Service Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 5

Service Management - Assignment Example The author illustrates the relationship between the named variables using two case studies. The conclusion was that cultural differences between the tourist and the operator greatly influence the supply chain management in this industry. As such, training was needed in order to enhance the cultural skills of the tourism operator in order to improve the process (Koblun, 2011). Basically, this article is trying to point out the fact that cultural greatly influences the tourism industry. This is true especially in the 21st century where various cultures are converging together due to globalization effects (Reisinger, 2009). It is also true that the best way to improve performance is through training as it will enhance intercultural communication skills that can be used in the supply chain management (Wahab, 2001).   From the presented data, the confirmed link from the service performance network includes leadership-strategy-process-services-customer satisfaction-retention and loyalty-financial performance. However, a link that involves staff satisfaction and anything related to the consumers such as retention loyalty and attraction have not yet been confirmed (Johnston, Clark & Shulver, 2012). All this comes due to the positive linear correlations between sales per square meter, share of grocery budget, customer satisfaction and customer referral. All these show that customer loyalty and customer satisfaction is high. The same also illustrates that service value and output quality is high. The named organization has a reputation based on excellent services, which is the reason why customer satisfaction and referral is high. Nevertheless, there is a negative linear correlation between employee turnover, referral, satisfaction, style of supervision and operating ratio. Since these are indicators of employee loyalty, employee service capability and employee

Summary and analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Summary and analysis - Essay Example Even if they are to be refunded the amount when they are tested negative, still the pain of the expenses would be badly felt by the applicant as they are there in the first place asking for help because they need money to spend for their basic needs and not on some tests that require them precious time and nickels. The reason why this is being taken into consideration is that because it is not only in welfare application that drug tests are being required but in similar situations as well like the job training programs. On another note, the author also considers the fact that there are taxpayers arguing that every penny they pay should be used to help other people for their necessities and not drug dependence, he supports his argument by what statistics say about certain groups. For instance, he notes that if drug testing the welfare applicants were used as a checking tool for drug users, it has been documented that there is no significant difference between the number of drug users among welfare applicants and non-applicants. In fact, another study he mentioned supports that seventy percent of illegal drug users are from the employed group (Cohen). This means that those who really are seeking the government’s help are not the unemployed as it is implied by the policy on drug test implies. Getting back with the argument of taxpayers supporting the expenses of drug users, it is true that they may have all the right to make sure that the money they sweated for is used for good purposes and not for the vices of abusive citizens, it has to be considered also that drug testing applicants is not the answer to checking drug use. On the part of the government, there could be large amounts of money to be saved from not paying applicants who will test positive in their drug tests and this is one argument the author is trying to dig in the article. Considering

Factors Affecting Health Communication Campaigns

Factors Affecting Health Communication Campaigns A comparison of HIV Aids and Polio Campaigns in Aligargh, Uttar Pradesh Introduction: Last two decades of the century has seen a renewed interest in the field of health communication, disease prevention and health promotion. This was because it was realized that continued investments in clinical health research brings diminishing returns if it is not accompanied with strategic information, education and communication(IEC) efforts. (Pencheon, Guest, Melzer, Gray, 2004) Public and government health departments are rich with tacit knowledge regarding health communication practices and the problems encountered with the population in their geographical area. However this information is rarely collected and written down due to lack of resources. Effective communication can spread knowledge, value and social norms. This can be instrumental in affecting behaviour and improving the over-all health status of the population. India faces a dual challenge in tackling the problem of HIV Aids and Polio. First is the overall high population and poor living conditions of people living in small towns and villages, and second is the complex socio- cultural factors which lead to poor awareness and stigma attached to these diseases. It is important to understand these factors which affect the impact of health communication campaigns in a particular geo-graphical sub system if a comprehensive micro understanding of this field has to be generated. Moreover there always exists a gap between the people who design health communication campaigns and the campaign implementers. An assessment and feed-back from the grass root level implementers needs to be taken if this gap has to be effectively filled. This research hopes to uncover these insights which will be useful not only to the academics but also to the practitioners. Literature review Health Communication: Health communication involves the use of communication strategies by experts in public health domain to influence the health behaviour of people. It is a link between health care practices and communication which has a significant impact on influencing individual and community behaviour towards health and thereby a huge potential to significantly improve their life. (Neil Mckee, 2004) HIV AIDS: The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that infects cells of the immune system, destroying or impairing their function. As the infection progresses, the immune system becomes weaker, and the person becomes more susceptible to infections. The most advanced stage of HIV infection is acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It can take 10-15 years for an HIV-infected person to develop AIDS; antiretroviral drugs can slow down the process even further. HIV is transmitted through unprotected sexual intercourse (anal or vaginal), transfusion of contaminated blood, sharing of contaminated needles, and between a mother and her infant during pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding. Global Case load: HIV Aids In countries most heavily affected, HIV has reduced life expectancy by more than 20 years, slowed economic growth, and deepened household poverty. In sub-Saharan Africa alone, the epidemic has orphaned nearly 12 million children aged less than 18 years. The natural age distribution in many national populations in sub-Saharan Africa has been dramatically skewed by HIV, with potentially perilous consequences for the transfer of knowledge and values from one generation to the next. In Asia, where infection rates are much lower than in Africa, HIV causes a greater loss of productivity than any other disease, and is likely to push an additional 6 million households into poverty by 2015 unless national responses are strengthened (Commission on AIDS in Asia, 