Motivation in Supervision

The term motivation is derived from the Latin verb movere (to move). The idea of movement is reflected in such commonsense ideas about motivation as something that gets us going, keeps us moving, and helps us get jobs done. Conversely, we know we are not motivated when we cannot seem to get out of bed or off the sofa.Despite these commonly held ideas, definitions of motivation are numerous and varied, and there is much disagreement over the precise nature of motivation. Although there is disagreement about the precise nature of motivation, this paper offer a general definition of motivation that is consistent with the cognitive focus of this paper on learners’ thoughts and beliefs and hat captures the elements considered by most researchers and practitioners to be central to motivation. Motivation is the process whereby goal-directed activity is instigated and sustained.Motivation involves goals that provide impetus for and direction to action. Cognitive views of motivation ar e united in their emphasis on the importance of goals. Goals may not be well formulated and may change with experience, but the point is that individuals have something in mind that they are trying to attain (or avoid).Motivation requires activity—physical or mental. Physical activity entails effort, persistence, and other overt actions. Mental activity includes such cognitive actions as planning, rehearsing, organizing, monitoring, making decisions, solving problems, and assessing progress. The activities that students engage in are geared toward attaining their goals.Finally, we highlight that motivated activity is both instigated and sustained. Starting toward a goal is important and often difficult because it involves making a commitment to change and taking the first step. But motivational processes are critically important to sustain action. Many major goals are long-term, for example, earning a college degree, obtaining a good job, and saving money for retirement. Much of what we know about motivational processes comes from studying how people respond to the difficulties, problems, failures, and setbacks they encounter as they pursue goals over time.II. DiscussionA. Motivation Research paradigmsResearchers employ different research paradigms to investigate motivational processes. For example, there is a distinction between correlational and experimental studies. Correlational research deals with relations that exist between variables. A researcher may hypothesize that motivation is positively correlated with (related to) perceived capabilities such that the more confidence individuals have in their learning abilities, the higher is their motivation. To test this relation, the researcher might measure individuals’ perceived capabilities and their motivation as demonstrated on a task. The researcher could statistically correlate the perceived capability and motivation scores to determine the nature and strength of the relation.Pintrich and D e Groot (2000a) conducted a correlational study that explored the relations among motivational, cognitive, and academic performance variables. The motivational beliefs component assessed three factors: self-efficacy, (perceptions of capabilities), intrinsic value (importance), and test anxiety. The learning strategies component comprised two factors: cognitive strategy use and self-regulation.Correlations among intrinsic value, self-efficacy, strategy use, and self-regulation were positive and significant. Test anxiety showed a significant, negative correlation with self-efficacy; correlations of test anxiety with all other variables were nonsignificant.The researchers also computed correlations among these five variables and measures of academic performance: in-class seatwork and homework, quizzes and tests, essays and reports, grades. Intrinsic value, self-efficacy, and self-regulation correlated positively with academic measures except performance measures; strategy use correlate d positively with all academic performance measures; strategy use correlated positively with academic measures except   for seatwork (nonsignificant); test anxiety was negatively correlated with grades and quiz/test scores.This study was correlational because Pintrich and De Groot looked at the existing relations among variables and did not attempt to alter them. The results show that motivational variables relate in important ways to cognitive factors contributing to classroom success (strategy use-self-regulation) and to measures of academic performance.In an experimental study, the researcher actually alters one or more variables and determines the effects on other variables. A researcher interested in the effects of perceived capabilities could conduct an experimental study by systematically altering these perceptions and gauging the effect on individual motivation. For example, the researcher might have a teacher systematically praise love-achieving individuals to raise their perceptions of capabilities and determine if this increase enhances motivation.Schunk (2002) conducted an experimental study that investigated how forms of effort attributional feedback influenced individuals’ achievement outcomes during learning. Individuals in lower years who lacked subtraction skills received instruction and practice opportunities over sessions. While individuals solved problems individually, an adult proctor periodically walked up to each individual and asked on what page in the instructional packet he or she was working.For some individuals (prior attribution), after they replied with the page number; the proctor linked their progress with effort by remarking, â€Å"You’ve been working hard.† For others (future attribution, the proctor stressed the value of future effort by stating, â€Å"You need to work hard.† Those in third condition (monitoring) were queried but the proctor departed without comment after the individual replied. Individuals in a fourth (control) condition were not monitored.This study was an experiment because Schunk altered the type of feedback individuals received and looked to see whether differential effects on achievement outcomes resulted. Schunk hypothesized, that prior attribution would be the most effective because it supports individuals’ perceptions of their progress in acquiring skills and conveys that they can continue to improve through effort. This prediction was supported.Prior-attribution individuals outperformed individuals in the other conditions on measures of self-efficacy and subtraction skill. Prior-attribution individuals also displayed higher motivation than did future-attribution and control individuals as assessed by the amount of problem solving during the independent practice portions of the sessions. The results of this study suggest that it is better to link individuals’ past success to effort than to stress the future benefits of hard work.Each type of research has advantages and disadvantages. Correlational research helps clarify relations among variables. Correlational findings often suggest directions for experimental research. The positive correlation obtained by Pintrich and De Groot between intrinsic value and academic performance suggests further research exploring whether increasing intrinsic value leads to higher achievement. A disadvantage of correlational research is that it cannot identify cause and effect. The positive correlation between intrinsic value and academic performance could mean that (a) intrinsic value affects academic performance, (b) academic performance influences intrinsic value, (c) intrinsic value and academic performance are each influenced by other, unmeasured variables (e.g., home factors).Experimental research can clarify cause-effect relations. By systematically varying type of feedback and eliminating other variables as potential causes, Schunk (2002) could specify how changes in attrib utional feedback affect achievement outcomes. Clarifying causal relations helps us understand the nature of motivation. At the same time, experimental research is often narrow is scope. Researchers typically vary only a few variables and try to hold all others constant, which is difficult to do and somewhat unrealistic.B. Qualitative/Interpretative ResearchIn recent years, another type of paradigm has gained currency among researchers. The theories and methods used are referred to various labels, including qualitative, ethnographic, participant observation, phenomenological, constructivist, and interpretative (Erickson, 2003).   These approaches differ from one another characterized by intensive study, descriptions of events, and interpretation of meanings. Such a research model is not new in the social sciences, but only recently has it been applied increasingly in supervision.Interpretative research is especially useful when researchers are interested in the structure of events rather than their overall distributions, when the meanings and perspectives of individuals are important, when actual experiments are impractical or unethical, and when there is a desire to search for new potential causal linkages that have not been unearthed by experimental methods, (Erickson, 2003).Moreover, qualitative/interpretive research yields rich sources of data that are much more intensive and thorough than those typically obtained in correlational or experimental research. This research paradigm also has the potential of raising new questions and new slants on old questions that often are missed by traditional methods. Because this approach is not concerned with the aggregation of usable knowledge for teaching practice, it is not a means for providing practical answers to teaching problems (Shulman, 2004).Studies usually are conducted with few participants, which raise the issue of whether findings are reliable and representative of the population being studied. Another c oncern is that if researchers do not attempt to interpret data in light of a theoretical framework, findings may not seem linked and interpretation may prove difficult. Nonetheless, as a research model, this tradition has provided much valuable data in the study of motivation, and its influence will continue to grow.III. ConclusionIn conclusion and in addition to the differences among experimental, correlational, and qualitative research, another distinction exists between laboratory studies conducted in controlled settings and field studies conducted where was conducted in laboratories using such infrahuman species as cats, dogs, and rats. Such research was appropriate given the influence of conditioning theories which contended that common processes occurred in animals and humans and that controlled experiments could help isolate these processes and eliminate extraneous influences. Motivation research also has employed human subjects in controlled laboratory environments. With the increasing emphasis on schooling and other applied settings, however; most current research is conducted in field settings. The Pintrich and De Groot (2000a), and Schunk (2002) studies are examples of field studies.Reference:1.Pintrich, P.R. & De Groot, E. (2000a). Individual differences in early adolescents’ motivation and self-regulated learning. Journal of early Adolescence, 14, 139-161.2.Schunk, D.H. (2002). Extended attributional feedback: Sequence effects during remedial reading instruction. Journal of Early Adolescence, 6, 55-66.3.Erickson, F. (2003). Qualitative methods in research on supervision. In M.C. Wittrock (ED.), Handbook research on supervision (3rd ed., pp. 119-161). New York: Macmillan.4.Shulman, L.S. (2004).   Paradigms and research programs in the study of teachings: A contemporary perspective. In M.C. Wittrock (ED.) Handbook of research on supervision (3rd) ed., pp. 3-36). New York: Macmillan.

