Professional nursing boundaries Essay

Nurses known as a caregiver and provide close relationship not only between patient and the hospital but also for other healthcare profession such as doctors and assistant medical officer and also between communities. Their services are very important and therefore they performing â€Å"heart† in the medical and healthcare service provision in Malaysia. Due to the rapidly changing in Malaysia healthcare environment, the nurses are required to provide care through their extended roles and provide services rendered by other healthcare professional in order to complement the health service to the population. Therefore, Malaysian nurses have become aware for legal and ethical issues that have impacted on their practise and recognised the importance of practice that have legal and ethical principle thus promoting competency and decision making. In Malaysia itself, most of the major population still choose to get treatment from government. It is because government hospital provides good quality service in healthcare, provide an advances technologies, provide skilled staff, sophisticated equipment beside the cheapest service that they get. In the healthcare service nowadays, professional boundaries are important issues and have been a quite popular topic. Basically, if we search an internet pertaining to professional boundaries we always often get the result are mainly about interactions between nurses and patient or client. According to College of Registered Nurse of British Columbia (no date), urged that within the nurse and client relationship, the client relationship are often vulnerable because the nurse has influenced, access to information, and specialized knowledge and skill. If the nurse does not use her judgement carefully they tend to misused their power. 2(wrds count 263) Like other health care service, nurses can cause harm to patient if they do not full fill their needs. To provide a safest care to patient, nurses must know the concepts of professional boundaries. This boundary also defined as a professional relationship are sharing or gave other profession or nurse their work based on cooperation and team work among them. ‘Professional boundaries in nursing are defined as limits which protect the space between  the professional’s power and the client’s vulnerability’ stated by (Nursing & Midwifery Board of Australia, 2010 p1). However, also quoted by Nursing and Midwifery Council (no date, p1) ‘that boundaries in nursing also define as the limits of behaviour which allow a nurse or midwife to have a professional relationship with a person in their care’. Within this assignment I intend to explore the problem encountered in both relationship and professional boundaries between the perioperative nurse and the general anaesthesia nurse (GA nurse). This assignments objective are also to gain knowledge and experience between the Ga nurse and perioperative nurse. I am a trained staff nurse currently work as a general anaesthetic nurse for almost 10 years in the tertiary hospital situated in Kota Kinabalu. I have my post basic in advance diploma of anaesthesia after I finish my 1 year course in anaesthesia field. I noticed that there is a boundary in my workplace between the perioperative nurse and the general anaesthesia nurses, the boundaries are mainly traditional boundaries. But even though the work task is different but the main purpose is for patient safety and quality of work. Basically perioperative nurse are working in the operating theatre.Their roles are to assist surgeon in various surgical procedure, and also helping patient comfortable before surgery. Scope of perioperative work also widening by helping patient after and post operatively. This nurse helps the smoothness of the surgical procedure. A scrub nurse and circulating nurse is specially trained nurse who work with surgeon in the operating room. Most of our scrub nurse and circulating nurse are very experienced, skilful nurses and most of them already had their advance diploma in perioperative nursing. In my workplace I identified a traditional blurred boundaries pertaining to my practice area. The blurred boundaries are identified in some operating room setting between the circulating nurse and general anaesthesia nurse. In my workplace the general anaesthesia nurse will be allocate in each of operating room setting. The general anaesthesia nurse will assists the anaesthesia doctor during the induction of anaesthesia, giving medication, setting intravenous line, anchoring endotracheal tube also to keep patient calm and safe before the induction of anaesthesia. Normally, the GA nurse  tends to have an advance training in anaesthesia such as certificate in anaesthesia where we will get after 1 year attend post basic in anaesthesia. In Malaysia, we had to have the certificate before we can work in the operating theatre as a GA nurse. As quoted by Lukosius et al (2004, p523), ‘to be a good nurse in practice, the organization must have legislation and protected titles for clinical nurse specialist, nurse midwives, and nurse anaesthetist, so they can work according to their standard practice’. Working in the operating room is about team work among the various types of healthcare such as nurses, assistant medical officer, surgeon, anaesthetic doctor and also hospital attendance. Each of them plays their roles in the operating theatre by providing service direct and indirectly. This team work among the health care services are the strength of all organizations but the boundaries within this working area a still been taking care and are respected. Blurred boundaries that I identified happen in my workplace are due to some problem such as shortage of staff and because of an ineffective inter-professional working. The Ga nurse and the perioperative nurse have tried to worked together and share task based on common practice or skill, but the job description are still remain unclear. Both of them are still not understands about their placing parameters. Because of the unclear job description and not understanding the role ambiguity is created and misunderstanding can arise. As quoted by Rushmer et al (2005,p.80) said, ‘when the limits (boundaries) of sharing are ignored, nothing is clear and certainty is lost, the ability of collaboration to prepare realistically for their work together is gone where one of the parties ends up doing all the work, or all the unpleasant parts of the work’. Miers et al (2009) revealed, that the nurses are key to the success of inter-professional team. The effective of inter-professional also mentioned in the NMC code of conduct (2008), where the competencies that set by a mentor able to maintained professional boundaries and coordinate learning in an working environment and in an inter-professional working. Because shortage of staff especially nurses, some of the general anaesthesia  nurse are need to cover more than one operating room at the same time. When GA nurse are needed in the other operating room, the circulating nurse who worked in that particular operating room will had to act as a GA nurse. At the other hand GA nurse also can act as a circulating nurse when the job is compromised. As stated in NMC code of conduct (no date), ‘a nurse had to have advance skilled as well as increased knowledge’. Even though the circulating nurse does not have experience and skill as a GA nurse, it is they responsibilities to learn and gain knowledge and skill as a GA nurse. In Malaysia Nursing code of conduct (1998.p2), quoted ‘that nurses are responsibilities and accountability for her owns nursing judgement and action. When delegating work, the nurse remain accountable for the work done and appropriate supervision and support and guidance to be given to her’. The circulating nurse needs to be supervised and teach by the senior nurse who had the experienced or qualified as a GA nurse before she act and helped as a GA nurse. Also quotes by Nursing and Midwifery council (no date), ‘nurses must always be aware of their limits and ability and role boundaries, acknowledge their professional limitation and make accountable for their decision making and ability to work in a safe and effective manner’. This is reflected in the following paragraph of the Code of Conduct (2008), which states that ‘the nurse must have the knowledge and skill for safe and effective practice when working without direct supervision, recognise and work within limit, keep knowledge up to date and take part in learning and practice that maintain and develop your performance and competencies’. Although the nurses considering working in the position not related to their job, they have to fulfilled their task even though their do not have required registerable in that possess. For example although a registered nurse may work in operating theatre as a GA nurse or circulating nurse, they must not necessary to have a post basic course and qualified anaesthesia course. The environment also influenced the role of professional boundaries in my workplace. The nurses who work in operating theatre are abiding by nursing policies and regulations. In the operating theatre we also have our standard of practice called standard operating procedure where all the  nurses will follow the standard of practice procedure while performing their job. According to Brown (1998), Read (1999), Hamric (2000), Styles & Lewis (2000) cited in Lukosius et al (2004, p522), quotes’ that environment influence the development boundary in nursing roles, including work environment, policies and procedure, scope of practice, work schedule and work practice can influence the new roles in nursing practice’. Creating boundaries is a good way to keep professional relationship among the GA nurse and the perioperative nurse. The professional relationships are based on trust, respect, meeting the need of client and the appropriate use of power. According to National Council of State Boards of Nursing (no date) quotes, ‘that the power of a nurses comes from his/her professional position’. According to Retzklf (2012), when nurses show respect to each other, professional task, patient safety and nurse feeling of being part of the team are improved. However study has done by Lowe et al (2013), he suggest that once other staff fam iliar with the task given and their role, they are more comfortable working with other colleagues. Convesly, when nurse do not acknowledge of each other, competence or disregard their suggestion , unhealthy competitive attitudes can develop, colleagues can began to mistrust each other and the nurses can lose their interest in the nursing profession. Most nurses are aware of of blurring boundaries in professional practice but they still need to touch other professional discipline with permission and with clear instruction due to the role uncertainty and role ambiguity. As quotes by Alberta Association of registered nurse (2005, p.3),‘that a registered nurse in any role can ensure that professional boundaries are respected by applying the following guideline to their nursing practice as appropriate for their role’. This happen in my workplace where the perioperative nurse and the Ga nurse will work according to our nursing practice standards. Health providers can choose to change or develop new disciplinary boundaries after identified new areas of work according to their interest of work such as an advance practitioners nurse in anaesthesia or as a clinical nurse to gain more knowledge and skill in their own field. According to Chang et al (2011,p3), that the advance practice nurse position is a result of changing healthcare  needs and positive effects from this new roles have been widely document, improve patient out came and increased patient satisfaction. But in Malaysia there are still challenges in developing and implementing of advance practice nurse role. I hope there will be implement in the future. However, according to Witz (1992) cited in Nancarrow et al (2005) revealed his theory working in workforce in four direction; diversification, specialization, horizontal substitution and vertical substitution allow any healthcare provider to change their disciplinary boundaries and identified a new areas of work. Boundaries are important in successful professional project. It is good to have boundaries among health care workers but it is has to be in the positive way and within limits. Boundaries are also important for staff well-being , staff can develop wider expertise, gain knowledge of the new role and skills, contribute actively to new development, provide cross over and for effective client service.

The Advantages of a Codified Constitution Now Outweigh the Disadvantages

The advantages of a codified constitution now outweigh the disadvantages The evidence suggests that the advantages of a codified constitution do not now outweigh the disadvantages. In codified constitutions, laws are entrenched which makes it harder for them to evolve and adapt to modern requirements because it takes a long time for a response due to the required procedures, which might involve gaining two-thirds majority in the legislature or approval by referendum.As a result, one can argue that countries with codified constitutions struggle to find a resolution to their dogmatic laws. For example, the USA are still unable to introduce stricter gun laws because it opposes the constitutional right for citizens to bear arms, even though nowadays American citizens are less likely to require guns compared to when the American constitution was written in 1787. Recent events such as the Newtown shooting demonstrated the necessity for alterations.Whereas the UK’s uncodified constit ution benefits from its flexibility as it can easily adapt to changing circumstances because Parliament can pass new acts relatively quickly and easily without delay when the attitudes of society change. The increase in the use of referendums over constitutional changes such as the devolution of power to Wales and Scotland in 1997 and the Good Friday Agreement in 1998 illustrate the adaptability of the constitution because power was devolved a year after the referendum.However some argue that Britain’s uncodified constitution lacks clarity as it doesn’t exist in one clear document. Instead it consists of some written documents such as statues, court judgements and treaties but also conventions. Therefore by having a codified constitution, it would raise public awareness and the British public would understand their rights better. Furthermore it has been suggested that it could improve the problem of political ignorance and apathy in Britain because the turnout for the past three General elections have been below 70%, which is achieved by other modern democracies.Nevertheless one can argue that uncodified constitutions result in stronger government because the doctrine of parliamentary sovereignty creates supreme authority within the political system. The executive can exercise significant control over the legislative process in the House of Commons. Therefore power is concentrated amongst representatives who have been democratically elected and have a mandate to govern in place of appointed judges or bureaucrats who cannot be held accountable. A codified onstitution would place constraints on the government making it less decisive and therefore less strong because government would be reluctant to act in case it is seen as opposing the constitution. Alternatively some argue that the executive has too much power which threatens individual rights. Therefore some suggest that a codified constitution would help to safeguard citizen’s rights bec ause at the moment Britain has adopted the European Convention on Human Rights by passing the Human Rights Act 1998, which is considered weak as it could be overridden by Parliament due to Parliamentary sovereignty.Furthermore the European Convention on Human rights is part of UK law however its terms are not determined in the UK, whereas a codified constitution would include a statement of rights in the UK which would be controlled domestically. However the government is held to account by the British public in general elections because the First Past The Post (FPTP) electoral system favours the two party system which effectively gives voters the opportunity to choose between alternative governments as it normally produces a majoritarian result.Some also argue that a codified constitution would bring the UK in line with most other modern democracies. This has become a pressing issue since the UK joined the EU, making political relations between the UK and the EU difficult for both parties to understand as the UK’s relationship with the EU is codified in the various treaties such as Nice (2001) and Lisbon (2009), which would be easier to comprehend if the UK adopted a codified constitution. Conversely one can argue that the UK’s uncodified constitution has worked well for centuries and there have been no violent revolutions or major political unrest.Change has occurred naturally rather than when reformers have campaigned for it. Furthermore, the creation of a codified constitution would be difficult and could incur many unwanted problems because much of the UK’s constitution lies within unwritten conventions, especially in relation to the monarchy and prerogative powers. There would be difficulties in putting them into written form. In conclusion, the evidence clearly suggests that the advantages of a codified constitution do not outweigh the disadvantages because it would make our current constitution less flexible and could leave citizen s with outdated laws.Therefore codified constitutions create weaker governments who are less likely to make natural changes as they may fall foul of the fixed constitution. Additionally the codified constitution would provide judges and bureaucrats with more power when scrutinising legislature even though they have not been democratically elected, therefore power is rightly centralised to the executive, helping to establish a strong government. The evidence also suggests that a codified constitution would incur more problems in transferring prerogative powers rather than solving current problems with the uncodified constitution.

