major way to the Community’s agricultural funds or treasury (Karcz, 227).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   With the ongoing rationalization in a sector that has lost 3.2 million jobs. And this took place in the years from 1960 to 1992, and in which a farmer who could generate enough harvest for ten people in 1950 can now provide for 80, political clout of farmers is in unremitting decline. Such rationalization is taking place apace at the European level, and the forces of free trade and globalization at the broader international level will ensure that one of the most prominent EU policies will reduce in significance as the Union is forced to adjust its very expensive and relatively inefficient subsidization policies (Dent, 162). With its decline in importance, the CAP will be less of a drain on German finances, but it will become controversial again if the Union decides to permit the attainment of Central and East European states such as Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia, all countries in which inefficient agriculture employs a much greater fraction of the workforce than the EU average, and where implementation of the CAP would be hugely expensive. Germany, positively in the direction of eastward development of the EU would then give a high percentage of the ensuing costs. For this reason, Germany’s outlook in the direction of the CAP is expected to be critical in this significant judgment or decision also.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Both the European Community and its member governments administer programs designed to achieve a spatially balanced pattern of economic development. Typically, these programs designate assisted areas within which applicants are eligible for capital grants, soft loans, accelerated depreciation allowances, and tax concessions for business, as well as job training for workers and infrastructure grants to municipalities. There existed three main programs at the European level prior to Maastricht, which together constituted the EC structural funds: the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the European Social Fund (ESF), and the Guidance Section of the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF) (Adams, 101). In West Germany, federal regional policy tackled two types of problem region: underdeveloped rural areas, and areas vulnerable to or suffering from the decline of a dominant industry. Administratively, the program was accomplished as a â€Å"joint task,† or â€Å"Gemeinschaftsaufgabe† (GA), in which official conferences among Land and federal representatives created annual framework strategies that set funding levels, designated assisted areas across the country, and instituted assistance rates. The LaÈnder were accountable for program execution and management. The designation of assisted areas followed from clearly defined decision rules and multiple statistical indicators. Certain regions were eligible a priori for assistance, that is, they were not requisite to meet the criteria via the indicators. Incorporated in this particular category, but assisted out of their own individual programs, were the zonal border areas (Zonenrandgebiete), a twenty-five-mile-wide narrow piece down the boundaries with Czechoslovakia and the GDR, and West Berlin. These regions, underprivileged by the postwar division of Germany, enjoyed the highest assistance rates. Prior to 1979, Germany, like other member states, received its EC structural fund allocations in the form of a fixed national quota negotiated in the Council of Ministers. Between 1975 and 1979, Germany garnered 8.4 percent of European Regional Development Fund allocations, and posted the second lowest per capita share of regional fund expenditure for its assisted areas: ECU8.6 per capita, as compared to the Community average of 27.2. These modest sums colored the position adopted by the Germans in Brussels. Germany blocked a Commission initiative in the early 1970s to establish a much larger regional fund, and thereafter remained wary of proposals to increase spending on the structural funds. That said, Bonn consistently endorsed efforts to improve the effectiveness of grants and to concentrate resources on the neediest regions in the Community. Reform of the structural funds commenced in 1979, and gained momentum throughout the 1980s as concern about the regional impact of a barrier-free internal market grew. 5 The structural funds budget expanded, approaching one-quarter of total EC annual outlays, and programs were oriented to Community-wide objectives and criteria set largely by the Commission, which also gained the capacity to interact directly with regional and sub-regional actors, on occasion bypassing the national governments. To improve the targeting of assistance, the Commission in 1988 recognized five main concerns: (1) Promoting the development and structural adjustment of lagging regions, defined as those in which per capita GDP is 75 percent or less of the Community average. These regions were to receive up to 80 percent of structural fund allocations; (2) converting regions seriously affected by industrial decline; (3) combating long-term unemployment; (4) facilitating the occupational integration of young people; (5a) promoting the adaptation of agricultural production, and (5b) promoting the development of rural areas (Leibfried and Pierson, 144). The Commission was authorized to draw up its own list of assisted areas, which did not extend beyond completely with those recognized in national regional programs. For the period 1989 to 1993, the Objective 1 regions include 21 percent of the EC population, and were located on the western and southern border of the Community. Objective 2 and Objective 5b regions contained 16 and 5 percent of the EC’s population respectively (Hannequart, 74). Until unification, the Federal Republic continued to receive modest amounts from the structural funds. Between 1979 and 1989, Germany’s share of ERDF commitments fell from 6.2 percent to 3.9 percent. As the wealthiest Community member, it had no Objective 1 regions, and a scattering of Objective 2 and 5b regions in all but one of the eleven LaÈnder. Moreover, in the 1980s, Germany became the target of sustained efforts by the Commission’s DG-IV to limit the area coverage of federal and state regional programs as well as their assistance rates. The pressures of EC competition policy produced results; in 1988, Bonn agreed to reduce the percentage of the population covered by federal and state assisted areas from 45 percent to 39 percent; a further reduction to a figure below 30 percent was scheduled for 1991 (Berg et al., 213). Bonn officials bridled at the Commission’s interventions, in disagreement that DG-IV’s actions impeded or got in the way with their legal responsibilities under Article 72 of the Basic Law to secure an equal opportunity of living standards within Germany. They also passed judgment on the EC competition authorities for undermining the delicate conciliations accomplished in the GA between rural and industrial LaÈnder. On the other hand, federal officials utilized the Commission as a welcome scapegoat in their efforts or endeavor to push expenditure cuts and decrease in area coverage through the GA in response to tapering federal budget limitations in the 1980s. At the European level, the structural resources established to be one of the more controversial substances to surface in deliberations connecting Bonn and Brussels (Hooghe, 171). Works Cited Adams, William James. Singular Europe: Economy and Polity of the European Community University of Michigan Press, 1992. Berg, Leo van den, Erik Braun, and J. van der Meer. National Urban Policies in the European Union. Ashgate, 2007. Black, Stanley W. Europe’s Economy Looks East: Implications for Germany and the European Union. Cambridge University Press, 1997. Clout, Hugh D. Western Europe. Longman, 1986. Dent, Christopher. The European Economy. Routledge, 1997. Hannequart, Achille. Economic and Social Cohesion in Europe: A New Objective for Integration. Routledge, 1992. Harris, Simon, Alan Swinbank, and Guy Wikinson. The Food and Farm Policies of the European Community. Wiley, 1983. Hooghe, Liesbet. Cohesion Policy and European Integration: Building Multi-Level Governance. Oxford University Press, 1996. Karcz, Jerzy F. Soviet and East European Agriculture. USA: University of California Press, 1967. Leibfried, Stephan, and Paul Pierson. European Social Policy: Between Fragmentation and Integration. Brookings Institution Press, 1995. Loehnis, Anthony, and Guillermo de la Dehesa. Flexible Integration: Towards a More Effective and Democratic Europe. London: Centre for Economic Policy Research, 1995. Â