Servequal Model

SERVEQUAL MODEL (Measuring Service Quality of Hospitals in Larkana) Author 1: Sumeet Seedani (SZABIST) Contact #: 03333633233 Email: [email  protected] com Author 2: Naveed Anwar Contact number: 03562141247 Email address: [email  protected] szabist. edu. pk Table of contents: Abstract03 Introduction and04 Literature Review05 Importance07 Research Methodology08 Five Dimensions (Variables)09 Data Analysis10 Findings11 Conclusion12 Bibliography13 ABSTRACTService quality is a concept that has stimulated considerable interest and debate in the research literature because of the difficulties in both defining and measuring it. Customer satisfaction and service quality always treated together as customer’s perception and expectation, and the gap will show the result of the total satisfaction. The aim of the study is to rank the 5 dimensions of the service quality to measure the service quality of hospitals in larkana with the help of SERVEQUAL Model.This study also examines the Se rvice quality gap by measuring the gap between Hospital’s patient’s expectations and perceptions. This research shows that all the dimensions of the service are very much important for the service quality. Tangibility was rated as the most important dimension followed by assurance, reliability, responsiveness and empathy. The questionnaire used for this study was â€Å"SERVICE Quality: SERVEQUAL (Parasuraman, Zeithaml, and Berry 1986, 1988)†. The measurements used were on the basis of SERVEQUAL Model which is the best way to measure the service quality.This study state that the expectations were so much high but the perceptions are not that much strong and there is a huge gap between Patient’s Expectations and perception. Key words: Service quality, Customer satisfaction, perception and expectation, gap, Tangibility, assurance, reliability, responsiveness empathy. Introduction SERVEQUAL model is a method to measure a service quality. It was created in 198 0’s especially for the projects related to marketing to find the perception of customer regarding the service quality.In SERVEQUAL, quality is defined through the gap or space which customer got and perceive regarding the service quality. It’s very difficult to understand and measure the service quality, especially in the field of service providers in health care field and if we talk about the larkana than its more complex that’s why I choose the SERVEQUAL model to measure the service quality of Larkana hospitals and medical centers to know the effect of service quality on the customer perception.This research examines the measurement of service quality in hospitals of larkana, through the help of SERVEQUAL model to know, what are the gaps between, the service perceived and got by the customers or patients in the larkana. Service quality is all about ensuring customers, both internal and external, get what they want. Customer satisfaction is a attitude or feelin g of customer toward the service after using the service. Satisfaction and service quality is always treated together to know the perception.Satisfaction is defining customer perception and expectation, customer satisfactions is determined by defining customer perception of quality, expectation and preferences. It’s always arises a important question that why we measure the service quality? Because the measurement of service quality, is a comparison of before and after changes for the service quality. It also gives the solution of the problem for the betterment of service delivery standard.The main purpose of this research is to find the most important service quality dimensions that affect the customer satisfactions in hospitals in larkana, by using the SERVEQUAL model which is the best way to measure the service quality. Measuring the service quality is very crucial for the hospitals today, to improve the quality and image of the hospital, to study the importance and impact of service quality of hospitals on patients, to find the important dimensions of service quality which effect on customer satisfactions in hospitals and to determine customer need in their treatment in hospitals in larkana.In last few decades the importance of service quality has increased and every industries and departments are trying to find the reasons which effect the customer perception and satisfaction, and trying to give better quality that’s why this research is also very important to measure the service quality of hospitals via SERVEQUAL model. SERVEQUAL breaks service quality in five basic dimensions, Reliability, assurance, tangibles, understanding and responsiveness.So in this research these five dimensions are also considered and examine to measure the service quality and factors which effect the perception of customer towards the service quality. Literature review: This part gives you an overview of literature about the models related to the problem statement which discussed in introduction. In this we study about the concept of customer satisfaction, service quality, relation between customer satisfaction and service quality and its effect on consumer mind, traditional service quality dimensions and hospital’s service quality in order to give a clear idea about the research area.As it is discussed by Kotler (2003); there is a general agreement that: Satisfaction is a person’s feelings of pleasure or disappointment resulting from comparing a product’s perceived performance (outcome) in relation to his or her expectations. Based on this review, customer satisfaction is defined as the result of a cognitive and addictive evaluation, where some comparison standard is compared to the actually perceived performance.Furthermore, Omachonu (1990); stated that Health care quality has been posited to consist of two parts: quality in fact and quality as perceived by the consumer. Means how actually customer perceived the service quality and how its experience during the availing of the service, and every customer having its own perception. Another side it is argued that satisfaction is associated with performance that fulfils the expectation, while dissatisfaction occurs when performance falls below the expectation (Swan and combs 1976).This review based that when the service quality meet the customer expectation they satisfy and when service quality doesn’t meet with the customer expectation they got dissatisfied and they never avail that service, means there is a huge relation between the service quality on customer perception, because when customer once satisfy from the service quality he/she again avail that service because he make his mind set about that particular industry.Health care practitioners would contend that service quality is a provision of appropriate and technically sound care that produces the desire affect; however it has been misperceive their patient’s perception sometim es (McAlexander et al 1994).Means the service providers in hospital industry always trying to introduce new technologies to give the good service quality to their patients to change their mind and perception and to satisfy them by meet their expectation but sometimes some patients misperceive it and take it in a another side which is a loss for the hospitals, that’s why it is always difficult to measure the service quality specially in the field of hospital industry but it’s important for every department and industry now. As Dr. K.Ravichandran et al (2010) defining that every retail industries are consequently directing their strategies towards increasing service quality level which fosters customer satisfaction and loyalty improved service quality. He further discussed that; increase in service quality in retail industry can develop customer satisfaction which ultimately retains valued customer. It review stated that in today’s era its very much important for any organization or any industry to increase service quality and do work according the customer expectation than any organization can got success in business world and through this a organization can retail the oyal and valuable customer. James H. mcAlexendar (1994) discussed in his research that marketer generally view the service quality from the perspective of health care customers because marketers understand that patients perception of service quality may be more broadly constructed than those of the health care provider and based upon a more holistic assessment of the health care experience. Because patient’s perspective regarding service quality may include perception of technical care but also seemingly peripheral concerns as physical facilities, interactions with receptionists and even brochures.It argued by the Kekale (2001) that it is some how the measurement of customer dissatisfaction and offers a possibility for the elimination of falls, not a possibility for pr oduct development and product innovation. Companies should gather and analyze the suitable data, which will provide relevant information to real customer satisfaction. It is important to measure the right things, i. e. what is really important for the Customers. There is the possibility of wrong specifications or misinterpretations of what a customer actually wants.Means the gap between what companies think and what actually customer wants can also affect the service quality. It is not always be true that performance will equal to expectation as described in International journal of nursing studies (2007) that performance was relatively lower than expectations, resulting in poor nursing care quality. Differences between expectations and performance for both patients and nurses need to be further reduced. As its also discussed by the Tolgo taner et al (1997) that there is different service quality provided in private and public sector.He further discussed that inpatients in the priva te hospital were more satisfied with service quality than those in public hospitals. The result also suggest that patients in private hospitals were more satisfied with doctors, nuerses and supportive than their counterparts in public hospitals. One research suggest that customers are reluctant to complain when dissatisfied with professional and when they dissatisfied they tell to more customers means it become the word of mouth. Andreasen et al 1985). This result could be the health care professional would bear the burden of having dissatisfied patients, including negative word of mouth and patient turn over. IMPORTANCE of the Research: A good research is effective tool for reader and for a society for many positive changes in the environment. Especially, if we talk about the service oriented organization than we come to know that the base for their success is that they study well about their customers.So this research is helpful to know that how much there is a gap between the cus tomer perception and expectation and how much they get satisfied after availing the service of hospitals located in the larkana. This study is especially design to measure the service quality of hospitals in the Larkana. This research is also important study for to know that which are the drawbacks in private hospital sector and are customers (patients) are satisfied or not? This study is important for doctors to know that what patients want from them and how some changes can improve their quality for their customers.METHODOLOGY DESIGN RESEARCH TYPE * This Research is based on exploratory format and it is developed from qualitative point of view. METHODS AND TECHNIQUES: * I distribute the Questionnaire to the respondents to know their views. * I used the SERVEQUAL model format for my Research, because it’s the best way to measure the service quality and I have use the licart scale in the options of the questions. * Questioner consists of 22 statements about perception and 22 statements about the expectations. * The questions are based on 5 dimensions: * Tangibility, assurance, reliability, responsiveness empathy.SAMPLE AND SAMPLE SIZE * I have chosen random sampling for data collection method, and sample size is 100. POPULATION AND RESPONDENTS * As research is based on the service quality of hospitals so I choose private hospital and center’s patients of Larkana as my population. I will mainly focus on the patients of different hospitals and centers located in larkana. STATISTICAL PROCESSING OF INFORMATION * The data which is collected have been analyzed in SPSS software for further results and findings, to measure the gap between expectation and perception of the patients.Five dimensions of the SERVEQUAL Model Data Analysis: Reliability test: Expectation Perception Reliability Statistics| Cronbach's Alpha| N of Items| .555| 22| Reliability Statistics| Cronbach's Alpha| N of Items| .917| 22| This is the reliability test of SERVEQUAL Model for ho spitals in larkana. If we look around the expectation side the reliability value is 0. 555, and the value of perception is 0. 917. Means there is high reliability at perception side. So the overall questioners are effective.Descriptive Analysis: Statistics Expectation| | tangible| reliable| responsiveness| Assurance| empathy| N| Valid| 100| 100| 100| 100| 99| | Missing| 1| 1| 1| 1| 2| Mean| 6. 31| 6. 16| 6. 37| 6. 75| 6. 34| Median| 6. 25| 6. 20| 6. 50| 6. 50| 6. 40| Mode| 7| 7| 7| 7| 7| Std. Deviation| . 550| . 618| . 661| 2. 570| . 687| Statistics Perception| | tangibileavg| reliabilityavg| responsivnessavg| assuranceavg| emphathyavg| N| Valid| 100| 100| 100| 100| 100| | Missing| 0| 0| 0| 0| 0| Mean| 4. 16| 4. 58| 4. 07| 4. 2500| 4. 1600| Median| 4. 00| 4. 60| 4. 00| 4. 000| 4. 2000| Mode| 4| 5| 4| 4. 50| 4. 00| Std. Deviation| 1. 229| 1. 107| 1. 147| 1. 15142| 1. 14486| Above two tables are showing the mean, median, mode and standard deviation of expectation and perception. The r esults clearly shows that the overall expectations are high than the perception, if we look to the values of mean at the expectation side is about 6 in all the variables but at the perception side it is about 4. So there is a still huge gap which shows that still there are people who are dis-satisfied from the services of Hospitals in Larkana.Same wise the median has averagely value is about 6. 5 in all the variables but at expectation side it is only 4. 5. Expectation side mode has value 7 in all the values but when it comes to perception it is only 4. Standard deviation also shows the huge difference between expectation of the customers and the service the perceived. These results clearly shows that there is still a gap which shows that the overall service quality of hospitals are not match or fulfill the expectations of the customers, that the main reason of increase rate of dissatisfied customers.The results also show that in assurance (knowledge and courtesy of employees and th eir ability to convey trust and confidence) people have more expectation but they perceived less in the Hospital’s of larkana. So we can finaly conclude that results are clearly showing the gap between the expectation and perception, which is huge gap. Conclusion & achievement Service quality is always a big topic to debate, because it’s difficult to understand and measure the service quality.We can simply define a service quality with the help of people expectation and perception about a certain field. As much as the gap is high the service quality is negative, but if there is a low gap or expectation and perception are equal it means there is a good service quality. This study is also done for the purpose to find and measure the service quality of hospitals in the larkana, with the help of SERVEQUAL Model, which is the worldwide best way to measure the SERVICE quality.The main purpose of conducted this study is to know the overall performance of the private hospitals . Because it’s very necessary that customer should be satisfied from the services than they can become the loyal with that particular industry or company. After conducting this research we come to know that there is still a huge gap between the expectations of the patients and the perception that they have perceived from the hospital, so it clearly shows the performance of hospitals in larkana.The other main drawback is that hospital’s are not understanding the basically needs of the customer, they shouldn’t provide them those services effectively which customer want from them. So we can conclude that maintain the service quality is very necessary for every organization especially in the field of medical, but in Larkana after doing the research we come to know that still there is a huge gap between expectation and perception and the overall services of hospitals are not up to that level and still they need to improve a lot to satisfy their customers (Patients).B IBLIOGRAPHY http://www. serviceperformance. com/articles/33_Five_Service_Dimensions. php http://www. proserv. nu/Docs/Servqual. pdf http://eprints. utm. my/9514/1/SeyedHosseinSiadatMFSKSM2008. pdf http://www. fm-kp. si/zalozba/ISSN/1854-4231/5_195-209. pdf http://www. journal-archieves14. webs. com/1397-1408. pdf http://www. eurojournals. com/IBBA_11_10. pdf