Gulliver’s Travels Essay

The saga of Lilliput is more fun and entertaining than that of Brobdingnag. ‘ Discuss. Gulliver’s Travels is a classic example of eighteenth century satire, one of Swift’s greatest works in an outcry against the values and practices of his time. While his words ruthlessly attack numerous aspects of human society and human character, by the nature of satire his weapon is humour. So there is plenty of amusement to be had through the course of the book, most notably in the first two adventures, in Lilliput and Brobdingnag. On Gulliver’s first adventure to Lilliput, he awakes on the island to find himself bound and tied to the ground by the six-inch tall Lilliputians. After being stung with arrows and stabbed with spears, he decides to obey, and then help the ‘Most Mighty Emperor of Lilliput’ and his country. So we see the foremost target of Swift’s humour and satire, that surrounding Gulliver himself, as Richard Rodino said, ‘Gulliver†¦ is a satirical device enabling Swift to score satirical points. ‘ In Lilliput he subjects to the Emperor’s imprisonment and his wishes, some strange, such as when ‘he desired I would stand like a Colossus’, ‘draw up the troops in close order, and march them under me’. Some others were simply humiliating, however, such as when, upon receiving his decree of liberty, he swears to it ‘with great cheerfulness and content’, despite the fact that he does not agree fully with all of the articles within, and proceeds to be grateful for the ‘honour’ of the Emperor’s presence, to whom he prostrates himself. This acquiescence on the part of Gulliver to a people who, to him, are little more than dolls that walk and talk, is degrading on Gulliver’s part, yet also funny, since his lack of humour and perspective leaves him open to ridicule. He, who can tow whole fleets and span an entire blustrug with a single step, is reduced to begging a miniature monarch for his freedom. Later on, he receives the ingratitude of the Lilliputians for the desecration of the royal palace, when he put out the fire by urinating on it. The result, due to his enmity with Skyresh Bolgolam, was that he was sentenced to have his eyes cut out. While most others in such a position would have laughed at being threatened by a people a twelfth their size, he is worried and scared by the decree to have his eyes put out. Despite the fact that the sentence expects him to ‘gratefully and humbly submit’, depending on him not resisting as ‘very sharp-pointed arrows’ are discharged into his eyes, he decides to run anyway, to the court of Blefuscu. This cowardice amplifies the humour in his behaviour, the image of a giant being scared and running away from midgets is one that is contrary to the one we would expect. Compare this behaviour to the way that Gulliver presents himself in Brobdingnag. At almost every turn his diminutive size is ridiculed, he becomes the plaything of a nine-year old girl, the rival of a thirty-foot dwarf, and is forced to perform a debasing show ’till I was half-dead with weariness and vexation. ‘ While he is as subservient, indeed, perhaps even more than before, he is no longer doing so to a people far smaller than him. This image of Gulliver being overworked by people far bigger, more important than him, is only funny from the big people’s point of view. As we read it, there are, instead, distinct undertones of slavery and torture. Another example is when the ‘Maids of Honour’ ‘would sometimes set me astride upon one of her nipples’, as well as various other appalling things, leaving Gulliver ‘far from†¦ giving me any other emotions other than those of horror and disgust. ‘ While one could find comedy in this passage, it is much cruder and less funny than similar passages in Lilliput, a typical example of the type of humour found in this second adventure. Although Swift is satirising our fascination with beauty and appearances, the power of this extract stems not from underlying implications but from the shock of having the human body so cruelly assaulted. Thus, instead of subtly hinting his satire as he does in Lilliput, Swift takes a far harsher line in Brobdingnag, using Gulliver to demonstrate the shortcomings and failings of the human race, through the medium of his various adventures there. It’s always entertaining when you’re dealing with those smaller and weaker than you are, but a great deal less funny when it’s someone more powerful dealing with you. The affairs and events which occur in the two adventures also contribute a great deal to the humour. When Gulliver is in Lilliput, one of the first curious things he relates to us is the practice of choosing ministers for governmental and court positions by the nominee’s skill at dancing on a tightrope or leaping under or over the Emperor’s stick. This idea seems ridiculous to us, it probably elicited a few smirks when you first read it, but Swift is alluding to the way that in his day and age, many government officials achieved their positions from skill with words or putting money in the right places. ‘Politics becomes a mad ballet,’ says Philip Pinkus. When we learn that ‘Flimnap would have infallibly broken his neck, if one of the King’s cushions†¦ had not weakened the force of the fall’, Swift is protesting against the way the favour of a powerful minister could easily protect a man from the loss of his position if they ‘strain so far’ as to overreach themselves and make a fatal mistake. In Brobdingnag, much of the humour revolves around the way that Gulliver must make his way in a world where everything is too big, John F. Ross says that ‘he retains a pride and self-esteem which would be perfectly normal for him among his physical equals, but which is ridiculous under the circumstances. ‘ One time, ‘above twenty wasps, allured by the smell, came flying into the room†¦ These insects were as large as partridges’. The image of Gulliver surrounded by bird-sized wasps is immediately funny, but aside from the comedy value, there is little satirical content in this passage. There are many other comical stories in both adventures, which can entertain, but also have other layers of meaning. In Lilliput, one of the most amusing anecdotes is that of the war between Lilliput and Blefuscu, largely because of its origins: ‘It is allowed on all hands, that the primitive way of breaking eggs before we eat them, was upon the larger end: but his present Majesty’s grandfather, while he was a boy, and going to eat an egg, and breaking it according to the ancient practice, happened to cut one of his fingers. Whereupon the Emperor his father published an edict, commanding all his subjects, upon great penalties, to break the smaller end of their eggs. ‘ The result is that the inhabitants of the two islands go to international war over so minor an event as breaking an egg. We find this hilariously funny, thinking the Lilliputians and Blefuscudians stupid and petty to allow this incident to escalate so to such an extent. However, when the Blefuscudian king listens to Gulliver’s ‘praise of my own dear native country in a style equal to its merits and felicity’, he sees through the pompousness and self-importance of Gulliver’s account of Europe, seeing the corruption in government, the prejudice in law, the inefficiency in politics, the mismanagement of the economy. Swift is hinting that the two situations are not so different, since little people tend to place great significance upon little things, and when we are the little ones, it is brought home to us that the vast majority of our affairs are of little consequence in the long run. While the story found in Gulliver’s Travels is highly entertaining, it is, primarily, a work of satire, and this adventure is designed as a message to the people and government of Swift’s 18th century Britain, to change, or even just to reflect upon, the way in which they go about their lives. Upon reading both Lilliput and Brobdingnag, there is an evident trend in how Swift has written his book. In Lilliput, Swift uses engaging, fine humour to disguise his satire, whereas in Brobdingnag he moves onto rougher, coarser humour, with a far more obvious attack on European society, a trend which is continued through to the end of the book, culminating in a scathing assault on our perceptions of human nature itself, in the fourth adventure. Therefore, due to the ways in which we respond to the portrayal of Gulliver, and the events and humour found in the two passages, I conclude that the saga of Lilliput is funnier and more entertaining than that of Brobdingnag. Bibliography Jonathan Swift, Gulliver’s Travels, 1726 Richard Rodino, The Study Of Gulliver’s Travels, Past and Present, 1992 Philip Pinkus, Sin and Satire in Swift (1965)

Human resource Culture and Organisations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Human resource Culture and Organisations - Essay Example and find some strength, support and power; and expanding the financial systems of the poor so that with their low income, they can gain more credit and investments, and thus more income. Within nine years, the bank was able to reach 28,879 Bangladeshi villages and establish 974 branches. At that time, there were 1,271,461 members, majority of which are women having 1,186,826 members. By 2008, Grameen bank has served 7.4 million clients and has given out USD 545 million. Through out the years, Grameen Bank consistently garners a 98% loan recovery rate. Its success has encouraged governmental and non-governmental organizations in less developed nations and in the United States and Canada to replicate the Grameen model. As of today, more than 40 countries have adopted the model (Khandker, et al., 1997; Satgar, 2003; Wahid, 1994; Yunus, 2007). The research project started because of Dr. Yunus’ belief that the biggest limitation for the rural poor was the lack of credit access. Because of the limited land the rural poor used to support themselves as farmer, Dr. Yunus thought that these farmers could still efficiently use small loans without collateral, and would repay this on time, and that giving credit with reasonable terms can allow borrowers to think for themselves how to best enhance their incomes. This reflection is aided by a comprehensive investment counseling given by Grameen and close supervision over the customers’ business projects so that the borrowers are ensured of the best way to manage their loans. Part of this is also advising customers to sacrifice their social vices and to live cleaner and healthier. Hence, the Grameen Bank provides appropriate support that allows the poor to join income-generating activities like transportation, processing and manufacturing, storing and marketing of agric ultural products, and raising livestock. In 2001 to 2002, the bank revised their model, known as Grameen II, which has a more financial systems approach.