2008). According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), HIV has inflicted the single greatest reversal in human development in modern history (UNDP, 2005). Fig 1.1 A global view of HIV Infection (UNAIDS, 2008) The current statistics on HIV/AIDS as published by UNAIDS (2008) are: Estimate People living with HIV/AIDS 33.0 million Adults living with HIV/AIDS 30.8 million Women living with HIV/AIDS 15.5 million Children living with HIV/AIDS 2.0 million People newly infected with HIV in 2007 2.7 million Children newly infected with HIV in 2007 0.37 million AIDS deaths in 2007 2.0 million Child AIDS deaths in 2007 0.27 million Fig. 1.2 -Current Statistics on HIV Aids Global Health Communication initiatives for HIV Aids: Education Entertainment Approach: The Soul City, South Africa (Goldstein, Japhet, E.Scheepers, 2004) South Africa even though a developed country had a wretched health care system, mainly due to long years of apartheid practices. In late 1990s Dr Garth Japhet, a young doctor observed this at Alex clinic. He observed that the health communication efforts in South Africa where very slogan based and not sustainable. Bursts of activity like National Aids day were not enough. There was no formative research before planning these campaigns. More over the campaigns followed a Top Down approach, and lacked synergies between medical community, government and media. Soul City was an extensive multi media campaign started in South Africa, due to the efforts of Dr Garth Japhet. The whole campaign was a collection of mass media campaigns which were connected and implemented year on year. There was a 13 part prime time- television series called Soul city, which was accompanied by a 60 episode radio show. Even though content of both these shows was not similar yet they both highlighted same health issues. Later on printed IEC material was also developed and distributed based on the characters of Soul City. These booklets were also reviewed by 11 top newspapers of the country. Through 1994 to 1999 five series of Soul city were broadcasted. These were consisted rated as top three most watched drama series in South Africa. The Radio program also got very high listenership ratings. Formative research and high creative input went into designing the IEC material which was targeted uniquely to adults and young population. The key to success of Soul City multimedia program was use of media conversion, from print to radio to television. This encouraged inter-personal discussions about health issues. Learning: Locally developed content which has quality entertainment works well For a multimedia educational model to succeed it should return value to all the stake holders Media advocacy leads to policy and social change A continual and integrated multimedia strategy is necessary if the effect of communication has to be sustained. Against Stigma: ACT UP, United States of America (Documents archive/Act Up explained) Stigma is a problem which plagues every country and becomes a very important factor in HIV + people seeking help and coming out in public .The Aids Coalition to unleash power , is one such organisation which attempts to remove this stigma through bold and creative action. They boldly use their slogan Silence = Death which urges people to speak up about HIV and Aids. They seek to normalize talks about condoms and Aids by radical action like sticking posters on telephone booths which say this telephone has been touched by a person with Aids Public demonstrations at churches, baseball fields, Wall Street etc are held to imply that Aids is everybodys business. Once during a Sunday sermon session in New York the ACT UP activists did staged a mass die in outside to highlight the bishops silence on Aids. ACT UP activists use linguistic symbols to make strong statements like -No, Glove No Love and Aids is no ball game. These were used as places like Shea baseball stadium. Learning: ACT UP founder Larry Kramer studied the fight against stigma by Mahatma Gandhi and Dr Martin Luther King and suitably adapted it for modern day audience Use of creative and clutter breaking ideas helps discussion and normalization of sensitive issues like stigma Use of public demonstration, Sit ins and Die ins helps create buzz and social change. Health communication efforts for HIV Aids in India: The National Aids Control Program (UNAIDS, 2008): Every State in India has an Aids prevention and Control Society which under supervision from NACO carries out local initiatives. The second Stage of National Aids control program (NACP) ended on March 2006.This focussed on various platforms to promote youth education about safe sex, safe blood donation and HIV testing. Various platforms like Street plays, concerts, national aids day, TV and radio spots, and celebrity endorsements were utilised. Use of teachers and peer group influencers was done to disseminate knowledge about HIV aids The third stage of NACP will have a strong focus on condom promotion. The installation of over 11,000 condom vending machines in colleges, road-side restaurants, stations, gas stations and hospitals has been done. With support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the government has also initiated a campaign called Condom Bindas Bol!, which involves advertising, public events and celebrity endorsements. It aims to break the taboo that currently surrounds condom use in India, and to persuade people that they should not be embarrassed to buy them. (Shhhhnot anymore!) Various multi-media campaigns have been implemented in India to create awareness about HIV. These include special communication programs to target special audience like sex workers, truck drivers, and street children. Radio programs are broadcasted on a regular basis to disseminate information. Field publicity units, Drama and song division has been set up to target rural India. Aids hotlines with around 1097 toll free numbers have been set up in major cities of India. A very successful program has been the University Talk Aids (UTA program), which covered 4,044 institutions in India and reached out to 3.5 million students. The program was implemented by National Service Scheme with assistance from WHO and NACO.Independent evaluation suggested that the program was highly successful in creating a healthy attitude about sex among young children  ­Communication regarding Condom promotion: Social marketing of Condoms combined with free distribution has been used to promote usage among general public as well as high risk groups. Department of Family welfare has been instrumental in distribution and supply of condoms. Family Health Awareness Campaign This campaign was focussed on creating awareness about RTI and STI among the general public as well as the field level functionaries. This campaign is organised annually in rural as well as urban slum areas. (Shaukat Mohammed, 2003) Reaching Special Audiences: Reaching Men who have Sex with men (MSM): Case Study Naz foundation Trust of India: (Rakesh, 2002) Background: India with a very high population runs the risks of very high PLHA even if a low prevalence rate of HIV is present. Even though most sources of infection are through hetero-sexual sex yet in certain areas like north -eastern India, IDU becomes a dominant factor for HIV transmission. Strategy: The Naz foundation was set up in 1994 to address sexual health issues of MSM, women, truck drivers and PLHA. The key communication objectives were: Communication about modes of transmission Prevention and risk reducing strategies Means of accessing treatment The intervention strategies utilised were: Community outreach: Nine outreach sites which were staffed with officers who provided information on safe sexual health practices, condom usage and provided referrals STI referrals: A non judgemental approach to STI risk patients was followed. STI clinics were set up with a MSM friendly physicians Social and Group meetings: support groups were formed to help MSM and create a freer environment for information interchange Counseling:Telephone hot lines and personal counselling was set up to address MSM concerns Results: The implementation of Naz foundation strategies was evaluated and it showed a number of positive results. An increase from 11 % to 43% for all time condom usage ,the STI clinic visits increased from 24% to 56%, and condom usage by male sex workers increased from 20% to 43 % Learning: Naz foundation realized that in order to reach out to special audiences tailored solutions are necessary. Some risk groups like female partners of MSMs are very difficult to reach and hence intensive efforts are needed in this area. Reaching out to Injecting Drug Users (IDU): Case Study IDUs in New Delhi India (Dorabjee, 1998) Background: In some cities of India like New Delhi the HIV prevalence rate among IDU users is as high as 85%.The Indian NGO Sharan has been working for IDU since 1979,and has done some breakthrough work in this area.