Margaret Newman

For someone like Margaret Newman, nursing was not only a profession but a more of a calling. She knew, long before she stepped into formal nursing education, that nursing would become her life’s fulfillment. Prior to attaining formal nursing education, she became the primary caregiver to her mother who was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.   Dr. Newman took up a degree on nursing at the University of Tennessee, Memphis.In her stay in the University, she was intrigued with the human experience and the complexity of health and illness. This challenged her to greater heights in intellectual capacity and fueled her more to reach for higher levels of education. After attaining a degree in Nursing, she then pursued a graduate level degree and majored in medical-surgical nursing at the University of California, San Francisco. In her studies in California, she was honored with a master’s degree in 1964.  Before she resumed her graduate studies, she jointly serve d as the director of nursing in a clinical research center and also contributed in the academe as the assistant professor of nursing at the University of Tennessee.For the next ten years, Margaret Newman furthered her search for knowledge by pursuing further study in the graduate level and taking a doctorate level at 1971 (Margaret Newman: A Nurse Theorist). She also taught from 1971 to 1977 at New York University.  In 1977, she was appointed as the professor-in-charge of the graduate study for Nursing at Penn State. In addition, she assumed a position as a nurse theorist at the University of Minnesota in 1984. It was only in 1996 that she finally passed the torch and retired from education potential nurses.Dr. Margaret Newman has been honored as an outstanding alumnus by both the University of Tennessee and New York University and in addition, Dr. Newman is a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing.  For her unrelenting pursuit for furthering the nursing profession, the Disti nguished Scholar in Nursing Award from New York University was bestowed upon her. Moreover, she was awarded the E. Louise Grant Award for Nursing Excellence from the University of Minnesota and the Founders Award for Excellence in Nursing Research from Sigma Theta Tau International.Dr. Newman has been included in Who’s Who in American Women since 1983 and was appointed to Who’s Who in America in 1996. Lastly, the Zeta Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International established a scholarship program named aptly for Margaret Newman, the Margaret Newman Scholar award to support doctoral students whose research contributes to Dr. Newman’s theories (Professional biography of Margaret Newman).The Health as Expanding Consciousness (HEC) theory arose from the concern for people facing the debilitation, uncertainty, loss or even loss of life associated with chronic illness, which Nurses relate to.  Moreover, HEC has emerged from a nursing paradigm based on three elements part icularly a unitary or dynamic view, pattern that determines or identifies the wholeness and transformative unfolding as the process of change (Health as Expanding Consciousness).The theory assumes that every person regardless of disorder is part of the universal process of expanding consciousness – a process of becoming more of oneself and of reaching new dimensions of being intertwined with other people.   HEC incorporates disease as pattern of the whole and assumes that health is not separate from disease as compared to existing medical models. Nurses who utilize this kind of practice or mindset experience the how it is to participate in the expanding process enhancing lives and transforming them (Overview of the Theory).During her research, Dr. Newman observed that patients that were confined in hospitals described time as dragging. This was confirmed by extant studies that indicated the degree of physical mobility as well as state of health was related to the perception of time rather than a more focused attention to ones health. There are four concepts, particularly movement, space, time and consciousness that supply an ample framework to view health. However Newman placed more weight and attention on consciousness, describing it as expanded consciousness (Engle, 1983).HEC is based on several existing theories that will be briefly explained the succeeding paragraphs. HEC stems from Rogers’ theory of unitary human beings.  His human pattering assumptions and how they interact with the environment are the essential building blocks to the perspective that consciousness is a manifestation of an evolving pattern of interactions between a person and the environment.Consciousness not only encapsulates cognitive and affective awareness that is normally associated with it but also how the entire living system is interconnected with each other that can include physiochemical maintenance and growth processes as well as the immune system.   Rogerà ¢â‚¬â„¢s assertion that health and illness are related and are simply the manifestations of rhythmic fluctuations in life process is essentially the building block for seeing health and illness as a unitary process  moving through variations in order and disorder.With this in mind, a medical practitioner can no longer see health and illness in the dichotomous manner as prescribed by medical science, moreover health in the absence of disease or health as a continuum from illness to wellness.   Both the evolving pattern of consciousness and Health are the same.In order to effectively utilize this theory, one has to effectively change his/her paradigm in dealing with patients/people. In order to see health as the pattern of the whole, one should understand that disease is not a separate entity but rather it is a manifestation of interactions between the person and the environment. The paradigm shift is moving away from merely treating symptoms but rather searching for patterns and from viewing disease as negative and taking them as a part of the self-organizing process that would lead to a much higher state of consciousness.One of the theories supporting HEC is David Bohm’s theory of reality as undivided wholeness.   Bohm’s theory of reality states that disease is considered a manifestation of a whole of an underlying pattern and should be seen as a separate entity.   HEC is a health and medical perspective that requires a non-pragmatic worldview. Wellness and illness are simply different points in a single stick of reality. Unless seen in a fragmentary point of view, they cannot and should not be separated from the whole.Another supporting theory is that of Both Gregory Bateson (1979) and Arthur Young (1976) that emphasized the job of learning how things work in a nurse-patient atmosphere, determine the new rules of engagement and medical assistance and to move on to a new level of being and understanding in this medical field/profession. I t is the crux of situations in which nursing can assist people in their search for understanding of the evolving pattern of their lives.   The nurse-client relationship facilitates this kind of transformation and discovery.People continually move through periods of consciousness involving the loss of freedom in the development of self-identity until the maximum point of discovery or transformation is reached.   In this case, the things, methods or ideas that had previously been accepted don’t work anymore.  The task now is to learn the new rules, which the patient is enclosed.   There is a realization then of a person’s self-limitation prior to the transformation that makes it possible for one to go beyond in expanding his/her own consciousness.Lastly, Ilya Prigogine’s theory of change is one of the supporting theories in accordance to HEC.  The theory of change asserts that naturally occurring fluctuations of deterministic processes work together with chance events to usher in a bigger fluctuation that can actually thrust the system into another level of organization and functionality. Disorder is resisted by the structure as it places a strain on the existing structure.  The action induced at the fluctuation’s vital point has the potential to drive into several and varying directions, and it is impossible to identify its path.   It is at some point a single direction takes over the system and a new order is established with new rules created and applied upon.This occurring movement through stages of disruption, ambiguity and disorganization is made easier and possible by the presence of a caring other.   Extant research has continued to impress on the importance of a nurse’s role to partake a supportive role and partnership with the patient in order for the process expanding consciousness to unfurl (Newman, M.).By considering dealing with patients using the HEC framework, although there is a considerable pos sibility for nurse-patient affinity, it is more likely that treating patients with HEC the underlying diseases affecting the patients can easily be determined. By identifying a patient’s pattern, we can then identify the pattern of the environment upon which the patient is interconnected because the pattern of the patient reflects the pattern of the environment. This evolving pattern of order and disorder includes patterns that can be identified as health and disease (Exemplars).References:Newman, M. Overview of the Theory. Retrieved February 19, 2007, from http://www.healthasexpandingconsciousness.org/overview/overview.html. Newman, M. Health as Expanding Consciousness. Retrieved February 19, 2007. from http://www.healthasexpandingconsciousness.org/. Professional biography of Margaret Newman. Retrieved February 19, 2007, from Newman, M. Health as Expanding Consciousness (PowerPoint Presentation). University of Minnesota. Newman, M. Exemplars. Retrieved February 20, 2007. Fro m http://www.healthasexpandingconsciousness.org/exemplars/exemplars.html University of Tennessee Health Sciences Library and Biocommunications Center. Margaret Newman: A Nurse Theorist. Retrieved February 20, 2007. From http://library.utmem.edu/exhibits/newman/ Engle, V.F. (1983). Conceptual models of nursing: Analysis and application. Newman's model of health. In: J. Fitzpatrick & A. Whall (Eds.). 263-73.

Economic and Health System Comparison between U.S.A and Canada Essay

Economic and Health System Comparison between U.S.A and Canada - Essay Example The Canada Department of finance publishes tax expenditure estimates and projections belonging to personal and corporate income taxes. In addition, the department also brings into the public domain goods and services tax (GST) since 1994. Finance Department does the publication in two different documents. The first document is known as tax expenditures and Evaluations. The document provides for a broader definition of estimates and projections of tax expenditures. Besides tax expenditures, it also outlines analytical papers that address particular tax measures. Tax expenditure is the second document that outlines the objective of tax expenditure and describes the calculations of projections and estimations of tax. The Department of Canada prepares this document annually and makes it available to its website. However, tax expenditures in America and Canada show a lot of variations and differences though there are a few notable similarities. The two states have almost similar sectors in which they redistribute their tax expenditure, but comparing them reveals different priorities. Such priorities are more pronounced in the education, health, medical, military, Social Security among other sectors. US tax expenditure has been growing over time since its introduction in 1960’s with a focus mainly given to the defense department. However, in the recent past, the focus is shifting from defense towards health care and Medicaid. Canada has also shown the same trend in tax expenditure increase since 1994 to date, though with the focus on different sectors. Both America and Canada have comprehensive health or medical tax expenditure coverage. However, the two states have various contrasts in the amount and manner of acquisition. Both Canada and the US have shown gradual growth in the health expenditure over the years since their introduction. Canada, for example, divided its health tax expenditure into four

The Effects of Country-of-Origin on Willingness by Consumers to Pay Term Paper

The Effects of Country-of-Origin on Willingness by Consumers to Pay More for a Favorable Country Image - Term Paper Example Moreover, the authors also seek to draw a level of inference with regards to the overall impact that brand familiarity has on the relationship. As a means of performing such a level of inference into these determinants, the authors set out to perform three separate yet complementary experiments in order to test the hypothesized relationship in a setting of low and high involvement. Ultimately, what can be said concerning this understanding is that consumers are oftentimes willing to pay a premium for commodity prices from a nation that had a favorable country image as compared to one that had a lower level of favorability. In such a way, the reader can see that brand familiarity does not heavily impact upon the COO effect. Conversely, it can and should be understood that the COO effect impacts heavily upon the WTP; especially when the consumer is not aware of or familiar with the product. (Howard 2009). Focusing on actual behavior provides fresh insight more than the previous researc h examining buyers’ intentions and attitudes because it demonstrates the impact of the COO cue on buyer’s actions. The take away from all of this leads the reader/researcher to draw several managerial implications with respect to the price-setting structure and origin of goods as having been described. Firstly, the outcome of the studies helps to confirm that the origin of the good has a vital role in informing a sense and appreciation of WTP within the mind of the end consumer. Moreover, the findings also provide information on how the COO influences a buyer’s WTP pertaining to the level of consumer involvement as reflected in the category of the product at hand. This is particularly useful for decisions about pricing and/or communication strategy (e.g. price differentiation) and is also of great concern to the organization considering the transfer of production facilities.  Ã‚  

Robert Adams Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Robert Adams - Research Paper Example Adams was very an adventurous young boy. He joined the boy scouts, and also participated in church activities at the Methodist church, where his family prayed. He loved playing baseball and aiding his father with his carpentry. He accompanied his father on nature walk, hikes and rafting expeditions at the Dinosaur National Monument Park. When in his teens, he worked at Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. During these years, Adams developed an interest in arts and began visiting the Denver Art Museum with his younger sister. In 1955, Adams joined the University of Colorado but only lasted a year before transferring to University of Redlands, Colorado. At the Redlands University, Adams met his wife Kerstin Mornestam and married her in 1960. He graduated with a B.A. in English in 1959. For his post graduate studies, he went to the University of Southern California where he received a Ph.D. in English. Adams began working as a teacher at the Colorado College in 1962. On the other hand, his photography began in 1963 after buying his first camera. He learned professional photography under Myron Wood, who was a professional then. During this time, he did photography as part-time activity but committed to it after the Museum of Modern Art bought four or his pieces. This was made possible by john Szarkowski, who was curator for the museum, and with whom Adams had met in New York. Some of the famous photographs by Robert Adams were the ‘East from Flagstaff Mountain’ in 1975, and ‘Burning Oil Sludge North of Denver’ in 1973. Some of his published books were; ‘The Architecture and Art of Early Hispanic Colorado’ and ‘White Churches of the Plains,’ published by Colorado Associated Press, Boulder, CO in 1974 and 1970 respectively. Pictures from his mid-career were displayed at the Philadelphia Museum of Art in 1989. The mastered works are displayed at the Yale University Art Gallery that put together ‘The Place We Live’. The Rencontres

