Ethical Advertisement Essay

Much of the controversy over advertising stems from the ways many companies use it as a selling tool and from its impact on society’s tastes, values, and lifestyles. In the ads where sexual stereotyping is used, there is a relationship between the recall of the ad and the consumer’s subsequent purchasing decision. Similar relationships are also evident in ads that use cultural stereotyping and emotional exploitation. Consumers also tend to remember the ad and get motivated to purchase products/services when they feel that the information in the ad is truthful and not deceptive. The six most important ethical issues in advertisements are as follows: 1) Advertisements targeting Vulnerable Groups 2) Cultural issues in advertisements 3) Comparative and Competitive Advertisement 4) Subliminal advertisements 5) Use of deception in advertisements 6) Advertisements of Controversial Products Advertisements targeting Vulnerable Groups Companies are targeting children in their advertisements irrespective of the negative impact and affect on their personality. While advertising several elements regarding ethics are not considered, and in this report we will focus on few of those issues. Adults are also targeted by the companies. Later in this report it will be discussed how companies build perceptions and image of different cultures in minds of young generation. How the youth is being affected by the companies’ unethical practices? Advertisement regarding Culture The importance of recognizing human differences such as age, gender, and ethnicity do exist and can significantly impact a practitioner’s work. Advertisers are manipulating the cultural ethnicity and are trying to build their own culture. However their practice is considerably raising the cultural issues in different and diversified geographical areas around the globe. Comparative and Competitive Advertisement Comparative advertising is an advertisement in which a particular product, or service, specifically mentions a competitor by name for the express purpose of showing why the competitor is inferior to the product naming it, where as Competitive advertisement points out features of a brand which may not be available in other brands, but does not directly name a competitor. Subliminal Advertisement A subliminal message is a signal or message embedded in another medium, designed to pass below the normal limits of the human mind’s perception. The use of subliminal messages in advertisement is called subliminal advertisement. Deception in Advertisements The miss-presentation or omission of the product’s features in the ads is a routine practice of companies to deceive consumers. Misleading messages or images are just lies and unfair. The aim of this type of advertisements is just to deceive the consumer. Ethics have some power in deceptive and misleading advertising. Later in this report various ways of deception will be discussed to clarify the unethical practices. Advertisements of Controversial Products The advertisements of controversial products were once not acceptable but now marketers are showing the advertisement of these products frequently because of which consumers are getting immune to the advertisements of such products. Later in this report we will discuss what kind of unethical practices marketers are using in the advertisements of such products. Companies design the advertisement of their products in such a way that even if a person has no need for the product will buy it. Companies take â€Å"Persuasive advantage† of vulnerable groups such as Children, the elderly, and people in developing countries etc. to sell their products. Children Ads for kids serve as training for consumer culture; hence, their role in culture formation and socialization should not be underestimated. The impact of advertisement on their behaviors and attitudes is highly affective. As children are the emerging seeds of any civilization hence it should be seriously considered that they are exposed to what kind of ethics. Things which they learn in their early stages of life are reflected in their later life stage. Following topics will further elaborate this concept. Children’s Exposure to Advertisement Commercials are highly effective in presenting the formal features of products, to attract children’s attention, such as unique sound effects and auditory changes, rapidly moving images, and audiovisual gimmicks and special effects. The most common persuasive strategy employed in advertising to children is to associate the product with fun and happiness, rather than to provide any factual product-related information. For example, a commercial featuring Ronald McDonald dancing, singing, and smiling in McDonald’s restaurants without any mention of the actual food products nutrition available, reflects a fun/happiness theme. Effects of Food Advertisement on children It is evident from the available sources that children are highly influenced by the food advertisement and that they are highly important for the marketers to be targeted. Unhealthy Eating Habits It is found that kids are attracted by entertaining products that’s why companies are showing them the enjoyable advertisements instead of focusing on the nutrition of the products. As done by McDonald which shows entertaining toys provided with the package of burger, in this way, children start buying burgers without considering the amount of calories and other nutritious in those eatables. This practice has lead to the obesity of children specifically in United States of America. The children are shown those eatables which are unhealthy for them but still they enjoy purchasing them and they force their parents to make those eatables available for them. Cause of Obesity Currently 15% of US youth are overweight, a prevalence nearly twice as high in children and three times as high in adolescents compared to 1980 prevalence rates. Almost two-thirds (60%) of overweight children have at least one cardiovascular risk factor (e.g., hypertension, hyperlipidemia) and the prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus is increasing in youth.