(AIDS Analysis Asia ,1996). Strategy: IDU were motivated to join either drug substitution therapy which involved substituting drug injections to oral drug usage or needle exchange program where the registered IDU users vouched to stop exchanging needles during drug usage. The reason behind the success of this program was that it managed to develop a strong trust among IDU users because it employed recovering drug users as outreach workers. Constant feedback was sought from them and the program was modified accordingly. The IEC approaches used were counselling, peer education, information on sexual transmission of HIV aids, condom distribution and drug use prevention programs. Results: 33 % of registered IDU started taking oral drugs instead of Injections 21% stopped sharing needles Use of advocacy resulted in government accepting the use of harm reduction strategies for IDU users Learning: Political support is necessary for the success of any IEC project on sensitive issues. This can be influenced through strong advocacy Incorporating feedbacks by outreach workers and IDU can significantly increase the impact of the campaign A range of clinical, social and communication services are required to meet the purpose of HIV prevention among IDU users Addressing the mobile population: Case Study the Trucker Population of India (Bhoruka, 2001) There are about 50 million trucker population in India, who spend around ten months away from home. Around 70% of these engage in unprotected extra marital sex (UNAIDS, 2006).HIV infection is high in this segment along with a high STI danger. A major obstacle is that these truck drivers do not use condoms for road side sex as it regarded as a re-creational activity. Strategy: The Bhoruka public welfare trust (BPWT), attempted to reach these truck drivers through free tea parlours set up at 5 main route stops in India. These tea parlours offered a meeting ground for the truck drivers and offered tea, newspaper, TV and other forms of entertainment. However no prostitution or drugs were encouraged. Condoms, clinical counselling and STI medical referrals were offered at a subsidised rate. The most important aspect was focus on peer education and counselling. As these truck drivers discussed about their life, peer educators gave them counselling and information. Parking lots were used as another reaching stop where peer educator gave out condoms and IEC material. This program became so successful that various truck drivers themselves became informal peer educators. The tea-shops were also managed by truck drivers or sex workers. Informal truck driver peer educators were later trained and given certificates to become formal peer educators and work in these tea shops. Small motivational incentives like bags and pens were also offered to these truck drivers as well as informal peer educators. Results: Every tea centre reaches out to close to 48,000 people annually, provides subsidised treatment to 2,200 patients .Fifty percent of these patients are treated for STIs Around 200 truck drivers had been trained as peer educators by the year 2000 The condom social marketing component of this program was very successful, with steady increase in condom sales. Till 2000 there were 104,832 sold and 162 active condom distribution set up. Learning: A high level of motivation should be maintained amongst the peer learning groups. Its important to have support of all the stakeholders for the success of any ICE program. Poliomyelitis (polio) Poliomyelitis (polio) is a highly infectious viral disease, which mainly affects young children. The virus is transmitted through contaminated food and water, and multiplies in the intestine, from where it can invade the nervous system. Many infected people have no symptoms, but do excrete the virus in their faeces, hence transmitting infection to others. Initial symptoms of polio include fever, fatigue, headache, vomiting, stiffness in the neck, and pain in the limbs. In a small proportion of cases, the disease causes paralysis, which is often permanent. Polio can only be prevented by immunization (World Health Organisation) Global Case load: Polio Polio cases have decreased by over 99% since 1988, from an estimated 350 000 cases in more than 125 endemic countries then, to 1997 reported cases in 2006. In 2008, only parts of four countries in the world remain endemic for the disease the smallest geographic area in history. In 1994, the World Health Organization (WHO) Region of the Americas (36 countries) was certified polio-free, followed by Western Pacific Region (37 countries and areas including China) in 2000 and the WHO European Region (51 countries) in June 2002. In 2007, more than 400 million children were immunized in 27 countries during 164 supplementary immunization activities (SIAs). Globally, polio surveillance is at historical highs, as represented by the timely detection of cases of acute flaccid paralysis. Persistent pockets of polio transmission in northern India, northern Nigeria and the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan are key epidemiological challenges. As long as a single child remains infected with polio, children in all countries are at risk of contracting the disease. The poliovirus can easily be imported into a polio-free country and can spread rapidly among unimmunised populations. Between 2003 and 2005, 25 previously polio-free countries were re-infected due to importations. The four polio-endemic countries are Afghanistan, India, Nigeria and Pakistan. Global Health Communication efforts for Pulse Polio: Strategic communication efforts in Afghanistan (Rafiqi, 2004) The Pulse polio eradication program of Afghanistan faced stiff challenges due to illiteracy, resistance, inaccessibility and worsening security conditions. Strategic approach for Polio health communication in Afghanistan focussed on advocacy, social mobilization, communication to support the program and training. Advocacy was achieved by involving top leaders at every program launch, and getting them involved at all levels by sharing epidemiological data. Social mobilization through involvement of religious leaders, mosque and prayer announcements, and inter-personal communication. Television and Radio was also utilized. Communication to support the program was achieved through district and community based forums which encouraged discussions, dedicated community specific social mobilization workers were employed and training was given to Imams and other religious leaders. Print media was used effectively for brochures, banners and leaflets. Learning: Its a challenge to shift the focus of health communication from campaign type to sustainable communication