Hans Namuth Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Hans Namuth - Essay Example Namuth’s work creates an instant romance with the audience because it indicates well-thought process and organized materials that gave rise to his remarkable creations. The visual mediums he would create would triumph the work of the artists that are known all over the world. Hans’ image of Pollock cannot be found in A World of Art. The image is a portrait made for public, and it displays Pollock as a young man. The medium features a brooding and a volatile finger derived from his photographs and films. Pollock was pursuing the same career as Namuth and their careers as artists were intertwined because it was through Pollock that Namuth got recognition and countless accolades. The portrait of Pollock tells of Namuth’s decision to identify an accomplice who helped rise the ladder (http://www.nytimes.com/1990/10/15/obituaries/hans-namuth-photographer-is-dead-at-75.html). The Great Stupa is one of the famous and largest sculptures created by Buddhists. The sculpture existed during two or three years after the exodus of Buddha. The sculpture is found on many travel sites to keep its history alive for those who have not visited the official site. The stupa had a small railing at the top with three other parts that represent Buddha, Sangha, and Dharma. The mound has a path meant for circumambulation. The path also entails railings and gates that have been sculptured. The elaborate gates and rails have withstood storms to stay elaborate to have stood for over 2000 years. The Great Stupa was built with enduring materials and the concrete used in the building was formulated to last for 1000 years. It contains three levels spread within 108 feet. The Great Stupa contains a Tree of Life element that allows worshippers to make their wishes. They are allowed to make both powerful and positive wishes that they believe would come true

Elements of Religious Traditions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Elements of Religious Traditions - Essay Example Religious tradition has got commands under which human beings tied to to. Separating oral traditions from the written ones are one of the requirements of the religious traditions. Most of the religions that are already established has got well furnished oral tradition and sacred texts (Isicheri 2000). However, to many religions, this is still a dream. Written tradition is common among the religions worldwide. For instance, in Islam religion, the holy Qur’an. They believe in the teachings from the holy book. They also practice orally by being able to recite the teachings orally. Every staunch Muslim knows the laws and the rules in the Qur’an and his daily life; he lives according to what it says. In Judaism, there was Oral Torah and the written Torah in Judaism. The written Torah is which is known as the Hebrew Bible. Religious traditions base their foundations on teachings, stories, myths and texts. These are basic foundations that guide a particular group of people. Th ey give the meaning of a group as a community and impact a sense of unity among the group. The myths are manifested in most cases as they try to explain the manner in which the universe began. They are also manifested through explanation of where human beings and other living things started. For instance, in Judaism and Islamic, it is believed that God is the creator of the universe and all that is in it. The divine couple izanagi and izanami are believed to have the explanation of the origin of the Japanese islands., in Shinto’s religion, which is prominent in Japan. They are convinced that the couple stirred up the ocean floor with a trident from the heavens, and the waters separated forming the islands. This is a form of a myth. Old people in some religions had a responsibility of passing information from one generation to another by telling the young ones stories and teaching them issues concerning life. They were supposed to ensure that their culture is not forgotten. Wh at Religious traditions do Religious traditions play a significant role in shaping our societies. Religious acts such as worship, pilgrimage, ritual and prayer are evident in our societies. Each religion has special dates in life when they perform rituals; birthdays and the day when a person dies are some of the examples when religious rituals are carried out. Religious actions also surround life transitions by giving them some definitions that help the community to go through them. For instance, in the Igbo religion circumcision of male people is an example of a transition from boyhood to manhood (Isicheri 2000). In this religion, one has to go through various rites of passage which entails almost all the life cycle. A fascinating one is the rite of passage known as itu-anya, which is the initiation to a Diviner. Here, one is given the authority of being a Diviner. Religions also take into consideration on how funerals are conducted. Rituals are performed during this event, where a religion believes  its system is in line with a super-natural power they believe. Access to sacred places is also a key issue among the religious traditions. Sacred places are the places guarded for special functions concerning the religion. It entails time for prayers, worship and sacrifices or offerings in different religions. The sacred issues may differ in relation to the type of religion is in question. For instance Christians all over the world recognizes the Easter as a sacred day, they believe this

Application of Machine Tools Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Application of Machine Tools - Assignment Example The tools are made involving more than one process where there is also application of other specialized machines and different tools of trade. Machine tool is a critical aspect in the industrialization of any country due to the position it plays in the economic advancement. The milling gauge is an example of a machine tool application. The machine is used in the manufacturing of arc welding and equipment used for cutting. The milled taper gauge is made with a tapered tip. This is because the tips are used in conditions that are limited to mobility and access to specific areas that need to be welded commonly inside a corner. The way that a milled taper gauge is made is critical and ensures an efficient outcome in the final process. There are several tools and machines used to make a milled taper gauge. The tapered tips on the gadgets are mounted on the front of the torch and normally hard to see around in tight spaces. As such, the gadget is made to have a longer and thinner tip to al low the welder more visibility and movement with ease. The tapered gauge is made using a series of tools and processes whereby the incorporation of a cutter to size up the correct size of the tip is crucial (Snyder, 2004). The process of making a milled taper gauge starts with the measurements where the accurate measurements must be made before deploying the use of a cutter tool to size the taper tips. The size is the initial consideration that should be calculated before setting off to use other machines and tools. After the measurements, the cutter is a crucial component, and it plays a great role in ensuring a taper gauge looks the way it should (Liang, 2005). The cutter is used to cut the size of the tip in different sizes as required. One gauge could have several tips with different sizes. This depends on the work the gauge is allocated to do. The milling gauge is used to cut unwanted parts of a machine tool while converting it into a usable machine of works. This makes the pro cess of making the milling gauge be specific and advanced to give room for a hundred-percent efficiency and reliable machine application tool. The taper is made of a low cost, simple, and versatile tool mounting system that uses the holders alongside tapered shanks. There is also use of a matching hollowed spindle that helps to clip the object during work. Tools that have tapered shanks are inserted into the matching inlets and forced into the place. They are then made to stay there through friction, where in some cases the friction needs to be increased with the use of a drawbar. The drawbar is a long bolt that holds the tool into the clipping area using more force to increase the friction. Caution needs to be exercised during the process of manufacturing a taper gauge since the joints and the connection points require accurate measurement to ensure it becomes a successful taper gauge. This means that any error that deviates from the norm can lead to a spoilt taper gauge which cann ot be ideal to work as an application tool. The taper gauge itself is an important machine that is very useful in a workshop. Clipping the tools in its expected place is a critical undertaking that is determined by the process used to make the gauge taper. To ensure that a taper comes out as an efficient machine, its parts are made and organized in a specified way to enable perfect handling of objects while working on them. There is a sequence of

