New paradigms for health care delivery

Changes occurring in Health care delivery and Medicine are the result of social, economical, technological, scientific forces that have evolved in the 21st century. Among the most significant changes are shift in disease patterns, advanced technology, increased consumer expectations and high costs of health care. These factors have redefined medical practices to fit into the changing health delivery system. Many health care professionals have come to the conclusion and belief that they will be compelled to explore new paradigms for health care delivery in the future like electronic medical record keeping, telemedicine, computer-based diagnostics and health monitoring to keep pace with the changing scenario. This is due to the accountability of the medical profession today and changing disease patterns. Doctors are under increasing pressure to keep up to date and to base their decisions more firmly on evidences as opposed to anecdotal information of the past. Patients are much more informed than they were 10 years ago. No doctor can tell a patient what to do without being questioned today. Further, with the advent of concepts like informed consent and advance directives, such scientific changes gain relevance. ELEMENTS OF THE NEW PARADIGM The use of electronic documentation is becoming increasingly prevalent in terms of convenience. The National Academy of Sciences report states that the US health care industry spent between $10 and $15 billion on information technology in 1996. Much of this expenditure is attributed to creating electronic records systems and converting conventionally stored data to electronic formats.   There are many software programs specially developed for electronic record keeping. This includes ‘Doctors partner’, an advanced Electronic Medical Records (EMR) System with Integrated Appointment Scheduling Billing, Prescription Writer, Transcription Module, Document Management and Workflow Management built to meet HIPAA standards. ‘Practice Partner Patient Records’ is an award winning electronic medical records (EMR) system, allowing practices to store and retrieve patient charts electronically. There are innumerable such branded medical record softwares available today. The standards in practice for EMR include ASTM International Continuity of Care Record , ANSI X12 (EDI) CEN , EN13606, HISA, DICOM , HL7 ,ISO   and openEHR . (Ringold et.al.,2000). The American Medical Association and 13 other medical groups representing 500,000 physicians have signaled their intention to go electronic with the AMA formed   Physicians' â€Å"Electronic Health Record Coalition† to recommend affordable, standards-based technology to their constituents. President Bush has also promoted a nationwide computerized medical records system in a recent visit to a children's hospital at Vanderbilt University. Scientific innovations have found a niche in complicated medical procedures as well. A recent study successfully has evaluated a bar code patient identification system, which involves a hand-held computer for sample collection and for compatibility testing administration of blood. (Turner et.al, 2003). A recent research article (Sandler et.al, 2000) reports of a solid phase and micro titer plate hemagglutination method for pretransfusion compatibility tests. This I-TRAC is an automated process of blood matching with improved serological sensitivity and standardized compatibility testing supporting electronic record keeping and linking to a bar code identification system. San Raffale Hospital in Milan, Italy, has recently collaborated with Intel and CISCO systems to use wireless-enabled infrastructures and Radio frequency identification (RFID) technologies. The system uses RFID-radio frequency identification technology to address the sources of   human and systems error in blood transfusion supply chain. This pilot programme has been   implemented at the 1,100 bed San Raffale hospital where more than 15000 blood transfusions are done every year. The CAT (Computer Aided Tomography) is yet another revolution in medicine which combines the X-ray technology with computer signal processing to generate images of tissues of the body obscured by other organs. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a common technique used to scan pathological or physiological status of living tissues. Much is known about the computer aided continuous ECG monitoring with a play back facility for assessing the cardiac status of the patient. Today we are in a wonderful situation where we will be able to develop a drug based on computer analysis skipping a few phases of clinical testing. PERSPECTIVES ON THE PARADIGM SHIFT Thus, scientific innovations are part of the evolutionary process of the medical science. The basic instrument of a physician, the Stethoscope, the Sphygmomanometer used for monitoring the patient blood pressure, the Catheter, Radiotherapy, Chemotherapy, the EEG, ECG, EMG, Echocardiogram, Ultrasonic scan, to name a few were nothing but such scientific innovations integrated into the field of medicine in the nineteenth and twentieth century. Thus, Computer based telemedicine, medical record system, and diagnostic procedures are scientific innovations of the twenty-first century. Hence, it is nothing but a natural and moral obligation of the health care sector to integrate them into the field of medicine. Changes in financial incentives and health care delivery structures are producing new threats to health care quality (A.Brennan, 1991). The retributive measures are cumbersome and expensive. Hence, there is a need for more accountable health delivery system, which will enable application of modern scientific approaches to quality health care system. In this context, quality of the medical care depends on promotion of quality medical care by managed care organizations. REFERENCE Brennan, T, et.al, â€Å"Incidence of adverse events and negligence in hospitalized patients: the results of the Harvard Medical Practice Study†, New England Journal of Medicine 324: 370-76, 1991. Là ¦rum Hallvard, MD, Tom H. Karlsen, MD, and Arild Faxvaag, MD, PhD . â€Å"Effects of Scanning and Eliminating Paper-based Medical Records on Hospital Physicians' Clinical Work Practice†. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association 10: 588-595.2003. Ringold DJ , JP Santell, and PJ Schneider , â€Å"ASHP national survey of pharmacy practice in acute care settings: dispensing and administration–1999†. American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy 57 (19): 1759-75. 2000. Sauer et.al, â€Å"Errors in transfusion medicine† Lab Med. 32(4): 205-207, 2001. Turner et.al, â€Å"Bar code technology: its role in increasing the safety of blood transfusion†, Transfusion, 43(9): 1200:2003.

Psychosocial Theories in Criminal Justice

PSYCHOSOCIAL THEORIES in the APPLICATION of CRIMINAL JUSTICE Mark P. Robertson Deviant Behavior Instructor Tomasina Cook EMPIRE STATE COLLEGE July 30, 2012 There are several Psychosocial Theories pertaining to human behavior. The relation of some of these theories can be directly applied to the Criminal Justice field. Theories focus on why some behavior develops, when and where the development begins, who is affected by it and may be particularly more susceptible, what signs or behaviors to look for, and what may be done to prevent it. Psychologist Terrie Moffitt proposed her Developmental Theory identifying two developmental ‘paths’ or ‘patterns’ in which an individual may exhibit. Moffitt claims that criminal behavior can mainly be classified into one of these categories. Moffitt states that the ‘Life-Course-Persistent (LCP) offender’ continues their antisocial ways and behavior across or throughout all kinds of conditions and situations, and throughout the life course (or life span). This is a developmental path in which the offender shows various psychological and antisocial difficulty, and defiance on a consistent basis at an early age, on through youth and adolescence, and further into adulthood and beyond. It appears as though once LCP’s become involved in a deviant and offensive lifestyle they continue and increase their offending as they grow older. Young children as LCP’s often show evidence of this developmental ‘path’ in ways such as wild temper tantrums and mood swings, to biting and hitting. As adolescents, LCP’s show signs such as truancy, shoplifting and substance abuse. This may seem like rather common or somewhat ‘normal’ behavior for many younger individuals, and in many cases it is. However, when the young person or adolescent does not ‘grow-out’ of this phase or behavioral ‘pattern’, it can progress into adulthood. The adult LCP may often develop such behavior as robbery, rape, child abuse, even murder. Adult LCP’s show high levels of antisocial behavior, and are almost exclusively male in gender. You can read also  Justice System Position Paper The offending might even escalate, with the offenses and behavior becoming more violent in nature, more erratic, and unpredictable. As stated earlier, some criminal behavior may be seen or viewed as relatively ‘normal’ behavior for younger individuals, especially males. In fact, most young individuals do ‘grow-up and out’ of this, and choose (whether voluntarily or involuntarily) another developmental pathway. They may offend or display some type of criminal or ‘bad’ behavior as children, adolescents, or young adults, but usually stop in their late-teens to early twenties. Terrie Moffitt states that these ‘youths’ are ‘Adolescent-Limited (AL) offenders’, and these individuals usually do not have or display the early developmental, persistent antisocial, or problem behavioral histories as their LCP counterparts. However the case may be, there is an occasional commonality between LCP and AL youth. Often times, the frequency and severity of offending among LCP and AL youth, is ‘mirrored’. The patterns of offending between them can be almost identical, but with the onset of young adulthood looming near, these patterns then abruptly change. For many reasons, the AL youth realizes that continued offending will not lead to any sort of positive outcome, and he or she then stops. Ultimately, when applied in a criminal justice setting, Moffitt’s developmental theory of the LCP person and the AL person shows that the AL ‘criminals’ or ‘delinquents’ have the ability, or at the very least, are more likely to regain control of their lives. They desist in their malevolent and/or devious behavior when they begin to mature and evolve into a more social, conventional, realistic, and ‘acceptable’ person. The LCP ‘criminal’ or ‘delinquent’ maintains their malevolent behavior, possibly and usually escalating into a more antisocial, unpredictable and dangerous person. LCP’s generally have long histories wrought with aggressive and violent crimes, with genuine ‘disregard’ for legality, posing as a ‘threat’ to everyone. Psychologist Erik Erikson proposed another theory of Psychosocial Development, which focuses on ‘Stages’. He states that each stage plays a major role in the development of personality and psychological ‘skills’. Erikson says there are a series of eight stages, coinciding with infancy to late adulthood, in which a person experiences different ‘challenges’. Each stage requires the successful completion of the prior stage to move onto the next, otherwise incomplete stages may reappear in the future and pose potential problems. However, absolute perfection or mastery of a stage is not necessary. Erikson’s developmental stages are as follows: 1. Hopes: Trust vs. Mistrust (Oral-Sensory, Birth – 2 yrs) 2. Will: Autonomy vs. Shame & Doubt (Muscular-Anal, 2 -4 yrs) 3. Purpose: Initiative vs. Guilt (Locomotor-Genital, Preschool, 4 -5 yrs) 4. Competence: Industry vs. Inferiority (Latency, 5 – 12 yrs) 5. Fidelity: Identity vs. Role Confusion (Adolescence, 13 – 19 yrs) 6. Love: Intimacy vs. Isolation (Young Adulthood, 20 – 24, or 20 – 40 yrs) 7. Care: Generativist vs. Stagnation (Middle Adulthood, 25 – 64, or 40 – 64 yrs) 8. Wisdom: Ego Integrity vs. Despair (Late Adulthood, 65 – death) In regards to Erik Erikson’s developmental theory of the ‘Stages’, there is particular importance in relation to the criminal justice field. Stage 5, (Fidelity: Identity vs. Role Confusion) plays a key role in psychosocial ability and behavior. ‘Identity’ is unique to every individual. There may be a distinct correlation between identity and why some people stray from the ‘norms’ of society and venture off into a life of deviant or criminal activity. This is especially true when it involves young people. Young people/persons are quite easily influenced, and impressionable. It is a very critical and important time in one’s life, trapped somewhere between childhood and adulthood. It is a period of extreme change, extreme choices, and big decisions. Lack of one’s own identity, confusion, and the need and desire to belong, or to ‘fit in’ somewhere, can and often does provoke irrational thought. The inability or difficulty to become accepted by one’s peers gives way to potentially ‘bad’ choices. This can be especially difficult for certain cultural, ethnic, and societal groups. For example, inner-city youth (regardless of race) who grow up in areas with higher crime rates and/or criminal activity, or lower-income families (many with only one parental figure) are by default, at higher risk of ‘exposure’ to criminal activity. They in essence, have little or almost no chance of meeting or interacting with (or being influenced by) someone from the suburbs, or the country (rural areas), where criminal activity is lower. These inner-city youths are more frequently exposed to crime (it is sometimes all they see and know), and without ‘positive’ influence, they are more susceptible to adopt an ‘identity’ relative and according to what they experience on a regular basis. They believe that is the ‘norm’ and in turn, they tend to lean towards what they believe. Rather than having no identity at all, and having the desire to ‘fit in’ somewhere, they naturally fall into place. Unfortunately, the choice(s) for these youths are often very limited, and this is a major problem. This may be a reason why Hans J. Eysenck developed his psychosocial development theory of Personality and Crime. Hans J. Eysenck’s theory is regarded as one of the most influential psychological perspectives on crime today. (Cale, 2006) Eysenck states that criminal behavior is the result of an interaction between certain environmental conditions and certain features of the nervous system. In other words, certain types of personalities, combined with certain types of surroundings, lead to certain types of criminal activity. This equates to a perfect combination of attributes which are a recipe for juvenile, delinquent, and/or criminal behavior. This theory is unlike most contemporary theories of crime, because Eysenck heavily emphasizes that genetic predispositions are largely responsible for antisocial and criminal conduct. Theoretically, some people are just ‘born different’ from the majority of the population, and their genetics result in their inability to adapt and conform to society’s rules, regulations, and expectancies. Therein lays the problem. To assist Eysenck in measuring different variables of, and predisposure to commit crimes and offenses, he developed several ‘questionnaires’. The best known questionnaire would be the British Maudsley Personality Inventory (MPI). Additional editions would be the Eysenck Personality Inventory (EPI), the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ), and the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire-Revised (EPQ-R). These questionnaires can be very helpful in providing researchers with valuable insight on how personality traits may coincide with criminality however it is not yet ‘conclusive’ research. Although Eysenck’s theory of Personality and Crime cannot be definitively proven, it is still worth looking at. Criminal justice practitioners would be wise to examine and contemplate its useful and unique suggestions. While there are still several theories on psychosocial development to be discussed, Gerald Patterson’s ‘Coercion Developmental Theory’ is in alignment with Terrie Moffitt’s theory. Patterson states and believes that ‘early starters are at greater risk for more serious criminal offending’. (Bartol and Bartol, p. 65) Patterson theorizes that while early starters are at greater risk, he focuses on how the parents and their roles with their children are more important, and much more instrumental. Essentially when young children experience different types of ‘traumatic’ events (e. g. ivorce, family violence, inconsistent parental discipline), they are prone to or are at greater likelihood to begin using or displaying ‘coercive behavior’. Coercive behavior can become the child’s way of avoiding or escaping his or her immediate (parental, social) environment. This ‘coercive’ behavior could be as minor or u nassuming as lying, temper tantrums, or whining. Eventually this coercive behavior becomes the child’s ‘go to’ strategy to obtain the desired result(s) he or she wants. If left unchecked, or uncorrected by parents, the problem behavior can be prolonged, well into adolescence and on to adulthood. You can read also King v Cogdon Therefore, parents need to gain and maintain control, in a non-threatening, non-demanding, appropriate way, as early as the coercive behavior is recognized. Summarizing that society has no shortage of people with some type of developmental disability that inhibits or prohibits their behavior, it can usually be traced back or down to its source. In conclusion, the theories discussed here can assist in narrowing down the ‘root’ causes of or perhaps the reasons why some individuals seem to veer astray from societal normality. Whether the causes or reasons are psychological, developmental, or environmental in nature, criminal justice practitioners can utilize these theories to evaluate, and possibly explain the behavior of those in question. REFERENCES, NOTES, and CITATIONS 1. Criminal Behavior: A Psychosocial Approach, 8th Edition, By: Bartol and Bartol 2. Generalist Case Management: A Method of Human Service Delivery, 3rd Edition, By: Woodside and McClam 3. Online Research on Juvenile Delinquency and Criminal Behavior http://www. fbi. gov. juveniledelinquency. icr

