Cowgirl Chocolates Essay

1. What are some of the critical strengths and weaknesses of Cowgirl Chocolates that determine the success of this small business? Can the weaknesses be overcome by the strengths of the business? Some of the critical strengths of Cowgirl Chocolates that determine the success of this small business include product differentiation, quality, flexible return policy, and personalization. Cowgirl Chocolates is very modern creation since it meets the needs of a specific market of spicy and chocolate fans by combining both cayenne, a spice, and chocolate, a sweetener. The business also is known for using premium ingredients in all of the chocolates it offers. The business not only offers a flexible return policy, which gives customers a full refund guarantee if they end up disliking the spicy truffles but also facilitates trial purchases for customers interested in the spicy chocolates. The company also uses personal notes in the Web site orders in order to build customer satisfaction. Some of the critical weaknesses of Cowgirl Chocolates include having a high production cost, not having a tailored mission statement for this specific business, and lacking focus. Cowgirl Chocolates has to pay a lot of money for the packaging, ingredients, and travel expenses to make the hot caramel dessert sauce. The business also is unfocused because of weak distribution, there is no product definition or market research, and the target market is thus dispersed due to not having a properly defined consumer base. Yes, the weaknesses can be overcome by the strengths of the business if the business spends time focusing on the weaknesses listed in order to build a more successful small business. 2. Using the total product view, describe the â€Å"hot and spicy chocolate truffle† offered by Cowgirl Chocolates? Based on this product view do you think this product will be readily accepted by consumers? Why or why not? The â€Å"hot and spicy chocolate truffle† offered by Cowgirl Chocolates were offered in several flavors such as plain chocolate, mint, orange, lime tequila, and espresso. The plain chocolate, mint, and orange truffles were wrapped in gold wrappers, the lime tequila truffles were wrapped in green wrappers, and the espresso truffles were wrapped in red wrappers in order for the customer to recognize that this truffle was extra spicy and hot. Personally, I believe the packaging of the truffles is not fully understandable because red does denote something hot, while the other flavors wrappers don’t fully translate to being hot and spicy. The truffles were also available in gift boxes, drawstring muslin bags, a collectible tin, and also in a plastic bag if the customer chose to purchase the truffles on the Cowgirl Chocolates website. Personally, I do not believe that consumers will readily accept this product because the general market of consumers will more than likely purchase sweet, milky chocolates over hot and spicy chocolates. The purchase of Cowgirl Chocolates fully depends on whether the consumer likes the taste rather than attractive packaging and different experience. 3. What market do you think the â€Å"hot and spicy truffles† is competing in—the hot and spicy food market, the chocolate candy market, the gift niche market, or other? Personally, I believe the â€Å"hot and spicy truffles† are competing in the chocolate candy market because when one thinks of the name â€Å"Cowgirl Chocolates† the word â€Å"chocolate† comes to mind rather than hot and spicy. The hot and spicy food market is strongly associated with spices, sauces, Mexican foods, and Spanish influenced foods. Cowgirl Chocolates thus seems more likely to be successful in the chocolate candy market rather than the hot and spicy food market due to the unique packaging of the truffles, the brand name given to the product, and the premium ingredients and price. 4. What is your assessment of Marilyn’s promotional efforts? In order for Marilyn to increase the sale of her chocolates, should she use a push or pull communication strategy? Personally, I believe that Marilyn has been very effective with her promotional efforts in order to create customer demand. Through the use of her award-winning recognition for packaging at various art shows, advertising in her local newspaper, the Soviet Awards recognition of her unique and tasty products, and presence and involvement with Seattle Chocolates have thus far helped bring some awareness for her product. In order for Marilyn to increase the sale of her chocolates, she should use a pull communication strategy because the more publicity she is able to gain for product and creative packaging, the greater awareness she will thus be able to gain for her business. 5. As you examine Exhibit 2, you will note that Cowgirl Chocolates offers several gift packages (1/4 pound, 1/2 pound, 1 lb., gift bucket, gift basket, nothing fancy) that range in suggested retail prices from $8. 95 to $59. 95. Given these price and packaging alternatives what type of product (convenience, shopping, or specialty) is Cowgirl Chocolates? Based on this classification would the buyer decision more likely to be a routine, limited or complex decision? Explain your reasoning. Given these price and packaging alternatives I believe Cowgirl Chocolates are specialty products because they are more expensive and thus for the most part exclusively distributed in either specialty stores or gift stores. By classifying Cowgirl Chocolates as specialty products, buyer decision would more likely be a limited decision because it requires putting though in the shopping process and therefore the decision whether to purchase or not purchase the product the product takes place in a store environment where the display of the products is thus very important to whether or not the customer will thus end up purchasing the product. 6. The suggested retail price and wholesale prices of Cowgirl Chocolates products are displayed in Exhibit 2 along with the product and packaging costs. Based on this information, discuss the relative merits of using a cost-based, demand-based, or competition based pricing method. The relative merits of using a cost-based, demand-based, or competition based pricing method include recognizing the that the retail prices are pretty much double the wholesale price. Thus, the combined packaging costs and the imported chocolate make these high-quality products very costly even before markups on the products are made at both the wholesale and retail level. Similarly, when one compares the price of for example, the half pound tin, that seems very expensive when compared to a 24 pack of Lindor Chocolate Truffles which costs $12. 00 a bag. 7. Construct a table consisting of the generic marketing mix strategies. Based on what you know about Cowgirl Chocolates, what marketing mix plan would you recommend to Marilyn and why? Based on what I know about Cowgirl Chocolates, I would recommend gift purchases to Marilyn because gift purchases are strongly influenced by both situational and temporary conditions, which thus allow for numerous opportunities to purchase Cowgirl Chocolates. Furthermore, these chocolates are very appropriate to give to a male consumer because research shows that men like hot and spicy foods more so than women. Cowgirl Chocolates would also be a good small gift to someone hosting a party or a dinner since a lot of consumers look around for a small gift in order to say thank you to the hostess.? 8. For a small business like Cowgirl Chocolates, what benefits and/or potential problems does a website offer? For a small business like Cowgirl Chocolates, a website offers both benefits and potential problems. The benefits include providing Marilyn the opportunity to build an online customer database and a database with customers who are thus repeat customers. Another benefit includes the business Cowgirl Chocolates to gain online awareness by being features on the appropriate online portals like chocolate candies and unique gift products. The potential problems include the possibility of sales increasing online and Marilyn thus must figure out a way to manage the increasing demand which might include having to pay additional costs in both packaging and shipping and additional labor costs in order to prepare the packages.

End of the novel Essay

This is similar to Victor’s pursuit for glory, as both men (Victor and Walton) are putting the life of themselves and other men in danger by continuing to try and achieve their ambition. From Victor’s above words we can see that he is still motivated to seek revenge on the monster, despite the danger to his life. He also attempts to put the life of others in danger, as he asks Walton to murder the monster if he gets a chance:  If I do (die), swear to me, Walton, that (the monster) shall not escape; that you seek him, and satisfy my vengeance in his death.  (Volume 3, Chapter 7, p212) When Victor enters the novel, he is portrayed as a noble and kind person who is capable of both love and friendship. He has strong ambition and eager to learn. However, one gets the impression that when he starts to create life, he is trying to take the role of God, and becomes obsessed with gaining glory and power so much, that he forgets the importance of love and family. Victor also fails to care for the monster, which in my opinion is highly monstrous as it just like abandoning a new born baby. Furthermore, Victor acts selfishly in many occasions throughout the play. He decides to create a female companion for the monster, to stop the monster chasing him. But he goes against his promise when he thinks about what the world will think of him, if a â€Å"race of monsters† attacks the world. Everything Victor does is centred on himself and he only thinks about what benefit it would be to himself, when he considers an action. Now that I have considered Victor as a character, I will now examine the monster. The monster starts off his life as an innocent creature; however his abnormal figure and demented shape caused people to be scared of him and reject him. When the monster walked into an old man’s home to â€Å"obtain food and shelter†, the old man:  -turned on hearing a noise; and, perceiving (the monster), shrieked loudly, and, quitting the hut, ran across the fields.  (Volume 2, Chapter 3, p108) All the man had to see was monsters figure to make him run away without any enquiry. This suggests that the creature’s look posed a threat to everyone who saw him, and led to him being alienated from society.  However the monster is quite kind to start off with. While he was observing the De Lacy family, he demonstrates his kind gestures by gathering â€Å"a great pile of wood† for the De Lacy family to use as firewood. He also put their well being before his starvation, as he stopped stealing â€Å"a part of their store for (his) own consumption† when he found out that it â€Å"inflicted pain on the cottagers†. During the beginning period the monster spends with the De Lacy family, he â€Å"perceives that the words they spoke sometimes produced pleasure or pain, smiles or sadness, in the minds and countenances of the hearers†. He too wanted to be able to interact in this way and â€Å"ardently desired to become acquainted† with speech. This shows that the monster is eager to learn and wants to become just like other humans. Once the monster has mastered the use of speech, his desire to be like humans motivated him to enter the house of the De Lacy family, and speak to the blind old man when he was â€Å"left alone at the cottage†. This shows that the monster has some wit and cleverness as he selects a person who can’t judge him by his figure, but his personality and speech. However, whilst he is talking to the blind old man, the rest of the De Lacy family return home and were shocked by the appearance of the monster to such an extent that Felix, a male member of the De Lacy family, beat the monster â€Å"violently with a stick† using â€Å"supernatural force†. It is this mistreatment of the monster that sparks a deadly hatred within himself for his creator. The monster had received abuse from the De Lacy family after he had helped them, all because of the way that Victor had made him look, and the fact that he had failed to protect him. It is this anger that makes the monster monstrous by personality and drives him to kill William (Victor’s younger brother):  Ã¢â‚¬Å"‘Frankenstein! You belong then to my enemy–to him towards whom I have sworn eternal revenge; you shall be my first victim.’  (Volume 2, Chapter 8, p144) The monster also seems to be jealous of Victor, as he knows that he can never have love and relationship like him and other humans because of the way he looks. We know this because the monster frames Justine for murder of William, as he knew he could never possess anything as beautiful as her. And it is this feeling that brings the monster to demand Victor to make â€Å"a creature of another sex, but as hideous as† himself. From this, we can see all that the monster wants is a bit of love and companionship, to make him lead a life which is similar to humans. However Victor cheats the monster by first agreeing to create the female monster, but then â€Å"tearing (her) to pieces† in front the monster at the final stages of her production. This upsets the monster as Victor has effectively destroyed the monster’s only chance of love in front of his eyes. This antagonism caused the monster to become monstrous once again, as he murders both Henry Clerval and Elizabeth (now Victor’s wife): -what I now held in my arms had ceased to be the Elizabeth whom I had loved and cherished. The murderous mark of the fiend’s grasp was on her neck, and the breath had ceased to issue from her lips. (Volume 3, Chapter 6, p199)  Despite this, the monster does illustrate some humane characteristics towards the end of the novel. He presents great grievance for the death of Victor, and heartfelt remorse for his malicious actions:  Oh, Frankenstein! generous and self-devoted being! What does it avail that I now ask thee to pardon me? I, who irretrievably destroyed thee by destroying all thou lovedst.