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Bioinformatics research - Dissertation Example Bioinformatics deals with data management in genomics and proteomics of all life forms. It is now accepted as a separate discipline in the main stream biology. Bioinformatics helps researchers worldwide to access various databases for research and to exchange information for comparison, prediction, storage and analysis. As on date, there are a number of databases specific to human, animals, plants and microbes. Bioinformatics accelerated the process of novel drug discovery and development drastically. In this present study bioinformatics tools and databases are used to find out novel genes and regulatory elements in regions in the nucleotide sequences with relevance towards glucose metabolism. The model generated from the experimentally verified data for transcription factors assist in the prediction of a specific transcription factors. Aspergillus nidulans is a fast growing, true filamentous fungi that belongs to the Ascomycetes family. It normally grows on a defined medium containi ng yeast extract and glucose serving as primary nitrogen and carbon sources respectively. The optimum growth temperature for the growth A.nidulans is 370C with good aeration. It doubles at every 1.5hr. A. nidulans is a homothallic, muticellular, haploid, spore former. It is capable of forming both sexual and asexual spores. The spherical conidiophore bears the uninucleate asexual spores called the conidia, which appear rough and range between 3-4 Â µm, these conidiophores are short and appear brown in colour.

The Story of Emily Rose Still Popular in 21st century Research Paper

The Story of Emily Rose Still Popular in 21st century - Research Paper Example One such phenomenon, which thinkers and scientists, world across have tried to solve, is what happens to a person after death. Theories such as rebirth, heaven, hell, etc. hold attraction even today. Today as we see, we are usually torn between science as we want everything to be scientifically tested and proven and we also want to believe that there exists life after death even if it is not proven on the merits of science. Hypothesis We are going to study this theory with the help of following hypothesis: The phenomenon of demonic possession and exorcism as seen in the movie "The Exorcism of Emily Rose", surprisingly still popular in the 21st century" History Demonic possession is when a ghost controls emotions, thoughts and intellect or decision making ability of a person. It merges with the person’s consciousness and controls person’s actions. In this definition of â€Å"being possessed† it is clearly stated that some other force has a complete control over a person’s actions and behaviour. However psychology has a different say on the matter. Study of psychology is relatively new in the field of science. After a considerable advancement in physical science or medicine, the attention turned to mind. It was largely observed that although body responds automatically to medicine it is the mind that has a powerful control over healing process in totality. It was then when the scientists started taking note of mental processes and studying functions of brain. However if a particular pattern of behaviour of a person could not be explained it was still termed as super natural or out of the purview of science. Slowly and steadily as the mysteries of brain started unfolding, it was believed that every mental disease had its cure as well. Now the population got divided into two sections, one who wanted scientific proof of everything and the other although believed in science felt there is still a force beyond science to explain certain mysteries. Precisely the reason why people still believe in the concept of being possessed or bein g taken over by either good or bad spirits or demons. Church and science have always stood against each other. Religion or faith has always believed God as a phenomenon which cannot be explained but rather understood and felt and believed in. Science as it goes by the way of proof will ask proof of even God’s existence. In this case there could be one instance or one phenomenon looked at from both perspectives, one that of science and the other that of faith. â€Å"Being possessed† is one such instance viewed suspiciously by both the fraternities. Exorcism is viewed differently in different religions. In Catholicism like other religions it is viewed as demanding the evil spirits to leave immediately the body of possessed by the authority of God vested in the person performing the exorcism.2 The principle objective is to ward the evil off and heal the tormented soul from the suffering. Science however can attribute this to disturbed mental health which can be cured by m edicine and heal the person. In both the cases although the roads are different both mean well and want the patient to heal and live a healthy, happy and normal life. The approaches may differ but the outcome desired is the same. It is possible that a person believing in science also believes in the existence of God and his powers but may not believe in the idea of some other force taking over and controlling human mind and actions. It is precisely at this point both the branches fall apart. Psychologists or Scientists call â€Å"being possessed† as an instance that can happen to anybody. Everyone is susceptible to this.