Abercrombie and Fitch report Essay Example for Free

Abercrombie and Fitch report Essay Abercrombie Fitch was established in 1892, and originally was a retailer of outdoor and sporting goods. In 1976, it went bankrupted and was acquired by Limited Brands in 1988. Michael Jeffries was nominated to become CEO in 1992, and he dramatically improved the status of AF to be a global fashion retailer. Now the symbol of American style and beloved brand by many customers worldwide, Abercrombie and Fitch produces mainly apparel, fragrance and lifestyle goods targeting at consumers aged from 18 to 25. There are 4 sub-brands in AF which are Abercrombie and Fitch, Abercrombie Kids, Hollister and Gilly Hicks. Each sub-brand has its own characteristics and its positioning in the fashion market is slightly different. Abercrombie Fitch is rooted in East Coast traditions and Ivy League heritage, it is the essence of privilege and casual luxury (Abercrombie and Fitch Co. 2012, P. 3). Abercrombie Kids is for the kids who want to be like their older brothers or sisters and the core concept of it is casual and preppy looks. Hollister’s heritage stems from Southern California and was designed to represent cool beach style. Gilly Hicks is the newest and smallest brand in AF made only for the girls’ clothes or underwear. With the opening of a flagship store in Canada in 2005, AF started to enter the global market. Now it has 139 stores outside of the US, and it recently opened stores in Seoul, South Korea and in Shanghai, China to expand into the Asian market. We chose Abercrombie and Fitch since we would like to see how successful this multinational apparel company can be by insisting its All-American style in different cultures. We wanted to explore its unique retail strategy and brand positioning as this brand is sought after a lot of young adult. Several controversial issues of AF were the deciding factor in our choice of company. Work Oriented Culture Of all the methods which exist for explaining cultural differences, â€Å"the dimensional approach is more influential† (Peng Meyer, 2011). Geert  Hostede, a Dutch professor, established the overarching theory consisting of five cultural dimensions. The first is power distance which outlines the expectation and acceptance of the unequal distribution of power by the less powerful members of a country (Peng Meyer, 2011). Individualism vs. collectivism is the cultural dimension characterized by whether the  citizens view themselves as distinctly different or dependent upon group involvement. The third cultural dimension is masculinity vs. femininity which refers to the values, traditional male or female, which are held in the highest regard. Determining the extent to which an individual will embrace uncertain circumstances is the uncertainty avoidance dimension. Finally, long-term orientation deals with the emphasis the citizens place upon â€Å"perseverance and savings fo r future betterment† (Peng Meyer, 2011). The US is the home country of Abercrombie and Fitch. Power Distance Individuality Masculinity/Femininity Uncertainty Avoidance Long-term Orientation Scoring a 40 caused the US to be in the lower half of the countries for power distance. Hierarchy is â€Å"established for convenience† (Geert-hofstede.com, 2014) as superiors are easily accessible and communicate informally. Information is free flowing as managers take input form their subordinates. The US received the highest individuality score of 91. Citizens are considered â€Å"the best joiners in the world† (Geert-hofstede.com, 2014). It is not extreme for Americans to work with people with whom they are not familiar as deep friendships are not commonly formed. What an individual is capable of doing or has already done will determine their value of being  hired or promoted. Ranking 15th on the masculinity scale with a score of 62 indicates a masculine nation. US firms create a culture of â€Å"live to work† (Geert-hofstede.com, 2014) where higher status and financial rewards are key driving factors. Leaders which are forceful and decisive are highly valu ed. Employees who are less visible and indecisive are not able to attain success With a score of 46, the US is shown to have a below average uncertainty avoidance. Innovation is extremely valued as new ideas are quickly accepted. As compared to firms in higher uncertainty avoidance countries, US firms will quickly go after new, emerging, and risky opportunities. The US is seventh from the bottom of the list for long-term orientation with a score of 29. While future planning is involved in US firms’ decision making process, quarterly reports are incredibly significant and limit the time firms can look ahead. Employees’ savings rates in countries such as the US are much lower than those in long-term oriented nations. Home Region Oriented Firm Rugman and Verbeke in 2004 established a triad of economic power consisting of Asia, the EU, and North America. Analysis of 380 firms determined how many were home-region oriented, bi-regional, host-region oriented, or global (Rugman Verbeke, 2004). A home-region oriented firm has â€Å"at least 50% of their sales in their home region of the triad† (Rugman Verbeke, 2004). To be a bi-regional company, at least 20% of all sales must take place in two regions, but the company cannot have more than 50% in the region where the company is based. If a firm has more than 50% of its sales in a region different than its home region then the firm is considered host region oriented. In order to be global, a firm must have â€Å"at least 20% of their sales in all three regions of the triad, but less than 50% in any one region† (Rugman Verbeke, 2004). AF is considered a home region oriented company based upon the released date from 2013. Of the $4,116.9 million in sales, 64.59% or $2,659.09 million is generated in the home region, North America. $1,116.78 million or 27.13% of all their sales take place in the EU region. Asia is far behind as the remaining 8.28% of sales, 341.03 thousand dollars, is dispersed across the  rest of the world. No calculations were needed as the sales figures and percentages were given. (Csimarket.com, 2014). The industry for which AF operates can explain their sales distribution. As the company is in the fashion and retail industry, its’ sales are incredibly dependent upon the affinity of the customers for specific brands and styles. Since the company is based in North America, the firm is much more familiar with the prevalent style which would need to be present to increase sales. AF also established itself in their home country before expanding. These factors could explain the firm’s international orientation. Ownership Advantages First, one downstream ownership advantage of AF is the possession of a specific brand image which is not easily imitable. The firm operates under different brands Abercrombie Fitch, Abercrombie Kids, Hollister, and Gill Hicks for slightly different targets. Each sub-brand represents a different brand image but they eventually add up to one big image, â€Å"American Cool†. To the fashion retailers, the most important ownership advantage is their own irreplaceable brand image. In this context, AF has its distinct position in the fashion market and is using their brand image successfully to attract the customers (Abercrombie Fitch Co. 2012, P. 3). Second, the other ownership advantage of AF is its’ in-store experience. AF stimulates the customers’ senses of sight, sound, smell, and touch by utilizing handsome male models, music, fragrances, rich fabrics and interior design. Customers (mainly females) can get a chance to take a photo with the models, and this became a representative in-store experience of AF. In addition to this, AF uses certain perfume to attract customers and to make them remember AF for a longer time than just seeing, which is called â€Å"scent marketing†. Also, the stores always play the video of the American beach to emphasize its â€Å"cool† brand image. AF only sets up the flagship stores and controls them through the managers who are trained in the US and sent to the international flagship stores to monitor the whole operation. This system makes it possible to transfer this in-store experience to the newly established flagship stores very well. Therefore, all AF stores, even those  overseas, are committing the standardized in-store experience by offering customers the same experience (Abercrombie and Fitch Co. 2012, p. 4). Uppsala Model Network Internationalization Model Differences â€Å"The Uppsala model views that market knowledge is gained only by operating directly in a market; thus the model focuses on experimental knowledge† (Childs Jin 2013, p. 38). According to the Uppsala model, will increase their market commitment gradually based upon their experience in the market and based on the knowledge they gain in the market. On the other hand, according to the Network internationalization model, firms can start their internationalization before they enter the market by settling network relationship in advance. Therefore, firms do not have to follow the stages of the Uppsala model but â€Å"building a number of such relationships constitutes a large and important investment, and once established, and organiza tional or ownership advantage† (Vahlne Johanson 2013, p. 195). Uppsala Model Network Internationalization Model Similarities Both models consider the network as important knowledge that firms should gain. The network facilitates information and experience by building up the trust in a relationship and also by learning from other market players. Within the Uppsala model, the core concept of the gradual extension of a company’s internationalization into a market, which gains the company valuable experience, should be based on the interplay with customers, suppliers, and other competitors. As the company’s network broadens, it can get more knowledge and at the same time its degree of internationalization will become higher. In this context, we can find similarity between the two models. International Trajectory In 2005, AF first opened its’ flagship store in Canada. Starting from this, AF entered the European market with opening flagship stores in major cities of the European countries, such as London, Milan, Paris, and Amsterdam. On December 15, 2009, AF opened its first Asian flagship store in Tokyo as a starting point to enter the Asian market. Currently, AF owns 19 flagship stores in Canada, 110 in Europe, and 11 in Asia. Among those stores, 39 are sales subsidiaries. In Canada, the Netherlands, and Hong Kong, AF has wholly-owned subsidiaries because there are DCs in those countries, meaning that they are the most important countries in each continent (Abercrombie   Fitch Co. 2012, PP. 19, 101102). Firms who have a strong brand image and possess asset specificity (a unique product or a unique way of doing business) are more likely to internationalize quickly (Childs Jin, 2013). AF is a good example of this case, so it could skip the lower stages of the Uppsala model, such as s poradic exports or exports through sales agents, and could set up the subsidiaries directly overseas, which only takes 7-9  years. Consequently, now we can assume that the company is already in a quite higher stage of the Uppsala-based stages model with its sales subsidiaries and wholly-owned subsidiaries. Degree and Nature of International Sourcing Abercrombie and Fitch does not own