Advantage of Social Networks in Business-Free-Samples for Students

Social network sites have become popular marketing tools for the marketers towards promoting the brand value of an organization to the customers (Leonardi, Huysman and Steinfield 2013). This study will discuss the existing literature regarding the impact of social media sites on the business performance. Moreover, this literature review will specifically use food and beverage industry for demonstrating the impact of social network sites on business performance. The study will focus on both the advantage and disadvantage of social network sites on the food and beverage industry. The scope of the literature review is to explore the business opportunities through the usage of social network sites. The literature review can also provide ample information regarding the advantage and disadvantage of social network sites on business performance. Moreover, from this literature review, it is also possible to know the better way of using social network sites in business. Social networking is an online platform, which people mostly use for building social relation or social network with other people. Most of these people use similar career interest, personal interest, backgrounds, activities and real-life connection. According to Luo and Zhong (2015), social networking is the usage of internet-based social media program for making connection with family, friends, classmates, clients and customers. Moreover, social networks are used both for social purpose and business purpose through the sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, Google+, YouTube and Pinterest. As per Okazaki and Taylor (2013), marketers use social networking sites towards enhancing brand recognition and brand loyalty. Such networking sites make an organization more accessible to the new customers and more recognizable to the existing customers. On the other hand, Laroche, Habibi and Richard (2013) opined that social networking sites assist in promoting brand’s content and voice. Therefore, it helps in better communication of brand value from one customer to other through social networking sites. According to Gensler et al. (2013), customers may compliment the company offerings and encourage the other customers towards purchasing the products or service. Furthermore, markers can get wide customer base to reach at through the social networking sites, which can in turn enhance the customer base. Apart from that, customers can also get proper customer feedback of any particular product through these social networking sites. Such feedback leads an organization towards mo difying the products as per customer preferences, which can lead to high level of competitive advantage and increasing sales. Food and Beverage industry is Australia is facing tough competition in today’s competitive business environment. In such situation, organizations need increasing business communication with the customers for promoting the brand value. According to Nielsen and Schrà ¸der (2014), customers, who are in the same social network, are more likely to share important organizational offerings, product image and features among their friend groups. In this way, the food and beverage sectors communicate their brand value through the customers. On the other hand, Hajli (2014) opined that customers can also share their opinion regarding a particular product through social media networks. Moreover, they can also share their objections regarding any particular products and suggest any recommendation over the products as per their preferences. Such options enhance customer value through gaining valuable customer insights and considering their suggestion over product improvement. In this way, s ocial networks can be used for building warm and long lasting relationship with the customers. As per Maier et al. (2015), organizations can also use social media monitoring for gaining key information regarding the competitors. It can help organizations to add unique features to their products or services for gaining competitive edge and enhanced customer loyalty. While considering the example of Dick Smith Foods, it can be seen that the organization perfectly uses social networking sites for adding competitive edge in their business model. Moreover, they check the information of their competitors through social networking sites and incorporates unique blend of ingredients to their foods for gaining competitive advantage (Lin, Fan and Chau 2014). On the other hand, Park and Kim (2014) opined that the food and service sectors significantly use social networking sites for reaching the business content to the customers within shortest possible time. Considering all these positive impacts, all types of businesses in Australia ranging from small to medium sized organizations have started extensive usage of these sites to their business.   Figure 1: Proportion of Social Media Usage in Australian Businesses Over the past few decades, the way of shopping of the people has been changed and improved considerably. They are now more inclined to search for product or service information through social media sites before initiating purchasing action. Social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram enable the users towards maintaining great connection among themselves and others. According to Leftheriotis and Giannakos (2014), such customers are more likely to share attractive information regarding their favourite products with the customers through these social network sites. Customers are more likely to trust on such information shared by their closed friends. Therefore, such shared information encourages the customers towards purchasing the products. Recently, most of the people are inclined towards online shopping. They usually do have much time to physically present in the shop and search for information towards purchasing the products. Leonardi (2014) pointed out that social networking sites provide them the opportunities to search for product information by sitting at their home.   In this way, they can take immediate purchasing decisions by searching online information about the products. Furthermore, the positive product comments on the social networking sites create good impression about a particular product on consumer mind. Therefore, such positive product comments immediately encourage and motivate the customers towards purchasing a particular product. Social networking sites expose an organization to the new customers and enhance the recognition of brand value to the existing customers. Such sites enhance the effectiveness of word of mouth for the products through one customer recommending their favourite product to others. In this way, social networking sites increase the brand exposure of an organization to wide customer base. According to Ashley and Tuten (2015), high quality contents of the advertisement posted on social networking sites integrate the targeted keywords of the organization. Social networking sites direct people to the company website and enhance the search ranking. Moreover, such sites also enhance the customer referrals, which actually increase the total volume of customer base. Social networking sites can generate huge amount of data regarding the customers in real time. Moreover, Habibi, Laroche and Richard (2014) stated that organizations can gather huge customer information regarding their brand preference, dislikes and suggestion. In this daily active engagement and social listening effectively gather relevant customer data and use that information in making smarter business decisions.   Social networking sites allow the customers sharing their feedbacks over a particular product or service. Moreover, Kim and Park (2013) opined that customers can even share their objections regarding the products and service experience and get better modified product or service for better customer service. In this way, better customer service leads to successful business through having long term satisfied customers. Apart from getting feedback over a particular product or service, organizations can also get effective suggestions from the customers through social networking sites for the betterment of the products. In this way, organizations can get new business opportunities through the suggestions provided by the customers on the social network sites. Social networking sites can help in better analysis of competitive edge of the competitors. In this way, the organization can target the customers of the competitor companies through adding some unique features to the products (Nielsen and Schrà ¸der 2014). It helps organizations in gaining competitive advantage over the rivals and increasing overall sales volume. It takes only 30 minutes to build any social media account. However, managing social media account on day-to-day basis is an extremely time consuming activity. Moreover, Okazaki and Taylor (2013) opined that organization has to set aside time and resources for posting product information, interacting with customers and giving them right feedback. All these things need adequate amount of valuable time of the organization, which could have been used by other means towards enhancing organizational productivity. Positive experience shared by the customers on social network sites can encourage other customers to purchase a particular product. However, if a customer faces any bad experience with a particular product, he/she may be compelled to share his/her bad experience over social network sites. As per Luo and Zhong (2015), the business owners are to properly handle such negative comments on the social network sites or otherwise, it can ruin the reputation of an organization in the market. Social network sites can also open an organization towards legal risks. Moreover, legal obligations can be raised for false advertising or potential leaking of confidential information on the networks. In the year 2011, Australian court had fines an organization for their comments on Facebook page, which was considered as misleading (Hajli 2014).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The use of social media platforms can be free, but it has some hidden cost associated with it. Effective social media usage requires posting regular updates on the selected platforms. It requires employing effective personnel having comprehensive knowledge about the medium, ability to write attractive and high quality content for the page and adequate time to research, planning and publishing the post on the networks (Ashley and Tuten 2015). Therefore, social networking sites add some hidden cost to the business, which enhances the overall business expenditure. Organizations need not to use each and every social media platform for promoting their brand value. Moreover, they should choose specific social media platform, which can add to the growth of the business. Moreover, the organizations can also set specific key performance indicators for the growth of business through a specific social media platform. Moreover, the organizations should use highly attractive product information in the content of the social media platform. It will attract both new and existing customers towards the products and services. Furthermore, organizations should effectively and promptly handle the negative comment on the social network sites (Maier et al. 2015). The customer should positively answer the customers and try to resolve their issues immediately before it leads to customer dissatisfaction. In this way, the organizations can protect their business reputation from getting hampered by negative comments. This literature review has some literature gaps associated with it. It was not possible to apply accurate theories and models due to time and budget constraints. Moreover, the literature review has lack of critical analysis and penetration, which can negatively affect the summary of the literature review. Moreover, it was also quite difficult to gather adequate information regarding the topic of the research, which can hamper the quality of the final research outcome. Furthermore, the information collected from the secondary sources can also be manipulative in nature, which can reduce the accuracy level of the research outcome. In this way, the lack of authenticity of the literature review can hamper the ultimate quality of the research outcome. While concluding the study, it can be said that social networking sites enhances the brand promotion of an organization. Over the years, several small, middle and large scale food and beverage organizations have started to use social median platform for getting high level of business growth. Such networks enhance business communication through positive word-of-mouth advertisement. On the other hand, social networks get better customer insights and opinions, which can be aligned with the business model for gaining high level of business competiveness over the rivals. On the hand, social network sites can also have some disadvantages on the business. Moreover, negative comment on the social network sites can ruin the business reputation of organizations. Ashley, C. and Tuten, T., 2015. Creative strategies in social media marketing: An exploratory study of branded social content and consumer engagement.  Psychology & Marketing,  32(1), pp.15-27. Gensler, S., Và ¶lckner, F., Liu-Thompkins, Y. and Wiertz, C., 2013. Managing brands in the social media environment.  Journal of Interactive Marketing,  27(4), pp.242-256. Habibi, M.R., Laroche, M. and Richard, M.O., 2014. The roles of brand community and community engagement in building brand trust on social media.  Computers in Human Behavior,  37, pp.152-161. Hajli, M.N., 2014. A study of the impact of social media on consumers.  International Journal of Market Research,  56(3), pp.387-404. Hajli, M.N., 2014. The role of social support on relationship quality and social commerce.  Technological Forecasting and Social Change,  87, pp.17-27. Kim, S. and Park, H., 2013. Effects of various characteristics of social commerce (s-commerce) on consumers’ trust and trust performance.  International Journal of Information Management ,  33(2), pp.318-332. Laroche, M., Habibi, M.R. and Richard, M.O., 2013. To be or not to be in social media: How brand loyalty is affected by social media?.  International Journal of Information Management,  33(1), pp.76-82. Leftheriotis, I. and Giannakos, M.N., 2014. Using social media for work: Losing your time or improving your work?.  Computers in Human Behavior,  31, pp.134-142. Leonardi, P.M., 2014. Social media, knowledge sharing, and innovation: Toward a theory of communication visibility.  Information systems research,  25(4), pp.796-816. Leonardi, P.M., Huysman, M. and Steinfield, C., 2013. Enterprise social media: Definition, history, and prospects for the study of social technologies in organizations.  Journal of Computer?Mediated Communication,  19(1), pp.1-19. Lin, H., Fan, W. and Chau, P.Y., 2014. Determinants of users’ continuance of social networking sites: A self-regulation perspective.  Information & Management ,  51(5), pp.595-603. Luo, Q. and Zhong, D., 2015. Using social network analysis to explain communication characteristics of travel-related electronic word-of-mouth on social networking sites.  Tourism Management ,  46, pp.274-282. Maier, C., Laumer, S., Eckhardt, A. and Weitzel, T., 2015. Giving too much social support: social overload on social networking sites.  European Journal of Information Systems,  24(5), pp.447-464. Nielsen, R.K. and Schrà ¸der, K.C., 2014. The relative importance of social media for accessing, finding, and engaging with news: an eight-country cross-media comparison.  Digital journalism,  2(4), pp.472-489. Okazaki, S. and Taylor, C.R., 2013. Social media and international advertising: theoretical challenges and future directions.  International marketing review,  30(1), pp.56-71. Park, H. and Kim, Y.K., 2014. The role of social network websites in the consumer–brand relationship.  Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services,  21(4), pp.460-467.

