Barriers, challenges, and strategies Essay

Most clinical health care workers are aware that achieving the paradigm of evidence-based practice (EBP) is the gold star standard that one strives for in his/her clinical practice. EBP is expected of healthcare clinicians and has become a synonym for quality care both by the institution of healthcare and its consumers (Brim & Schoonover, 2009). This essay will define EBP for nurses. The barriers, challenges and strategies to implementing evidence-based nursing practice (EBNP) will be discussed with reference to relevant and authoritative literature. As well, the relevance and the links that EBNP has with the clinical area of Intensive Care will be discussed. EBP is the integration, by clinicians, of clinical expertise which is meticulous, explicit and uses current clinically appraised professional knowledge (Eizenberg, 2011; Kenny, Richard, Ceniceros, & Blaize, 2010). EBP accommodates patient preferences, views and values; while also guiding, supporting, validating and answering health care workers clinical judgements, practices, and questions (Eizenberg, 2011; Kenny et al., 2010; Matula, 2005; Wolf, 2005). EBP is a process of asking a clinical question; searching for clinical evidence; critically appraising this evidence and then expertly integrating this evidence with patient’s values, views and preferences; evaluation of how the changes to practice have had on outcomes; and finally disseminating the results that the EBP or change had on patient outcomes (Melnyk, Fineout-Overholt, Stillwell, & Williamson, 2010). The definition of EBP and EBNP and the implementation of EBNP appear to be straightforward and easily accomplished; however, EBNP implementation is far removed from being easy (Brim & Schoonover, 2009; Cullen, Titler, & Rempel, 2011; Eizenberg, 2011; Kenny et al., 2010; Tolson, Booth, & Lowndes, 2008). Nursing research has uncover ed numerous challenges and barriers which the implementation of EBNP faces. These challenges and barriers can be classified as a research, a clinician, an organisational, a nursing professional barrier, and not least patient barriers (Fernandez, Davidson, & Griffiths, 2008; Gerrish et al., 2011; Hutchinson &Johnston, 2006; Ross, 2010). Eizenberg (2011), Gerrish et al. (2011), and Ross (2010) found that nurses face research and clinician barriers that include not having the time, skills and knowledge to critically critique and/or synthesise research literature, unable to effectively use and search databases electronically, hold negative views toward research and feel research is too complex, as  well research at times is not clear on how to implement the findings and findings can be contradictory. Due to these barriers, nurses tend to rely on synthesised evidence such as evidence-based protocols, policies and procedures (Gerrish et al., 2011). Eizenberg (2011) and Gerrish et al. (2011) also found that nurses prefer to acquire information through third parties such as their colleagues, the workplace, through patient care experience, and the knowledge they received from their nursing education. Eizenberg (2011) found that the organisation is the greatest factor in successful EBNP implementation. The organisation controls access and the budget to and for evidence resources such as computers with internet access, a well-equipped library, and access to educational opportunities in EBNP procedures and theory (Eizenberg, 2011). The barrier of not having the authority to change a nursing practice also lies with the organisation – a nurse may have the necessary research knowledge and experience to effectively change practice but cannot implement practice change due to the organisation not giving him/her the authority to instill change (Eizenberg, 2011). Few nursing staff members are given the opportunity to participate in the development of evidence-based policies and procedures; therefore, most nurses are not engaged to support EBP. Ross (2010) further found organisational barriers such as the organisation giving priority to other goals (for example excess sick leave) over EBNP, the organisation may perceive that the staff are not ready or willing to implement EBNP, and that the organisation believes EBNP is unachievable. These organisational barriers prevent EBNP being accomplished and to the greater extent of not being implemented. A barrier of nursing profession relates to the medical dominance of healthcare; as such, nurses are not afforded the power, authority, autonomy and respect from colleagues for nursing practice that the status of being a profession decrees (Brim & Schoonover, 2009; Eizenberg, 2011; Gerrish et al., 2011). A further nursing profession barrier is it can be difficult to instill enthusiasm or information about an EBNP if turnover is high; there is a shortage of experienced nurses; and support from colleagues is lacking (Gerrish et al., 2011; Mark, Latimer, & Hardy, 2010). Due to high turnover and staff shortages, nurses are unable to leave the bedside and have limited time to participate in EBNP projects such as journal clubs, or to attend training in EBP, PICO  (Population/Intervention/Comparison/Outcome), and database searches (Brim & Schoonover, 2009; Brown, Johnson, & Appling, 2011). Nurses, as Kenny et al. (2010) found were hesitant to change their practice if the change would perceivably increase an already heavy workload. Brim & Schoonover (2009) found that some nurses believed EBNP to be an optional course of action as they were never shown a clear direction of what EBNP is essential to nursing and his/her practice. One of the main premises of EBNP is that the evidence and the v alues and beliefs of the patient/s are synthesised together to form an EBNP which is foremost favourable for a positive outcome for the patient/s (Fernandez et al., 2008). Such factors as treatment, travel, and prescription costs; denial of diagnosis; inadequate knowledge level of disease and strategies to decrease risk factors; lack of social support; and cultural issues can all potentially become barriers to implementing an EBNP for a patient or patients (Fernandez et al., 2008). The high acuity of an intensive care unit (ICU) patient significantly affects a nurse’s ability to search a database for answers (Brim & Schoonover, 2009; Kenny et al., 2010). An answer to a question is usually needed immediately or momentarily; therefore, ICU nurses rely on experience, colleagues, and knowledge of evidence-based policies, procedures and guidelines (Eizenberg, 2011; Gerrish et al., 2011). I know I rely heavily upon in-services, experience, and speaking with the ICU Clinical Nurse Educators and Nurse Educators who will do a literature search to acquire information or answers to a question I have posed – but once again this evidence/information h as been synthesised by others and is third hand and I have not fully practiced EBN (Eizenberg, 2011; Gerrish et al., 2011). To try and challenge this barrier I do try and read the clinical information the educator obtained at a later date – usually at home or on a break. Strategies to overcome these challenges and barriers abound from EBP and EBNP journal articles and books. Some of the leading strategies are for the organisation to fully support EBNP through infrastructure, strong leadership from nurse managers and/or advanced practice nurses, and by ensuring a context in which EBNP can flourish (Gerrish et al., 2011; Tolson et al., 2008). The infrastructure needs to provide access to a computer which can access online databases. Infrastructure needed to be in place includes a staffed evidence based nursing library with a librarian able to educate nurses on the process of  EBNP (Pochciol & Warren, 2009). The added challenge is to have EBNP info accessible to the nurse at the patient’s bedside (Pochciol & Warren, 2009). Nursing leaders need a Master’s degree or above, as studies show that leaders with these credentials read and implement more research literature; are more confident; and they consider themselves more competent in supporting others through the EBNP process (Eizenberg, 2011; Gerrish et al., 2011). Leaders, as suggested by Cullen et al. (2011), hold the responsibility to provide support; to build, to create, and maintain an organisational culture that has the capacity to support EBP at both a clinical and administration level. Leaders must be given the power, authority, and support to introduce change – without this authority change cannot occur (Eizenberg, 2011). Scholars agree that if EBNP is to succeed and be sustainable nurses need to be educated and mentored on the implementation process of EBNP (Brim & Schoonover, 2009; Brown et al., 2011; Eizenberg, 2011; Gerrish et al., 2011; Pochciol & Warren, 2009; Ross, 2010; Tolson et al., 2008). EBNP education of nurses needs to begin at orientation to the hospital and is essential that this education is continually built upon and supported with extra education given to nurse managers, educators and advanced practice nurses (Pochciol & Warren, 2009 & Tolson et al, 2008). Ross (2010) suggests nurses information literacy be improved to ensure nurses are able to practice EBN. Information literacy is the ability to competently recognise, locate, and evaluate the fundamental information required at a given point (Ross, 2010). The ICU, where I am employed, has undergone significant changes to the staff and managerial side of the unit. At one point the Clinical Nurse Specialists ratio decreased to less than 5% of nursing staff and there was not a permanent full time Clinical Nurse Consultant. Without the necessary support acquired from these roles the education of ICU nurses and the implementation of new practices, policies and procedures decreased significantly. These barriers significantly halted EBNP from occurring in the ICU as there were very few highly educated leaders available to support EBNP. As suggested by Eizenberg, (2011), Gerrish et al. (2011), and Cullen et al. (2011), educated leaders and managers are needed to keep and instill EBNP to an institution. To obtain Magnet Status hospitals must ensure that EBNP is in place, is supported, and is sustained by the organisation (Brown et al., 2011). To procure nurse  interest in EBNP, and maintain Magnet Status, some hospitals have linked participation in EBNP to clinical ladder advancement and a monetary reward in the form of a wage increase with advancement up the ladder (Whitmer, Aver, Beerman, & Weishaupt, 2011). To hold their position on the clinical advancement ladder the nurse must show, yearly, that he/she is supporting, or implementing, or participating in EBNP within the setting they are employed (Whitmer et al, 2011). The benefits of practicing EBN includes: patients ability to access effective evidence based treatment information; facilitates consistent improvement, through decision making, to healthcare systems; facilitates decisions based on up-to-date evidence and technologies; and reduces variances in nursing care from one nurse to another – standard and competencies are evidence based and consistent; through evidence based competencies the professional status of nursing is elevated to higher heights (Gerrish et al., 2011; Eizenberg, 2011). In conclusion, the challenges/barriers, barrier strategies, and benefits of EBNP has been discussed. Little discussion on EBNP within an ICU was attempted as the ICU nurses face the same situations, challenges/barriers, strategies and benefits as nurses in other areas of healthcare (Sciarra, 2011). Nurses must be given organisational support, education and knowledge needed to participate proficiently in EBNP. References Brim, C. B., & Schoonover, H. D. (2009). Lessons learned while conducting a clinical trial to facilitate evidence-based practice: the neophyte researcher experience. The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 40(8), 380-384. DOI: 10.3928/00220124-20090723-06 Brown, C. R., Johnson, A. S., & Appling, S. E. (2011). A taste of nursing research: an interactive program, introducing evidence-based practice and research to clinical nurses. Journal for Nurses in Staff development, 27(6), E1-E5. DOI: 10.1097/NND.0b013e3182371190 Cullen, L., Titler, M. G., & Rempel, G. (2011). An advanced educational program promoting evidence-based practice. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 33(3), 345-364. DOI: 10.1177/0193945910379218 Eizenberg, M. M. (2011). Implementation of evidence-based nursing practice: nurses’ personal and professional factors? Journal of Advanced Nursing, 67(1), 33-42. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2648.2010.05488.x Fernandez, R. S., Davidson, P., & Griffiths, R. (2008). Cardiac rehabilitation coordinators’ perceptions of patient-related barriers to implementing cardiac evidence-based guidelines. Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing, 23(5), 449-457. Gerrish, K., Guillaume, L., Kirshbaum, M., McDonnell, A., Tod, A., & Nolan, M. (2011). Factors influencing the contribution of advanced practice nurses to promoting evidence- based practice among front-line nurses: findings from a cross-sectional survey. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 67(5), 1079-1090. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2648.2010.05560.x Hutchinson, A. M., & Johnston, L. (2006). Beyond the BARRIES Scale: commonly reported barriers to research use. Journal of Nursing Administration, 36(4), 189-199. Kenny, D. J., Richard, M. L., Ceniceros, X., & Blaize, K. (2010). Collaborating across services to advance evidence-based nursing practice. Nursing Research, 59(1S), S11-S21. Mark, D. D., Latimer, R. W., & Hardy, M. D. (2010). â€Å"Stars† aligne d for evidence-based practice. A TriService initiative in the Pacific. Nursing Research, 59(S1), S48-S57. Matula, P. (2005). Evidence-based practice at the bedside: Igniting the spirit of inquiry. The Pennsylvania Nurse, Dec, 22. Melnyk, B. M., Fineout-Overholt, E., Stillwell, S. B., & Williamson, K. M. (2010). The seven steps of evidence-based practice. Following this progressive, sequential approach will lead to improved health care and patient outcome. The American Journal of Nursing, 110(1), 51-53. Pochciol, J. M., & Warren, J. I. (2009). An information technology infrastructure to enable evidence-based nursing practice. Nursing Administration Quarterly, 33(4), 317-324. Ross, J. (2010). Information literacy for evidence-based practice in perianesthesia nurses: readiness for evidence-based practice. Journal of PeriAnesthesia Nursing, 25(2), 64-70. DOI: 10.1016/j.jopan.2010.01.007 Sciarra, E. (2011). Impacting practice through evidence-based education. Dimensions of Critical Care Nursing, 30(5), 269-275. DOI: 10.1097/DCC.0b.013e318227738c Tolson, D., Booth, J., & Lowndes, A. (2008). Achieving evidence-based nursing practice: impact of the Caledonian development model. Journal of Nursing Management, 16, 682-691. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2834.2008.00889.x Whitmer, K., Aver, C., Beerman, L., & Weishaupt, L. (2011). Launching evidence-based nursing practice. Journal for Nurses in Staff Development, 27(2), E5-E7. DOI: 10.1097/NND.0b013e31820eefd2 Wolf, Z. R. (2005). Clinical challenges and evidence based nursing practice. The Pennsylvania Nurse, Dec, 20.