Bloog 5 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Bloog 5 - Essay Example Moreover, my racial and cultural identity has made me different from many Americans (Nguyen 122). As a person, I have different values from many of the Americans who are my classmates. Although there has been a measure of violence and discrimination targeted towards Asian Americans, I have not experienced any extreme case of the racial discrimination. I have also had the opportunity to interact with other Asian Americans, a factor that has made me experience a home away from home. Many Asian Americans believe that hard work is essential if anyone wants to be successful. The above has proven to be a positive stereotype in my stay in the United States of America. Many people are likely to give me opportunities because they have the conviction that I will exhibit hard work and dedication. Like many other Asian Americans, I am doing my best to make my life better because the United States offer more opportunities (123). For example, I am benefiting from an international curriculum a factor that presents a brighter future for me. Despite the stereotypes associated with my race, I am grateful for the opportunity of being in the United States. Nguyen, DQ. "Unraveling The "Model Minority" Stereotype: Listening To Asian American Youth, 2Nd Edition." Cultural Diversity & Ethnic Minority Psychology 17.1 (n.d.): 122-123. Social Sciences Citation Index. Web. 26 June

A Professional Development Plan Scholarship Essay

A Professional Development Plan - Scholarship Essay Example As the research stresses  mentoring relationships vary from loosely defined and informal collegial relationships wherein a mentee learns through observation and example to structured and formal agreements between novice co-mentors and experts wherein both parties develop professional by a two-way transfer of perspective and experience. Whether or not the relationship is considered formal or informal, the objective of mentoring is to offer or grant advancement, both professional and personal. In higher education, professors are charged with the duty of passing knowledge to students and prepare them for life after college or university. This makes this group very significant in ensuring continuity of society.From the discussion it is clear that  the work of a higher education professor is to educate academic and vocational subjects to both post and undergraduate scholars in institutions of higher learning. Some of their teaching method comprise of lectures tutorials, seminars, prac tical demonstrations, e-learning and field work among others. Multimedia technologies are also more and more being used today. A professor is also liable of pursing his or her own research in order to aid in the broader research activity of their institution or academic department. The goal is to have his or her scholarly article or book peer reviewed and published, which, on the other hand, will raise his or her profile and also that of their institution.

How do the teachings of Buddhism and Christianity match up Where are Research Paper

How do the teachings of Buddhism and Christianity match up Where are they similar and where do they differ - Research Paper Example Buddhism is geographically restricted to Asia only, while Christianity is prevalent throughout the world. This paper would discuss certain similarities and differences found between the two. Similarities and differences There are many notable aspects of Buddhism that are similar to the Catholic faith and its traditions. The Five Moral Precepts of Buddhism, for example, compare closely to the Ten Commandments which have set out law for centuries: for Jews in the time of Moses, then later for disciples of Christ, and even for Christians today. The Five Moral Precepts include the refraining of murder, thievery, sexual misconduct, lying, and the consumption of intoxicants. Similarly, the Ten Commandments call for abstention of killing, stealing, adultery, as well as dishonesty. Although the Ten Commandments consist of more than these immoral actions, these aspects of Christianity and Buddhism were designed based on similar beliefs. The main book of rules or official set of regulations fo r Christianity is the bible, which has two parts, the New Testament and the Old Testament. Christ came to this world when Siddhartha Gotama was 29. He was born into a wealthy family and realized that only wealth could not fulfill his inner being so he started studying religion. At age 80 he died in happiness knowing he had created a new religion that has influenced the world. Buddha as he was named alter in his life took all the true and pure parts of all religions and put them together into a religion that was almost perfect in his eyes. The similarities between these two religions of the world are great. Both the religions are monotheistic and affirm that after death only those people shall gain the eternal salvation of heaven that adhered to the rules or commandments in this world. Both of these religions also praise, or in Buddhism's case, respect their messiah and ask for eternal salvation from their god. Buddhism is based on the beliefs of Buddha who was raised as a rich child who didn't know what pain, sickness, age, and death were until he demanded his father to allow him to exit the palace and view the town. When he went he saw an old man and asked his father what was wrong and only then did Buddha figure out that there are bad things in our world. At the end of his visit he saw a monk with an ancient, calm look upon his face that Buddha soon would have. After this incident his father exposed him to the world in every way and Buddha started studying religion. At first he was just interested in why people needed it but the more he studied it the more attached he became to it. He and his five followers did this in an effort to receive the answer of what is the only way to receive the ability to pass to heaven. After the incident under the tree word spread and through good deeds of other individuals he obtained a temple and many followers some of which were women. At the age of 35 he became a religious leader in Northeast India and for the next 45 years he taught Buddhism. Rites and Rituals In Christian community, Baptism takes place at a young age. Most infants taking place in Baptism are only a few months old. Baptism is all about welcoming a new member to the Christian community and letting them live the way Jesus lived his life. The ceremony of Baptism takes place in 6 parts. The parents and the selected godparents of the child are asked what their intentions are. Prayers are made and a couple