The Oxbow and View of Toledo paintings Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Oxbow and View of Toledo paintings - Essay Example On the other hand, the â€Å"View of Toledo† is a landscape painting that was done by El Greco back in the late 15th to early 16th century – specifically around 1540/41 to 1614. When compared to the one by Cole â€Å"The Oxbow†, both can be concluded to be landscape paintings. The painting was then executed in 1570 together with other paintings that he had done. When compared to â€Å"The Oxbow† landscape painting by Cole, it can be revealed that they had different dates of execution as â€Å"The Oxbow† was executed in 1830 a few centuries later on. The artistic style that was used by El Greco in his painting was majorly baroque which represents the use of motion, tension, enthusiasm and clarity. When compared to â€Å"The Oxbow† there was a difference since it was a renaissance realism painting while the one by El Greco was a baroque painting. When it comes to the medium of usage, both paintings used oil on canvas. The sizes of both painting s differed since â€Å"The Oxbow† was slightly bigger than the â€Å"View of Toledo† which was 47 3/4 by 42 3/4 inches. The artistic techniques in both paintings were the same – that is baroque which was common in France and Spain. The presentation work of both paintings was done on canvas material and lastly the title of the painting - â€Å"View of Toledo† adequately helps an audience interpret what they are viewing. The subject matter that has been projected by both paintings is landscaping. In addition to that, when an individual views both paintings, they can be in a position to feel as if they are part.

Explore how Ken Loach articulates social concerns in( Kes.) Assignment

Explore how Ken Loach articulates social concerns in( Kes.) - Assignment Example It is undoubtedly a momentous occasion for not just the British economy but for British politics, culture and social life as well. In many ways the old bastion of solidarity and nationalism was coming to an end. The coal mining communities that are portrayed in Kes were perhaps that of the last generation of miners. In a span of a decade the complexion of British industry would change from manufacturing-based to that of finance. The heart-beat of British economy in 1969 was industrial towns of North in which the film is set. In a matter of a few years, London would become the nerve-centre of British economy with its transformation into a global financial hub. A central social theme in Kes is that of alienation. It is about how an individual feels cut off from emotional or moral support even when he has relatives and social institutions to call upon. Billy Casper signifies that individual, whose troubled life is a metaphor for a whole generation of the British working class. The film is successful because Loach manages to invoke a strong representation of this collective pathos through the character of Casper. The author of the novel upon which the movie is based, Barry Hines, was instrumental toward this end, for his very visual style helped Loach. Together the two artists were able to project the powerful central image of Kasper’s Kestrel – â€Å"that lowest of the hawks – its an eagle for an emperor and a kestrel for a knave – is a wonderful image for the boy’s life and prospects. This central image not only helps hold the whole piece together but stays in people’s minds†. (Macnab, 1999) To boot it is socially relevant and resonant even today. For example, Loach never allows us to forget â€Å"the social and economic circumstances which underpin Billys existence. He lives on a rough estate and looks destined to end up working in the mines. Billys prospects wouldnt be any better today.† (Macnab,

Organisation and change Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Organisation and change - Article Example This brings loyalty from franchises and suppliers and they become more committed for the company's growth (Aswathappa, 2006). The company is however challenged by the need to continuously innovate to grow while operating flawlessly (Gubman and Russell, 2006). This report will find out how McDonald's is managing change to survive in the competitive business environment. The aim of this report is to present a consolidated change portfolio for McDonald's. The objective of this study is to find out the drivers of change for this fast food joint and this will be achieved by P.E.S.T and. Force-field analysis. The objective of the study is also to identify and justify the type of change McDonald's is facing. In addition, the report will present the process of managing change within McDonald's by using relevant change models. A number of books, journals and magazines have been used to collect information for preparing this report. The report will be divided into several sections and will also include a summary of findings and recommendations as well as conclusion. McDonald's has been asked by the US government to ensure the health of its customers. The company acknowledged that some of their suppliers were heavily using growth-stimulating antibiotics on chicken, beef and pork. These chemicals were proven to be injurious to human health and the authorities asked the food giant to help curb this practice. McDonald's has asked the suppliers from the meat industry to phase out the practice or lose business. The company is also working with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals to improve the ways in which animals are raised and slaughtered (Greider, 2003). Economic The number of children also increased due to the rise in per capita income in the 1950s. This good economic period saw an increase in the number of suburbs in America and this encouraged the proliferation of chain restaurants such as McDonald's. The company opened restaurants in convenient locations where families in their cars could eat quickly the very affordable food (Debres, 2005). McDonald's restaurants were present in a large number of American suburbs by 1965 and the company avoided inner city locations until the 1970s. The company stepped outside US in 1967 and entered Canada and Puerto Rico. It then forayed into Europe and found out that it will not be successful if it continued to operate in the suburbs. There was no commercial development in the suburbs of Europe and the main markets were in the central cities (Debres, 2005). Social McDonald's popularity soared during the 1950s and 1960s when the Americans changed their lifestyle and began to enjoy the post-war period. More number of Americans decided to have more children and it became a common sight to see families with three or more children. McDonald's was oriented towards the family market and focussed on attracting small children, teenagers and young adults (Debres, 2005). Today, the customers visiting these food joints appreciate a sense of freedom they feel once they step into the facility. The young adults are very happy about the self-service concept and the minimal adult contact they have in

How to avoid making email a career-ending Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

How to avoid making email a career-ending - Essay Example In that apology email to the boss, ensure that she (the boss) does not ignore the email (as she probably receives dozens of emails daily and especially in the morning). In order to ensure this, the subject of the email should indicate it’s an apology and should be in capital letters so that it easily attracts attention thereby reducing the chances of it being ignored (Schwalbe and Shipley, 2008). Having decided to send the email, ensure that the emotions and tone are indicated in the email for sincerity purposes, identify yourself and explain how sorry you are for sending such an email, show respect to the authority by using formal language and keep the message focused. After drafting the email, proofread it (even if it is loudly) to ensure you have passed your sincere apologies and then check the email address again and sending options to ensure the previous sending mistake of a private message to the public is not repeated the send it (Jerz and Bauer, 2011). In order to ensure you do not end your career, offer to schedule an appointment with her to apologize in person. Barry D. (May 6, 2007). â€Å"You’ve Got Trouble.† The New York Times. Retrieved from:

Researching and Developing a New Business Venture Essay

Researching and Developing a New Business Venture - Essay Example The paper also focuses on the micro level evaluation of the restaurant industry, with the help of Porter’s five forces model. Subsequently, the paper accentuates on the micro-level restaurant industry evaluation, with due consideration to the economic viability of the restaurant business model. The paper further confers the mission and the aspiration of the team. Finally, the paper concludes with the discussion of the rationale for the attractiveness of the new venture and cites reasons for the same. Table of Contents Executive Summary 2 Introduction 4 Micro-Level Market Assessment 5 Macro-Level Market Assessment 7 Macro-Level Industry Assessment 8 Micro-Level Industry Assessment 10 Team Assessment 13 Summary and Conclusions 15 References 16 Bibliography 19 Introduction The paper comprises of a customer feasibility assessment for setting up an Afro-Caribbean restaurant in Allerton, a suburb in Liverpool, United Kingdom. The paper initially focuses on the micro-level assessment of the market for the restaurant. This assessment is focussed on identifying the target market segment for the Afro-Caribbean restaurant, its size and growth opportunity. The assessment also accentuates on the needs of the target group and the suitability of the restaurant’s cuisines in meeting those needs. ... Conclusively, the paper discusses the rationale for the attractiveness of the new venture and cites reasons for the same (Mullins, 2007). Micro-Level Market Assessment The potential target market for an Afro-Caribbean restaurant in Allerton, Liverpool would be the British Afro Caribbean community and other ethnic groups residing in the area as well as the British population who have a liking for Caribbean foods. The total population of Allerton has been estimated to be around 30,000 (VDC Group, 2011). It has been observed that a decent magnitude of ethnic population resides in the Allerton region and its vicinity. Bernstock (2007), had stated in his study on the meal preference of Afro-Caribbean people that a clear correlation could be identified amid the African-Caribbean populace interviewed and their consumption preference, with an obvious inclination for Afro Caribbean cooking. This was despite the fact that there have been considerable cultural and social changes that has been o bserved amongst the Afro Caribbean population in the United Kingdom over the years (Caterer and Hotelkeeper, 1986). Additionally, the rapidly increasing statistics of ‘Black and Minority Ethnic’ restaurants imply that there is huge potential for a restaurant business, catering Afro Caribbean foods (Bernstock 2007). This is particularly true for Allerton because this neighbourhood of Liverpool does not have any prominent eatery dedicated solely to Afro Caribbean cuisines. During the recent years, a significant market has emerged for the category of cuisine, often referred as the ‘ethnic’ food. The augmented production of ethnic food in the UK lately is partially a response to the expanding group of African and other Ethnic communities in the UK. However, the growth in

Child labor in India & Peru Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Child labor in India & Peru - Essay Example One of the key reasons as to why children are being used in the force labor is to support their families due to poverty and other conditions. Lack of schooling and inadequate financial resources, caste system and other socioeconomic conditions force parents to engage their children in child labor Peru is another country with one of the worst records in terms of the child labor, however, its government is believed to be working towards the implementation of strategy to overcome this. What is critical to note that children in Peru are working under the hazardous conditions and are being employed mostly in the agriculture and mining sector? Recent data suggests that approximately 68% of the children under the working age are being employed in various sectors with majority being employed in the agriculture and mining sector. In agriculture sector, children are mostly assumed to be working for growing rice, sugarcane, barley and other crops indicating that the children may be involved in the hard labor wherein they may be forced to work in areas where they may not be suitable for this type of hard labor. The herding of livestock is another area where children are being employed or forced to work. (Bekele and Boyden). It is however, critical to note that most of the forced child labor in the country is in gold mines as mining is the second largest area where children are employed as workers. It is critical to note, however, that the working conditions in the gold mines are relatively difficult and hard for children.

Sustainable Project Management Methods and Techniques for Sustainable Games Development Essay Example for Free

Sustainable Project Management Methods and Techniques for Sustainable Games Development Essay If organizations want to incorporate sustainability into their strategy and culture, sustainability principles need to be integrated in projects and project management. The purpose of this paper is to critically reflect on the importance of considering sustainability in projects and evaluate appropriate methods and techniques for embedding sustainability principles in project management. This essay is organized in four main parts. The importance of considering sustainability in project is critically analyzed in the next part. Methods and Techniques for the integration of sustainability in project management are evaluated on the third part of the essay. This will involve practical examples from the workplace and case studies focused on new media projects, in particular, the development of games and applications. Concluding remarks are presented in the last part of the essay. 2. The importance of sustainability in project management The debate about the importance of considering sustainability in project management cannot be appropriately discussed without understanding the need for corporate sustainability and its drivers. Project management is intrinsically embedded in the business environment and we cannot to evaluate the significance of sustainable projects management without analyzing the importance on embedding sustainability into business. Both go hand in hand. Sustainability in business aims to achieve long term financial success while contributing to economic and social growth, and reducing its impact in the environment. Corporate sustainability includes three dimensions of needs, known as the â€Å"triple bottom line†; economic prosperity; social equity and quality of life; ecological resource preservation. Corporate sustainability can be defined as â€Å" a business approach that creates long-term shareholder value by embracing opportunities and managing risks derived from economic, environmental and social developments† ( Dow Jones Sustainability indexes, 2011). While the issue of sustainable business, often referred under the â€Å"green† umbrella, has been the object of abundant literature, there has been little emphasis on understanding how the principles of sustainability apply to project and project management until recently. Taking into account the pivotal role of projects in the shaping of products and services within organization, it is surprising that these to concepts- sustainability and project management- have not had more relevance in the discussion of corporate sustainability. As Maltzman and Shirley rightly question in their introduction to Green Project Management (2011, p. xxi): â€Å"Projects are where business ideas become reality, after all. Projects, by definition, use resources. Shouldn’t projects, therefore, be a key are of any focus on green business? † The business case of sustainability has the same multifaceted approach as its definition. The main drivers of green business and projects fall in the 3 main areas considered in the â€Å"triple bottom line approach- social, environmental and financial- plus an added area of legislative drivers. In the following four sub-segments we will analyzed these drivers of from a business and a project management point of view. 2. 1Environmental drivers The environmental sphere of business is related to the management of resources required to produce a product or a service. The two main environmental drivers for organizations are to decrease the impact in the environment generated by harmful waste and to achieve a better use of resources. Sustainable waste management can bring financial benefits to business by reducing the cost of dealing with the impact of the damage to the environment degradation; with regards to resource use, the focus is on efficiency. The less materials they are use, the greater the positive environmental impact. This also applies to human resources and time management. Minimizing waste has also positive financial effects because it drives costs down. Efficient use of resources and time is a vital part of project management, it has been suggested (Maltzman, Shirley 2011) that the discipline of project management always has been concerned on how to efficiently use resources even if that concern did not come from a sustainability background. Good project managers will always try to reduce cost and use resources in the most efficient manner. The only thing that is missing is to add that environmental layer to it. As Gill Friend clearly outline on his book The Truth About Green Business (2009) that sustainable business are not just about the environment, it presents a whole new way of seeing business and it brings a new range of direct opportunities to make money. There is an increasing social interest on sustainability; therefore, there is an increasing demand on products and services that take sustainability into account. 2. 2Social drivers The management of corporate social sustainability is more widely known as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Two Tomorrowsâ„ ¢ (2009) explains that CSR is about â€Å"how businesses align their values and behaviour with the expectations and needs of stakeholders not just customers and investors, but also employees, suppliers, communities, regulators, special interest groups and society as a whole. â€Å" There are many business benefits that can be achieved by taking an ethical and socially responsible approach within the organization. It could help increase brand reputation and value within its stakeholders. Intensive research over 3 year covering 300 firms (Hillman, Kleim, 2001) concluded that investing in stakeholder management may be complementary to shareholder value creation and may indeed provide a basis for competitive advantage as important resources and capabilities may be created that differentiate a firm from competitors. As Maltzman and Shirley (2011, p. 3-25) explain that corporate social responsibility is an integral part of project management. Project managers are at the forefront of business activities and at the leading edge of change within organizations so â€Å"who better to emphasize CSR, particularly if it isn’t in the corporations DNA? †. 2. 3Economic drivers When we talk about economic sustainability we are not only talking about financial capital or tangible capital; economic sustainability it also takes into account intangible capital such as reputation. Tangible effects could be the cost reduction achieved through improved environmental, health and safety performance or revenue increases due to a raise on sales caused by the market opportunities for sustainable products and services. Intangible effects referred to in the figure below (Salzmann et. al. ) as value constructs, do no improve the revenue per se, but they do have significant positive effects that can, indeed, be utilize to achieve financial gains to organizations. The same principles can be applied to project management. Figure 1: Systemization of value drivers and value constructs (Salzmann et al. 2. 4Legal drivers From the facts presented in the previous sections, one might conclude that they create a sufficient business case for sustainability on their own accord. However legislation is still one of the key drivers for organizations to incorporate green business practices. While some voices have raise the financial burden that following this legislations can bring to c ompanies, numerous studies (Greenstone, List and Syverson, 2010; Goodstein, 1994; Jaffe et al. , 1995; Meyer, 1995) have found these economic effects are limited in scope and duration and are fewer in number than previously believed. Moreover it has been empirically demonstrated (Meyer, 1995) that complying with legislations contributes to cost savings by avoiding the financial penalties for not complying and, in some case, by achieving incentives. Regulation can fuel innovation that improve productivity, increase efficiency, and provide substantial cost savings 3. Sustainable game development projects In this section we will evaluate different methods and techniques that help project managers to incorporate sustainability in their projects. Practical examples and tools will be provided focused in the area of games software development. I have chosen this industry not only because we can supplement the research with useful personal work experience, but more importantly because a lot of the discussion on sustainable project manager has been centred in the type of project and we believe that sustainability considerations can and must be embedded in the PM cycle of any project. 3. 1Methods for sustainable project management 3. 1. 1Lean games development: an Agile approach As we have seen in previous section, sustainability principles talk about reducing waste and increasing resource efficiency and understanding stakeholders to drive value. Poppendieck explains (2003) how lean thinking is based on a deep understanding on what it adds value to the project and to the customer, the importance of rapid flow and using the teams capabilities to their best potential, in other words lean thinking is all about sustainability. While lean thinking has its origin in manufacturing, it also can be applied to other industries. In the world of software development, that includes games software, Agile methodologies provide a new framework for the application of lean thinking to software development projects. Lightweight software development methods started to appear in the mid-1970s as a reaction to the inefficiency of the traditional methodology in software development. These are now typically referred to as agile methodologies, after the Agile Manifesto was published in 2001. There are many correspondences between Lean thinking and Agile. David Harvey concludes his essay Lean, Agile by saying : â€Å"the insight of agile, in getting back to fundamentals of how we can work together to deliver things of human as well as commercial value, is compelling; the thrill of lean lies in the discovery that we are not alone. Understanding lean principles and applying agile methodologies will help project managers to incorporate sustainability to software and games development projects. 3. 1. 2Life cycle thinking: It is not over until long after is over Essential to successfully relate sustainability to project management is to understand the cradle to crate philosophy, and to apply sustainability to project life cycle, from the project beginning through closure and beyond. The project life cycle of sustainability should include another phase after the project completion. It can be defined as the complete cycle of a project that includes not only the beginning of the project through to implementation, but also beyond the defined parameters of the projects (Maltzman, Shirley 2011). Dick and Naumann (2010) proposed a definition of green software development that applies the principles of life cycle thinking and that can be also applied to Games Development (GD): â€Å"Green and Sustainable Software Engineering is the art of developing green and sustainable software with a green and sustainable software engineering process.

