Primary Education in Sub Saharan Africa Essay

| Primary education and enrolment levels in sub-Saharan Africa remain a major development issue in the 21st century. The region has seen levels of primary enrollment climb from 47% to 87% since 1950 (UN 2010). It is now evident that nearly everywhere in the world; there are currently more children in receipt of primary education than 15 years ago. Nevertheless, 15% of all children around the globe, and 25% of children in sub-Saharan Africa still do not. (UN 2010) | Figure 1 Children receiving primary education. (UN 2010) Figure 1 Children receiving primary education. (UN 2010) Policy Briefing Paper Why does it constitute a development issue? Although there has been some progress in the proportions of children of primary school age actually receiving and completing primary education, about 100 million children worldwide are still denied this right. Not surprisingly, most of these children live in developing countries. Figure 2 Children of primary school age not primary education. Expressed in millions (One 2012) Figure 2 Children of primary school age not primary education. Expressed in millions (One 2012) Figure 3 Distribution of out-of-school children by region. (UN 2010) Figure 3 Distribution of out-of-school children by region. (UN 2010) Jandhyala B. G. Tilak cited in the Journal of International Cooperation in Education (2009) stated that â€Å"The importance of basic education for development is widely acknowledged† before going on to say that â€Å"basic education constitutes one of the most important means by which the poorest society can improve their situation and guarantee a life of dignity for their citizens. † (Jandhyala B. G 2009) Therefore it is evident that basic education particularly at a primary level should be a main component of any development strategy. Many people accept that development in education could be a catalyst to help achieve progress on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) as devised by the UN, but this will involve an intensified pledge to equity. Continuing inequalities are hampering progress regarding the Education for All (EFA) goals at global, regional and national levels. The EFA Global Monitoring Report 2009 shows that within countries, inequalities constructed on â€Å"wealth, location, gender, immigration or minority status or disability are the main factors which deny millions of children a good-quality education†. (Thomas 2011) The World Bank said that â€Å"Every person—child, youth and adult—shall be able to benefit from educational opportunities designed to meet their basic learning† (World Bank 2010) Before further going on to state that â€Å"Education is a powerful instrument for reducing poverty and inequality, improving health and social well-being† It can be said therefore, that education can lay the basis for sustained economic growth in the developing world. One of the most important reasons for investment in education and achieving the MDG is the fact that â€Å"in an increasingly complex, knowledge-dependent world† it can be the â€Å"gateway† to even higher levels of education, so therefore education must be the first priority. (World Bank 2010) In fact Irina Bokova UNESCO’s Director-General said that â€Å"Youth is Africa’s main resource. Young people are not only the key to the future, they are also the ones constructing the present,† (Thomas 2011). In fact Irina Bokova UNESCO’s Director-General said that â€Å"Youth is Africa’s main resource. Young people are not only the key to the future, they are also the ones constructing the present,† (Thomas 2011). Figure 4 Progress toward universal primary education. (World Bank 2010) Figure 4 Progress toward universal primary education. (World Bank 2010) The British charity, Oxfam, says that if the money is not found, another generation of Africans will be trapped in illiteracy and poverty. Africa risks being left behind as the global economy becomes increasingly based on skills and knowledge in the next century. Millennium Development Goals The Millennium Development Goals are 8 international goals that the UN wants to achieve by 2015. Goal 2 is to achieve universal primary education in the developing world. Concerning the MDG of achieving universal primary education, sub-Saharan Africa has made more progress than any other region due to strong efforts to increase enrolment. Despite the improvement, almost half of the children out of school live in Sub-Saharan Africa and the majority of them are largely excluded from education, and most will never enter a classroom. Moreover the region has the lowest youth literacy rate (72 per cent in 2009). Figure 5 Progress towards universal primary education. (UN 2010) Figure 5 Progress towards universal primary education. (UN 2010) Causes and consequences of poor enrolment levels in primary education The main cause of poor enrolment levels in sub-Saharan African is capital. Many countries are unable to afford and implement adequate education strategies. Jandhyala B. G. Tilak cited in Journal of International Cooperation in Education (2009) stated that â€Å"Making primary education free and compulsory requires public funds. But governments everywhere are starved of resources for education. Particularly in developing counties the allocations to education have been far from adequate. † Jandhyala also uses figures to illustrate just how little is spent on education, particularly on the primary sector in sub-Saharan Africa, compared to the rest of the world: â€Å"Sub-Saharan Africa allocated 4. 4 per GNP to education, compared to 5. 3 per cent in the developed countries and the world average of 4. 