32 Short Films About Glenn Gould Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

32 Short Films About Glenn Gould - Movie Review Example He travelled and played music in front of the audience till the age of 31 and after that he took retirement. His last performance was in Los Angelesin April 1964.After that he took to recording, broadcasting and writing. It is widely known that he preferred playing his own piano and he once commented, â€Å"it is the best vehicle to express my ideas.† He has acclaimed various awards in his life and the movie made in his honor, i.e. 32 Short Films About Glenn Gould had 8 nominations and 3 wins. He died of a stroke on October 4, 1982, and was laid to rest in Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Toronto, Ontario, Canada(Janet). The mere idea of eccentricity is overrun in this movie as Gould was notoriously famous for not showing up on public performances. It is also said that his last performance at the stage was held when he was 31 years of age and more surprisingly, this event was held without disclosing the fact that this is going to be the last stage performance by him. It is not hard to imagine the reason why he disliked this idea and why he ventured into recording and broadcasting(Janet). The obvious reason for not showing up in public anymore is given in this movie and it says that he did not like the idea that some people had better seats and hence they could have a better view than the rest. This leads to the conclusion, that only some of the people could enjoy, while the rest enjoyed because they had paid for it. In the movie 32 Short Films About Glenn Gould, the director, Francois Girard, has broken a tradition of making movies on celebrities(Janet). Previously, such films were made as fiction and certain events were added to make it appear the film to be realistic. However, this film involves each detail that actually happened and much effort has been divested to arrange concerts, costumes, Gould’s all important family members and his tutor’s appearance; all have been noted down with extreme dexterity. In short, this movie can act as a true biography of the life of Glenn Gould. Gould had a habit of wetting his hands in warm water before performing and it has been noted that doing this gave him more confidence and comfort while playing piano. Adding to the eccentricities, he is seldom portrayed as wearing a coat even in blistering summers and that later came to be known as his signature appearance. Among his other eccentricities, he developed a habit of talking to his friends and family over a long period of time on the telephone while he seldom had a one to one conversation with them. Though, he had quit live performances, he still travelled a lot and composed music in various lodges and hotels. In fact he is one of the few pianists who have left behind a legacy of hundreds of recordings of his music. From the above two examples from his daily life, we come to know that he was an introvert yet an entertainer. Though, he refrained from company, as he withdrew from public audience and then his friends too, yet he found o ut a way to entertain people through his music. His fame was such that his performance of the Bach’s Goldberg Variations has left board on Voyager One on the solar system. Through these examples, we as audience see that Gould was a man of talent and someone who was so passionate about his music that he composed till he died(Janet). The character of Glenn Gould has been taken up by Colm Feore. Throughout the movie he is portrayed as a man in various stages of his life, from the very beginning till the very end. The pianist is shown as a calm and a poised man who is intent upon hearing upon each and every single voice uttered. There are various scenes in the movie which show that Gould is sitting in a

Management Information Systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Management Information Systems - Essay Example utes majority of trades on stock exchange, has experienced the rapid stock executions that are performed by the computers based on external input, such as related securitys price. The excessive number of executions led the system to the crash. Because of the crash in 1987, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) crashed by five hundred and eight (508) points (approximately 22.61%). Whereas, The May 6, 2010 Flash Crash was a United States stock market crash in which the DJIA has fallen around thousand (1,000) points (approximately 9%). The Flash Crash of May 6, 2010, was not a mere technical hitch. Whereas, the Black Monday was the failure program trading, overvaluation, market psycology and illiquidity. The similarities between the two crashed are meaningful and significant. In both crashes, comparatively, there was s same response of deteriorating prices prompting more and more intense selling. However, the the system was up within minutes in the flash crash 2010, whereas, the Black Monday too much time to restore the system. But it can be stated that in the both crashes, the computer system was the main problem, however, both the crashes have their particular reasons as well. One of the main problems discussed in the case study is the poor performance of school system in America. In order to solve the problem, the data-driven information system was developed and deployed in the schools. However, it also opposed by the parents of the students by stating that the system is an unnecessary expenditure. Moreover, the parents and tutors also complained that the students spend more time on projects and creative tasks rather on course material. The teachers are enrolled in the system for their improvement, but this makes it difficult to dismiss the less effective teachers. Therefore, the system was also opposed by the teachers as they need to work hard (four hours weekly workload increased) to improve their results in the system. In general, it can be stated that any

Principles and strategies that apply to the limousine business and Assignment

Principles and strategies that apply to the limousine business and that can apply to each members business - Assignment Example The Landslide Limousine Company will have to recruit knowledgeable and innovative employees and provide incentives to them. Hence, it will be significant to utilize the performance incentives to stimulate growth and remain competitive in the competitive limousine service. Limousine service entails offering the customer the best service. The employees are important in service delivery, and the employers should accord them the privileges such as rest as contained in the Federal Motor Carriers Safety. In order to avoid the high employee turnover, the Landslide Limousine Company will have to utilize merit pay to motivate employees. The company can utilize the number of referrals, as well as, customers surveys as a basis for offering the workers pay on merit package. It is noteworthy that the critical goal of merit pay entails linking the pay to the performance in a way, which is reliable with the operations of the business (2011). The compensation of the workforce will encourage the individual employee to work to attain greater performance. In essence, the pay on merit will stimulate the engagement levels of the employees, as well as, keep them satisfied with the

Factors That Influence Exchange Rates Essay Example for Free

Factors That Influence Exchange Rates Essay Aside from factors such as interest rates and inflation, the exchange rate is one of the most important determinants of a countrys relative level of economic health. Exchange rates play a vital role in a countrys level of trade, which is critical to most every free market economy in the world. For this reason, exchange rates are among the most watched, analyzed and governmentally manipulated economic measures. But exchange rates matter on a smaller scale as well: they impact the real return of an investors portfolio. Here we look at some of the major forces behind exchange rate movements. A higher currency makes a countrys exports more expensive and imports cheaper in foreign markets; a lower currency makes a countrys exports cheaper and its imports more expensive in foreign markets. A higher exchange rate can be expected to lower the countrys balance of trade, while a lower exchange rate would increase it. Determinants of Exchange Rates Numerous factors determine exchange rates, and all are related to the trading relationship between two countries. Remember, exchange rates are relative, and are expressed as a comparison of the currencies of two countries. The following are some of the principal determinants of the exchange rate between two countries. Note that these factors are in no particular order; like many aspects of economics, the relative importance of these factors is subject to much debate. 1. Differentials in Inflation;-As a general rule, a country with a consistently lower inflation rate exhibits a rising currency value, as its purchasing power increases relative to other currencies. During the last half of the twentieth century, the countries with low inflation included Japan, Germany and Switzerland, while the U.S. and Canada achieved low inflation only later. Those countries with higher inflation typically see depreciation in their currency in relation to the currencies of their trading partners. This is also usually accompanied by higher interest rates. 2. Differentials in Interest Rates;-Interest rates, inflation and exchange rates are all highly correlated. By manipulating interest rates, central banks exert influence over both inflation and exchange rates, and changing interest rates impact inflation and currency values. Higher interest rates offer lenders in an economy a higher return relative to other countries. Therefore, higher interest rates attract foreign capital and cause the exchange rate to rise. The impact of higher interest rates is mitigated, however, if inflation in the country is much higher than in others, or if additional factors serve to drive the currency down. The opposite relationship exists for decreasing interest rates that is, lower interest rates tend to decrease exchange rates. 3. Current-Account Deficits;-The current account is the balance of trade between a country and its trading partners, reflecting all payments between countries for goods, services, interest and dividends. A deficit in the current account shows the country is spending more on foreign trade than it is earning, and that it is borrowing capital from foreign sources to make up the deficit. In other words, the country requires more foreign currency than it receives through sales of exports, and it supplies more of its own currency than foreigners demand for its products. The excess demand for foreign currency lowers the countrys exchange rate until domestic goods and services are cheap enough for foreigners, and foreign assets are too expensive to generate sales for domestic interests. 4. Public Debt;-Countries will engage in large-scale deficit financing to pay for public sector projects and governmental funding. While such activity stimulates the domestic economy, nations with large public deficits and debts are less attractive to foreign investors. The reason? A large debt encourages inflation, and if inflation is high, the debt will be serviced and ultimately paid off with cheaper real dollars in the future. In the worst case scenario, a government may print money to pay part of a large debt, but increasing the money supply inevitably causes inflation. Moreover, if a government is not able to service its deficit through domestic means (selling domestic bonds, increasing the money supply), then it must increase the supply of securities for sale to foreigners, thereby lowering their prices. Finally, a large debt may prove worrisome to foreigners if they believe the country risks defaulting on its obligations. Foreigners will be less willing to own securities denominated in that currency if the risk of default is great. For this reason, the countrys debt rating (as determined by Moodys or Standard Poors, for example) is a crucial determinant of its exchange rate. 5. Terms of Trade;-A ratio comparing export prices to import prices, the terms of trade is related to current accounts and the balance of payments. If the price of a countrys exports rises by a greater rate than that of its imports, its terms of trade have favorably improved. Increasing terms of trade shows greater demand for the countrys exports. This, in turn, results in rising revenues from exports, which provides increased demand for the countrys currency (and an increase in the currencys value). If the price of exports rises by a smaller rate than that of its imports, the currencys value will decrease in relation to its trading partners. 6. Political Stability and Economic Performance;-Foreign investors inevitably seek out stable countries with strong economic performance in which to invest their capital. A country with such positive attributes will draw investment funds away from other countries perceived to have more political and economic risk. Political turmoil, for example, can cause a loss of confidence in a currency and a movement of capital to the currencies of more stable countries. Conclusion The exchange rate of the currency in which a portfolio holds the bulk of its investments determines that portfolios real return. A declining exchange rate obviously decreases the purchasing power of income and capital gains derived from any returns. Moreover, the exchange rate influences other income factors such as interest rates, inflation and even capital gains from domestic securities. While exchange rates are determined by numerous complex factors that often leave even the most experienced economists flummoxed, investors should still have some understanding of how currency values and exchange rates play an important role in the rate of return on their investments.