European Convention on Human Rights

European Convention on Human Rights The European Convention on Human Rights and the supreme court in matters relating to its jurisdiction, the European Court of Human Rights, are no longer a matter of external control, following their incorporation into domestic law via the Human Rights Act 1998.   The European Convention on Human Rights provides that the judgement of ECHR shall be final and that parties to it will abide by the Court’s decisions.   The institution resides in Strasbourg and is responsible for all matters relating to the interpretation and application of the Convention.   In relation to the ‘necessary in a democratic society’ provision, five of the Convention’s Articles specify the phrase in their text, although it is assumed that the Convention as a whole upholds its importance.   This essay examines the European Court of Human Rights (hereinafter ECHR) and its interpretation, and relative importance, of the phrase, ‘necessary in a democratic society’ in r elation to the Convention.   Due to limitations in word count, the contents of this essay are not exhaustive. The inception of communications has seemingly created an increase in challenges relating to Article 8 of the Convention.   In Malone v UK, the ECHR found a breach of Article 8 of the Convention, relating to the right of privacy.   More specifically, it was found that telephone tapping by the police and authorised by the UK Government and condoned by the High Court was in breach of right to privacy, contained in Article 8 of the Convention.   This Article provides: There shall be no interference by a public authority with the exercise of this right except such as is accordance with the law and is necessary in a democratic society in the interests of national security. It was held by the ECHR that tapping was against the Convention because it was not in accordance with law but governed by an unregulated decision.   The reason why it could not be necessary in a democratic society was that there were no constitutional safeguards against misuse of the power.   The Court concluded that the law was unclear and stated that, ‘the minimum degree of legal protection to which citizens are entitled under the rule of law in a democratic society is lacking.’ This case thus initiated new Government legislation to control telephone tapping by the police.   The legislation comes in way of the Interception of Communications Act 1985 which limits telephone tapping to cases where the Home Secretary has issued a warrant and, to safeguard against arbitrary use, the warrant can only be issued in three distinct circumstances, one being serious crime.   Furthermore, a tribunal and Commissioner will review how the Home Secretary has exercised his power s on an annual basis.   The main findings of this case were reiterated in Kruslin v France and Huvig v France, where it was decided that there were insufficient safeguards in the law and that, accordingly, the Convention was violated. A very different approach was reached by the court in Klass v Federal Republic of Germany. In that case, German legislation was challenged for authorising the inception of mail and telecommunications.   It was held that, whilst the right to privacy was infringed, the inceptions were justified due to the ‘necessary in a democratic society’ provision, contained in paragraph 2.   It was said that surveillance of citizens was legitimate to the extent that it was ‘safeguarding the democratic institutions’ of the State.   As there were no adequate guarantees against abuse, Article 8 was not violated.   It can be observed from these cases that their relationship to Article 8 of the Convention is markedly similar, yet, they have been decided differently.   The cases symbolise the importance of the phrase relating to the necessity of a democratic society but show how, according to its own discretion, the court can manipulate the case one of two ways:   ei ther by stating the importance of a democratic society in safeguarding the State and thus authorising the surveillance of citizens, or; offering protection to the same citizens because this is what is needed in a democratic society.   It seems that the cases were decided upon according to the likelihood of relative threat, as the Convention states, ‘in the interest of national security, public safety or the economic well being of the country, for the prevention of disorder or crime, for the protection of health or morals, or for the protection of the rights and freedoms of others.’ Article 10 of the Convention provides for the right to freedom of expression.   These freedoms are subject to ‘formalities, conditions, restrictions and penalties, as are prescribed by law and necessary in a democratic society.’   At this point, it is perhaps worthwhile to note that the ECHR applies what is known as the margin of appreciation, so that Member States have a measure of national discretion in the way they give effect to general standards set out in the Convention.   An example is the ECHR’s decision in favour of the United Kingdom’s decision to ban the film, Visions of Ecstasy, under its blasphemy law, in spite of the Director’s claim that it violated his right to freedom of speech. The Court ruled by seven votes to two that the refusal of the Director’s claim was justified under Article 10(2) as being necessary in a democratic society.   The Board of Film Classification believed that the film would infringe the criminal l aw of blasphemy.   It was stated however that although the law of blasphemy did not treat all religions equally, it did not detract from the legitimacy of the Director’s aim, and it was consistent with the aims of Article 9 of the Convention.   The Court ruled that while the law of blasphemy was invoked rarely, there was not sufficient consensus with Member States to conclude that the blasphemy legislation was ‘unnecessary in a democratic society and incompatible with the Convention.’   The restriction was justified on the basis of excessive interference to Christians, which could amount to blasphemy. The United Kingdom’s record in relation to cases taken against it in the ECHR is not promising.   In 2000, the United Kingdom came second to Turkey in this vein. These decisions are extremely important because they are now binding precedents in the law of the United Kingdom.   Although the case of Wingrove may have pleased the United Kingdom with the imposition of the margin of appreciation, there have been a number of controversial cases in which the decisions have gone against it.   One example was the decision that the rights of suspected IRA terrorists had been violated by their summary execution in Gibralter.   It follows that the ‘necessary in a democratic society’ provision, is capable of being argued either way.

Belgian Neutrality in the mid 1800s Essay -- essays research papers f

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A bond between two nations is like a serious relationship between two people who are soul mates there is nothing that can be done to break up their passion or alliance. This is the best way to describe the selected cartoon from Punch Magazine that will be analyzed in this essay, â€Å"Trust Me!† August 13th, 1870. This essay will discuss England’s support of Belgium independence and neutrality from a political and diplomatic viewpoint from the mid to late Nineteenth Century. Accordingly this essay will predominantly focus on the build up to the Franco-Prussian War, English diplomatic actions during the Franco-Prussian War in defense of Belgian independence and neutrality. Also, to understand England and Belgium’s relationship, the Treaty of London signed in 1839 will be analyzed and discussed. Thus, this essay will cover or touch on events from 1830 to approximately 1872 and explain why England had to get involved between the belligerents of the time.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To accurately describe the situation at hand during the late nineteenth century in England that is depicted in the selected cartoon one must go a bit further back to understand decisions and actions that have happened in the past which would be effecting England and its decisions in the time period being discussed. To do this one must consider the Belgian Revolution of 1830. The cause of the revolution was brought upon the nation in La Monnaie opera house in Brussels on August 25th, 1830 . A previously banned play about Neapolitan insurrection against Spanish Rule managed to work the crowd into revolution through a song lyric, â€Å"My country gave me life, I shall give it liberty!† The revolt was a huge success for the Belgian people as they took the royal authorities by surprise with their intensity and rapid spread of rebellious activity that pushed Dutch troops out of Belgium. By September 27th, 1830 the Belgians had managed to set up a provisional gove rnment, proclaim Belgian independence, ordered an early election of a national congress, and finally drafted and proclaimed the proclamation of independence for Belgium by October 4th, 1830. Given the short time frame in which the Revolution of 1830 occurred, it didn’t give England and the other super powers much time to make a decision on what had to be done. The situation was best describe by the British P... ...cessful in her efforts.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Bibliography Barker, Nancy and Brown, Marvin L. JR., ed. Diplomacy in an Age of Nationalism: Essays in Honor of Lynn Marshall Case. Netherlands: Martinus Nijhoff, The Hague, 1971. Beck, James M. The Evidence in the Case as to The Moral Responsibility for the War. New York: Knickerbocker Press, 1915. Howard, Michael. The Franco-Prussian War: The German Invasion of France, 1870-1871. New York: The MacMillan Company, 1962. Millman, Richard. British Foreign Policy and the Coming of the Franco-Prussian War. Oxford: The Clarendon Press, 1965. Raymond, Dora Neill. British Foreign Policy and Opinion during the Franco-Prussian War. New York: AMS Press Incorporated, 1967. Thomas, Daniel H. The Guarantee of Belgian Independence and Neutrality in European Diplomacy, 1830’s-1930’s. Rhode Island: D.H. Thomas Publishing, 1983.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Hipaa Privacy Rule :: Healthcare Medical Information Privacy