9 per cent in 2005. † Additionally when looking at primary education specifically â€Å"Expenditure on primary education per pupil as per cent of GNP per capita was 13 per cent in Sub-Saharan Africa in 2006, compared to 17 per cent in the developed countries and 14 per cent in the world on average. † (Jandhyala B. G. Tilak 2009) The Guardian published an article in 2010 stating that â€Å"A glaring lack of mutual accountability between primary schools and parents, poor financial record keeping and bad management is threatening the quality of basic education in seven African countries, including Uganda. † Moreover, â€Å"poor governance systems and practices, with limited availability of financial documentation at district education offices and schools, which was impeding progress in achieving the six aims of the Education For All (EFA) initiative and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). † (Ford, L and Kavuma, R. 2010) The article then describes the results of the Africa Education Watch: Good governance lessons for primary education report which concludes that increased thought needs to be put into to management training and building expertise on a more local scale to ensure money is well spent. The report also expresses that the implementation of decentralizing may seem a good idea but has led to poor performance and negative financial results. There has been much debate surrounding non-formal education such as farmer training as opposed to formal classroom tuition. In chapter 5 of ‘Geographies of Development’ (2008) it is suggested that education is â€Å"a legacy of the colonial period† and is â€Å"often inappropriate for the present-day needs of individuals, communities and nations. † It uses the example of what the most appropriate form and structure of education provision should be for poorer countries, proposing â€Å"what proportion of the budget should be spent on the different sectors (primary, secondary and tertiary)† and later questioning â€Å"should more attention be given to non-formal education†? Such as craft skills as opposed to more formal classroom tuition. (Potter et al. 2008) There has also been much debate over the capability and quality of teaching in sub-Saharan Africa, in fact Novicki (1998) stated that â€Å"Among the myriad problems plaguing education in Africa is the low quality of schooling in much of the region, with overly large class sizes and the average number of students per teacher higher than in any other world region except South Asia. † Many teachers are unqualified, teaching aids are few and far between and textbook provision is desperately poor, therefore learning achievement is low. Novicki also says that there are â€Å"unequal opportunities for rural children and the urban poor. † (Novicki 1998) Another cause of low enrolment levels in primary education is inequality, especially between boys and girls. A lack of education and economic security affects millions of women and girls, whose literacy levels are generally lower than men and boys. The MDGs attempt to eliminate gender disparities in primary and secondary education by 2005, and achieving gender equality in education by 2015, with a focus on ensuring girls’ full and equal access to and achievement in basic education of good quality. Studies have clearly shown that educating girls has a significant impact on the health and welfare of households. Girls who have been educated are more likely to marry later and to engage in economic activity outside the home. Furthermore, they tend to provide better care and nutrition for themselves and their children which leads to a reduction in disease and lower child mortality. (Potter et al. 2008) It is also evident that many young children have other roles to play in their community and family life. Culturally; education is still not seen as a priority for many people. For instance children are encouraged to stay at home and work on the farm or go out collecting water. Figure 6: Gender parity in education in sub-Saharan Africa (UN 2010) Figure 6: Gender parity in education in sub-Saharan Africa (UN 2010) Table 1: Riddell, A (On behalf of UNESCO). (2003). Table 1: Riddell, A (On behalf of UNESCO). (2003). Which development strategies have addressed the issue? The 1990 World Conference on Education for All identified a need for â€Å"diverse, flexible approaches within a unified national system of education† (Potter et al. 2008) the conference then came to an agreement over 5 broad objectives for primary education: * Teach useful skills * Be more flexible * Get girls into school * Raise the quality and status of teachers * Cut the families school bill(Potter et al. 2008). Novicki (1998) stated that more partnerships were needed in order to reverse declining enrolment in the early 21st century, she said that â€Å"in addition to encouraging national leadership and a coordinated donor approach† partnerships between â€Å"parents, students, civil society and teachers unions need to be built in support of education†. (Novicki 1998) In order to achieve the UNESCO EFA goals, the Dakar Framework for Action, which was agreed upon in 2000, sets out a two-part gender equity agenda: first, to achieve gender parity in school participation and second, to improve gender equality in educational opportunities and outcomes. One development scheme which has seen success in recent years has been the Schools for Africa initiative which has attempted to give education toâ€Å" the most disadvantaged children – including those who suffer from discrimination and harassment and those who face extreme poverty, political unrest or natural disaster† (Dolan 2012). The results of this have been that 5. 