Second Foundation 17. War

The mayor of the Foundation brushed futilely at the picket fence of hair that rimmed his skull. He sighed. â€Å"The years that we have wasted; the chances we have thrown away. I make no recriminations, Dr. Darell, but we deserve defeat.† Darell said, quietly, â€Å"I see no reason for lack of confidence in events, sir.† â€Å"Lack of confidence! Lack of confidence! By the Galaxy, Dr. Darell, on what would you base any other attitude? Come here-â€Å" He half-led half-forced Darell toward the limpid ovoid cradled gracefully on its tiny force-field support. At a touch of the mayor's hand, it glowed within – an accurate three-dimensional model of the Galactic double-spiral. â€Å"In yellow,† said the mayor, excitedly, â€Å"we have that region of Space under Foundation control; in red, that under Kalgan.† What Darell saw was a crimson sphere resting within a stretching yellow fist that surrounded it on all sides but that toward the center of the Galaxy. â€Å"Galactography,† said the mayor, â€Å"is our greatest enemy. Our admirals make no secret of our almost hopeless, strategic position. Observe. The enemy has inner lines of communication. He is concentrated; can meet us on all sides with equal ease. He can defend himself with minimum force. â€Å"We are expanded. The average distance between inhabited systems within the Foundation is nearly three times that within Kalgan. To go from Santanni to Locris, for instance, is a voyage of twenty-five hundred parsecs for us, but only eight hundred parsecs for them, if we remain within our respective territories-â€Å" Darell said, â€Å"I understand all that, sir.† â€Å"And you do not understand that it may mean defeat.† â€Å"There is more than distance to war. I say we cannot lose. It is quite impossible.† â€Å"And why do you say that?† â€Å"Because of my own interpretation of the Seldon Plan.† â€Å"Oh,† the mayor's lips twisted, and the hands behind his back flapped one within the other, â€Å"then you rely, too, on the mystical help of the Second Foundation.† â€Å"No. Merely on the help of inevitability – and of courage and persistence.† And yet behind his easy confidence, he wondered- What if- Well- What if Anthor were right, and Kalgan were a direct tool of the mental wizards. What if it was their purpose to defeat and destroy the Foundation. No! It made no sense! And yet- He smiled bitterly. Always the same. Always that peering and peering through the opaque granite which, to the enemy, was so transparent. Nor were the galactographic verities of the situation lost upon Stettin. *** The Lord of Kalgan stood before a twin of the Galactic model which the mayor and Darell had inspected. Except that where the mayor frowned, Stettin smiled. His admiral's uniform glistered imposingly upon his massive figure. The crimson sash of the Order of the Mule awarded him by the former First Citizen whom six months later he had replaced somewhat forcefully, spanned his chest diagonally from right shoulder to waist. The Silver Star with Double Comets and Swords sparkled brilliantly upon his left shoulder. He addressed the six men of his general staff whose uniforms were only less grandiloquent than his own, and his First Minister as well, thin and gray – a darkling cobweb, lost in the brightness. Stettin said, â€Å"I think the decisions are clear. We can afford to wait. To them, every day of delay will be another blow at their morale. If they attempt to defend all portions of their realm, they will be spread thin and we can strike through in two simultaneous thrusts here and here.† He indicated the directions on the Galactic model – two lances of pure white shooting through the yellow fist from the red ball it inclosed, cutting Terminus off on either side in a tight arc. â€Å"In such a manner, we cut their fleet into three parts which can be defeated in detail. If they concentrate, they give up two-thirds of their dominions voluntarily and will probably risk rebellion.† The First Minister's thin voice alone seeped through the hush that followed. â€Å"In six months,† he said, â€Å"the Foundation will grow six months stronger. Their resources are greater, as we all know, their navy is numerically stronger; their manpower is virtually inexhaustible. Perhaps a quick thrust would be safer.† His was easily the least influential voice in the room. Lord Stettin smiled and made a flat gesture with his hand. â€Å"The six months – or a year, if necessary – will cost us nothing. The men of the Foundation cannot prepare; they are ideologically incapable of it. It is in their very philosophy to believe that the Second Foundation will save them. But not this time, eh?† The men in the room stirred uneasily. â€Å"You lack confidence, I believe,† said Stettin, frigidly. â€Å"Is it necessary once again to describe the reports of our agents in Foundation territory, or to repeat the findings of Mr. Homir Munn, the Foundation agent now in our†¦ uh†¦ service? Let us adjourn, gentlemen.† Stettin returned to his private chambers with a fixed smile still on his face. He sometimes wondered about this Homir Munn. A queer water-spined fellow who certainly did not bear out his early promise. And yet he crawled with interesting information that carried conviction with it – particularly when Callia was present. His smile broadened. That fat fool had her uses, after all. At least, she got more with her wheedling out of Munn than he could, and with less trouble. Why not give her to Munn? He frowned. Callia. She and her stupid jealousy. Space! If he still had the Darell girl- Why hadn't he ground her skull to powder for that? He couldn't quite put his finger on the reason. Maybe because she got along with Munn. And he needed Munn. It was Munn, for instance, who had demonstrated that, at least in the belief of the Mule, there was no Second Foundation. His admirals needed that assurance. He would have liked to make the proofs public, but it was better to let the Foundation believe in their nonexistent help. Was it actually Callia who had pointed that out? That's right. She had said- Oh, nonsense! She couldn't have said anything. And yet- He shook his head to clear it and passed on.