Whats Involved In Knowing A Word English Language Essay

Whats Involved In Knowing A Word English Language Essay What is involved in knowing a word? Is it significant for learners of a second language to manage a great amount of vocabulary? How can teachers help vocabulary learning? In this essay, I am firstly going to analyse, what really a word is, and the aspects involved when knowing and using vocabulary. In the second section of this paper, I am going to discuss and analysed some authors and linguists point of view about lexicon and its importance in learning a foreign language. Finally, I am going to focus on some useful learning strategies to be applied when teaching vocabulary to second language learners. When thinking about teaching and learning of a second language, the first aspect which comes to our minds is the syntactic aspect, the rules by which we construct intelligible ideas. To know how to use grammatical rules is, indeed, important to native and non natives speakers, it could make the difference between a good and a bad user of the language. Nevertheless, as important as knowing about grammar is knowing about vocabulary. During decades, lexis was kept aside and was not considered as an important aspect of language to be concerned about. Linguists have had remarkable little to say about vocabulary and one can find very few studies which could be of any practical interest for language teachers (Wilkins, 1972:109). Though, after ignoring it for a long time, Lexical knowledge is now been appreciated as one of the most important aspect in the learning process. (Gass and Selinker, 1994:270). According to Nation (2001:26) meaning is just an aspect of knowing a word. Identifying its Form (whether it is spoken, written as well as word-parts) recognising its use (grammatical functions, collocations or constraints on use) are strands involved too. As stated before, words embrace much more than a meaning and to be familiar with them, a learner must be aware of its formation and its meaningful parts. For that reason , I am going to focus this essay on Morphology, which is defined by R.L. Trask (1997:145) as the branch of linguistics dealing with the study of word structure, conventionally divided into inflectional and derivational morphology. From now, the term word-form is also going to be used in this essay to refer to a word. The first assumption a learner should make is that a word-form consists of meaningful pieces of language ( Ronald Carter et Michael McCarthy, 1988:18) called morphemes, which is commonly defined as the smallest grammatical and meaningful unit.(Aitchison, 1994:122) In the word-form useless two morphemes with different meanings ( use/less) are arranged to create another word-form with a new meaning. In this case, the morpheme use is a free morpheme, due to it can stand by itself, whereas the affix less is a bound morpheme, since despite having own meaning it is not freestanding. The same phenomenon occurs in unhappy. No one may consider un as a word, but its meaning is well- known (opposite in this case), instead of happy that is a lexeme by itself. In the English Language as in many others, the affix found in one word-form, may also occur in others. That feature, Nation claims, is another aspect involved in knowing a word, (2001:46) and this semantic knowledge, may facilitate students acquisition of vocabulary, especially in the first stages of learning word-forms, thus learners may apply word-formation to decode the meaning of other words. The same learner who realized that unhappy could be considered as opposite of happy, due to the affix un, will interpret the word uneducated correctly thanks to that learner already recognises one of the meanings of the specific bound morpheme un. There is no doubt that being aware of word-formation contributes in the learning process of a non native speaker. Although, it should be mentioned, that morphemes not always behave as in the examples above. As not all words consists of two or more morphemes, some words may create misunderstandings in a learner. Whether the affix un enables to create an opposite meaning, a beginner student who is trying to formulate a sentence in English with the language he or she handles, may easily say I unwork on weekends assuming that unwork is the opposite of work, which is actually erroneous. Owing to that fact , in the last section of this paper I am going to concentrate in the ways teachers can help learners to achieve accuracy in learning vocabulary. Another significant morphological feature in word-forms, is the grammatical factor. Bolinger and Sears mention that by the point of view of grammar, morphemes may be grouped into inflectional or derivational ones( 1981:71). The former group is related to those morphemes which affect the syntactic role of a word-form, without modifying its inner meaning. Aitchison illustrates Inflectional by saying that the only difference between the words Dish and Dishes is the suffix plural ending -es (1994:124). The author agrees with Bolinger and Sears in that when inflectional morphemes are attached to a word, it continues being the same, but with a different form(1981:66). The latter group, derivational morphemes, are the bits of language that attached to an existing word make a new word. Aitchison exemplifies it using the word-form Learn. When the suffix -er is attached, a new word appears: learner. In this case, the observable change may be in word class or in Sense.(1994:124) The diagram below illustrates the difference between both Derivation and Inflection. DERIVATION INFLECTION PREFIX SUFFIX SUFFIX Dis- agree -ment Hate -s Until now, it is been explained the morphological aspect of knowing a word. It was also said that being familiar with this feature is useful when learning a foreign language, but the fact that vocabulary learning and teaching was a neglected theme for so many years, placed the task of vocabulary acquisition on learners hands (Hedge, 2000:110). I concur with McCarthy in saying that Studying how words are formed offers one way of classifying vocabulary, for teaching and learning purposes(1990:5). As a non-native speaker, I truly believe that vocabulary development is essential to communicate in a foreign language, and I do not hesitate in declaring that Morphology is one of the most important tool learners may have command of when acquiring a new language, and English Teachers may contribute in achieving this task, by using vocabulary learning strategies in the classroom. As a language is made up of an endless amount of words, it may be slightly demanding for teachers and learners to select the appropriate number and words to be acquired. Nonetheless, coping with learning strategies is a conscious process which enables people to control their own learning at their own speed and may be employed in any subject, not just in teaching a foreign language. Learning strategies promote learner autonomy in the learning process, whereas, these techniques must be taught and trained. At this point, is when teachers emerge to become a facilitator in the learners acquisition of the proper knowledge. Tricia Hedge classifies learners strategies into four groups: Cognitive, Metacognitive, Socio-affective and Communication strategies (2000:77-79). The author gives some examples to be applied within each category. TYPES OF LEARNER STRATEGIES Socio-affective strategies Communication strategies Metacognitive strategies Cognitive strategies *Initiate conversations. * Collaborating on tasks. *Listening to the radio in the target language. *Watching TV in the target language. *Use of body language. *Paraphrase. *Use of cognates. *Self-monitoring. *Evaluation of the learning process. *Analogy: to compare the meaning of a new Word in L1 and L2. *Memorization: Visual or auditory *Repetition: imitating a model. *Inferencing: guessing meanings. Focusing on acquiring vocabulary by learning word-formation, a teacher may wish to make use of affixes in first place. Recognizing the composition of words is important; the learner can go a long way towards deciphering new words if he or she can see familiar morphemes within them (Michael McCarthy, 1990:4). Nation states (2001:275) that learners should attain some essential skills in order to acquire the appropriate knowledge; these are the Receptive and Productive skills. The former refers to the ability of recognizing that some words are made up of meaningful bits of language, the ability of knowing the meaning those bits of language. Nation grades derivational affixes according from the easiest to the more difficult to learn. (Nation 2001: 268) and the ability of recognizing that a new word has been made. e.g. use / useful The latter skill refers to the ability of realising the shifts in pronunciation and spelling of the new word-form; the ability of identifying the changes in class of the new word-form. To teach vocabulary throughout affixes may result in an attractive experience for learners, but first, it is imperative to create an appropriate environment to develop the activities. The purpose of the tasks must be clear enough(what it is going to be learnt and why) as well as the instructions for the class work. Equally important is the fact that learners may know that the new knowledge is pertinent and relevant for their learning process. As brainstorming learners may well start analyzing some authentic material from a magazine, where they underline all the suffixes or prefixes. In comparing with the whole class, learners will acknowledge and discuss the overlap among some words regarding, for example, the endings, and in which way they affect the word-forms. It is appropriate displaying tasks which enable learners to recognize those shifts clearly. The PPP (Presentation, Practice, and Production) approach seems suitable when working with affixes. First, the teacher presents one affix, emphasizing its meaning and its use. Then, students identify that affix in the words by underlining them, for instance; and finally learners are encourage to apply the new knowledge, by matching words with the appropriate affix and using the new word in a new sentence. Still, educators must be careful. Exposing the learners to too many morphemes at the same time, may cause confusion and rejection amongst students, therefore, it is important to consider frequency when choosing the proper morphemes to teach, that motivates learners since they will feel familiar with the content. (Nation 2001:268) Another way to deal with affixes is using the dictionary as a tool. Learner could be asked to look up as many words containing the prefix -anti (maybe any other), before giving its meaning (against), so they will guess it and share their predictions with the rest of the class. The following list contains suggestions about how to work with morphemes in the classroom: Matching columns. Column A containing the affix, and column B the root. Playing memory cards with roots and affixes. Giving extra points to the learners when they use affixes properly. Team contest, where the team with more correct words having affixes and roots, will obtain extra points. Using Hangman game with words including morphemes to strengthen spelling. Reinforcement may be fulfilled by creating a chart for the classroom with roots, suffixes and prefixes with their meanings, that students will make use of when requiring.