Contrast The American Dream With The Real Life Of The Migrant Worker Essay

In 1930’s America, most Americans had the so-called American Dream, which was to own their own piece of land and to be their own boss. The dream came into existence in the 1800’s, when land was readily available. By the 1930’s, when this novel ‘Of Mice And Men’ was set, it was almost impossible to make the dream reality as most land had been bought beforehand. Migrant workers are labourers who work on ranches as harvesters, skinners, and swampers, carrying heavy materials and doing many other manual jobs. They work hard and earn poor wages. They also have no friends or family as they continuously travel to different ranches in California, and so therefore they have very few possessions such as tinned food, small mats, blankets and shaving blades etc. They carry their possessions in a bindle and are commonly called ‘bindle stiffs’ or ‘bindle bums’, as they carried them on their back. Migrant workers sleep in bunkhouses which are situated on the ranch. They share a bunkhouse with other workers of that ranch. There is little privacy in the bunkhouses as there are usually between four and six workers in one bunkhouse. They are allocated their own shelf or cupboard in which to keep their very few possessions. Migrant workers wear denim clothes as denim is hard wearing and so they don’t have to keep on buying clothes with their hard earned money which can be spent elsewhere. Workers do not have any rights such as sickness payments, old age pensions etc, from their ranch. So when workers retire they have a very grim future in prospect. To be able to work, workers were issued with work cards from the local job agencies. The work cards were only given if a ranch boss wanted new workers. Work cards were important as it gave them a work permit. Workers also feared the sack, which was the case if someone done something wrong. The had no choice of menus as meals were cooked by other workers. If they wanted a different meal they would have to go outside the ranch in the town which workers have to pay for themselves. There was little justice on the ranches and workers had to develop their own rules of behaviour to survive. The novel we read is called ‘Of Mice And Men’. It is set in California, America, in the 1930’s. ‘Of Mice And Men’ is mainly about two American migrant workers. One of the workers is called Lennie and the other worker is called George. The writer of the novel, John Steinbeck, shows us in detail their lives as migrant workers, with the other workers, and Steinbeck also shows us the dreams and aspirations of these two migrant workers and the other workers. Steinbeck also shows the reality on the ranch and what they actually experience. George and Lennie are very close friends. In fact Lennie cannot move without George, as George is a father like figure to him. Lennie has a mental disability and acts like a small child, though he is a very powerful man as seen in his first description, ‘†¦a huge man, shapeless of face, with large pale eyes, with wide sloping shoulders, and he walked heavily, dragging his feet a little, the way a bear drags his paws’. Lennie is frequently described through animal imagery due to his physical features, eg ‘like a terrier who doesn’t want to bring a ball to its master’, ‘strong asa bull’, ‘Lennie covered his face with his huge paws and bleated with terror,’ Lennie growled back to his seat†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ . This consistent use of animal imagery echoes Lennie’s love of and devotion to animals of his own, especially rabbits, mice and puppies. Lennie is a gentle giant, who brings out trouble. Lennie is doomed in a world o f desperate moral confusion. He cannot survive in a world of cruelty, selfishness, and disgrace. Throughout the novel, Lennie is portrayed as sympathetic in loving terms, eg ‘†¦..Lennie’s jus’ like a kid. There ain’t no more harm in him than a kid, neither, except he’s so strong’. George about (Lennie), ‘He ain’t bright. Hell of a good worker, though. Hell of a nice fella, but he ain’t bright’. Lennie’s innocence ‘I won’t get in no trouble, George. I ain’t gonna say a word’. Slim about (Lennie) ‘He’s nice fella. Guy don’t need no sense to be a nice fella’. George’s description is completely opposite of Lennie, and Steinbeck’s initial description emphasises the physical difference between him and Lennie, ‘ The first man was small and quick, dark of face, with restless eyes and sharp strong features. Every part of him was defined. Small, strong hands, slender arm s, a thin and bony nose’ . The novel ‘Of Mice And Men’ commences a few miles south of Soledad, near the Salinas River. It is warm and tranquil. It is important to mention the opening part of the novel as this is where George identifies a spot where, if Lennie gets into trouble , he can go to and hide, ‘If you jus’ happen to get in trouble like you always done before. (In Weed, Weed is a town in California where George and Lennie used to, before they had to run as Lennie was accused of raping a woman) I want you to come right here an ‘ hide in the bush’. This instruction ensures that the novel will end where it began. George and Lennie are looking forward to their dream which is to save money by working on the ranch in Soledad (the town where they arrived after Weed), and one day owning their own piece of land and being their own bosses, which is the American Dream. George and Lennie’s dream is more materialistic, as they envision a place where ‘nobody gona get hurt nor steal from them’. Their small piece of land will make them part of a stable and secure society, instead of being on its migratory fringes. The friendship between Lennie and George is firmly rooted in their dream. A dream that Lennie is never tired of hearing and which relieves them both from the pain of solitude. The dream is everything to Lennie and so George endlessly repeats descriptions of their idealistic future, a happy time when they will ‘Live off the fatta the land’. Lennie delightedly enjoys interrupting George†¦.. ‘†¦But not us! An’ why?†¦ Because †¦ Because I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you and that’s why’. George and Lennie’s dream introduces the theme of friendship and love, basic human needs that had all but disappeared at that time for millions of Americans. Candy and Crooks other migrant workers on the same ranch, are also caught up in this dream. On this ranch there was racial prejudice against non-whites, and the stable buck, who was black, has his own room. He reads books to pass his time alone and so therefore he is educated. A lot of migrant workers wanted their own room and privacy like Crooks, and were jealous of it. It was wrong for anyone to go into Crooks’s room as he was black, but one day Lennie went inside and started talking to Crooks. Lennie discussed his dreams with Crooks and he dejectedly and wryly commented, ‘Nobody never gets to heaven, and nobody never gets no land’. Crooks also commented on how his father had a ranch when he was a kid and how he and his two brothers used to work on it. Candy was also caught up in George and Lennie’s dream and wanted to help by adding to the funds with his savings. Curly who is the son of the owner of the ranch, is married and his wife is also involved in a imaginary future and she has a dream of herself as a great movie star. But in one way or another all the dreams of these workers are smashed. This American Dream makes Lennie happy as here he gets to tend rabbits and mice which he loves as they are soft, and so therefore George always repeats the dream for him. And so it seems that George is trying to help Lennie achieve the dream. And helping each other on the ranch was seen to be unusual amongst the workers, and it was different between George and Lennie and the other workers. The reality of the lives of George and Lennie was that it was a struggle even to get a job, and even with a job, funds were still insufficient to buy land, (which was their dream), let alone enjoy themselves. Life involved hard work for George and Lennie. We can see strong devotion in George and Lennie but, in reality they were living with sadistic people such as Carlson. This was seen as he shot Candy’s dog which Carlson said was too old and smelly and suggested the dog was suffering and it would be better off it was killed, ‘That dog ain’t no good to himself. I wish somebody’d shot me if I get a cripple’. This comment seems to be the voice of Steinbeck, a pessimistic voice that understood the fate of all the disposable people. Carlson shoots the dog, and Candy’s final comment about the dog influences George’s decision to kill Lennie. Candy, ‘I ought to of shot that dog myself. I shouldn’t ought to let no stranger shoot my dog’. Although he earned poor wages George enjoyed himself by going to the brothel and drinking. And while Lennie was getting excited about living on his own land, he still had to sleep with four other workers in the bunkhouse with no room for and furniture and no personal possessions which was the same for all workers. George and Lennie had a relationship which was unusual. George always looked after Lennie, and they supported each other, which was unusual. Slim, who is a worker on the ranch, provides a strong contrast to the previous negativity and latent sense of danger. Slime moves ‘With a majesty only achieved by royalty and master craftsman’. Slim’s reaction to George’s protection of Lennie, seems to echo the feelings of Steinbeck himself, ‘Ain’t many guys travel around together ‘†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ I don’t know why. Maybe every’body in the whole damn world is scared of each other’. Recreational activities for the workers on the ranch, apart from going to the brothel every Saturday and having Sunday off, included playing horseshoe which was a game played, outside the barn. The dreams articulates two essential themes in this novel; importance of dreaming and loneliness in the lives of the workers. George and Lennie are very different from all the other workers, mainly because of their relationship and their goals. This may seem odd considering that George always complains of how easy life would be without Lennie (due to his problems), George could spend the nights in ‘cat houses’ and drink quantities of ‘rotgut booze’. Yet his devotion to and protection of Lennie make it clear that he does not want this kind of freedom, as such freedom would leave him alone. In a different sens, Steinbeck continuously focuses on the isolation of loneliness. George is frequently playing ‘solitare’ (a card game for one person). However George is not a pathetic character. He has a will and he makes two critical decisions at the end of the novel. Loneliness is also seen through Cooks, the stable buck, in that, as he is black, he is isolated from all the other workers and therefore has his own room which nobody is allowed to enter. However one Saturday night, Lennie enters Crooks’s room and chats innocently to Crooks about the place he and George are going to have. Lennie is rapt in wonder of the dream and the delight of his new puppy, and is deaf to Crooks’s personal reminiscence. However, when Crooks starts teasing Lennie about the idea that George may not come back, Lennie is extremely agitated. Unable to cope with the thought that someone may have hurt his beloved George, Lennie is ready to attack Crooks physically. Crooks manages to calm Lennie down, and whilst Lennie dreams contentedly of their little piece of land, Crooks speaks of loneliness, and his life when he was a kid. Crooks, a victim of racial inequality, remarks cynically, ‘Nobody never gets to heaven, and nobody never gets no land’. Candy joins Lennie in Crooks’s room. Crooks, desperately lonely, is secretly delighted to have company. George returns. He is angry that Lennie and Candy have shared their plans with Crooks. They all return to the bunkhouses and leave Crooks alone in his room to massage his crooked spine. The opening location and atmosphere reflects the ending of this novel. As this is the day (Sunday) where Lennie dies. While the men are noisily enjoying a ‘horseshoe tenement’ outside, Lennie is alone in the barn. He is distressed as he has accidentally killed his puppy. He’s terrified that George will punish him and he (Lennie) will not ‘get to tend no rabbits’. Curly’s wife, dressed in a tartish way, goes to Lennie. She consoles him about the puppy, ‘he was jus ‘ a mutt’. And settles down to talk to him. Lennie is disheartened with the dead puppy. Curly’s wife tells Lennie, ‘I never get to talk to nobody. I get awful lonely’. She goes on to say that she can only talk to Curly otherwise he gets mad. Lennie tells her how he likes to pet soft things and Curly’s wife encourages him to stroke her hair; ‘Here feel right here†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ feel right aroun’ there ansee how soft it isâ€℠¢. As always Lennie has no understanding of his strength and as Curly’s wife becomes hysterical, Lennie, confused and terrified, prevents her from screaming. Her eyes are ‘wild with terror’ and her neck snaps under Lennie’s paw-like grip. The description ‘her body flopped like a fish’ contains identical imagery to that used when Lennie defended himself against Curly, ‘Curly was flopping like a fish†¦'(chapter 4). Lennie remembers George’s instruction at the opening of the novel and runs to hide in the bush where George told him to. Alerted by Candy, George steals Carlson’s gun and then joins the men. George reassures himself and says ‘maybe they’ll lock him up an’ be nice to him.’ Curly is bursting with rage when he finds out what has happened to his wife and is determined to kill Lennie because Lennie crushed his hand. George is aware that he needs to save Lennie from the fury of Curly. Candy spoke of his greatest fear ‘You an’ me’ can get that little place, can’t we , George?’ Before George spoke candy dropped his head and looked down at the bay. He knew the dream was over. George then faces reality and tells Candy, ‘I’ll work my month an’ I’ll take my fifty bucks an’ I’ll stay all night in some cat house’. George comes back to the barn, as if he did no know, with all the other workers. At this point George knows what he is going to do. Curly gathered his troops together with Crooks’s gun and went to search for Lennie. The death of Lennie will spell the death of his shared dream. He is figuratively as dead as Candy’s dog. The description echoes that of chapter 1, but the stillness has a sharper edge. A motionless heron swallows a water snake, the wind is a ‘gust’ and the dry leaves on the g round ‘scudded’. Lennie kneels down at the edge of the water and drinks, but whereas earlier ‘He flung himself down†¦. drank with long gulps, snorting into the water like a horse’. Now he ‘Knelt down barely touching his lips to the water.’ The verb ‘Jerked up’ and the fact that he ‘Strained’ towards the sound of the birds, conveys his restlessness. Lennie is tormented with guilt and is confusion and anguish reveal themselves in a vision of his Aunt Clara and a gigantic rabbit. The rabbit seems to be imitating George, calling him a ‘Crazy bastard’. The arrival of George settles Lennie and pathetically, knowing he has done a ‘Bad thing’. He waits to be scolded. George goes through the motions of saying how easy life would be without Lennie but his voice is ‘Monotonous’ and has ‘No emphasise’. This leads automatically to the reinforcement of their friendship and their dream. As the shouts of the men come closer, George prepares to shoot the unsuspecting Lennie. George’s hand shake ‘Violently’ but he’s fully aware of the brutality of Curly, so pulls the trigger and this saves Lennie from the vicious brutality of Curly, so then throws the gun near the pile of old ashes. Just as the fire has been reduced to the ashes so to is the dream. Slim comforts George, ‘You hadda, George. I swear you hadda,’ and he takes George away to get a drink. The final word is given to Carlson whose emotional limitations and lack of sensitivity are shown in his remark, ‘now what the hell ya suppose is eatin ‘ them two guys?’

