The Effect of Hip-Hop on Female AAE Speakers Essay

â€Å"He dont smack that ass and pull your hair like that† is a rather vulgar and demeaning statement, yet it is freely sung in Blurred Lines by Robin Thicke, a song that was in the top ten on the Billboard list of the most popular RB/Hip-Hop songs in 2013. Because hip-hop is a very large part of the African American culture, and many speakers of African American English (AAE) are portrayed through these songs, women are often highly influenced by the objectification of their bodies in hip-hop songs. Since the emergence of the hip-hop genre in popular culture in the 1960s and 70s, women’s bodies have been sexually objectified through this music. Although the impact of the sexualization of women’s bodies in hip-hop songs is still very†¦show more content†¦It is clear that hip-hop music and music videos objectify women; however, there have been feminist movements that have begun reducing this sexualization. Clearly, hip-hop music has not been particularly helpful with a feminist movement, especially because the songs that are most popular are mostly performed by men. It is also important to note that not all of these men are AAE speakers and many of them are crossing over. On the Billboard charts for 2013, of the top twenty RB/Hip-hop songs, only four were performed by women, and only one of those performed by a woman was in the top ten. The concept of â€Å"Hip-hop feminism† as described by Whitney Peoples is a movement that involves â€Å"reconciliation and reclamation† (26) by young African American women in the United States of the male hip-hop culture that they grew up with. The overall goals of hip-hop feminism are to empower black women and to create systemic change to allow for social justice, and Whitney claims that these goals are evident through history, but each group of black women finds different ways to reach these objectives. There are various ways for black women to find power and navigate the misogyny found in hip-hop music. The most influential way to do so is for African American women to create their own

Effects Single Parents Families Free Essays

Task1 Research question What is the impact of being raised in a single parent family on students of the Corinth Secondary School? Rationale I chose to research this topic because it hurts me to see my friends from single parent families fall by the way side. I believe that they fall by the way side because the absent parent is inconsiderate. He (she) never took the time to think of the many difficulties and challenges the single parent would have in raising that child, not only in disciplining, but also by not having sufficient money to feed the child and not being able to provide that child with basic school materials. We will write a custom essay sample on Effects Single Parents Families or any similar topic only for you Order Now To me, it is very disturbing to hear some of the stories from children of my age group who come from single parent families, for instance, having to miss school because his/her parent was not able to provide for hi/her because of a huge financial strain. Time after time, I see some of my friends with their uniforms unkempt and their stomach crying out for food. It does not make me feel any better when I hear and see those things happening around me in society and particularly at my school. Objectives This School Based assessment seeks to: Identify the effects on children who are raised in a single parent family. * Identify the effect of single parent families on the academics of children within those households. * Suggest solutions to help teenagers of single parent families cope with the effects of being raised in a single parent family. Task2 Method of investigation In order to collect data for my School Based Assessment, I have decided to use the printed questionnaire because: 1. The method is inexpensive 2. The data collected is easy to analyze 3. The identity of respondents remains confidential Task 3 QUESTIONNAIRE Instructions: please place a tick in the brackets ( ) next to the response you wish to select. 1. Sex Male ( ) Female ( ) 2. Age Group 12- 14 ( ) 15-18 ( ) 18-20 ( ) 3. Do you have any younger siblings? Yes ( ) No ( ) 4. If yes how many? 1 ( ) 2 ( ) 3( ) other ( ) 5. Who do you live with? Mother ( ) Father ( ) other ( ) please state†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 6. How often do you see your other parent? Often ( ) Occasionally ( ) Seldom ( ) Never ( ) 7. I have a good relationship with my other parent. To what extent do you agree with this statement? Strongly Agree ( ) Agree ( ) Disagree ( ) Strongly Disagree ( ) 8. How often does your other parent spend quality time with you? Always ( ) Often ( ) Sometimes ( ) Rarely ( ) 9. Does your other parent provide you with your basic needs? Always ( ) Occasionally ( ) Seldom ( ) Never ( ) 10. If you selected â€Å"occasionally†, â€Å"seldom† or â€Å"never† in the previous question, why is this so? Small income from one parent ( ) Parent just does not care ( ) 11. Does your other parent provide you with love? Always ( ) Occasional ( ) Seldom ( ) Never ( ) 12. Do you believe that you live in a stable home environment? Agree ( ) Disagree ( ) 13. How do you rate your performance at school? Excellent ( ) Very Good ( ) Good ( ) Poor ( ) 14. Do you believe that being raised in a single parent family affects your academic performance? Strongly Agree ( ) Agree ( ) Disagree ( ) Strongly Disagree ( ) 15. Do you believe that living with one parent leads to children becoming delinquents? Agree ( ) Disagree ( ) Strongly Agree ( ) Strongly Disagree ( ) 16. Are you able to balance your responsibilities at home with your time to do school assignments? Always ( ) Often ( ) Sometimes ( ) Never ( ) 17. Are you regularly in trouble at school? Very often ( ) Often ( ) Sometimes ( ) Never ( ) 18. Do you think that the Government should develop and implement more policies to assist single parent families? Strongly Agree ( ) Agree ( ) Disagree ( ) Strongly Disagree ( ) How to cite Effects Single Parents Families, Essay examples