The Model American Wife Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Model American Wife - Essay Example The modern American wife can actually be divided into 3 categories: (a.) the traditional wife, (b.) the career driven wife, and (c.) the multitasking wife (also known as Superwife). Under these 3 categories, we will find that each type of American wife manages to flourish and grow as a person due to the fulfillment and sense of satisfaction that they get from accomplishing the role that they chose for themselves within their family unit. This will not be hard to understand once we delve deeper into these American wife personalities later on in the paper. It is actually my belief, that the readers of this paper will come away from it with a new found understanding of the modern day American woman in the process and what makes her even more special after the marriage ceremony. When I say an American wife, I am sure that the first image that comes to your mind is that of the traditionally portrayed, Leave it to Beaver type of woman who spends almost all her time in the kitchen, cooking, washing, and just plain keeping house. That is the image that most of us have been trained to see women as. Glorified housekeepers who keep order in the household and make sure that the members of the family are well fed. Nothing more. She has no other rights of privileges in the household and the man wields all the power. ... On the other hand, the career driven wife has started to become a fixture in the working firmament as well. This is the woman who hyphenates her single status surname with her married surname. She is the modern woman who keeps house with her husband but still keeps a pad of her own for her â€Å"me† time. Contrary to popular belief, she does not try to do it all. Rather, her housewife duties are more geared towards the simpler tasks of picking up the laundry and choosing which restaurant to dine at every night. Her husband is satisfied with her home making skills because these kinds of wives normally live in condominium units that have regular housekeepers dropping by to keep everything in order. She is a woman who shares more than just her life with her husband. They also share in all the bills, errands, and other responsibilities. She is in effect, the modern woman who refuses to be tied down even after she is already married. Finally, we have the ultra modern American house wife, the housewife who has turn multitasking into an art form. She is respectfully referred to as Superwife. This is the epitome of the 21st century American housewife. She is the housewife that every woman hopes to be in the future. She does exist you know, she is not a figment of the imagination. The Superwife is one who normally works from home while her husband does the daily job commute. She is the kind of modern housewife who manages to remain hands on in the running of the household and care of the kids all while juggling her full time job. For most Superwives, this means having a working computer and a very flexible work schedule. She knows how to prioritize the events in her life and never allows one portion of it to suffer or go

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) in Tourism-Related Hospitality Dissertation

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) in Tourism-Related Hospitality Establishments in Beijing, China - Dissertation Example ignificance of the Study 9 1.4 Purpose and Research Questions 9 Chapter 2 – Review of Relevant Literature and Research 12 2.1 Reasons Why Customer Relationship Management is Important for Tourism-Related Hospitality Establishments 13 2.2 Information and Computer Technologies and Customer Relationship Management Systems 15 2.3 Forces that Influence Customer Relationship Management Implementation Efforts in Organisations 17 2.4 Customer Relationship Management in Restaurants 18 2.5 Customer Relationship Management in Airlines 20 Chapter 3 – Methodology / Methods Used 23 3.1 Research Approach for the Dissertation Project 24 3.2 Preparation of a Literature Review 25 3.3 Design and Administration of the Survey Questionnaire 26 3.4 Analysis of the Survey Data 27 Chapter 4 – Data Analysis and Discussion 31 Chapter 5 –Conclusions, Recommendations and Suggestion for Further Work 122 Appendix A – Survey Questionnaire 125 Appendix B – Raw Data for the S urvey 135 Bibliography/ References 146 List of Figures Figure 4.1: Histogram depicting location of Tourism-Related Hospitality Establishments from Beijing Included in the Survey 34 Figure 4.2: Histogram depicting Annual Turnover of Hospitality Establishments in Beijing 36 Figure 4.3: Pie Chart depicting Number of Employees at Hospitality Establishments in Beijing Included in the Survey 37 Figure 4.4: Histogram depicting Designation of those responding to Survey Questionnaire from Hospitality Establishments in Beijing 38 Figure 4.5: Pie Chart depicting Departmental Affiliation of those responding to Survey Questionnaire from Hospitality Establishments in Beijing 39 Figure 4.6: Pie Chart depicting Satisfaction with Efforts made for Implementation of CRM Initiatives at Hospitality Establishments in Beijing 40 Figure 4.7:... From the research it can be comprehended that it is now important for hospitality establishments from around the world to understand how best to effectively manage relationships with customers. Times are difficult, and the rapidly changing business environment is highly competitive. Thus, it makes sense to try to retain customers and to make the right impression on all those who have had a first experience with a hospitality establishment, especially for establishments serving clients combining business with pleasure who may return. It is far more expensive to try to attract new customers than to try to retain the existing and during tough and competitive times, it is best for hotels to try to ensure that its clientele remain loyal. Thus, although academic literature and practical implementations of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) do not present a clear indication about what CRM is, it is clear that to know the customers and to serve them better it is important for a hospitali ty establishment to present superior interactions and knowledge about the customer. The use of information and communications technologies with data mining for knowledge gathering is now apparent in many hospitality establishments for supporting Customer Relationship Management and formulation of management strategy. Because CRM is about getting to know customers and their needs better, it is about implementing specific Information and Communication technology projects within an organisation to process organisational data to deliver knowledge about customers and their needs.

Literature Review Are Wound Vacuum Devices Healing Wounds Essay

Literature Review Are Wound Vacuum Devices Healing Wounds - Essay Example VAC was even compared with the traditional WM dressing method and proved to heal better. This only proves that VAC is indeed a promising and faster way to heal wounds. The main purpose of this research is to look through the new way of wound healing. In the United States, over 2.8 million patients have chronic wounds and treatments cost billions of dollars per year. Wound healing is a complex process which starts with removal of debris, control of infection, clearance of inflammation, angiogenesis, deposition of granulation tissue, contraction, remodeling of the connective tissue matrix and maturation. This sequence of events should be undergone by the wound for proper healing whilst if it fails to undergo these events, a chronic open wound without anatomical or functional integrity results (Joseph, 2008). Chronic wounds should be healed at a faster rate in order to decrease hospitalization days and thereby reduce costs. A product which delivers improved healing process could help in decreasing infection, amputation and length of hospital stay thus entails potential annual savings for healthcare cost. The introduction of vacuum-assisted closure (VAC) which utilizes subatmospheric technique may be the answer in this medical challenge. In VAC, placing an open-cell foam dressing is involved. It is placed into the wound cavity and controlled subatmospheric pressure is applied. The technique was observed to remove chronic edema which increases local blood flow and enhanced formation of granulation tissue (Joseph, 2008). VAC applies negative pressure to wounds hence fluid is removed and growth of granulation tissue is stimulated. Acute, subacute and chronic wounds may be applied with VAC. Argenta, et al. have previously described the use of the VAC device to enhance healing and promote closure of a variety of open wounds FDA cleared VAC for clinical use. Frequent dressing changes which required when using WM, could be lessen by using VAC which requires dressing changes only every 48 hours (Joseph, 2008). Review of the Literature Senchenkov et al. (2007) conducted a study on the use of vacuum assisted closure (VAC) dressing for irradiated wounds. This study aimed to examine the outcomes of split-thickness skin grafts (STSG) secured by VAC during the early part of the postoperative period. Reviews were done on the records of 17 preoperatively radiated patients with extremity sarcomas that was reconstructed with STSGs combined with VAC to assess the efficiency of VAC in this purpose. Through January 1997 and December 2005, there have been 19 patients identified to base on their records to have undergone STSG reconstruction of irradiated extremity defects with VAC. These patients had soft tissue sarcomas. External beam radiation was used to treat the tumor bed and added with intraoperative radiation or brachytherapy. This was done before skin was grafted. Two of these patients however were excluded in the study because one had necrosis of the underlying irradiate muscle flaps while the other had 40% skin graft placed with epidermis which faced the recipients bed. This left 17 patients (9 men and 8 women, age 42 to 82, mean 65) to be

Current Macroeconomic Topic in US Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Current Macroeconomic Topic in US - Term Paper Example As the fiscal gap continues to grow, policymakers and citizens grow more concerned with the state of their economy, and how they can reduce the deficit they are facing. This paper will examine the impact drug legalization may have on the economy, and how society might react in the face of this new reality. Economists argue that the current fiscal gap the region is facing might be reduced with the implementation of certain policies. The legalization of certain drugs in the region is one of the main issues being discussed. It is clear that calls for cuts or cutbacks in expenditure and increase in taxation are receiving little or no support (Buning, Drucker and Matthews 116). This issue brings to light some of the unconventional ways in which lobby groups, politicians, and citizens have welcomed the legalization of certain drugs in order to reduce the deficit. There are benefits attached to the legalization of drugs such as marijuana, for example; lower prohibition expenditures, reduction in criminal justice expenses, and even a reduction in the levels of arrests, prosecutions, and imprisonment of individuals involved. States that have currently legalized the sale, distribution, and use of marijuana are expected to meet some of the budgetary savings they predicted. If this happens, it is possible that countless other states will follow through with the legalization of the same drug. Some of the benefits are mentioned in countless discussions and debates. It is worth mentioning that recent studies point to the fact that the government can save over $40 billion dollars with the legalization of marijuana, cocaine and heroin, and other drugs. Tax revenue in this case would be placed at an estimated $45 billion dollars annually. This is with the legalization of marijuana, cocaine and heroin, and all other drugs. As this market is driven

Collapse Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Collapse - Essay Example The paper will conclude with a critical evaluation f Diamond’s book and summarization of the main points discussed in the whole paper. The author has succeeded in bringing out his message in the book. He has discussed the reasons as to why many societies collapsed especially in the 13th and 14th centuries. Some of the reasons as t why the societies collapsed include outbreak of deadly disease (Bubonic Plague), changes in climatic seasons, and war. Due to the above factors, many people in the societies lost their lives and this led to the reduction of people in the society. There is also the discussion of how the societies were able to recover from the loss. For one, there was strengthening of the army which enabled strong defense against the members of the society. There was cultural survival whereby the culture of the Mongols was dropped and the societies embraced the Chinese cultural traditions. There was multiplication of population due to increase of birth rates. This made the society to replace the people who were lost during the war. According to Diamond, societies collapsed mainly in the fourteenth century due to the outbreak bubonic plague. Since the societies were crowded, the disease widely spread and caused lot of deaths to the people. The outbreak continued up to seventh century whereby by then it had claimed a lot of lives. The disease had spread and had covered most parts of Asia, Europe some parts of north Africa (Diamond 2011 , p. 350). In 1340s, merchants from Mongols and other travelers assisted in the spread of the plague along all the trade routes that were used by the Chinese people. By the year 1348, the disease had spread throughout the Mediterranean basin and most parts of Western Europe. The other reason for the collapse according to Diamond was the changes in climatic seasons whereby in 1300 B.C there was a continued cool season for five years. This made famine to ravage the

How to predict the size of the medical school applicant pool for the future Essay Example for Free

How to predict the size of the medical school applicant pool for the future Essay Many approaches can be used to predict the size of medical school applicant pool. To predict the size of the medical pool, several techniques can be used to address the problem. However, the results of the different techniques may vary from one to another. Thus, one should identify the proper technique to be used in the said scenario. Based on the problem background, the predicting technique the can be used to address predicting the size of medical school applicant pool is regression analysis. Regression analysis is statistical technique which has a goal of predicting, modeling and characterizing a problem. Regression analysis was chosen as a technique to predict the applicant pool because regression analysis rely on factors that can affect the result of the prediction model. Regression analysis can be used to identify factors that have great influence on the dependent variable being predicted. In this case, one can use regression analysis to predict applicant pool size depending on the factors that can influence the variable. Being able to determine factors that have great influence on the predicted variable means that the regression model created will give a better prediction of the variable being predicted (Cohen, Cohen, West, Aiken, 2003). Several variables are considered to have an influence on the medical school applicant size. Some of the variables considered include seats given for incoming first year medical students and the quality of the applicants based on their GPA and MCAT results. Other factors can also be included in order to predict the applicant pool size such as the applicant-to-matriculant ratio. The ratio is an important factor identified as it is an indicator of whether medical schools are capable of filling their classes (Garrison, Matthew Jones, 2007). With the use of regression analysis, one can identify factors given above that have great influence on the size of medical school applicant pool. Identifying such influential factors can create a better model that can predict medical school applicant pool. Thus, regression analysis can be used to address the problem of predicting size of medical school applicant pool.