Awakenings Project Essay Example for Free

Awakenings Project Essay The abuses at Bainbridge Hospital reflected a broken system at that time. Any person who was deemed untreatable was put into a â€Å"garden†- where people were treated like flowers that were simply â€Å"watered† and â€Å"fed† every day. The attitude of the people who worked at the institution was of people who had accepted the system’s failures as a way of life; they did not strive for change, they simply â€Å"went with the flow. † Dr. Sayer introduces a number of attitudes that can be seen in modern care facilities. For example, his unfailing persistence in not giving up on patients who he believed had a chance at life. These patients had been immobile for decades, with countless people telling him that they would never get better. By believing in their cognizance and their persistent awareness of their surroundings, Dr. Sayer creates the hospital environment of today, punctuated with the idea that all patients should have the chance to have the best chance in life. He never gave up hope. However, Dr. Sayer also faced many different obstacles in attempting to treat his patients. For example, he needed to first overcome the mockery of his fellow coworkers. The doctors and nurses who worked with him did not understand his desires to pursue what seemed like a meaningless waste of time. However, in doing so, he gave life back to people who would have otherwise been trapped forever, in a state of permanent limbo. Later, he also faced the crisis of dosage with his â€Å"patient zero†, Leonard. Would he cross the line and illegally dose Leonard without the consent of the pharmacist? In doing so, he achieved success. However, he had to do so by compromising the laws set by society. Moreover, he had to muster funding for the drug for all the patients that had been affected at the institution. He could have given up after the head of the hospital told him that it was simply too much money, but he persisted in his efforts and was rewarded with enough funding for every patient’s awakening. I agree with the approach Dr. Sayer took because he was a pioneer during his time. Could he have otherwise succeeded in the revival of the patients that had been afflicted with the mysterious illness? His practices, although at times showing his own sense of morality and disregard for the accepted, would later become what is widely believed to be the basis of hospitals today. He took an interest in finding out the truth and never stopped believing.

Dog Training Essay Example for Free

Dog Training Essay Information to be output The output of the information will contain, the veterinary surgerys name, address and phone number and the surgery opening times on the back page. The opening times will make clear that the weekend surgeries are only for urgent cases. This leaflet will also give out the hours of emergency information. The title and a hamster picture will be on the front page. The information and another hamster picture will be on the inside pages. Data needed to produce the output The input needed to produce the leaflet will be a picture of a hamster; this will be a file on disk, on the inside pages there will be text on: Handling your hamster, cages, feeding your hamster, drinking bottle and common illness and health problems. These illnesses will include; diarrhoea and constipation. It will also include wet tails, colds, exercise and holidays. I will get this information from pages 23-24 of the booklet. On the front page there will be the title (Hamster care leaflet) and a picture of a hamster. On the back page there will be the veterinary surgerys name (Park view Veterinary surgery), the address (27 Park view, Lancre, LA6 9EJ), the phone number (01760 780003), the surgery opening times (Mon-Fri 9am-11: 30am, 4pm-7pm in the afternoons) and the urgent opening hours (10am-11am in the weekends). Desired outcomes and performance criteria The quality of the solution has to give an excellent impression of the veterinary and be easy to read so that people coming to the veterinary will be able to understand it and be able to find the information quickly in urgent circumstances. The style and layout of the output will be as follows: On the front page there will be a hamster picture and the title. In the middle pages there will be the information and another hamster picture, the sub headings in the middle pages must stand out so that the reader can find a certain type of information quickly. On the back page there will be; the veterinary surgerys name, address and phone number. It must also include the surgerys opening times and make it clear that weekend surgeries are only for urgent cases. Testing No testing needed beyond checking the leaflet meets the performance criteria. Dog Training A system will be made to calculate the price of dog training courses for each dog owner depending on how many dogs are to be trained. For example, walking to heel and not pulling on the lead. Format of the output The output will be in the form of a spreadsheet. This will be an interactive screen display, no printing is asked, but it can be if required. There will be columns for the number of dogs on the course, where the course is held, price of course per customer and amount paid to the trainer. Information to be output The information to be output will contain, the dog collars, the rewards, the location to train the dogs (the barn, the hall or the sports club). It will contain how many dogs are on each course, the price that each customer has to pay for each course and how much to pay the trainers and the cleaners. Data needed to produce the output The data needed to produce the output will be: the number of dogs (less than 15) on the course and where the course is held. These variables will determine how much each customer will have to pay (less than   50) and how much the trainer will get paid (basic rate 20 + i 1. 10 for each dog). The fixed amounts are: The price of the dog collars (i 1. 15), the price of the rewards (i 1. 30), the cleaners (i 6 per session). The rent costs are (rent x no. of sessions). I can find all this information from pages 8,9 and 26 of the booklet. Desired outcomes and performance criteria The quality of the solution and the style and layout of the output has to give a very clear, easy to read and easy to modify spreadsheet. The maximum number of dogs must be 15 and it must also be colourful. I must have the cost of the dog collars, the rewards, the cleaners and the location that the course will take place.