1. Introduction Today, you have more reason than ever to care about the privacy of your medical information. This information was once stored in locked file cabinets and on dusty shelves in the medical records department. Your doctor(s) used to be the sole keeper of your physical and mental health information. With today's usage of electronic medical records software, information discussed in confidence with your doctor(s) will be recorded into electronic data files. The obvious concern - the potential for your records to be seen by hundreds of strangers who work in health care, the insurance industry, and a host of businesses associated with medical organizations. Fortunately, this catastrohic scenario will likely be avoided. Congress addressed growing public concern about privacy and security of personal health data, and in 1996 passed â€Å"The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act† (HIPAA). HIPAA sets the national standard for electronic transfers of health data. Before HIPAA, each state set their own standards. Now states must abide by the minimum standards set by HIPAA. States can enact laws to incorporate and/or strengthen the basic rights given by HIPAA. How HIPAA's Privacy Rule Protects YOU; The Patient Access to your own medical records Prior to HIPAA, access to YOUR medical records were not guaranteed by federal law. Only about half the states had laws giving patients the right to see and copy their own medical records. You may be charged for copies but HIPAA sets fee limits. You Must Be Given Notice Of Privacy Practices How your medical information is used and disclosed must now be given to you. The notice must also tell you how to exercise your rights and how to file a complaint with your health care provider and with the DHHS Office of Civil Rights. HIPAA Requires Accounting of Disclosure Details You have the right to know who has accessed your health records for the prior six years, However there are several exceptions to the accounting requirement. Accounting is not required when records are disclosed to persons who see your records for treatment, payment, and health care operations. These individuals do not need to be listed in the disclosure log. Filing A Complaint If you believe a health care provider or health plan has violated your privacy you have the right to file a complaint with your health care provider and with DHHS. Special Requests For Confidential Communications. You can make special requests specifying how you would like your doctor's office handle confidential communication.

Bicycle Helmets Mandatory? :: Argumentative Persuasive Essays

Bicycle Helmets Mandatory? Should bicycle helmets be made mandatory for all cyclist? That is what two elementary students asked for from their city council, an ordinance enforcing the use of Bicycle Safety helmets for children under 12. So on April 25, 2002, in Richardson, Texas, the city council had decided against an ordinance requiring bicycle helmets for children under 12. Of course they had their reasons for not passing the request made by two young girls. If they would have taken a serious look at the issue, they may have viewed it differently. Assistant City Manager Mike Wanchick said, "A helmet seems to give a false sense of security to the cyclist, who feel less vulnerable and may ride less cautiously," He then went on to add. "As a result, riders wearing a helmet are more likely to have an accident." (Post) Now, the Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute (BHSI) statistics show four states accounted for 40 percent of bicycle deaths in 2000, With Texas as one of them. Yet, Wanchick says that "our basic position is that bicycle safety is a parents' primary obligation," adding " What hurts kids are cars and we need to be working the traffic citations out there* people who are licensed to drive cars, not kids learning to ride bicycles." (Post) Even though 10 of the largest cities in Texas have bicycle-helmet ordinances including Dallas and Fort Worth. But, Richardson Texas choose to not act on this issue, but turn a blind eye to one of the silent injuries and the prevention of it by wearing a simple helmet. The BHSI say s the statistics show about 800 bicyclists die in the US every year. Plus another one in eight of the cyclists injured has a brain injury. The city also cited U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission data reports that the number of head injuries to cyclists has increased by 10% percent since 1991, even with the rise in helmet use. Cyclist has declined at the same time, the data indicated, increasing the rate of head injuries per active cyclist though the decade by 51% percent. The commission's data also shows a substantial reduction in cycling where helmet laws are in effect.

Figures of Authority in” The Crucible” by Arthur Miller Essay

One of the most important themes in Arthur Miller’s The Crucible is the nature of authority and people who abuse it. In the story, authority is determined by the religious status one has in the community and often education plays a role. Nowadays, authority is noted by the place you have in society and is also based on education and sometimes wealth. It seems that whenever there is a figure of authority, there is always someone abusing the power designated to them. Back in the Puritan times, religious leaders like reverends and people skilled in the teachings of the Bible were the authority figures; and even with attempting to do good by following the word of God like they were supposed to, there were many occurrences where they smuggled in some law or did something for the benefit of themselves because they dominated and felt like no one below them could rebel against that or else they would be punished. This happened so often because people feared authority and the thought of the punishment they would receive was horrible because everything was tolerated a lot less, so they did not rise up to correct these happenings. One example of the power of authority being abused in The Crucible, is the fact that Reverend Parris spends too much money on things that the church doesn’t need, for his own benefit. It seems as though he is more preoccupied with getting things that are an advantage to himself and his name, than he is with his religion and God. An example of someone noticing this is when John Proctor says, â€Å"A minister may pray to God without he have golden candlesticks upon the altar sir, when I look to heaven and see my money glaring at Parris’s elbows- it hurt my prayer,† and then he goes on to say, â€Å"I like it not that Mr. Parris should lay his hand upon my baby. I see no light of God in that man. I’ll not conceal it.'† (Act 2, Scene 3 p., 856). He is speaking of not baptizing his children because he does not believe that Parris is a proper server of God. Now, authority is everywhere, from the president, to the police, to people you respect like teachers and parents. You see the neglect of power even more nowadays than you did in the Puritan times, and they usually leave a larger impact. For example, in an article by Catherine Ford titled, ‘Give authority figures an inch†¦ they’ll take a mile,’ she speaks of a high  school in Canada where teachers were given the right by the Supreme Court of Canada to strip-search their students if they are thought to be breaking the rules of authority. Twenty freshman boys at Kingswell High School in Ontario were stripped searched when they were the suspects in stealing ninety dollars from the school. Strip-searching teenagers for such a minor offense shouldn’t be allowed, even if the government in Canada has a different idea on that than the United States does. It even states in the article that, â€Å"A malicious and predatory authority can make hard time an exqui sitely painful emotional, mental and physical experience.† Now after the ordeal, the vice president of the school realizes that it was the wrong thing to do. How is it that people don’t realize something is wrong until after it is done? Another example of the abuse of power is the whole rule of Saddam Hussein in Iraq. He goes and kills innocent people in his country because they do not support him fully. He took over Iraq with military force and is now the president, or military leader of that country. He abuses the power he has given himself quite often and in cruel ways. For example, in an article written by Robert Prather, he states, â€Å"To accomplish his own rule, Saddam has shed so much blood. If his aim is for his power to be transferred to his family after his death, I think this is far into the realm of wishful thinking.† That quote taken from the article shows that to get what he wants, Saddam uses the power he has to kill people that stand up against him. It is almost like it was back in the Puritan days where the people were afraid to stand up against the one who was in charge, except now, you can’t even identify his followers, so if you were to say something insulting about Hussein, you c ould get arrested or killed without even expecting it. As you can see, in most cases when authority is represented, there is always going to be one person misusing the power that they have in being authority; and when there are people misusing their power, there are always going to be people below them, too afraid to stand up for what they know is right. Hopefully, sometime when history decides to stop repeating itself, people will learn that if they stick together, then they can rebel against the one or few that are misusing their power of authority.