Case Study of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill and the Resultant Changes

Case Study of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill and the Resultant Changes Research report of this case study is regarding of the Exxon Valdez oil spill disaster. Exxon Mobil Corporation is found on 30th November 1999 by merging Exxon and Mobil and its the largest publicly traded companies in the world. It is in the rank of #1 or #2 for the past 5 years. By the time it reached March 1989, a worst tragedy took place where caused by one of the largest super tanker in the world Exxon Valdez. [1] Different products have developed constantly in respond to changing demand for better in petroleum refinery. There a lot of processes involve in refinery, but the four main processes is refinery, separation, conversion and purification operation processes. At first the use of refinery is to create kerosene as cheaper and better compare to whale oil. Since all vehicles and airplane is combustion engine, it created more needs for petroleum. The location of Prince William Sound is so deep in where it only can be access by plane and boat. Due to this, the government and particular industries that involve had a tough time cleaning the disaster. By this major disaster, environment, economic and social were the main aspects were affected badly. It has given a negative impact on the lifestyle of the people in Prince William Sound.[2] A lot of action has been taken in the oil refinery industry after the oil spill, such as Operation Integrated Management System (OIMS), better radar system and Coast Guard in Prince William Sound. Introduction 2.1 Problem Statement By such disaster occurring, the exposure and early prevention steps would be taken by the society. Engineers will be efficient as in; safety and the quality would play a big role for them in their career by knowing the consequences of the major disaster. 2.2 Objective 1. The aim and objectives 2. To observe oil and refinery industrial processes and operations and learn the cause of the disaster 3. Risks of the oil spill disaster and pollution that affected all areas that lead to the oil spill disaster and pollution 4. The consequences of all the hazards of the oil spill disaster 5. To improvise and the changes in the management systems to prevent from the disaster to occur 2.3 Overview This research report is a case study of the Exxon Valdez oil spill disaster that took place in Prince William Sound, Alaska. Within six hours of the grounding, the Exxon Valdez spilled around 10.9 million gallons of its 53 million gallon cargo of Prudhoe Bay crude oil. Eight of the eleven tanks on board were damaged. Even before this major disaster occurred, they were high risk of oil spill in Prince William Sound. There is still an unclear doubt why this oil spill took place. [1] 3. Aim and objectives of Exxon Mobil Corporation Exxon Mobil Corporation is merged in two companies which is Exxon and Mobil in the year of 1999. It is the worlds largest petroleum and petrochemical company and it is also the worlds leading traded international oil and gas company. Exxon Mobil markets fuel and lubricants are under three brands which are Esso, Exxon and Mobil. The corporation aims and objective is divided into few sectors: 3.1 Development Exxon Mobil is focused on serious and discipline investment decision to find the best solutions that can give a large amount of profit and also the same time increase the reliability and reduce the cost. Exxon Mobil is also focused on many major projects which have started with the design and the operating concept and delivery. 3.2 Employees Exxon Mobil is very choosy in taking in and retaining employers. They need employers who are extremely good and get the best out of them. They make the best of the best by sending them to the best training. They are very committed to maintain their safety during at workplace. A safe work environment enriched by diversity and characterized by open communication, trust and fair treatment.[3] 3.3 Communities Exxon Mobil is base throughout the world. Where ever the, they are very committed to be a good cooperate citizen. They maintain their high ethical standards, obey all applicable laws, rules and regulation and also respect the culture of the respective country. Among all those objectives above, they are more dedicated to running safe and environmentally responsible process. Exxon Mobil Corporation is self-motivated to be at the leading edge of competition in all the aspects of our business. They are very discipline and very selective in estimating the range of capital investment opportunities available to them. They create new ways such as develop proprietary technologies that provide a competitive edge. Their goals are achieved by flawlessly executing business plans and adhering to these guiding principles and the foundation policies. 3.4 Shareholders Exxon Mobil Corporation is committed to enhance the long term period value of the investment dollars trusted to them by the shareholders. At the end the shareholders would be rewarded with their superior returns. The momentum of this would enhance their management of their Corporation. [1] 3.5 Customers To remain successful in an industry, a company has to be firm to please those different perception customers to adapt to their needs. Exxon Mobil commits them self to offer high quality products and services at competitive prices. [1] Refinery Industrial Processes and operations Figure 1: Process Flow Diagram [4] Oil refinery industry is a process where a barrel of raw crude oil that contains a mixture of all sorts of hydrocarbons, is transform it to petrochemical fuel like petrol and diesel. All processes are done by heat, pressure and chemical reaction method. Valves and gadgets is the one regulated when the crude oil runs through many kilo metres of pipes. Computerizes gadgets used to monitor to control and optimize the processes that are undertaken. Refining Process In this industry, refining is the most simplest and common processes is under taken. It starts with the crude oil is been heated up to vaporize the oil in distillation tower. Naturally heavier molecules would not rise as lighter ones in the vapour and with this the vapour can condense with different levels. When the cooling process occurs at various degrees, the liquefied gasses are collected in condensation trays. By this various types of petrochemical material are obtained. [4] 4.2 Treatment The purpose of this process is for hydrocarbon streams to get ready for extra processing and to prepare complete products. Sometimes it includes the elimination or separation of aromatics and naphthenic also as impurities. Chemical or physical separation for instance dissolving, absorption, or precipitation using a variation and combination of processes containing desalting, drying, hydro desulfurizing, solvent refining, sweetening, solvent extraction, and solvent dew axing might be included. 4.3 Catalytic Cracking Catalytic processes are another type of processes. It involves the breaking of heavy molecules into more valuable light molecules. For an example the breaking of low bitumen to diesel or even petrol where this process takes place in a high temperature using an alumina silicate and alumina silicate acts as a catalyst to the process and helps to break down the molecule. This catalyst is in powder form. 4.6 Auxiliary operations and facilities Steam and power generation, process and fire water system, flares and relief system, furnaces and heaters, pumps and valves, supply of steam, air, nitrogen and other plant gases, alarms and sensors, noise and pollution controls, sampling, testing, inspecting, laboratory, control room, maintenance and managerial facilities. [5] 4.4 Other Refining Operations This includes light-ends recovery, sour-water stripping, solid waste and wastewater management, process-water treatment and cooling, storing and management, product movement, hydrogen production, acid and tail-gas treatment and sulphur retrieval. [5] 5. Risks in all areas that lead to disaster 5.1 Human Error Human error is the main contributing factors. The first mate or captain of the tanker Captain Hazelwood was under influence of alcohol, at that time of the incident. The captain was unable to concentrate on his responsibility. This could be avoided if the captain of the ship were more discipline during work. Hazelwood was send to alcohol rehabilitation for 28 days. The management knew about it and they followed his progress in rehab. The mistake the management did was, gave him the responsible to be a captain of vessel again. Instead of reinstating such a major responsible as a captain, they should have given him desk work job. Moreover the third mate who was in charge of the vessel when the major accident occurred. This is because he had very little sleep the night before grounding and they were lacking of staff on board tanker. When the Hazelwood went to sleep, the third mate had to take in charge to manoeuvre the tanker without having enough sleep.[6] 5.2 Failure of Coast Guard Safe proofing method has been established and agreed between State of Alaska, the Coast Guard and the oil industry. This is to avoid human error to occur. This method works when there is a form of iceberg the coast guard has to warn the captains and the captain has to slow down their tankers. However, most of the tankers did not follow to the rules including Exxon Valdez due to profit and eliminate down time. 5.3 Delayed Response Location of Prince Williams Sound is deep so deep in by geographical view, where can be only excessed by air or water made the response slow. Apart from the location, the weather also played another big factor. Due to delayed response on reacting to clean the mess, the oil polluted about 2000km of cost line and about 26000 square kilo meters of sea was contaminated. [10] Consequences Figure 2: State on-scene Coordinators [8] A tanker with crude oil from Prudhoe Bay, Alaska collides with a reef in Alaskas Prince William Sound and 11 million gallons of crude oil spilled into one of the biggest coastlines. The horrible outcome out of the incident could have been reduced but due to the location, it made it hard for the clean-up team and the government to react. Even Exxon Mobile did not react fast due to their unstable system in place to deal with the crisis. There is no any commitment given by Exxon Mobile to ensure that this same incident will occur again. [9] 6.1 Economical The total money to just clean the mess is approximately USD 2.1 billion dollars and fine is USD 5 billion dollars of this was the biggest penalizing fines ever charged out to a company. The total Exxon Mobile had to fork out USD 7.1 billion dollars. Those fishermens were affected badly, till their livelihoods were affected. They were relying on that for surviving. They lost around yearly gross valued at USD 174 million dollars. Due to this tourism industry were affected as well. [8] 6.2 Environmental Ecological system and wildlife were destroyed fully. Shoreline for 1400 miles was affected till they cant find those areas. A total of 1,015 dead Sea otters, 36,466 dead Sea birds 144 dead bald eagles, 302 harbour and more than 100,000 of oiled birds. The number for dead birds was the highest compare to Heneman oil spill happen in 1989. Some species sinked when they die, due to that the whole sea was polluted. Most of the marine mammals fall sick due to ingesting oil while trying to clean oil of their furs or feathers or eating intoxicated prey. [9] Improvement and Changes in the Management System 7.1 Operation Integrity Management System After the oil spill Exxon Mobil Corporation devised a complete 11 point plan which covers from management to employees and everything including facilities and training. Exxon Mobil implemented an approach where safety is a major factor. The multilevel (OIMS) covers an extensive level of element in management system. This elements could classified as leadership management in safety and accountability, design, constructing and maintaining facilities, readiness in facing emergency, adaptation to change, continuous assessment of performance and inquiries in accident and incidents. When this policy been implemented Exxon had to go through a lot of changes and this changes lead to more improve and safe environment. This creates, Exxon Mobil to be the leader for safety in the industry. [4] 7.2 Management Leadership Implementation of safety starts at the management and work itself down to the labour force. This is because at the management level, the planning of the health and safety procedure is done. Thus enforcing safety measures also the responsibility of the management. This is done by identifying the risk involves followed by setting clear performances criteria. This can be done by creating a clear risk management procedure. Once that is done the leadership in the organization should have a strict enforcement policy where everybody involve should be given proper training and additional exposure to the risk and safety measure are involve. [4] 7.3 Construction and Facilities When designing a facilities and construction of the facilities there is different type degree of safeties. For an example when u designing a machinery or tool, in this case best related to a building of a oil tanker. After the catastrophic disaster of Exxon Valdez, the safety emphasis on the design was changed. For an example, tankers now are re-enforced by having double hull and other safety measures are more efficient. The operation safety is emphasis by training where is given to all ship crew. For an example, navigation officers are given training in extreme condition ship manoeuvring. [4] Improvement and Policies After the incident Exxon Mobil had strict recruitment policies where all employees which are new has to go through an alcohol and drug screening. This was also implemented on existing staff and this was done after the incident. If in case there was a employee who was under the influence of any substance on board a vessel would be stopped from sailing again until they can prove that they would not repeat and gone through proper rehabilitation. [4] Conclusion The conclusion is Exxon Valdez was one of the major oil spill disaster. It effect of this incident was wide spread and very devastating. Resulting from a human error and negligence, many innocent people and environment was affected. From this case study it can be said that a good safety plan is required. Management also should always be responsible with their action and measures to prevent such disaster. Given the situation and late response to the disaster made the incident even worse. They were many guidelines that did not followed by the management and employees, for an example the captain who was under the influence of alcohol and the lack of crew members on board. Incident happens because of human error. The crew on board was very badly trained or not trained at all for any kind of situation. Therefore more training needed in future for all the employees, there should be always a body which monitors the training and sets on-going training for all the staffs. The management should also enforce health and safety guidelines in a regular basis. To ensure in the future there will be any similar incidents occurring. There also should be a team that ensures the maintainers of the tanker and equipment on board. The Exxon Valdez spill was a lesson well learned by everyone especially Exxon Mobil Corporation and other oil and gas companies.