Creating a School Computer Lab

Creating a School Computer Lab 2.1 Introduction Schools play a substantial role in the development of the growing youth. One way of doing so is the use of computer to boost learning as we are in the technological era. In Bangladesh, given its status as a developing country, there is a greater need to equip many schools with computer laboratories for children to have access in order to enhance learning. Bangladesh Computer Lab Co, a nationally owned company specializing in installing computers for schools in the country has been engaged to build a computer lab for Dhaka Primary School in the capital city of Bangladesh under the project titled; Dhaka Primary School Computer Lab Build Project. This project is an initiative of the Government of Bangladesh through the Ministry of Education. All the planning is done by Jasmin Nahar and Janee Jamaludeen who are the project managers of Bangladesh Computer Lab Co. The main stakeholders to this project are; The Bangladesh Ministry of Education and the Dhaka Primary School Board of Governors working closely with the company to see this project through. The project is fully sponsored by the Government of Bangladesh valued at AUD 167,500.00 with a duration of 3 months. Generally, this project is responding to Dhaka Primary Schools need for a computer lab to deliver its computer classes to enhance quality in education for its students. 2.2 Project Scope Statement Definition 2.2.1 Project Scope Description This project is guided by its project management plan that captures its project charter meeting all requirements after a close consultation with its stakeholders and very much in line with the existing organizational process assets. The table below further provides information as part of the project scope statement. Â   Â   2.2.2 Project Deliverables Finalized Project Documentation All project planning documents such as the scope management plan, project charter, requirements documentation and organizational project asserts are finalized. Finalized Lab Design The designing of the computer lab is finalized and approved for implementation. Installation of 50 desktop computers 50 x desktop computers are installed at 25 per lab. 2.2.3 Project Exclusion Lab Maintenance The maintenance of the lab to meet minimum computer lab standards is the responsibility of the administration of the school and its Board of Governors. Commissioning of the Computer Lab The commissioning of the computer lab is the responsibility of the schools Board of Governors. Development of the Computer Lab and Computer Usage Policy The development of the computer lab and computer usage policy is the responsibility of the schools administration. 2.2.4 Project Assumptions Electrical Capacity It is assumed that the buildings provided by the school will meet the electrical capacity including the cooling system required for all the computers. Security and Accessories It is assumed that all security measures including fire protection are provided by the school and its Board of Governors. 2.2.5 Project Constraints Limited Time Frame The project must be completed within 3 months with no provision for extension. Compliance Issues regarding Procurement Process The project must comply with the governments procurement process. Project Objectives LFM and KPI Project Title: Dhaka Primary School Computer Lab Build Goal: Dhaka Primary School has got a school computer lab that is of high quality that can promote learning. Purpose: Respond to the call of building Dhaka Primary School Computer Lab to promote quality education. Objective: To fully install 50 desktop computers in Dhaka Primary School. Input Responsible Output Performance Indicators Means of Verification Project Management (Planning, Implementation Closure) Project Manager Finalized Project Planning Documents -Existence of Project Management Plan, Project Charter, Requirements Documentations and Process Assets. -Project Completion Reports -Monitoring Evaluation Reports Computer Lab Designing Project Manager Finalized Computer Lab Design -Existence of a computer lab design. -Approved Lab Design Project Communication Project Manager Established Communication Managed Plan -Existence of a project communication management plan. -Complete Project Communication Plan Lab Commissioning Stakeholders (Dhaka Primary School Board of Governors and the Ministry of Education Commissioned labs with certification -Existence of a Computer Lab Minimum Standards Report. -Certification Report -Project Commissioning Report Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) WORK BREAKDOWN STRUCTURE PROJECT: DHAKA PRIMARY SCHOOL COMPUTER LAB BUILD DURATION: 3 MONTHS Apr-17 May-17 Jun-17 WBS TASK ASSIGN TO WK1 WK2 WK3 WK4 WK1 WK2 WK3 WK4 WK1 WK2 WK3 WK4 1 Finalize Project Documents 1.1 Strategic Management Planning Project Director 1.2 Completion of Project Management Plan Project Manager 1.3 Completion of Project Charter Project Manager 1.4 Completion of Requirement Documentations Project Manager 1.5 Completion of Process Assets Project Manager 1.6 Approval of Project Planning Steering Committee 2 Finalize Lab Design 2.1 Designing the lab plan Project Team 2.2 Approval of the Lab Plan Project Manager 3 Installation of 50 desktop computers 3.1 Procurement Project Team 3.2 Licencing of all software Project Team 3.3 Lab minimum standards survey Project Team 3.4 Installation Project Team 3.5 Testing Project Team 3.6 Project Closure Report Project Director WBS Dictionary WBS TASK Date START END 1 Finalize Project Documents 1.1 Strategic Management Planning 01.04.17 16.04.17 1.2 Completion of Project Management Plan 01.04.17 16.04.17 1.3 Completion of Project Charter 01.04.17 16.04.17 1.4 Completion of Requirement Documentations 01.04.17 16.04.17 1.5 Completion of Process Assets 01.04.17 16.04.17 1.6 Approval of Project Planning 10.04.17 16.04.17 2 Finalize Lab Design 2.1 Designing the lab plan 17.04.17 24.04.17 2.2 Approval of the Lab Plan 24.04.17 30.04.17 3 Installation of 50 desktop computers 3.1 Procurement 01.05.17 21.05.17 3.2 Licencing of all software 22.05.17 28.05.17 3.3 Lab minimum standards survey 22.05.17 28.05.17 3.4 Installation 29.05.17 11.06.17 3.5 Testing 19.06.17 25.06.17 3.6 Project Closure Report 26.06.17 30.06.17 Linear Responsibility Chart (LRC) Activity Project Sponsor Project Director Project Manager Project Team Steering Committee Strategic Management Planning S R C I A Completion of Project Management Plan I A R I S Completion of Project Charter I A R S I Completion of Requirement Documentations I A R S I Completion of Process Assets I A R S I Approval of Project Planning I R C S A Designing the lab plan I A R S I Approval of the Lab Plan I R C S A Procurement C A R S I Licencing of all software I C A S I Lab minimum standards survey I C A S I Installation I A C R I Testing I A R S I Project Closure Report A R C S C R Means that the person (or role) is responsible for creating the deliverable. (Usually there is only one person who is responsible for creating a deliverable, although many people may provide input.) A -Means that the person (or role) approves the deliverable. S Means that the person (or role) provides support toward the matters pertaining to the deliverable. I Means that the person (or role) who is kept informed on the deliverable. C Means that the person (or role) is consulted on matters pertaining to the deliverable. Budget Summary Activity Description Costing (AUD) Administrative General Admin Overhead Costs including labour etc. $ 70,000.00 Project Planning, Implementation Closure Strategic Management Planning. Completion of Project Management Plan Completion of Project Charter Completion of Requirement Documentations Completion of Process Assets Approval of Project Planning -Stakeholder/Consultative Meetings -Designing of lab plan -Approval of lab plan -Lab minimum standards survey -Installation -Testing -Monitoring Reporting -Project Closure Reports/Consultations/Meetings $ 90,000.00 Procurement Purchasing of 50 desktop computers Accessories -Purchasing of Software Licences Miscellaneous $ 7,500.00 Total $167,500.00 Communication Plan Role Reporting Purpose When to Report Stakeholders Ministry of Education -Reporting to the Government of Bangladesh the start, implementation and closure of the project. After the start and end date of the project. Board of Governors -Reporting to Parents of the progress of the project. Monthly Parental Meetings Steering Committee -Management of the Project in consultation with the Project Director. Monthly -Report to the stakeholders status of the project. Monthly Scheduled Meetings Project Director Reporting to the Steering Committee on the Progress of the project. Monthly Scheduled Meetings Project Manager Report to the project director the operational status of the project. Bi-weekly Scheduled Meetings and informal meetings on regular basis. Project Team Reporting on the project implementation progress to the Project Manager On Daily weekly basis and informal daily meetings on regular basis when need arises. Risk Planning The project sees the following as immediate risks to the project and has identified mitigating factors to address these risks. No Project Immediate Risks Mitigating Factors 1 Time Limitations Identify at early stages the critical pathway of the project, and focus on meeting deadlines. 2 Government Procurement Compliance Process Maintain effective dialogue with stakeholders in the initial stages of the project and define the best approach to getting procurement issues solved. 3 Building not meeting minimum lab standards Conduct lab survey in the initial stages of the project to identify areas of need, negotiate with the Board of Governors and resolve issues before installation is conducted. Project Milestone Currently the project sees the following as milestones that need to be achieved; No Project Milestone Achievement Date 1 Project Planning Approval 16th of April, 2017 2 Computer Installation and Testing 25th of June, 2017 3 Project Closer Report 30th of June, 2017 Procurement Plan Below is a summary of the project procurement plan and fully guided the companys procurement policy. Date of Completion Activity/Item 16th of April, 2017 Development of the project procurement plan 16th of April, 2017 Approval of the procurement plan 16th of April, 2017 Identifying all expandable and non-expandable items for purchase 16th of April, 2017 Create Assert Registry 14th of May, 2017 Vendor Identification 14th of May, 2017 Preparation and Approval of Purchase Requests 14th of May, 2017 Preparation and Approval of Check Requisitions 18th of May, 2017 Payment of Items and Materials (All expendable and non-expandable items including 50 x desktop computers and their accessories and software licences 21st of May, 2017 Confirming delivery against delivery notes 21st of May, 2017 Register all items 30th of June, 2017 Prepare registry for project closure

The Effect of Enviroment on Intelligence :: essays research papers

In the ongoing debate about which factor has more of an influence on human behavior and intelligence, certain methodologies have been used to determine this in several different studies. The genetic component is made up of additive and non-additive components. The environmental component is separated into the effects of a shared environment where both subjects used experience the same environment and a non-shared environment where the two subjects experience different environments. The studies that are used to determine the respective effects of genetics and environment are studies of how twins resemble each other, studies of adoption effects people compared to their relatives, and identification of genes. Twin studies use monozygotic twins who share 100% of their genes and dizygotic twins who are estimated to share 50% of their genes. Genetic identification tries to identify genes responsible for personality traits but is made difficult by the fact that many behaviors are caused by multiple genes. Intelligence or IQ has been studied extensively. It has been found that in childhood the correlation of IQ between twins is about .5. This correlation has also been found to increase with age. Similar results have been found in adoption studies indicating that environmental differences are not as much of a factor on IQ scores. In addition to IQ several other things have been studied to find out if their cause is in the environment or genetics. Personality has been studied using the Big five traits that are commonly used to test personality. Personality disorders have also been studied as well as occupational interests and beliefs and attitudes. For all of the heritability has been rated to be the majority of the cause. There has been a lot of effort invested in finding specific genes that cause people to be a certain way however they have not been very successful. Studies have been conducted to determine the effects of shared environment on twins. Since they are known to have the same genes differences can only be attributed to environment and it has been found that twins raised in different environments do not necessarily have more in common with regard to personality. However it has been found that shared environment does have an effect on cognitive ability and juvenile delinquency. While shared environment has not been shown to have a large effect non shared environmental factors have been shown to be a major source of variation.

India, Nigeria and Internal Medicine :: Medicine College Admissions Essays

India, Nigeria and Internal Medicine    My desire to become a physician dates way back into my childhood. My parents migrated to Nigeria in the late 1960's when my father, an academician, decided to help educate children there. This was a country, which then had just gained independence. A person's goals are set by the role models he or she seeks to emulate. My childhood role model is Dr. Raj a physician. I learned from Dr. Raj, that real success and satisfaction is achieved by putting one's beliefs and thoughts into action. Dr. Raj provided quality care to the poor, especially children, alongside his richer clients. This left a lasting impression on me. Later on, when I realized that lots of people actually lacked basic medical care, I always wanted to reach out and help make a difference in the lives of others. Medicine, with its emphasis on service would therefore be the most satisfying career for me.    My interest in internal medicine developed during my training at medical school in Nigeria. Internal medicine offers a wide variety of cases, which makes it as diverse as it is exciting, requiring a problem solving attitude and constant vigilance. Having graduated from a reputed medical school in a developing country, I had the opportunity to get hands-on experience in patient care, right from start. In fact, my medical school had a unique final year program where the focus was essentially on preventive medicine and health education. During this community based health program, we were required to monitor and provide complete health care to people in neighboring villages. While working on our year book during the same year, we were able to raise money from the proceeds of the sale and various other activities (conducting symposium, charity fair, etc.) so as to provide free dug supplies to the underprivileged. All this made me realize the tangible difference one could make in the lives of others.    Upon graduation, I spent two and a half years, working in private hospital settings in India and Nigeria. This has made me a more experienced and mature physician but has left me yearning for more knowledge. For the past three years I have been in the United States and during this time, I have successfully qualified the ECFMG certification examination, USMLE steps I, II & III. I have also worked as a research associate at Stanford University on role of HIF-1( in retinopathy of maturity.

Conducting Personal Business on Company Time Essay

Because employees tend to spend so much of their weekday hours on the job, they often are tempted to conduct personal business on company time. This can include setting up doctor’s appointments on company phone lines, making vacation reservations using their employer’s computers and Internet connections or even making phone calls for a freelance side business while on company time. At first glance, this ethical dilemma is fairly clear: It is an abuse of your employer to conduct personal business on company time. But there are shades of gray here. What if your spouse calls to tell you that your children are ill? Is it OK for you to schedule a doctor’s appointment? A good rule of thumb is for an employee to check with his manager or human resources supervisors to clarify what counts as an actionable offense in the company. Taking Credit for Others’ Work Employees often work in teams to create marketing campaigns, develop new products or fine-tune services, yet rarely does everyone in a group contribute equally to the final product. If three members of a five-person team did all the work, do those three members demand to receive proper credit while pointing out that two members of the team did not pull their weight? This is a thorny question. If employees single out their co-workers in a negative light, it could foment resentment. The same thing could happen, however, if all employees accept equal praise even though only a select few did the real work. The best way to resolve this ethical dilemma is to not let it happen. Team members should insist that all employees perform specific tasks to help complete a project. Harassing Behavior Employees often don’t know what to do if they see one of their co-workers harassing another employee, either mentally, sexually or physically. Employees may worry for their jobs if they attempt to report a superior for harassment. They may fret that they’ll be labeled a troublemaker if they report co-workers who display inappropriate behavior toward other employees. The best way to resolve this ethical dilemma rests with the staff members who develop the company’s employee handbook. It is their job to include specific language that spells out that employees won’t be punished for reporting the harassing behavior or inappropriate actions of their co-workers.