Role of Accounting Profession in Accounting for Sustainability

Question: Write an essay on "Role of Accounting Profession in Accounting for Sustainability". Answer: Practicing business stability can help the organizations to derive long-term value. But the term sustainability serves to provide different concepts for the professionals and other stakeholders like investors, customers and employees etc. It often happens that organizations introduce sustainability efforts in order to influence particular stakeholders for a green agenda that leads to a misconception that sustainability is related with environmental activities. But there are times when these particular stakeholders create problems with the other group of stakeholders. Hence, accounting for sustainability is needed so that it can cater to various requirements and issues of all stakeholders groups together with the green agenda issues. This in turn can help the organizations to take into account the stakeholder groups while framing any strategy or decision so that long-term benefits can be achieved (Albuquerque et. al, 2013). Accounting Sustainability can be better understood when it is related with ERM (Enterprise Risk Management) and the business strategy of the organization as a part of wider accounting for sustainability. With the help of this study, accountants can become motivated to be indulged in the sustainability cycle in order to understand their role that includes how accounting profession can add value in accounting for sustainability. It is already known that the current business environment is very demanding in nature that is, it not only creates opportunities for the organizations to obtain value but also snatches away opportunities from some organizations very quickly (Albuquerque et. al, 2013). For instance, Carnival Cruise Line did not employ an accounting sustainability approach in its profession and as a result, the public relations with the company is damaged that led to the destruction of brand image of the company. Alternatively, Costco has employed this approach in its profession by managing its prime stakeholders through effective internal and external communication systems (Brown, 2011). Hence it can be observed that by linking sustainability activities together with the engagement of stakeholders to the organizational strategies, management can more efficiently manage the shareholder and stakeholders interests that can further lead to employee attraction, enhancement in the revenue, improved risk management etc. Alternatively, if this is not done, then the organization can destroy its goodwill in the market and disrupt its market competitiveness. Accountants can use their skills in order to better understand the role of accounting profession in accounting for sustainability. As such, accounting for sustainability provides for significant opportunities for the accounting professionals, both for those who practice accounting and who work within the organization. Sustainability related activities help in strategic decision making but in order to satisfy this benefit, the effectiveness of these activities must be adequately linked to the strategy and financial performance within the organization. A significant number of financial and strategic dimensions are present where these linkages can be done and they comprise of decrease in supply chain costs, increase in satisfaction of customers, enhanced recruitment, rise of market prices and decrease in other political costs that result from the strict regulations and access to the strategic alliances that align with the organizations values (Schaltegger, 1996). Both the internal and external accounting practitioners of the organization can help in providing the relevant missing measurements of accounting by recognizing the quantitative measures for sustainability activities which can be related with the financial and strategy measures (Brown, 2011). This linkage or relationship is very important fo r determining the long-term efficiency of the sustainability related activities. For instance, in the year 2010, the Corporate Responsibility Officers Association provided through their report that after the survey of several companies, only one-third out of them could relate sustainability activities to the bottom line but as the companies were becoming more developed with the linkages, this percentage rose (Slaper Hall, 2011). It is to be noted that while the expertise of accountants play a crucial role in conducting the sustainability activities efficiently, their methods must also be derived from the conventional methods of financial reporting. For instance, accounting innovations that are associated with sustainability related activities are distinct from accounting innovations in financial reporting because in the former case, accounting practitioners will need to associate themselves with experts of subject matter like scientists, engineers, operation personnel, anthropologists etc in disciplines and areas related with the sustainability activities. These experts also include internal and external experts from within the organization that functions for the interests of the company as a whole. The measurement of accountants expertise helps to associate in connecting several non-financial indicators to the future strategy and financial outcomes that can in turn improve the strategic decision making. In relation to PUMA, it is the first company to measure values and report the externalities of the environment caused by its supply chain. It issues an environmental P/L account (EP L) to obtain the impacts of GHG missions on the environment, air pollution, land and water use and wastes derived through its operations and supply chain (Lubatkin, 2009). An example like PUMA underscores the opportunities available for accountants in order to team with the experts of subject matter to make sure that the reporting details are controlled, measured and reported with well-established standards of accounting so that an independent auditor can ensure the relevance, reliability and completeness concept (Bence Nadine, 2012). The expectations of various stakeholders tend to rise day by day and it not only hampers the business objectives of an organization but also creates various opportunities for creation of values. The expertise of accountants can be used in their profession to counter these types of problems in organization by effective implementation of accounting metrics and proper controls. For instance, in relation to BP, the accounting profession is performing with both the plaintiff attorneys and BP itself as the processing of claims regarding the 2010 Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill is done. Even a business week article stated how the formula was developed by BP on the basis of accounting information in order to process claims for companies that affected the event (Greenbaum, 2010). It must be noted that for sustainability activities to perform better in the long-run, it must be developed in such a way so that the organizations are aimed to manage their short-term goals and challenges effectively without sacrificing their attention to the long-term goals and challenges (Wurbs, 2005). This perfect balance can be maintained by the organizations if they recognize that their stakeholders or a small set of shareholders are expecting that the organization is focused on its performance goals and will strive to attain such without compromising their values (Greenbaum, 2010). These stakeholders with long-term performance goals and horizons include but are not limited to customers, NGOs, suppliers, employees etc. When an organization observes sustainability activities for the satisfaction of shareholders, as opposed to the emphasizing of operational or strategic advantages from such activities, can lead to various unexpected and harmful outcomes that also includes the reaction of stakeholders towards the sustainability reports of the organization. Instead of pursuing a sustainability activity that is driven by value and also does not satisfy some particular stakeholders, the organization must possess and focus on those sustainability activities that are viewed as a public relation process to meet the expectations of stakeholder groups, commonly known as green washing (Bence Nadine, 2012). The value-driven approach does not meet the requirements of specific set of stakeholders but when it comes to implementing and reporting on sustainability activities, the value-driven approach is the only approach that must be focused upon because it helps in portraying and emphasizing the significant long- term values of the organization. If an organization fails to adopt this approach in its sustainability activities, the value of the underlying aims for the initiatives are disrupted and the credibility of the information that is the reliability, relevance, completeness etc gets reduced for users use. In order to overcome this barrier, accountants must recognize the importance of accounting sustainability within the organizations and they must realize the complete value potential prevalent in their sustainability efforts (Sustainability reporting, 2012). The green washing approach can also be developed and recognized by the internal and external accountants within the organizations and it can be unknowingly developed by the organizations as one of the prime flaw of this approach is that the sustainability reports framed by this approach portrays too much hopefulness for the stakeholders that it makes them discard the approach. As a result, firms use public relations exclusively in or der to develop the sustainability reports even without the involvement of public accounting firms to develop the credibility and independence of the assertion of the reports. Alternatively, accountants of the organizations would give due importance to the transparency, objectivity and completeness than the public firms of accounting that will hence decrease the trust and perceptions of the stakeholders on this green washing concept (Sustainability reporting, 2012). For instance, the issue of green-guides by the Federal Trade Commission was made so that the misleading claims associated with the environment could be prevented in the sustainability reports. Hence, a value-driven approach must be employed by the organization for developing the sustainability reports inspite of the fact that it does not cater to the needs of few stakeholders because organizations will and probably must invest significant amount of resources on those activities that has a role in attaining the strategic o bjectives consistent with the prime values in order to enhance the value of firms. In the year 2009, there were several surveys conducted regarding the strategic objectives of the organizations together with the sustainability initiatives. The survey stated that around 82% of the 175 corporate respondents decided to invest much of their amount on sustainability activities and the results were positively associated with the respondents who stated that the main motive of this investment was to link the initiatives of sustainability with the strategy of the corporate. It was found that when the sustainability initiatives of the companies were linked with the strategic objectives, then most of the companies were interested to invest particularly in those sustainability initiatives. In simple words, companies are more likely to invest in those sustainability initiatives that were closely linked with the strategic objectives of the company. When investments are made in these sustainability initiatives that are driven by value approach, it diminishes the economic conditio ns in the organization. For instance, in the year 2008 to 2011, when the US economy was suffering, more importance was given to the short-term issues instead of focusing on the long-term sustainability objectives of the economy. However, when the economy was in a state of improvement or instead when it improved, the concentration might as well be implanted back on the long-term sustainability objectives of the economy from the short-term issues. Therefore, sustainability activities that are implanted into the strategy of the organization are more likely to obtain the required attention and other resources so that the strategic initiative goals of the organization can be efficiently met (Kruger, 2015). The above provides an insight to the key challenges that are faced by the accounting profession while implementing embedding the concept of sustainability. It is vital to know that features of impediments to change are problematic in nature because there are many factors that need to be considered. Moreover, various questions crops up like whether the issue is related to explaining the relevance of sustainability within the framework of accounting skills. There are various drivers for change that can be traced like national, as well as state policies that promotes the industry of sustainability, the drivers for CSR, back up for change form related associations, etc. Accounting profession is faced with severe challenge when it comes to sustainability because to implement it, it needs proper structure of the management. In some cases, it has been observed that the organization are keen enough in implementing the concept of sustainability and hence, in such cases the accountants face tr emendous risks and unable to cope with the pressure (Kruger, 2015). This is due to the fact that the accountants get little back up from the management. Moreover, there are very less public courses available for accountant considering the area of sustainability is less, therefore there is much problem. There is also a bigger problem that is related to guidance and therefore, the soft skills needed for sustainability is absent. Further, there is even a bigger problem when it comes to the concept of assessment (Ballot et. al, 2006). The assessment is rudimentary in nature and hence, leads to difficulties. There is a big concern when it comes to project the financial value like the triple bottom line (TBL), as well as CSR (Sustainability reporting, 2012). The problem that happens in ascertainment of long-term value and the interest bulks thee factor of risk and the demand for a unique carbon market. However despite the challenges; there are ample opportunities that can be gained by the accountants in this regard. The accountant can build up a strong area of sustainability process and helps the business to prosper considering this matter. Moreover, with the passage of time, there has been a strong reliance on courses that offers teaching in departments such as social, environmental and ethical issue (Cairns, 2000). The structure of an MBA degree is designed in a manner that helps in strengthening the skills and provides adequate focus on sustainability. Therefore, there has been a constant improvement in the studies and specialization so that the future accountants are in a better position to tackle with the problem of issues that happen in sustainability. Business is going through a rapid change and transformation is essential (Trevour Geoffrey, 2001). There is a strong urge for sustainable organization and in this regard, the concept of accountancy will play a major role. Accountant core skills are mainly in the area of financial reporting like definition, reco gnition, as well as assurance. It has been noted that there is very little demand or urge by the students to shift their focus from financial to sustainable reporting. New approaches needs to be undertaken so that it inculcates a strong feeling in them that helps to bring rapid development (Choi Meek, 2011). This is the main challenge that is faced in the profession. The professional association is of the major concern that sustainability will help in driving the models of the future and hence professional development must be continued. It is important that the universities must collaborate and establish strong measures that will aid in creating a better environment. However, the major problem is that sustainability is always seen as a trivial issue and is left to operate on its own. It is therefore essential that the concept of sustainability be kept at the prior levels. This must be kept at the priority level when it comes to the accounting profession as it will lead to strong re sults. The change cannot be bought overnight (Slaper Hall, 2011). A strong effort is needed by the authorities to change the outlook that will aid in providing strong results. It is to be noted that the accounting profession is exposed to global, as well as national pressure and hence, it is expected to perform keeping into consideration various problems. References Albuquerque, R., Durnev, A., Koskinen, Y. (2013) Corporate social responsibility and firm risk: theory and empirical evidence. Boston University. Ballot, B., Heitger, D. L. Landes, C. E. (2006). The future of corporate sustainability reporting: A rapidly growing assurance opportunity, Journal of Accountancy, 20, 65-74 Bence, D Nadine, F. (2012). The International Accounting Standards Boards Search for a General Purpose Accounting Model, viewed 22 May 2016, Brown, L. (2011). Earth Policy Institute Preface Cairns, R. D. (2000). Sustainability accounting and green accounting. Environment and Development Economics, 5(1), 49-54. Choi, R.D. and Meek, G.K 2011, International accounting, Pearson. Greenbaum, A (2010). Environmental Law and Policy in the Canadian Context. Concord, Ontario: Captus Press. Kruger, P. (2015). Corporate goodness and shareholder wealth. Journal of Financial economics, pp. 304-329 Lubatkin, M.H. (2009). One more time: What is a realistic theory of corporate governance?. Journal of Organizational Behaviour, 28, 59-67 Schaltegger S. (1996). Corporate Environmental Reporting. Wiley: Chichester. Slaper, T. F., Hall, T. J. (2011). The Triple Bottom Line: What Is It and How Does It Work? Indiana Business Review, 86(1), 6-10. Sustainability reporting 2012, Using sustainability to drive business innovation and growth 2012, viewed 25 May 2016, Trevor D. W and Geoffrey R. F. (2001). The role of accounting and the accountant in the environmental management system, Business Accounting, 10, 135-178 Wurbs, R. A. (2005). Texas Water Availability Modeling System. Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management, American Society of Civil Engineers, pp.