Introduction to Buffer Solutions

Introduction to Buffer Solutions Introduction Buffer solution is a solution consisting a mixture of weak acid and its conjugate base . Furthermore they declare that buffer solutions are very essential to keep the pH value nearly constant in variety of chemical application. ( Crowe and Bradshaw 2010) Many life forms thrives only in a relatively small pH range so they utilize a buffer solution to maintain a constant pH, one common example of a buffer solution found in nature is blood. buffer solution is very vital t keep the pH at a constant value in variety of enzymes in many organisms to work this is due to different enzymes work at different prà ©cised pH. On the same way they state that if the pH range moves above or below the range, the enzymatic action either stops or can denature where there are many cases denaturation can permanently disable their catalytic activity. ( Kotz, Treichel and Townsend ,2009) Buffer of carbonic acid and bicarbonate is present in blood plasma maintain pH between 7.35 to 7.45.Over more they clarify that there are two main types of buffer system, Acid buffer system: the solution containing large amount of weak acid and its salt with strong base is termed as acidic buffer solution. pH = pKa + log [salt] / [acid] Basic buffer system: the solution containing large amount of weak base and its salt with strong acid is termed as basic buffer solution. pOH = pKb + log [salt] / [base] (Moore, Stanitski and Jurs (2009) In living organisms including human the important buffer solution to maintain the ph of the blood is bicarbonate buffering system. On the other hand they state that this bicarbonate buffer system tends to maintain relatively constant plasma pH, where carbon dioxide combines with water to form carbonic acids which in turn rapidly dissociate to form hydrogen ions and bicarbonate ions.( Lanham et al ,2011) CO2 + H2O H2CO3 HCO3 + H+ Blood is dumped by excess hydrogen ions, some of those hydrogen ions associate with bicarbonate forming carbonic acid results in increase in acidity of the blood. As well as they elaborate that due to this incident the buffering system becomes powerful regulator of acidity by accompanying with respiratory compensation in which breathing is altered to modify the carbon dioxide in circulation which results in increase in ventilation therefore increase the loss of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. (Rhoades and Bell (2012), pH meter is a electronic device that is used to measure the ph of the solution, where a typical pH meter consists of a special measuring probe connected to an electronic meter that measures and display the reading. (Kenkel,2013) Objectives To know how to prepare buffer solution. To practice again how to prepare standard solution. To know how to measure the pH using pH meter. Materials Used Electronic balance Pipette Measuring cylinder Watch glass Beaker pH meter Volumetric flask (100ml) NaHPO4 powder (0.7 g) Na2HPO4 powder (1.56 g) Sodium hydroxide pellets Ammonium chloride powder Glass rod Spatula Methodology At pH 7 NAHPO4, 0.70g and Na2HPO4, 1.56g was taken and measured using the electronic balance. Then both NAHPO4 and Na2HPO4 were mixed together into the volumetric flask. First half of the volumetric flask was filled with distilled water and dissolved by inverting. Later on the flask was filled with distilled water till it reaches the meniscus level. Finally the pH was measured. At pH 10 NH4OH NH4+ + OH; pKb = 4.74 pOH = pKb + log [NH4+] / [NH3] pKw = pH + pOH 14 = 10 + pOH pOH = 4 pOH = pKb + log [NH4+] / [NH3] 4 = 4.74 + log [NH4+] / [NH3] [NH4+] / [NH3] = 10 -0.74 = 0.181 NH4CL, 0.1m standard solution was made. Afterwards NaOH, 0.34g was measured using the electronic balance. NaOH of 0.34g was obtained by, NH4+ + OH- NH3 + H2O x 0.1 – x 0 x [NH4+] / [NH3] = 0.181 X = 0.085M of OH- Number of mole of NaOH = 0.085 x (100 / 1000) = 0.0085 mols Mass of NaOH = 0.0085 x 40 = 0.34g Then afterwards 0.34g of NaOH was dissolved in 0.1 M of NH4Cl to form a buffer solution. NaOH, 0.1m standard solution was made. Afterwards NaOH, 0.34g was measured using the electronic balance. NH4Cl of 0.63g was obtained by, NH4+ + OH- NH3 + H2O x 0.1 x – 0.1 0 0.1 [NH4+] / [NH3] = 0.181 X = 0.1181M of NH4+ Number of mole of NH4Cl = 0.1181x (100 / 1000) = 0.01181 mols Mass of NH4Cl = 0.01181 x 35 = 0.63g Then afterwards 0.63g of NH4Cl was dissolved in 0.1 M of NaOH to form a buffer solution. Later on using the pH meter the final ph of each buffer solution was measured approximately. Results Discussion / Conclusion Every precise work the pH meter should be calibrated before each measurement, at every experiment the calibration is done because the glass rode does not give reproducible electro motive force over longer periods of time. Additionally further he states that pH meter calibration should be performed with at least two standard buffer solutions that span the range of pH values to be measured. (Hauser 2001) Single measurement the probe should be rinsed with distilled water to remove any traces of solution being measured and then it should be blotted using the scientific wipe to absorb any remaining water which could dilute the sample which alters the reading. (Prichard 2003) Reference Crowe, J and Bradshaw, T (2010). Chemistry of biosciences: the essential concepts. Google Books [Online].Availableat:http://books.google.lk/books?id=onacAQAAQBAJpg=PA578dq=buffer+solutionhl=ensa=Xei=UkOuU7OtJJO78gXkvIDYDQredir_esc=y#v=onepageq=buffer%20solutionf=false(Accessed: 28 Aug 2014) Kotz, J., Treichel, P and Townsend, J (2009). Chemistry and chemistry reactivity, enhanced edition. Google Books [Online]. Available at: http://books.google.lk/books?id=IBESYmQcb0sCpg=PA851dq=buffer+solutionhl=ensa=Xei=u0CuU4PYBYS78gXVpoGIAwredir_esc=y#v=onepageq=buffer%20solutionf=false (Accessed: 28 aug 2014) Moore, J., Stanitski, C and Jurs, P (2009). Principles of chemistry: the molecular science. Googke Books [Online]. Available at: http://books.google.lk/books?id=ZOm8L9oCwLMCpg=PA575dq=buffer+solutionhl=ensa=Xei=u0CuU4PYBYS78gXVpoGIAwredir_esc=y#v=onepageq=buffer%20solutionf=false (Accessed: 27 aug 2014) Lanham, S.A., Stear,S., Shirreffs,S and Colins, A (2011). Sports and exercise nutrition. Google Books [online]. Available at: http://books.google.lk/books?id=YePJM98Np5MCpg=RA1PT115dq=blood+acting+as+bufferhl=ensa=Xei=E0KuU8ypKYb_8QWLh4G4Awredir_esc=y#v=onepageq=blood%20acting%20as%20bufferf=false (Accessed: 28 aug 2014) Rhoades, R.A and Bell, D.R (2012). Medical physiology: principles of clinical medicine. Google Books [Online]. Available at: http://books.google.lk/books?id=1kGcFOKCUzkCpg=PA457dq=blood+acting+as+bufferhl=ensa=Xei=E0KuU8ypKYb_8QWLh4G4Awredir_esc=y#v=onepageq=blood%20acting%20as%20bufferf=false (Accessed: 28 June 2014) Kenkel, J (2013). Analytical chemistry for technicians fourth edition. Google books [Online]. Available at: http://books.google.lk/books?id=JZAAAAAAQBAJpg=PA400dq=ph+meterhl=ensa=Xei=0LOuU8T0Os7r8AWY0oHwAgredir_esc=y#v=onepageq=ph%20meterf=false (Accessed: 27aug 2014) Hauser, B (2001). Drinking water chemistry: laboratory manual. Google Books [Online]. Available at: http://books.google.lk/books?id=SVxcRu68YGwCpg=PA28dq=calibration+of+ph+meterhl=ensa=Xei=lQ2wU_GhI8yB8gWx9oDAAwredir_esc=y#v=onepageq=calibration%20of%20ph%20meterf=false (Accessed: 26 aug 2014) Prichard, E (2003). Measurement of pH. Google books [Online]. Available at: http://books.google.lk/books?id=HNJy5rtJLjACpg=PA2dq=ph+meterhl=ensa=Xei=0LOuU8T0Os7r8AWY0oHwAgredir_esc=y#v=onepageq=ph%20meterf=false (Accessed: 28 aug 2014)

Environment and Climate Change in Panama Essays -- Weather Panama Envi

Environment and Climate Change in Panama Home to vast tropical rainforests, an immense variety of animal and plant species and the seaway that connects the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Pacific Ocean, Panama relies heavily on all these resources for its economy. However, environmental challenges threaten the sustainability of these assets and therefore create a significant problem for the country. This paper will examine the effect of weather and climate change on Panama coupled with a specific focus on the Panama Canal. It concentrates largely on the effects of deforestation, coupled with the effect of El-Nino, and examines how this has had significant economic and social consequences. Panama has a tropical maritime climate, which provides the country with a long, rainy season between May and January and a short, dry season between January and May. Average temperatures are usually high and humidity levels almost never drop below 80%. The country’s carbon emissions are not significant to account for a percentage of the world emissions and they have relatively stayed the same during the period 1995-2000.[i] Forest area stood at 38.6% on 2002, with nationally protected areas at 21.7% of total area.[ii] In general, data has shown an increase in highly â€Å"unusual extreme weather events† since 1992 in the Latin America region and has predicted that these phenomena will become more frequent. These unusual events, coupled with local social and demographic factors, have created emergency conditions in Panama. One of the most significant challenges to Panama’s environment today is deforestation. Forest area has decreased from 45.6% in 1995 to 38.6% ... ....† Retrieved on 11/09/2007 from: Fonseca, Gustavo A.B. â€Å"No Forest Left Behind.† PLOS Biology. 08/14/2007. Retrieved on 11/10/2007 from: United Nations Environment Programme. â€Å"Climate Change Hits Hard on Latin America and the Caribbean.† Press Release. 2007. Retrieved on 12/13/2007 from: University Corporation of Atmospheric Research. Reducing the Impact of Environmental Emergencies Through Early Warning and Preparedness. â€Å"Panama Canal Case Study: Impacts and Responses to the 1997-98 El Nino Event.† Retrieved on 11/10/2007 from:

Career, Career Interests, and the Value of a College Education :: essays research papers