5 million children across Africa are now receiving better education. The initiative is active in Angola, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Rwanda, South Africa and Zimbabwe. It aims to â€Å"operate in the best interest of every child, and uses measurements to improve children’s learning environment in a gender-sensitive way† and this has been shown to lower drop-out rates. Schools for Africa uses a â€Å"child-friendly school approach† with sex separated sanitation facilities, safe drinking water (â€Å"which has helped children spend more time in classrooms and less time collecting water. †) and finally better school environments (Dolan 2012). UNESCO says that education is vital to development in sub-Saharan Africa and has its Regional Bureau for Education in Dakar, Senegal. It has 15 field offices serving sub-Saharan Africa that work to keep education high on the agenda of governments and development partners. Furthermore UNESCO’s International Institute for Capacity Building in Africa (IICBA) focuses on improving the quality of teacher education in the region. In addition UNESCO supports the Basic Education in Africa Program, advocating for countries to adopt legal frameworks which guarantee 8-10 years of uninterrupted basic education. (UN 2010) What has worked well? United Nations Summit 2010 said that various solutions are being attempted. * Abolishing school fees at primary school level has seen a surge in enrolment in countries like Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique and Malawi. * Investing in teaching infrastructure and resources – Recruiting referees and volunteers to meet teacher demand in places like Ghana. * Promoting education for girls – Botswana has reduced female drop-out rates by half by implementing readmission policies. Malawi has been promoting girls’ education in grades 1-4 by providing learning materials. * Expanding access to remote and rural areas – Introducing mobile schools to reach children who do not have regular access. Furthermore introducing a bilingual education program; using indigenous languages to expand access to education for indigenous children in remote areas. (United Nations Summit 2010) Many African governments have focused their reserves from debt relief in the direction of the education sector. Mali, for example, has allotted virtually half its debt relief savings in the way of education. Debt relief has also enabled many African governments to abolish primary school fees, opening school doors for millions of the poorest children. The Fast Track Initiative (FTI) created in 2002 as a partnership to accelerate progress towards achieving UPE. Developing countries create a national education plan that is endorsed by technical experts and then donors in turn provide technical expertise and additional funding to support the plan. The Tanzanian government instigated a Primary Education Development Program to enhance the primary education system with help from donors. Between 2002 and 2004, Tanzania hired new primary school teachers, and built 30,000 new classrooms. By 2006, nearly all primary school aged children were enrolled in school. Ethiopia has generated immense strides regarding achieving universal primary enrolment. Thanks to increased budget commitments and increases in development assistance. Beginning in 1997, the Ethiopian government emphasized â€Å"increased access, greater equity and improved quality of national education. † Ethiopia is targeting public spending on education in rural areas. This move has had a marked impact on demand for and access to education, as distance to school is a significant barrier for many children, especially for girls. (One. org 2012) What needs to be done? Further investment in primary education is clearly needed and Thomas (2011) wrote that â€Å"The Financing Education in Sub-Saharan Africa report reveals â€Å"tremendous† gains in the provision of basic education on the back of a 6 percent annual increase in real education expenditure across the region in the past decade. This includes a 48 percent increase in primary enrolment, while enrolment in pre-primary, secondary and tertiary education grew by more than 60 percent over the same period. † (Thomas 2011) UNESCO declare that achieving the goal of EFA involves understanding what holds girls and boys back, so that policies can be designed to overcome these obstacles and improve access to, and participation in education. Urgent action is needed in countries where the gender gap is still large in primary and secondary education. An overriding priority is to tackle poverty constraints by reducing the direct and indirect cost of schooling to families and addressing the incidences of child labour. (UNESCO 2003) When deducing what action should be taken in sub-Saharan Africa it seems obvious that capital is needed but it is vital that this capital is spent wisely. That investment should compromise elements from the 1990 World Conference on Education for All which were: teach useful skills, be more flexible, get girls into school, raise the quality and status of teachers and to cut the families school bill. (Potter et al. 2008) As well as eliminating gender and other inequalities such as those between the rural and urban. Finally, strategies need to involve communities and take a bottom-up approach from a local scale to ensure EFA and achievement of the MDG by 2015. References Dolan, S. (2012). Thanks to supporters, the Schools for Africa programme is reaching millions. Available: http://www. unicef. org/education/index_61242. html Last accessed 15/03/2012 Ford, L and Kavuma, R. (2010). Lack of transparency undermining primary education in Africa. Available: http://www. guardian. co. uk/katine/2010/feb/23/primary-education-africa. Last accessed 15/03/2012. Jandhyala B. G. Tilak cited in CICE Hiroshima University, Journal of International Cooperation in Education, Vol. 12 No. 1 (2009) pp. 5 ~ 17. (2009). Basic Education and Development in Sub-Saharan Africa. Available: http://home. hiroshima-u. ac. jp/cice/12-1Jandhyala. pdf. Last accessed 15/03/2012. Novicki, M. (1998). Boosting basic education in Africa. Available: http://www. un. org/en/africarenewal/subjindx/114spedu. htm. Last accessed 15/03/2012. One. org. (2012). Education in sub-Saharan Africa. Available: http://www. one. org/c/us/progressreport/776/. Last accessed 15/03/2012. Potter et al. (2008). Chapter 5: People in the development process. In: Geographies of Development: An Introduction to Development Studies. 