Acute Care Of Diverticulitis

Acute Care Of Diverticulitis On Thursday night February 25, 2010, DC, a 64 year old female Caucasian came to the emergency room complaining of chills, abdominal pain, vomiting x 2days and diarrhea x3days. DC is 5’6†³ and weighs 239 pounds. She stated that after eating dinner on Tuesday night she began to feel abdominal pain that worsened and then developed vomiting and diarrhea. DC’s pain ranged from 5/10-10/10 and complained of tenderness over her entire abdomen, that was worse midline. DC has a left brachial cephalic A/V fistula that has a palpable thrill and a good bruit. Upon being admitted to the Emergency Department DC’s vital signs were BP 136/79, T 97.9, HR 101, R16 and O2 sat 95% on room air. DC’s lung sounds were clear to auscultation and she denied being short of breath. Blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine were both elevated. An x-ray and a CT scan both showed evidence of a small bowel obstruction with perforation with evidence of diverticular disease of the colo n (see medical management for details). It was at this time that DC was transferred to E300. Primary Diagnosis and Priority Secondary Diagnosis The primary medical diagnosis is diverticulosis/diverticulitis, with a small bowel obstruction. The secondary diagnosis is chronic renal failure (CRF). Patient History DC has a history of hypertension, atrial fibrillation (AFib), end stage renal disease (ESRD), past peritoneal dialysis (2.5 years), and peritonitis. She has been on a Monday, Wednesday, Friday hemodialysis schedule for the past 2 years. PATHOPHYSIOLOGY OF THE PRIMARY DIAGNOSIS AND PRIORITY SECONDARY DIAGNOSIS Diverticula are pouch-like herniations of the mucosa through the muscular wall of the small intestine or colon. Diverticulosis is the presence of many diverticula in the wall of the intestine. Most people with diverticulosis have no symptoms and remain symptom free for a lifetime. Diverticulitis is used to describe when one or more of the diverticula become inflamed. Dive rticula occur most commonly in the sigmoid colon, although they may occur in any part of the small or large intestine. The musculature of the colon hpertrophies, thicken and becomes rigid, and herniation occurs through the colon wall. Diverticula occur at points of weakness in the intestinal wall, where blood vessels interrupt muscular continuity. The muscle weakness develops as part of the aging process (Ignatavicius & Workman, 2006). Diverticula usually cause few problems. If undigested food or bacteria become trapped in the diverticulum blood supply will diminish and bacteria invade the diverticulum. Diverticulitis occurs when the diverticulum perforates and a local absess forms (Ignatavicius & Workman, 2006). Diets with small amounts of fiber have been linked to the development of diverticula due to the fact that they cause less bulky stool and constipation. However fiber is not proven to be a preventative measure (uptodate.com). Only one of five people with diverticulitis will actually display symptoms (Ignatavicius & Workman, 2006). Exactly how diverticula become inflamed is not clear. One theory is that increased pressure in the colon can lead to breakdown of the wall of the diverticula leading to infection. Another theory is the openings of the diverticula may trap fecal matter, which can lead to infection. Or, an obstruction in the narrow opening of the diverticulum may reduce blood flow to the area which may lead to inflammation. In the past, medical professionals thought that nuts, seeds, popcorn and corn played a role in causing diverticulitis. However, recent research has found that these foods aren’t associated with an increased risk of diverticulitis (mayoclinic.com).

Reflective Cover Letter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Reflective Cover Letter - Essay Example It is a great pleasure that you will be convinced of my improvement in the use of rhetoric techniques, structure of essays, brainstorming varied ideas to support claims and communicating with the academic audience, as well as, making use of instructor feedback. It is evidently that writing has always been an idea that I really enjoyed from the first quarter given that English is my first language whether it was informational, essay or creative. It was my pleasure to learn that I had the ability to take English during my first year of college though I knew the assignments would be difficult. However, that was not the case as they appeared to be interesting, as a result of, the engaging topics. The best of work during the semester I have a great feeling were in the pieces assigned as: Shelter problem for cats and identifying situations to help the community. The first essay entailed a persuasive and analytical essay that focused on the identification of the subject matter and persuaded the audience of the problem and the recommended solutions. The latter entailed an informative and creative essay that gauged the writer’s skills in making well-structured arguments supported by valid evidence. I had a hard time in beginning these two tasks, however, with more reading materials from the tutor it was more exciting, and I was unable to stop once started. I felt that with the two essays my voice was evidently able to come through with meeting the requirements of the learning outcomes. The tutor introduced the aspect of drafting the progress of the essays and submitting them for corrections. Such an aspect enabled me to run spell checks and fixing typos. However, this quarter I am much into the understanding of the necessity of drafts. With my first trials during the beginning of the semester regarding these two essays it appears that I had no clear thesis, the paragraphs were

Business Research Individual Work 1 Week 9 Essay

Business Research Individual Work 1 Week 9 - Essay Example CAT advances the previous technology, enables researcher to accurately report the coder reliability as well as validity, and encourages different new strategies that can be used for data analysis that are much simpler among other things. The data to be coded can be uploaded in CAT in different formats such as zip file, plain text files or even as xml-based files. With this technology, even after uploading the files that need coding, the researcher can trace the coding process and easily monitor its progress (Lu and Shulman, 2008). The other coding technological advance is the Computer Assisted Coding which is most effective on coding and data that is health related. The CAC coding technology is effective because it assists in analyzing gaps in health care, finding out the most appropriate use and costs as well as aid in providing better data results to evidence based medicine. It takes a very short time in analyzing the codes uploaded to the system which is helpful with records, it recalls the data coded within a period of six months hence enabling validation of the records and making it more reliable that traditional coding methods and it is very accurate and precise in its results (Dougherty, Seabold and White, 2013). Lastly is the barcode technology which is one of the most common ways of coding information and it is also easier to retrieve the information coded for analysis later on and discreetly for that matter as well. Information is stored in a series of white and black lines which are codes with numbers which represents specific information about the product after it has been researched. A barcode scanner then reads and translates the bar code into textual information which can then be analyzed or compared to others. This type of coding technology can be used in any setting from healthcare to the food industry to clothes industry among many others. There are

Cultural Anthropology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Cultural Anthropology - Essay Example Primarily, this entails how diverse people having varied cultures and know how can effectively work together and make an effective Corporation. Additionally, it may also involve acknowledgement, appreciating and integrating diverse cultural facets in delivering the intended services, for instance in schools or other service industries. Consequently, make an individual possess high cultural competence skills and practices that will guarantee one to deliver even excellently beyond the set expectations (IFTF). Normally, this relies on varied skills, which a person ought to adopt while in a working environment besides intermingling with other individuals having diverse cultures. Some of the competence skills encompass: A person should have the capacity to adapt and deliver as required in diverse working settings. Mainly, this calls for an individual to respond appropriately to changing circumstances and possess the ability to sense new contexts besides overcoming linguistic challenges. Studies they contend that, an intelligent and innovative group encompasses a combination of diverse ages, skills, and disciplines emanating from varied people (IFTF). Therefore, this will enable in operating effectively regardless of the new cultures that constitute the working environment. It is the ability of an employee to assess and understand the emotions of fellow workmates within their working environment. This is evident with individuals looking for cultivate trust among the people whom they are collaborating with especially in place of work as they undertake diverse projects (IFTF). Owing to the present challenges that are complex, they do require multifaceted solutions to attain the intended targets. Hence, an individual needs to have expansive knowledge that comprises one’s fields. This shuns involvements of numerous personnel, which forces the firm to hire external expertise to solve certain cases that none of their employees

The Movements of Employees at Work Abstract Essay

The Movements of Employees at Work Abstract - Essay Example Employee monitoring can be defined as the act of surveillance and monitor employees’ actions during stipulated working hours by use of employer equipment (Stanton & Stam, 2006). It entails the use of computers to record, evaluate and observe an employees’ use of a computer, plus communications like websites visited and emails sent or received besides telephone calls made. However, it is legal for employers to use computer programs to monitor employees (Duquenoy, Jones & Blundell, 2008). Employee surveillance has gained prominence as a prerequisite and in the same breath a contentious issue due to the complexity and prevalent use of technology in the workplace. Employers are worried about employees’ proper behavior and conformity to work-related regulations. Hence some critics believe employee monitoring is an inalienable responsibility. To others, it is an invasion of privacy. Managers employ different ways of monitoring employees’ internet use, emails, an d their location to capitalize on employee productivity, uphold the integrity of the firm and to defend the interest of clientele and workmates (Duquenoy, Jones & Blundell, 2008). When managers start to probe into employees’ private life, mistrust and acrimony are built between employees’ and managers. Many workers have lost their employment and a lot more companies have had to face lawsuits filed against them because people believe that the use of internal company communications should remain confidential (Bassick, 2007). Managers and owners of private firms have had several reasons to scrutinize the activities of their employees. Some are driven by the displeasure when employees misuse company money and waste time to carry out non-work related tasks.  

Health Care Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Health Care - Research Paper Example Because of this, some hospitals have resulted in using patients’ demographic data. Robertson, J & Pettypiece, S. (2014). Hospitals are mining patients’ credit card data to predict who will get sick. Retrieved from The healthcare sector is made up of different industries including the pharmaceutical industry, hospitals and health insurers. Investors can invest in individual industries or the entire sector. The aim of the report is therefore to analyze investment in these industries. The paper examined whether drug studies which are funded by pharmaceutical companies are manipulated to favor them. According to Lexchin et al., (2003), there is enough reasons to believe that most drug research which are funded by pharmaceutical companies favor them. Most of the companies which carry out the research would not like the pharmaceutical companies to have a bad reputation especially when there are other rug companies which are producing the same medicine as these would lead the financier to make big losses. Study was done on Medline and Embase publications from January, 1966 to December, 2002 and January, 1980 to December, 2002 respectively. The only journal which were included were those which compared the quality of research outcomes of studies sponsored by Pharmaceutical companies and those sponsored by other sources (Lexchin et al., 2003).The authors found 30 articles which met their requirement. The following results were found. Out of the 30 publications, 26 reported the relationship between the source of income and the outcome. While, 6 articles investigated the effects on publication, 5 articles examined the result of the pharma economic studies and finally 13 determined the relationship between the methodological quality and source of

Team Training Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Team Training Plan - Essay Example The collaboration of the team members is essential in order to get the job tasks of the team done. In order to enhance the leadership skills of all the team members a position called team leader will be generated. The team leader position serves as a training exercise for the leader in order to make apply critical thinking skills and leadership. The mechanism that will ensure everyone gets a chance to be team leader is a rotating mechanism. Each week our team will have a different team leader. The collaboration between team members will ensure that everyone participates in the team project. Collaboration involves recognition that something is wrong and needs attention immediately through problem solving (Schermerhorn & Hunt & Osborn, 2003). The utilization of collaboration is considered in organizational management as a win-win proposition. Whenever a team player has any concern about the job to be completed he will have the support of the other team members. Another tool that will b e used to enhance the collaboration of the team is creating different position that provide specific task to the completed by the player. Three additional positions that our team will have along with team leader are editor, researcher, and administrative assistant. Creating a structure in our team will enhance the functionality of the work to be performed. A training exercise that will be used by the team to gather ideas simultaneously is brainstorming sessions. Collaboration among the team member is important in order for the brainstorming session to have positive effects and greater results. A second important element of the action plan of the team is communication. Communication is essential in order for people in organization to function in an effective manner. Managers today must have excellent communication skills in order to motivate their employees. As mention earlier a tool that