Advocacy at highest level is instrumental to success of the campaign Use of local facilities like mosques, bazaars, mobile loudspeakers etc lead to effective social mobilization Appropriate mix of print and radio can effectively reach mobile population Establish strong relationship with religious leaders Promote health education through health facilities as well as private practitioners Ensure all factions of community are involved including women Polio immunization efforts through public health education efforts in West Africa. (African Science Academy Development Initiative (ASADI), 2005) Nigeria faced a major challenge when polio vaccination was stalled in northern areas due to huge negative controversy in local as well international media regarding the safety of these oral medicines. Moreover allot of trusted religious leaders also spoke out against the vaccine. To fight this drastic loss of acceptance of Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV), a strong communication plan was developed with the objective that each child should get OPV drops.This was achieved through heightened advocacy through large scale public flag offs of campaigns, direct involvement of the president, working with the private companies including telecom companies, and engagement of religious as well as community networks. To focus on community education community mobilizers were assigned to high risk area, traditional media like street theatre, town criers, mobile cinema and folk songs were utilized. Mass media like TV spots and radio jingles were also integrated Effective use of Media for behaviour change was used. This included broadcasting in national languages, special programs for minority groups, projection of human interest stories to create positive dialogue, folk media, community theatre and mobile cinema followed by dialogue. Success of this campaign can be determined by the fact that the demand for immunization and OPV drops substantially increased. The OPV controversy was effectively resolved, along with support from key stake holders. Learning: Behaviour Change through public education and integrated mass and traditional campaigns can effectively result in more demand and acceptance of polio immunization. Health communication efforts for Polio: India Reducing resistance and increasing community dialogue: Meerut, Uttar Pradesh (United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) India, 2007) Meerut is one of the regions of Uttar -Pradesh which is seen as high risk for the polio endemic. A highly innovative social mobilization campaign was implemented in Meerut, which involved: Use of distinct influencers; Three teams of 35 Urdu teachers,24 kirana store owners and Hajis (people who have completed Haj pilgrimage )were involved in these teams. Close to 25,000 primary schools were approached on republic day, to educate the children, inform them of the dates of immunisation so that better participation is achieved. Mosques were approached to educate the community. Their participation increase from 61% in January 2007 to 74% in February 2007. Meetings on a regular basis were conducted with mothers and daughter in laws, to discuss polio and child health issues. Booklets were published which contained poems written by local influential poets. These boosted the morale of health workers and also worked as strong advocacy measure. Due to these innovative techniques Meerut recorded the lowest no. of resistant households in Uttar Pradesh in 2007. Learning: Polio needs to be incorporated as a part of overall child health program . Consistent, open and on-going dialogue with all factions of community is necessary. Use of innovative techniques to create interest: Polio Joker (Kher, 2007) Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), hired Manchanda Jha to dress up as a joker and attract kids to polio booths .He sings songs about polio, does tricks, engages children and gives information about the importance of polio drops alongside.When dances and sings Chal chale polio boothpe hum sathiyoon, chalke do boondh jeevan ke le sathiyon the children are not only humoured but also an important message has been delivered. He became so successful that he came to be called Polio Joker popularly. He has been instrumental in reaching out to care-givers and kids in slum areas. This program was implemented for three years and has very high recall value. Learning: New entertaining techniques need to be implemented if communication has to reach children Communication methods should be tailored to meet the needs of high risk areas. Rationale of the research Health status of a country is influenced by a number of factors like food, water, income, sanitation, education and accessibility to health care services. Health communication campaigns and health services dont exist in a vacuum but are influenced by external socio-economic, cultural and factors. These factors play an important part on how health information education and communication campaigns are designed, implemented and finally received by the target audience. These factors also influence policies, resource allocation, technology, training of medical staff and communication strategies used. These in turn shape the health services system of a particular region. Studies which have documented the health communication efforts have restricted themselves to an analysis at national level. It will be not surprising to find that in a complex nation like India various sub-systems exist, and every sub-system might influence the message in its own way. HIV AIDS and Polio are two major health concerns faced by Indian population. On-going and consistent efforts are made to educate people regarding these. However again within a geographic sub-system people might react and respond both these campaigns in a differential manner owing to a variety of factors like sensitivity of the issue, complexity of the message and stigma. Through this study I wish to explore these factors which affect the impact of health communication campaigns of HIV Aids and Polio, in a geographic sub-system. Research Objectives: Through the analysis of the literature review and recommendation of my guide the following research objectives have been identified: To understand the health communication processes and initiatives undertaken for HIV Aids and Polio prevention/care at a sub-system, grass root level. To identify factors which lead to an differential impact of these health communication campaigns To suggest improvements ,if possible, to current health communication practices followed in the geographic sub-system Research Areas: Health communication campaigns which will be studied extensively are: Against HIV-Aids: These will include the communication efforts in the area of prevention (transmission through mother to child, sexual transmission and primary prevention) and against stigma. Against Pulse Polio: Campaigns for polio education and routine immunisation will be studied. This study aims to understand the use of traditional media, electronic and human channel employed at the grass root level. What are the problems faced in implementation, what are the intermediary factors which affect them, and what measures are taken to combat these problems. An evaluation of these campaigns will also be conducted based on how much has the target audience been receptive to them, and responded by either positive action or behaviour change. Ultimately both these campaigns will be compared and contrasted to arrive at the differentiating factors which impact the outcome of these. Research Methodology: Phase One An extensive secondary research will be done to establish a foundation for the primary research. The literature review provides certain learning about different methods of strategic health communication. This learning will be