The Concept of Strategic Planning and Its Relevance

Abstract The purpose of this essay is to analyse the concept of strategic planning and its relevance to the activities of an organization. Strategic planning has been viewed as an important cornerstone in the decision making activities of an organization. It enables an organization to achieve its goals and objectives through the development of plans. These plans can either be long term, medium or short term depending on the type of business and the context that strategic planning will be used in.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Concept of Strategic Planning and Its Relevance specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Introduction Strategic practitioners recognised the importance of strategies in the processes and operations of an organization which saw a lot of emphasis being placed on strategy which later saw the development of strategic planning as an organizational concept. Strategic planning slowly replaced corpora te planning which mostly involved developing formal plans that lacked any strategic focus. This change was largely due to the emphasis placed on the planning activities of an organization. The relationships that were meant to result from this change sometimes could not be achieved. Researchers found that only few organizations were able to succeed in achieving their goals and objectives through the use of strategies. Practitioners of strategic planning have founded their research efforts on the assumption that the creative task of formulating and implementing strategies can be designed into a series of actions referred to as planning that will lead to results that can be repeated in the future. Definition of Strategic Planning Strategic planning is a technique that is used to organize the present activities of an organization to reflect the desired future projections of what the organization wants to achieve over a certain period of time. A strategic plan is a map or guide that will be used to lead the organization from where it is now to where it would like to be. Strategic planning mostly focuses on the external environment of an organization. Since every organization has different activities and operations that set it apart from other companies, the strategic plans of every organization will therefore be different from that of the other organization; therefore Strategic planning systems will be designed to deal with the unique characteristics of organizations (Samson and Daft 2009). Strategic planning is derived from strategy which is the layout of a plan or set of actions that will be used by the organization to achieve their objectives. Strategic planning is the systematic and formalised effort made by an organization to develop detailed plans that would be used to implement the objectives, goals, strategies, and policies of an organization (Wittman and Reuter, 2008). Planning deals with looking at the future results of current decisions that are made by decision makers. This means that strategic planning provides managers and people in positions of decision making with the cause and effect of consequences that would occur over time if that particular decision was made. If the decision maker does not like the results of the decision, he can easily change it to one that would yield positive results. Strategic planning looks at the alternative courses of action that are available in the future and what options are chosen from these alternatives, they are used as a basis for making present day decisionsAdvertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Grunic and Kuhn (2008) viewed strategic planning as a process that began with the identification of objectives and goals which later led to the development of organizational strategies, plans and policies that would be used to achieve these goals. Strategic planning was seen to be a process of mak ing decisions in advance that would determine what kind of planning activities would be undertaken and how these activities would be done. The process was also systematic as the various activities were organized in a sequence. Strategic planning process was geared towards companies that had their operations and activities in one particular industry within the market. The basic format of a strategic planning process that is used by most organizations is to first develop the company’s mission, objectives and goals as a first step. Once this is done the organization’s internal and external environment is assessed to determine the strengths and weaknesses as well as the opportunities and threats. The next step will involve selecting strategies that will be used to deal with the identified strengths and weaknesses as well as the opportunities and threats. The organization should ensure that the identified strategies are in line with its mission ad goals. After the appropria te strategies are identified and developed, they are finally implemented. Hills and Jones (2009) note that organizations go through a new process of strategic planning every year as a result of changing business environments and the global economy. This however does not mean that new strategies have to be identified and implemented every year. What usually happens in most organizations is that the strategies are modified or reaffirmed since the strategic plan is usually designed for a period of more than five years. Strategic Planning for Small businesses and Improved Performance Given all the evidence on the benefits of strategic planning, most small businesses still do not practice planning. Most of the concepts and research on strategic planning have been geared towards helping larger organizations. Managers of small businesses mostly focus on the short term rather than on the long term strategies. Their decision making technique is characterised to be reactive instead of proacti ve and deliberate. For those managers who do practice strategic planning, the process is mostly characterised by ad hoc instead of formal activities (Wang et al. 2006).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Concept of Strategic Planning and Its Relevance specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More According to May (2010), small business owners today are realising more than ever that they need strategic planning to make decisions. This has emerged out of their uneasiness about what the future holds for their businesses or the fact that they have attained the present level of small business success without any strategic planning and they don’t feel like proceeding with ventures that they are unsure will yield any profits. Such uncertainties lead them to secure stable and predictable styles of management that mostly involve strategic planning. The main difference of strategic planning for both the large and small busines ses is that the larger organization can financially afford to conduct extensive strategic planning activities which at times might be very expensive while the small business has a limited amount of financial resources. The strategic activities of the smaller organization might be limited or constrained due to finances; the smaller business will also mostly rely on its internal resources do the planning (May, 2010). Wang et al (2006) conducted investigations on why some small businesses failed in their activities and operations. They noted that the major reason was attributed to the lack of strategic planning and poor business motivation. Previous studies by scholars such as Mintzberg, Crawford and Lefebvre also suggested that formal strategic planning systems in small organizations were absent. The authors noted that small business strategic planning was mostly characterized by informal planning systems that were unstructured and sporadic. Other characteristics were that the process was viewed to be incomprehensive, incremental and reactive. Wang et al (2006) note that the motivation for a small business owner to be in business was mostly interwoven with their personal lives. Most small businesses are family owned which shows that the personal motivation in starting the business lies in trying to provide a better life for the business owners and their families. Some of these owner usually lack a business background or the technical known how of running the business. This means that they lack basic strategic planning information. Such a situation enables the businesses owners and entrepreneurs to get away with developing short term strategic plans for their businesses .Because of the size of the firm and constant uncertainty in the global business environment, small business have a limited ability to control events. That is why their focus is on short term and medium planning instead of long term. The strategic model should be designed in a simple and inexpensi ve way Pitfalls of Strategic Planning The main problems experienced by small businesses when trying to initiate the planning process have been identified as the lack of time and lack of proper strategic planning knowledge. But when managers discover ways to overcome these constraints, strategic planning can lead to the improved performance of the business.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Small business managers need to gain an understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of small businesses which will set a strong foundation for strategic planning activities. The size and simple structure of small firms allows them to increase their responsiveness to external changes. In discussing the failure of the concept, various studies have been referred to further explain why strategic planning sometimes fails in organizations. One pitfall is that no one study has been found that has assessed the outcomes of deviating from the long range plans. All studies that have been conducted on the subject do not show whether there has been any negative consequences of not following the long range strategic plan. Another pitfall came from an earlier study that highlighted that while particular companies engaged in systematically planned activities, other organizations that did not engage in strategic planning were able to surpass these companies performance wise; this showed that t he best planners did not always perform the best (Dimitrou and Thompson, 2007). Studies done in the 1970s by scholars such as Malik and Karger found favourable results when strategic planning was used while other studies such as those done by Sheehan, Grinyer and Norburn did not see any benefits of practicing strategic planning. Henry Mintzberg after a review of these studies came up with a conclusion that planning was not the only best way. He noted that in some circumstances it did not pay and that when planning was at its best, it might have had some suitability to particular and not all organizational contexts. Another pitfall of strategic planning is that most companies find the solutions derived from the formal process of strategic planning to not be what they had actually expected. They usually had a basic idea of the kind of results to expect once the process was done. Strategic planning makes a majority of the firms today to engage in less risky forms of long range planning in their decision making activities which often at times do not yield the best results. Major criticisms have been drawn to the fact that strategic planning does not in any way contribute to the strategic thinking of major decision makers in organizations. Many of the benefits that accrue from strategic planning cannot be measured and it is difficult to prove the planning process in absolute terms. This is due to the fact when the planning process is initiated; it becomes hard to compare what has happened with what could have happened. This leads to a lot of speculations and formation of assumptions that are in most cases usually wrong. There is also another pitfall in the form of identifying the amount of costs that have been used in the planning process (Hill and Jones, 2009). These costs can only be seen if additional profit made by the organization exceeds the additional costs used in planning. Logical expectations of most organizations are that strategic planning will lead the company to be successful in the future; this is a big misconception. Most managers view strategic plans to be the key that will lead the organization to market success which explains why they become devastated when the strategic plans fail (Hill and Jones, 2009). Conclusion Planning activities are important to an organization to ensure that everything moves in a systematic and orderly manner. Without planning the members of an organization would lack a guide or plan that would direct them to achieve the organizational mission, vision, goals and objectives. Planning is therefore to be the most important activity that an organization should undertake to ensure that it runs smoothly and effectively. Strategic planning should also be given the same level of importance as general organizational planning. While strategic planning for organizations has been going on for a very long time, the smaller businesses are yet to catch on, yet planning is very important for an organization to achi eve optimum success through the proper utilization of resources. Strategic planning might have some pitfalls but when used in the proper way and in the right organizational context, it can improve the performance of both large and small businesses. Managers should therefore exercise this concept to ensure the decisions they make now will reflect what the organization wants to achieve in the future. References Dimitrou, H.T., and Thompson, R. (2007) Strategic planning for regional development in  the UK. Oxford, UK: Routledge Grunic, R. and Kuhn, R. (2008) Process based strategic planning. 5th Edition. Berlin: Springer- Verlag Hill, C., and Jones, G. (2009) Strategic management theory: an integrated approach.  Ohio, US: South Western Cengage Learning May, M.G. (2010) Strategic planning. New York: Business Expert Press Samson, D., and Daft, R.L. (2009) Management Third Asia Pacific Edition. Australia: Cengage Learning Wang, C., Walker, E.A., and Redmond, J. (2006) Ownership motiva tion and strategic planning in small businesses. Journal of Asia Entrepreneurship and  Sustainability. Vol II, No.4 Wittman, R. and Reuter, M.P. (2008) Strategic planning: how to deliver maximum value  through effective business. 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Meaning and History of the Surname Clement

Meaning and History of the Surname Clement From the Late Latin given name Clemens, the Clement surname means merciful and gentle. CLEMENT is the English version and CLÉMENT is French. CLEMENTE is a common  Italian and Spanish version of the surname, also originating from the given name Clemens. Surname Origin: French,  English, Dutch Alternate Surname Spellings: CLEMENS, CLEMENTS, CLEMENTE, CLEMMONS, CLEMONS, CLEMMENT Fun Fact  about the Surname Clement Clement was the name of fourteen different popes, including Saint Clement I, the fourth  pope and first of the Apostolic Fathers. Famous People with the Surname CLEMENT Gustave Adolphe Clà ©ment-Bayard -  19th-century French entrepreneur and industrialistJean-Pierre Clà ©ment - French economist and historianMartin W. Clement - 11th president of the Pennsylvania railroadNicolas Clà ©ment - French chemist- MLB baseball player and humanitarian Where is the CLEMENT Surname Most Common? According to surname distribution from  Forebears, the Clement surname is found most prevalently in Nigeria, but in the greatest numbers in France, where it ranks as the 75th most common surname in the country. Clement is also a fairly common last name in Luxembourg (195th most common surname), Wales (339th), Canada (428th) and Switzerland (485th). Genealogy Resources for the Surname CLEMENT French Surname Meanings and OriginsDoes your last name have origins in France? Learn about the various origins of French surnames and explore the meanings of some of the most common French last names. How to Research-French AncestryLearn about the various types of genealogical records available for researching ancestors in France and how to access them. Clement Clements Clemmons Y DNA ProjectJoin with other genealogists interested in combining Y-DNA testing with traditional genealogy research in order to identify common Clement ancestors worldwide. Surnames included in the project include Clement, Clements, Clemmons, Clemons and Clemens. Clement Family Crest - Its Not What You ThinkContrary to what you may hear, there is no such thing as a Clement  family crest or coat of arms for the Clement surname.  Coats of arms are granted to individuals, not families, and may rightfully be used only by the uninterrupted male-line descendants of the person to whom the coat of arms was originally granted. CLEMENT Family Genealogy ForumSearch this popular genealogy forum for the Clement  surname to find others who might be researching your ancestors, or post your own Clement query. DistantCousin.com - CLEMENT  Genealogy Family HistoryExplore free databases and genealogy links for the last name Clement. GeneaNet - Clement  RecordsGeneaNet includes archival records, family trees, and other resources for individuals with the Clement  surname, with a concentration on records and families from France and other European countries. The Clement  Genealogy and Family Tree PageBrowse genealogy records and links to genealogical and historical records for individuals with the Clement  surname from the website of Genealogy Today. Sources Cottle, Basil.  Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967. Dorward, David.  Scottish Surnames. Collins Celtic (Pocket edition), 1998. Fucilla, Joseph.  Our Italian Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 2003. Hanks, Patrick, and Flavia Hodges.  A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989. Hanks, Patrick.  Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003. Reaney, P.H.  A Dictionary of English Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1997. Smith, Elsdon C.  American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997.

Postal Abbreviations for Provinces in Canada

Postal Abbreviations for Provinces in Canada Accurate addresses do not just help lower costs by eliminating redelivery and extra handling;  being accurate also reduces the carbon footprint of mail delivery and gets mail where it needs to go faster. It helps to know the correct two-letter province and territory abbreviations if sending mail in Canada. Accepted Postal Abbreviations The two-letter abbreviations for Canadian provinces and territories that are recognized by Canada Post for mail in Canada are based on the English spellings of the names, though the two letters also appear in the French spellings. Northwest Territories, for instance, uses the initials NT, which is the first letters of each word in English, but the first and last letters of the French Nord-Ouest. The country is divided into administrative divisions known as provinces  and territories. The 10 provinces are Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, and Saskatchewan. The three territories are Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and Yukon. Province/Territory Abbreviation Alberta AB British Columbia BC Manitoba MB New Brunswick NB Newfoundland and Labrador NL Northwest Territories NT Nova Scotia NS Nunavut NU Ontario ON Prince Edward Island PE Quebec QC Saskatchewan SK Yukon YT Canada Post has specific postal code rules. Postal codes are an alphanumeric number, similar to a ZIP code in the United States. They are used for mailing, sorting and delivering the mail in Canada and are handy for other information about your area. Similar to Canada, the U.S. Postal Service uses two-letter postal abbreviations for each state and territory in the United States. The Canadian and the United States postal services have an agreement to avoid overlapping of postal abbreviations to avoid confusion when mail is sent between the neighboring countries. Mail Format and Stamps Any letter sent within Canada has the destination address of the center of its envelope with a stamp or meter label on the top right corner of the envelope. A return address, although not required, can be put on the top left corner or the back of the envelope. The address should be printed clearly or in an easy-to-read typeface. First Line: Name of recipientSecond Line: Civic address (street address)Last Line: Municipality name, a single space, the two-letter province abbreviation, two full spaces, and then the postal code. Any additional information should appear between the second and last lines. Some rural mail does not include a civic or street address and requires such additional information. If you are sending mail within Canada, a country designation is not necessary. If you are sending mail to Canada from another country, follow all of the same instructions as listed above, but add the word Canada on a separate line at the very bottom.   First-class mail to Canada from the United States is set at international rates, and thus costs more than a letter mailed within the United States. Check with your local post office to be sure you have the correct postage (which varies based on weight.) More About the Canada Post Canada Post Corporation, known more simply as Canada Post (or Postes Canada), is the crown corporation that functions as the countrys primary postal operator. Originally known as Royal Mail Canada, founded in 1867, it was rebranded as Canada Post in the 1960s. On October 16, 1981, the Canada Post Corporation Act officially came into effect. This abolished the Post Office Department and created the present-day crown corporation. The act aimed to set a new direction for the postal service by  ensuring the postal services financial security and independence.