The Sense of Casualness marking the 17th Century English Slave Trade Essay

The Sense of Casualness marking the 17th Century English Slave Trade - Essay Example The narrator comes out as a shrewd European trader, who on the one side is perturbed by the competitive tactics evinced by the traders from other European nations, and on the other side is harrowed by the long negotiations he had to manage with the African intermediaries, war-lords, and feudal headmen. The prime concern of the narrator is to secure young and strong African slaves at the right price and at the right time and one scarcely finds this account being marked by any emotional interjections or moral pangs on the part of the writer. The entire process presented in the narrative is astutely mattered of fact and business like. Thereby, the account presents a realistic picture of the systematic and extensive nature of the African slave trade, which comes out as being a well engrained economic activity in the coastal communities in Africa. The European slave traders certainly preferred to maintain amicable and cordial relations with the African feudal lords and the intermediaries appointed by them so as to assure the success and safety of their business operations. If one studies the given account in the light of the intellectual and moral progress registered by the 17th century Europe, one stands simply amazed and nonplussed at the fact that a civilization that tended to be the cradle of the best of thought and progress, happened to be so callous about trading in human beings, preferring to keeping the African slave trade bereft of any human or ethical considerations. ... The European traders traded in African slaves without giving in to any moral or ethical pangs, being more concerned about the fortunes to be accrued from the transatlantic demand for cheap manpower. The narrator comes out as a shrewd European trader, who on the one side is perturbed by the competitive tactics evinced by the traders from other European nations, and on the other side is harrowed by the long negotiations he had to manage with the African intermediaries, war lords and feudal headmen. The prime concern of the narrator is to secure young and strong African slaves at the right price and at the right time and one scarcely finds this account being marked by any emotional interjections or moral pangs on the part of the writer. The entire process presented in the narrative is astutely matter of fact and business like. Thereby, the account presents a realistic picture of the systematic and extensive nature of the African slave trade, which comes out as being a well engrained eco nomic activity in the coastal communities in Africa. The European slave traders certainly preferred to maintain amicable and cordial relations with the African feudal lords and the intermediaries appointed by them so as to assure the success and safety of their business operations. If one studies the given account in the light of the intellectual and moral progress registered by the 17th century Europe, one stands simply amazed and nonplussed at the fact that a civilization that tended to be the cradle of the best of thought and progress, happened to be so callous about trading in human beings, preferring to keeping the African slave trade bereft of any human or ethical considerations. In that sense one certainly finds a

Intercultural communication Essay Example for Free

Intercultural communication Essay Perception in psychology is defined as a process of obtaining information through one’s senses and interpreting that information as something meaningful. Perception can either be programmed into or learnt by a brain, or it can be formed due to one’s culture. Culture based perception is in some way influenced by experiences of culture and environment. For example, a person’s perception of right and wrong may be based on the norms of the society he lives in. Some characteristics of the American culture and their examples Individualism – American youth ‘move out’ to gain independence and to build their lives. Equality – providing equal opportunities to candidates during job recruitment processes. Materialism – the culture of recycling and having garage sales depicts how Americans value material goods and don’t waste resources. Science and technology – strong encouragement for science projects during schooling, and promoting it through movies and television. Progress and change – research and development in various fields is strongly supported by the government, so that the country may continue to be progressive and become a pioneer in every field. Work and leisure – as much importance as work is given in the American culture, there is equal attention paid to leisure and recreation – as is evident through the countless getaways and recreational family parks present in the country. Competition – incentive plans at work, and similar reward systems during education promote the notion of healthy competition among the Americans. Work, Dress, Sex and Status In America, work and productivity are considered important to achieve a high standard of living which is why the annual number of work hours has been increasing every year. Dressing habits tend to be highly informal – concepts like â€Å"Casual Fridays† at work reflect this part of the American culture. Sex education is imparted at an early stage to students to increase awareness about and to minimize sexually transmitted diseases. The culture of discriminating based on social status has been fading out as the notion of equality has started to spread more powerfully. Theories by Hofstede, Hall, Kluckhohn and Strodtbeck to Analyze Culture These theories and the studies that had been conducted by these people, in my opinion, are quite useful in this age of globalization and ever-diminishing boundaries. They highlight the importance of differences in cultures worldwide, while also highlighting the similarities and therefore helping cross-culture psychologists find a common set of human values. Bibliography Mick Underwood (2006) CCMS – Communication studies, Culture studies, Media Studies Infobase by Mick Underwood. Retrieved on February 20, 2007 from: http://www. cultsock. ndirect. co. uk/MUHome/cshtml/index. html Wikipedia (2006) Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved on February 20, 2007 from: http://en. wikipedia. org.

Not Much Just Chillin Essay Example for Free

Not Much Just Chillin Essay Change is known to be the most constant thing in the world. Hence, individuals are often changing which leads to conflicting issues in life. Moreover, every person gets into a stage where in a person needs to change. Most of us experience change during our moments in middle school. Every person during this time of his or her life experiences changes. In addition to this, there are interests which are discovered by these individuals. More so, the changes lead to the various kind personality developments. In the book written by Linda Perlstein titled â€Å"Not Much Just Chillin’† she discussed the reality of middle school. Through her observation, research and writing, Perlstein is able to provide a very vivid and realistic condition of the students in middle school. Hence, it is very evident that middle school children are usually confronted with issue to their families, environment as well as the media which are highly influential to the development of young people. The book written by Perlstein provided a vivid example of the types of individuals within the middle school setting. There are the typical individuals such as the popular group, the geeks, the minor ethnicities and the likes. More so, the people who are reading the book could easily relate to the various types of individuals being portrayed in the book. Definitely, the book is presenting a very important aspect of the teenage life. Different parts of the book present a very good perspective of the situation in middle school. Moreover, the writing of Perlstein focuses on the perspective of the youth during their development into adulthood. In the light of this, the book provides a very easy reading to different individuals. For the book is discussing about the youth and their development, the book somehow reaches to the young audiences who are interested in reading and understanding the stages of their development. The varieties of stages that are being experienced by different groups in the middle school setting are discussed through a very descriptive style. On the other hand, parents must also read this book for it provides insights regarding the development of their children. Although it is known that parents have been in the same stage of youth, the changes and liberation of teenagers are still different in the current era. Also, professors and teachers must be able to comprehend the various types of students in school. More so, the book presents a descriptive perspective of the situation in the middle school setting however Perlstein does not provide any type of resolution regarding this matter. The readers are left hanging of what they could do in order to have a safe environment for different students. In conclusion, the book is a good read for individuals who are interested in the psychological perspective of middle school age group. More so, there is nothing really shocking about the book provided by Perlstein. Through the very clear influence of media and the environment many youth are led to very complicated situations such as teenage pregnancy, drug addiction, and a changing perception with regards to responsibilities and adulthood. These problematic cases are stated to be caused by different entities provided in the earlier paragraphs. Therefore, all the entities become an important influence to the lives of each student. Definitely the book written by Perlstein is very informative however; it also has the similar type of theme compared to other books available. Although this is the case, the book was able to reach to me as a reader. Through the experiences which I had in the past, I know have a better understanding of myself. Furthermore, I have a better understanding of the people surrounding me. Hence, I was able to create my own methods of addressing the issues of different personalities and perspectives. Due to the book written by Perlstein I was able to enjoy a book relating to various kinds of individuals.