taken forward to secondary research where the focus will be kept on the grass root health communication initiatives undertaken in the chosen sub-system. In addition a case study method will be employed to shape up the key focus areas for the primary research. Phase two This phase will consist of primary research will be essentially qualitative and exploratory in nature. The purpose of this type of research methodology is to generate basic knowledge on relevant areas, discover associated factors, and identify information gaps. Data collection and Analysis: Secondary research will consist of data collection from online sources, medical and communication journals as well as reports. Various performance reports and internal documents which are generated at the primary sub-system level will also be looked into gather data. Expert In-depth interviews will be conducted to gain more understanding on the subject. It is important to note that the interviews will be open -ended and flexible to generate maximum insights. These interviews will involve extensive probing and will utilize the technique of laddering, An interview guideline will however be prepared for a comprehensive and systematic execution. Similar technique of in-depth interviews will also be employed to collect information from target audience regarding the appeal of the campaigns. The reason why in-depth-interviews will be used over other methods of data collection is: It is flexible It provides in-depth information about areas to be covered Since the area of study is very specialised it provides scope for clarification Some of the issues which needs to be discussed are personal in nature, a face to face and private discussion is necessary Like other techniques, this tool also suffers from certain limitations. It is prone to bias and largely depend on the skill of the interviewer. It is an expensive technique, can be time consuming and responses may be difficult to interpret. The structure of the interview is not clearly defined unlike a survey and so same questions may not be asked to all the respondents Area of Study: The chosen geographical sub-system for the primary research is Aligarh in UP. The reasons behind this are the following: Northern UP has a relatively high prevalence rate of HIV AIDS Its one of the few areas in India which is still Polio Endemic Familiarity with the local language Initial contacts are available Timeframe of the study: Phase one-: November till mid-December 2009 Phase two/primary research: Mid December to January 2010 Sampling: Sampling universe consists of all the experts in the area of the study, and the population to which the health communica

In The Beginning :: essays research papers fc

In the Beginning The theory of evolution, formalized by Charles Darwin, is as much theory as is the theory of gravity, or the theory of relativity. Evolutionary theory is a scientific theory dealing with scientific data, not a system of metaphysical beliefs or a religion (Wilkins). Biological theories, and especially evolution, unlike the theories of physics, have been argued long and hard in social and political arenas. Even today, evolution is often not taught in primary schools. However, evolution is the binding force of all biological research. It is the unifying theme. Living organisms evolve through genetic changes over generations, and planets evolve through the processes of erosion and deposition. In paleontology, evolution gives workers a powerful way to organize the remains of past life forms, and better understand the one history of life. The history of thought about evolution in general, and paleontological contributions specifically, are often useful to the scientists of today. Science, like any iterative process, draws heavily from its history. We live on an ancient planet. In the Western world, however, people have long believed that Earth had a relatively recent beginning. In 1650, James Ussher, estimating from his close study of the Bible, calculated that Earth was created in 4004 B.C. (Feder 12). Although not everyone agreed with his calculations, until the nineteenth century most people in the Western world shared Bishop Ussher's view that Earth was relatively young and that its entire history was chronicled in ancient texts. During the nineteenth century, geologists and biologists accumulated evidence that Earth was much older than previously suspected. Their evidence for an ancient Earth came primarily from the fossilized remains of organisms found in sedimentary rocks. The geologists' guiding concepts were simple: Rocks form slowly by piling up of sediments, and younger rocks are deposited on top of older ones. A great canyon carved into sedimentary rocks may have a visible record of more than a billion years (Levin 4). Preserved within some rocks were fossils - the remains of organisms that lived while the sediments were accumulating. When older rocks are compared with younger ones, slight but significant differences can be observed among similar fossil organisms. The most famous example is fossil horses. The animals show an increase in size and a reduction of side toes †¦ an increase in the height and complexity of teeth, and a deepening and lengthening of the skull (Levin 318). In The Beginning :: essays research papers fc In the Beginning The theory of evolution, formalized by Charles Darwin, is as much theory as is the theory of gravity, or the theory of relativity. Evolutionary theory is a scientific theory dealing with scientific data, not a system of metaphysical beliefs or a religion (Wilkins). Biological theories, and especially evolution, unlike the theories of physics, have been argued long and hard in social and political arenas. Even today, evolution is often not taught in primary schools. However, evolution is the binding force of all biological research. It is the unifying theme. Living organisms evolve through genetic changes over generations, and planets evolve through the processes of erosion and deposition. In paleontology, evolution gives workers a powerful way to organize the remains of past life forms, and better understand the one history of life. The history of thought about evolution in general, and paleontological contributions specifically, are often useful to the scientists of today. Science, like any iterative process, draws heavily from its history. We live on an ancient planet. In the Western world, however, people have long believed that Earth had a relatively recent beginning. In 1650, James Ussher, estimating from his close study of the Bible, calculated that Earth was created in 4004 B.C. (Feder 12). Although not everyone agreed with his calculations, until the nineteenth century most people in the Western world shared Bishop Ussher's view that Earth was relatively young and that its entire history was chronicled in ancient texts. During the nineteenth century, geologists and biologists accumulated evidence that Earth was much older than previously suspected. Their evidence for an ancient Earth came primarily from the fossilized remains of organisms found in sedimentary rocks. The geologists' guiding concepts were simple: Rocks form slowly by piling up of sediments, and younger rocks are deposited on top of older ones. A great canyon carved into sedimentary rocks may have a visible record of more than a billion years (Levin 4). Preserved within some rocks were fossils - the remains of organisms that lived while the sediments were accumulating. When older rocks are compared with younger ones, slight but significant differences can be observed among similar fossil organisms. The most famous example is fossil horses. The animals show an increase in size and a reduction of side toes †¦ an increase in the height and complexity of teeth, and a deepening and lengthening of the skull (Levin 318).