Keeping Up With the Jones’s Case Study Essay

Part I: 1. What two parameters are responsible for creating the movement (filtration and reabsorption) of fluid across the capillary wall? 2. Find a diagram of a capillary – copy/paste and cite the source. 3. Under normal circumstances, what components of the blood cross the capillary wall? 4. Cytokines, like histamine and leukotrienes, are secreted by damaged cells in Dave’s ankle. How do these cytokines cause inflammation? 5. How does the application of ice to the ankle affect blood flow through the capillaries? 6. How does the removal of ice from the ankle affect blood flow through the capillaries and the cytokines? 7. How does compression, which is provided by an elastic (Ace) bandage wrapped around the damaged ankle, decrease inflammation? 8. How does elevation of the damaged ankle decrease inflammation? Part II: 1. What problems are there in Suzie’s life, and does she exhibit any peculiar signs and symptoms? 2. Why did Suzie pass out when she stood up? 3. Why did Suzie’s mother place Suzie’s feet on a chair? 4. Why did Suzie feel as if she had no energy at the doctor’s office? 5. Make an initial speculation about Suzie’s condition at this time. Assuming that your speculation is true, what do you think the doctor will find in the results of Suzie’s physical examination? Part III: 1. What new signs and symptoms does Suzie exhibit that would concern you if you were the doctor? 2. Do you wish to make any further speculation about Suzie’s condition at this time? Assuming that your speculation is true, what do you think the doctor will find in the results of Suzie’s physical examination? Part IV: 1. Is Suzie’s weight reasonable for her height? 2. Calculate the stroke volume of Suzie’s heart, and compare it to that of a normal individual. 3. Why do you think her blood pressure is lower than normal? Does low blood pressure explain any of Suzie’s signs and symptoms that you may have noticed? 4. Why is Suzie’s hematocrit low, and why are her red blood cells pale and immature? 5. Compared with a normal, healthy person predict the level of the following in Suzie’s blood (higher, same, lower): sodium, potassium, calcium, glucose, iron, and protein. 6. Do you wish to make any further speculation about Suzie’s condition at this time? Part V: 1. Assuming that the ion levels in the blood plasma are similar to those in the interstitial fluid, what is the effect of low potassium levels on the membrane potential of Suzie’s nerve and muscles? 2. Does this explain Suzie’s slow heart rate and ectopic beats? 3. How does low plasma calcium level account for her decreased stroke volume? 4. What is the role of blood proteins in the movement of fluid between the blood and the interstititial space? 5. What would be the effect of low blood protein levels on the colloidal pressure? 6. How do low plasma protein levels produce edema? Part VI: 1. What conditions make Suzie a candidate for anorexia? 2. Do you think the doctor’s treatment is appropriate, or would you have admitted her into hospital? 3. When do you think Suzie should schedule her next visit to the doctor? Source: National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science

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Family Immigration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Family Immigration - Essay Example From the interview, I discovered that my family is an immigrant from Romania; whereby, my grandfather’s father, Petru Balkan, having come to the United States in 1904. Petru came to the United States to make money so that he could return to Romania and start a business that would ensure the prosperity of his family. He came from a peasant background and because of this, he wanted to start a business in the one of the cities so that he could escape the poverty that tied many Romanian peasants to the land. In the beginning of the twentieth century, Romania was still a backward country both economically and industrially with most of the population still living in rural areas and working the land to make a living. The fact that many Romanians lived in poverty in rural areas provided them with the incentive to leave their homes and either go to the cities or to travel overseas where they believed they could attain a better life. In most cases, such as that of Petru Balkan, going to countries such as the United States was a temporary move which was done to ensure that they raised enough money with which they could return home and get involved in businesses which would enable them to become members of the small middle class of Romania. Therefore, the move to the United States by Romanians of the early twentieth century, in most cases, was inspired by economic factors and for many of them, the move was only temporary. The idea of coming to the United States was given to Petru by one of his cousins who had gone to the United States several years earlier and had managed to raise enough money to start his own business in Romania; a business which had achieved relative success. Therefore, at the age of twenty-two, Petru travelled to the United States with the intention of returning to Romania after five years at most. Petru came to America by ship and he had a rough time because, in addition to having never sailed before, he was very seasick

Henry Kissinger and Richard Nixon Research Paper

Henry Kissinger and Richard Nixon - Research Paper Example He took over the responsibility of the secretary to the state and as the president’s advisor. This paper will highlight the contribution of President Nixon and Kissinger in the events surrounding the cold war. Kissinger was responsible for the implementation of majority of the diplomatic decisions that he discussed with the president. Although they worked together and made very crucial decisions, they did not trust each other. There was distrust between them and behind each other’s name; they threw insults at each other. President Nixon took advantage of the Jewish factor in Kissinger. Nixon always suspected that Kissinger was not completely honest with security matters. Despite this distrust, they plotted out a Cambodian mission during the Vietnam War. America indulged in the Vietnam War in support of the southern Vietnam that had not conformed to communism. The Vietnam War had its influence from the cold war. The Soviet Union had exerted its influence on the northern Vietnam while America was supporting the south. The two global powers sought to establish allies in this war depending on the whether country was willing to adopt communism or capitalism (Tudda, 2012). One of the policies involved the detente policy between the Soviet Union and China. Nixon and Kissinger wanted to establish a solution to the increasing tension in the cold war that was persisting at the time. Since America’s economic growth was becoming very slow during Nixon’s second term, he sought to establish ways in which he would reduce the tension of the war without additional expenses on the military (Tudda, 2012). Therefore, Kissinger and Nixon plotted the detente strategy. Implementation of the detente policy involved secret travels and negotiations with China. This strategy sought to convince the Soviet Union and China to withdraw the communist influence on northern Vietnam. Both Kissinger and Nixon made efforts to rebuild the strained relationship with China in order to ease the cold war tension. Although the initial attempts found China unyielding, the persistent diplomatic persuasion from Kissinger and Nixon would bear fruit in the end. However, it was not easy because Taiwan emerged to be an issue. There was a debate on whether Taiwan would adopt the policy as part of China or as an independent identity. It became confusing to determine whether the Sino-American negotiations were seeking to establish a solution for only China or the solution would apply to Taiwan (Burr, 2002). Nixon and Kissinger targeted to use the polycentrism of the socialist society to their advantage. Their China negotiations opened a triangular front of diplomacy. The strategy’s main objective was to open up ways in which America could continue exerting its foreign policies. In addition, the new policy would minimize the use of weapons by the two global powers. Some analysts view the strategy as one that implied level of political maturity. Others quest ion the real intentions of Kissinger and Nixon. However, it commendable that the policies eased the tension of the war largely giving the American people some hopes (Banyan, 2007). In addition, Nixon and Kissinger made more move s in ending the Vietnam War. Both South and North Vietnam and Cambodia had formed Indochina. The southern and northern Vietnam were fighting to gain autonomy from the

Health Economics 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Health Economics 2 - Essay Example Both of these systems address problems being faced in health care financing. With limited financial resources, the rationalization process which is seen in the casemix and the P4P system largely supports quality health services for as many people and patients as possible. P4P system – The Government of Hong Kong (2008) defines it as a system is an internal resource allocation system for hospital funding. They also discuss that it is about strategic purchasing services most needed by the community (Government of Hong Kong, 2008). Casemix system – Based on the Government of Hong Kong (2008), this system is an activity-based funding system where the provider is paid for each case which is treated, and adjustments are made based on the complexity of the case using pre-set classifications. Diagnosis-related groups – Diagnosis-related groups or DRGs are â€Å"based on the principle that diagnosis and other patient characteristics can be categorized in terms of the total quantity of resources used in treating patients† (Government of Hong Kong, 2008, p. 4) Health care systems for countries differ greatly from each other. The differences often depend on the system of government and social services existing in each country. Some countries are based on a socialist system where the health care system is dependent on the government’s support. In other countries, the citizens themselves have to cover for their health care with hardly any assistance from the government at all. Nevertheless, the point is proven that health care systems are different based on each country’s health applications. This paper shall compare the hospital funding system in Hong Kong known as the P4P system with the casemix funding systems in Victoria and New South Wales, Australia. It shall draw specific examples within the chosen health care system in order to

American Foreign Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 6

American Foreign Policy - Essay Example When there is an issue that needs to be discussed in regards to the foreign policy, each facet of the process serves their own agenda before looking at the overall responsibility of the decision. In this regard, it is evident that each of the working unit feels an essential player in the process and seeks to safeguard the interests of the particular arm of the state. This is both beneficial and detrimental to the presidential power and ability to make decisions. For the latter, the best decision is reached at, and a decision that favors all involved departments and thus the state. As for the former case, the solution that is realized is largely as a result of compromised standards, and conflicts amongst the involved officials. There is diversification of interests amongst the parties, some of whom may have undue influence thus negatively affecting the process and wasting more time in the same. Foreign policy bureaucracy suppresses rationalism in decision making. This is again influenced by the influence of a particular department in policy formulation. A good example to this is the reason that compelled the U.S. to attack in Iraq in 2003. Just rationalism was definitely not used in the final decision making process, given the issues that erupted thereafter. This is detrimental to the president’s personal choices but acts or the best of the nation. In foreign policy decision making, the President is the most powerful and central figure. Psychologically, the President is bound by some limitations as time and energy, ideology as well as rationality. With the presence of the foreign policy circle of advisers, the process of decision making is decentralized from the President making life and governance much easier. In this case, the bureaucracy in foreign policy safeguards the president from making decisions constrained by irrationality and psychological inabilities. Bureaucracy in foreign policy is decentralized to four components

Employer Compliance with the Patriot Act Essay Example for Free

Employer Compliance with the Patriot Act Essay Section 215 of the Patriot Act is an amendment to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 which states the federal government can request, and obtain, any â€Å"tangible things (including books, records, papers, documents, and other items) for an investigation to protect against international terrorism or clandestine intelligence activities† (Aftab, 2003). This information may include E-mail messages, telecommunications, search engine audits, etc. Privacy laws state that disclosure of personally identifiable information can only be requested via a court order or subpoena. A company may face legal liability if it voluntarily complies with a government request for personal information. It is often a direct violation of posted privacy policies in an employee manual. This is considered a contract between the employer and employee and if it is breached, the company may be sued, particularly if there is no explanation regarding the process to be followed in the instance of receiving a court order or warrant. Compliance with the Patriot Act could violate non-disclosure and confidentiality agreements, as well. References Aftab, Parry (October 20, 2003). â€Å"The Privacy Lawyer: Patriotism, Compliance and Confidentiality†. Information Week. Retrieved February 29, 2008 from the Information Week Website: http://www.informationweek.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=15306232.