I am currently employed as a software integration technologist with Motorola. The division I work in develops software used to identify persons, usually for law enforcement purposes, through fingerprint, palm print, facial, and demographic matching technologies. My job is to integrate these technologies into a single, fast, and easy to use system. Specifically, I code the workflow engine that allows the separate technologies to function as a single system. Instead of moving from company to company, changing jobs every few years like many of my past and present co-workers have done; I have been working at the same company for the last 18 years. I started at the bottom, in a data entry position while attending college classes in the evening. I worked my up the corporate ladder, meeting the challenges offered to me by my superiors, discovering my talents, developing my skills and performing to the best of my abilities. The reward was career advancement and increased compensation. Experience has taught me that there are many behaviors that will help you to succeed in a career. These behaviors include self-confidence, productivity, respect, the ability to work with others, a focus on quality, and a commitment to ethics.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Self-confidence in your own abilities will allow you to face challenges with a positive attitude and enthusiasm. You will be able to demonstrate a boldness and decisiveness that radiates professional integrity and communicate with impact. You must be â€Å"willing to say what you think is in the best interest of the organization – even if it’s not popular.† (Troiano, 1998) Plan and organize with the goal of being productive. Motivate yourself to achieve â€Å"necessary tasks and take on more challenges.† (Will your future, 2000) Be responsible for your own education. Learn quickly and work efficiently.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Build and sustain relationships with your coworkers and customers. Show respect and be courteous. Demonstrate an ability to work with others. Look to your peers for assistance and do not be reluctant to give assistance on work related problems.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Focus on quality, client service, and customer perceptions. The customer will be delighted with a quality product or service delivered punctually and professionally. Your superiors will note this satisfaction and use it when making future decisions that involve you.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  According to the Columbia Encyclopedia, ethics is â€Å"the body of obligations and duties that a particular society requires of its members.† Society, in this case, refers to the corporate body. An employee has a responsibility to their employer to abide by the company’s code of ethics at all times. Career, Career Interests, and the Value of a College Education :: essays research papers I am currently employed as a software integration technologist with Motorola. The division I work in develops software used to identify persons, usually for law enforcement purposes, through fingerprint, palm print, facial, and demographic matching technologies. My job is to integrate these technologies into a single, fast, and easy to use system. Specifically, I code the workflow engine that allows the separate technologies to function as a single system. Instead of moving from company to company, changing jobs every few years like many of my past and present co-workers have done; I have been working at the same company for the last 18 years. I started at the bottom, in a data entry position while attending college classes in the evening. I worked my up the corporate ladder, meeting the challenges offered to me by my superiors, discovering my talents, developing my skills and performing to the best of my abilities. The reward was career advancement and increased compensation. Experience has taught me that there are many behaviors that will help you to succeed in a career. These behaviors include self-confidence, productivity, respect, the ability to work with others, a focus on quality, and a commitment to ethics.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Self-confidence in your own abilities will allow you to face challenges with a positive attitude and enthusiasm. You will be able to demonstrate a boldness and decisiveness that radiates professional integrity and communicate with impact. You must be â€Å"willing to say what you think is in the best interest of the organization – even if it’s not popular.† (Troiano, 1998) Plan and organize with the goal of being productive. Motivate yourself to achieve â€Å"necessary tasks and take on more challenges.† (Will your future, 2000) Be responsible for your own education. Learn quickly and work efficiently.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Build and sustain relationships with your coworkers and customers. Show respect and be courteous. Demonstrate an ability to work with others. Look to your peers for assistance and do not be reluctant to give assistance on work related problems.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Focus on quality, client service, and customer perceptions. The customer will be delighted with a quality product or service delivered punctually and professionally. Your superiors will note this satisfaction and use it when making future decisions that involve you.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  According to the Columbia Encyclopedia, ethics is â€Å"the body of obligations and duties that a particular society requires of its members.† Society, in this case, refers to the corporate body. An employee has a responsibility to their employer to abide by the company’s code of ethics at all times.

Pastoral Reflection Paper

After returning home from the mission field and going on staff at a Church, it wasn’t long before I found myself being used by God to counsel people. There was a lot of fear involved in the counseling, not from those who were being counseled, but from me, because I never had any formal training. Different life situations have caused me to receive counseling, but that was the extent of my counseling experience. After seeing God use me, an unqualified servant help marriages be restored, I felt the call to return to school to obtain a formal education in Pastoral Counseling.I will share how it all came about, what I have learned and what I expect the Lord to do through this formal training from taking PACO 500 Introduction to Pastoral Counseling. LIFE EXPERIENCES CHANGED MY FUTURE Fear doesn’t describe what I went through while serving the Lord as a M, in Northern Africa. My family and I where in the middle of a civil war, between Rebels and the President’s forces a fter being in the country for only three weeks. Gunfire, sounds of tanks shooting their guns and RPG’s flying through the sky happened throughout the day.The first night of the civil war, thieves decided to take the opportunity to invade our home while there was no police force; because they were helping the army fight the war. After going through a home invasion and being shot at during the invasion, three days later we were finally evacuated out of the country by the French Military. My family and I along with other expats arrived in France to a crowd of reporters and a small group of counselors. THE CHANGES My first experience with any type of counseling came that day we exited the plane in France.My family and I had gone through more than we signed up for as M, living through those three days of a civil war. The personal emotions we went through from that experience, at that time I did not know how to describe, but after reading The Pastor’s Guide to Psychological Disorders and Treatments, I now know we went through a form of an anxiety attack. The authors, Johnson and Johnson (2000), define anxiety as â€Å"a universal human emotion. It is a general feeling of apprehension about possible danger. † (p. 8).Reading through the symptoms of anxiety described by Johnson and Johnson (2000), â€Å"sweating, rapid heart rate, shortness of breath, nausea, dizziness, hot or cold flashes, trembling, dry mouth, and difficulty swallowing. † (p. 9) we experienced almost all of them to a certain extent during the war. After sitting with the counselors while in France over a five day period, having opportunities to share all that had happened to us, allowed us to exhale and realize someone cared about what happened to us. Those days of meetings, along with a period of five months, we were allowed to return to the country we had been evacuated from.Not only did we return to the same city, but to the same house that we experienced the home evasio n. God used that counseling team to help restore us so we could return to the work we were called. Upon our return we were able to see four different people come to a saving faith in Jesus Christ. After the two years we spent in Northern Africa, we returned home and I went on staff at Church as a Associate Pastor. One of the major things I learned while living overseas, you need a spiritually strong family to have a spiritually strong ministry. If your family is not healthy your ministry or job will not be healthy.Over the past four years while living in the states, I have noticed a great need to help family become stronger. After being approached by the second family, asking me to help them grow their family spiritually, I asked them why they were coming to me? Their answer opened my eyes to the truth about how God uses bad situation for His glory. They told me after hearing about all my family had gone through while living overseas and seeing how we had not just survived, but we t hrived as a family, they wanted to meet and talk. I could not call it counseling, but in my heart knew that is what it would lead too.Then as my eyes were opened to all the men in my church who were struggling with pornography, addiction, and anger issues, I knew I could not just sit back and watch them walk that road of darkness. I started meeting with these men alone at first, and then when I met with them and their wife, I would invite my wife into the meeting. It was at that point I was labeled the unofficial counseling Pastor of the Church. As I looked back on the way I handled those meetings as a unqualified counselor with those different men and their wives, I have realized I did some things right and a lot of things wrong.Because of this time of reflection and feeling the Lord’s leading, I enrolled back in school to obtain my degree in Pastoral Counseling. In doing this, I know God will use this class to teach me different methods, style and techniques to better help people and families in need. Since enrolling in PACO 500, I have been reflecting back on those unofficial counseling times, and I have realized that listening to the counselee is just as important as having a personal quiet time daily with God. In Petersen’s (2007) Why Don’t We Listen Better? Rev. Dr. Petersen shares one of the things he has learned.He states, â€Å"I have leaned the value of communication balancing: listen awhile, talk until the other person stops hearing, and listen until the person calms enough to hear again. † (p. 5). While I was meeting with these different families, I realized I did not have a balance in my listening skills. I would battle with the feeling of wanting to interject my thoughts or opinions. Petersen’s (2007) statement â€Å"real listening gets us inside each other and there seems to be something in such human connection that touches and changes us. † (p. 7) This statement taught me that if I want to follow myhea rt’s desire to truly help people, I must become a better listener. Looking back on my time when I went through counseling in France, I realize the counselors had a great amount of balance in their sessions. Reflecting upon my life experiences with counseling sessions, I am excited to learn how to be a better listener and how to ask the right questions to show I care. One of the things I am expecting out of this class is to learn how to effectively use the Solution – Focused Counseling taught in the first edition of Solution-Focused Pastoral Counseling: An Effective Short-Term Approach of Getting People Back on Track.Kollar’s new edition (1997/2011), because it offers a different approach to counseling. Dr. Kollar states that much of the time within sessions, counselors use the process of remaining centered on the problem, he calls this, â€Å"problem-focused† (p. 14). I am looking forward to learning how to change the focus from the problem, to visualizin g the outcome first. Dr. Kollar states when we do this, â€Å"we become solution-focused rather than problem focused. The outcome dictates the process rather than the process dictating the outcome. † (p. 15).That method was during my session while I was in France. The counselors had my family and I focus on the call on our life by the Lord to minister to those people in Northern Africa, who needed to hear about Christ and what would it take to get us back there. CONCLUSION The things I have learned already from the reading assignment required in PACO 500 are invaluable. I cannot wait to dig deeper into the different methods and ideas taught in my reading assignments. God has a plan for everything that happens and prepares us for His will to be done.As families and individuals deal with different life issues, with the training I will receive through this class and with the Holy Spirit’s guidance, I pray God will allow me to be equipped to help them have victory of those issues. I know God has given me a heart to help individuals and families grow closer to Him. With the Lord’s blessing, maybe one day I may be that counselor on the mission field helping others through difficult times, just as my family and I went through.