Dressen Case Study Essay

#1)I believe one major factor was how appealing Dressen had become during 1995, as opposed to previous years. It appeared that new management had turned the company around. Management stated Dressen was looking good for future growth during the end of 1995. I think management felt it was the opportune time to sell. They wanted to sell Dressen while they were making money and being successful, as opposed to hemorrhaging money from Westinghouse. Dressen was Westinghouse’s star performer in the Q3 of 1995. Sales increased 10% over the year-prior quarter. EBIT reached 12% of sales as well. Their growth strategy as well as technology and work processes lead management to believe that there was even greater growth potential. Dressen was now headed in the right direction. Management was trying to strike while the iron was hot. Another factor was the cash acquisition of CBS in August 1995 for $5.4 billion. The large purchase price had strained an already weakened balance sheet. There was also a $2 billion bridge loan that was due in February 1996. Businesses are meant to earn economic profit and mitigate the cost associated with them. Without effective and timely cost strategy, a business cannot climb the stairs of economic prosperity. Organizations have to be aware of how much cost they are incurring over a certain period of time, as most of the time, high operational costs can devastate the entire financial structure of an entity. Apart from the cost, it is also important for a company to be consistent in their earnings momentum because it is something that shareholders, as well as analysts, are looking for in a company. There are certain ratios that can be taken into account to analyze why Westinghouse would want to sell Dressen. Mentioned below are some calculations that justify why Westinghouse was intending to sell Dressen at the end of the fiscal year 1995: 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 Net Sales 671 577 508 563 621 % Change -14.01 -11.96 10.83 10.30 Gross Profit 200 151 122 153 203 Gross profit margin 29.81 26.17 24.02 27.18 32.69 Net Income -40 -60 29 Net Profit Margin -7.87 -10.66 4.67 Dressen recorded a net profit of $29 in 1995, as compared to the net loss of $60 a year before, but the net profit margin of the company in 1995 was only 4.67%, which is still very low. The Gross Profit Margin in the same year was 10.30%, which shows that around 90% of the sales come under the net Cost of Goods Sold. This is a very high figure that businesses cannot sustain for a long period of time. Total assets of Dressen also showed a net decrease from fiscal year 1994 to 1995: Year 1994 1995 Assets $ in Million 705 657 Proportion -6.809 A decrease in the operational assets would not be acceptable for the company as a whole. Therefore, Westinghouse was willing to sell Dressen because the company was not doing well in its jurisdiction. #2)There are a number of valuation tools which could be used for the purpose of analyzing the effectiveness of a company as a whole. Warburg is considering paying $585 million for Dressen and we must analyze if this is a fair price for Warburg to pay. Price to Earnings is a ratio that is usually applied by investors on the entire investment in order to anticipate the expected dividend.  Specifically, it refers to the ratio evaluation of an entity’s price of shares in relation to earnings for each share. Price to Earnings ratio is generally symbolized as an earning multiplier or investment multiplier. However, there are some probability flaws in the P/E ratio, but it is still the most widely accepted technique to measure potential speculations. Market price to earnings is one of the most vital tools used to analyze the stance of investors while investing in the company. Five-year period analysis has been taken into consideration for Dressen: Question-2 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 Share Price Average 32 32 15 15 15 Earnings Per Share 0 0.00 -0.87 -1.31 0.60 Market Value to Earnings 0 0 -17.175 -11.45 24.88 The computation of Dressen’s Market Price to Earnings is showing that the  company did a good job in the fiscal year 1995, as its Price to Earning (P/E) or Market Value to Earning (MV/E) ratio had increased tremendously to a level of $24.88. The higher the P/E, then the higher the net worth of the company. Enterprise Value to Sales is a valuation method that is applied to assess the ratio of enterprise value to its market share price. The Enterprise Value to Price ratio allows investors to make a decision on whether the market share of the company is expensive or cheap. The ratio has also considerable influence on the company’s sales as it is utilized by many market analysts to avoid any manipulation over the turnover of an entity. The Enterprise Value to Sales analysis is mentioned below: 1994 1995 Market Capitalization $ in Million 458 481 Total Debt in $ million 247 176 Total Worth in $ Million 705 657 Less: Cash in $ Million 5 2 Net Worth in $ Million 700 655 Annual Sales in $ Million 563 621 EV/Sales 124.33 105.48 The Enterprise Value to Sales is high in both years 1994 and 1995. This shows me that the net worth of the company is high. EBIAT is a financial appraisal technique which is used to figure out the operating performance of a company. It refers to how much resources have been utilized to generate revenue within a given span of time. The financial evaluators are most likely to consider this ratio as an indicator of a company’s performance within a defined accounting cycle. This will allow them to set a point of time within the operating cycle that they can focus on. EV/EBIAT 1994 1995 Market Capitalization $ in Million 458 481 Total Debt in $ million 247 176 Total Worth in $ Million 705 657 Less: Cash in $ Million 5 2 Net Worth in $ Million 700 655 EBIAT in $ Million -2.5 10.4 EV/EBIAT (28,000) 6,298 The company recorded a net loss in the year 1994 of $-28,000, but it is a positive figure of $6,298 in the year 1995. My calculation for the Dividend Discount Model is as follows: P = Dividend / WACC – g WACC = 12% G = Growth rate = 4% = 1.2 / 12 – 8 1.2/ 0.08 P = $15 The average Share