Waste Management and Milestone Submission Essay Example for Free

Waste Management and Milestone Submission Essay Overview The final project for this course is the creation of a Case Analysis. In 2006, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) brought charges against Waste Management and some of its executives. You must research these charges and answer the questions below. Review the SEC Release 1532 here. In a well-structured analysis, you will answer a set of questions regarding the case against Waste Management. Begin your research in Module Eight. Use any additional resources presented and the Waste Management financial statements and reports as needed. The Analytical Procedures Worksheet and the ICF-CX16 Vulnerability Worksheet are located in the Assignment Guidelines and Rubrics section of the course. The project is divided in to three milestones, which will be submitted at various points throughout the course to scaffold learning and ensure quality final submissions. These milestones will be submitted in Modules Eight, Nine, and Ten. Objectives To successfully complete this project, you will be expected to apply what you have learned in this course and should include several of the following course objectives: 1. Review, detect, and investigate possible financial statement fraud 2. Use various techniques to identify financial statement fraud 3. Explore substantive analytical procedures Main Elements Background: 1. When did the SEC file charges against some senior executives of Waste Management? 2. Who was charged relevant to the above? 3. What were the charges? 4. What is a â€Å"disgorgement of ill-gotten gains†? Summary: 1. What were some of the â€Å"improper accounting practices† used by Waste Management? Please be specific as to what Generally Accepted Accounting Principle (GAAP) was violated. 2. What impact did the fraudulent behavior identified above have on the published financial statements? Please be specific. 3. What non-accounting fraudulent things did Waste Management do? 4. What was the motivation for the executives to commit fraud? 5. Identify the executives and other employees of Waste Management who were charged in the fraud, and identify the punishment for both the employees and Waste Management. 6. What did the company have to do to correct the issuance of the incorrect financial information, and what was the quantifiable effect of Waste Management’s practices on the pre-tax income/loss? Analysis: 1. What were the red flags that should have been observed but were not? Please be specific and state how they could have been used by an investor/creditor to help identify the fraud. 2. Identify processes and techniques that could have been applicable to detect the fraud. Write a five- to seven-page, well-researched, and well-written response to the questions. Cite all sources using APA format. Format Milestone One: Background In Evaluate 8.2 you will submit a draft if the Background section of your Final Case Analysis. This milestone is not graded. You will receive formative feedback from the instructor to be used to make revisions. This submission will affect Final Product grade under â€Å"Milestone submission†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Milestone Two: Rough Draft In Evaluate 9.2 you will submit a rough draft of your Final Case Analysis. This milestone is not graded. You will receive formative feedback from the instructor to be used to make revisions. This submission will affect Final Product grade under â€Å"Milestone submission†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Milestone Three: Final Case Analysis In Evaluate 10.2 you will submit the Final Case Analysis. It should be a complete, polished artifact containing all of the main elements of the final product. It should reflect the incorporation of feedback gained throughout the course. This milestone will be graded using the Final Product Rubric. Final Case Analysis Rubric Requirements of submission: Written components of projects must follow these formatting guidelines when applicable: double spacing, 12-point Times New Roman font, one-inch margins, and discipline-appropriate citations. The Final Analysis should be 5 to 8 pages in length. Failure to adhere to these requirements of submission will result in the paper not being graded. Instructor Feedback: Students can find their feedback in the grade book as an attachment.