The Impact Of Structural Adjustment Programmes In Africa Finance Essay

The Impact Of Structural Adjustment Programmes In Africa Finance Essay Illustrating your answer with specific examples, evaluate the impact of structural adjustment programmes on agriculture in southern Africa. Introduction The impact of Structural adjustment programs (SAPs) on the performance of Sub Saharan Africa (SSA) has been deeply investigated and, despite what the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank claimed, adjustment policies have often had a negative impact on the poorest and most vulnerable sections of the regions population. In particular, The SAPs in Africa have certainly contributed to some changes in the agricultural sector: in a continent where more than 70 percent of the population is involved in agriculture, the last two decades have seen a relatively poor sectors performance, opposed to the post-independence condition of self-sufficiency of most of the regions countries (Mkandawire and Bourenane, 1987). This essay will look more deeply into some of the impacts of SAPs on agriculture, focusing on the experience of Zambia as an example of IMF adjustment programs which failed to fully address the nature of the countrys economic crisis, caused by both external causes and domestic policy shortcomings. After a brief introduction on the economic situation of the country and the factors that led to the adoption of SAPs, the essay will proceed by evaluating some of the main ways in which agriculture has been affected by structural adjustment programs, looking in particular at the consequences on production patterns as well as on the people involved in agriculture. The last section draws conclusions. I. During the last century, the role of agriculture in the Zambian economy and the policies associated to it have greatly varied. The country went from a flourishing self-sufficient agriculture of the pre-colonial period, to a neglected rural sector and a copper-dependent economy during the colonial period, to a return to agriculture as a way out of the economic crisis. During the colonial period (1890-1964), agricultural activity was divided among two classes of farmers: European settler farmers, supported by the state through advantageous policies, and African subsistence peasant farmers, used mainly as a labour reservoir, and to which access to good land was restricted (Mwanza, 1992). At this time, the role of agriculture was especially supportive to the provision of low priced food and cheap supplies of labour to the expanding industrial economy (ILO, 1987). Maize was the principal commodity constituting 90 percent of all marketed cereals, accompanied by secondary export commodities such as coffee, cotton, tobacco and groundnuts. At independence, the United National Independent Party (UNIP) attempted to diversify the economy by developing agriculture to secure food self-sufficiency and reduce the dependence on the copper industry. A single-channel marketing system, fixed agricultural producer prices, and subsidies in the maize area are examples of the policies put in place to offset the damage caused by an already declining mining industry (Mkandawire and Bourenane, 1987). However, such policy experiments did not reach their objectives, and Zambia went through economic deterioration in the 1970s due to both external shocks (oil crises and falling prices of copper), and inefficient domestic economic policies (e.g. a static and inflexible economic structure) (Seshamani, 1990). The government started to borrow in order to maintain the same levels of import, increasing the countrys indebtedness that reached unacceptable levels, for a total of almost $4.5 billion a t the end of 1982 (Jansen and Rukovo, 1992). With no significant recovery of the economy, the increasing budget deficit obliged the government to start getting conditional loans within the framework of the IMF/WB SAPs. II. A first series of SAPs was adopted in Zambia between 1983 and 1987, with the aim of restoring the countrys financial stability through trade liberalization, currency devaluation, and reduction of government spending, including the removal of food and input subsidies (Saasa, 1996). Preliminary liberalization took place in the years 1983-1985, when a foreign exchange auction system was introduced. The IMF/WB program collapsed in 1987, mainly due to the unsustainable depreciation of the domestic currency (the Kwacha) that fell from a pre-auction rate of K 2.20 per US$ to K 21 per US$ of the last auction (Wulf, 1988). After a brief attempt by the Kaunda government to put up its own New Economic Recovery Programme between 1987- 1989, Zambia went back to the IMF/WB SAP starting from 1989, and the reform periods went on with the following government. In agriculture, the SAP aimed at promoting agricultural exports, improving food production and limiting government intervention in the market (Simatele, 2006). Before the introduction of SAPs, the government put in place highly subsidized measures to assist agricultural production growth such as crop-marketing depots that reached the entire country, the introduction of fixed crop prices, and provision of tractor ploughing services, credit and fertilizer (Jansen and Rukovo, 1992). Such measures were replaced by agricultural adjustment policies that included the removal of subsidies, food prices decontrol, abolition of equity pricing, and liberalization of agricultural marketing (Mwanza, 1992). During the short period of the New Economic Recovery Programme, the Kaunda government failed to support agricultural development, and not surprisingly, given the fact that the same measures which undermined agricultural production and which led to foreign borrowings were re-adopted: revaluation of the kwacha, food subsidies, and price controls. But lets look at the consequences of reforms in more detail. The introduction of SAPs in Zambia affected agriculture in a number of ways. This essay will focus on the consequences on food production (in particular on changes in the cropping patterns), and on the people that practice agriculture, especially smallholders. The reforms had an impact on food production and cropping patterns due to two main factors: first, an increase in agricultural production costs, and second, a decrease in access to credit. Production costs rose in Zambia following a decrease in (i) the exchange rate, and (ii) agricultural subsidies. The countrys food production is dependent on the exchange rate especially in terms of input prices. The newly adopted foreign exchange auction system (1985) made it difficult for the government to plan a consistent pricing policy, and agriculture, as a priority sector for the economic restructuring, was uncompetitive in the foreign exchange auctions. As a consequence of the auctioning, the local currency (Kwacha) depreciated, increasing the prices of imported goods and inflation. Whereas a 50kg bag of fertilizer cost K26.75 during the 1984/5 season, it rose to K48 during the 1985/6 season (Sano, 1988). This had a strong impact on the very import sensitive Zambian farming. First, the production of the main crop, maize, is heavily dependent on imports of fertilizers and other items such as empty grain bags. Even though Zambia needs less fertilizer than other countries, as Mal awi, due to the abundance of good arable land, such input is by far the most important and most costly used, especially by small farmers. Second, petrol and trucks for the transport of agricultural produce must also be imported. These inputs are highly necessary in a country with a low level of population density and a skewed pattern of urbanization. As a consequence of exchange rate auctioning, production costs rose, and farm gate maize prices became less favourable, especially for small-scale maize producers in peripheral areas of the country (Jansen and Rukovo, 1992). With increasing input prices, the government, in order to maintain production, was obliged to augment producer prices correspondingly: maize reached K55 per bag in the1985/6 season (Sano, 1988). This, together with good weather conditions, contributed to the rise of agricultural output at a level of 9 percent of GDP in 1985 (Wulf, 1988). However, due to a higher rate of population growth, GDP was still declining. Th e rise of producer prices has been certainly beneficial, but the absence of infrastructural improvements and other consequences of liberalizations such as high inflation undermined output improvements. Before the reform period, the government both delivered inputs to, and collected outputs from farmers, even in the more remote areas. However, with the introduction of the SAPs in the 1980s, subsidies connected to agricultural production were severely reduced. Removal of food subsidies, previously put in place mainly to provide cheap food for urban residents, did not affect poor farmers (Sahn, 2004). However, the removal of other subsidies such as those on transport and on inputs did have an impact on agriculture, and especially on smallholders. The reduction of transport subsidies undermined farmers access to markets and increased the cost of production. Both small and large farmers were adversely affected by transport subsidy removals, but while large scale farmers suffered less from the price increase due to their closeness to markets and roads, the remoteness of many smallholders further increased their costs of production. Village processing was replaced by large-scale mills, ad ding extra transportation costs that, together with the absence of subsidies, made the food system highly inefficient, negatively affecting rural residents and their produce. Agricultural production was also affected. Being maize the major and most commercialized food crop in the country, its dependence on factors such as distance to markets and credit is higher than for other crops. As a study by the African Economic Research Consortium shows, maize has a negative response to distance from the market (Simatele, 2006). On the contrary, other crops such as cassava have mainly local basic markets, and their production is not as much affected by the removal of transport subsidies. The de-subsidization of agricultural inputs, as for example input credit or less costly fertilizer, also had an impact on agriculture. Their removal entailed a credit squeeze and caused an increase in production costs, negatively affecting especially small-scale food production. A second factor that had an impact on food production was the decline of access to credit. Before the introduction of SAPs, agricultural credit was provided by government-owned companies such as the Agricultural Finance company (AFC), and by commercial banks. Although commercial farmers have mainly financed their operations through private banks, smallholders have relied mostly on government loans, because of the low repayment rates connected to it. With the liberalization of the financial markets, credit and its pricing was no longer controlled, and farmers had to compete with other potential borrowers to get it. Credit provision was left mainly to the private sector, that failed in filling the gap. For smallholders it has been very difficult to obtain loans from financial institutions, both because of their exposition to high risks (i.e. physical conditions of the environment, health problems), and because of their isolation (poor transportation and communications). Because the pri vate sector often refused to serve the rural areas, the opportunity was left to local moneylenders, if present, to exploit their monopolistic positions and charge the small farmers high interest rates. In any case, interest rates escalated, causing a problem for loan repayment: from 43 percent in 1990, to 46 percent in 1991 (Geisler, 1992). In Solwezi District in the North Western Province, the progression of interest rates charged by Lima Bank during the 1993/94 cropping season reached 120% in September,1993 (Kajoba, et al,1995, p.9). Attempts to solve the problem of credit access, included those leaving smallholder credit provision to the private sector, most of the times resulted inefficient and failed. An example of such attempts is the launch of the Agricultural Credit Management Programme (ACMP) in 1994, which was meant to support the private sector in credit provision by giving fertilizers and seeds on credit through credit managers who would in turn provide these inputs to f armers through local credit coordinators (Pletcher, 2000). The ones that mostly benefited from this system have been the stockists and traders at the expense of smallholders. The problem of credit provision with liberalization continues to exist, and will probably persist as long as the private sector and the government do not reach an agreement on the development of efficient input supply networks. It is clear that SAPs in Zambia had a negative impact primarily on the smallholder subsector, that between 1980 and 1994 contributed about 40 percent of the agricultural output (Chiwele et al., 1998). The increase of production costs and the decrease in access to credit have introduced new difficulties for smallholders disposing of less means to overcome adverse conditions than commercial farmers. Moreover, while commercial farming systems are concentrated along the rail line, remote farmers, once relying on support of the state, have been cut off as the private sector was not able to fill the gap caused by liberalization. The new private sector-led marketing system initiated in 1992, in fact, has not so far been successful in carrying out its functions to the same extent as the cooperatives previously did. Most traders own very little transport and storage facilities and tend to depend on hired material. The bigger constraint, however, has been traders lack of access to capital. As a consequence of the marginalization of remote farmers, volatility and desperate selling right after the rains have increased, leading to a decrease of selling prices and a affecting of the market (Chiwele et al., 1998). Concerning cropping patterns, the adoption of SAPs and the cost increase have contributed to the rise in production of other crops as millet, sorghum, and cassava. In fact, even though today maize is still grown in large quantities in Zambia, from 1980 to 2005 Cassava production went from 360000 to 1056000 tons, while millet production from 20000 to 29583 tons (FAOSTAT, 2010). The area planted to maize declined 43 percent between 1989 and 1999. During the same period, the area planted to cotton increased by 65 percent, and the area for groundnuts grew by more than 100 percent (Mukherjee, 2002, p.27-28). Smallholders withdrawal from maize cultivation might be considered as a threat, in the sense that it would negatively affect the policy of self sufficiency in maize, leading to the need of importing the crop from the neighbouring countries (Sano, 1988). In mid-1987, only about 6.5 million bags of maize were expected from current harvest, necessitating large and costly imports of the s taple once again (Good, 1988, p.45). However, the introduction of maize as the main commercial crop was a post-independence policy that encouraged inefficiency and lack of differentiation by giving incentives to the farmers to move away from the production of other crops into maize. But the ecology of the country makes it more suited for certain crops than others, according to the area of cultivation. Maize is ecologically suited to less than half of the country, and requires new skills and large labour and capital inputs in comparison to other starch staples (Mkandawire and Bourenane, 1987, p. 292). The dominance on one crop partially explains why less than 20 percent of the countrys arable land was under cultivation (Saasa, 1996). In the period pre-SAPs, the government introduced rural development programs that promoted the cultivation of maize as a cash and food crop. Rising subsidies have coincided with the rapid advance of maize production, even in areas where it previously had a minor role (i.e. parts of the Northern Province). Such policy made small-scale farmers dependent on the government, on both subsidies provision (as those on fertilizers, transport, marketing and credit), and on a single cereal (Kajoba, 2009). Adjustment reforms have shifted the attention to competing grains and tubers i.e. millet, sorghum, and cassava for a number of reasons. First, these crops are generally cultivated with little or no chemical dressings, requiring much less inputs (Kydd, 1988). Second, they have mainly local basic markets, and their production is not so much dependent on transport services, and therefore subsidies. This also affects the issue of access to markets, which has been decreasing for smallholders with the liberalization reforms. Third, these crops are drought resistant and more traditional in some parts of the country than maize, and their production might contribute to an increased efficiency on the food system, as harvest fluctuations might be red uced and marketed food supply might be more regular. Also, alternative crops sometimes have non-monetary credit available, allowing easier forms of repayment by farmers. For these reasons, a gradual move away from maize might even be beneficial to agriculture to some extent, as it could contribute to an increased efficiency of the food system. Moreover, in the long term, an increase in the production of cheap un-subsidized food could provide a more sustainable solution. CONCLUSION This essay has looked at some of the main consequences on agriculture of policy reform measures undertaken through structural adjustment programmes in Zambia. Both production patterns and smallholder farmers were affected by the reforms. Production costs rose following a decrease in the exchange rate and in agricultural subsidies, and access to credit decreased following liberalization. These patterns negatively affected especially small-scale farmers, unable to cope with increasingly adverse production conditions, while left the bigger, commercial farmers closer to the market better off. Improvements in the small-scale sector have further been undermined by problems in the provision of agricultural support services by private actors. Alternative crops are increasingly grown as a consequence of rising production costs related to maize, and this pattern might provide a solution for a more sustainable and more efficient food system. Certainly, the countrys situation pre-SAPs and the in efficiency of its agricultural policies required some kind of reforms: a food system focused on maize, a structure of production and consumption along the line of rail and in the copperbelt, a transport system sustained by subsidies and an export agriculture affected by an overvaluation of the exchange rate (Sano, 1988). However, the enforcement of a standard package of policy measures has proven unsuccessful in addressing the nature of Zambias economic crisis. SAPs focused excessively on price policy reforms, that have been not able to induce agricultural growth alone. Price stabilisation programmes need to be carefully designed so as not to turn into a fiscal drain and an obstacle to production diversification. Reforms in agriculture are still taking place and policies are therefore still changing. Credit access, input markets design and the way through which institutions can enhance smallholder agriculture are areas that require a particular attention when formulating policies th at will enhance the countrys agricultural potential.