factories producing the products and it has not sourced more than 10% of its merchandise from any single member of its approximately 155 vendors in 20 countries, including the United States, China, Vietnam and Guatemala (Abercrombie Fitch Co. 2012, p. 4). In particular, more than 90% of its suppliers are in Asia (Google.com, 2011). The company has established supplier product quality standards to ensure the high quality of fabrics and other materials used in the company’s products (Abercrombie Fitch Co. 2012, p. 5). Abercrombie and Fitch has two distribution centers (â€Å"DCs†) in New Albany, Ohio. The two DCs were initially responsible for the distribution of merchandise to the stores and direct-toconsumer customers, both regionally and internationally. Since 2009, AF has offshored its DCs by using a third-party DC (TNT Fashion) in Roosendaal, the Netherlands for the distribution of merchandise to stores and direct-to-consumer cust omers located in Europe and a third-party DC in Hong Kong since 2011 for the distribution of merchandise to stores located in Asia. Its two DCs in New Albany, Ohio currently only support its North American stores, and direct-to-consumer customers outside of Europe (Abercrombie Fitch Co. 2012, p. 5). The nature of offshoring the DCs is to broaden the direct-toconsumer business worldwide and facilitate the international expansion of Abercrombie and Fitch stores in Europe and Asia. Furthermore, Abercrombie and Fitch has a strong, cooperative and long-term relationship with its vendor factories. When the CEO Mike Jeffries was asked about the cost pressures from raw materials and labor costs, he emphasized  that a strong relationship with vendors has been key since they had assisted AF and been fair in terms of cotton prices and other increases. He also added that AF and vendors have been there for each other for the long term (Barrie, 2010). Strategic Advantages and Drawbacks of International Sourcing and Offshoring The first advantage of international sourcing is that AF can hedge against the supplier risks. Since AF has relationships with over 100 vendors in 20 countries, it can flexibly switch from one source to another when necessary. AF has the ability to increase its total supply capacity. Even if there are a sudden wave of demand for certain products, having a strong relationship with over 100 vendors will ensure AF a certain supply of products and therefore the supply chain will be more stable (Inboundlogistics.com, 2011). However, such global sourcing strategy also brings some disadvantages. The source of production activity is too dispersed; it is a challenge to find qualified executives who know the local business environment and understand the corporation’s inner workings especially in the Asia Pacific region (Inboundlogistics.com, 2011). We would advise Abercrombie and Fitch to send executives from the US to those countries and hire local managers simultaneously to ensure the production activity smooth. The primary advantage of offshoring is to reduce costs. Offshoring its distribution centers in Europe and Asia can save distribution and transportation costs of merchandise to stores in Europe and Asia. However, if the third-party distribution center in the Netherlands or Hong Kong shuts down suddenly, the distribution of merchandise in Europe and Asia will be totally disrupted. Therefore, AF should leverage the risk by running an additional distribution center in some low-cost countries, such as Vietnam. This move will also support AF’s future expansion. Opportunities and Threats in Vietnam Opportunities Labor cost in Vietnam are absolutely lower than that of China (JETRO, 2011) (NWPC, 2014). See Appendix 1 for figure 1. Government policy to attract FDI (Kim, Lee Cheong, 2011). See AppendixThreats 2.  TPP (Trans-Pacific Partnership) Cost reduction, lead time reduction, and tax benefit. See Appendix 3 for table 1. Currently only 16% of AF clothes are produced in Vietnam (Google.com, 2011). See Appendix 4 for figure 2. Vietnam has a better status for lead times, infrastructure, and working circumstances than other developing countries (Kim, Lee Cheong, 2011). As AF doesn’t operate their own manufacturing facilities but uses vendors, it can be intense competition among the companies who want to attract vendors in Vietnam. Bangladesh, Cambodia, and Sri Lanka which have lower labor cost than Vietnam are trying to develop their infrastructure and manufacturing conditions to attract vendors. In the future, those undeveloped countries can be a threat to the Vietnam market. Minimum wage in Vietnam is increasing by 15% in 2013, and 17% in 2014 (Vettoretti Huyen, 2013). Suggestions for the Emerging Market We suggest establishing a distribution center (DC) in Vietnam as a strategy to create synergy with the new manufacturing facilities in Vietnam. Currently, many global fashion retailers are trying to generate vertical integration in the emerging markets because they can control the demand fluctuation easily and simplify procurement and administrative procedures eliminating the need to deal with a wide variety of suppliers and distributors. If TPP is concluded, the degree of tariffs will decrease, so it would be better to concentrate on upstream investment in Vietnam. Because emerging markets are not wellorganized and there is more lack of conditions than the developed market, owning a DC will be more stable and protective. Eventually, a DC in Vietnam will create good access to the Asian market. In  overseas developed markets, AF doesn’t own the distribution centers but uses third-party DCs in the Netherlands and Hong Kong. However in Vietnam, we assume that AF would set up a distribution center as a wholly-owned subsidiary. The third-party logistics in outsourcing the whole distribution to a specialized company would reduce the cost. Now AF has only third-party DCs in overseas and there is a threat to be shut down. In order to prevent this situation in advance, owning at least one wholly-owned DC is practical. Because a wholly-owned DC totally controlled by the company, the company can adjust to the demand fluctuation better than a third-party DC. Therefore wholly-owned DC will function as a safety net in a case there is an uncontrollable problem in a third-party DC. Strategic Objectives of Entering China With regard to market seeking, â€Å"China will represent the biggest market potential for our brands,† said Craig Brommers, senior vice president of marketing for AF (Fashionunited.com, 2014). Undoubtedly, China is a huge and growing market with a population of approximately 1.4 billion. Therefore, AF has been trying to locate its potential customers by opening the first flagship store in Shanghai and 8 Hollister stores in different cities since 2012. The company plans to open over 100 new stores under its Hollister and AFs label in China over the next ten years (Fashionunited.com, 2014). With regard to efficiency seeking, there are an abundant suppliers and a low-cost labor force. Specifically, over 60% of its vendors were located in China in 2011 (Google.com, 2011). Also, there has been a distribution center in Hong Kong since 2011. Therefore, AF can achieve lower transportation costs since the delivery is closer to its target markets. Past Foreign Entry Modes Abercrombie and Fitch started its international expansion in London by opening the first overseas flagship store in 2007, and it almost adopted a single foreign entry mode in the last 7 years. AF established a wholly-owned subsidiary when entering a new market, such as the Netherlands, UK, Hong  Kong, Singapore and Japan. However, AF opened its first Hollister store in Dubai in 2013 through a joint venture with Majid Al Futtaim Ventures and an AF flagship store is expected to open in Dubai in 2014 the same way (Majid Al Futtaim Ventures, 2014). For Abercrombie and Fitch, establishing wholly-owned subsidiaries is a better entry mode for international expansion. AF can enjoy full control of the international stores since it pursues an intensely American retail and marketing strategy (Marx, 2010). Therefore, establishing a wholly-owned subsidiary enables AF to integrate the operation of its subsidiaries tightly with itself and to control what the subsidiary should follow. In addition, it takes a lot of efforts to establish an effective relationship in a joint venture and the cultures of the companies may be incompatible. Financially, The parent company can consolidate the results of its wholly-owned subsidiaries into one financial statement (Basu, 2014).Considering that AF is opening more international stores worldwide, the financial reporting would be too complicated if it engages in joint ventures in many different countries. Multinational Strategy Home Replication Stage The multinational strategy of Abercrombie and Fitch closely resembles the home replication strategy. There are several evidences from practice. First of all, the local responsiveness of AF’s international stores is very low. The staff greets shoppers in English, rather than the local language of the foreign countries. This results in foreign customer alienation since some customers will be forced to surface their rusty English during the transaction (Marx, 2010). AF replicates its home country-based competencies such as brand positioning. Sex appeal is a big part of the brand’s charm in the United States; AF also puts this masculine ideal into practice of its international stores. Particularly, many of the male staff members are half-naked in the stores (Marx, 2010). Finally, the implementation of its marketing strategy and operation is easier. The store design and the interior are the same worldwide along with extremely dim lightings, a strong smell of cologne and perf ume and the staff singing or dancing with the  pounding American songs. ‘Real-life’ Social and Environmental Dilemmas A ‘real life’ social dilemma has adversely impacted AF in recent years surrounding its CEO. The official website of the company states the company strives to be â€Å"an inclusive environment that values the differences of its associates and customers† (Anfcareers.com, 2014). While this is the official statement, an interview with the CEO, Mike Jeffries, brought a contrasting view to light. Jeffries identified his target market by claiming, â€Å"a lot of people don’t belong [in our clothes]†¦Are we exclusionary? Absolutely† (Walker, 2014). AF has since released an apology, but boycotts, negative celebrity statements, and petitions were enacted. This issue is an ethical dilemma to the firm because of their strategic place in the clothing market. In order to stay popular, an essence of exclusivity has been built around the brand, since the more exclusive the brand appears, the more interest the brand receives. This has been AF’s approach, but this strategy is not inclusive. The firm had to determine whether to increase their size options or continue with the current productive model. The most important stakeholders for this dilemma are the CEO and those who hold a large portion of AF’s stock. If AF is not able to effectively remedy the situation then the company’s profits will continue to suffer. AF is a public company so their performance directly affects their stock. If the dilemma is not resolved quickly, it could trigger a chain reaction of a loss in profits which leads to lower stock causing several holders of the stock to drop it effectively dropping