South Africa’s Comparative Advantage: EU and SADC

South Africa’s Comparative Advantage: EU and SADC SOUTH AFRICAS POSITION IN WORLD TRADE: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF SOUTH AFRICAS COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGE WITHIN THE EU AND SADC INTRODUCTION The South African economy has undergone a gradual process of trade reform in the last three decades, the ultimate aim being to improve resource allocation by shifting policy towards a more competitive, export-oriented focus, and more specifically to diversify exports into non-gold items (PETERSSON, 2005). Over the last two decades the world has seen the creation of many preferential trade areas both within and across continents. Today South Africa has signed trade agreements with many countries including China, India, USA (through AGOA) and notably free trade agreements (FTAs) with the South African Development Community (SADC) and the Trade, Development and Co-operation Agreement (TDCA) with the EU. The main goal of this study is to analyze and draw a comparison between South Africas comparative advantage within the European Union and within the SADC FTAs and investigate the effects of these trade agreements on trade flows among the participating/ economically allied countries. This study will also analyze the credibility and relationship between South Africas policy of free trade and its own economic performance. Background to the Study South Africa signed the Trade, Development and Co-operation Agreement (TDCA) with the European Union (EU) in 1999 and with the SADC in (2000) which were intended to remove most of the trade barriers over the next decade. The European Union has been South Africas biggest trading partner both before and after Apartheid. From 1999, the European Union was a destination of more than 40% of South Africas exports while at the same time accounting for over 70% of South Africas Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). The TDCA was mainly intended to create a free-trade area between South Africa and the EU, in order to ensure that South Africa enjoyed free access to the EU market and vice versa. The Agreement provided for liberalization of 95% of the imports by the EU from South Africa within the period of ten years, and 86% of imports by South Africa from the European Union in twelve years. However vulnerable sectors both within the EU and South Africa are allowed to be protected from competition. For example, the EU is allowed to continue protecting its agricultural products against similar imports from South Africa and the agreement permits South Africa to shelter some industrial products. Thus some motor vehicle p roducts, petroleum and petroleum products, beef, sugar, chocolate, Ice cream, dairy, chemical products, certain textile and clothing products etc, are protected against similar imports from the European Union products. In 1994 Economic sanctions against South Africa had rendered the economy inefficient due to years of isolation from the global economy. The post-apartheid democratic government inherited many social and economic problems among which included: high unemployment especially amongst the black population most of whom lacked education, differing levels of poverty and income disparities and lack of competitiveness in the industrial sector. All these issues required urgent attention and an almost complete restructuring of the economy, the way it was run and the adoption of policies that would help the nation emerge from decades of apartheid and international isolation. Being a complex economy that exhibited features of developing and developed nations, South Africa met strong opposition notably from some EU member countries. Later South Africa was denied trade concessions ratified in the Lomà ©Ã‚  [i]  Convention that were intended for under developed countries. , However South Africa itself did not see relying on aid as an important strategy for its long term drive towards development (Perry, 2000). As a result South Africas government embarked on improving its competitiveness in the world economy through promoting trade by negotiating trade treaties with several countries as a tool towards sustainable growth, eradication of poverty and income inequality. South Africa and the European Union finally signed a Free Tra de Area agreement in 1999 after a long period of negotiations that were characterized by all sides trying to negotiate the best deal possible for themselves. In the end, both managed to secure barriers in areas where they feared fiercest competition. For example France and Portugal already had concerns about South Africas wine and agricultural exports that were in direct competition in the EU market even before the TDCA was in effect and were reluctant to open their markets any further. Likewise, South Africa wanted to protect some of its infant industry especially in manufacturing. Perry (2000) notes that south Africa will had to fight for each favorable term of trade in which it has a strong comparative advantage as some countries within the European Union would have preferred to shield their individual sectors from any threatening outside competitive forces. They are only likely to engage in free trade with nations from which they expect more benefits rather than helping developi ng countries integrate into the world economy. Although there is no evidence yet to support Perrys argument, such should not be swept aside without consideration. Some of the main objectives of the TDCA include supporting South Africa in its economic and social transition, as well as promoting the countrys economic integration in the world economy (ROBLES, 2008). This being the case, the EUs decision to impose barriers on South Africas wine and Agricultural exports can be seen as a sign of double standards. The South African government could have expected to receive more concessions in such sectors. . Asante 1997 noted that the European Union is even more likely to benefit than South Africa because of adjustment costs originating from a general reduction of tariffs and from protectionism in Agriculture by the EU. He further stresses that South Africa tariffs are about five to six times higher than those of the EU. By removing tariffs on imports, South Africa looses five to six times worth of revenue than the EU. Losing so much tax revenue and still be able to run the economy and compete effectively, will require South Africa to have a significant comparative advantage over the EU in the production of various commodities so that the losses in revenue are covered by gains from exports. This paper is therefore directed at identifying sectors in which South Africa experiences a higher comparative advantage over any other member of the European Union. We would therefore expect these sectors to have free access to the European markets without import duties being levied on them. Literally, attaining such trade terms would mean that South Africa has strong bargaining power in the EU because it can manipulate policies that favor its competitive exports in the free trade zone. It is argued that when countries form a Free Trade Area by removing protectionist barriers (e.g. tariffs on imports, import quotas, and subsidies on local industries), they strengthen greater trading relations among themselves. This sometimes results in increased production of goods and services as firms no longer target domestic demand but also reach the foreign market. Access to the EU and SADC markets in this case will always be determined by how diversified S. Africas and its trading partners economies are, because it makes no point for countries to engage in trade of products that they can effectively produce for themselves. Diversification ensures that a country is more likely to produce what other countries do not. If member countries trade in similar products, then there should be a higher degree of intra-industry trade for the exchange of goods and services to be successful. This calls for more research and the adoption of efficient technologies that make it possible for cou ntries to successfully differentiate those products that are more or less identical. Product differentiation means that countries can produce an identical product but with noticeable differences in terms of branding, durability and value added. One of the major reasons behind forming Free Trade Area with SADC and the EU is to enable South Africa to successfully integrate into the world economy (ROBLES, 2008). For South Africas major trading partners in the EU for example, forming a free trade area involves removing barriers to trade and making few adjustments in order to allow free movement of goods and services because they already possess the prerequisites for surviving trade competition under an open economy. However, for a developing economy like South Africa, successful integration into the EU and World market involves a very wide range of policies. For example increasing production and diversification, adopting new production technologies in order to increase value added to intermediate inputs, facilitating local agricultural production to successfully compete with subsidized European Agriculture, fighting crime and boosting local demand in order to increase investor confidence, and developing the local transport syst em. Implementation of all these policies is a gradual process that requires not only money and time but also a population that is equally skilled and well off enough to participate in production and again absorb the increased proceeds from higher production and trade. According to Mthembu (2008), countries in Sub-Saharan Africa depend on taxes on trade to generate between a quarter and a third of their national revenue. By Forming Free Trade Areas South Africa hopes to increase its share of world exports by importing low cost technology and transforming it into goods and services that can be exported at a higher value and price and through producing at a higher volume and enjoying higher economies of scale, thereby gaining more foreign exchange and employment that will accelerate the growth of the economy. However this comes at a cost of lost tax revenues. Although it is true that when a country trades more, it can increase its share of world exports and demand and gain more power on the final world prices and supply, this is not always the case. Opening up to trade does not automatically guarantee economic success (Krugman, 1996, Rodrik. 2005, Rodrik, 2008). Thirlwall (2000) points out that trade between developing and developed countries has oft en resulted into trade diversion rather than creation. Rodrik (2005), amongst others, has suggested that countries should only open up to free trade when they have a very strong local industry that can compete on the world market. It is only when nations have a strong economic base that they can start benefiting from international trade. Conversely, many other studies have concluded that international trade has been a vital force behind the economic breakthrough of different countries (Hachicha 2003, Dhawan and Biswal 1999, Ahmed et al. 2007, Tang 2010) by not only increasing local production but also by provoking growth between regions. In South Africas case, we need to examine the relationship between its external trade and growth by analyzing the causal relationship between international trade and economic performance. If it is found that it is growth that causes exports, then the South African policy should be redirected altogether from focusing on international trade to other strategies for increasing domestic economic growth Conclusion At this stage, the most important issue for South Africa is not whether to trade or not but rather it is about how to trade and with which products. The over all gains from trade could be huge if the trade pattern with the EU and SADC provides products in which South Africa has a strong competitive advantage and free access to the respective markets. With a favorable trade environment, South Africa would with no doubt achieve sustainable growth and integration into the world economy. This study therefore will examine whether the two free trade agreements cited have had either positive or negative impact on the trading patterns for South Africa by studying the growth characteristics of trade flows between South Africa and each individual free trade area shortly before and after their inception. If we find that South Africas exports have been decreasing while imports continue to grow, then South Africa should push for more favorable trade conditions. These conditions would be slightly different if the imports are mainly composed of capital goods. Statement of the problem Trade with the European Union provides South Africa with diverse trading opportunities by allowing it free access to a very wide market composed of 25 different economies. On the other hand, given the fact that South Africa is a developing economy, gains from trade are limited by lack of competitive advantage in manufacturing, transport costs and the European Unions protection of Agriculture and intellectual property rights. From another perspective however, South Africa is in a better position to trade with SADC than it is with the European Union. This is because South Africas economy is more advanced than most SADC countries in terms of technology, capital, financial institutions and skilled labor, which ought to give South Africa more competitive advantage. So, following the classical theory of trade, should South Africa work on increasing its trade with SADC rather than with the EU because it is more likely to always import more than it exports to the European Union but export more than it imports from the SADC? 1.4. Objectives of the study To understand and determine South Africas comparative advantage in the European Union and SADC. To determine whether FTAs have indeed created trade for South Africa or led to trade diversion. To analyze the validity of South Africas liberalization of trade as the Major drive towards sustainable economic growth by analyzing the causal relationship between exports and GDP. 1.5. Research hypotheses South Africas comparative advantage in the EU is limited to Mining and Agriculture. South Africa enjoys more comparative advantage in the SADC than in the EU Exports cause economic growth for South Africa. There has been more trade creation between South Africas trade with the EU than with SADC. Research methodology This chapter presents the master plan of the study entailing procedures that will be followed so as to obtain the goals of the research. Study population, Sample size and source of data The study will be conducted on a population of two Free Trade Areas (FTAs) namely Southern Africa Development and Cooperation (SADC) and the European Union. In order to determine the comparative advantage of South Africa in the above mentioned FTAs, we shall consider a sample size of fifteen countries from the EU countries that trade with South Africa more than the others. The data from the other remaining countries will be used in calculations of aggregates where necessary. The EU has 27 member countries and representing and analyzing trade data for each member would be very tiresome and time consuming. All of SADC countries on the other hand will be included in the study. Data collection methods and Analysis The study will involve both qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection. Documents will be reviewed in order to gather views by different researchers on a given topic and then analyze their views from our perspective. We shall also gather trade data specifically from web-based databases (for example United Nations and SADCs international trade databases) of all countries involved in this study. The obtained data will then be arranged in related patterns and logical order that would allow for regression analysis and hypothesis testing. According to Linda (2008) Data processing involves summarizing, aggregation, validation, tabulation and analysis of data in order to extract useful information. The obtained data will be processed and analyzed using Microsoft Excel and SPSS 18 data processing software packages. Objectives, Indicators, Data source, Data collection techniques and methods of data analysis (summary) Objective Indicator Data Sources Collection technique Method of analysis To understand and determine South Africas comparative advantage in the European Union and SADC. The share of South Africas exports in the trade area as opposed to the share of exports of other partners within the reference area. W.T.O database and other documents (according to their availability) documentary review of (monthly, quarterly, semi and annual bulletins) Balassa index of comparative advantage To determine whether FTAs have indeed created trade for South Africa or led to trade diversion Changes in Trade flows and trade volumes between South Africa and the reference area since 1994 to 2009 W.T.O database and other documents (according to their availability) documentary review of (monthly, quarterly, semi and annual bulletins) The Gravity model To analyze the validity of South Africas trade policy by analyzing the causal relationship between exports and GDP Relationship between changes in exports and changes in GDP W.T.O database and other documents (according to their availability) documentary review of (monthly, quarterly, semi and annual bulletins) Granger causality test Balassa index of revealed comparative advantage (RCA) In order to determine the comparative advantage of South Africa in the EU and SADC we shall use the comparative export performance index commonly known as balassa index. The Revealed comparative advantage (RCA) index is used to determine whether a countrys trade flows have been increasing or decreasing within a specified period of time. The index can also be used to identify products that a country is producing more effectively than the other trading partners. More still, the index identifies industries in which a country is performing poorly. This can be helpful especially when a country wants to make policies that would promote the competitiveness of those industries. Therefore, the RCA index provides very important information about a countrys general trade with the rest of the world. The index of revealed comparative advantage is stated as shown below: xij: exports of product j from country i Xi: total exports from country i xaj total exports of product j from the reference area (e.g. the world) Xa: total exports from reference area The values of the index range zero to Infinity. If the index takes on a value that is less than one implies that the country has a revealed comparative disadvantage in the product. Similarly if the index takes on a value that exceeds one, the country is said to have a revealed comparative advantage in that product. It is possible for more than one country to have comparative in the same product. In this case, a country with a higher value of the index has the strongest advantage because it can produce the product in question more effectively than the other countries. Causality test The variable of investment will be added to the equation of the growth model because of its significance in enhancing economic growth. The function of the model will be expressed as GDP = f(X,Inv) where GDP represents economic growth, X and Inv represent export and investment respectively. GDP=bo + b1X + b2Inv + E According to Studenmunds (1987) the granger causality test should not be applied to non stationary data because sometimes it may produce misleading results. Therefore before testing for causal relationship between exports and Growth, we shall test for stationarity of the underlying data series by testing for the unit root by applying the ADF test. The ADF test determines whether or not the variables follow a stationary trend. If the time series is non stationary, then we shall carry out a cointegration test to determine whether there is a long term relationship between the variables. The gravity model In order to determine whether FTAs have created or diverted trade, two models are usually applied; the Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) and the Gravity model of bilateral trade. The CGE is suitable for the analysis of trade among countries before the removal of trade barriers. The Gravity model on the other hand is used to analyze trade after the removal of trade barriers among countries (Cenart 2003) The gravity model originated from Newtons law of Universal Gravitation 1687 which states that the ability of one object to attract other particles is positively related to its mass and the mass of the other objects and negatively related with the distance between them. More than 270 years later, in 1962 Jan Tinbergen suggested the application of the same model to the analysis of trade flows among countries by stating that bilateral trade is positively related to GDP and negatively related to distance. The model takes the form below: Fij = ÃŽÂ ²0 MiMj/Dij Where i,j = trading partners F = Trade flows M = Economic Mass (measured in GDP and population) of a country ÃŽÂ ²0 = Constant Rewriting the above formula in a linear equation we introduce logs and the error term in order to allow for the estimation using OLS. Fij = ÃŽÂ ²0 + ÃŽÂ ²1(Mi + Mj) + ÃŽÂ ²2(Pi + Pj) ÃŽÂ ²3Dij + E LogFij = ÃŽÂ ²0 + ÃŽÂ ²1(LogMiMj) + ÃŽÂ ²2(LogPiPj) ÃŽÂ ²3LogDij + E Where D represents the distance between South African Port to the trading partners port of entry; P represents population of a given country. By introducing dummies for FTAs, the model can capture whether the trade area enhances or restricts bilateral tradeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. We shall analyze the change in the importance of the coefficients after every two years since 1997 up to 2009. The subscript j will be used to represent South Africas data while subscript i will represent data for other trading partners. Trade creation and trade diversion (specification of the gravity model) Different studies have used the gravity model to explain creation and diversion of trade by Free Trade Areas (citation) Scope of the study The study will be focused on South Africas trade with the European Union and SADC countries before and after their formation; that is between the periods 1995 to 2009 Significance of the study The establishment of those sectors in which South Africa has a strong advantage will help stakeholders to motivate further liberalization where they have been denied especially in the European Union and also design policies to improve efficiency in the production of those commodities in which South Africa is currently doing poorly but still has the potential to improve. Further more, the establishment of the relationship between free trade and South Africas economic performance will help to add an insight into South Africas trade policy. The findings of the study can be based upon to design policies that can do better to achieve a good economic performance. The study is also expected to provide useful inputs to researchers and others who have a keen interest in South Africas trade with the rest of the world. Organization of the study The research work will consist of five chapters and they will be arranged as follows: Chapter one will consist of the introduction, background to the study, statement of the problem, objectives of the study, the research hypotheses, the significance of the study, scope of the study and finally the organization of the study. The second chapter will comprise of literature review of various studies by other researchers on this subject. The third Chapter will explore methodological aspects of how data was obtained and analyzed. The fourth chapter will present research findings, provide data analysis and interpretation. The fifth chapter will give summary of the findings, a conclusion and recommendations as well as suggestions for further research in relation to the topic.