Impact of Sea Level Rise and Adaption Strategy

Impact of Sea Level Rise and Adaption Strategy This essay focuses on a impact of SLR along the NZ costal margin and an overview of the different adaptation strategies, a recommended framework for decision making to support local adaptation measures. Introduction Even if greenhouse gas emissions stopÂÂ   tomorrow, the effects of climate change will continue in the certainÂÂ   manner. One of the recognized impacts of climate change and possibly the most dramatic for the many coastal communities of NZ is the sea level rise. As oceans warm, they expand, raising the global sea level. Melting ice caps and land-based ice sheets also contribute to the rise in sea level. This essay focuses on investigating how much effect and effect along the NZ coastal margin and how much of our preparation weve done to minimize this devastating effect.-[2] Impact and Effects Most of our NZ population live and work within the 5km of our coastline which mean the large majority of the built environment will face increasing risks from ongoing SLR-[1]. Basically, there are three types of coastal dangers in New Zealand, which are directly affected by the rising sea level-[1]. Â   Â   Â   Â   Â   Inland Flooding Rising sea levels are increasingly affecting our coastal cities. Coastal floods occur when the sea rises above the normal flood level and flows down into lowland streams-[1]. This results is flooded buildings as well as damaged subway infrastructure. The rising sea level could increase the duration and extent of the floods of the river. If such river floods peak at high water, they become more damaging as flood waters become higher-[3] The projected frequency of extreme water levels is important because inland waters are a threat to people living near our coastal cities and small islands. As reported in the report Dr.Jright Wright, below table shows that In future, our four major coastal cities ports will more than the excesses of todays 100 years of events more and more often-[1] All our infrastructures such as buildings, roads, airports, wastewater systems based on a historical understanding of the range of tides and occasional floods in storms. As the sea level increases, areas of deep coastal coasts, which are flooding in storms, are becoming more frequent and heavy flooding. Areas that are a little higher also begin to flood over time.-[1] Erosions As already mentioned, coastal flooding occurs in deeper areas when the sea rises above the normal high water level; it will open up wetlands to the water, erode beaches, increase floods and increase the salt content of river estuaries.-[1] As a result of these effects of coastal erosion, the effect washed on sediment or rocks and our coastal line is changing. Coastal erosion is a natural process that has been happening for thousands of years. Sea water collides with cliff and shore, it causes sediment or rocks to be washed out to the sea. Erosion can happen under any condition, but it tends to increase rate when wave are strong. Wave cause erosion in four main types-[4] The way in which erosion on the coast changes depends largely on the nature of the rocksÂÂ   in other words its Geology-[4]. But as the sea level rises, the erosion increases in many places around the coastline when strong storm waves arrive at the beach-[1]. Thus, beaches and cliffs that are vulnerable to erosion are likely to destroy faster. Not only that stable beaches can also begin to destroy, and beaches that accumulate may slow down or begin to erode.-[1] High Ground water Note:Adapted from-[3] Unfortunately, groundwater problems are not visible and it is very difficult to measure. Most of our coastal areas, the groundwater is not far below the ground and is connected to the sea. As the sea level rises, the water level in these areas will rise, which can lead to both human activities and coastal ecosystems-[1] such as: Recommendation Adaptation planning Adaptation Strategies We now know that with the climate change rising seas are emerging and that this rise in the sea level will drastically affect our coastal communities-[2]. These communities require resilience and adaptation strategies to minimize the long-term economic, environmental and social impacts of the sea level rise on coastal development. So we can group the basic adaptation strategies to the sea level as follow-[2]; Protect Protect is a reactive strategy to protect people, property and infrastructure from rising sea level and is generally considered the first answer. The protection of the coast by structural mechanisms such as dikes, seawalls and sandbags is the traditional approach to deal with the rise in sea level in many parts of the world. Protection strategies tend to be expensive, and can have long-term effectiveness in long-term vulnerable places.-[2] But this can lead to a false sense of security. It can also increase the risk by encouraging the development behind dikes and other structural protection elements, which can make the number of people and the amount of property at risk if this is not. Protection strategies are particularly attractive when the costs of protecting governments are supported at different levels like if individual owners bear little or no risk and if land use is not perceived by the municipal authorities in the long term.-[2] Accommodate This is an adaptive strategy that enables continuous occupation of the coastal areas while changing human activities and infrastructure to adapt to the rise in sea level. The accommodation can be part of the new building, the use of structural filling to raise the increase in the habitable space, the restriction of the building areas subject to flooding in garages, others-[2] Retreat Any strategic decision to withdraw, relocate, or abandon private or public assets that are threatened, relocated or abandoned due to the rise in sea level and associated coastal risks is a retreat. It is an adaptive strategy to limit the use of structural protection, the development of discourages in areas exposed to sea level rise, and the planning of the possible relocation of buildings and infrastructures to areas without risk or lower risk areas-[2]. Avoid This means that the new development does not take place in areas exposed to coastal hazards associated with an increase in sea level or a surface that will increase over time. Basically this is the identification of the future no build areas within the municipal planning documents.-[2] Recommendation It is a prudent step to begin planning the future sea level from now on. From the preparation of New Zealand for rising seas: certainty and Uncertainty (Wright, 2015) [1] report contains eight recommendations to the government. The first seven focus on improving the direction and advice given to the councils. The last recommendation focuses on the fiscal risks of the rise in sea level.-[1] Conclusion All thing consideredÂÂ   , this essay focuses on a New Zealand impact of SLR along the NZ costal margin and an overview of the different adaptation strategies, a recommended framework for decision-making to support local adaptation measures. As a result, the impact of the rising sea level on our coastal line is more likely to be felt. Therefore, adaptation responses must be introduced earlier to take into account the excessive rise in sea level-[10]. Overall, we can suggest that there is no single adjustment to the sea level rise, and that the most logical answer would be a combination of all four basic strategies, as discussed in the previous sections, and it is likely that decisions on appropriate action are taken at a Area by area with factors such as topography, prosperity and population density all expected to influence the suitability of each response-[10] Although the information that local and government authorities need to know must be aware that there is a high percentage of uncertainty that are present in sea level forecasting, and adaptation responses must be flexible, under changing conditions, and typically implement responses well in advance, When required-[10]. References : [1] http://www.pce.parliament.nz/media/1380/preparing-nz-for-rising-seas-web-small.pdf [2] http://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/environment/climate-change/policy-legislation-and-responses/adaptation/sea-level-rise/slr-primer.pdf [3] http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/290088/nz-urged-to-act-on-rising-sea-levels [4] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUh3WeilFN4 [5] http://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/80441421/Eating-the-shore-New-Zealands-shrinking-coastline [6] http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2012/05/120531-groundwater-depletion-may-accelerate-sea-level-rise/ [7] http://hubpages.com/education/Mega-Engineering-Solutions-to-Sea-level-Rise-Buckets-and-Plug-Holes [8] ) https://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/assessment-report/ar5/syr/SYR_AR5_FINAL_full_wcover.pdf [9] https://www.planning.org/planning/2012/jan/waterwarriorsside2.htm [10] https://blackboard.vuw.ac.nz/bbcswebdav/pid-1948452-dt-content-rid-4067513_1/courses/201601.ESCI201.11341/Essay1.pdf

Marijuana Should Be Legal Essays -- Legalization of Marijuana

Abstract The following is a proposal for a public policy that would legalize marijuana and have the drug be treated as alcohol. This is necessary because the current policy is detrimental to society and the legalization of marijuana would be beneficial. The prohibition of the drug is unfounded because tobacco and alcohol, legalized substances, are more dangerous than marijuana. Also, the legislation regarding the drug was created on racist sentiments, reducing the law’s credibility. The current policy also creates a dangerous black market and renders our prison system ineffective. The legalization of cannabis would bring undeniable medical and economic benefits to society and the government. Varying degrees of marijuana legalization have proved that, if controlled, the drug is rarely damaging to a society or its population. In fact, the benefits of such legalizations seem to greatly outweigh the drawbacks, making legalization the only logical choice. The debate over marijuana is endless. Due to historical portrayals, marijuana is still often seen as a dangerous drug. This myth, however, is outdated. In fact, marijuana is actually a useful drug that, if legalized, would bring many positive consequences to society. Marijuana should be legalized and treated like alcohol with regards to its regulation. A change in the outdated federal policy of strict prohibition would be an advancement of society and its values. To begin with, the racial implications behind the enactment of the policy suggest that it should not have been enacted in the first place. Throughout the early 20th century, marijuana was associated with Mexican laborers in the United States. There was a strong racist sentiment towards Mexicans in America, especially in the Southwest. Consequently, elite Americans looked down upon marijuana use for its association with this particular group (Rowe 26-27). The drug was actually originally spelled â€Å"marihuana,† which is how the word appears in the 1937 Marihuana Tax Act that made marijuana illegal. The drug is now commonly referred to as â€Å"marijuana.† This happened with the help of William Randolph Hearst, a newspaper-publishing giant in the early 20th century. Hearst began calling the substance â€Å"marijuana† so it appeared foreign and became further associated with Mexicans (Gahlinger 34). Later, marijuana became associated with the jazz scene and Af... ... Works Cited Barrett, Devlin. â€Å"New Medical Marijuana Policy: Obama Administration Will Not Seek Arrests For People Following State Laws.† The Huffington Post online 1 Nov. 2009. 18 Oct. 2014. . Fish, Jefferson M. â€Å"Five Drug Policy Fallacies.† Drugs and Society: U.S. Public Policy. Ed. Jefferson M. Fish. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc, 2006. 79-96. Gahlinger, Paul. Illegal Drugs: A Complete Guide to Their History, Chemistry, Use, and Abuse. New York: Plume, 2004. Grinspoon, Lester, and James B. Bakalar. Marihuana: The Forbidden Medicine. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1997. Hoeffel, John. â€Å"Medical Marijuana Gets a Boost from Major Doctors Group.† The Los Angeles Times online 12 Nov. 2009. 11 Nov. 2014. . Krisberg, Kim. â€Å"Fight for Reform of U.S. Drug Policies Slowly Making Headway. Nation’s Health. 39.8 (Oct. 2009): 1-10. EBSCOHost. Web. 10 Nov. 2014. Mills, BJ. â€Å"Medical Marijuana-Is it All Smoke?† Med-Surg Matters. 17.5 (2008): 3-5. EBSCOHost. Web. 10 Nov. 2014. Rowe, Thomas C. Federal Narcotics Laws and the War on Drugs: Money Down a Rat Hole. New York: Haworth Press, 2006.