Price in the year 1995 was also $15. Taking all of this analysis into consideration, I believe that $585 million is a fair price to pay for Dessen. The net worth of Dressen in terms of financial value and share valuation are strong. I believe that Warburg is underpaying for Dressen. I believe Warburg got Dressen for a good price. I feel that Warburg should have paid more for Dressen, so with a purchase price of $585 million I believe Warburg got a great value. #3)Financial Forecasting is an important metric to use because it can estimate the future financial outcomes of a company. Analysts have to forecast the cash flows and debt obligations to analyze the financial competitiveness of a company as a whole. Two different ratios could be used to analyze Dressen’s ability to generate sufficient cash flows to service its debt. The two ratios I used for Dressen are the Cash Flow to Sales Ratio and Debt to Equity. The Cash Flow to Sales ratio is an important ratio which analyzes what percentage of the company’s sales are on credit, and how much of the sales are on cash. The computed ratio for the next five years is below: Operating Cash Flow to Sales 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 Forecasted Operational Cash Flow 77 83 99 101 95 Forecasted Sales in Million $ 658 698 740 784 804 Operating Cash Flow to Sales 11.70 11.89 13.38 12.88 11.82 Average 12.33 The forecasted figure of the cash flow to sales is showing that the company is not efficient in getting their cash sooner as related to sales. The amount of operating cash flow to sales ranges from 11.70% to 13.38%, with an average of 12.33%. This shows that over 80% of Dressen’s sales are on  credit, which is not a good sign from the viewpoint of the company. The risk in generating sufficient cash flow will remain with the company for the next five years (1996-2000) as well, because the cash generating cycle of the company is too low and it has to be increased accordingly. The Debt to Equity ratio of Dressen for the next five years is below: Debt to Equity 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 Total Debt in $ Million 530 501 455 409 357 Equity in $ Million 178 208 247 294 345 Debt to Equity 2.98 2.41 1.84 1.39 1.03 Average 1.93 The Debt to Equity ratio for Dressen (Forecasted) is showing that the level  of debt is twice that of the equity. This is against the restrictive covenants. A high debt/equity ratio generally means that a company has been aggressive in financing its growth with debt. This can result in volatile earnings because of the additional interest expense. Average Debt to Equity of the company is showing that the proportion of debt is nearly 68%, while the proportion of equity is 32%. This is very near to the restrictive covenants, in which debt should not be higher than 70%. There is a risk that this ratio will increase in the upcoming years. #4)For the Debt Rating analysis I decided to examine the Debt to total Capital and the liabilities to total assets. I wanted to figure out these ratings for 1994 and 1995, before the buyout. Question-4 Debt Rating 1994 1995 Average Subordinate Debt in $ Million 165 Capital 458 481 Percentage of Debt/Capital 36.03 34.30 35.16 Total Liabilities in $ Million 247 176 Total Assets in $ Million 705 657 Proportion 35.04 26.79 30.91 The Total Debt to Capital of Dressen on average is 35.16%. This would represent a rating category of â€Å"A.† Along the same lines, liabilities to assets have a figure of 30.91%. The bond rating in this particular scenario is also â€Å"A.† The coverage ratio is a measure of a company’s ability to meet its financial obligations. The higher the coverage ratio, the better the ability of the company to fulfill its obligations to its lenders. Analysts and investors perform coverage ratios to determine the change in a company’s financial position. The findings of the coverage ratio I performed on Dressen are below: 1994 1995 EBIT -2.5 10.4 Interest Expense 3 1 Coverage Ratio -0.83 10.40 This analysis shows that Dressen generates enough cash flow to pay its interest, specifically in the year 1995. Taking all of this information into account, I would assign an â€Å"A† rating to Dressen. #5)In order to analyze the level of business risk for the buyout, I decided to use the current ratio and the gearing ratio. The current ratio is a liquidity ratio that measures a company’s ability to pay short-term obligations. The higher the current ratio, the more capable the company is of paying its obligations. A ratio under 1 suggests that the company would be unable to pay off its obligations if they came due at that point. This is an important ratio for Warburg because they need to make sure they can meet their short-term obligations after the buyout. Current Assets in Million $ 183 Current Liabilities in Million $ 95 Current Ratio 1.926 Dressen has a current ratio of 1.926. The current ratio can give a sense of the efficiency of a company’s operating cycle and its ability to turn its product into cash. This ratio shows that Dressen is doing a good job as far as meeting its short-term financial obligations and promises. The gearing ratio is a financial ratio that compares some form of owner’s equity to borrowed funds. It is a measure of financial leverage that demonstrates the degree to which a firm’s activities are funded by owner’s funds versus creditor’s funds. A company with high gearing (high leverage) is more vulnerable to downturns in the business cycle because the company must continue to service its debt regardless of how bad sales are. If a company has more equity, then there would be more of a cushion, which would show financial strength. Debt 420 Equity 160 Assets 705 EBIT 10.4 Interest 1 Debt to Equity 2.625 EBIT/Interest 10.4 Equity/Assets 22.70 From this analysis, it can be determined that the Debt to Equity of the company is still high at 2.62%. Total Equity to Assets is relatively small at only 22.70%. This shows that most of the assets in Dressen have been bought using debt. From this analysis, it is found that the company is not risky when it comes to short-term financial obligations, but it will be in a dangerous situation in the long-term.