Truth about Sammy in John Updikes A&P Essay -- A&P Essays

The Truth about Sammy in A & P   Ã‚   At first glance, Sammy, the first-person narrator of John Updike's "A & P," would seem to present us with a simple and plausible explanation as to why he quits his job at the grocery store mentioned in the title: he is standing up for the girls that his boss, Lengel, has insulted. He even tries to sell us on this explanation by mentioning how the girls' embarrassment at the hands of the manager makes him feel "scrunchy" inside and by referring to himself as their "unsuspected hero" after he goes through with his "gesture." Upon closer examination, though, it does not seem plausible that Sammy would have quit in defense of girls whom he quite evidently despises, despite the lustful desires they invoke, and that more likely explanations of his action lie in his boredom with his menial job and his desire to rebel against his parents.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   While it's true that Sammy finds the three scantily-clad girls who enter the supermarket attractive, as would any normal nineteen-year-old male, what is most notable about his descriptions of the girls, and particularly of the "leader" of the group, is that Sammy holds them in contempt. Once we get beyond the descriptions of their bodies, we see nothing but derogatory comments directed at them, including the derisive nicknames that Sammy assigns to them. Nowhere is this more evident than in Sammy's description of the leader, "Queenie." The nickname assigned to her by Sammy points out the stereotypical snap judgment that Sammy makes about her personality and social status initially, and to which Sammy rigidly adheres despite no real evidence of its accuracy. From the description of her "prima donna" legs, to his imagining of ... ...gel's suggestion that he relent and keep his job, Sammy is actually saying "no" to his parents and their attempt to put him on the road to middle-class respectability.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the final analysis, it would seem that the most obvious explanation for why Sammy quits his job--the one that he implies--is actually the least plausible. While Sammy would like to portray himself as the fearless defender of the delicate sensibilities of innocent girls, the reality is that Sammy's motives in quitting have far more to do with his own sensibilities than with those of the three girls. Work Cited       Updike, John. "A & P." The Bedford Introduction to Literature. 2nd Edition. Ed. Michael Meyer. Boston: St. Martin's Press, 1990. 407-411. Wells, Walter. "John Updike's 'A & P'" Studies in Short Fiction, vol. 30, (1993) : Spring, pp. 127(7).   

Physics of Paintball :: physics sport paint paintball gun

There are three main areas of paintball that I will be analyzing. First the way in which a paintball leaves the barrel of a paintball marker. Second the way in which a paintball fly's through the air and lastly how to determine optimum ranges for paintballs. Firing a paintball As you fire the trigger, the paintball is being pushed down the barrel of the marker by the difference in pressure between the CO2 from a tank attached to the marker which builds up behind the ball and the air in front of the ball. There are several other forces which act on the paintball besides the air resistance and the CO2. One is the friction of the ball against the barrel. This frictional force is in no way constant because the shape and the smoothness of the inside of the barrel is not always constant. Likewise, the surface of the paintball is not always smooth. A second force is A spinning force that the C02 imparts on the ball causing a rotational acceleration and also a rolling motion. Once the ball has cleared the barrel there is a significant change in the forces that are acting on the paintball. The imbalance of the pressure behind the ball is gone. So that there is no longer any force pushing the ball in the direction that the muzzle is pointing in. It should be noted that there are many different ways that are employed to get a marker to shoot a paintball out of the marker. Nearly every brand of marker has a different firing system. All have several things in common. They all have some sort of tank with compressed air or C02 or Nitrogen. Then they usually have sort of bolt and hammer system which is cocked back and held in place by a sear which compresses a spring. When the trigger is pulled it releases the sear. The restoring force of the spring pushes the bolt and the hammer forward starting the paintball moving then the C02 is released propelling the ball outward. The flight of a Paintball Once a paintball gets into the air its flight is much like that of a golf ball. There are a verity of forces that act upon the ball once its in the air. The ball always has the force of gravity acting on it. This causes the paintball to travel in an arc and return to the earth.

Pro Assisted Suicide Essay -- Death With Dignity euthanasia

Death With Dignity Today, American society is obsessed with the young and successful and their endless pursuit of beauty, fame, and fortune. People are bombarded with images of youth in movies, music, and ads for ordinary items such as toothpaste. Advertisers create the illusion that people can forever defer death by plastering ?anti-aging? across drugstore aisles to sell their products. In the search for eternal youth, people become desensitized to the importance of life?s inevitable end. Every day, countless people quietly pass away after long and painful struggles with terminal illnesses, and their loved ones are often reduced to helpless observers. Terminally ill patients are not merely a statistic; they are mothers, fathers, children, friends, and lovers who leave behind many distraught loved ones in death. By continuing to prohibit assisted suicide, the law denies many terminally ill patients the peaceful death they desire. Instead, patients must waste away slowly and endure constant pain, unless they have powerful and expensive medications to dull their senses. However, no amount of medication can remedy emotional pain, and patients sometime feel helpless and alone because death is their only release from suffering (Girsh 3). The law cannot rightfully ignore the special circumstances of terminal illnesses and deny people a dignified death simply because they retain brain function. Terminally ill patients need an option to prevent spending their final days, months, or years painfully deteriorating as they approach their inevitable deaths. Throughout the controversy, the public has focused on moral aspects of assisted suicide and overlooked the fact that one form has already been in practice for nine ye... ...situation of terminally ill patients over their personal convictions and abolish the boundaries keeping them from having a peaceful end to their lives. Works Cited ?2-to-1 Majorities Continue to Support Rights to Both Euthanasia and Doctor-Assisted Suicide.? The Harris Poll 9 January 2002 Death with Dignity National Center. 2006. 27 March 2006 . Girsh, Faye. ?Patients Should Be Given More Control Over Their Deaths.? USA Today March 2000. Levinson, Sanford. ?Assisted Suicide Should be Legalized.? The Nation 21 July 1997. Oregon Department of Human Services Report, 1994-1005. Oregon Department of Human Services. 2006. 27 March 2006 ?Physician Assisted Suicide: Legislative Statute.? Oregon Department of Human Services. 2006. 21 March 2006 . Pro Assisted Suicide Essay -- Death With Dignity euthanasia Death With Dignity Today, American society is obsessed with the young and successful and their endless pursuit of beauty, fame, and fortune. People are bombarded with images of youth in movies, music, and ads for ordinary items such as toothpaste. Advertisers create the illusion that people can forever defer death by plastering ?anti-aging? across drugstore aisles to sell their products. In the search for eternal youth, people become desensitized to the importance of life?s inevitable end. Every day, countless people quietly pass away after long and painful struggles with terminal illnesses, and their loved ones are often reduced to helpless observers. Terminally ill patients are not merely a statistic; they are mothers, fathers, children, friends, and lovers who leave behind many distraught loved ones in death. By continuing to prohibit assisted suicide, the law denies many terminally ill patients the peaceful death they desire. Instead, patients must waste away slowly and endure constant pain, unless they have powerful and expensive medications to dull their senses. However, no amount of medication can remedy emotional pain, and patients sometime feel helpless and alone because death is their only release from suffering (Girsh 3). The law cannot rightfully ignore the special circumstances of terminal illnesses and deny people a dignified death simply because they retain brain function. Terminally ill patients need an option to prevent spending their final days, months, or years painfully deteriorating as they approach their inevitable deaths. Throughout the controversy, the public has focused on moral aspects of assisted suicide and overlooked the fact that one form has already been in practice for nine ye... ...situation of terminally ill patients over their personal convictions and abolish the boundaries keeping them from having a peaceful end to their lives. Works Cited ?2-to-1 Majorities Continue to Support Rights to Both Euthanasia and Doctor-Assisted Suicide.? The Harris Poll 9 January 2002 Death with Dignity National Center. 2006. 27 March 2006 . Girsh, Faye. ?Patients Should Be Given More Control Over Their Deaths.? USA Today March 2000. Levinson, Sanford. ?Assisted Suicide Should be Legalized.? The Nation 21 July 1997. Oregon Department of Human Services Report, 1994-1005. Oregon Department of Human Services. 2006. 27 March 2006 ?Physician Assisted Suicide: Legislative Statute.? Oregon Department of Human Services. 2006. 21 March 2006 .