Grandparents House: A Home Away From Home Essay -- Descriptive Writin

Grandparents' House: A Home Away From Home As I approach the turn to my Grandparent's house, my stomach turns in anticipation of the sweet sugar cookie smell that awaits. I turn up the long narrow gravel road and park my car in front of their house. I step outside and a chilly little breeze bites at my cheeks. I take a deep breath and the sweet smell of burning cedar enters my nose. I look up to the chimney and see the gray puffs of smoke scatter as it hits the still winter air. I shut the car door and follow the sidewalk to the back door. I open the door and a child-like smile immediately spreads across my face. Before I can even get my shoes off, my grandma greets me with her usual warm hello. I smile back at her and ask what she's been up to. But I don't even need to ask, I can already smell the fresh bread thats been baking in the oven. I get up to go to the kitchen, and her pug, Mack, jumps up and tries to lick my hand. My grandma follows me into the kitchen to make some hot tea. I sit on the counter as my grandma makes the tea. Some of my best Christmas memories are of making cookies with my grandma in that very kitchen. We get our tea and go back to the dining room. I sit at the table and listen to my grandmas day. She tells me that her and grandpa finally got the Christmas tree up, and all of the decorations put on it, and that after lunch, grandpa is going outside to hang up all of the icicle lights. I set my tea down and go into the living room to check out the tree. She turns on the lights, and the tree lights up like the one in the Rockefeller Center. I take a closer look and am still able to pick out some ornaments I gave her when I was a little girl. My grandma co... ...ed right on over and latched onto the fence, only this time, it was operating in full force. Try as I might, I just couldn't let go. Finally, I was able to pull back my crispy black palm. Although my cousin never believed this ever happened, he figured if it did, if was pretty good payback for taking him to play with the horses. We go back inside and grandma already has some hot tea waiting for us. We sit in the living room and catch the end of the Bronco game. After its over, I figure I better head home. I stare at the Christmas tree as I walk back through the living room. Its just the beginning of December, and already I cant wait for Christmas to get here. I hug my grandparents and head out the door. As I slowly drive away, I continue to look at their house in my rearview mirror. I cant wait to come back tomorrow, to my home away from home.

Elmer Gantry Essay -- Essays Papers

Elmer Gantry The majority of all books are trash. Sinclair Lewis’ Elmer Gantry is a great book because it has credibility, a timeless theme, and it has the necessary action. Any book that can do that is a great book. The credibility of Elmer Gantry is something that will keep this book eternally great. Although the actual time period is dated, the plot is not dated. Most people can relate to the different characters in the book. Elmer is a pompous football player who thinks that he is higher than any religion. However, people try, and successfully convert him. He attempts to please two masters at first: his vices and God. He eventually makes the decision to live by God, but of course he will occasionally fool around with his old vices, especially adultery. Most people know someone who is like this and still somehow succeeds although he shouldn’t have. Although Elmer is more extreme than the people the reader is likely to know, he is still a very credible characters. Another thing th at makes this a timeless novel is that it has the needed action to attract the reader who only wants entertainment. Elmer often gets into fights that will keep the reader in the edge of their seat. He will face odds that most would run away from, but also has times when he backs down from a fight, such as when Brother Naylor and Brother Bains confront him about â€Å"fooling around† with Lulu. It also has enough opportunities for the modern person to think about sex although it doesn’t graphical... Elmer Gantry Essay -- Essays Papers Elmer Gantry The majority of all books are trash. Sinclair Lewis’ Elmer Gantry is a great book because it has credibility, a timeless theme, and it has the necessary action. Any book that can do that is a great book. The credibility of Elmer Gantry is something that will keep this book eternally great. Although the actual time period is dated, the plot is not dated. Most people can relate to the different characters in the book. Elmer is a pompous football player who thinks that he is higher than any religion. However, people try, and successfully convert him. He attempts to please two masters at first: his vices and God. He eventually makes the decision to live by God, but of course he will occasionally fool around with his old vices, especially adultery. Most people know someone who is like this and still somehow succeeds although he shouldn’t have. Although Elmer is more extreme than the people the reader is likely to know, he is still a very credible characters. Another thing th at makes this a timeless novel is that it has the needed action to attract the reader who only wants entertainment. Elmer often gets into fights that will keep the reader in the edge of their seat. He will face odds that most would run away from, but also has times when he backs down from a fight, such as when Brother Naylor and Brother Bains confront him about â€Å"fooling around† with Lulu. It also has enough opportunities for the modern person to think about sex although it doesn’t graphical...

To What Extent Did the American Revolution?

DbKatie Gordon APUSH Mr. Vieira September 24, 2012 DBQ: To what extent did the American Revolution fundamentally change American society? In your answer, be sure to address the political, social and economic effects of the Revolution in the period from 1775 to 1800. After the American Revolution, Americans, who were free of British control, started to reevaluate politics, the economy and society. After breaking away from what they thought was a corrupt and evil government, Americans changed how they wanted to govern their society, even though they ultimately reverted to a more centralized government similar to Britain.The uneducated masses, as viewed by the elite, didn’t experience a lot of change though the ideals from the revolution still guided some to seek better financial opportunities. Women, slaves, and loyalist experienced a considerable amount of change in society as women experienced more freedoms, some slaves were set free, and loyalist left America. Overall, Americ a didn’t experience a lot of economic change, but it did experience, to varying degrees, political and social change. Politically speaking, the Americans did not want their government to resemble that of the British government.Which brings about the development of the Articles of Confederation. However, there were many holes in the Articles: there was no executive branch, the federal government could not implement taxes and overall the government did not have much centralized power. Everyone knew that a change needed to be supplemented and quick. This brings about the writing and ratification of the Constitution. In order to persuade states to ratify the Constitution, Alexander Hamilton wrote and circulated the Federalist Papers.James Madison also writes, â€Å"ambition must be made to counteract ambition† (Document I), insinuating the system of checks and balances that the Constitution insures. This active separation of power was pivotal in the ratification of the Con stitution, which contrasted the American government from the British government. Americans did not experience much change economically. The Philadelphia society for the promotion of agriculture in 1786, handed out a medal, which said, â€Å"venerate the plough† (Document F). This demonstrates how the elite were still â€Å"rewarding† the common people who weren’t financially better off than before the revolution.Similarly, in Shay’s Rebellion farmers led by the ex-military officer â€Å"[stopped] the courts of justice in several counties†¦crying out for a paper currency, [or] for an equal distribution of power† (Document G). A particular example of the downfall of American economy was Shay’s rebellion. This represented economic strife that the common people were enduring and ultimately rebelled. Two important socio-economic issues the founding fathers discussed were the rights of women and slavery. Women’s roles increased greatly during the revolution. While me were away fighting or running the country, women were at home running and defending the farm.This can be seen in the woodcut (Document A) and in Abigail Adam’s letters to Thomas Jefferson (Document G). Women had, for a time, the right to vote in New Jersey. The revolution also increased the education of women and encouraged them to be more involved in public life. However, all women were not content to go back to their household chores after the revolution as seen by Molly Wallace who says â€Å"if [taught] to read, why not speak? † (Document J), illustrating how some women wanted to further their domestic roles and play a larger role in society.Women were not ultimately granted the right to vote until many years later, but that foundation started during the American Revolution. The practice of slavery was common during the time period of the American Revolution in the colonies and in Europe. At the time, it was the primary economic eng ine in the south and Caribbean. American revolutionaries thought about the morals of slavery, but were unable to change much at this time. However, slavery could be banned in the Northwest Territories, where it wasn’t too important to that region’s economy.The Northwest Ordinance specifically says, â€Å"There shall be neither slavery nor involuntary servitude in said territory† (Document H). Although the revolution was not directly able to ban slavery, it cased the issue and allowed future generations to solve it. The revolution also enabled religious freedom to be written into the fabric of our nation. Many European nations had state religions of this time. Some of the first settlers to the colonies came in search of religious freedom. However, some of them instituted theocratic governments once here. But the revolution showed that America was a melting pot of ideas and people.They believed that our government should not sponsor one particular religion. Virgin ia enacted such a law in 1786. Politically Americans experienced some change by forging a new government even though they revised it in the end. Economically, the common people, who fought for better lifestyles, still lived under the heel of the elites. However a significant amount of change occurred for women, slaves and loyalist, although the loyalist position in changed in society in a very negative manner. In these ways American society experienced change in respect to political and social life, but not economically.