Exxon Valdez †Continuing Case Essay

Many years ago, Raymond Baumhart the greatest sociologist questioned organization people, â€Å"What does ethics mean to the business world?† Some people believe that Ethics is a kind of feeling which would give the knowledge about right or wrong situation on the basis of religious beliefs. While other argues the prior view admitting that it simply the level of behaviour society accepts and the law requires. â€Å"Ethics is a study of moral standards whose explicit purpose is to determine as far as possible whether a given moral standard is more or less correct (Manuel G. Velasquez, 2006)† Standpoint March 24, 1989, one of the Exxon Valdez, a loaded oil tanker with 52 million gallons crude oil runs in Prince William Sound, spilling 11 million gallons of oil. The government was strongly feeling about the environmental damage, to the fishery and the life of people involved there. Output That was bad luck for the wildlife, approximately 30,000 birds and 2000 sea others lost their lives. More than $2 billion spent just to clean it up and paid millions of dollar to the fishermen. Ethically, Exxon lost image in the world and about 40,000 credit cards destroyed in protest. Ethical Issues It was truly horrific, the longer that marine animal is setting in oil the more they were dealing with death. Consumers lost their faith in Exxon and faced opposition from the world. The affected area has not fully recovered. The control over the ethical situation This was the worst environmental disaster America has ever faced. After a week, CEO Lawrence Rawls wrote apology note in all newspapers. In addition they began cleanup immediately after the situation occurred. Many of the ethical issues and dilemmas in international business are rooted in the fact that political systems and laws differ from nation to nation. In the international business setting, the most common ethical issue involve employment practices and corruption. According to the given case of Castle & Cook, â€Å"whistle-blower† would be able to file the lawsuit in a federal court. The plaintiffs alleged claims under the violation of the â€Å"Foreign Corrupt Practices Act† The jurisdiction in this case can enable the person thus empowered to act towards, and in what manner this power may be exercised. In Subject matter jurisdiction thus empowers â€Å"whistle-blower† to act toward certain kinds of legal questions, whereas in Personal jurisdiction, the foreign country employee lives out of state, the court must look at the contacts with the state. Going into a state regularly to conduct business is usually sufficient for the court to obtain jurisdiction. (The à ¢â‚¬ËœLectric Law Library,2014) References The Laws That Govern the Securities Industry. (n.d.). Retrieved September 4, 2014, from http://www.sec.gov/about/laws.shtml The ‘Lectric Law Library’s Lexicon Personal Jurisdiction, Retrieved September 4, 2014, from (http://www.lectlaw.com/def2/p211.htm) http://crab.rutgers.edu/~sambhary/International%20Bussiness%20Environment/notes/IBe%20Ch%2004%20Ethics.pdf In 1989, the Exxon Valdez tanker spilled nearly 11 million gallons of oil around the cost of Alaska; it caused one of the worst oil spills in the United States history. The Exxon Valdez continues to suffer from last 25 years and still paying off for the incident. The Exxon was to be sued by many individuals and businesses within state or federal court as required, as per the administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, for the Environmental regulations law comes under both state and federal court. Some company sued under the law of business losses within the federal court. Sea Hawk Sea foods, Inc, having a seafood processing business on Prince William Sound in Valdez, Alaska sued the Exxon shipping company under the law of business losses. The court dismissed the case with the advice of federal admiralty  law (9th Cir.1994). Fishing industry filed the complaint again Exxon. In 1994, the Exxon was initially ordered to pay $5 billion by federal court, which was reduced in federal appeal in 2006 to $2.5 billion. In 2008, The United States Supreme court had decided to cut down the damage by $500 million as Exxon has already spent approximately $2 billion for cleanup and recovery (New York Times, 2010). The Exxon shipping co continues with the lesson, even after paying all these damages and standing for a long time in the federal and Supreme Court of the United States. References The district court also removed more than 160 other state law cases relating to the oil spillEyak Native Vill. v. Exxon Corp., 25 F.3d 773, 774 (9th Cir.1994) Retrieved September 5, 2014, from (http://openjurist.org/484/f3d/1098/in-re-the-exxon-valdez) New York Times, Exxon Valdez Oil Spill (1989), August 3, 2010 07-219Exxon Shipping Co. v. Baker (2/27/08), Retrieved September 5, 2014, from (http://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/07-219.pdf)

Matching Dell Case Analysis Essay

The PC industry can be analyzed using Porter’s Five Forces. The first force is threat or barriers of entry. Here, the threat is high and barriers are low. Although certain brands own the majority of the market, the costs to manufacture are extremely low, and the prices of these components are declining yearly at 25% to 30%. The capital required is relatively inexpensive, as well. Also, unbranded â€Å"white box† PC makers have become prevalent overseas; showing anyone who can make a PC could make sales. In Buying Power, consumers have great power. There are a high number of users but consumers have a wide variety of brands to choose from and have put much pressure on companies to make satisfactory products at good prices. Customers also have low switching costs. This force along with high demand was also partly responsible for the â€Å"vigorous price war† as many companies cut prices to match one another and satisfy consumers. Supplier power was also high. Intel and Microsoft ran near-monopolies in supplying microprocessors and operating systems, respectively. By 1998, 96% of all PC’s ran on â€Å"Wintel.† These two suppliers drew profits from all PC companies and minimized differentiation, as there were few substitutes and little options of switching to another supplier. The industry’s degree of rivalry reflected its fierce competition. As computers became more common, demand rose, prices decreased, and demand grew stronger, boosting competition between manufacturers. This rivalry is essentially what sparked Dell’s competitors to try to emulate their business model and attempt to gain a competitive advantage for the future. Lastly, the threat of substitutes was low but growing. Consumers were becoming reliant on PC’s as they became commodities but new technologies such as laptops, PDA’s, and smartphones among others were slowly emerging. Business Model Although Dell sold to a diverse range of customer segments, they generally targeted the â€Å"educated consumer,† people knowledgeable about computers. Dell targeted them and wanted to avoid the â€Å"inexperienced Transaction buyer.† Because Dell sold customized PC’s directly to the customer, they needed to know each computer’s specifications, thus making it difficult for inexperienced users to specify their needs. Dell’s close location to its suppliers served as a large advantage. Dell arranged for suppliers to  locate their production facilities close to Dell’s to maximize the efficiency of operations. This allowed Dell and suppliers to work closely with one another, integrating the organization and minimizing buffers. Dell’s unique production process is the part of the model that may deter most imitators. Dell had the advantage of handling fast and large orders and even having suppliers send shipments straight to customers in som e cases. Performance Dell’s success with the Direct Model led to rankings among the top of its competition in user ratings (Exhibit A), a ranking first in ratings for high-end PC’s, and allowed them to obtain the second and third spots for market share in the US and world, respectively. The financial statements that best measure Dell’s advantage are their inventory level ratios. Specifically, Dell’s days of inventory is significantly lower than competitors. Their low days of inventory ratio correlates to a very high return on invested capital and return on equity. Comparisons with competitors can be seen in the appendix (Exhibit B). Principal Issue Dell’s success in financial returns and rapid growth has caused rivals to try to emulate their Direct Model in attempt to gain a competitive advantage and similar success. What is difficult to emulate in Dell’s model and how can they keep itself in this position and leverage sustained growth for the future using this model? Alternatives Dell is the originator of the direct model and knows the formula for success. Dell’s integrated production process with suppliers on a global scale, sole focus on distributing directly to customers, ability to effectively serve a diverse customer base, and ability to provide high quality PC’s at relatively low prices, has put them in a strong position ahead of competitors. Dell knows their capabilities, their customers, and knows exactly to focus on direct distribution. IBM ranks alongside Dell in domestic and worldwide market share. As the first to recognize Dell’s threat of distribution, they took initiative immediately, responding with a joint operation with distributors and resellers called AAP. Many major distributors and resellers each invested tens of millions of dollars into  this program, which could result in powerful partnerships if successful. Compaq owned the largest market share in the industry for some time and are reliable to a number of segment s. They also responded with their own model, ODM, which is also in conjunction with distributors and resellers similar to IBM’s, and DirectPlus, selling directly to small and midsize companies. The company also recently acquired DEC, in which they would leverage their relationships to sell directly to DEC customers and accounts. HP created their own direct model with ESPP. Although their model was similar to IBM and Compaq’s involving distributors and resellers, they specifically aimed to please these partners. HP offered incentives and would make resellers and distributors a larger part of the process. In result, 59% of resellers reported they were more willing to promote HP products than IBM and Compaq. Gateway may have been Dell’s largest threat as the world’s second largest direct seller behind Dell. They even briefly surpassed Dell in sales in 1994 and their days of inventory was at 10 days, only 3 behind Dell’s 7 in 1998. Gateway served mostly pe rsonal users but began serving large corporate accounts with Gateway Major Accounts, Inc. in 1997. But in 1998, the company scaled this operation back as they could not afford to keep it up. Criteria Dell’s Direct Model had a competitive advantage rivals could not easily emulate through their relationship with large enterprise customers and their unique production process that involves a close relationship and location with suppliers. Recommendation Dell is in a strong competitive position against its rivals because of the criteria of advantages in their model. Dell’s production process and close location and collaboration with suppliers on a global scale is a standard that is very difficult to emulate. IBM, Compaq, and HP tried their own versions of direct distribution models but failed to produce anywhere near the same efficiency with financial returns as Dell (Exhibit B). Also, these companies attempted to branch into Dell’s lane while continuing retail sales, which showed it is difficult to focus on both methods and see the same success. Gateway was arguably their biggest threat but could not compete due to their inability to serve large enterprise customers similar  to Dell. Plan of Action Dell should continue to focus on relatively low cost, quality customized products through direct distribution. As technology and computers evolve with more computer alternatives, they should adapt to producing a more diverse product line but continue the same production and distribution process that has brought the firm so much success thus far.