Ratio Analysis on Literature of Review Essay

I also declare that I have done my work sincerely and accurately even then if any mistake or error had kept in it, I request the readers to point out these errors and guide me to remove these errors in future. Presentation Incharge Signature of the Candidate Practical work experience is the integral part of individual learning. An individual who is learning managerial concepts has to undergo this practical experience for being a future executive. It is the result of various factors. Primarily because of rising cultivations of BT. cotton (Bacillus thuringnsis) and reduce the farmers input costs, while the yield as well as quality are substantially much larger compared to traditional varieties. In view of this development, the cotton cultivation acreage has been steadily going up in India. The farmers have become more knowledgeable to follow scientific methods to cultivate high yielding long staple cotton varieties. Besides individual mills are also simultaneously taking steps to improve the cotton production along with Technology Mission on cotton (TCM), the cotton development research Associations of organizations (CITI), South Indian Textiles Mills Association (SIMA) and Kerala State Textile Corporation (KSTC). The resultant factor is quality and quantity of raw material supply has substantially improved in the country. Due to globalization of our economy, the conscious of quality inputs and pricing have become competitive to the international standards and prices. Supply of quality raw material availability sources of raw material from major cotton exporting countries. Every organization is a deliberate and planned Endeavour of people whose common goal can be achieved through attainment of targets and goal by individual members in it. No organization can survive for long unless it takes care of prudent utilization of resources particularly human resources. In brief, good business is generally the result of good organization which can emerge only if it consists of good people who work together as a team. The textile industry occupies a unique place in our country. One of the earliest to come into existence in India, it accounts for 14 per cent of the total industrial production, contributes to nearly 30 per cent of the total exports and is the second largest employment generator after agriculture. The Indian textile industry is one of the largest in the world with a massive raw material and textile-manufacturing base. Indian economy is largely dependent on the textile manufacturing and trade in addition to other major industries about 27 per cent of the exchange earning are on account of export of textiles and clothing alone. In India organized textile mill sector has increased from 1787 in 2003-04 to 1789 in 2004-05. During the year 2003-04 the production of yarn was 3051. 07 million kg and it had increased to 3220. 59 million kg in 2004-05. The number of workers worked in textiles mills during the year 9, 18,000. India has the second-largest yarn-spinning capacity in the world (after China), accounting for roughly 20 percent of the world’s spindle capacity. India’s spinning segment is fairly modernized; approximately 35 to 40 percent of India’s spindles are less than 10 years old. During 1989-98, India was the leading buyer of spinning machinery, accounting 2003-04 was 9,28,000 and it have decreased during the year 2004-05 was for 28 per cent of world shipments. India’s production of spun yarn is accounted for almost entirely by the organized mill sector, which includes 285 large. Man-made fibers, wool and silk segment grew by modest 4. 5 per cent per annum during the 5-year period 2000-01 to 2005-06. During the first year of quota-free global trade, production increased leaps and bounds. Textiles production increased 10 per cent over 2004. The growth was fuelled by a 22 per cent rise in production of other textiles (including apparels). Cotton textile also posted an increase of nine percent. In the last six years, an estimated US$ 6. 7 billion has been invested in the textiles sector, aided by the Technology Up gradation Fund (TUF) scheme. The TUF scheme expires in March next year (2007) and the quotas on China will be lifted in 2008. Hence, companies will continue to add capacities over the next year. Also, according to CRISIL, the sector is likely to rise over US$ 3. 5 billion from the capital markets in the next few years. The cotton textile industry, one of the oldest and major consumer industries in India, has assumed national importance by virtue of size, investment, output and employment. The industry produces a wide range of fabrics to suit specific needs of consumers. Further, the cotton textile industry occupies a pre eminent place in the Indian economy by contributing a major share and to the countries industrial production and providing cloth to its millions. The industry also serves by providing direct employment to 60, 00,000 workers in several of its related activities. India is one of the largest textile producing countries in the world. The share of the industry in the export basket of India is around 20%. However, textile industry is vast developing sector and when the competitions are exorbitant especially in its design and quality we have to adopt modern technology management, machine so as to complete with other countries in the international market.