Augustine Medical Case

AUGUSTINE MEDICAL, INC. The Bair Hugger Patient Warming System Winston Rivero MK 4900 Prof. H. Barksdale October 16th, 2012 Industry Analysis: Many competitive technologies are available for the prevention and treatment of postoperative hypothermia. The fall into the two categories: o Surface Warming ? Warmed hospital blankets ? Water-circulating blankets ? Air-circulating blankets and mattresses ? Thermal drapes ? Infrared heating lamps ? Partial warm-water immersion ? Increased room temperature Internal Warming ? Heated and humidified air (used with intubated patients) ? Warmed intravenous (I. V) fluids ? Drug therapy.Approximately 21 million surgical operations performed in the United States or 84,000 operations per average day. †¢ Approximately 5,500 Hospitals have operating rooms and postoperative recovery rooms in the U. S o 31,365 postoperative hospital beds o 28,514 operating rooms in hospitals.Company Analysis: Augustine Medical, Inc. s a firm that develops and markets products for hospital operating rooms and postoperative recovery rooms.Founded by Dr. Scott Augustine, an anesthesiologist. His personal experiences in the field of medicine have helped Dr. Augustine develop a product that offered all the features that nurses and patients would appreciate the most.Initial capitalization of $500,000 that will be used to cover fixed costs such as: salaries, leased space, and promotional marketing during its first year of operation.The Bair Hugger Patient Warming System: The Bair Hugger Patient Warming system has several advantages over other treatments: ? Warm air makes patients feel warm and they stop shivering almost immediately. ? The system does not cause burns ? The system can be used safely around electrical equipment ? Disposable blankets eliminate the risk of cross-contamination ? The system does not require the patient to be lifted or rolled. o Consists of a heater/blower unit and separate inflatable covers or blankets (12 in total).The warming time per patient is about two hours. o Plastic covers are patented. Heater/blower unit does not have a patent. o Subcontr actors determined the costs of the components to be: ? $380 heater/blower unit ? $0. 85 per plastic disposable blanket. o The system is sold through medical product distributor organizations around the country. The margins paid to the distributors are: ? 30% of the delivered selling price on the heat/blower unit. ? 40% of the delivered selling price on the blankets†¢ Competitive Products: (Exhibit 1) |Advantage |Disadvantage | |Warmed Hospital blankets |Simple, safe, and inexpensive |Cool quickly | | | |Only insulation | |Water-Circulating Blankets |Slightly to moderately effective |Heavy, expensive | |Average Prices: | |Can cause burns | |Auto: $5,072. 0 (4,850+5,295) | |Leaks around electrical equipment | |Manual: $1800 after 40% discount | | | |Disposable blankets: $23 | | | |Reflective Thermal Drapes |Simple, safe |Preventive measure | |Average Price $6. 3 (head, drape, |Inexpensive |Only insulation, no heat transfers. | |leggings) | | | |Air-Circulating Blankets |Safe, lig htweight |Products not widely found in the U. S. | |Average Price $4,000 |More effective than hospital blankets | | | |and water-circulating blankets | |Trends Analysis: †¢ The Bair Hugger Patient is designed to control body temperature of postoperative patients and to treat hypothermia experienced by some patients after operations. o Medical research states that 60-80% of postoperative patients experience hypothermia.†¢ The firm projected that 1 system would be sold per 8 postoperative recovery room beds. Exhibit 2 Number of Postoperative Beds |Number of Hospitals |Projected Unit Sales |Projected Sales (# of | | | | |hospitals x Unit Sales) | |7-11 |1,281 |1 |1,281 units | |12-17 |391 |2 |782 units | |18-22 |135 |3 |405 units | |23-28 |47 |4 |188 units | |29-33 |17 |4 |68 units | |>33 (approx. 50) |17 |6 |102 units | |1,888 Hospitals | |2,826 units total |†¢ Marketing Research: Research commissioned by the firm indicated that hospitals with fewer than seven beds woul d most likely not be interested in Bair Hugger Patient Warming System. Potential Target Market: 1,888 hospitals accounting for about 80 % of all surgical operations in the U. S. o Projected sales demand of 2,826 heat/blower units†¢ Trend of interview responses after product demonstration: o Belief in making the patient feel more comfortable o Belief that the product would speed up recovery for postop patients o Free trial of product o Belief that the product is price sensitive to other cheaper methods o Purchase decisions need to be submitted for approval (above $1,500) Research suggested that introducing this product to hospitals would be a time-consuming process that would go through stages. The Hosworth-Climator is a product very similar to the Bair Hugger Patient Warming System and it is predicted that this product could be distributed in the United States next year.Problem Definition: The main problem pertaining to Augustine Medical Inc. is determining the selling price to hospitals for the Bair Hugger Patient Warming System. The system is comprised of two components: the heater/blower unit, and the plastic blankets. Determining the product’s selling price is of utmost importance since: it will influence the demand for the product among prospective buyers, determine the firm’s cash flow, allow the firm to prepare its promotional marketing/advertising budget, and it will provide essential information to its distributor organizations. Alternative Analysis: The problem that Augustine Medical Inc. s experiencing is determining the appropriate price for its product. The dilemma boils down to two major pricing strategy alternatives: Penetration pricing strategy and skimming pricing strategy. The two alternatives have strengths and weaknesses for the firm.†¢ Costs of Alternative products per treatment: o Warmed hospital blankets: (Exhibit 3) |Price per pound |Weight per blanket |# Of blankets per |Total Cost per application | | | |applica tion | | |$0. 13 |2 lbs. |7 |$1. 82 | o Water-circulating blankets: (Exhibit 4) Control Units |Average Price |Blankets |Average Price | |Automatic |$5,072. 50 |Reusable |$271. 50 | |Manual |$1,800. 00 |Disposable |$23. 00 |†¢ Automatic control units from $4,850 to $5,295†¢ Manual control units are $3,000. Discount 40%†¢ Reusable blankets from $168 to $375†¢ Disposable blankets from $20 to $26 o Reflective Thermal Drapes: (Exhibit 5) | |Average Price | |Adult Head cover |$0. 9 | |Drapes |$3. 24 [($2. 50/$3. 98)/2] | |Leggings |$3. 00 [$1. 50 x 2 legs] | |Total |$6. 73 | o Hosworth-Climator: priced at $4,000 Penetration Pricing Strategy alternative: this strategy consists of lowering prices to attract customers and gain market share.Advantages to the firm: o Research suggests that the price for this product is elastic compared to other alternatives so lowering the price is a good incentive for customers to try the product. Competitive advantage over competitors suc h as the Hosworth-Climator. o The product is not entirely protected by patents so competitors can create a similar product Disadvantages to the firm: o The firm must sell more units to break-evenLower profitability Calculations:†¢ Heater/blower unit: o Number of hospitals with more than seven beds: 1,888 o Projected Sales in units: 2,826 units o Unit selling price: $494 ? $380 cost per unit + $114 distribution markup o Projected Sales: $1,396,044 ? (2,826 units)*($494) o Cost of Units: $1,073,880 ? (2,826 units)*($380) o Cost of Unit distribution (30% of unit selling price): $322,164 ? (2,826 units)*($114)†¢ Blankets: Potential target market: 14,700,000 cases of postoperative patients with hypothermia. ? (21 million)*(70%)= 14,700,000 cases ? 