Ageing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Ageing - Essay Example The impact of physiotherapy on healthy ageing is both short and long-term, and, as a result, requires both short and long-term solutions. Contrary to common perspectives, successful ageing is more than just about the absence of disease. There are many disease-free people who do not age successfully, and research shows that the absence of disease is just of a myriad of aspects that need the utmost attention to enable successful ageing. As a matter of fact, successful ageing involves personal, social and economic issues that have a significant impact on one’s lifespan and manner of ageing (Timonen, 2008:31). Physical health, financial security, independence, productivity and employment, good adjustment and a positive outlook, and maintaining participation in activities and with individuals who cultivate support and meaning are all important components of life that contribute towards successful ageing. Physiotherapy has a huge role to play in successful ageing because it involves most of these issues. Physiotherapy promotes physical and mental health and is influential in cultivating a positive outlook of life in individuals. Since health professionals and policymakers have a vital and active role to play in the formulation of health policies (that also affect physiotherapy), they impact successful ageing in many ways (Newman, 1995:46). Just like all aspects of health care, creation of good physiotherapy policies has a positive influence on individuals’ mental and physical health. Government agencies and private organisations have a clear and defined role to play in the promotion of successful ageing. Health professionals (e.g., physiotherapists) can collaborate with government agencies and private healthcare entities in numerous ways to enable the development and promotion of effective, successful ageing policies (Timonen, 2008:33). Collaboration can take many forms depending on the goals and objectives of a specific initiative. For

Operations Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 5

Operations Management - Essay Example Market segmentation process involves the identification and grouping of similar needs of the market. Segmentation than helps the marketing team in devising better marketing plan for different groups and better satisfying their needs. Derby Castle is a historical monument of UK. The marketing team has the task of inviting attention of more and more people towards the interesting features of this castle so that they feel like visiting this monument again and again. This will help in good revenue generation and will help in the maintenance of this castle. It is highly likely that different set of people come here with different purposes. For example a team of school children would love to play in the sprawling green lawns the whole day while a research scholar will spend his day in studying the architecture and other historical features. Visitors to Derby Castle can be categorized as;†¢Ã‚  Researchers: This segment prefers to learn about the historical facts, architectural features etc. †¢Ã‚  Students: This segment too could be here on a learning mission or may just be here on a picnic tour. But the ‘learning’ needs of students are vastly different from ‘research’ needs of researchers.†¢Ã‚  Art Lovers: This segment is more interested in the artistic features of Derby castle.†¢Ã‚  Young Couple: Youth desirous of spending some solitary moments in the company of their chosen ones can make use good use of the gardens of the Castle.General tourists happen to be on a sightseeing spree. For them attractive features i.e.

Comparison and Analysis Across Theories Essay Example for Free

Comparison and Analysis Across Theories Essay The purpose of the nursing theories is to provide an interrelating framework focusing on the nursing practice. The defined nursing theories promote better patient care, improve the status of nursing profession, and improve the communication between the nurses, and provide guidance to the researches and education (Keefe, 2011). Not all nursing theories have the same meanings; however, they play the important role of explaining the key concepts and principles of nursing practice in understanding way. Dorothy Orem’s Self-Care Deficit Theory and Sister Callista Roy’s Adaptation Model are considered as grand nursing theories. The grand nursing theories are a conceptual model, which identifies the focal point of nursing inquiry and guide the development of mid-range theories that will become useful to nurses and also to other health professionals. According to Walker and Avant (2011), these theories contributed in â€Å"conceptually sorting the nursing from the practice of medicine by demonstrating the presence of distinct nursing perspectives.† In this essay, Orem’s Health Care Deficit Theory and Sister Callista Roy’s Adaptation Model are compared and analyzed for their importance in nursing. Orem’s Self-Care Deficit Theory Orem’s Self-Care Deficit Theory is one of three grand theories written by Dorothea E. Orem. According to Orem, nursing becomes necessary when an individual can no longer care for him or herself. Nursing provides care through acting, guiding, supporting, teaching, and environmental manipulation promoting personal development. Orem developed this theory from her experience and personal connection with the Vincentian-Louisiana nursing tradition of the Daughters of Charity (Libster, 2008.) Roy’s Adaptation Model Roy’s Adaptation Model provides the framework for nurses by viewing the adaptability of patients to internal and external stimuli in their environments (Alligood Tomey, 2006.) Reponses to these stimuli can be either adaptive, which promote the goals of â€Å"human survival, growth, reproduction and mastery,† or non-adaptive (Roys Adaptation, 2011.) Metaparadigm The metaparadigm for nursing is the concepts that define the nursing practice. Since 1970s, person, nursing, health, and environment are considered as the core concepts of nursing theories by many nursing theorists. Person According to Orem, a person is made of a physical, psychological, and social character with variable degrees of self-care ability (Dorothea Orems Self, 2011.) Roy views a person as â€Å"an adaptive system that responds to internal and external stimuli in their environments† (Alligood Tomey, 2006.) Nursing Orem and Roy have the different attitude toward the concept of nursing. Orem sees nursing as an intervention to meet the daily needs for self-care and medical-care patients need (Dorothea Orems Self, 2011.) Roy believes nursing as a key player to help patients to develop coping mechanism and positive outcome from the constant stimuli exposure. Roy’s goal is for the patient to achieve adaptation leading to optimum health, well-being, quality of life, death with dignity, and finding in life by participating in their own care (Roy Andrews, 1999.) Health Orem defines health as â€Å"physical, mental and social well being† (Dorothea Orems Self, 2011.) Roy views health as a method used by patients to obtain their utmost possible health regardless of the presence or absence of disease. Environment Orem and Roy both state the individual exists in an environment. Orem sees the environment in two dimensions, the physical, chemical, biologic features and socioeconomic features, which influence the self-care requirements of the individual (Dorothea Orems Self, 2011.) According to Roy, the environment consists of stimuli including conditions, circumstances, and influences surrounding an individual, whether focal, contextual, or residual. In Practice Orem’s Self-Care Deficit Theory and Roy’s Adaptation Model can be applied to groups or individuals, and used at any nursing settings. However, Orem’s Self-Care Deficit Theory is more recommended for the acute-care setting, where a patient receives active but short-term treatment for a severe injury or episode of illness. Orem focuses on finding the self-care deficit of the patient and providing the necessary care to promote his or her well-being. Whereas, Roy is concerned with the different stimuli that forces adaptation in order to achieve optimal health. Roy’s Adaptation Model views the person as an adaptive system which includes the four adaptive modes. These adaptive modes are: physiological-physical mode, self-concept-group identity mode, role function mode, and interdependence mode. Although first two modes can be identified immediately, the assessment of role function mode and interdependence mode is time consuming. Therefore, Roy’s Adaptatio n Model is not suitable for acute-care setting. Conclusion Having defined nursing theories promotes better patient care, improve the status of nursing profession, and improve the communication between the nurses. In addition to guiding the nurses to provide the best care to the patients, nursing theories are used to promote and guide baccalaureate programs, administration and nursing research. Many organizations now exist to support the advancement of nursing profession. Sigma Theta Tau International, the Honor Society of Nursing, is created to â€Å"support the learning, knowledge and professional development of nurses committed to making a difference in health worldwide† (STTI Organizational, 2011.) International Orem Society â€Å"promote the advancement of nursing science and provide scholarship in the area of Orems Theory of Self-Care Deficit Nursing to lead to further advancement of knowledge for the discipline of nursing† (International Orem, 2011.) The Roy Adaptation Association (RAA) is a society of nursing scholars wh o want to â€Å"advance nursing practice by developing basic and clinical nursing knowledge based on the Roy Adaptation Model† (Roy Adaptation, 2011.) These organizations along with progression of the nursing theories will promote the advancement of nursing science and enhance the nursing profession. References Alligood, M., Tomey, A. (2006). Nursing Theory: Utilization Application (3rd ed.). St. Louis, MO: Mosby. Dorothea Orems Self-Care Theory. (2011, October 14). Retrieved November 6, 2011, from Nursing Theories Web site: http://currentnursing.com/nursing_theory/self_care_deficit_theory.html International Orem Society for Nursing Science and Scholarship. (2011). Retrieved November 6, 2011, from http://www.orem-society.com/ Keefe, S. (2011). About Nursing Theory. Retrieved October 22, 2011, from eHow.com Web site: http://www.ehow.com/about_5471364_nursing-theory.html Libster, M. (2008). Perspectives on the History of Self-Care. Self-Care and Dependent-care Nursing the Official Journal of the International Orem Society, 16(2), 8. Roy Adaptation Association. (2011, October 27). Retrieved November 6, 2011, from http://www.bc.edu/content/bc/schools/son/faculty/featured/theorist/Roy_Adaptation_Association.html Roy, C., Andrews, H. (1999). The Roy Adaptation Model (2nd ed.). Stanford, CT: Appleton and Lange. Roys Adaptation Model. (2011, April 22). Retrieved November 5, 2011, from Nursing Theories Web site: http://currentnursing.com/nursing_theory/Roy_adaptation_model.html STTI Organizational Fact Sheet: Mi ssion and Vision. (2011). Retrieved November 5, 2011, from http://www.nursingsociety.org/aboutus/mission/Pages/factsheet.aspx Walker, L. O., Avant, K. C. (2011). Strategies For Theory Construction in Nursing (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Health Science.

Langston Hughes Salvation Essay example -- Langston Hughes Religion E

Langston Hughes' Salvation In most people's lives, there comes a point in time where their perception changes abruptly; a single moment in their life when they come to a sudden realization. In Langston Hughes' 'Salvation', contrary to all expectations, a young Hughes is not saved by Jesus, but is saved from his own innocence. 'Salvation' is the story of a young boy who has an experience of revelation. While attending a church revival, he comes to the sudden realization that Jesus will not physically come save him. In the first three sentences of the essay, the speaker adopts a very childlike style. He makes use of simple words and keeps the sentences short, similar in style to that of an early aged teenager. But since the text is written in the past tense and the narrator mentions that he was 'going on thirteen' (181), we know the speaker is now older. After reading a little further, we find that the style becomes more complex, with a more select choice of words and longer sentences. The contrast between simple and complex styles is present all through the rest of the essay, and creates a more personal atmosphere. Another particularity of 'Salvation' is the fact that the story recounts Langston Hughes' own personal experiences as a young boy. This high degree of intimacy allows Hughes to supply the reader with some very concrete details and vivid descriptions. The beauty in Hughes? personal insights lies in their power to reach our senses. We can clearly picture th...