Beximco Pharmaceuticals Ltd

BEXIMCO PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANY LTD Here is the management report, which you asked me to prepare.. In the process of formulating this project report I selected a PHARMACEUTICAL company,â€Å"BEXIMCO PHARMACEUTICALS† which produces world class live saving medicines in our country. I gained knowledge about managing the product & the structure from online articles and reports.Along with it, I employed the management concepts developed throughout the course to construct an effective management project to demonstrate the mentioned firm’s entire management strategies in Bangladesh. This plan is formulated with the idea of managing the all managerial activities of a large firm like BEXIMCO PHARMACEUTICALS LIMITED. A special note of acknowledgement is to our course instructor Mr Shahid Hossain for letting me do this project on Beximco Pharmaceuticals .He was very generous and productive toward mewhile conducting the course and he was the person who has guided methroughout prepar ing the report. The way he taught was really interesting and effective. All of these activities have been conducted within a very short time and we think it became possible only for  his dynamism. Taking the course with him was a great fortune for me. Finally, I would like to thank myr family and friends whose support I needed to complete my project. TABLE OF CONTENTSCONTENTS PAGE NO Mission Statement 1 Executive Summary 2-3 Organogram 4 Organizational Chart 5 Situation Analysis 6-16 Swot Analysis 17-20 Matrix of Swot Analysis 21 Objectives 22 Management Issues 23 Conclusion 24 Appendix 25 BIBLIOGRAPHY 1. Company Website : http://www. beximcopharmaceuticals. com 2. Books : Kotler Philip (2010), Principles of Marketing (12th edition). Prentice Hall, New Jersey, USA. * Kritner Robert (2009). Management (11th edition). Houghton Mifflin Harcount Publishing Company. (Boston – New York). * H. Donelly (2008), Fundamental Management (10th edition). Mcgraw, Hill Irwin * William J. Nickels (2009) Understanding Business (9th edition) Mcgraw, Hill Irwin. 3. Newspaper * The Ittefaq * The Independent. * Finanacial Express 4. Personal Interview Mr. Hashem Awal Chowdhury, Senior Executive Officer,Planning 5. ANNUAL REPORT OF BPL 2011 Ltd, BPL Annual Report 2011 6. Advertisement Shantinagar billboard DOHS, Mohakhali billboard 7. Magazines Indian Times Magazine MISSION STATEMENTBeximco Pharmaceuticals Ltd (BPL) is a leading manufacturer of pharmaceutical formulations and Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) in Bangladesh. With decades of contract manufacturing experience with global MNCs, skilled manpower and proven formulation capabilities, the company has been building a visible and growing presence across the continents offering high quality generics at the most affordable cost. The company is committed to enhancing human health and well- being by providing contemporary and affordable medicines, manufactured in full compliance with global standards. The compan y continually strive to improve their core capabilities Strengthening research and development capabilities, creating partnerships and building presence across the globe.To address the unmet medical needs of patients and to deliver outstanding results for our shareholders. Our vision is to be one of the most trusted, admired and successful pharmaceutical companies in the region with a focus on. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Beximco Pharmaceuticals Ltd. belongs to Beximco Group, the largest private sector business conglomerate in Bangladesh. It was incorporated in the late 70s, Beximco Pharma began as a distributor, importing products from global MNCs like Bayer, Germany and Upjohn Inc. , USA and selling them in the local market, which were later manufactured and distributed under licensing arrangements. The Company introduced its own branded generic products in 1983.Since then, the journey continued, and today, Beximco Pharma is a leading manufacturer and exporter of pharmaceuticals in the coun try, winning National Export Trophy (Gold), a record four times. Beximco Pharma’s manufacturing facilities have been accredited by major Global regulatory bodies and it has expanded its geographic footprint across four continents. Having a broad portfolio of more than 500 products and a dedicated team of around 2,700 employees, Beximco Pharma is committed to provide access to medicines which are affordable and manufactured in strict compliance with global standards. During the year 2011 we have successfully registered 48 products in overseas markets.In 2011, we introduced 40 new generics in 55 presentations, five of which were launched for the first time in Bangladesh. The 55 new products include the sectors given below: * Analgesic * Anti-effective * Cardiovascular * CNS * Endocrine & Met Disorders * GI System * IV Fluid * Muscular Skeletal * Ophthalmic * Respiratory * Skin * Vitamins and Minerals * Others We maintained our record of uninterrupted growth, achieving a 21. 6% increase in sales to Tk. 7,890. 24 million (2010: Tk. 6,490. 85 million). In 2011 we significantly enhanced our prescription share in sales of the formulation products and maintained, as expected, growth in all our key therapeutic segments. Sales of our Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) also recorded a significant 37. % growth to reach Tk. 486. 91 million (2010: Tk. 355. 24 million). However, its impact on the overall profitability of the company is currently low because of a low gross margin predominantly due to the high cost of import of intermediate materials to manufacture these APIs. In 2011 export sales grew by 18. 1% to Tk. 390. 32 million (2010: Tk. 330. 54 million). Along with sales growth, Beximco Pharma also achieved a marked growth in profit in 2011. Our pre-tax profit increased 23. 2% to Tk. 1,677. 85 million (2010: Tk. 1,361. 53 million). Gross margin as percentage of sales however, slightly declined to 48% as against 48. 9% for the prior period.As the company c ontinue to evolve into a stronger company, their strategy for growth is to build a strong and diverse product portfolio; to expand our geographic reach; and to develop and leverage our generic drug capabilities. All these will drive them to build a future for our employees, to create value for shareholders and to focus on the reason for being in this business – to enhance the health and wellbeing of people. They are confident that their Company will continue to deliver strong financial results and achieve sustained growth in the coming days. Organogram Organisational Chart * Member’s name| * Designation| BOARD of DIRECTORS| |A S F Rahman| Chairman| Salman F Rahman | Vice Chairman| Nazmul Hassan MP| MD| Iqbal Ahmed| Director| Md. Abul Qasem| Director| Osman Kaiser Chowdhury| Director| A B Siddiqur Rahman| Director| Ad. Ahsanul Karim| Director| Dr. Abdul Alam Khan| Independent Director| | | Management Committee| | Nazmul Hassan MP| MD| Osman Kaiser Chowdhury| Director| R abbur Reza| Chief Operating officer| Ali Newaz| Chief financial officer| Afsar uddin Ahmed| Director, commercial| Lutfur Rahman| Director, manufacturing| Zakaria Seraj Chowdhury| Director, international marketing| A R M Zahidur Rahman| Executive Director, production| Shamim Momtaz| Executive Director, manufacturing| Md.Tahir Siddiqui| Executive Director, Quality| Jamal Ahmed Chowdhury| Executive Director, Finance and Accounting| | | Executive Committee| | Osman Kaiser Chowdhury| Director| Nazmul Hassan MP| MD| Rabbur Reza| Chief Operating officer| Ali Nawaz| Chief financial officer| Afsar Uddin Ahmed| Director, commercial| SITUATION ANALYSIS Situation analysis is a method managers use to analyze both the internal and external environments of an organization in order to understand the firm’s own capabilities, customers and business environment. INTERNAL FACTORS: Refers to the environment inside the organization within which a manager works. LEVELS OF MANAGEMENT: Strategic leve l:The Board of Directors A S F Rahman Chairman Salman F Rahman Vice Chairman Nazmul Hassan MP Managing Director Iqbal Ahme Director Mohammad Abul Qasem Director Osman Kaiser Chowdhury Director Abu Bakar Siddiqur Rahman Director Advocate Ahsanul Karim Director Dr. Abdul Alim Khan Independent Director The strategic level must make sure the technical level operates within the bounds of the society.Thus the strategic level determines the long range objectives and directions for the organization- in other words, how the organization interacts with its environment. (Textbook) Technical level: Middle floor managers, Branch Managers, Factory Managers work like a connector and works in the middle. At this level, the managerial task is twofold: 1. Managing the operations functions. 1. Serving as a liaison between those who produce the product or service and those who use output. In other words, for the operations level to do its work, managers at the technical level must make sure they have t he correct materials and see that the output gets used or sold. (Textbook) Operational level:Rabbur Reza Chief Operating Officer Ali Nawaz Chief Financial Officer Afsar Uddin Ahmed Director, Commercial Lutfur Rahman Director, Manufacturing Zakaria Seraj Chowdhury Director, International Marketing A R M Zahidur Rahman Executive Director, Production Shamim Momtaz Executive Director, Manufacturing Mohd. Tahir Siddique Executive Director, Quality Jamal Ahmed Choudhury Executive Director, Accounts & Finance. In any organisations, the operations level focuses on effectively performing whatever the organization produces or does.In Beximco pharmaceuticals, the operations fuction is at the core of their business. The managerial task here is to develop the best allocation of resources that produces the desired output. (Textbook). Research & development R&D is the key to success for any pharmaceutical company. We have given it top priority and have made substantial investment in upgrading our generic drug capabilities as we firmly believe R&D plays the most important role in spurring innovation and helps a company go up the value chain. Our research and development activities are closely focused on market needs and driven by technological progress in order to create product differentiation.Our team comprising top class formulation scientists with extensive experience of working in leading pharmaceutical companies in the world continuously strives to integrate the advanced technological changes to create competitive edge and match international standards. There has been a series of positive developments in the year and our team successfully introduced 40 new generic formulations in 55 different presentations and expanded our dosage delivery portfolio with technology driven products like prefilled syringes, total parenteral nutrition, dry powder inhalers, etc. Beximco Pharma’s well defined organizational structure, policy guidelines and internal controls ensure effi ciency of operations, and compliance with applicable regulations. The Company continuously upgrades these systems in line with the best practices in the industry.Other initiatives to keep our team updated with the recent advances in analytical methodology, platform technology, and regulatory affairs include frequent in-house and overseas workshops and training programs. The benefits we derive as a result of these initiatives will only increase in the coming years. Beximco Pharma’s R&D team works meticulously towards creating generic formulations that are comparable to innovators’ formulations. Their dedication can be witnessed in their successful development of challenging formulations such as multi-layer tablets, sustained release formulations, dispersible tablets, melt-in mouth tablets, and chewable vitamins; to name just a few.To add to that, Beximco Pharma was the pioneering local generic company to produce anti-retroviral drugs and to proactively launch CFC œfree metered dose inhaler formulation. In addition, we are also developing a number of APIs to ensure availability of raw materials across the range of therapeutic classes. Our capability to produce hi-tech, specialized niche products as well as drug delivery systems has been our core strength to transform BPL into an innovation-driven generic drug company. Human Resource We recognize it is our people’s unwavering values that molded us into who we are today. It is their tireless contributions that have propelled us to greater heights over the years. They are indeed our greatest assets in the way they create meaningful difference.Every product, every experience, and every breakthrough we ever presented for the betterment of human health and well-being have been made possible by our people. We are prouder than ever of the collective intentions and determination we have witnessed time and time again. The shared vision and values, reflected in our leadership and execution, help us attract the very best. Currently, the Company employs almost 2,700 people including around 400 white-collar professionals such as Pharmacists, MBAs, Doctors, Chemists, Engineers, Microbiologists etc. In 2011, we welcomed into the Beximco Pharma family highly experienced expatriates in key positions to deliver a fresh take on strategic direction as we steadily progress towards our aspirations of becoming a global pharmaceutical company.We are strong advocates of the notion that learning never really ends simply with the completion of formal education. One of the best perks of being a part of the Beximco Pharma family is that the people undergo continuous training and development programs to further develop their skills. In 2011 alone, over 30 such workshops and training, covering various departments, were conducted. Within Beximco Pharma, we support employees interested in reaching out to others. In 2011, we launched our very own internal Knowledge Center as a platform for continu ous learning and interconnectivity; an initiative that is stills quite a novel concept in Bangladesh.However, we know that competence alone is not enough; it is them intricate threads of connectivity, binding us as one family, which makes our organizational culture truly coveted and one of a kind. We have also undertaken a major corporate branding initiative as a reflection of our rejuvenated drive and aspirations. Financial Position We maintained our record of uninterrupted growth, achieving a 21. 