1,225,000 stacks of 12 blankets each.†¢ [14,700,000/12 blankets] ? $10. 20 price per 12 blanket stacks.†¢ [$0. 85 x 12 blankets] ? Cost of blankets: $12,495,000†¢ (1,225,000 stacks)*($10. 20) o 12 blanket stack selling price after distribution: $21 o Cost of distribution cost per stack (40% of stack selling price): $8. 40 ? ($21)*(0. 40)=$8. 40 ? ($8. 40)*(1,225,000 stacks)= $10,290,000 o Total cost of distribution: $10,612,164 ? $10,290,000+$322,164 o Projected Sales from blankets ? $25,725,000†¢ (1,225,000 stacks)*($21 selling price) Exhibit 6 Sales from blankets |$25,725,000 | |Sales from units |$1,396,044 | |Total Sales |$27,121,044 | |Cost of blankets |- $12,495,000 | |Cost of units |- $1,073,880 | |Cost of distribution |-$10,612,164 | |Total Profit |$2,940,000 |o The calculations show that the firm is profitable under this strategy. Part of the strategy is offering the heater/blower unit for a discounted price of $494 ($380+$114). This price only takes into consideration the distribution cost and the cost to manufacture the heater/blower unit, no profit margin has been added to this price. Research suggested that physicians and nurses would want to try the product before attempting to m ake a purchase decision. The stack of disposable blankets is priced at $21. The selling price would cover the manufacturing and distribution costs of $10. 20 and $8. respectively, leaving $2. 40 per blanket contributing to profits.The purpose of this strategy is to attract potential customers and gain market share. In this strategy, sales revenue and profitability are driven by blanket sales since the heater/blower is a durable product and blankets are disposable products. In the short-run, profits will shrink as a result of fixed and variable costs of the units, but in the long run the firm will likely achieve its market share goal. In addition, the combined prices for both the unit and the blankets are less $1,500, allowing hospitals to make faster purchase decisions without the need of a budget committee approval.The discounted unit price of $494 serves as a great incentive for nurses and physicians that look for a durable product that is efficient, yet economical. Skimming Prici ng Strategy alternative: this strategy consists of setting prices high so that fewer sales are needed to break-even. Advantages to the firm: o The firm could sell fewer units to break-even o The Bair Hugger Patient Warming System is perceived to have better value when compared to competitive products o Research suggests that patient would recover faster using this product. o The product’s technology is not widely used in the United States so the company can position it as a premium quality product. Disadvantages for the firm: o Research suggests that the product is price elastic because of its cheaper substitutes. The company could fail to gain its desired market share because of the prices being too high ? There is not patent for the heater/blower unit. Competitors could easily replicate the heater/blower’s technology.Calculations: †¢ Heater/blower unit: o Projected Sales in Units: 2,826 heater/blowers o Unit selling price: $3,500 o Projected Unit Sales: $9,891,0 00 ? (2,826 units)*($3,500) o Cost of unit: $380 o Projected Cost of unit: $1,073,880 ? (2,826 units)*($380) o Cost of distribution per unit: $1,050 per unit ? ($3,500)*(30% distribution margin) o Projected Cost of unit distribution: $2,967,300 ? ($1,050 unit distribution)*(2,826 units)†¢ Blankets: Potential target market: 14,700,000 cases (70% of 21 million operations) ? 1,225,000 stacks of 12 blankets each (12 blankets per case) o Stack of blanket selling price: $25 o Projected blanket sales: $30,625,000 ? (1,225,000 stacks)*($25) o Cost per stack: $10. 20= ($0. 85)*(12 blankets per stack) oProjected Cost of blankets: $12,495,000 ? (1,225,000 stacks)*($10. 20) o Cost of distribution per stack of blankets: $10 per stack ? ($25)*(40% distribution margin) o Projected Cost of blanket distribution: $12,250,000 o Total cost of distribution: $15,217,300 ? $12,250,000+$2,967,300= $15,217,300 Exhibit 7 Sales from blankets |$30,625,000 | |Sales from units |$9,891,000 | |Total Sales |$4 0,516,000 | |Cost of blankets |$12,495,000 | |Cost of units |$1,073,880 | |Cost of distribution |$15,217,300 | |Total Profit |$11,729,000 | The skimming strategy allows the firm to sell fewer units to break-even. The calculations indicate that the firm will be very profitable if it achieves its desired demand of 2,826 heater/blower units and 1,225,000 stacks of blankets. The heater/blower is priced at $3,500 ($500 less than the most comparative product).This price point is attractive because is considerably less than water-circulating blankets’ prices that could range from $4,850 to $5,295. It is justifiable because the technology of the Bair Hugger Patient Warming System is perceived as more effective, and safer than other alternative methods. It is not widely used in the United States so the firm can position it as a cutting edge product. The unit’s selling price more than satisfies its costs of manufacturing and distribution with the remaining going straight to prof its. Under this strategy the disposable blankets are still the driving force of sales revenue because they are disposable and they are a complimentary product to the heater/blower unit.In the long run the demand for heat/blower units will decline and the demand for disposable blankets will continue to increase or remain constant. Stacks of 12 blankets are priced at $25 that will cover manufacture and distribution costs of $10. 20 and $10 respectively leaving almost $5 ($4. 80) contributing to profit. Recommendation Statement: The company’s problem is determining the price of the Bair Hugger Patient Warming System used to treat postoperative patients suffering from hypothermia. Based on the analysis of the two alternatives: Penetration and skimming pricing strategies, I have come to the conclusion that the skimming pricing strategy would be the most efficient in generating profits for the firm.Recommendation Arguments: Research commissioned by Augustine Medical Inc. ndicated t hat nurses and physicians interviewed believed that making the patient feel more comfortable is important. They also believed that the Bair Hugger Patient Warming System would speed up the recovery of postoperative patients. This means that the see value in the product and in my opinion would not mind paying a price of $3,500 per heat/blower unit and $25 per 12-blanket stack for a technology that is safe, more efficient, and not widely used in the United States. The unit-selling price is considerably more economical than other alternative methods such as water-circulating systems and $500 less than the other air-circulating product competitor.Some interview respondents felt that the product was price sensitive to other alternative methods. The strategy reflects that by pricing the blanket stacks at $25, within the $20-26 price range of similar products. In the long run sales from heat/blower units will decline or remain constant while the majority of revenue will be driven by blanke t sales because of their disposable use. I believe this is the most effective alternative to pricing the Bair Hugger Patient Warming System since it allows the firm to maximize profits in the short run by selling heat/blower units while at the same time ensuring that future revenue cash flows come from the sale of disposable blankets.