Arthur Miller’s Commentary Essay

Arthur Miller’s commentary helps our understanding of the play very much. Through more character detail he has made it possible for us to understand exactly how the different characters are feeling, and why they behave the way they do, as in the case of Abigail using the whole situation to her advantage, and being very manipulative and sly, all of which are characteristics that we don’t like in ourselves. For example, Abigail was using the whole situation to get back at John Proctor, she wanted him but he didn’t want her, and in trying to gain his affections, she involved all of the people of Salem. During the play Abigail had one goal (to get John Proctor) and she didn’t care how she achieved this. Throughout the play the contrast between light and dark is a prominent feature. In the footnote at the begging of act one Miller has used the image of light â€Å"There is a narrow window at the left. Through it’s leaded pains the morning sunlight streams. A candle still burns near the bed†¦ The room gives of an air of clean spareness.† This symbolises that everything is OK, there are no bad things happening. Light throughout the play is use to represent good. As the story line continues the mood and even the scenes themselves become darker and more evil, even the weather becomes more negative and depressing. Dark is used throughout the play to symbolise bad. For example, the courtroom is always dark; there are no open windows and no candles. In some cases certain characters bring light into a scene that was dark, like John Proctor. But when he is accused of witchcraft the light that accompanies him became a lot dimmer. I also think Arthur Miller makes it very easy for us to pick out good and bad characters at the beginning of the play. But some of the characters switch sides as the play goes on, at the beginning of the play I found Reverend Hale was very annoying. However as the play developed he was one of the people who could see sense in the situation. Towards the end of the play you could tell which characters were good, and which were bad. Arthur Miller also puts the audience in a very annoying position because we can see how wrong and how stupid the characters are being. The audience would get very angry at the fact that only John Proctor and Mr Hale can see sense, even though it takes two acts for them to see it. An example of this would be John Proctor’s reaction to Abigail stumbling in with a needle in her stomach, claiming that John Proctor’s wife is a voodoo witch. â€Å"Why she done it herself I hope you aren’t takin it for proof, Mister†. Abigail claims this to get back at John Proctor; the audience however are led to believe that she did it to herself, even though it is not actually said in the text. All of this would make the audience very angry, and would make us start to think why the characters aren’t doing anything about it. In this case I’m going to point out Judge Danforth because he is so wrapped up in his own little world and doing what he thinks is â€Å"right†. At first Danforth only frustrated me with his ignorance, but as the story line developed I found my frustration turning to anger and my anger into hate. Abby also frustrated me because she twisted the situation for her own benefit and to get at John Proctor  At the end of each act Miller leaves the play in a state of climax. At the end of act one Miller draws the curtain on the girl’s firing frantic and false accusations of witchcraft against many women in Salem, act three ends with the dramatic exit of Mr Hale â€Å"I denounce these proceedings, I quit this court!† Through this approach it always keeps the audience on the edge of their seats. It keeps the audience swept up in the story line, almost like a soap opera today, where each episode ends with a dramatic last scene (cliff hanger), and ensuring they watch the next episode because they want to know what happens, I find it very frustrating. In fact, The Crucible is very similar to a modern day soap opera, in that its success as a whole depends on how involved the viewers, or audience, become with the characters and the story line. I also think that because it is based on history, the story might not be true to word, which adds fascination. The play was not only written to record historical events in Salem but was also written to warn people of modern day witch hunts, such as the McCarthy â€Å"witch† hunt (1950’s) in which people were asked to turn in anyone who was a Communist at the time. The naming and shaming followed a similar pattern of that in Salem.

Introduction speech Essay

Every single person faces obstacles, whether they are big or small. Either learning how to swim, driving a car for the first time, or even waking up for an 8AM class. These are just a few obstacles that occur daily. One major obstacle that constantly gets overlooked is change. A prime example of a major change in a child’s life is the transition from high school to college. Starting college, a ne place with new people, can be a daunting task for anyone. Your classmate, Abby Howell showed her true character and optimism when her adjustment to Madison didn’t go as expected. Abby, like any other 18 year old, was nervous about coming to college. She was nervous about leaving her safe haven she called home, and because of that she decided to chose Madison, a mere 9 miles from her family in McFarland. Abby arrived to school with an optimistic mindset. The nerves and jitters had surpassed and she was truly starting to get the hang of things. It was August 30th, and the sun was beaming down on Abby as she rode her bike. The sidewalk was packed so Abby had to keep switching from the sidewalk to the grass in order to avoid the pedestrians. However, one time while making the uphill venture toward the sidewalk, her front tire clipped the edge of the curb and her bike tumbled over. Abby broke the fall with her hands and ended up shattering her wrist. It’s kind of ironic; Abby was looking out for the well being of others and in turn was the one that ended up getting injured. Rather than dwell on the unlucky situation, Abby views it in a positive way and lets everyone know that â€Å"it could have been worse.† The way in which Abby handled breaking her wrist just goes to show her optimistic view on life. Abby is constantly looking at the glass half full, and is always searching for the best in every situation. Honestly, how would you have reacted?

Chris Mccandless Essay

People travel into the wild prepared to face the worst; they do not want to encounter a deadly situation. The man in Jack London’s â€Å"To Build a Fire† went into the cold prepared for nothing, he felt that he was above nature and it could not affect him. Chris McCandless in Jon Krakauer’s â€Å"Into The Wild† went into the wild unprepared for the conditions he was about to face. As a person who read the writings of Jack London, his death seems somewhat ironic. â€Å"To Build a Fire† by Jack London brings out the irony even more, we see how London wrote and how it relates to how Chris died. Chris McCandless is a person who did not believe in rules of society. He believed that he was above rules. He even felt he could defeat nature; he went into the wild expecting to come out alive while he lived on what nature gave him. â€Å"Alaska has long been a magnet for dreamers and misfits, people who think the unsullied enormity of the Last Frontier will patch all the holes in their lives† (Krakauer, 6). This is exactly what Chris was trying to do when he went into the Alaskan wilderness. He wanted to escape the rules and suffering he faced in society. Jim Gallien recalled, â€Å"He wasn’t carrying anywhere near as much food and gear as you’d expect a guy to be carrying for that kind of trip† (Krakauer, 5). The man in â€Å"To Build a Fire† went to go meet his friends in the cold with nothing to protect him or keep him warm except the clothes on his back, and a dog that accompanied him. Chris and the man both went into the wilderness underprepared for the challenges they would face. Chris read Jack London throughout his life, he knew about his stories and this is how he learned about the beauty of the Alaskan wilderness, but as he read he should have also learned of the dangers. Even though he read these stories by Jack London he still went into the wild unprepared. Chris McCandless spent most of his life in a warm climate. He was born in California, grew up in Virginia, and went to college in Georgia. Chris has never experienced anything relatively close to the Alaskan climate. Through reading stories about people experiencing the Alaskan wilderness Chris should have learned about the dangers that people faced in the cold temperature. The man was not scared of the cold at all, he felt as if he was above it and ended up dying. This shows the dangers of undermining the climate of the north and Chris did the same. He tried to live off of the land that was barren. The man was not concerned with â€Å"the absence of sun from the sky, the tremendous cold, and the strangeness and weirdness of it all—made no impression on the man† (London). The man in â€Å"To Build a Fire† was a representation of rational thinking, and how people in society believe mankind is more powerful than the world. This thinking was evident in Chris’s life. He felt that he was above the laws of the government. He did what he wanted, â€Å"On December 2, he reached the Morelos Dam and the Mexican border. Worried that he would be denied entry because he was carrying no identification, he sneaked into Mexico by paddling through the dam’s open floodgates and shooting the spillway below† (Krakauer, 25). There are resemblances between the qualities of the man and Chris McCandless. Chris’s death was not ironic but the reason he died was ironic. To Build a Fire† is a story about a man who is a very rational thinker who died because he felt he was better than nature and it could not kill him, the dog he traveled with lived because it relied on instincts. Chris went into the wild with a mindset similar to this man’s mindset. This is what brought out the irony of Chris’s death, he was an avid reader of Jack London and by reading his stories he should have been able to conclude that in order to survive in this climate he needed to be more prepared for difficult situations than he was.

Health Care in the USA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Health Care in the USA - Essay Example Authorities to transmit overt health messages, such as those for AIDS prevention, immunization, or family planning, may use the electronic media. Perhaps more significant are advertisements (for insecticide, beer, soft drinks, automobiles, powdered milk, cosmetics, and other items of commerce) and programmatic content depicting supposedly admirable people and their lives and activities. Emulation of such models may have rapid and profound health consequences, both good and bad. Moreover, decades ago, the medium is often the message, and the mere presence of the radio or television receiver may lead to significant changes in personal or group behavior, independent of the nature or content of the broadcast messages. Most commentators ascribe the great decline in mortality in countries like US that were developing during the 18th and 19th centuries to improved nutrition, water supply, excreta disposal, and housing; legislation to control employment of women and children; and public health services in the broad sense. There seems to be a common misconception in the world that Health Care Services in US have monolithic socialized medicine systems under which a person need only appear on a hospital doorstep to be showered with free services. Perhaps equally widespread is the idea, promoted by television pictures of starving hordes, "such is not the case in the United States, where not all Americans are covered by health insurance" (Shi, L. & Singh, D., 2004, p. 2). Neither of these extreme images is accurate. While often useful, comparative studies have their limitations. On a superficial level, comparative health services research can uncover statistics on the numbers of facilities, physicians, hospital beds, and so on; on money and other resources put into the system; and on the number of patient visits or immunizations given over a certain period of time. It can also illustrate certain structural relationships within systems, such as the organization of divisions of a health department or the regionalization of hospitals, health centers, clinics, and dispensaries. Pages of tables and charts can be prepared in such studies, but skill and care are needed to draw correct conclusions from these data. There are two basic problems: (1) what the data show and (2) what they do not show. "Health care is a continuously evolving process impossible to describe adequately in an instantaneous snapshot, any more than a single frame can exemplify a long and complex motion picture" (Frick, K., Jensen, P.L., Quinlan, M. and Wilthagen, T, 2000, p. 86). The fact that a system for health care exists does not necessarily mean that it functions according to design or that it is used, or used appropriately, by the people whom it is intended to serve. The official health care system is not necessarily the health care system, because it has several parallel systems. Persons may by necessity (= lack of access) or by intent (= distrust) circumvent the official system. Indeed, in some parts of the US only a minority of the population may make use of official health services, preferring to consult pharmacists, healers, or others whose services are not recorded on government charts and tables. Whereas the elements of a system, and the resources put into it, can be counted and described, t he output or product of the system, in terms of improved health, is impossible to measure and may even defy estimation. Attitudes, motivations, and policies cannot be indicated on an organizational

Germany's Holocaust Memorial Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Germany's Holocaust Memorial - Assignment Example Eisenman designed it in a way that each stone slab is unique, positioned on uneven ground at varying heights. Some are taller than an average person while some are just as high as the ankles. Visitors are encouraged to wander through the paths and they can enter the monument on all four sides. Eisenman designed the monument to create a sense of instability, and the maze of stones tends to disorient some visitors. However, the designer of the monument hoped that the memorial will become a natural part of the city, and offer a respite for its citizens after a busy day. At the base of the monument is a subterranean Information Center, where visitors can find more information about the monument’s design and construction. It also features stories of several individuals and families who faced persecution of the Nazis during the war. The Information Center is open day and night. The monument serves as a silent reminder of a past that most people would want to forget. May it also serv e as a symbol of hope for the future generations. May each stone slab remind us all that no one has the right to take another man’s life for personal ambitions. May we all learn from our history, so that the acts of infamy committed by such unlawful men will never happen again.