Marketing Research Tools Essay -- Market Research

Marketing Research Tools Before launching or expanding a business venture, there needs to be an understanding of the industry, its competitors, and its customers. Market research is vital in assisting companies in the decision-making process and their marketing direction. Data from marketing research is important because it provides companies with ways to identify opportunities, identify market potential, minimize chances of loss, devise effective marketing strategies, gauge customer satisfaction, and serve as an evaluation tool. A wide-range of marketing research tools is available to market researchers and organizational decision makers. The following focuses specifically on data collection methods for conducting both primary and secondary research and provides an examination of the differences in primary and secondary research when using qualitative and quantitative approaches. Primary and Secondary Market Research Primary Market Research A company’s marketing research objective could be to establish the market level of a product or service; establish strategies of industry competitors; establish the level of consumer awareness, and establish what the four Ps should be (product, price, place, and promotion). Market research is categorized into two types; primary and secondary market research. Primary market research, also referred to as field research, is tailored to the specific needs of a company. Primary market research allows companies to investigate specific areas of interest, which is conducted directly by the company or contracted out to a third party research firm. Primary data-collection methods aim at getting the right information about the trends in the market firsthand; under this approach a company gets inf... ... the company already knows what it wants to study or not. Works Cited Brockfield Solutions. (2012). Secondary & Primary Research. Retrieved from http://www.brockfieldsolutions.co.uk/secondary-and-primary-research.aspx DeVault, G. (n.d.). Choosing Between Qualitative and Quantitative Methods. What Are You Trying to Prove? Retrieved from http://marketresearch.about.com/od/market.research.techniques/a/Choosing-Between-Qualitative-And-Quantitative-Methods.htm Entrepreneur Media, Inc. (2012). Marketing Research. Retrieved from http://www.entrepreneur.com/encyclopedia/term/82400 (and 82616).html Kumar, D. A., & Day, G. S. (2007). Marketing Research (9th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons. SFGate. (2012). The Difference Between Secondary and Primary Market Research. Retrieved from http://allbusiness.sfgate.com/marketing/market-research/1310-2.html Marketing Research Tools Essay -- Market Research Marketing Research Tools Before launching or expanding a business venture, there needs to be an understanding of the industry, its competitors, and its customers. Market research is vital in assisting companies in the decision-making process and their marketing direction. Data from marketing research is important because it provides companies with ways to identify opportunities, identify market potential, minimize chances of loss, devise effective marketing strategies, gauge customer satisfaction, and serve as an evaluation tool. A wide-range of marketing research tools is available to market researchers and organizational decision makers. The following focuses specifically on data collection methods for conducting both primary and secondary research and provides an examination of the differences in primary and secondary research when using qualitative and quantitative approaches. Primary and Secondary Market Research Primary Market Research A company’s marketing research objective could be to establish the market level of a product or service; establish strategies of industry competitors; establish the level of consumer awareness, and establish what the four Ps should be (product, price, place, and promotion). Market research is categorized into two types; primary and secondary market research. Primary market research, also referred to as field research, is tailored to the specific needs of a company. Primary market research allows companies to investigate specific areas of interest, which is conducted directly by the company or contracted out to a third party research firm. Primary data-collection methods aim at getting the right information about the trends in the market firsthand; under this approach a company gets inf... ... the company already knows what it wants to study or not. Works Cited Brockfield Solutions. (2012). Secondary & Primary Research. Retrieved from http://www.brockfieldsolutions.co.uk/secondary-and-primary-research.aspx DeVault, G. (n.d.). Choosing Between Qualitative and Quantitative Methods. What Are You Trying to Prove? Retrieved from http://marketresearch.about.com/od/market.research.techniques/a/Choosing-Between-Qualitative-And-Quantitative-Methods.htm Entrepreneur Media, Inc. (2012). Marketing Research. Retrieved from http://www.entrepreneur.com/encyclopedia/term/82400 (and 82616).html Kumar, D. A., & Day, G. S. (2007). Marketing Research (9th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons. SFGate. (2012). The Difference Between Secondary and Primary Market Research. Retrieved from http://allbusiness.sfgate.com/marketing/market-research/1310-2.html

A Humorous and Heartfelt Wedding Speech -- Wedding Toasts Roasts Speec

A Humorous and Heartfelt Wedding Speech Good evening Ladies and Gentlemen - I would like to start by thanking Frank on behalf of the bridesmaids for his kind comments and echo the fact that they look wonderful and performed their role fantastically well, despite the inevitable and healthy rivalry that can sometimes occur. In fact, just before the service I overheard a furious sisterly argument about who was going to be first to dance with the best man. Understandable, I thought - until I got closer and heard them saying, 'You!', 'no, you!' I've known Frank for the best part of 20 years now and of course there are plenty of things I could tell you about what we got up to in our younger days. Unfortunately, I did consult my solicitor and he tells me that we could still face prosecution, so maybe I’ll keep things to a minimum and talk about how nice he is. Frank is a quality ac... A Humorous and Heartfelt Wedding Speech -- Wedding Toasts Roasts Speec A Humorous and Heartfelt Wedding Speech Good evening Ladies and Gentlemen - I would like to start by thanking Frank on behalf of the bridesmaids for his kind comments and echo the fact that they look wonderful and performed their role fantastically well, despite the inevitable and healthy rivalry that can sometimes occur. In fact, just before the service I overheard a furious sisterly argument about who was going to be first to dance with the best man. Understandable, I thought - until I got closer and heard them saying, 'You!', 'no, you!' I've known Frank for the best part of 20 years now and of course there are plenty of things I could tell you about what we got up to in our younger days. Unfortunately, I did consult my solicitor and he tells me that we could still face prosecution, so maybe I’ll keep things to a minimum and talk about how nice he is. Frank is a quality ac...

The Analysis of the Struggles of an African-American Man and a Native A

It has long been said that people turn to religion during their most desperate and loneliest moments. This theory was very evident in the lives of two very different real-world people: Black Elk and Malcolm X. Black Elk, a Lakota Sioux Indian, and Malcolm X, an African-American, had many similar experiences despite their differences in geographical location, methods, and religion. Malcolm X and Black Elk turned to Islam and the Sioux’s indigenous religion, respectively, for direction and strength to be liberated from oppression by the United States (US) Government (and the mainstream-American community) and to fight for their respective communities. Malcolm X grew up in a controversial period of racial segregation in American history, causing many African-Americans to lose faith of ever becoming equal to white Americans. X’s father was a Baptist minister; ironically, however, X grew to hate all religions. In fact, once X was sentenced to prison on the counts of larceny and breaking and entering for a maximum of ten years, his fellow inmates named him â€Å"Satan† because of his anti-religious views towards God and the Bible (Haley 171-4, 177). However, as he aspired to be a â€Å"better† person and searched for a purpose in life, his viewpoints on religion changed. In these dark moments of his life, X started to comply to requests made by his converted brothers and sister of not smoking cigarettes and not eating pork (180-1) and to get on his knees and pray to Allah (195-6). After writing a letter and receiving a letter back from Elijah Muhammad, X started to hold the notions that Islam was the origina l religion of African-Americans and that history had been â€Å"whitened† by the white man (208). Overall, X needed an explanation to ... ...ces. Malcolm X can be seen as someone who used Islam as a tool to jumpstart his career and spread his movement, but Malcolm X also practiced what he preached. Black Elk, on the other hand, found commonalities amongst his people and brought his people together to fight the wasichu in an unwinnable war. Nonetheless, both men, whose efforts’ origins traced back to colonial America, were leaders who turned to their faith for guidance in their most desperate moments in life. Works Cited Busby, Brittany, and Andrea Risjord. "Malcolm X." Introduction to Religion 100. Oxford College of Emory University. Alpha 257, Oxford, Georgia. Keynote. Haley, Alex. The Autobiography of Malcolm X. New York: Ballantine Book, 1973. 170+. Print. Neihardt, John. Black Elk Speaks. Twenty-First-Century Edition. Lincoln, Nebraska: University of Nebraska Press, 1988. 01+. Print.