Organic Food Nutrition Essay

Most grocery stores now sell food products labeled â€Å"organic† due to the increase of demand. Organic food became popular in the 1990’s and has since remained a trend. Although there are more and more supermarkets stocking organic food products on their shelves, non-organic food products seem to outnumber the amount of organic food products. Organic food products are labeled with a green and brown sticker that says USDA ORGANIC. When most Americans see this label they think that what they are buying is better than the average product. But do they have any proof that organic is better? For some reason all a product needs is a little sticker that says organic, and people automatically believe that it is healthier. No one ever stops to ask what this sticker means. Instead they just trust that organic is healthier than the produce that is being sprayed with chemicals. The rise of organic food has created an illusion that organic food is healthier and has nutritional benefits that exceed those of conventional food products. What is organic food? To understand this illusion that the government creates, the definition of organic must be addressed. According to Robert Paarlberg, the author of Food Politics, â€Å"organic foods are produced without any human-made (i. e. , synthetic) fertilizers or pesticides† instead â€Å"organic farmers use composted animal manure and plant cover crops they can later turn into soil† (Paarlberg, 139). This definition suggests that organic farming is not necessarily free of toxic chemicals, but that the chemicals used on organic farms are natural chemicals, or in other words, chemicals that appear in nature. Another definition of organic food is that it is â€Å"produced by farmers who emphasize the use of renewable resources and the conservation of soil and water to enhance environmental quality for future generations† (Preface, 1). Most people who grow or buy organic products link it to being green and environmentally friendly. If organic farmers are not using fertilizers or pesticides then less toxic fumes are going into the air. Therefore, by buying organic products they are doing their part in creating a better place to live. Others, however, buy organic food because they think that organic is more nutritious. Healthier or Not? There is no evidence that organic food products are healthier than conventionally grown food. According to Samuel Fromartz, the author of Organic, Inc. , â€Å"ninety percent of ‘frequent’ organic buyers think that they’re buying better ‘health and nutrition’† (Organic, 1). Ninety percent of people believe this because this is what they are told from others around them. Like most things organic food has its limitations as well. In the book Controversies in Food and Nutrition, the authors state that organic foods â€Å"are not necessarily healthful or safe. A high-fat food that is made form organic products remains high in fat† (Goldstein &ump; Goldstein, 197). Being organic does not make a difference in how much fat a product contains. Although organic might mean that there are no non-natural chemicals used in the production it does not mean that it is healthy. Goldstein quotes Galleghar, the author of a magazine article in Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Magazine, â€Å"you can buy organic chocolate bars, ice cream and cookies-all made with ingredients that are pesticide-, chemical-, antibiotic- and hormone-free- but they’ll be laden with fat, sugar and calories† (Galleghar, 81-82). Galleghar argues a strong point, because organic defines how the ingredient was grown or produced, not the amount of fat, sugar, or calories it has. Thus, organic food is not healthier than non-organic food. Organic food does not provide any remarkable nutritional benefit when compared to non-organic food. In the opinion of Dr. Alan Dangour, a doctor interviewed by Karen McVeigh, â€Å"‘there’s no good evidence that consumption of organic food is beneficial to health based on the nutrient content’†, he also states â€Å"that while small differences were found between organic and conventionally produced food, they were ‘unlikely to be of any public health relevance’† (McVeigh, 7). These quotations suggest that although there may be a slight difference between organic and conventional food products, it is not of any importance to society, therefore the government does not publish this information. The United States Department of Agriculture claims â€Å"organic produce will contain much lower levels of agrochemical residues than conventionally produced food† (www. nal. usda. gov). Lower levels of agrochemical residue sounds like a good thing. However, how much of a difference do these lower levels make? The website also states that â€Å"measured residues on most products, both organic and non-organic, do not exceed government-defined thresholds for safe consumption† (www. nal. usda. gov). Despite the fact that the residue on organic food may be less than the residue on nonorganic food neither of them exceed government regulations. However, the USDA might be conservative in their estimates of how much is safe due to pressures from the pesticide industry. The USDA seems to say that the only important aspect about the food we eat is that it has passed government regulations, therefore, we should not worry about the issue of safety any more. Local Farms? Another effect organic food has on society is the belief that organic food comes from small, local farms. In the article Paradise Sold: What Are You Buying When You Buy Organic? published in The New Yorker, Steven Shapin a Professor of science at Harvard states that, â€Å"much of the organic produce on the market comes from large farms turning a huge profit from the organic label† (Shapin, 1). Because of the increase in demand for organic food, big farming corporations grow organic produce in order to create more capital for themselves. It is important to know that organic does not mean local, and local food does not mean organic. For example, supermarkets like Whole Foods, or Trader Joe’s are very big businesses. In order to stock the shelves of a place like Whole foods a small local farm would not be able to carry out the job, instead big organic retailers need big organic suppliers such as Earthbound Farm. Earthbound is one of the nation’s largest growers of organic produce. Their greens â€Å"are produced on giant farms in six different counties in California, two in Arizona, on in Colorado, and in three Mexican states† (Organic, 1). When a company produce comes from more than one place the piece of produce can no longer be considered local. Thus, the illusion that organic food comes from neighborhood farms is entirely false. Escherichia coli Much like conventional food, organically grown foods can carry bacteria. Author Robert Paarlberg writes, â€Å"in 2006, bagged fresh spinach from a California farm in its final year of converting to organic certification was the source of E. coli infections in the United States that killed at least three and sickened hundreds† (Paarlberg, 145). Although organic food may have a special sticker, which makes consumers think that the product is safer to eat, there are examples of organic food not being safe to consume. Myrna and Mark Goldstein, the authors of Controversies in Food and Nutrition seem to agree with the above claim because they state that, â€Å"the manure that organic farmers may use could contain bacteria. ‘The only real difference between organic and nonorganic food is in the growing- and that’s not a big enough difference to protect your health from bacteria’† (Goldstein, 198). Due to the fact that the growing process is the only difference between organic and nonorganic foods, the risk for E. coli is not any different between the two products. Knowing the truth about where our food comes from is important because the food that goes into our bodies affects our health and well-being. The illusion created by the organic sticker only creates false hope that organic food is healthier and has nutritional benefits that exceed those of conventional food products. While many people continue to assume that the organic seal means that the produce is healthier and safer, one should remember that the seal only indicates how the product was produced.

Cesar Guarin “First Filipino Ultra-Marathoner” Essay

Will you gamble your own welfare for the sake of others? Cesar Guarin, a 56-year-old entrepreneur and the first Filipino, first Asian and fourth person in history to run around the world proved that with a strong determination and with a purpose to help, anyone can bring their dream into reality. Guarin is known as the â€Å"Father of the Philippines Ultramarathon†. He joined Global Run which considered as one-of-a-kind marathon and the toughest run ever that began 1983 and will end in 2016. He already finished the first four legs of his Global Run wherein he run 11,583 kilometers from 1983 to 2009. After his last run in US-Canada (2009), he will again venture in another run, 2,053 kms. in the Australia marathon, the fifth leg of his Global Run. After completing the Australia leg, he will run across- Middle East (2012), England-Norway (2012), Finlan-Moscow (2013), Egypt-Israel-Jordan (2013), Japan-Korea (2014), India-Myanmar (2014) and Thailan-Singapore (2014) to complete the marathon. Despite of different hindrances like injuries, Guarin continuously run and this time it’s for a mission. He started a fund raising projects called â€Å"Batang Pangarap† and â€Å"Global Run, Alay sa Pilipino† to help poverty alleviation in the Philippines, to reduce the number of children on the street by encouraging them to venture into sports, to campaign the tourism of the Philippines and to show his appreciation to the Filipino community abroad for helping the country (Philippines). Guarin as an Ultramarathoner showed to the world that Filipino is a one-of-a-kind race.

Intercultural communicaton analysis Essay

The life of every personality is deeply affected by a myriad of intercultural affiliations that affect a person’s ability to interact with other people and be seen by them from a specific viewpoint. Intercultural communication is likely to be particularly affected by cultural stereotypes. Therefore, each person’s life is shaped to a great degree by cross-cultural perceptions and co-cultural affiliations. In my personal case, I have a variety of cultural affiliations that have a direct influence on my life. In the first place, a lot of facets of my experience depend on my physical characteristics, such as my female gender. Being of that gender, I have a different kind of experience with other people, as it seems easier to bond with girls than with boys on certain subjects, and some aspects of physical work and sports are naturally harder for me because of my weaker constitution. In addition to gender, my life is also impacted by my ethnic origin and religious tradition. Being Turkish and Muslim, I tend to follow the rules and norms prescribed by our faith. Thus, I pray five times a day, observe the Ramadan, and attend meetings in the local mosque. As a result, my lifestyle puts me in contact with a lot of Muslims who constitute my immediate circle of communication. In communication with other cultural and religious groups, I have to recognize that my principles and habits are different from most people. Many of my peers, for instance, find it strange that I do not eat or drink by daylight for the entire month of Ramadan. This makes me pause and explain to them the significance of the fast and what it means to me as a Muslim. Being Muslim does not in itself give an exhaustive description of my cultural identity since I have also been exposed to a number of other cultural influences. I am Turkish, and our culture differs in many ways from that of Arabic countries or that of Iran. In addition, I speak English as a second language and went to a French high school. Thus, for me, as for many of my younger countrymen, European cultural influences proved a great impact. I have been watching European movies and read European books since childhood. Knowing English, I was also exposed to the US cultural influence, watching Hollywood blockbusters and interacting with American peers. Belonging to a certain category, one is always an easy target for stereotypes. Thus, it so happened that I am an only child, so many believe that I am spoiled. In a talk with a classmate at school, I had to give examples of household chores that I do at home to dispel his notion of my being utterly â€Å"spoiled†. He only believed me after I told him how I could cook myself the whole dinner for the family at the age of 10. On the other hand, communicating with older people, I have to correct their understanding of college students as spoiled, rough, and careless. Sometimes, I feel as if these qualities are attributed to me by default simply because young people are portrayed in this way in a variety of movies. I try to combat this stereotype by taking time to talk to them at length about my studies and future career plans. I think it gives them an idea that I am serious about college as a way to a better life, not just a socializing event. In this way, my life has been infused with a variety of cultural influences that made me the person I am. At times, it can be difficult to balance many of them, such commitment to my faith with realities of college life here in the US. However, I do my best to try and find a sound approach that will dispel stereotypes and allow me to retain my unique identity. Reference Neuliep, J. W. (2000). Intercultural Communication: A Contextual Approach. Houghton Mifflin.