the value of the stock. The effects of this dilemma could have extremely long lasting repercussions. An environmental issue which has become a dilemma for AF is the implementation of harmful chemicals in their signature fragrances. Within the fragrance Fierce, â€Å"11 secret chemicals that are not listed on the label† (Henricks, Malkan, Shils, 2014) were found that heighten allergic reactions. This particular fragrance caused reactions from various activist groups such as Physicians for Social Responsibility, MomsRising, and others which total over 1.5 million people (Henricks, Malkan, Shils, 2014). Utilizing harmful chemicals is an ethical environmental dilemma for AF  because the current formula has generated incredible revenue. The official website of the company addresses large environmental impact areas such as limiting their carbon emissions, but nothing addresses something  which impacts the environmental on this particular scale. If AF is able to hide these chemicals and still gain their desired sales results then it has little motivation to stop acting in this manner. The most important stakeholders surrounding this dilemma are not only the executives and upper management of the company, but also the lowest store employees. A loss in serious sales will affect most employees in a company, but this situation would directly affect individual store employees.Customers may stay away from the stores in order to avoid the negative side effects resulting in a loss of profit and jobs for store employees. Developing a Globally Standardized Strategy Currently, Abercrombie and Fitch already has an established a globally standardized strategy to cope with the selected dilemmas. The strategy is laid out on a website by the company which was created specifically for displaying the considerate side of AF. Covering everything from the sustainability to collaborations to specific policies, AF clearly display their globally standardized strategy to â€Å"ensure that the highest values of human rights are being upheld at our headquarters, in our stores and within our supply chain† (anfcares.org, 2014). AF should have a globally standardized strategy. Even if ethical imperialism is not wise, the specific industry operations call for a globalized solution. Several ethical viewpoints are almost universal for garment manufacturing. Several unethical decisions such as environmental negligence and the use of harmful chemicals have resulted in scandals and dilemmas because of the accessibility of information. For example, the infamous in terview with the CEO was conducted years before it gained notoriety. By having a globally standardized strategy, AF could mitigate potential situations before they arise. The selected dilemmas have global relevance. Inclusion, the principle dealt with in the social dilemma, is incredibly important to a multitude of  cultures across the world. A store in the Netherlands which openly admitted to not wanting homosexual customers would experience a similar backlash. The environment issues also reaches across borders. Asthma, one of the problems which are heightened by the fragrances, is prevalent in â€Å"an estimated 300 million people† (Aaaai.org, 2014). Abercrombie and Fitchs’ Actions Compared to Unilever The actual solutions by AF are not similar to the solutions practiced by Unilever. Both AF and Unilever have explicit codes of conduct and plans to deal with ethical dilemmas which arise. Even though these plans exist, AF has demonstrated that its actions do not always align with their official stance. Unilever’s approach to social impact such as gender equality has been greatly documented, and one of their main goals by 2020 is to â€Å"help more than 1 billion people improve their health well-being† (Vis, 2014). The implementation of this policy is seen as Unilever has helped generate around â€Å"65,000 microentrepreneurs† (Vis, 2014). A stark contrast exists between Unilever’s actions and those of AF. Unlike Unilever, the ultimate actions of AF and their refusal to stock larger size clothing proves the company is dedicated to portraying a positive image without actually helping to make a positive change in society. AF’s actions toward their environmental impact align almost with their actions for social justice. Although its’ official stance is to reduce its environmental footprint, the company has taken no action in light of the protests by environmental groups driven â€Å"to get rid toxic chemicals from the environment† (Lutz, 2013) which are the result of their colognes. Unilever’s approach towards economic longevity has been greatly noted as â€Å"75% sites [send] zero waste to landfill† (Vis, 2014). Unilever’s approach is much more preferable to AF’s approach. From a social standpoint, Unilever’s actions have actively made a beneficial social change as Unilever continues to fulfill their promises. AF continues to ignore their customer’s plight even though the company claims to truly care. From a corporate standpoint, Unilever’s approach is better because many news outlets have cited the company as making a positive chan ge, while AF continues to have controversies resulting in a sales drop of 10%. Overall, Unilever has a much better strategy than AF. Appendix 1 Figure 1: Average Monthly Wage of Asian Countries (Nwpc.dole.gov.ph, 2014) Appendix 2 Improvement of the Vietnam Government Policy on FDI (Kim, Lee and Cheong, 2011) The Vietnam government policy for FDI was dramatically improved by registering into WTO (World Trade Organization) and preparing for PNTR (Permanent Normal Trade Relations). Besides, the government adopted global standards, abolished discrimination of foreigners, and opened the service part such as finance or communication. As a result, FDI into Vietnam broadened to various areas, for example, fabrics, mining, energy, finance, logistic and so on. Especially concluding PNTR between the US made it possible to participating into WTO and encouraged foreing investors to enter into the Vietnam market. Another important change in the policy is related to the modification of legal restrictions or rules. On 1st of July, 2006, the government changed the original law for FDI which had been adapted only to the local people into the newly modified law for FDI which is commonly adapted to the both parts of foreigners a nd local people. This was the effort of the government to create more competitive investment conditions which are changing subject of application, and abolishing double price and repatriation tax. Also the government has been modifying the original business law, investment law, land law, and corporate taxation. References 1) Aaaai.org 2014, Asthma Statistics | AAAAI. [online] Available at:http://www.aaaai.org/about-the aaaai/newsroom/asthma-statistics.aspx [Accessed 14 May. 2014]. 2) Abercrombie and Fitch 2012, Annual report 2012, Abercrombie and Fitch Co., New Albany, Ohio. 3) Anfcareers.com 2014, Abercrombie Fitch Careers. [online] Available at:http://www.anfcareers.com/page/Diversity [Accessed 15 May. 2014]. 4) Anfcares.org 2014, AF Cares Our Strategy. [online] Available at:http://www.anfcares.org/sustainability/environment/strategy.jsp [Accessed 16 May. 2014]. 5) Barrie, L. 2010, Abercrombie Fitch sees opportunities in higher costs. [online] Just-style.com. Available at: http://www.just-style.com/analysis/abercrombie-fitch-sees-opportunities-in-highercosts_id109585.aspx [Accessed 18 May. 2014]. 6) Basu, C. 2014, The Advantages Disadvantages of a Wholly Owned Subsidiary. [online] eHow. Available at: http://www.ehow.com/info_8627934_advantages-disadvantages-wholly-ownedsubsidiary.html [Accessed 18 May. 2014]. 7) Childs, M. and Jin, B 2014, Is Uppsala model valid to fashion retailers? An analysis from internationalisation patterns of fast fashion retailers. Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, 18(1), pp.36 51. 8) Csimarket.com 2014, Abercrombie Fitch Co. (ANF) Jan. 31, 2014 Sales per Country and Region, Annual Report CSIMarket. [online] Available at:http://csimarket.com/stocks/segments_geo.php?code=ANF [Accessed 18 May. 2014]. 9) Fashionunited.com 2014, Abercrombie Fitch aims to open 100 stores in China Report Executive. [online] Available at: http://www.fashionunited.com/executive/report/abercrombiefitch-aims-to-open-100-stores-in-china-20142304495372 [Accessed 18 May. 2014]. 10 10) Geert-hofstede.com 2014, United States Geert Hofstede. [online] Available at: http://geerthofstede.com/united-states.html [Accessed 18 May. 2014]. 11) Google.com 2011, Abercrombie Fitch Production and Expansion Google Maps. [online] Available at: https://www.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8t=mvpsrc=6oe=UTF8msa=0msid=2073664 88920603185286.0004b07bb7b95fb0f4d6cdg=feature [Accessed 18 May. 2014]. 12) Henricks, S., Malkan, S. and Shils, J 2014, Campaign for Safe Cosmetics : Abercrombie Fitch: Stop Spraying Toxic Fragrance!. [online] Safecosmetics.org. Available at: http://safecosmetics.org/article.php?id=739 [Accessed 14 May. 2014]. 13) Inboundlogistics.com 2011, Supply Chain Gain: Global Growth Inbound Logistics. [online] Available at: http://www.inboundlogistics.com/cms/article/supply-chain-gain-global-growth/ [Accessed 18 May. 2014]. 14) Kim, T., Lee, J. and Cheong, J 2011, Firm Level Productivity and Survey Results for Korean Firms in Vietnam and Indonesia. KIEP Research Paper No. Policy Analysis-11-22, pp.16-180. 15) Lutz, A 2013, Reasons Why People Hate Abercrombie Fitch. [online] Business Insider. Available at: http://www.businessinsider.com/abercrombie-and-fitch-worst-controversies-20138?op=1 [Accessed 18 May. 2014]. 16) Majid Al Futtaim Fashion 2014, Hollister to make its Middle East debut in 2013. 17) Marx, W. 2010, In Tokyo, Abercrombie Misses Its Mark. [online] BoF The Business of Fashion. Available at: http://www.businessoffashion.com/2010/02/in-tokyo-abercrombie-misses-itsmark.html [Accessed 18 May. 2014]. 18) Nwpc.dole.gov.ph 2014, Official Website of National Wages and Productivity Commission. [online] Available at: http://www.nwpc.dole.gov.ph/pages/statistics/stat_comparative.html [Accessed 18 May. 2014]. 19) Overseas Research Department Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) 2011, The 21th Comparative Survey of Investment-Related Costs in 31 Major Cities and Regions in Asia and Oceania. p.68. 20) Peng, M. and Meyer, K 2011, International Business. 1st ed. London: Cengage Learning, pp.7276, 363, 458-459. 21) Rugman, A. and Verbeke, A 2004, A perspective on regional and global strategies of multinational enterprises. Journal of International Business Studies, 35(1), pp.318. 22) The Ohio State University Fisher College of Business 2013, Abercrombie Fitch Equity Research Report. pp.3 4. 23) Vahlne, J. and Johanson, J 2013, The Uppsala model on evolution of the multinational business enterprise – from internalization to coordination of networks. International Marketing Review, 30(3), pp.189 210. 24) Vettoretti, A. and Huyen, H 2013, Vietnam Set to Increase Minimum Wages from December 31, 2013. [online] Available at: http://www.vietnam-briefing.com/news/vietnam-set-to-increaseminimum-wages-from-december-31-2013.html/ [Accessed 18 May. 2014]. 25) Vis, J 2014, Making Progress, Driving Change. 26) Walker, J 2014, Abercrombie Fitch: Sorry!. [online] The Huffington Post. Available at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/23/abercrombie-and-fitch-apology_n_3323668.html [Accessed 18 May. 2014].