Costing, Budgeting for Projects Accounting Essay

Costing, Budgeting for Projects Accounting - Essay Example 9018088 0.000842049 12 8 13 9 7.703656443 1.680506618 13 9 14 7 7.414185094 0.171549292 14 7 15 4.791208791 44.00883114 -1.008791209 19.92307692 0.247845443 2.110327908 0.57993311 3.738278384 16.56687898 12 231.5175824 167.6967033 Estimating Learning-Curve Functions 2 2) I used the formula approach and forecast approach to estimate non-linear functions such as the learning-curve function. The predicted value for 15 units is 4.791209. Note: When I used the forecast approach, either there was an error in the formula or the predicted value is wrong. The formula on p.209 is =FORECAST(15,B1:B14,A1:A14), but I came up with a predicted value of 4.32967. But since I must arrive at the value 4.791209, I figured the formula should’ve been =FORECAST(15,B2:B15,A2:A15). I finally succeeded at having the same value 4.791209. I think my formula is more accurate because for 14 units of outputs, the DLH value is already given with a value of 7. The formula for regression analysis is Y = a + bX where a is the constant term and b is the slope. When estimating LCR, I used Solver routine in Excel. I started with an estimated LCR of .80 and entered that figure in cell D2. For getting the predicted DLHs, I used Excel learning-curve formula which is =$B$2*A2^(LN($D$2)/LN(2)). For unit 1 (X), the predicted value is an exact match. It is the same as the actual DLH, 29. The rest of the predicted DLHs for outputs 2-14 were a close match except for 9 and 11 units (in thousands) of outputs. Next, I calculated the â€Å"squared-error.† The obvious answer is 0, since there is no error. The predicted DLH is exactly the same as the actual DLH. The formula for â€Å"squared-error† in Excel is =(C2-B2)^2 for 1 unit (in thousands). The rest can be calculated in Solver routine by dragging the cells when copying the formula for 1 unit of output. Estimating Learning-Curve Functions 3 3) Shown on the graph with the downward slope, as the total outputs increased, the cumulative uni ts produced decreased. In other words, the more experience there is in producing outputs, the amount of time to perform the task decreases. The plot is consistent with the data given for units produced and DLHs. 4) I estimated the LCR with the â€Å"incremental unit-time learning-curve model† using Solver routine and I arrived at 0.69 or .70. In the Solver routine window, I entered the â€Å"target cell† as $E$2 which is the â€Å"squared error† contained in E2 and the â€Å"changing cell† as $D$2 which is the Estimating Learning-Curve Functions 4 LCR contained in D2. The exponent in learning-curve model, b, is -0.51681. So for DLH 29, the incremental unit-time learning-curve model is Y = 29.0*X^-0.51681. 5) The formula for cumulative average time per unit to produce x units is Y = ax^b; where Y = cumulative average time per unit to produce x units, a = the time taken for the first unit of output, x = the cumulative number of units, and b = the index of l earning (log LR/log 2). Using the calculation in Excel spreadsheet, I entered the formula =$B$2*A2^(Ln($D2$/Ln(2)) for cumulative av

Ethics and Stakeholder Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Ethics and Stakeholder Management - Essay Example The concept of ethics is very important during the contemporary period in the operations of any given organisation. Socially responsible businesses ought to create a balance between the protection of the interests of the consumers as well as their objectives of making profits. However, the issue of ethics is somehow controversial in that there may be conflicts whereby people may disagree over a certain issue with regards to the right course of action that can be taken. There are mixed feelings over one issue whereby others see nothing wrong about it while others view it as wrong which presents an ethical dilemma to the organisation. As such, an ethical dilemma arises when there is an unresolved interpretation of an ethical issue (Arens, 1996). This is a situation when people have different perceptions over a particular issue. In this particular case, a computer manufacturer decides not to market a new chip that would enable computers to be upgraded. This entails that there is no need for a new computer and this reduces electronic waste. However, this will lead to a reduction in the sales of the computers which means a definite reduction in revenues in the short term. On the other hand, the long-term pay-off is uncertain and this has presented an ethical dilemma to the organisation. In this case, the organisation is finding it difficult to market the new chip though it will benefit the majority of the people at the expense of their need to protect the business interests of the company such as its profitability. In view of this given scenario, it can be noted that to a certain extent, there is no universal agreement of what constitutes good things from bad. Certain incidences sometime arise where people often view the same thing from different perspectives (Hiti, 1999). However, in as far as business is concerned, it can be noted that the main objective is to attain profit goals whereby ethics are at times compromised for financial gains. Theoretically, there are different ethical theories that can be applied to this case but the most ideal is utilitarian ethical theory. According to this theory, â€Å"the choice that yields the greatest benefit to the majority of people is ethically,† (Rainbow, 2002). As such, this ethical theory posits to the effect that organisations should encourage the people to work towards the outcomes that will benefit the majority of the people that are affected by the operations of a given organisation. It has to be borne in mind that businesses are concerned with serving their own interests as well as the interests of the stakeholders which should not be compromised for financial gains alone. The right course of action will be to follow the guidelines that will yield benefits to the majority of people not only the concerns of the company alone. The utilitarian theory suggests that the organisation ought to be guided by values as well as principles that will incline it to act in a certain way which makes it different from the other organisations.  

Propose and Justify a Research Method and Design Essay

Propose and Justify a Research Method and Design - Essay Example If the research questions are not put in mind, in the process of selecting research methods, researchers would fail to meet the purpose of their study. Practical considerations were also highly important in the selection of a research methodology of the proposed study. Researchers must consider whether they have access to specific resources, such as financing, which would allow them execute the study successfully (Myers, 2011). Therefore the resources available to a researcher may limit the type of research methods that are used in the study. The sources of information and their availability were also put into consideration in the process of selecting the specific type of research methods, which are considered to be more suitable for the proposed study. For example, both secondary and primary sources of data or information must be evaluated in order to determine their availability or accessibility (Kraleva, 2011). The availability of resources, such as skills and abilities of the people who undertake the study would also influence the type of research methods that are used in scientific inquiry. A researcher must consider whether the research assistants are competent enough to apply specific research methods. More importantly, the subject under study must be put in mind when determining the kind of research methods that are suitable for a specific study. This is due to the fact that different fields of study appropriately employ specific research designs or methods (Kothari, 2005). In research, facts refer to the things or events whose existence or occurrence has been proved. Normally, facts are drawn from the experiences of study participants. However, the observation of the researcher can also lead to the gathering of specific facts about the topic under inquiry. Facts are advantageous in research because they represent credible information or data, which is effectively used to make accurate inferences about the topic (Kraleva, 2011). Factual information

Intimate Partner Violence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Intimate Partner Violence - Essay Example It occurs on a continuum, ranging from one hit that may or may not impact the victim to chronic, severe battering. Victims of domestic violence who are overwhelmingly women, are at high risk for mental problems (Intimate partner violence: Intervention in primary health settings by Carlson and McNutt, 1998). There are four main types of intimate partner violence (Intimate partner violence surveillance: uniform definitions and recommended data elements by Saltzman et al. 2002): Physical violence is the intentional use of physical force with the potential for causing death, disability, injury, or harm. Physical violence includes, but is not limited to, scratching; pushing; shoving; throwing; grabbing; biting; choking; shaking; slapping; punching; burning; use of a weapon; and use of restraints or one's body, size, or strength against another person. Sexual violence is divided into three categories: 1) use of physical force to compel a person to engage in a sexual act against his or her will, whether or not the act is completed; 2) attempted or completed sex act involving a person who is unable to understand the nature or condition of the act, to decline participation, or to communicate unwillingness to engage in the sexual act, e.g., because of illness, disability, or the influence of alcohol or other drugs, or because of intimidation or pressure; and 3) abusive sexual contact. Psychological and emotionalIntimate Partner Violence 2 emotional violence may involve trauma to the victim caused by acts, threats of acts, or other coercive tactics. Compared to White women, Latinas tend to be younger, to have lower socioeconomic backgrounds and lower educational levels, factors that are known to increase intimate partner violence. (Sociodemographic predictors and cultural barriers to help-seeking behavior by Latina and Anglo American battered women by West, Kantor and Jasinski, 1998).In the field of practice, intimate partner violence among Latino households had increased over the years. Krishnan etal. (1997) in Documenting domestic violence among ethnically diverse populations: Results from a preliminary study, noted that approximately 61% of Anglo Americans reported experiencing partner violence in the past compared with 36.5% of Latina women in the U.S. There is a need to address the specific requirements of the Latina situation.I would like to focus on the frequency and extent of IPV in terms of the ethnic and soci odemographic data. The socioeconomic data I will propose are the age, gender, ethnicity and socioeconomic factors (SES). An added data that I will use is the data on past physical abuse and present physical abuse. The theoretical framework that I will use is the Anderson and Umberson framework which characterizes gender as performance. They found that the men in their study "attempted to construct masculine identities through the practice of violence and the discourse about their violence that they provide" (GENDERING VIOLENCE: Masculinity and Power in Men's Accounts of Domestic Violence by Anderson and Umberson 2001; 359). They also contend that the subjective accounts provided by men about their viole