Chinese Business Essay

Introduction It is often argued that when business persons of different cultures negotiate commercial deals, there is bound to be a culture clash. I disagree with this view. It is true that cultural differences influence business negotiations but with the appropriate approach to deal with the differences, culture clash is to be least expected in any business negotiations, especially with the Chinese. As Sun Tzu would advised in his book The Art of War â€Å"Know your enemy and know yourself and you will win all battles† (Sun Tzu 1913). According to Newstrom and Davis (2002) there are many striking differences across countries, just as there are some surprising similarities. Clearly, residents of each country have their own preferences for clothes, food, recreation, and housing. In his research about national cultures of sixty countries, Hofstede (1993) revealed that cultures differ in five key factors namely, individualism/collectivism, power distance, uncertainty avoidance, masculinity/femininity, and time orientation. Among these factors, the Chinese have the culture that value clarity and have the kind of orientation that accent values such as necessity of preparing for the future, the value of thrift and savings, and the merits of persistence. Literatures on different cultures also classify China as high-context culture which tends to emphasize personal relations, place value on trust, focus on non-verbal cues, and accent the need to attend to social needs before business matters (Newstrom and Davis 2002). Culture is very important in certain country such as China. Huntinghon (2000) as cited by Fellner (2008) defined culture as the values, attitudes, beliefs, and underlying assumptions prevalent among people in a society. He stressed that culture is dynamic, interactive, and synergistic, and intermixes with all the elements of the society such as business and economic development (Huntinghon 2000; Fellner 2008). Huiping (2009) stated in her article entitled Understanding Chinese culture leads to business success with China’s growing significance as an economic superpower  understanding the Chinese psyche becomes very helpful and useful in business negotiations management of supplier relations and many other business situations. As emphasized by Uthaisangchai (n. d. ), Chinese history and culture has impact on the way they do business and each of the many elements of the Chinese culture has a role to play in today Chinese business world. In Hofstede’s (1980) theory of individualism-collectivism as cited by Jones (2009), the individualism and collectivism dimensions differs on the degree a culture is committed to an in-group such as extended family, company or village. In the individualistic society, people are less attached to an in-group (that is, people are more self-centered and in pursuit of their own self-interests). Meanwhile in the collectivist society, people are more attached to an in-group, that is the interests of the in-group come first. Jones (2009) also noted from Hofstede and Bond (1988) that such value of collectivism likely stems from a deep rooted, ingrained culture based on the traditional philosophy of Confucianism. Uthaisangchai (n.d,) gave emphasis of the teachings of Confucius in the development of the culture of Chinese. In the article entitled Connecting Confucianism, Communism and the Chinese Culture of Commerce, Keller and Kronstedt (2005) explained that Confucianism is a very important component of the Chinese culture. â€Å"In a Confucian society, everyone has a role to play, and the key relationship is built around the family†¦ Chinese cultures value family connections and protecting relationships (saving face). Developing ‘family-like’ relationships takes time and patience, not merely a contractual deal based solely on money. If one has to do business in a Chinese culture, it is critical to understand and respect Confucian values† (Keller and Kronstedt 2005). Keller and Kronstedt (2005) further emphasized the significance of connections-Guanxi. In Confusian-based society like China, guanxi or proper connections are more crucial than price, product, place, etc. According to Jones (2009), China is known for being loyal to their in-group’ and favoring them in business related decision. As given emphasis by Li (2008) as cited by Jones (2009), understanding the guanxi is critical for conducting business in China and it involves cultivating trust, credibility and reciprocity. One way to understand cultural differences is through the concepts of high-context culture and low-context culture. The notion of ‘context’ can be understood as the social environment in which a business transaction takes place. Edward T. Hall’s theory of high- and low-context culture explains the powerful effect culture has on communication. The countries classified as high-context cultures include China, Korea, Japan, Middle East, Africa, Italy and South America in which people are characterized as collectivists, relational, contemplative and intuitive. This implies that the people in these societies put emphasis on good relationship between members of the society. In relation to business transactions, the development of trust is a very important step. Hall (1976) argued that the people in high-context cultures prefer harmony in group and agreement for the achievement of individual members; also individuals make decisions based on their feelings or intuition. The theory further emphasized that individuals focus on non-verbal cues, that is, words are not so significant in communication as compared to context; rather, more is given emphasis on context which include facial expression, tone of voice of the speaker, posture, gestures, and family history and status of the individual. The communication in the high-context culture is depicted as formal and indirect, which suggests that flowery humility, flowery language, and apologies that are often too elaborated are common. Also, communicators in this type of culture do not depend on language precision and legal documents. Meanwhile, the countries classified as having low-context culture include Germany, North America, Finland, Canada, Norway, Denmark, and Sweden are linear, logical, action-oriented, and individualistic. Individuals in the low-context countries value facts, logic and they prefer directness. Finding solutions to problems involves identifying and enumerating all the facts and evaluating each of the options. Also, each decision is based on facts; more often each discussion ends with an action. Communicators in this type of culture are anticipated to be concise, straightforward, and efficient in conveying the action that is expected. According to Hall (1976), communicators have to be precise in the words used in communicating to be absolutely understood. All negotiations are always concluded with definite contracts. Summing up the differences, on the one hand, high-context cultures tend to emphasize personal relations, place high value on trust, focus on nonverbal cues, and accent the need to attend to social needs before business matters. On the other hand, low-context cultures tend to interpret cues more literally. Individuals tend to rely on written rules and legal documents, conduct business first, and value expertise and performance. With these classifications of cultures, it is apparent that when Americans negotiate with Chinese, a failure in negotiation if not a culture is more likely if the former group is not familiar with the latter. As noted by Minor and Lamberton (2010) from an interview with intercultural communication expert ray Ruiz: â€Å"Countries in Latin American and Asia value the building of relationships, but each in their own unique way. Before traveling to another country, I would recommend reading appropriate materials and speaking with foreign nationals residing in the U. S. in regards to the customs and business practices in their country of origin. I would also suggest that, once in a foreign country, it is important to observe your host’s mannerisms and responses and respectfully respond in a like manner. Be well versed on acceptable and unacceptable behaviors. For example, when in Asia, do compliment and share your impressions of their country. Do not decline any food or drink because this is viewed as an insult. In Latin America, do begin all meetings with friendly conversation regarding family or other social topics. Do not begin a meeting delving directly into the business objective. The lesson many American business people fail to learn is that â€Å"it is all in the relationships† (Minor & Lamberton 2010). In his article Doing Business In and With China: The risks are great, but so are the rewards, Atkinson (2004) noted from Stephen Nelson, the partner and co-head of the China practice group for the Hong Kong-based law firm Baker & McKenzie, that when acquiring businesses in China, it is important to realize that there are perceived cultural differences. One of the important lessons in making business in China is that foreigners simply cannot enter a venture in China with only a cursory understanding of its terms and conditions. Atkinson (2004) cited an example of a US company that recently decided to make an investment in China by setting up a joint company through its Hong Kong manufacturing agent. The US company sent over $3 million worth of equipment, then came to us with documentation written in Chinese and asked ‘Can you look at this and tell us whether we really own 50 percent of this company? ’ Akgunes et al (2012) identified several points to consider for successful negotiations. According to Zhao (2000) as cited by Akgunes et al (2012), negotiations become successful when the participating parties are cooperative with one another; this can be done by applying the cooperative Confucian tactics. Also, for a western company like a US company, such company has to show that they have government support which is an indication that they are reliable, stable and credible to do business with. According to Fang (2006) as noted by Akgunes (2012), trust will lead to much better performance and being patient will be more beneficial to you than any other attribute you might possess. Bredin (1998) as cited by Akgunes (2012) also suggested that a foreign business negotiator should not give in to pressure from superiors to hurry up and complete the deal because can cause problems because the Chinese are not greatly concerned with the time dimension. There are companies that also failed to successfully negotiate business deals with the Chinese. According to Fang (2006) as cited by Akgunes (2012), the most common reason for failure is that the Chinese firm lacks the funds to go through with a deal. Also, sending a low-ranking employee to make the negotiation will be viewed as very impolite and the Chinese may find it insulting and insincere, in this case failure is also almost certain. Moreover, it is important to note from Sebenius (2002) as cited by Akgunes (2012) that Chinese law says that one cannot leave a contract unless both sides approve dissolution. Fang (2006) as cited by Akgunes et al (2012) also emphasized that Failure to say no to a Chinese negotiator who is using a Sun Tzu-like strategy could be detrimental to the deal, but on the other hand, saying â€Å"no† to a Confucian gentleman could cause a loss of face. This also will be very harmful, if not fatal, to a successful deal. The Chinese have regional areas just like the United States and there are very different cultures, traditions and sometimes languages in these regions. Not acknowledging these regions can cause you to have limited success in one area and a complete failure in another (Fang 2006; Akgunes 2012). Conclusion In conclusion, like what Sun Tzu have said in his book The Art of War â€Å"Know your enemy and know yourself and you will win all battles† (Sun Tzu 1913). This means that for companies to be successful in making business deals, having the capital is not enough to close a business deal. Knowledge and understanding of the culture of the prospect business partner is very important. Other than this, Sebenius (2002) emphasized that culturl allegiances are often not as simple as they appear. Designing the right strategy and tactics in reaching the right people, with the right arguments, will result to a sustainable deal. References Fellner, Amira 2008, ‘Role of Culture in Economic Development: Case Study of China and Latin America’, Graduate School Theses, University of South Florisa Schoalr Commons, viewed from http://scholarcommons. usf. edu/cgi/viewcontent. cgi? article=1235&context=etd Hall, Edward 1976, Beyond Culture. Hofstede, Geert 1993, ‘Cultural Constraints in Management Theories’, Academy of Management Executive, pp. 81-94. Jones, Gwen 2009, ‘Differences in the Perceptions of Unethical Workplace Behaviors among Chinese and American Business Professionals, Competition Forum, vol. 7, no. 2, pp. 473-480. Keller, G. & Kronstedt C. 2005, ‘Connecting Confucianism, Communicsm, and the Chinese Culture of Commerce’. Journal of Language for International Business, vol. 26, no. 1, pp. 60-75. Minor, Leslie & Lamberton, Lowell 2010, ‘High-Context & Low-Context Cultures’, viewed from http://www.cascadebusnews. com/business-tips/networking/154-high-context-a-low-context-cultures. Newstrom, JW. & Davis, K. 2002, Organizational Behavior: Human Behavior at Work, McGraw-Hill Sun Tzu 1913, The Art of War. Uthaisangchai, Prasong (n. d. ), ‘The Importance of Understanding Chinese Culture’, viewed form http://www. bangkokbank. com/download/Week%2012%20Culture%20intro. pdf Huiping, Iler 2009, ‘Understanding Chinese Culture Leads to Business Success, Canadian HR Report, vol. 22, no. 12, pp. 18.

Equal Rights for Androids and Humans

Equal Rights for Androids and Humans The concept of equality among all people was, unfortunately, not â€Å"self-evident† until the passengers on the Mayflower proclaimed it in 1620. A section of the Mayflower Compact reads, â€Å"†¦and by virtue hereof to enact, constitute and frame such just and equal laws, ordinances, acts, constitutions and offices†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . (Commanger, 23) Written in 1776, the second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence states, â€Å"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (US Declaration Ind. This phrase echoes the same beliefs as those expressed in the Mayflower Compact. Efforts to achieve equality among all Americans have continued to this day. The concept of equality has not been ignored by Hollywood, either. The concept of equality has been a central theme in various popular films over the years. One such film is Bicentennial Man. The theme of Bicentennial Man challenges the viewer to question where they think the line of equality ought to be drawn. Throughout history, humans have struggled with this concept.Naturally, individuals desire to be the best, and they try to distance themselves from those who are not the same; the homeless, the handicapped, people from different cultures, or those that look different. The film approaches this idea in a different manner because Andrew, the android â€Å"star† of the film, is not a person. It takes Andrew a period of two hundred years (hence the name of the movie, Bicentennial Man) to convince the World Government that he did, in fact, have a soul and should be considered an equal. Columbus, Bicentennial Man) The film’s idea of android equality is not (yet) an issue needing to be addressed in American society. The film’s concept of equality does, however, resemble the real challenges of human equality faced by many Americans throughout history. At the start of the movie, it was established that Andre w only existed to serve and obey his owners, the Martin family. His only purpose was to obey the commands of and attend to the needs of this family. Jeremy Bentham, a political theorist, believes this is an example of the concept of utilitarianism.In simple terms, utilization is using an object (or people) â€Å"as a tool† to achieve a goal. (Nelson, 205). A word that could be used interchangeably with utilitarianism is, of course, slavery. Bicentennial Man evaluation of android equality is a clear reflection of the challenges of equal rights faced by many Americans throughout the history of the nation. In the film, Andrew Martin, the android, fought for 200 years in order to be declared equal to the humans he once served.In the real history of America, however, African-Americans fought for more than 300 years for equal rights as Americans. If only reality was a swift as Hollywood! Works Cited: Bicentennial Man. Dir. Chris Columbus. Perf. Robin Williams and Embeth Davidtz. Ra diant Productions, 1999. DVD. Mayflower Compact. November 11, 1620. Documents of American History. Ed. Henry S. Commanger. New York: Appleton-Century Crofts, 1968. Nelson, Brian. Western Political Thought From Socrates to the Age of Ideology. 2nd. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall, 1996. Print.