Environmental factors effecting motor skill development Essay

Child development is defined as to how a child ables itself to complete more difficult tasks as they grow in age. Development is often confused with growth, which refers to a child’s tendency to grow bigger in size. Parents can become concerned easily when a child’s developmental skills take longer then the â€Å"normal† or when pressures of milestones are not satisfied â€Å"on time†. Developmental milestones are functioning tasks or skills that should occur at specific ages. Observing what specific environmental factors influence the development of motor skills in the infant and toddler stages and how that compares to my findings of the children I personally documented, is what will be discussed. I searched for other scholars who have current information and academic research of similar topics finding information that was both, similar as to my own research concluding a main point that the environment of these children have an effect on how they will lea rn. A common topic that has been analyzed in these journals is Gross motor skill development. It is a specific factor that plays a crucial role in the child’s overall development and of course combined with the environment in which the child is confined to has a profound effect to the development of these motor skills (newton 2008) . The aim of this study was focusing on the two main environmental factors affecting children motor development. Looking over the articles it reveals that there are many particular factors within the family details such as socioeconomic status, mother’s educational level, relationships with family and the existence of siblings can also affect a child’s motor ability, Preschools also have became an infuencial part of development for all children but also can be a detriment to a child’s development by not attending, due to the simple fact that nowadays large amounts of time children spend at them so by not having a child go through li fe with preschool would set them back as far as motor development goes. The social-cultural background where a child is brought up from, creates specific demands for his/her motor behavior. Read more: Influences that affect children’s development essay This thought can go with the fact that movement programs are very important for the development as well, such as physical education, especially if the social-cultural environment that the child is in does not require them to be very active. If the child is not pushed or has no motivation to do these  obstacles, that are often taken for granted, then can cause a long term even life altering issue down the road. These are all the â€Å"social norms† nowadays with children. It is becoming incredibly competitive to get into colleges and other type of educational programs and it all starts from these crucial infant years where all these environmental factors that the family contributes too have a say in what a child will be like as it develops. Many of these environments are expected and often not over looked or analyzed by parents due to the reason that the child is so young that these things don’t have an impact on them yet. That is false, the first five years of a child’s life are the most important in developing these motor skills for the rest of their life, and that is a fact that is not looked at close enough by parents. This is a huge developmental problem that has been happening for ever and now that there is studies and documentation proving that this here is correct, it needs to be and is being put into action. All of the environmental factors have some way played a role in the children I observed lives but because of the limited length of paper I will discuss the two most obvious influences. This purpose of this paper is to document the environment that infants and toddlers are in and describe how these environmental factors have affected them. To begin I observed a toddler and an infant but both of the same family. The two children are different ages but similar environments and upbringings. I observed the children in there home environment looking at the situation as a Mother-child interaction first then I observed the sibling vs sibling interactions that the children tended to take a like too. I continued to follow the children on and off for two weeks at different locations and got the opportunity to observe the toddler and infant in both of these settings. At each observation site I sat with a notepad and jotted down how they interacted under these three circumstances and noted of the surroundings environments each time I observed. At the end I had a lot of notes and information to choose from, but the way that I chose what information to use was by organizing my no tes into my three main cases then divided them into infant and toddler. All the situations that most frequently happened for each child i used as conclusive information and discarded the minor details. The majority of the two weeks of observing the infant under these two cases my evidence appeared to be quite on point with other researchers studies. To begin, the mother-infant relationship (parent-child). WIthin my study I found when playing with each other the infant was much more responsive to this one on one play then a group of people. What I noticed was the child did not do as much looking and observing like statistics show or as he did in the other cases. seven out of fifteen times the mother demonstrated what I wanted the infant to do, that involved a motor skill, most of the time picking up a block or a toy car, the child attempted the action after watching the mother demonstrate. What I noticed of those fifteen times all seven of the successful tries were because it was right in front of him. if it was far away he would try with a different object that was closest to him and wouldn’t even notice that he was using a different toy. As for the toddler he payed much closer attention but on the contrary of his fifteen attempts he actually cared that he used the same exact object as his mom. For him I used a test involving throwing of a ball. His mother would throw the ball using different styles such as over the head, two hand, one had, and under arm. Eight of the fifteen attempts the toddler successfully mimicked the motor skill of which hand to use and the style in which the mom threw it, which was very surprising in this case for the reason that this usually does not develop until five or six years of age. The next case I observed was the sibling vs sibling. typically we think of the mother to be seen as the leader to specific child development. However, when the child has siblings the situation becomes much more influenced. (circirelli 1975). A child’s position in the family or sex even of the sibling has a huge influence on the interactions they have. The environment used was once again the home setting but the family has there own jungle gym outside in the backyard. I used this play set to see if these sibling influences can play a role in development of specific skills . Studies have shown that, irrespective of the age difference among the children of the family, the elder siblings lead the youngers’ behaviour (circirelli 1975) and those in turn imitate elders’ movements (abramovitch et al. 1979: Lamb 1978). As I continued my research outside I watched and studied how they  were interacting. The younger infant, surprisingly can walk at his age of sixteen mont hs old. There was a set of stairs that the toddler was walking up to get to the top of the gym and eventually slide down the slide to only continue the process over and over again. The infant continued to watch and observe for about fifteen minutes with no signs of him motivated to make a move or give it a try. To our surprise the infant began pointing and mumbling as if he wanted to make an attempt. He was brought over to the play set, climbing up the steps and eventually we got him to go down the slide. He held his hands on the railings same position as where she did as if he was copying her techniques exact and the influence of his big sister took effect. This whole process took about twenty- twenty five minutes but once he tried it one time, the infant, like his toddler sister continued to doing the routine using similar if not the same route. All in all he was hesitant, the infant waited, studied, and then slowly analyzed the process as he did it for his first time, and then continued to go on with the process as his big sister had been. The infant and the toddler both have demonstrated there developing gross motor skills. These skills are coordinated with many other parts of the body such as the legs and arms and the ability to notice what one is doing and mimic the other is all part of the development of the these physical abilities of large body movements ( Berger, 2009). Reference section 1.) kambas, A. (2009). environmental factors affecting preschoolers motor development. 2.) Infants learn about objects from statistics and people. By: Wu, Rachel, Gopnik, Alison, Richardson, Daniel C., Kirkham, Natasha Z., Developmental Psychology, 00121649, 20110901, Vol. 47, Issue 5 3.) Research Institute MOVE, Faculty of Human Movement Sciences, VU University, Amsterdam, the Netherlands Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, VU University Medical Centre, Amsterdam, the Netherlands. 4.)nicholson, T. (2010, june 2). What can a one year old do?. Retrieved from http://t-nicholson.suite101.com/what-can-a-one-year-old-do-a244085 5.)Developmental Science; Nov2009, Vol. 12 Issue 6, p1060-1069, 10p, 3 Charts, 4 Graphs

New Political Dispensation in South Africa Black Economic Empowerment (Bee)