Volume Variety Matrix

Volume-variety and design In Chapter 1 the four V’s of operations were described. These were volume, variety, variation and visibility. The first two of these – volume and variety – are particularly important when considering design issues in operations management. Not only do they usually go together (high variety usually means low volume, high volume normally means low variety) but together they also impact on the nature of products and services and processes which produce them. The volume and variety of an operation’s activities are particularly influential in determining the way it thinks about its performance objectives.The figure below illustrates how the definitions of quality, speed, dependability, flexibility and cost are influenced by the volume-variety position of the operation. [pic] Quality Quality in a low volume-high variety process such as an architects’ practice, for example, is largely concerned with the final aesthetic appearance of the building and the appropriateness of its detailed design. In an exceptionally high volume-low variety process, such as an electricity supply company, quality is exclusively concerned with error-free service – electricity must be constantly available in the correct form (in terms of voltage, frequency, etc. . The meaning of quality has shifted from being concerned primarily with the performance and specification of the product or service towards conformity to a predefined standard, as we move from low volume-high variety operations through to high volume-low variety operations. Speed Speed for the architects’ practice means negotiating a completion date with each client, based on the client’s needs and the architects’ estimates of how much work is involved in each project. Speed is taken to its extreme in the electricity utility where speed means literally instant delivery.No electricity company could ask its customers to wait for their ‘delive ry’ of electricity. Speed therefore means an individually negotiated delivery time in low volume-high variety operations, but moves towards meaning ‘instant’ delivery in some high volume-low variety operations. Dependability Dependability in processes such as the architects’ practice means keeping to each individually negotiated delivery date. In continuous operations, dependability often means the availability of the service itself. A dependable electricity supply is one which is always there.So dependability has moved from meaning ‘on-time delivery’ in low volume-high variety operations to ‘availability’ in high volume-low variety operations. Flexibility Flexibility in low volume-high variety processes such as the architects’ practice means the ability to design many different kinds of buildings according to its clients’ various requirements. With the electricity company’s process, the need for product flexi bility has disappeared entirely (electricity is electricity, more or less) but the ability to meet almost instantaneous demand changes through volume flexibility is vital if the company is to maintain supply.Flexibility has moved from meaning product flexibility in low volume-high variety operations to volume flexibility in high volume-low variety operations. Cost Cost, in terms of the unit cost per product or service, varies with both the volume of output of the operation and the variety of products or services it produces. The variety of products or services in low-volume operations is relatively high, which means that running the operation will be expensive because of the flexible and high skill levels employed. Further, because the volume of output is relatively low, a few products or services are bearing the operation’s high cost base.Also, and more significantly for the operation, the cost of each product or service is different. At the other end of the scale, high-volu me operations usually produce similar products or services, output is high, so that whatever the base cost of the operation, it is shared among a high number of products or services. Cost per unit of output is therefore usually low for operations such as the electricity utility but, more significantly, the cost of producing one second of electricity is the same as the next second. Cost is relatively constant. Copyright  © 1995-2010, Pearson Education, Inc. Legal and Privacy Terms | [pic] [pic] [pic] [pic] LINE. When product demand is high enough, the appropriate process is the assembly line. Often, this process (along with continuous; both are in the lower-right quadrant of the matrix) is referred to as mass production. Laborers generally perform the same operations for each production run in a standard and hopefully uninterrupted flow. The assembly line treats all outputs as basically the same.Firms characterized by this process are generally heavily automated, utilizing special- purpose equipment. Frequently, some form of conveyor system connects the various pieces of equipment used. There is usually a fixed set of inputs and outputs, constant throughput time, and a relatively continuous flow of work. Because the product is standardized, the process can be also, following the same path from one operation to the next. Routing, scheduling, and control are facilitated since each individual unit of output does not have to be monitored and controlled.This also means that the manager's span of control can increase and less skilled workers can be utilized. The product created by the assembly-line process is discrete; that is, it can be visually counted (as opposed to continuous processes which produce a product that is not naturally divisible). Almost everyone can think of an example of assembly-line manufacturing (automobile manufacturing is probably the most obvious). Examples of assembly lines in services are car washes, class registration in universities, and many fast food operations.Because the work-in-process equipment is organized and sequenced according to the steps involved to produce the product and is frequently connected by some sort of conveyor system, it is characterized as flowing in a line. Even though it may not be a straight line (some firms utilize a U-shaped assembly line) we say that it has a connected line flow. Also, firms in the lower-right quadrant (line and continuous) are classified as having a product layout. Continuous manufacturing involves lot-less production wherein the product flows continuously rather than being divided. A basic material is passed through successive operations (i. e. refining or processing) and eventually emerges as one or more products. This process is used to produce highly standardized outputs in extremely large volumes. The product range is usually so narrow and highly standardized that it can be characterized as a commodity. Considerable capital investment is required, so demand for co ntinuous process products must be extremely high. Starting and stopping the process can be prohibitively expensive. As a result, the processes usually run 24 hours a day with minimum downtime (hence, continuous flow). This also allows the firm to spread their enormous fixed cost over as large a base as possible.The routing of the process is typically fixed. As the material is processed it usually is transferred automatically from one part of the process to the next, frequently with self-monitoring and adjusting. Labor requirements are low and usually involve only monitoring and maintaining the machinery. Typical examples of industries utilizing the continuous process include gas, chemicals, electricity, ores, rubber, petroleum, cement, paper, and wood. Food manufacture is also a heavy user of continuous processing; especially water, milk, wheat, flour, sugar and spirits.Read more: Product-Process Matrix – strategy, organization, system, examples, manager, company, business, c ompetitiveness, system http://www. referenceforbusiness. com/management/Or-Pr/Product-Process-Matrix. html#ixzz24d4V1uTD [pic] [pic] USING THE MATRIX The product-process matrix can facilitate the understanding of the strategic options available to a company, particularly with regard to its manufacturing function. A firm may be characterized as occupying a particular region in the matrix, determined by the stages of the product life cycle and its choice of production process(es) for each individual product.By incorporating this dimension into its strategic planning process, the firm encourages more creative thinking about organizational competence and competitive advantage. Also, use of the matrix provides a natural way to involve manufacturing managers in the planning process so they can relate their opportunities and decisions more effectively with those of marketing and of the corporation itself, all the while leading to more informed predictions about changes in industry and the firm's appropriate strategic responses. Each process choice on the matrix has a unique set of characteristics.Those in the upper-left quadrant of the matrix (job shop and batch) share a number of characteristics, as do those in the lower-right quadrant (assembly line and continuous). Upper-left firms employ highly skilled craftsmen (machinists, printers, tool and die makers, musical instrument craftsmen) and professionals (lawyers, doctors, CPAs, consultants). Hence upper-left firms can be characterized as labor intensive. Since upper-left firms tend to utilize general-purpose equipment, are seldom at 100 percent capacity, and employ workers with a wide range of skills, they can be very flexible.However, there is a difficult trade-off between efficiency and flexibility of operations. Most job shops tend to emphasize flexibility over efficiency. Since efficiency is not a strong point of upper-left firms, neither is low-cost production. Also, the low volume of production does not allo w upper-left firms to spread their fixed costs over a wide enough base to provide for reduced costs. Finally, upper-left firms are also more likely to serve local markets. Lower-right firms require production facilities that are highly specialized, capital intensive, and interrelated (therefore, inflexible).Labor requirements are generally unskilled or semi-skilled at most. Much of the labor requirement deals with merely monitoring and maintaining equipment. Lower-right firms are also more likely to serve national markets and can be vertically integrated. Hayes and Wheelwright relate three areas affected by the use of the product-process matrix: distinctive competence, management, and organization. DISTINCTIVE COMPETENCE. Distinctive competence is defined as the resources, skills, and organizational characteristics that give a firm a comparative advantage over its competitors.Simply put, a distinctive competence is the characteristic of a given product that causes the buyer to purch ase it rather than the similar product of a competitor. It is generally accepted that the distinctive competencies are cost/price, quality, flexibility and service/time. By using the product-process matrix as a framework, a firm can be more precise about its distinctive competence and can concentrate its attention on a restricted set of process decisions and alternatives and a restricted set of marketing alternatives.In our discussion, we have seen that the broad range of worker skills and the employment of general-purpose equipment give upper-left firms a large degree of flexibility while the highly specialized, high-volume environment of lower-right firms yields very little in the way of flexibility. Therefore, flexibility would be a highly appropriate distinctive competence for an upper-left firm. This is especially true when dealing with the need for flexibility of the product/service produced. Lower-right firms find it very difficult to sidetrack a high-volume operation because of an engineering change in the product.An entire line would have to be shut down while tooling or machinery is altered and large volumes of possibly obsolete work-in-process are accounted for. Upper-left firms, however, would have none of these problems with which to contend. It must be noted though that lower-right firms may possess an advantage regarding flexibility of volume. Quality may be defined a number ways. If we define quality as reliability, then lower-right firms could claim this as a distinctive competence. Lower-right firms would have the high volume necessary to quickly find and eliminate ugs in their product, yielding more reliability to the end user. However, if we define quality as quality of design (that is, â€Å"bells and whistles†Ã¢â‚¬â€things that embody status, such as leather seats in an automobile or a handcrafted musical instrument), then quality would be seen as a possible distinctive competence of upper-right firms. Service may also be defined in more ways than one. If one defines service as face-to-face interaction and personal attention, then upper-left firms could claim service as a distinctive competence. If service is defined as the ability to provide the product in a very short period of time (e. . , overnight), then service as a distinctive competence would belong to lower-right firms. Finally, remember that high volume, economies of scale, and low cost are characteristics of firms in the lower-right quadrant of the matrix. Upper-left firms produce low volumes (sometimes only one) and cannot take advantage of economies of scale. (Imagine, for instance, what you would have to pay for a handcrafted musical instrument. ) Therefore, it is obvious that price or cost competitiveness is within the domain of lower-right firms. MANAGEMENT.In general, the economics of production processes favor positions along the diagonal of the product-process matrix. That is, firms operating on or close to the diagonal are expected to out perform firms choosing extreme off-diagonal positions. Hayes and Wheelwright provide the example of a firm positioned in the upper-right corner of the matrix. This would appear to be a commodity produced by a job shop, an option that is economically unfeasible. A firm positioned in the lower-left corner would represent a unique one-time product produced by a continuous process, again not a feasible option.Both examples are too far off the diagonal. Firms that find themselves too far off the diagonal invite trouble by impairing their ability to compete effectively. While firms operating in the near vicinity, but not exactly on the diagonal, can be niche players, positions farther away from the diagonal are difficult to justify. Rolls Royce makes automobiles in a job shop environment but they understand the implications involved. Companies off the diagonal must be aware of traps it can fall into and implications presented by their position. Also, a firm's choice of roduct-process posi tion places them to the right or left of competitors along the horizontal dimension of the matrix and above or below its competitors along the vertical dimension of the matrix. The strategic implications are obvious. Of course, a firm's position on the matrix may change over time, so the firm must be aware of the implications and maintain the capability to deal with them appropriately. The matrix can provide powerful insights into the consequences of any planned product or process change. Use of the product-process matrix can also help a firm define its product.Hayes and Wheelwright relate the example of a specialized manufacturer of printed circuit boards who produced a low-volume, customized product using a highly connected assembly-line process. Obviously, this would place them in the lower-left corner of the matrix; not a desirable place to be. This knowledge forced the company to realize that what they were offering was not really circuit boards after all, but design capability . So, in essence, they were mass-producing designs rather than the boards themselves. Hence, they were not far off the diagonal at all.ORGANIZATION. Firms organize different operating units so that they can specialize on separate portions of the total manufacturing task while still maintaining overall coordination. Most firms will select two or more processes for the products or services they produce. For example, a firm may use a batch process to make components for products, which are constructed on assembly lines. This would be especially true if the work content for component production or the volume needed was not sufficient for the creation of a dedicated line process.Also, firms may need separate facilities for different products or parts, or they may simply separate their production within the same facility. It may even be that a firm can produce the similar products through two different process options. For example, Fender Musical Instruments not only mass produces electri c guitars (assembly line) but also offers customized versions of the same product through the Fender Custom Shop (job shop). Again, the matrix provides a valuable framework for diagnostic use in these situations.OTHER USES OF THE PRODUCT-PROCESS MATRIX Additional uses of the matrix include: †¢ Analyzing the product entry and exit. †¢ Determining the appropriate mix of manufacturing facilities, identifying the key manufacturing objectives for each plant, and monitoring progress on those objectives at the corporate level. †¢ Reviewing investment decisions for plants and equipment in terms of their consistency with product and process plans. †¢ Determining the direction and timing of major changes in a company's production processes. Evaluating product and market opportunities in light of the company's manufacturing capabilities. †¢ Selecting an appropriate process and product structure for entry into a new market. It should be noted that recent empirical resea rch by Sohel Ahmad and Roger G. Schroeder found the proposed relationship between product structure and process structure to be significant but not strong. In general terms, they found that as the product life cycle changes the process life cycle also shifts in the consistent direction, but not necessarily along the diagonal.Some 60 percent of the firms studied did not fall on the diagonal. The researchers propose that this occurred because new management and technological initiatives have eliminated or minimized some of the inherent trade-offs found on the Product-Process Matrix. They classify these initiatives as processing technology, product design and managerial practice (e. g. , TQM and JIT). Therefore, Ahmad and Schroeder recommend that the matrix be conceptualized as having three axes instead of two.They propose an x-axis (product life cycle stages), a y-axis (process life cycle stages), and a z-axis that represents an organization's proactive effort towards adopting and imp lementing these innovative initiatives. As a firm moves away from the origin along the z-axis, it becomes able to minimize some of the trade-offs seen in the Product-Process Matrix framework. Read more: Product-Process Matrix – strategy, organization, system, examples, manager, company, business, competitiveness, system http://www. referenceforbusiness. com/management/Or-Pr/Product-Process-Matrix. h tml#ixzz24d4lyOQ5 [pic] [pic] [pic] [pic] [pic] [pic] [pic] [pic]