How to Use Definite Articles in German

How to Use Definite Articles in German A definite article (der Definitartikel) is that tiny word in English we refer to as the. In German, we have three: der, die, das. As in English, they are also placed before the noun (or their modifying adjectives). In German, however, each of the definite articles has a gender. When to Use Der, Die or Das Der :  der Hut (the hat)Die :  die Klasse (the class)Das :  das Kind (the child) Please note that the above forms are for nouns in the nominative case only, as you would find them listed in the dictionary. To see how definite articles change in the different cases, read about the four German noun cases. How Do I Know Which Definite Article to Place Before a Noun? There are some guidelines for specific groups of nouns. However, for the most part, you need to memorize which noun goes with which definite article. As you do so, keep in mind these two basic rules: Most nouns denoting male and female beings will be der and die respectively.For example: der Mann (the man)die Frau (the woman) but there are exceptions: das Mdchen (the girl) In compound nouns, the correct definite article is the one that belongs to the last noun.  For  example:   das Hochzeitsfest/the wedding celebration ( das Fest )

A Comparative Analysis Of Online News Articles Media Essay

A Comparative Analysis Of Online News Articles Media Essay In European Union citizens are expected to take responsibility and actions to limit the threat of climate change as well as authorities or corporations. However, while only 36 percent of citizens in Lithuanian take personal action, 75 percent of British do. In light of framing as media effects theory media coverage can be considered as an explanation for different levels of personal contribution. Based on the latter assumption the online news content in Lithuania and the United Kingdom was investigated in terms of attribution of responsibility to citizens, authorities and industry/corporations. The findings showed that the use of the same frames varies by country and political preferences of media. However, the findings were not explicit enough to prove the one directional relationship between media content and individual level behavior, where media is perceived as having power upon individuals. Contrary, the results showed that social problems guide thematic choices of editorials a nd therefore individuals have impact on media. As a result, findings raised concerns that the notion of framing as an interactive process would more relevant than the assumption of framing as linear process. Introduction Today climate change is on political, media and individual agendas all across Europe. Political and legislative efforts prove that climate change mitigation is a priority for the European Union. Furthermore, citizens are expected to take responsibility and actions to limit the threat as well. Supranational survey Eurobarometer shows, 63 percent of Europeans say they have taken personal actions to combat climate change (European Commission, 2009). However, the EU as a body of 27 Member States is more diverse than one seeing aggregate level figures could think. For instance, while only 36 percent of citizens in Lithuanian take personal action, 75 percent of British do (European Commission, 2009). The topic of climate change not only has its thematic relevance, but as well scientific. In light of framing theory media coverage can be considered as an explanation for different levels of personal contribution to climate change mitigation among Lithuanians and British. To assess the influence of media portrayals of climate change on individuals, two research questions are developed: RQ1. To what extent do media frame climate change in terms of attribution of responsibility to industry and corporations, international and national authorities, and citizens themselves? RQ2. Does the attribution of responsibility to particular actor vary by country: the United Kingdom and Lithuania? To be more specific, I expect to find that Lithuanian media attribute responsibility to citizens more seldom compare to British media. Moreover, in media coverage in Lithuania attribution of responsibility to citizens should be less visible than attribution of responsibility to authorities or industry. Contrary, in British media attribution of responsibility to citizens shoul d more or equally visible compare to authorities and industry. The next chapter will provide theoretical framework on which the paper rests. It will be followed by the sections of method, results and discussion. Literature review Within the realm of social sciences, such as sociology, psychology, political science and political communication, studies of framing are common. In a way it explains why framing as a concept is rather â€Å"scattered†, as Entman once referred to it (Entman, 1993, p. 51). However, scientists of different disciplines share the perception that â€Å"the function of a frame is to help people organise the complexity of the world into meaningful categories† (Nickels, 2005, p. 21).

Human Resources Project 1&2 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Human Resources Project 1 - Assignment Example This information can be used to understand the career opportunities in the company. A deeper analysis reveals that the HR policies are guided by the main HR policy statement of Nestec Ltd (2002). This is the Nestle Human Resources Policy, implemental to all subsidiaries of the company including those in USA. 2. The company is Nestle Waters North America, and its HR policies appear to be based on the Nestle Human Resources Policy document. I think some updating is needed for this set of HR policies. 3. In order to update the set of HR policies of Nestle Waters North America to optimize its North American operations flexibly with respect to the main policy framework of Nestec Ltd, it is mandatory to embark on a qualitative research followed by a number of activities for drafting and proposing some viable HR policy updates. The activities are described below: I. Interview of the current employees II. Interview of and discussion with the HR managers III. Analysis of current policies with regard to existing academic and business literature IV. Preparation and presentation of the new and/or updated policies in a proposal format V. Briefing the top HR managers 4. In this section, a proposal that describes the types of policies that are to be prepared and/or changed will be discussed. A close examination of Nestle Waters NA’s (2006) HR policies reveals that they are highly dependent on the HR policy manual of Nestec Ltd. First of all, one of the biggest drawbacks of these policies is that they put certain restrictions on the role of the HR managers. According to Nestec Ltd (2002, p. 4), â€Å"HR managers and their staff are there to provide professional support in handling people matters but should not substitute themselves to the responsible manager.† This sort of approach is rather traditionalistic. The second point is that Nestle Waters NA (2006) maintains strict control over its all hiring and training operations. However, relatively recent experience of certain companies shows that outsourcing the HR responsibilities can bring about more concentration on the vertical specialties of the company (Tornbohm and Da Rold 2005). So these two HR approaches need to be changed. A tentative timeline of the proposed HR policy updating and implementation task is provided in Table – 1. Table – 1 A Tentative Timeline of HR Policy Update and Implementation Program Task Time Task – 1: Interview of current employees (at least 20 to 30 employees randomly selected) 7 days Task – 2: Interview of and discussion with the company’s current HR managers. This will involve one to one interaction 7 days Task – 3: Existing policies are to be analyzed. This will involve correlating the existing practices with external case studies as available in different business journals, magazines, etc. 4 days Task – 4: Preparation and presentation of new policies (final draft) 3 days Task – 5: Briefing the HR mana gers before the plan is rolled out. 2 days Total time taken +2 reserve days to compensate loss of time (if any) in the course of the project Total 3 weeks and 4 days (approx) Project Part 2 Updating the existing HR policies First, HR managers must not be constrained in their HR specific roles only with such a strict regulatory approach. At the first place this makes the hierarchic system of the corporation too strong. The HR managers must be given some of the company’s specialties based training. For example, HR managers can be given some basic training on mineral water processing and manufacturing at

Buying Behaviour Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Buying Behaviour - Research Proposal Example They gave maximum importance to time saving, followed by ease of preparation, family health, and taste. Their choices of brands were entirely different. The non-working women gave maximum importance to taste, followed by family health, ease of preparation, time saving, whereas the working women gave maximum importance to saving, ease of preparation, good taste, and good for the family. Their choices of brands were entirely different. 1. Needs - Needs of both working women and non-working women are different. A working women would need coffee during her breaks whereas a non-working women needs coffee only in the morning during breakfast. So, their needs are entirely different from each other. As coffee satisfies her hedonic needs for example, consumers who drink coffee feel refreshing, which an emotional response. Also, her symbolic need to be fast, modern, confident, sophisticated etc. which is related to her status symbol and functional need to reduce the need of thirst. Whereas for cakes the they satisfy the functional need to reduce hunger, and hedonic need for example it satisfies the taste buds of the consumers and can be classified as a feel good factor. a) Brand awareness: For coffee the brand awareness among the working women was very high as they personally preferred coffee as compared to non-working women for them it was a low involvement purchase and hence the awareness is not that high. For cakes the brand awareness among the non-working women was high as they consider it to be a special occasion preparation and thus wants the most information about the cake. b) Perception: Perception is the process of selecting, organizing and interpreting information inputs (sensations received through sight, taste, hearing, smell and touch) to produce meaning. Selective Exposure - select inputs to be exposed to our awareness. More likely if it is linked to an event, satisfies current needs, intensity of input changes (sharp price drop). Selective Distortion - Changing/twisting current received information, inconsistent with beliefs. Advertisers that use comparative advertisements (pitching one product against another), have to be very careful that consumers do not distort the facts and perceive that the advertisement was for the competitor. c) Role of emotions: Generally working women show great involvement while purchasing coffee as she a habitual drinker of coffee everyday and feels connected to the brand and they generally stick to one brand whereas non-working women usually prefers taste and experiments with various brands and are not very emotionally connected to the brand. Working women usually prefers cakes with low calories and hence go for products for cake preparation that are low in fat but are that brand loyal whereas the non-working women prefer cakes with better taste and thus it becomes a high involvement product for them and tend to stick to one brand providing the taste they want. d) Attitudes: Individual learns attitudes through experience and interaction with other people. Consumer attitudes toward a firm and its

Answers follow questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Answers follow questions - Essay Example 2. There was growing tension in the college after one of our beloved student was mugged and killed by people believed to be from the surrounding community. Students planned a peaceful demonstration to pass their messages of condolences and bereavement. The peaceful demonstration turned into a riot. As a student leader, I was able to influence the rioting students and controlled the tempers. I reminded them of the importance of dialogue in solving such problems. Striking and demolishing properties would not help bring our friend back but only cause more harm to our surrounding community. The students adhered to my speech and continued with a peaceful demonstration. 3. I come from a poor community where most of the students are unable to raise fee for their education. I am a good example of those helped by Imani Education Fund Group for needy students to attain their education. Every year the group conducts a thanks-giving ceremony. The ceremony provides a platform for raising more funds for needy students. I have been participating actively in this activity by soliciting funds and encouraging the society to contribute and help raise the next generation. With the help of my friends, I also organize and visit children orphanages. We usually give them our physical, mental, and spiritual support. 4. Once I am through with my college, I intend to be employed by big companies like Google, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, and Microsoft and may others in the department of marketing or human resource manager. Completion of my education successfully will furnish me with good skills and knowledge on how handling such multinational companies in terms of human resource management and marketing. My knowledge of management will help me in controlling, directing, staffing, evaluating my staff at work. My knowledge of marketing will furnish me with knowledge of understanding the aspects of supply chain, comparative