Pro forma 1. Aims of the Dissertation: Since the new political dispensation in South Africa black economic empowerment (BEE) has continually come under scrutiny (Leonard & Grobler, 2006). It has been seen as an ethically just initiative to compensate previously disadvantage individuals, and as a pragmatic strategy, which undercuts the nation of merit with a very strong undertone of racism. Increasingly, physicians, in both primary care and specialities form partnership of single or multi-specialty group practices as competition among physicians grows.The purpose of this dissertation would be to investigate challenges transformational leaders are facing within private pathology services in South Africa. Nationalization of medical funders and how it would affect the private business has long been a concern within the South African private pathology market. Focusing on change strategy and how the role of different leadership images can be applied in making multicultural knowledge sharin g work and eventually develop an organizational culture were people feel empowered.To quote Kotter and Heskett (1992), â€Å"When culture are our own, they often go unnoticed, until we try to implement a new strategy or program which is incompatible with their central norms and values. Then we observe first hand, the power of culture. † Culture and organizational structure dimensions relationship within private pathology have in recent years being influenced by advancements made in technology, regulation enforced by current political dispensation and the emerging characteristic of the 21st century corporations.The aim of this dissertation will be to determine whether the current leadership and culture in this fast changing social and economical environment will have an impact on sustainable growth of the pathology sector and whether current organisational structures will be able to address the internal and external impacts of a fast changing environment. In order to determine the impact of leadership and culture influence the researcher will concentrate on the four dimensions of organizational structures: Specialization – people with the necessary skills and knowledge that can contribute towards sustainable growth †¢ Standardization – technological development and advancements in the industry and their impact on private pathology industry sustainable growth †¢ Formalization – the way how current leadership formalizes rules, regulations and instructions and the impact current internal and external leadership and culture have on sustainable growth †¢ Centralization – the effectiveness of communication and the perception people develop around the centralization of certain core and supplemental servicesMany researchers have studied leadership impact and cultural differences in a fast changing environment. Hofstede’s four dimensions of organization culture such as individualism / collectiveness, power distanc e, uncertainty avoidance, and masculinity / femininity within the four dimensions of organizational structure will play a significant role in the interpretation of the results.In answering these questions the researcher aims to deliver a dissertation paper which would concentrate on finding answers to the challenges leaders face in developing an organizational culture based on enhancing innovation, enhance competitive advantage, motivate staff, and increase quality and customer value. The Nadler and Tushman’s Congruence Model of change (Palmer, Dunford, & Akin 2009, pp. 126-128) will form the basis around which leadership dynamics will be developed in aligning private pathology practise (services) within the current South African context (regulations, technology, culture) of change.We all desire to feel self-worth and make contributions and be recognized for them. It is through this investigation that the research might develop a deeper understanding of the dynamics of change within private pathology practises. Challenging the status quo through the formulation of a strategy that would address the current inequalities (culture and knowledge) might result in an organizational culture that all can associate with. Organizational culture is a complex set of values, believes, assumptions, and symbols that defines the way an organization defines it business.The Nadler and Tushman’s congruence model will assist the researcher in conceptualized the dynamics of leadership and culture within private pathology. 2. Methodology: Centralization and standardization received high priority and specialization and formalization were exclusively the responsibility of power distance unequal distribution of power from top management. Culture, in organizational context, may be broadly defined as the sum of groups, or nation way of thinking, believing, feeling and acting and will inadvertently play a significant role in the restructuring process of any organization.Give n the nature and complexity of the issues to be examined, the research approach would be to conduct a multi-step study incorporating both quantitative and qualitative methods. Literature research for the dissertation will concentrate on the sense-making process of change and the leadership images involved in change processes within the private medical practice industry within South Africa (Kally, Wale, Soudien and Steyn, 2007). Change in private pathology within South Africa is technology and politically driven. The pressure current government places on private sector to comply have in recent years been intensified.Private industry in general had to comply with employment equity regulation or face strict penalties that will economically impact on the organization. The aim of this research will be to determine whether leadership could keep up to these fast changing environments and to what extent culture difference has an impact on the organizational culture. The research hypothesis relies on factual data in proving current hierarchy structure and current change leadership as well as the cultures characteristics, create a ‘tipping point’, where current sustainable growth will not be attainable.Quantitative research The researcher will collect factual data from Human Resources (HR) about employee turnover the past three to five years. This data will then be sorted according to employee turnover, training, disciplines within the different designted groups (Africans, Coloureds, Indians and Whites) and at the different professional levels throughout the organization. The aim of this process will be to identify areas of concerns and will guide the researcher to develop an initial impression of the general culture within the company.The researcher will be guided by literature on the subject of leadership, culture and the sense-making process of change in such a diverse working environment. Internal data or the triangulation ‘within-methods’ of information from the company with regards to employment, lay-off disciplinary actions, training and social activities will be collected from Human Resources (HR) in a process to understand the current organizational culture and develop an idea or hypothesis around these facets and the impact of current culture diversities within the company (Maxwell & Rijamampianina, 2002) will have on future sustainable growth.Qualitative research The research approach throughout this dissertation will rest on factual literature, observation and and non-random (non-probability) sampling of survey data. Purpositive sampling (White, 2000: 63) which will indicate why change transformation in the private pathology practice is important for future if sustainable growth is to be maintained. Managing such a diverse workforce is challenging but economically imperative. Thus asking question around perception and expectation will form the basis of interviews and questions.The researcher through these ques tion aims to understand the behaviour actions and perception people have developed which may have led to the current organizational culture: †¢ Are we moving towards a workforce that will be operationally focused and rely on technology advancement made in first world countries in maintaining sustainable growth? †¢ Has the focus of management shifted towards advancement made in technology and not on employment of a workforce with the necessary skills and knowledge? Is the vast amount of internal knowledge and skills residing within employees being utilized and are employees empowered to contribute towards sustainable growth? †¢ Did employment equity requirements to any extend result in the organization developing a strategy that would be less reliance on knowledge but on automation of routine analysis which as though would address the compliance issue towards current pressure to change? †¢ Will the current leadership and culture dynamics within private pathology l ead to sustainable growth?The challenge of the qualitative research will be to find answers relating to questions above through asking questions relating to knowledge management, job satisfaction, employee benefits and general relationship within the workplace. A combination of interviews and survey question will be designed around these issues. Holistic realistic sense-making process throughout the research will play a significant role in the recommendation of a change model that would incorporate the data from surveys, interviews and literature.Sense – making refers to implementation of change processes that would not place unnecessary strain on the existing infrastructure and profit margins of the organization. Greenhalgh & Todd (1989) observed that survivor sense making and the reaction to organization decline may be due to job insecurity as an attitudinal variable and will definitely influence the sustainability of private pathology on the long run. Whether current organ izational culture and the impact of fast changing external environments and work relationships will have an impact on sustainable growth needs to be confirmed.The researcher also realizes that true qualitative and quantitative data observation may revert back to sense – making process and literature justification too support any generalization of results and that this approach may be unique to the private pathology industry in South Africa. 3. Feasibility and Required Resources: The proposed research project will require certain data that might be sensitive to the organization. For the purpose of confidentiality, company names and places will not be mentioned.As highlighted in the method above literature research will mainly concentrate on publications generated in South Africa. Additional supportive literature with regards to leadership and cultural will be sourced in support of the information obtained through the method as described above. When required or necessarily, sup portive and additional information will be sourced from international literature in support of the findings.The initial data will be soured from HR and analysed as discussed in method. Qualitative and quantitative interviews and survey will be compiled in order to get a deeper understanding and feeling about the current organisational culture and leadership dynamics. 4. Relationship to Existing Published Work: The power of servant leadership to transform health care organizations in the 21st century has been a point of discussion as well as a point of concern for many leaders within these organizations.Despite the fast changing market environment of health care services organization still practise an outmoded transactional style of leadership based on organizational hierarchies that are inherently stagnant (Schwartz & Tumblin, 2002). Leadership styles are not novel concepts but few physicians (leaders) have been introduced to transformational, situational and servant leadership styl es or combination thereof with the goal of creating an environment of learning that will be beneficial to the organization and the economy it serves.The article by Swartz and Tumblin (2002) managed to address the importance of change leadership and transformation as well as the influence that emotional intelligence and ethical behaviour has on the fast changing internal and external forces within the medical environment. Holistic sense-making process will be applied throughout this project. Introducing a generic conceptual and methodological process for the fast emerging social and intellectual patterns currently seen in the private pathology field and the impact leadership sense-making process will have on sustainable growth.Making-sense of our own reality and applying the knowledge gained through a process of sense making in understanding current situation within the private pathology practices is the initial approach the researcher has in mind. In the article ‘Making sense of executive sense-making’ by Parry (2003) the author has identified seven characteristics of sense-making that might be applicable and might form the basis of change strategies when addressing the leadership images appropriate in private pathology practises. Parry (2003) introduced the researcher to the possible epistemological problems that might be encountered throughout the studies.Throughout the analysis process of the article by Parry (2003) the researcher realized that sense-making process might be restricted to literature referencing as any deductions made from the literature will be qualitative. The new political dispensation in South Africa paved the way towards multicultural organizations changes. Together with current changes of global markets private pathology have been effected in ways were new cultures have changed and impacted on current values and behaviours of people within the organization.Rijamampianina and Maxwell (2002) believe that managing multicultura l organizations will be challenging and will call for a leadership style that recognizes cultural diversity and a willingness to share success, share mental models, share vision and share competence to the extend that people feel empower prior to changing or adapting to any dominant organization culture. Rijamampianina and Maxwell (2002) proposed a model of change, which focused on the creation of an environment of learning and interaction as the basis of accommodating a diverse culture.Making business decisions around leadership dynamics culture impact and change strategies is a crucial job and most properly one of the riskiest especially when external environments of change place significant pressure on private business to change. Bad decisions can ruin your company and are normally the result of distortion of biases, mental flaws and the sabotage of reasoning the psychological traps of the unconscious. Addressing the status quo in an environment was external and internal pressure s dictated the rationality and objectivity of decisions and the biases that influence the choices we make.Very often decision makers (leaders) display a strong bias towards alternatives that would perpetuate the status quo (Hammond, Keeney, & Raiffa, 1998). Then again, private pathology status quo may indeed be the best choice as they in general have developed dependence around service from developers of technology and analysis techniques. Hammond, Keeney, and Raiffa focused on decision making and the trade-off as well as the difficulties associated with flawed thinking as described in â€Å"The hidden traps of decision making. Over the years a number of publication that have addressed the concerns of culture and leadership in South Africa (e. g. Rensburg, 1993; Booysen, 2007; Coldwell & Moerdyk, 1981; Schwartz & Tumblin, 2002; Finestone & Snyman, 2006) all have studies certain relationships that resulted from the new democratic dispensation. Even if we find a solution to the diver sity within private pathology a realization that maintaining quality across the network of pathology services will be a priority through the project.The purposed model of change should stand the sense-making of transformational leadership and the following publications touched on the subject (e. g. Leonard & Grobler, 2006; Parry, 2003; Greehalgh & Todd, 1989; Labiance, Gray & Brass, 2000). Dombai & Verwey (1999) focussed on the impact of organizational culture as context of interpersonal meaning on the management of organizational diversity. The authors have demonstrated that affirmative action employment may develop perception among individuals or groups that previously disadvantage groups will be appointed without the necessary credentials, knowledge or skills.The authors empirical research managed to prove that individuals experience of organizational culture as a context for the construction of meaning, are more important to diversity management than individual value differences as result of diversity in term of age, gender or race. In conclusion, the researcher knows that literature survey will from the basis of the dissertation with the understanding to develop a model of change that could address current leadership and culture diversities in private pathology.The researcher almost through the evaluation of the article became aware of the vast literature available on this subject. The challenge however will be find relevant information, which will support and be supplemental to the research. 5. Why You Are Doing This Topic: Current political situation and the fast changing global environments as well as the current technology advancement made in the medical pathology practice and the effect these factors have on the sustainability of private pathology are but some of the reason of doing this project.