My understanding of continental drift Essay Example for Free

My understanding of continental drift Essay The present arrangement of the continents with similarities in outline of opposite seaboards and coasts and, much more reliably, geological data show that the Earths continents that are now on the opposite sides of the oceans were once joined together. Today, scientists believe that about 200 million years ago the continents were joined together to form one supercontinent Pangaea. As the plates that the continents sit on moved, the supercontinent broke up and began to move apart. This continental drift is continuing. However, the ideas of continental drift and especially seafloor spreading remained a minority view until 1950s, when seismic techniques made possible surveying of the crust under the oceans. Then, in the 1950s, it was discovered that the oceanic crust is relatively thin, 5 to 7 kilometres in some places, and the ocean floor hides oceanic ridges, thousands of kilometres in length and several kilometres above the ocean floor. The best-studied example is Mid-Atlantic Ridge, approximately halfway between Europe and America, running north-south up the North Atlantic Ocean. Along the centre of this ridge there is an active rift valley. In 1960 Harry Hess, of Princeton University tried to explain the newly discovered structure of the ocean floor and other previously unknown features with the first model of so-called sea-floor spreading, in accordance to which the ocean ridges are formed by upwelling convection currents in the fluid material of the mantle. As these currents bring material up to the surface at the oceanic ridge, where it spreads outward. As new ocean basins are formed, the continents are pushed further apart. To balance the formation of new crust at the ocean ridge, some oceanic crust is dragged back down under the edge of continents. That takes place at the deep trench systems, mainly in the western Pacific as well as at the edge of some other oceans. Not surprisingly, than half of the worlds active volcanoes above sea level encircle the Pacific Ocean to form the circum-Pacific Ring of Fire. According to Hess model, The Atlantic Ocean becomes wider, at a rate of about 2 centimetres per year, the Pacific shrinks as North America slowly drifting westwards, towards Asia. In 200 million years, people in America probably wont need to cross the Pacific to reach what now is Far East. So according to the plate-tectonics theory, Earths surface is broken into about a dozen of rigid shifting slabs or plates, which average about 80 kilometres in thickness. These plates move relative to one another above a hotter, deeper, more mobile zone at average rates of a few inches per year. There are three common types of boundaries between these moving plates: Divergent or spreading. Adjacent plates pull apart, which causes sea-floor spreading, as described above for the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, which separates the North and South American Plates from the Eurasian and African Plates. Convergent. Plates moving in opposite directions meet and one is dragged down (or subducted) beneath the other. Convergent plate boundaries are also called subduction zones and are typified by the Aleutian Trench, where the Pacific Plate is being subducted under the North American Plate. Transform fault. One plate slides horizontally past another, as in the San Andreas fault zone of California, which marks the boundary between the Pacific and North American Plates. The history of Earths plates since Pangaeas break up until present time is relatively well studied. However, the motion of the plates is less clear in pre-Pangaea times. Oceanic crust has an average age of only 55 million years, as the age of continental crust averages about 2. 3 billion years, with the oldest known rocks dating back 3. 96 billion years. Probably our planet has had several supercontinents like Pangaea throughout time. These supercontinents all went through a cycle similar to Pangaeas. Geological data show that more than 600 millions years ago most of the land that now forms South America, Africa, India, Antarctica and Australia was grouped together in one supercontinent located roughly across the equator, called Gondwanaland. Other continents were also assembling together. North America and Greenland had, by that time, been attached to each other for hundreds of millions of years. By about 400 millions years ago, this chunk of continental material collided with what is now part of Europe, and the pieces welded together to form so-called Old Red Sandstone. By then Gondwanaland crossed the South Pole and was moving northward. A little more than 250 million years ago, Gondwanaland and the Old Red Sandstone continent collided and struck together. Then the last remaining independent plate, present-day Asia, collided with the northern part of this supercontinent and was welded on to Europe. Thats how all modern continents were joined together in Pangaea, which was stretching from the South Pole to high northern latitudes. In the foreseeable future, the Atlantic Ocean will be expanding, pushing North America westwards, while the Pacific Ocean will be shrinking. The Mediterranean Sea will eventually disappear, connecting Africa with Europe. India will be continuing to push into the southern Asian subcontinent, pushing the Himalayas even higher. Short description of the web sites: Plate Tectonics, the Cause of Earthquakes including the chapter Earthquakes are caused by plate movement, http://www. seismo. unr. edu/ftp/pub/louie/class/100/plate-tectonics. html. The site explains and illustrates the links between the plates and earthquakes, featuring a few highly informative satellite pictures and drawings. It is shown that the plates consist of an outer layer of the Earth, the lithosphere. Occasionally the hot asthenosphere of the Earth finds a weak place in the lithosphere to rise buoyantly as a plume, or hotspot. Only lithosphere has the strength and the brittle behavior to fracture in an earthquake. The location of earthquakes around the globe is shown. The site demonstrates that the boundaries between the plates grind against each other, producing most earthquakes, thus the lines of earthquakes help define the plates. Earthquake occurrence in different plate tectonic settings is shown with figures and pictures. Plate Tectonics, http://www. ucmp. berkeley. edu/geology/tectonics. html. This site explains the history of human understanding of the Earth and provides a brief overview of the theories behind it. 13 wonderful animations of Plate Tectonics movement in different epochs of Earths history are available on the site in the following formats: *. gif (these load rather slowly) and *. avi, *. mov (for faster Internet connection). Rates of Plate Movement During the Phanerozoic, www. geocities. com/earthhistory/plate2. htm. According to various forms of the Noah`s Flood model, rates of plate motion during the `Phanerozoic` were on the order of several thousand meters per day, and all or most Phanerozoic crustal displacement is considered to have occurred during a brief catastrophe occurring about 2500BCE and lasting only `weeks or months. ` There are a variety of methods which can be used to estimate rates of plate movement for given times in the past. Today, the movement of tectonic plates can be directly measured by a variety of geodetic technologies, including satellite laser ranging (SLR), Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI), and Global Positioning Systems (GPS). Magnetic Island Formation, www. rzg. mpg. de/~sip/thesis/node58. html. Magnetic islands may form upon the flux surfaces for which the field lines are orthogonal to the wave vector of the perturbation since no energy is required to bend the magnetic field lines. The sites show how an expression for the width of these islands is derived. The analytical calculation using this expression is found to be in good agreement with real space data. Island Formation, http://www. hawaii. edu/environment/ainakumuwai/html/ainakumuwaiislandformation. htm. The formation and evolution of Kauai, the oldest of the eight major Hawaiian Islands and a younger member of the Hawaiian-Emperor Volcanic Chain, are thoroughly studied. The Tethyan Himalayas, http://www. geoahead. com/strati/india/index. cfm? page=himalayas_tethyan. The site is devoted to the geology of The Tethyan Himalayas. The belt extending from Kashmir to Nepal can be best studied in two areas – Spiti valley in Himachal Pradesh and Kashmir – where we can see a continuous succession from Precambrian to Mesozoic ages. The Phanerozoic rocks have yielded rich fossils of trilobites, graptolites, brachiopods, cephalopods, gastropods, etc. Facts About Mountains, http://www. woodlands-junior. kent. sch. uk/Homework/mountains. htm. This is the wide illustrated collection of basic facts about mountains, which includes the chapters as various as What are Mountains? , Use of Mountains, How are Mountains formed? , Climate and Mountains, Types of mountains, Nature and Mountains, Tallest Mountains, People, Mountains and Tourism, Mountains around the World, Volcanoes, Mountain Ranges. Quick Facts about Mountains are also included. Moon Has a Small Core Says LP Scientists, http://www. spacedaily. com/news/water-99l. html. The site cites the data from NASAs $63 million Lunar Prospector, which supports mounting evidence that the moon may still retain a small molten core, and was formed in a way unique within our solar system, after a Mars-sized planet smashed into a proto-Earth. It is noted that the new data agrees with Apollo mission seismic and sample-return evidence that suggests the moon is partly made of the same stuff as the Earths upper crust, or mantle. And their findings agree with results released earlier this year by NASA Jet Propulsion Lab scientists who used Lunar Prospector to make a gravity map of the moon and who also conclude that the moon has a small, partially molten core. Works used J. Gribbin. Almost Everyones Guide to Science: The Universe, Life and Everything. Weidenfeld Nicolson. London, 1998. Tilling, Heliker, and Wright. Eruptions of Hawaiian Volcanoes: Past, Present, and Future: Department of the Interior/U. S. Geological Survey Publication, Washington, D. C. , 1987. The web sites described above.