Universal Healthcare Persuasive

The United States is the only developed nation without universal health care coverage, and the current state of affairs is bankrupting millions. the United States spends more on health care per an individual than any other nation, the World Health Organization reports that the United States only ranks 28th for life expectancy and 37th for mortality of children under the age of 5. For immunizations, the United States ranks 67th – Botswana is 66th. More than 46 million Americans go uninsured each day, 9 million of whom are children. Some believe that universal health care would bankrupt America, but the Congressional Budget Office found that it would actually save $100 to $200 billion dollars per a year, according to the Connecticut Coalition for Universal Health Care. The cost of health care in the United States is also costing American jobs. To avoid hefty insurance premiums, American businesses have moved offices out of the States. Health Care Statistics in the United States Health Insurance. The United States is the only wealthy, industrialized nation that does not have a universal health care system. Source: Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences In 2010, the percentage of Americans without health insurance was 16. 3%, or 49. 9 million uninsured people. Source: US Census Bureau Of the 83. 7% of people with health insurance in 2010, coverage was 55. 3% employment-based, 9. 8% direct-purchase, and 31. 0% government funded (Medicare, Medicaid, Military). (Overlap reflects coverage by more than one type of health insurance). Source: US Census Bureau The primary reason given for lack of health insurance coverage in 2005 was cost (more than 50%), lost job or a change in employment (24%), Medicaid benefits stopped (10%), ineligibility for family insurance coverage due to age or leaving school (8%). Source: National Center for Health Statistics More than 40 million adults stated that they needed but did not receive one or more of these health services (medical care, prescription medicines, mental health care, dental care, or eyeglasses) in 2005 because they could not afford it. Source: National Center for Health Statistics Medicaid, which accounted for 15. 9% of health care coverage in 2010, is a health insurance program jointly funded by the federal and state governments to provide health care for qualifying low-income individuals. Source: US Census Bureau Medicare, a federally funded health insurance program that covers the health care of most individuals 65 years of age and over and disabled persons, accounted for 14. 5% of health care coverage in 2010. Source: US Census Bureau Medicare operates with 3% overhead, non-profit insurance 16% overhead, and private (for-profit) insurance 26% overhead. Source: Journal of American Medicine 2007 Since the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) was created in 1997, the percentage of children ages 0-17 with health insurance has increased from 86% to 93%. Source: National Center for Health Statistics: December 2011 2. 5 million young adults have gained health insurance as a result of the provision in the Affordable Care Act that allows them to remain on their parents insurance plans until age 26. Source: National Center for Health Statistics: December 2011 Health Care Expenditures Health care expenditures in the United States were nearly $2. 6 trillion in 2010, an average of $8,402 per person. Source: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services In 2009, national health care expenditures were paid by households 28%, private businesses 21%, state and local governments 16%, and federal government 27%. Source: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services 75% of all health care dollars are spent on patients with one or more chronic conditions, many of which can be prevented, including diabetes, obesity, heart disease, lung disease, high blood pressure, and cancer. Source: Health Affairs Half of health care spending is used to treat just 5% of the population. Source: Kaiser Family Foundation, May 2012 Since 2001, employer-sponsored health coverage for family premiums has increased by 113%. Source: Kaiser Family Foundation, May 2012 The share of the economy devoted to health care has increased from 7. 2% in 1970 to 17. 9% in 2009 and 2010. Source: Kaiser Family Foundation, May 2012 The U. S. spends substantially more on health care than other developed countries. As of 2009, health spending in the U. S. was about 90% higher than in many other industrialized countries. The most likely causes are higher prices, more readily accessible technology, and greater obesity. Source: Kaiser Family Foundation, May 2012 Infant Mortality In 2005, the United States ranked 30th in infant mortality. Singapore has the lowest rate with 2. 1 deaths per 1000 live births, while the United States has a rate of 6. 9 deaths per 1000 live births. Infant mortality is considered an important indicator of the health of a nation. Source: CDC, NCHS Data Brief, Number 23, November 2009 Approximately 30,000 infants die in the United States each year. The infant mortality rate, which is the risk of death during the first year of life, is related to the underlying health of the mother, public health practices, socioeconomic conditions, and availability and use of appropriate health care for infants and pregnant women. Sources: CDC and National Center for Health Statistics, 2008 The main cause contributing to the high infant mortality rate in the United States is the very high percentage of preterm births. One in 8 births in the United States were born preterm, an increase of 36% since 1984. Source: CDC, NCHS Data Brief, Number 23, November 2009 Life Expectancy Life expectancy at birth in the United States is an estimated 78. 49 years, which ranks 50th in highest total life expectancy compared to other countries. Source: CIA Factbook (2011) Lack of health insurance is associated with as many as 44,789 deaths per year in the United States. Source: Harvard Medical School Study, American Journal of Public Health, December 2009 People without health insurance had a 40 percent higher risk of death than those with private health insurance, a result of being unable to obtain necessary medical care. Source: Harvard Medical School Study, American Journal of Public Health, December 2009 Bankruptcy Nearly two-thirds, or 62%, of all bankruptcy filings in the United States in 2007 were due to illness or medical bills. Source: American Journal of Medicine, June 2009 Among the medical bankruptcy filers in 2007, most were well-educated, owned homes, employed in middle-class occupations, and three-quarters had health insurance. Source: American Journal of Medicine, June 2009 Everyone has the right to health, including health care, according to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Health care is a public good, not a commodity. The U. S. health care system must fulfill these principle s†¢Universality: Everyone in the United States has the human right to health care. †¢Equity: Benefits and contributions should be shared fairly to create a system that works for everyone. †¢Accountability: The U. S. government has a responsibility to ensure that care comes first. If you are against universal health care or don’t have an opinion on it at all, I urge you to read the following. I will attempt to simply and concisely prove why the United States needs to change its current health care system. In the United States of America, 44. 8 million people are without health insurance. Either they can’t afford it or they are denied coverage because the companies do not think they will be â€Å"economical enough†. Even if one does have medical insurance, chances are they will be denied coverage at one point in their life. This is due to the privatized, profit-driven system, which encourages legalese like co-pays, thresholds, limited coverage, and more. Our private system, contrary to popular belief, is incredibly expensive for the state. We give 15% of our GDP to healthcare for a system that is supposedly run by corporations. That’s the highest GDP percentage in the world that is spent on healthcare. Here’s why a universal healthcare system would be better for many reasons. Those who agree that health care is a basic human right (78% of Americans do) would easily list this as the first reason. Universal Health Care would also be cheaper. According to the WHO, the United States spends $3371 per person, per year for health insurance. Look at what these countries pay: Australia: $1017 (#2 in the world). Yeah. We pay three times as much as Australia, the number two country on the list, for a fundamentally broken system. And where does most of that money go? Into the pockets of big insurance company management. As for the doctor pay: Yes, doctors will be paid less. Perhaps as much as 30% less. In spite of this, doctors will still be one of the highest-paid professions in the United States, even with universal health care. Furthermore, under the new system that many are proposing, med school would be partially or completely subsidized by the government. Another argument often heard: â€Å"Taxes would spike†. Not if it’s done right. US government spending is SECOND-HIGHEST in the world per person, for a private system. Countries with Universal Health Care, like Australia, Canada, UK, etc. all have less government spending per person that us, and a better system. Same or less amount of spending means the same or less amount of taxes. Enough of the status quo. It’s time for change. It’s not just about voting with your heart, it’s about voting with your brain. Universal Health Care is the logical alternative.