Chocolate industry India Essay

Introduction The market leader of the chocolate industry in India, Cadbury, is a British subsidiary of the American multinational confectionary, food and beverages conglomerate â€Å"Mondelez International†. Cadbury, is the second largest confectionary company in the world, close on the heels of Mars, Inc. In India, Cadbury owns a market share of 66 %, significantly ahead of the other multinational company operating the same space for many years, Nestle India, as well as other national, international and regional brands like Amul and Ferrero. Cadbury India began its operations in India in 1948, and has been a trusted and favored brand for decades in India. The market share has decreased from 70-80% in view of entry of other international chocolate companies in the Indian market, however it is still significantly large. Cadbury figures in the Brand Trust Report, 2011 in the Top 100 Most Trusted Brands in India. While Cadbury sells products in several categories such as candy, gum, beverages and chocolate confectionary, this report is aimed at studying the marketing strategy employed by Cadbury India in view of its chocolate confectionary business. Some of the products in this category include the highly popular Dairy Milk, Dairy Milk Silk, Bournville, Temptations, 5 Star, Dairy Milk Shots, Celebrations, Perk and Toblerone. In order to analyze the marketing strategy for Cadbury, this report begins with a SWOT analysis of the company. Environmental Analysis Political Food Safety Act 2006: Detailed and exacting regulations, for standards of production as well as imported chocolates, exist in India. Opportunity. Cadbury is better equipped to follow standards in production than smaller regional or local brands. Strength. Expand into the rural areas before local or regional companies focus on the rural market. Import Tax Rates on Chocolates: A tariff rate of 30% is levied on chocolates. Opportunity. Strength. Demand for premium chocolates at affordable prices can be encashed before foreign entrants can grow their roots within the Indian industry by introducing and aggressively marketing domestically manufactured premium chocolates. Economic Per Capita Spending Patterns: The biggest consumption category in India is Food. Spending in this amounts to almost 21% of the Gross Domestic Production. People, on average, spend 31% of their budget monthly, on food. 70% of the food spending is on agri-products, which incorporates candies and confectionary including chocolates. Two-thirds of this spending is on processed products. Domestic spending on food is expected to grow at a compounded 3 annual growth rate of 4% and billed to reach approximately 320 billion US dollars in value within the next 7 years. USD 841 million is spent on chocolates and confectionary in India. Opportunity. In households across income groups, a large share of money spent goes towards processed agricultural products including chocolates and other confectionary items. This can be encashed by developing effective channels to reach out and sell to lower and lower middle income groups. Strength. Socio-Cultural Social and cultural acceptability of products: There is an increasing acceptance of chocolates as an equivalent of traditional sweets in urban areas. Chocolates are, however, still seen as a luxury food item in rural areas. Opportunity. Chocolates are increasingly being seen as an equivalent or substitute for traditional sweets in terms of the convenience it offers when used for gifting on occasions. Strength. Cadbury is already working on this approach to sell to urban consumers. Rural consumers can also be reached out to and offered chocolates as a new gift item replacing sweets leading to increased sales. Technological Constantly improving technology in chocolate making leads to better tasting products as well as more convenient storage. Opportunity. Strength. Cadbury has the financial capability to invest in R&D and has already produced products that are better suited to Indian tastes and storage conditions that other foreign entrants into the industry are not yet as well adapted to. Natural factors. Climate for Cocoa Production: Cocoa, used to produce chocolates can only be grown in regions 15 degrees to the north or south of the equator. Cocoa, originally a crop native to the Amazon basin, can only be grown in the southern states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. It is not a commonly grown crop. Threat. Lack or scarcity of domestic cocoa producers can affect production costs of chocolates within the country. Strength. Cadbury has encouraged farmers in Kerala to produce cocoa since the 1970s and is now in the process of promoting Cocoa as an inter-crop plant for coconut growing farmers. Successful pursuance of this connect with the farmers would help Cadbury procure raw material at lower prices within the country. Consumer behavior Age composition: 66% of the population is below the age of 35. Opportunity. It implies that a huge part of the population can be encouraged to take up consumption of chocolates more frequently and will be met with less resistance than that put up by older consumers with already set eating habits. Strength. 4 Competition Traditional Sweets: Very widely available and traditional choice, but inconsistent in hygiene levels and taste. Threat. Build on image of chocolates being a better and more hygienic choice, which adheres to food safety standards set out by the Govt. Build on image that chocolates are a more sophisticated choice for gifting carrying greater meaning than ‘mithai’ from neighbourhood sweet shops. Strength. Confectionary items like candies, cakes and icecream: Candies are easily available and appeal to children who have traditionally been the target consumers for chocolates. Threat. Cadbury can emphasize more strongly that chocolates are not meant only for children but for adults as well who may not prefer to eat candies. Cadbury chocolate can be offered as an experience, that is not replicated by eating candies and conectionary items. Strength. Entry of several foreign players: As India is seen to have a rapidly growing chocolate consuming country, with people willing to spend not only on inexpensive smaller packs of chocolates, but also premium chocolates as well, foreign players have started foraying into the market with the hope of establishing a presence in the premium sector at least. Threat. Cadbury can increase its foothold in the premium sector of chocolate industry by launching and promoting premium chocolate brands with higher cocoa content which could be priced a bit lower than the foreign brands. In fact, Cadbury is already in the process of implementing such a strategy through the introduction of Bournville and Toblerone. Strength. Suppliers Global network: Half of the cocoa sourced for chocolate making by Cadbury is from sources around the globe, including countries like Ghana, for its famous brand Bournville. Opportunity. Cadbury can source the majority of its cocoa from farmers in India through contract farming, while importing from foreign countries specifically for certain brands only. This will help reduce loss due to global fluctuations in cocoa bean prices and also reduce transport or shipment costs. It will also help create an even more positive image in the eyes of the Indian population. Strength. Dealer network: Cadbury has CSR activities directed at the farmers who are producing cocoa on contract for Cadbury in the state of Kerala. Opportunity. Cadbury is now in the process of extending these activities to farmers in 3 more southern Indian states. This will help cement positive relations between the cocoa growers and the brand, which may put it at an advantage when compared to new foreign entrants in the country like Ferrero or Mars, Inc. Strength. 5 Advertising environment Use of role models: Trustworthy role models in the media, when used as Brand Ambassadors, give a much needed push to the further acceptance of a product. Opportunity. Cadbury has been able to utilize this by roping in celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan, thus emphasizing the idea that even adults can have chocolates, since even a person of Amitabh Bachchan’s stature has not shied away from having them. Cadbury also has the financial power to rope in more high profile celebrities for the same. Strength. Availability of media and ad agencies: Several media channels like TV, Radio, newspapers are available for Cadbury to advertise on. Opportunity. Cadbury has been advertising its chocolates heavily throughout, to keep the brand on top of the mind recall. There have been innumerable ads by Cadbury that have long stayed on people’s minds and even evoked nostalgia, indicating a deep connect of the brand with the audience. Strength. Segmentation Cadbury segmented the consumer based on age. Till the 1980s, chocolates were seen as a luxury item which were eaten only on special occasions or used to reward children with. Despite being the market leader already at this time, Cadbury decided to reshuffle their marketing strategy and position chocolates as a snack and an everyday item of consumption rather than a special treat. In order to do this, the first step was to segment the consumers. Geographic or occupation based segmentation would have proven less relevant in helping raise revenues generated from chocolate sales. The segmentation was done on the basis of age. The existing segment of choice for Cadbury had been children up to the age of 14 who had been driving the consumption of chocolates until the 90s. The other segment that the consumers could be grouped into was the adult population. Targeting The decision made to target a segment is based on gauging the segment attractiveness of the segment. During the 90s, with a rise in the population of the 15-35 year olds, combined with a surge in income and spending power due to the simultaneous opening up of the economy, made the adult segment an attractive one and since then, it has been targeted by Cadbury. Being the market leader already, switching to this target consumer group was not a difficult move for them, in terms of channel attractiveness of the segment. The existing channels which served the consumers until the 90s, such as kirana stores, need no resource intensive special adaptations to serve the youth consumer group as well. Alongside this, competitive attractiveness of the youth segment was also high since no other chocolate company had targeted this consumer group so far. Although this meant 6 Cadbury needed to put in extra marketing effort to change the social acceptance of chocolates in this group, it also translated into a first mover advantage for them. Positioning Positioning is the decision of how the brand wants to be perceived as by the target consumer group vis-a-vis competitors. Cadbury has positioned itself to cater to specific needs and attributes that the target consumer group looks for. Cadbury’s objective was to engage the customers of the adult age group. In the early 90s, Cadbury had the leading share in the market but the volume of sales in terms of per capita consumption was very low compared to western countries. This was also because consumption of chocolate by children was strictly governed by adults and hence increasing per capita consumption within the children consumer group was not a feasible option. In order to widen the net of consumers, Cadbury had to increase the social acceptance of chocolates in the adults age group. This was done through the means of extensive and successively huge ad campaigns which eventually lowered the attitudinal barrier that existed. Cadbury had wanted to and has successfully moved from the perception of chocolate being a children’s product to a celebratory/gifting product, and more recently an indulgence product (For instance Cadbury Silk). In 1992, Cadbury launched a series of aggressive ad campaigns starting with ‘Real Taste of Life† which showcased adults eating the chocolates on their own and not in a parent role or buying it as a reward or a way to say sorry to loved ones. This included the famous ad â€Å"Kuch khaas hai zindagi mein† which showed adults enjoying the taste of chocolates on their own. Later on, Cadbury launched a campaign for Perk which said â€Å"Thodi si pet pooja† which emphasized the use of the chocolate as an any time snack to satisfy hunger, which was a marked shift from the earlier perception of chocolates. Later, to promote Cadbury chocolates as an alternative to traditional desserts, the â€Å"kuch meetha ho jaaye† campaign sought to change perceptions once again, this time including the entire family consisting of elderly grandparents also in the ad to show acceptance of the Cadbury chocolates as dessert. By tying chocolates to Indian customs, and festivals, like Celebrations especially for Raksha Bandhan and Diwali, Cadbury has come a long way from the â€Å"Real Taste of Life† campaign, and â€Å"Indianized† itself in order to entrench itself within the minds of the adult population in India. Marketing Mix – 4 Ps Product/Service Product There are four types of products by Cadbury India, and this report is focused on the Chocolates category. These aim to satisfy the hunger need as well as relaxation and convenience need (easily available snacking option). In order to satisfy these needs, the 7 product is available very easily, at least in the urban markets and in various sizes. Cadbury chocolates are branded so as to represent some emotional core values like family values, and togetherness, but at the same time, they are also branded as a fresh, satisfying, convenient product. Place Cadbury has 6 company-owned manufacturing facilities: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Thane Induri (Pune) Malanpur (Gwalior) Bangalore Baddi (Himachal Pradesh) Hyderabad There are 4 sales offices, one each in New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai. The corporate office is in Mumbai. In terms of distribution, Cadbury chocolate products are sold directly to wholesalers and retailers. The network comprises roughly 2100 distributors and 4,50,000 retailers. The chocolates are sold through Kirana stores, gift stores, medical stores, canteens, paan shops, bakeries and so on. Price The generally established price point for chocolates in India is Rs 5 and Cadbury has 4 products at this point including Dairy milk, 5 star, gems and perk. This price point accounts for half of chocolate sales in India. At the same time, Cadbury sells multiple differently sized packs on a range of prices, going up to higher, premium priced products as well such as Bournville. In this way, Cadbury has a hold on various price points available to various groups of consumers based on their appetite for spending. Promotion Cadbury promotes its products through various media channels. It uses mainly television ads with strongly featured taglines that get associated with the products easily. There is some amount of seasonality in the market in the way that demand ideally goes up during festive season due to gifting needs and Cadbury launches special ad campaigns around those times to encash on this increased demand. National level competitors like Amul have been unable to match up to the scale of promotions undertaken by Cadbury. Regional players hardly advertise on a big scale through campaigns. However, its MNC competitor Nestle has its own promotional ads and campaigns that seek to rival Cadbury’s and sometimes directly challenge the Cadbury ads. 8 Recommendations 1. In view of the recent entry of foreign players in the market, though Cadbury does not face the threat of losing a significant amount of its existing customers, for instance, those who buy Dairy Milk or Perk, there is a possibility of losing out on potential customers who are interested in premium chocolates. Since this is a rapidly growing industry, and being the established market leader, Cadbury should focus on its premium chocolate brands in a big way through more visible ad campaigns and promote their products based on the brand equity they have built through the years. 