Factors to Develop a Doctor-Patient Relationship

Factors to Develop a Doctor-Patient Relationship Patients and Health care Professionals need to communicate about many different aspects of health and illness. With reference to a specific example, outline the factors that the health professionals would need to consider when preparing to discuss this issue with a patient. The medical consultation is considered to be one of the most important phases in the care of a patient (Bennet, 1979; Beck et al., 2001). Especially in long term illnesses, health care professionals have a close relationship with their patients; the main reason is because of the nature of this relationship itself, as they are both involved in illness in their own different ways (Bennet, 1979; Ong et al., 1995; Pendleton Hasler, 1983; Molleman et al., 1984; Morrison, 1994; Usherwood, 1999). Through this relationship, health professionals and patients are constantly exchanging information (Ong et al., 1995; Morrison, 1994; Usherwood, 1999); patients are the ones who experience illness and discomfort, and are seeking for both care (feeling that health care professionals know and understand them) and cure (need to define the health problem), (Stimson Webb, 1975; Usherwood, 1999; Ong et al., 1995), whereas health professionals are the ones with the knowledge, experience and the ability to help patients (Bennet, 1979; Messer Meldrum, 1995; Usherwood, 1999). Therefore, physicians and patients are interdependent and influence each other during their interactions (Stimson Webb, 1975; Bennet, 1979; Ong et al., 1995; Pendleton Hasler, 1983; Leigh Reiser, 1985). In order to have a functional doctor-patients relationship, an effective medical consultation and better health outcomes, good communication between physicians and patients is required (Ong et al., 1995; Stewart, 1995). As research indicates, the need for good communication is greater when it is between physicians and patients with fatal medical diseases, such as cancer (Molleman et al., 1984; Ong et al., 1995; Ong et al., 1999). Therefore, health professionals’ role is even more important, since they will need to be prepared for the consultation. Before their meeting, both patients and health care professionals have expectations and anticipations for the consultation and of course are preparing for their face to face interaction (Stimson Webb, 1975; Leigh Reiser, 1985). Health professionals have several subjects to consider and be prepared for, before any cancer consultation, such as medical information that need to be discussed during their interaction with cancer patients , but also factors that may influence their between interaction and communication (Stimson Webb, 1975; Faulkner Maguire, 1994). To begin with, the first factor that health care professionals should consider and be prepared for, before the meeting, is the patients’ emotional state, which can affect both the course and outcome of a consultation (Faulkner Maguire, 1994). The patients’ mood is influenced by numerous factors, such as their current medical condition and experience of illness, their personal information, such as age, culture, education or even the received support from their social networks (Faulkner Maguire, 1994; Suinn VandenBos, 2000; Lin et al., 2003). Bearing all these factors in mind, physicians should understand that working with cancer patients can be challenging and emotionally difficult (Faulkner Maguire, 1994). Although physicians cannot foresee their patients’ mood for their upcoming consultation, they can be prepared for different scenarios and think of different strategies of how to professionally handle difficult situations and yet provide the best quality care (Faulkner Maguire, 1994). First of all, one of the most difficult aspects when consulting with a patient is the breaking of bad news or having to answer difficult questions, for example questions regarding life expectancy and death (Buckman, 1984; Faulkner Maguire, 1994). When informing cancer patients about the severity of their condition, the amount of information to be shared with the cancer patient, depends on the patient himself, for example, cancer patients are often unaware of their condition or patient does not want to be informed about the severity of his/hers condition (Faulkner Maguire, 1994; Maguire, 1999). Nevertheless, the approach which is used to present bad news to the cancer patient, is extremely impor tant, since it can influence not only their way of coping with the psychological impact of the cancer, but also it can influence their future adjustment to both the cancer and the treatment (Fallowfield et al., 1990). According to Fujimori and Uchitomi (2009), when patients receive bad news, they want afterwards, their physicians to be supportive as this can help them relieve their emotional distress. Therefore, it is important for health care professionals to consider whether their patient would like to know about the severity of their condition and be prepared not only to inform their patients but also to listen to their concerns and support them. Furthermore, when patients are dealing with a new unknown and therefore frightening situation, they are hoping that through the consultation their need for information will be covered and that they would be able to ask questions and get answers from their physician (Molleman et al., 1984; Faulkner Maguire, 1994). Most of the times, the questions asked from cancer patients are awkward and often reflect the patients’ fears and worries, but also indicate that the patient is thinking and is troubled by the idea of death (Faulkner Maguire, 1994). Even though answering these difficult questions can be challenging for health care professionals, it is important to make sure that patient’s need for information is established. Giving information to cancer patients, is an indication that physician is paying attention and understands their needs, and therefore help reduce feelings of uncertainty and fear (Molleman et al., 1984). Another difficult situation which health care professionals must be prepared to face is their patient’s psychological mood (Faulkner Maguire, 1994). It is very common that cancer patients may be withdrawn and often overwhelmed with feelings of hopelessness and helplessness or even experience anger, which is often a form of defense mechanism (Maguire et al. 1993; Faulkner Maguire, 1994). However, it is essential that patients’ psychological condition is assessed if it is consider dangerous for the patients’ condition (Maguire et al. 1993; Faulkner Maguire, 1994). Moreover, before meeting with cancer patients, practitioners need to bear in mind that they both arrive at the meeting with different knowledge and skills (Leigh Reiser, 1985). During consultations physicians may use medical jargon, which is difficult to be understood by cancer patients (Bennet, 1979; Leigh Reiser, 1985). According to Leigh and Reiser (1985), there is the risk that patients may jump to their own conclusions through what they believe they heard or what they understood physicians told them. As a result, the use of medical definitions may lead to unwanted non-communication and misinterpretation between physicians and patients (Leigh Reiser, 1985; Fallowfield Jenkins, 1999; Chapman et al., 2003). Even when patients are properly informed about their conditions, and their options, it is often difficult for the patients to remember all the information they were given, due to the complexity of these information (Kessels, 2003). As mention by Kessels (2003), the use of written language may help improve to remember and better understand the information given during a consultation. Therefore, it would be useful if health care professionals have prepared or found some leaflets or even written down essential information and instruction (when medication is required), that may help their patients. Thus, health professionals need to be prepared to explain the condition to the patient and be as specific as possible, with the use of nontechnical language, but more importantly to ensure that their patient has understood and has received sufficient information (Leigh Reiser, 1985; Faulkner Maguire, 1994; Ong et al., 1995). Furthermore, health care professionals do not interact and talk only to their patients; most of the times during a consultation a member of the family or a close friend are also present to support the cancer patient but also to get information about the condition of their loved ones (Labrecque et al., (1991); Delvaux et al., 2005). Even though family and friends can influence the way a patient understands and experiences illness (Usherwood, 1999; Delvaux et al., 2005) and are usually involved in decision making, their opinions and views are often not considered (Dowsett et al., 2000). However, with the possibility of the presence of a relative, health care professionals need to consider how the course and outcome of the consultation may be affected, as well as how to treat possible unwanted behavior on behalf of the relative. There are only a few studies, examining the possible negative effects of the presence of a relative during a cancer consultation. Though, a research conducted b y Labrecque et al., (1991) showed that, cancer patients who had a consultation with a family member present were less satisfied with that meeting. Furthermore, physicians are often unable to handle a three person consultation, due to the difficulties that arise from this situation (Delvaux et al., 2005), as it requires special skills that are difficult to practice and the interaction is often more stressful than a normal doctor-patient consultation (Bragard et al., 2006). When a relative is present, the health care professional has to consider not only the needs of the cancer patients but the needs of the relative as well (Delvaux et al., 2005; Lienard et al., 2008). As the research by Labrecque et al., (1991) showed, when a family member was present, consultations lasted longer and the health care professionals were likely to share more information, however they showed more emotional support to cancer patients when they were not accompanied by a relative. Even though each consultation differs and may require more time, these findings show the need for consistency in the information giving (always according to the needs of the patient) and support provided to the cancer patient, regardless the presence of a relative. It essential, before the consultation, for the physician to be prepared to share information, consult and be supportive, whether his patient is alone or not. To conclude with, the communication and consultation between health care professionals and cancer patients are challenging and often emotionally difficult for both (Faulkner Maguire, 1994; Bragard et al., 2006). Though, health professionals are trained and have acquired both knowledge and skills to cope with difficulties, they might face while working with cancer patients (Faulkner Maguire, 1994). More research can be conducted, in order to examine the complexity of the doctor-patient relationship and how it is affected by the patient’s psychological condition or the presence of a relative, how the patients benefit from a good doctor-patient relationship and an effective consultation and finally how the health care professionals can prepare for consultation with cancer patients. REFERENCES Bragard, I., Razavi,, D., Marschal, S., Delvaux, N., Libert, Y., Reynaert, C., Boniver, J., Klatstersky, J., Scalliet, P., Etienne, A. M., (2006). Teaching communication and stress management skills to junior physicians dealing with cancer patients: a Belgian Interuniversity Curriculum. Support Care Cancer, 14, 454-461. Beck, R. S., Daughtridge, R., Sloane, P. D., (2002). Physician-Patient Communication in the Primary Care Office: A systematic Review. Journal of the American Board of Family Practice, 15, 25-38. Bennet, G., (1979). Patients and their doctors: The journey through medical care. London: Bailliere Tindall. Buckman, R., (1984). Breaking bad news: why is it still so difficult? British Medical Journal, 288, 1597-1599. Chapman, K., Abraham, C., Jenkins, V., Fallowfield, L., (2003). Lay Understanding of Terms used in Cancer Consultation. Psycho-Oncology, 12, 557-566. Delvaux, N., Merckaert, I., Marchal, S., Libert, Y., Conradt, S., Boniver, J., Etienne, A. M., Fontaine, O., Janne, P., Klastersky, J., Melot, C., Reynaert, C., Scalliet, P., Slachmuylder, J. L., Razavi, D., (2005). Physicians’ Communication with a cancer patient and a relative. Cancer, 103(11), 2397-2411. Dowsett, S. M., Saul, J. L., Buttow, P. N., Dunn, S. M., Boyer, M. J., Findlow, R., Dunsmore, J., (2000). Communication styles in the cancer consultation: Preferences for a patient-centered approach. Psycho-Oncology, 9, 147-156. Fallowfield, L. J., Hall, A., Maguire, G. P., Baum, M., (1990). Psychological Outcomes of different treatment policies in women with early breast cancer outside a clinical trial. BMJ, 301,575-580. Fallowfield, L., Jenkins, V., (1999). Effective Communication skills are the Key to Good Cancer Care. European Journal of Cancer, 35(11), 1592-1597. Faulkner, A., Maguire, P., (1994). Talking to Cancer Patients and their Relatives. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Fujimori, M., Uchitomi, Y., (2009). Preferences of Cancer Patients regarding communication of bad news: A systematic literature review. Japanese Journal of Clinical Oncology, 39(4), 201-216. Kessels, R. P. C., (2003). Patients’ memory for medical information. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, 96, 219-222. Labrecque, M. S., Blanchard, C. G., Ruckdeschel, J. C., Blanchard, E. B., (1991). The impact of family presence on the physician-cancer patient interaction. Social Sciences Medicine, 33(11),1253-1261. Leigh, H., Reiser, M. F., (1985). The Patient: Biological, Psychological, and Social Dimensions of Medical Practice (2nd ed.). London: Plenum Medical Book Company. Lienard, A., Merckaert, I., Libert, Y., Delvaux, N., Marchal, S., Boniver, J., Etienne, A. M., Klastersky, J., Reynaert, C., Scalliet, P., Slachmuylder, J. L., Razavi, D., (2008). Factors that influence cancer patients’ and relatives’ anxiety following a three-person medical consultation: impact of a communication skills training program for physicians. Psycho-Oncology, 17, 488-496. Lin, C. C., Lai, Y. L., Ward, S. E., (2003). Effect of Cancer Pain on Performance Status, Mood States, and Level of Hope Among Taiwanese Cancer Patients. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 25(1), 29-37. Maguire, P., (1999). Improving Communication with Cancer Patients. European Journal of Cancer,35(10), 1415-1422. Maguire, P., Faulkner, A., Regnard, C., (1993). Managing the anxious patient with advanced disease a flow diagram. Palliative Medicine, 8, 76-81. Messer, D., Meldrum, C., (1995). Psychology for Nurses and Health Care Professionals. London: Prentice Hall/Harvester Wheatsheaf. Molleman E., Krabbendam, P. L., Annyas, A. A., Koops, H. S., Sleufer, D. T., Vermey, A., (1984). The Significance of the Doctor-Patient relationship in coping with cancer. Social Sciences Medicine, 18(16), 475-480. Morrison, P., (1994). Understanding Patients. London: Bailliere Tindall. Ong, L. M. L., De Haes, J. C. J. M., Hoos, A. M., Lammes, F. B., (1995). Doctor-Patient communication: A review of the literature. Social Science Medicine, 40(7), 903-918. Ong, L. M. L., Visser, M. R. M., Lammes, F. B., De Haes, J. C. J. M., (2000). Doctor-Patient communication and cancer patients’ quality of life and satisfaction. Patient Education and Counseling,41, 145-156. Pendleton, D., Hasler, J., (1983). Doctor-Patient Communication. London: Academic Press, INC. Stewart, M. A., (1995). Effective Physician-Patient Communication and Health Outcomes: A Review. Canadian Medical Association Journal, 152(9), 1423-1433. Stimson, G., Webb, B., (1975). Going to See the Doctor: The Consultation Process in General Practice. London: Routledge Kegan Paul Ltd. Suinn, R. M., VandenBos, G. R., (2000). Cancer Patients and their Families: Readings on Disease Course, Coping and Psychological Interventions. Washington DC: American Psychological Association. Usherwood, T., (1999). Understanding the Consultation: Evidence, Theory and Practice. Buckingham: Open University Press.

Mercantilism Essay -- essays research papers

Mercantilism is an economic theory where a nation's strength comes from building up gold supplies and expanding its trade. Britain formed the American colonies so that they could increase their gold stores. They wanted raw supplies to make into products to sell and make money. They wanted America to pay taxes so that Britain could make money. America used the theory in that they thought they ought to, in order to be strong expand their trade beyond Britain. Countries like Belgium, and France wanted to also increase their trade, and expand it to trading with America. They also wanted to increase their gold stores by trading with America. Britain however did not want America to trade with France and Belgium and the Netherlands because they wanted to increase their gold stores, so they needed a monopoly over American trade. So there was tension between Britain and its American colonies. One of the first efforts made by Britain to control the American colonies was the Acts of Trade and N avigation. What these acts did was limited American trade to basically just Britain. These Acts were in place between 1650-1660 and they were there to ensure that the mercantile system that existed stayed. It was mainly to prevent the Frenchmen and Dutch from receiving American goods. The acts limited American shipping to be via Britain. The British had to receive all American goods and them their merchants would sell the goods to other countries, but America could not. Any goods that were to be imported to the colonies had to be passed through British middlemen, where a tax was added so that Britain would profit. America was also forbidden to produce goods or grow crops for profit. If they were to do that then they would be competing with British industries. The colonies were supposed to also buy more than they sold, so that their currency was drained, but all to Britain. Before 1663, when the Acts of Trade and Navigation were not enforced the colonists benefited from Britain. The colonists of the north smuggled goods and manufactured items for profit. They avoided the British laws. The southern colonists had a guaranteed market from the British because they had a monopoly. The colonies also benefited because they had the British army troops to guard them, and they have low taxes, and the British navy shielded them. The colonists were generally more prosperous than the English... ...000 troops. The colonists by this time were no the happiest of campers and when the Quebec Act was passed the colonists had had almost enough. What this act did was to close off the Western lands, the British gave religious freedom to the Catholics, and the Massachusetts Protestants were anti-Catholic. The act also allowed the French to retain systems where there were no representative assemblies, and where there were no jury trials, as a result of this fear was installed into the colonists. Through all of this we knew that in mercantilism our strength was being depleted by Britain, so there was an action, leading to a reaction, later leading to synthesis, or another action. This continued on and on, getting more and more violent until the American Revolution broke out. America was becoming increasingly patriotic, a nationalist "country". This American Revolution that was to result was one of "national self-determination" being that we can. We think we can, an d in ourselves as a nation we can stand alone, free of Britain. We determined this by a series of occurrences that all resulted, through our mercantilist ideas and thoughts, eventually in us being America.