6% increase in sales to Tk. 7,890. 24 million (2010: Tk. 6,490. 85 million). In 2011 we significantly enhanced our prescription share in sales of the formulation products and maintained, as expected, growth in all our key therapeutic segments. Sales of our Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) also recorded a significant 37. % growth to reach Tk. 486. 91 million (2010: Tk. 355. 24 million). However, its impact on the overall profitability of the company is currently low because of a lo w gross margin predominantly due to the high cost of import of intermediate materials to manufacture these APIs. In 2011 export sales grew by 18. 1% to Tk. 390. 32 million (2010: Tk. 330. 54 million). Along with sales growth, Beximco Pharma also achieved a marked growth in profit in 2011. Our pre-tax profit increased 23. 2% to Tk. 1,677. 85 million (2010: Tk. 1,361. 53 million). Gross margin as percentage of sales however, slightly declined to 48% as against 48. 9% for the prior period.This was due principally to depreciation in the value of the Taka against the Dollar and the high level of domestic inflation. However, with our constant drive to contain costs and effective profit optimization strategies, the negative impact of rising cost on profit has been kept to the practicable minimum. The Board of Directors has recommended 21% stock dividend for approval of the shareholders for the year ended 31 December, 2011. Technological Advancement Beximco Pharma has always been a pioneer in adopting innovative technologies. This brings both sophistication and the potential to sustain growth to our business. Over the past couple of years we have made considerable nvestments in facilities and processes to improve productivity, drive growth and achieve excellence in operations. Situated near Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh, our manufacturing site extends over an area of 23 acres. The site houses manufacturing facilities for producing various drug formulae in different strengths and delivery systems such as capsules, tablets, intravenous fluids, metered dose inhalers, ophthalmic drops, injectables and nebulizer solutions. The site has its own utility infrastructure to ensure adequate generation and distribution of electricity with an installed capacity of 10 MW, in addition to water purifying and liquid nitrogen generation facilities.The bulk drug unit for producing paracetamol is also located within this site. The Company’s penicillin API and formulation u nits are situated at Kaliakoir, a few kms from the main site. The company has diversified into innovative delivery systems such as dry powder inhalers, total parenteral nutrition, prefilled syringes and lyophilized products. * Oral Solid Dosage * Metered Dose Inhaler * Intravenous Fluid * Inject able, Ophthalmic and Nebulizer * Liquid, Cream and Ointment Val EXTERNAL FACTORS These are the forces that act on the organization from outside. DIRECT FORCESThese are the forces that have direct and immediate influence on the organization. CUSTOMERSWe offer our customers a comprehensive and high-quality product portfolio encompassing all major therapeutic categories, available in various dosage forms including tablets, capsules, syrup, suspension, sterile eye drops, injectables, nasal sprays, creams, ointments, suppositories, IV fluids, metered dose inhalers, dry powder inhalers, prefilled syringes etc. Over the years, we have nurtured and developed a special bondage with the medical commun ity. We stand by healthcare providers and appreciate their valiant services to the community at large. COMPETITOTORS Square Pharma Reneta GlaxoSmith Klein’ ACI Limited Eskayef Bangladesh Limited The ACME Laboratories Limited EDCL Aristropharma Limited Orion Pharmaceuticals limited Indirect Forces * Political Analysis: Political analysis creates a great impact on business growth.The Beximco Pharmaceuticals is an established company, it gets many positive support of Bangladesh government, which enables it to advance its product. In addition it suffers many political unexpected conditions, like- political instability, and high risk investment, high rate of tax, high barriers of rules and regulation and so on. Because of strikes, obstruction and any other political issues, it noses a lot. But now they adopt with rules of exporting, producing, importing and so on. They use BCP (Business Continuation Plan) to fight against any critical political issues. [ Documentary,Newspaper] * E conomic Analysis: In economy, the biggest threat for â€Å" Beximco Pharmaceuticals† would be economic recession.During the recession, the Beximco’s growth will be adversely affected. Because of the high interest rate, inflation rate and economic downturn it’s growth is not just affected by the local economy but also in the international economy. * * Social Analysis:†Beximco Pharmaceuticals â€Å" has performed many social activities, to improve the company image. To reach the goal, the group implements the local job creation program as well as health and education program Corporate Social Responsibility: Our vision is to make significant contribution to humanity by improving health. This vision guides our Company’s operations, including its commitment to corporate responsibility.We work together with non-profit organizations who work to improve people's lives through research, information, and advocacy. As the Company writes its success story as a n emerging leader in the pharmaceutical industry, we also realize that responsibility towards all our stakeholders increases in tandem. We remain committed to being a good corporate citizen. Prevention is the best cure and the first step is to create awareness. Every year, we launch campaigns touching on different forms of heath impediments ranging from asthma, diabetes, hypertension and many more. Campaign activities include rallies in addition to organizing and sponsoring scientific seminars and conferences for various associations and societies in medical disciplines. ANNUAL REPORT CultureCulture is a very complex environmental influence, encompassing knowledge, beliefs, values, laws, morals, customs and other habits and capabilities an individual acquires as a member of society. As BEXIMCO is a global MNC, management must adapt its managerial practices to the specific and unique aspects of culture. Most of the time they follow formal ways to control the employees, and get their full potentiality. They also follow the profit oriented by doing more customer service and social responsibilities. SWOT ANALYSIS: Strength: Diversification The strength of Beximco Pharmaceuticals Ltd. lies in its diversified products and dosage forms.BPL has been producing solid products like tablets and capsules and liquid products like syrup, suspension and solution, as well as semisolid products like cream and ointment. It is   the pioneer company to manufacture and market nasal sprays, inhalation aerosols and suppositories in Bangladesh. In 2001, Beximco Pharmaceuticals Ltd. stepped into a new path–bringing SmallVolume Parenteral(SVP) or injectable dosage form. Arixon is it’s first small volume injectable product It is a preparation of Ceftriaxone, which is considered as a breakthrough antibiotic in the history of medicine, . In 2002, Arixon is predicted to be one of our leading brands interms of sales revenue.The company has lot of diversified products like, Na pa: Neoceptin R: Neofloxin: Tycil : Aristovit M etc. Achivement of National Export Trophy First export market operation with finished pharmaceutical products1994-95 : Achievement of National Export Trophy (Gold) as the first pharmaceutical company of the country. R ; D B P L is a company that is continuously searching for the next treatment advancements. BPL’s portfolio features a range of high-quality, effective products. This product portfolio, combined with the steady stream of promising new products in development, is one of the many reasons BPL is among the nation's leading pharmaceutical companies. We have introduced 26 new products in 2001.Around 70 new products are in our development pipeline. They will obviously enrich our portfolio to employment of the employees so that they can cope with the rapidly changing business environment. Innovation is a major priority that we want to promote. Accordingly, training programs are regularly undertaken for the staff to seek opp ortunities for skills improvement. Weakness: Too many departments There are too many departments under the supervision of the gm which can cause low productivity due to large span of supervision. Diseconomy of scale: If the company exceeds the optimum size there would be diseconomies of sale. Availability of substitutes Availability of very close substitute goods.For example: medicine produced by other pharmaceutical companies Opportunities: Adding new products BPL always tried to add new products of different therapeutic classes in its portfolio and these products are highly appreciated by the health professionals. Most important of them are Triocim, Arixon, Prosan, Recox, Atova etc. Introduction of these new products enriched it’s product portfolio and is contributing to enhance it’s sales. Apart from all these, we have intensified and consolidated our marketing efforts another overseas markets, like Myanmar, Kenya, Yemen and Vietnam. To capitalize immense opportunit ies in these overseas markets, we are bringing in more new and exciting brands in these markets.Last year, BP donated one ‘Medical Information K i o s k’ to the Myanmar Medical Association of Mandalay which gained enormous attention and acceptance in the minds of the medical community of Mayanmar. In Kenya, number of salespeople has been increased to best exploit its huge market potentials. All these efforts are already bringing in desired results. Entering into new horizons and establishing new overseas markets will remain our top most priority in 2002 also. Russia, Ukraine, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Nepal will be on the list. We are confident that our process of globalization will continue with a more and more accelerated speed in the coming days. TechnologyTechnology carries the promise of tomorrow. The benefits of technology belong to all of us benefits that create new opportunities and open doors toa better life. For example, the new inhaler plant of BPL has been design in a way to ensure highest-possible quality at every stage of manufacturing and quality control. World-class facilities are being employed in each and every step including mixing, filling, testing, labeling, batch printing and other procedures to ensure manufacturing of world class products. Threats: Supply cost effective materiaals BPL has a commitment to the society to supply world class Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs).Therefore, BPL is not only engaged in formulations but also in fine chemicals business with a view to supplying cost effective quality materials to other local companies as well as for captive consumption. Competition Beximco Pharmaceuticals Ltd. has been preparing itself for the post-WTO open market competition. It has all the courage to compete with world leaders in pharmaceuticals business when the tariff and non-tariff barriers will be withdrawn The new USFDA standard plant is planned to be operational in early 2003. Once completed, this will be one of the finest facilities available anywhere in the globe. OBJECTIVES Increase rate of purchase by existing customers by 10 percent by the year end. Strategy Such a strategy may involve devising a marketing plan to encourage customers to purchase more of a product.Tactics used to carry out the strategy could include price reductions, advertising stressing the many benefits of the product, packaging the product in different sized packages or making the product available at more locations. Design additional features into product that will induce new uses by existing buyers Strategy This strategy include much more than simply getting the product to the new market. Before considering sales techniques such as packaging and promotion. Company often find they must establish a foothold. MANAGEMENT ISSUES Centralization Centralization refers to the location of decision making authority in the hierarchy of the organization.The upper level managers in the organization make all the significant dec ision and managers at all levels can command their subordinates to undertake legitimate work related activities. The idea of centralization can be difficult to grasp in a particular organization for several reasons. People in the in an organization can have different decision making authority. Moreover, all decisions are not of equal importance in organization. Thus subjectively they do not have authority but objectively they have authority. Matrix Organization The matrix organization structure attempts to maximize the strengths and minimize the weakness of both functional and product bases.Matrix organization structure achieved the desired balance by superimposing or overlaying a horizontal structure of authority, influence and communication on the vertical structure. Matrix organization facilitates the utilization of highly specialized staff and equipment. CONCLUSION This is Beximco Pharmaceutical’s firm as a whole. I have discussed the mission, executive summary, organizat ional structure, situation analysis, swot analysis, objectives and management issues of the company. I have also given some important data regarding this company. I hope you can have the clear picture of Beximco Pharmaceuticals company at a glance. APPENDIX Appendix are given after this page