2. While leveraging the lower cost of Cadbury premium chocolates vis-a-vis foreign chocolates, Cadbury must take care to ensure it does not go the Tata Nano way, as lower prices in the premium segment may be perceived as lower quality in the product delivered as well. 3. As it has already managed to successfully position chocolates as a snack for children’s as well as adults’ consumption, it can now focus on activating the elderly consumer segment which is typically more resistant to chocolates compared to traditional sweets and feel guilty on indulging in chocolates even if not restricted by health reasons. 4. Cadbury can now change the positioning of certain specific products or introduce new products to cater to â€Å"instant energy† giving needs similar to Mars bars abroad. 5. Recently, a 20-calorie chocolate has been developed in the UK which is now being sold at Michelin starred restaurants. Cadbury can also direct some of its R&D endeavors towards developing a similar product which would give the company a distinct edge over competitors and help tap into a new markets and increase their consumer width. 9 NATIONAL BRAND 10 Introduction Amul is an Indian dairy Co-operative based out of Anand in Gujarat. The co-operative started off as the Kaira District Co-operative Milk Producers Union in December 1946. The Co-operative was set up by the milk producers of the Kaira district of Gujarat who felt cheated by the unfair trade practices. The co-operative collected processed and marketed milk and was co-owned by the milk producing farmers of the district. The brand Amul was used by the Kaira District Co-operative to market its brand of milk products. By the 1970s the Co-operative model had become highly successful and spawned similar Co-operative in other district s of Gujarat. In order to combine together and expand their market while not competing with each other, the Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd. (GCMMF), an apex marketing body of these district co-operatives was set-up in 1973. The brand name of Amul which was held by the Kaira Union was transferred to GCCF. Today, the GCCF is the largest food product marketing organisation of India. The co-operatives collect around 10 million litres of milk per day from around 3 million milk producer members of the Co-operative. Its current turnover is around Rs. 140. 0 billion. Amul started producing and marketing chocolates in 1970. It currently markets 6 different chocolate brands namely Congtas, Fundoo, Chocozo, Bindaaz, Rejoice, Almond Bar, Fruits and Nut and Amul Cooking Chocolate. Current market share of Amul chocolates is just 4% as compared to market leader that is 66%. The main reason behind such low market share is lack of promotion and more focus on dairy products. Environmental Analysis Strengths ? ? ? Raw material (milk) security: Major raw materials for the production of chocolates are Cocoa, milk and sugar. Milk supply is secured for the company which protects it from any volatility in prices. High brand awareness: Amul through its concerted marketing over the last 5 decades has created a brand that is synonymous with good quality. The brand has also become a symbol of successful Indian entrepreneurship that has positively impacted the lives of millions of small farmers, hence there is a sense of patriotism and pride associated with the brand as well. Strong distribution network: Amul has been marketing and supplying milk through a pan India distribution network which supplies milk and milk products to independent retailers but also to its own milk parlours. 11 Weakness: ? ? ? Low market share: Amul chocolates have a low market share in the Indian chocolate industry. The brand, though having a strong recall value, is not primarily associated with chocolates. The market leader in the chocolate industry in India is Cadbury with 70% market share followed by Nestle at 20% market share. Co-operative structure of Amul: Due to the Co-operative nature of GCMMF, there is limited capital infusion in the company. As a result there is a limited scope for aggressive product launches or diversification. Volatility in Cocoa prices: Unlike the major chocolate producing companies in the world, Amul does not own a cocoa plantation. The prices of cocoa are volatile in nature as they are dependent on the international demand supply dynamics. Not having a cocoa plantation of its own exposed the company to volatility in prices of this raw material. Opportunities: ? Huge untapped market: The per capita consumption of chocolate in India has increase from 40 gm per person in 2005 to around 110 gm per person currently. Though this is impressive growth in itself it is still much lower than the per capita chocolate consumption, in countries like Ireland or Belgium which have a chocolate consumption per person of more than 11 kilograms or even USA or Australia which have chocolate consumption per person of around 5 kilograms. There is thus a huge untapped market for growth in the chocolate industry in India. Corresponding Strength: Since Amul has a strong â€Å"Brand awareness†, people would be willing to buy new products launched under its brand name. Amul can launcha variety of new chocolate products for youth and kids. ? Gifting: Gift hampers consisting of chocolates has been a successful marketing strategy by companies like Cadbury. Amul too has the ‘Rejoice’ brand especially for this purpose however there is scope to launch or aggressively advertise this. Corresponding Strength: Since, Amul is a strong brand name and has a strong distribution network, It can very well advertise the gift packs like rejoice and can introduce new brands catering to the same need. ? Advertising: Amul need to advertise and carry out lot of promotional activities to inform the consumers that still exist and can provide them with what they want. It’s been years that Amul’s chocolate advertisement has been telecasted on India’s major television channels. Sales promotions like discounts and free samples can also help them to increase the Brand awareness and attract customers to switch brand from competitors. Big brands use a celebrity as a Brand Ambassador for its product. 12 For example Amitabh Bachchan for Cadbury & Rani Mukherjee for Nestle, Amul can also use a brand ambassador for the promotion of its chocolates. Corresponding Strength: Amul has a huge turnover of around Rs 140 billion and is a financially strong company and has enough funds to carry out the needed advertising campaign and promotions. By spending a small percentage of revenue on advertising campaigns Amul can increase its market share to a large extent. ? Low rural penetration of chocolates: There is significant awareness of the Amul brand even in rural India. The company can leverage these launch cheaper brands targeted at the rural segment which has till now stayed away from chocolate consumption. Corresponding Strength: Amul has been marketing and supplying milk through a pan India distribution network. It has a strong distribution network in rural areas. Amul can leverage this strength and can launch cheaper products in rural market. Threats: ? Strong competition from foreign multi nationals: There is significant potential in the Indian chocolate industry which has been attracting international competition. Companies like Cadbury have been launching premium swiss chocolate brands. Also other premium chocolate brands like Ferrero Rocher are making their presence felt in India. Corresponding Weakness: Since â€Å"Amul† is mostly related to its milk products and has not made its presence felt strongly in the chocolate industry, its still far behind its competitors like Cadburys which is a very aggressive player in the chocolate industry. Amul faces tough competition and to handle the same it needs enormous marketing and advertising campaign and introduction of new chocolate products under its brand name. ? Low brand loyalty in chocolate industry: Chocolates are impulse purchases and compete with categories of soft drinks, snacks and other beverages. Although people may like a particular type of chocolate (dark, milk, white, etc. ) there is not a significant brand loyalty. Hence this presents a threat to established players in the market. Corresponding Weakness: Since Amul has significantly low popularity in chocolate industry and also people are picky while selecting a chocolate, there is not a single chocolate brand product under its brand which enjoys strong loyalty from consumer side. Also, people like to try different kinds of chocolates and are not necessarily inclined towards a single chocolate product. Since, Amul does not offer a large variety of chocolates; therefore it is at a weaker position in the chocolate industry. 13 Segmentation Geographic segmentation: Chocolate consumption is concentrated in urban areas of the country. Chocolate consumption in rural areas of the country may be considered negligible. Chocolates are still considered as a luxury product by the population and are hence consumed by the middle and the upper classes of society which reside in the towns, cities and metropolitan centres of the country. Amul chocolates are thus marketed in these areas of the country. Demographic segmentation: Amul chocolates are mostly segmented its consumers into various age groups like the children, adolescent and youth segments of the society. Since, chocolates are particularly liked by children and middle aged and older generations refrain from eating it citing health concerns due to high sugar content of chocolates. Targeting The brands of Amul chocolates like Fundooz, Bindaaz, Congrats etc. have been named to be attractive to the younger generation who use these words in their daily lexicon. There has been a strategy by the company to provide a young, dynamic and fun loving character to its chocolate through such branding. Amul chocolates also markets two brand namely Amul Cooking Chocolate which is targeted towards the homemakers and professional cooks and chefs. Positioning Positioning is the decision of how the brand wants to be perceived as by the target consumer group vis-a-vis competitors. Amul has positioned itself as an affordable, â€Å"value for money† chocolate. Since, it has mostly targeted kids and youth, it is still considered as a snack unlike cadbury’s product like Celebrations which is considered as gifting option. Amul has not positioned itself as an alternative to sweets or has not developed its product to actually cater to an emotional need. It is simply a chocolate available at a lower price. Marketing Mix Product Amul has a very low range of products in its chocolate business. There are only 8 chocolate brands that Amul offers as of now in the market and these are Congrats, Fundoo, Chocozo, 14 Bindaaz, Rejoice, Almond Bar, Fruits and Nut and Amul Cooking Chocolate. The problem is that there is no clear differentiation between the products that it offers. For example Cadburys is catering to a different need corresponding to its individual Chocolate product. ? ? ? ? ? Product Dairy Milk Dairy Milk Shots Bournville 5 Star Perk Need Milk Chocolate (Basic taste and style). Small balls of chocolate (Circular unlike chocolate bars) Dark Chocolate Sweeter in taste with honey as an ingredient Crispier with wafer inside However, Amul completely ignores such kind of differentiation between its products and hence their product can be easily substituted by their own products apart from the competitor’s product. Another important factor is packaging because majority of the consumers is kids and youngsters who like attractive packaging. Most kids buy chocolates not just because they like chocolates but also because of the attractive wrappers. Packaging used by Amul stands low on appearance parameter. Also, it lacks a common theme or â€Å"top of the mind† recall point. For example, Cadburys is strongly associated with blue wrapper and more than brown it’s the colour blue that we associate with a chocolate. As compared to this, Amul’s packaging is weak and lacks lustre. Amul needs to make changes to its product (chocolates) like introduction of more flavours and attractive packaging because the wrappers Amul uses is not at all attractive compared to those used by Cadbury and Nestle. This would keep them in competition with competitors like Cadbury and Nestle. 15 Pricing Second P of marketing that is Price is often confused with blindly lowering the prices of different products and completely relying on this strategy to increase sales. However it is of extreme importance to divide the target group on the basis of their price sensitivity and purchase power. Every customer segment has different price expectation from the product. To maximize the returns, it is important to identify the right price level for each segment and then progressively moving through them. Amul has launched various chocolate products to cater to different segments of population. Pricing must take into account the competitive and legal environment of the industry. Majority of people in India live in villages and have low disposable income. With such a heavy competition in the chocolate market, Price plays a very important role. Amul pricing strategy has been â€Å"Value for Money†. Amul’s believes in giving value for money to its customers and it has always followed that principle. Its products are of high quality and available at affordable prices. For example, Cadbury’s â€Å"Fruit n Nut† is priced at Rs 35 per 42 gm pouch whereas Amul’s Fruit and Nut is sold at just Rs 25 per 40 gm. Amul offers same quality at a price 30% lower than its competitor. Amul has not launched any premium (high price) product in its chocolate business. Place Place in marketing is considered as the channels of distribution through which products move from the manufacturer to the consumers. The channels of distribution mean intermediaries or middlemen who act as a link between the manufacturer and the consumers. Factors that need to be considered when choosing the place are the characteristics of the product, characteristics of the buyers, control and competitors channels. Since chocolate is an edible product, Amul should adopt an intensive distribution strategy wherein they will manufacture products and make it available at various shopping malls, food joints, local stores, Chocolate parlours etc. Corresponding to its strong distribution channels, Amul currently has very low visibility. It needs to increase the visibility through offering discount to retailers along with buybacks to convince them to store the Amul Chocolates. Since Amul is a â€Å"value for money† brand it can be placed anywhere from small kirana shops to big malls. Amul has a big brand name because of its dairy products. They can easily use it to increase the awareness of its chocolates using various distribution channels. 16 Promotion Promotion refers to exchange of information between an organization and the consumer of its products. Consumers here include Customers, shareholders, employees, government and other parties related to the products like trade union and media. The aim of promotion is to inform the consumers, differentiate from other products and to persuade them to buy. There are many techniques of promotion like Advertising, Sales promotions, Direct Marketing & Personal selling. Amul has been criticised for lack of promotion. Amul has a strong brand name because of its dairy product leadership. Amul must advertise its chocolates using media like newspaper, television and internet to inform the public about the quality & the price of its product. Amul has totally shifted its focus from chocolates towards milk and other milk products and have totally ignored chocolates. Using the mediums like Television and newspaper the company needs to remind the public that they are back with improved products at an affordable price. 17 Recommendations 1. Amul needs to introduce new varieties of chocolates and improve its existing ones. 2. They should introduce milk chocolates like Nestle’s Milky Bar, Chocolates with fruits and nuts like Cadbury has its Fruit and Nuts, Mint chocolates like Nestle’s After Eight etc.