Private Health Insurance In Kenya Economics Essay

Private Health Insurance In Kenya Economics Essay Insurance is an arrangement by which one party The insurer promises to pay another party the insured or policy holder a sum of money if something happens which causes the insured to suffer financial loss (Diacon.S.R and Carter R.L, 1998) In the past few years, private health insurance sector in Kenya has been recorded as the highest loss-making insurance class with loss ratios of 74.0 per cent, 80.4 per cent , 81.5 per cent and 83.5 per cent in 2008, 2009 2010 and 2011 respectively (AKI report, 2011). Private health insurance has continued to perform poorly in the year 2011, posting a loss of 650 Million compared to a loss of Kshs. 530 Million in the previous year. According to the Association of Kenya Insurers (2011), only four out of the 20 Private health insurance providers in Kenya made an underwriting profit in 2011, the four include General Accident Insurance Company, Jubilee Insurance Company, Mercantile Insurance Company and Real Insurance Company. The sector has the highest loss ratio in the industry of 83.5% with net earned premiums reaching KES 8.9bn (US$74.5mn) and net incurred claims reached KES 5.4 bn (US$60.6mn). This trend has been consistent for the last 4 years 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011, with all indications that 2012 will also be a loss, a situation has prompted the Private health insurance premiums to be increased from time to time but the situation has not been improved much, it is therefore imperative to examine the challenges facing Private health insurance companies and their effect on business performance with a view of informing future insurance policy formulation. This study will seek to investigate the cchallenges facing insurance companies in the provision of Private Health insurance and their effect on business performance because this sector is an important one for the economic development of the Nation hence the need to guard it. This chapter presents the background of the study, statement of the problem, purpose of the study, research objectives, research questions, justification of the study, significance of the study, assumptions limitations and delimitations, definition of terms and chapter summary. 1.1 Background of the Study Health insurance is a form of collectivism by means of which people collectively pool their risk, in this case the risk of incurring medical expenses. It is a contract between an insurance company and an individual or a sponsor in the form of an employer. The contract can be renewable annually or monthly depending on the agreement between the parties in that contract. The type and amount of health care costs that will be covered by the health insurance company are specified in advance, in the member policy contract. The importance of health insurance cannot be underestimated in any economy. As observed by Wasow and Hill (1986) who argued that health insurance is an important channel for financial capital accumulation. Health insurance companies policies offer policies, which are purchased exclusively to protect the customer against risk. They often involve substantial savings. This is because Insurance companies must accumulate reserves against anticipated future claims which provide for large sums of money, which can be lend to individuals, the government, commerce and industry. According to the World health Organization (World Health Report, 2008), access to healthcare is the right of every individual. Governments all over the world have therefore undertaken various programs in order to realize this objective. The Government of Kenya has also not been left behind on this as Kenya is a signatory to the Abuja Declaration (Institute of Policy and Research, 2005) which requires its signatory member states to spend at least 15% of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on healthcare. As of the year 2009, Kenya spent 9% of her GDP on healthcare which was far below the recommended proportion (IPAR, 2005). Health insurance schemes are an increasingly recognized factor as a tool to finance health care provision in low and middle income countries. Given the high latent demand from people for health care services of a good quality and the extreme under-utilization of health services in several countries, it has been argued that social health insurance may improve the access to health care of acceptable quality. Whereas alternative forms of health care financing and cost recovery strategies like user fees have been heavily criticized, the option of insurance seems to be a promising alternative as it is a possibility to pool risk transferring, unforeseeable health care costs to fixed premiums. Private health insurance is considered private when the third party (insurer) is a profit seeking organization such as the private insurance companies. In Private Health insurance, people pay premiums related to the expected cost of health services to be provided to them. Therefore, people who are in high health risk groups pay more, and those at low risk pay less. Membership to a private insurance scheme is usually voluntary and is solely based on the decision of the insured. Private Health insurance has been offered by general insurance firms as one of their portfolio of products. One of the overall goals of the Government of Kenya is to promote and improve the health status of all Kenyans by making health services more efficient, available and affordable. The importance of Private health insurance in the provision and utilization of health care cannot be overemphasized. Funding for health care has become a cooperative responsibility shared among the government, employers, and insurance companies because of the importance of the service and the rising costs of medical services. This makes Private health insurance one of the most significant instruments to maintain a healthy workforce to drive the economy. Private health insurance coverage is provided by public and private sources. Public sources include National Hospital Insurance Fund while private sources include private insurance companies such as APA insurance company Kenya limited, UAP Insurance Company limited, Jubilee Insurance Company and Madison Insurance among others 1.1.1 Private health Insurance Health insurance is an institutional and financial mechanism that helps households and private individuals to set aside financial resources to meet costs of medical care in event of illness. It is based on the principle of pooling funds and entrusting management of such funds to a third party that pays for healthcare costs of members who contribute to the pool. The third party can be government, employer, insurance company or a provider (Kraushaar, 1994). Wangombe et al., (1994) identify two categories of private health insurance in Kenya: direct private health insurance and, employment based insurance. Direct private health insurance is very expensive and only the middle and high-income groups afford it (Nderitu, 2002). In the employment-based plans, the employer provides care directly through employer-owned on site health facility, or through employer contracts with health facilities or healthcare organisations. These are both voluntary health schemes and are not legislated by the government. 1.1.2 Private Health Insurance in Kenya According to the AKI report (2011) there was 47 licenses insurance Companies with 20 companies licensed to practice and sale health insurance products. There are additional 23 medical Insurance providers (MIPs) which are more of managed care organization. The total premiums for private medical insurance in 2011 were over 8.3 billion with claims ratio at 83.5 percent. Private health insurance accounts for 15 percent of the gross total premium for all insurance products in 2011. According to the World Bank working paper number 193 (2010), the health insurance penetration stands at 2 percent with about 600,000 people insured with public insurance and over 2 million insured under the public insurance NHIF In the past few years, private health insurance sector in Kenya has been recorded as the highest loss-making insurance class with loss ratios of 74.0 per cent, 80.4 per cent , 81.5 per cent and 83.5 per cent in 2008, 2009 2010 and 2011 respectively (AKI report, 2011). Private health insurance has continued to perform poorly in the year 2011, posting a loss of 650 Million compared to a loss of Kshs. 530 Million in the previous year. According to the Association of Kenya Insurers (2011), only four out of the 20 Private Health Insurance providers in Kenya made an underwriting profit in 2011, the four include General Accident Insurance Company, Jubilee Insurance Company, Mercantile Insurance Company and Real Insurance Company. The sector has the highest loss ratio in the industry of 83.5% with net earned premiums reaching KES 8.9bn (US$74.5mn) and net incurred claims reached KES 5.4 bn (US$60.6mn). 1.2 Statement of the Problem Despite numerous efforts and strategies by insurance companies to maximize profitability, private health insurance has been performing poorly The insurance industry in Kenya is experiencing diverse challenges, key among them being the poor public perception of insurance (AKI Report, 2011 despite being the highest loss making class among the other classes of insurance. In the past few years, private health insurance sector in Kenya has been the highest loss-making class with loss ratios of 74.0 per cent, 80.4 per cent, 81.5 and 83.5per cent in 2008, 2009 2010 and 2011 respectively (AKI report, 2011). Private health insurance has continued to perform poorly in the year 2011, posting a loss of 650 Million compared to a loss of Kshs. 530 Million in the previous year. According to the Association of Kenya Insurers (2011), only four out of the 20 Private health insurance providers in Kenya made an underwriting profit in 2011. The sector has the highest loss ratio in the industry of 83.5% w ith net earned premiums reaching KES 8.9bn (US$74.5mn) and net incurred claims reached KES 5.4 bn (US$60.6mn). The trend has been consistent for the last 4 years 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011, with all indications that 2012 will also be a loss, this has prompted the Private health insurance premiums to be increased from time to time but the situation has not been improved much A big proportion of health insurance companies covering Private health insurance have continued to suffer losses and face the risk of collapse unless urgent measures are taken to understand and mitigate against the current the trend of losses where the total premiums collected cannot fund the number of claims incurred thereby forcing insurance companies to finance the claims with other premiums, thereby compromising profitability. The sale of private health insurance products in the Kenyan industry is proving to be a high risk investment for insurance companies. Several companies have collapsed with billions of policyholders funds, causing uncertainty and turmoil in the insurance industry. Examples of some of the insurance providers doing Private health insurance that have collapsed in Kenya include Discovery health, Mediplus and Smart Guard. Discovery Health, Health Plan services, Medex and Mesco consultants There is little empirical data and information available on the challenges and constraints facing private health insurance in Kenya. The study will therefore seek to address this knowledge gap. An explication of the challenges facing Private health insurance will facilitate insurance companies in positioning their products better in the market, and enable them undertake mitigation measures to ensure profitability. The study will seek to investigate the real challenges facing Private health insurance in Kenya, and the effects on business performance with a view of informing the formulation of effective mitigation strategies. 1.3 Purpose of the study The purpose of this study is to examine the the challenges facing insurance companies in the provision of private health insurance and the effect on business performance 1.4 Research Objectives To identify the challenges facing the Private health insurance companies in Kenya. To determine the effects of these challenges on the business performance of Private Health insurance companies in Kenya. To recommend strategic interventions measures to address the challenges facing the Private health insurance sub sector in Kenya. 1.5 Research Questions What are the challenges affecting provision of Private health insurance companies in Kenya? How do these challenges affect the performance of the Private health insurance companies in Kenya? What interventions measures can be employed to address the challenges in the Private health insurance Companies in Kenya? 1.6 Justification Previous research studies on insurance have concentrated on documenting the coverage and impact of insurance products, with little empirical evidence on factors affecting the sustainability of different insurance categories in the long term. It is envisaged that this research study will serve to fill this knowledge gap by identifying and elucidating the challenges that influence the implementation of private Health insurance, and contribute to the existing body of knowledge on insurance. It is hoped that this study will yield data and information that will be useful in formulating sound insurance policies and form the basis for further research and review on the insurance sector in Kenya. As such this study is important as it will identify the challenges facing the private health Insurance sector and how the challenges can be mitigated to ensure the industry grows and does not make losses. 1.7 Significance of the study This study will be important to various stakeholders including Private health insurance providers, future researchers and academicians, Association of Kenya Insurers, Insurance Regulatory Authorities and the General public. 1.7.1 Private Health Insurance Providers The findings and recommendations of this study will be useful to new Private health insurance providers intending to introduce new Private health insurance products by enabling them to formulate and target their products effectively. The study will benefit the existing Private Health insurers in understanding underwriting challenges facing medical insurance and how to address with the problems. Managers of insurance companies will find the findings of this study useful in designing strategic plans to help their businesses gain competitive advantage. 1.7.2 Academia Knowledge seekers in the fields of economics, research methods, management, and development studies will find this research study useful. In particular, this research study will be beneficial to the researchers with research interests in insurance, by serving as a point of reference. In addition, future researchers will be able to formulate further studies based on the recommendations of this study. The author, who is also a knowledge seeker, will be awarded a Master of Business Administration degree by successfully completing this research study. 1.7.3 Government and Regulatory agencies Government and regulatory agencies will find the findings and recommendations of this study useful in formulating future insurance regulations and laws that will aid in regulating and operationalization of the private health insurance industry. 1.7.4 Employers and Members of the Public The study will benefit the members of the public by helping demystify the operation of the insurance business and thereby appreciate the role of private Health insurance as well as challenges facing the Private health insurance sector in Kenya. Employers will find the findings and recommendations useful in understanding underwriting conditions proposed by insurance companies in Private Health insurance covers. 1.8 Scope of the Study The target population of this study will be all the Private health insurance providers currently operating in Nairobi, Kenya. The study will cover all the insurance companies licensed to offer Private Health insurance. Data will be collected by administering a questionnaire to managerial staff in the insurance companies. 1.9 Limitations and Delimitations This research study may encounter a number of limitations. First, the data collection will be subjected to insurance managers who may have their own formed opinions on the challenges of Private health insurance, which they may fail to articulate or tend to overemphasize for fear of the information being used for other reasons other than academic. To overcome this limitation, the researcher will carry along an introduction letter from Daystar University to confirm that the data requested will only be used for academic reasons. Data collection procedure will be restricted to the use of questionnaires thereby locking out other vital data collection tools like document analysis as they may not be availed by the companies for scrutiny. To overcome this, the study will visit the Companies websites and the information filed with the Insurance Regulatory Authority and the Association of Insurance to add on the information collected. The study will also look into other studies that have been done by other scholars on this subject. 1.10 Definition of terms Principle: A principle denotes a general guiding rule, which does not include specific directions, which vary according to the subject matter (Holzheu, 2006). Insure: To make sure or secure, to guarantee, as to insure safety to anyone. It also means to indemnify a person against pecuniary loss from specified perils or possible liability (Chen and Wong, 2004) Insured: The insured is the policy-holder who is entitled to indemnity or monetary compensation on the happening of an event insured against. The insured is also the person who obtains or is otherwise covered by insurance on his health, life or property (Holzheu, 2006). Insurer: He is the party who undertakes in consideration of an amount paid to him by the insured (premium) to pay money to the insured or assured on the happening of a stated (Holzheu, 2006). Underwriting: The process of assessing and classifying the degree of risk presented by a proposed insured or group with respect to a specific insurance product and making a decision concerning the acceptance of that risk. ( Bickley.M,C,Jones H. E, Brown.B.F and Brown J.L 2007) Adverse selection: People with a higher than average risks of needing health care are more likely than people to seek health insurance. Adverse selection results when these less healthy people disproportionately enroll into a risk pool.People with a higher than average risks of needing health care are more likely than people to seek health insurance (De Weerdt and Dercon, 2006). Co-insurance: A form of medical cost sharing in a health insurance plan that requires an insured person to pay a stated percentage of medical expenses after the deductible amount, if any, was paid (Gertler and Gruber, 2002). Co-payment: A form of medical cost sharing in a health insurance plan that requires an insured person to pay a fixed amount when a medical service is received (Leive and Xu, 2008). Deductible: A fixed dollar amount during the benefit period usually a year that an insured person pays before the insurer starts to make payments for covered medical services. Plans may have both per individual and family deductibles (Leive and Xu, 2008). Fully insured plan : A plan where the employer contracts with another organization to assume financial responsibility for the enrollees medical claims and for all incurred administrative costs (Russel, 1996). Premium: Agreed upon fees paid for coverage of medical benefits for a defined benefit period. Premiums can be paid by employers, unions, employees, or shared by both the insured individual and the plan sponsor (Leive and Xu, 2008). Self-insured plan: A plan offered by employers who directly assume the major cost of health insurance for their employees (De Weerdt and Dercon, 2006). CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW 2.0 Introduction This chapter summarized the information from other researchers who had carried out their research in the same study challenges facing health insurance and their effects on busines performance. The study specifically covers the theoretical discussions, conceptual framework and research gap. 2.1 Insurance 2.1.1 Concept of Risk The existence of risk is the fundamental rationale for insurance (Criel 1997). If there is one thing about which we can be certain in this world, it is that uncertainty surrounds all that we do. This uncertainty is at the heart of risk and risk is at the very core of insurance. Risk would be defined as the probability of a cause of an event with negative outcome occurring. The cost of risk can be looked at in at least three different perspective i.e. frequency of risk, monetary cost or financial severity and human cost in terms of pain and suffering (Dickson 2002). In view of the adverse effects of risks there is a need for risks to be managed. Insurance companies are able to provide protection against the financial consequences of loss because the concept of risk pooling 2.1.2 Insurance Device Insurance contract involves two parties including the insurer and the insured. The primary function of insurance is to act as a risk transfer mechanism. Insurance involves transferring or shifting risk from one individual to a group and sharing losses, on some equitable basis by all member of the group (Vaughan, 1989). Insurance has two fundamental characteristics namely transferring or shifting risks from an individual to a group and sharing losses on some equitable basis by all member of the group (Dickson 2002). Insurance rests upon the principal of risk-sharing between many people. It relies on the law of large numbers whereby what is unpredictable for an individual is highly predictable for a large number of individuals (Criel, 1997). The law of large numbers state that typically the more times we observe a particular event the more likely that it is that our observed result will approximate be true probability that the event will occur (Bickley, Jones, Brown. Brown, 2007: 7) Insurance primarily concerns itself with risks which have financially measurable outcomes and whose outcome can only be unfavourable or leave enterprises in the same position as they were before occurrence of an event (Chen Wong, 2004). Insurance deals with fortuitous or accidental losses which must not be catastrophic for example wide spread in nature. To counter the tendency of the persons whose exposure to loss is higher than average to purchase or continue insuring to a greater extent than those whose exposure is less than average, which is referred to as avoidance of adverse selection, there must be randomness in the risks covered (Holzheu, 2006). That is there must be a proportion of good and bad risks in the insured group equal to the proportion of good and bad risk of the group on which the prediction is made. Finally the cost of insuring the risk must not be high in relation to the possible loss i.e. insurance must be economically feasible. The major activities of all insurers include rate-making, production, underwriting, loss adjustment and investment. Rate making is the process of determining the price per unit of insurance which like any other price is a function of the cost of production. The rates must be adequate, not excessive and not unfairly discriminatory (Holzheu, 2006). The premium income of the insurer must be sufficient to cover losses and expenses. Production involves supervision of the sales efforts which is carried by the agents or salaried representatives of the Insurer while underwriting on the other hand is the process of selecting and classifying exposures. If an insurer does not select from among her applicants, the result will be adverse to them (Bickley et al, 2007). The main responsibility of the underwriter is to guard against adverse selection. While attempting to avoid adverse selection through rejection of undesirable risks, the underwriter must secure an adequate volume of exposures in each class. In addition they must guard against congestion or concentration of exposure that might result in a catastrophe (Marwa, 2007). Finally loss adjusting is the loss settlement process which provides for the indemnification of those members of the group who suffer losses. It is obviously important that the insurer pay claims fairly and promptly but it is equally important that insurers resist unjust claims and avoid overpayment of them (Vaughan, 1989). As a result of their operations, insurers accumulate large amounts of money for the payment of claims in the future which are added to the funds of the insurers themselves. It would be a costly waste to permit these funds to remain idle and it is the responsibility of the insurers finance department to s ee that they are properly invested. 2.1.3 Basic principles of Insurance Insurance practice is reputed for its general principles, and the principle of indemnity is one of them, others are insurable interest, utmost good faith, subrogation, contribution and proximate cause (Marwa, 2007). Insurance is an intricate economic and social device for the handling of risks to life and property. It is social in nature because it represents the various co-operations of various individuals for mutual benefits by combining together funds to reduce the consequence of similar risk. Insurance is the placing back of a person who has suffered a loss in the same position he was before loss occurred. It aims to eradicate the consequence of a loss by not allowing the insured to suffer the consequential loss. However, unless one meets the requirements of all the basic principles of insurance, he will be estopped from claiming under an insurance contract (Holzheu, 2006). Risk is the uncertainty about an outcome in a given situation. An event might occur, and if it does, it leaves us in unfavourable position. Insurance therefore is one of the most established techniques of risk transfer. Insurance is a risk transfer mechanism by which one exchanges uncertainty for certainty. It is a risk reducing investment in which the buyer pays a small fixed amount (premium) to be protected from a potentially large loss. An entity seeking to transfer risk becomes the insured party once risk is assumed by the insurer, the insuring party, by means of a contract, called an insurance policy (Shavell, 1979). The fee paid by the insured to the insurer for assuming the risk is called the premium (Dionne and Doherty, 1994). Insurance principles are the basic doctrines that guide the practice of insurance. They include insurable interest, utmost good faith, proximate cause, indemnity, subrogation and contribution (Marwa, 2007). While life assurance is guided only by the fir st three, non-life insurance (including motor) is guided by all the six principles. 2.1.4 Social Insurance Insurance is not always practised in this ideal commercial situation as described above as there are some people in society who face risks that they cannot afford to deal with themselves and require a social approach to insurance. Social insurance (SI) is defined as a device for pooling of risks and their transfer to an organisation usually governmental that is required by law to provide pecuniary or service benefits to or on behalf of covered persons upon the occurrence of certain pre-designated losses (Vaughan, 1989). In SI individual equity is secondary in importance to the social adequacy of the benefits (Carin, 2004). Benefits are weighed in favour of certain groups so that all persons will be provided a minimum flow of protection. SI does not exclude anyone who belongs to a group that qualifies for coverage nor does it charge risk related premiums. SI includes Social Health Insurance (SHI), which deals with the risk of ill health. Health Insurance as a source of financing for health care is a system in which potential customers of health care make an advance payment to an insurance scheme, which in the event of future health service utilization will pay the provider of care some or all the direct expenses incurred (Criel, 1997). The International Labour Organisation (ILO) provides a guideline for an initial minimum package for social health insurance (SHI) which includes general practitioners care such as home visits, hospitalization where necessary, specialists care in hospitals, essential pharmaceutical supplies and prenatal, maternity and postnatal care by medical practitioners or qualified midwives. (ILO, 1952). SHI is guided by the basic assumption that health is a basic human right and insurance is a tool to advance its implementation whereas Private Health Insurance (PHI) on the other hand views health as a cluster of risks, insurance of which is a profitable economic activity. (UN, 1948 1997, WHO 1978). This brings forth the argument that society should provide at least basic health care to all citizens. However, attainment of this status is usually gradual and has to be within a set legal frame work as is illustrated in the examples provided below. For instance in Belgium during 1851 a special law officially acknowledging the sickness funds (referred to as mutual health funds) was enacted. Sickness funds were based on occupational groups and were rather small-scale. During 1894 registration provided the legal foundation of these funds with a broader scope of activities, while they could henceforth benefit from government subsidies. Subsequently mutual health funds from the same political or ideological background combined into national alliances or unions. Until early 1940s membership to mutual health funds had been voluntary. In 1944 a decree was adopted to make health insurance compulsory for all salaried workers. In Israel the first health insurance fund, the KUPAT HOLIM CLALIT (General Sickness Fund), was founded in 1911 by agricultural workers in collective settlements (Kibbutz) which during 1920 was taken over by the HISTANDRUT (General Federation of Labour) and became one of its political power bases (Carin, 2004). In 1920 three other health insurance funds were established and by 1948 when Israel gained statehood, 53% of the population was covered 80% being members of general sickness funds. By 1995 when National Health Insurance Law was voted 96% of the population was covered. Now it is the duty of every resident to register as a member in one of the existing funds (Holzheu, 2006). Meanwhile the origin of SHI in Japan is the development of voluntary community health insurance scheme in the nineteenth century. In 1935 a community health insurance scheme (having rice as a pre-paid contribution and basic care as the main benefit) was established in the Fukuoka Prefecture. In the 1930s government encouraged the replication of community health insurance on a National Citizens Health Insurance law based on community financing principle but with cash-based contribution was proclaimed and implemented. The law was designed to meet the needs of poor in underserved rural villages, the farmers and self-employed workers in rural communities and small companies. It was initially run on voluntary basis (Carin, 2004). In 1922 a law was voted establishing compulsory insurance for selected groups of workers and by 1945 employee health insurance together with National Citizens Health Insurance covered 60% of the population. Legislation establishing compulsory insurance for all wa s finally adopted during 1958 and was implemented in 1961 (Carin, 2004).