3rd ed. London: Prentice Hall. 222-224. Riddell, A (On behalf of UNESCO). (2003). The introduction of free primary education in sub-Saharan Africa. Available: http://unesdoc. unesco. org/images/0014/001469/146914e. pdf. Last accessed 15/03/2012. The World Bank. (2010). Education key to achieving Millennium Development Goals . Available: http://data. worldbank. org/news/education-key-to-achieving-MDGs. Last accessed 15/03/2012. Thomas, D. (2011). UNESCO: Sub-Saharan African primary education boosted by increased spending . Available: http://web. thisisafricaonline. com/news/2011/04/28/unesco-sub-saharan-african-primary-education-boosted-by-increased-spending/. Last accessed 15/03/2012. UN. (2010). The Millennium Development Goals Report. Available: http://www. un. org/millenniumgoals/pdf/MDG%20Report%202010%20En%20r15%20-low%20res%2020100615%20-. pdf. Last accessed 15/03/2012 United Nations Summit. (2010). Goal 2 Achieve Universal Primary Education. In: High-level Plenary meeting of the General assembly. New York: UN Department of Public Information. UNESCO. (2003). Gender and Education for All: Sub-Saharan Africa1. Available: http://www. unesco. org/education/efa_report/zoom_regions_pdf/ssafrica. pdf. Last accessed 15/03/2012.

Customer Service and Order Processors

The Human Side of Management Assignment Repairing Jobs That Fail to Satisfy Learning Goals Companies often divide up work as a way to improve efficiency, but specialisation can lead to negative consequences. DrainFlow is a company that has effectively used specialisation to reduce costs relative to its competitors’ costs for years, but rising customer complaints suggest the firm’s strong position may be slipping. After reading the case, you will suggest some ways it can create more interesting work for employees.You will also tackle the problem of finding people who are qualified and ready to perform the multiple responsibilities required in these jobs. Major Topic Areas Job design Job satisfaction Personality Emotional labour The Scenario DrainFlow is a large residential and commercial plumbing  maintenance firm that operates around the United Kingdom. It has been a major player in residential plumbing  for decades, and its familiar rhyming motto, â€Å"When  Yo ur Drain Won’t Go, Call DrainFlow,† has been plastered  on billboards since the 1940s. Leigh Reynaldo has been a regional manager at DrainFlow for about 2 years.She used to work for a newer  competing chain, Lightning Plumber, that has been  drawing more and more customers from DrainFlow. Although  her job at DrainFlow pays more, Leigh is not happy  with the way things are going. She has noticed the work environment  is not as vital or energetic as the environment  she saw at Lightning. Leigh thinks the problem is that employees are not motivated  to provide the type of customer service Lightning  Plumber employees offer. She recently sent surveys  to customers to collect information about performance,  and the data confirmed her fears.Although 60 percent  of respondents said they were satisfied with their experience  and would use DrainFlow again, 40 percent felt  their experience was not good, and 30 percent said they  would use a competi tor the next time they had a plumbing problem. Leigh is wondering whether DrainFlow’s job design  might be contributing to its problems in retaining customers. DrainFlow has about 2,000 employees in four  basic job categories: plumbers, plumber’s assistants, order  processors, and billing representatives. This structure  is designed to keep costs as low as possible.Plumbers make very high wages, whereas plumber’s assistants  make about one-quarter of what a licensed  plumber makes. Using plumber’s assistants is therefore  a very cost-effective strategy that has enabled DrainFlow  to easily undercut the competition when it comes to  price. Order processors make even less than assistants  but about the same as billing processors. All work is very  specialised, but employees are often dependent on another  job category to perform at their most efficient  level. Like most plumbing companies, DrainFlow gets  business mostly from the Yellow Pages and the Internet.Customers either call in to describe a plumbing problem  or submit an online request for plumbing services,  receiving a return call with information within 24 hours. In either case, DrainFlow’s order processors listen to the  customer’s description of the problem to determine  whether a plumber or a plumber’s assistant should  make the service call. The job is then assigned accordingly,  and a service provider goes to the location. When  the job has been completed, via mobile phone, a billing representative  relays the fee to SHR034-6, 12-13 he service rep, who presents  a bill to the customer for payment. Billing representatives  can take customers’ credit card payments by phone  or e-mail an invoice for online payment. The Problem Although specialisation does cut costs significantly, Leigh  is worried about customer dissatisfaction. According to  her survey, about 25 percent of customer contactsà ‚  ended in no service call because customers were confused  by the diagnostic questions the order processors  asked and because the order processors did not have  sufficient knowledge or skill to explain the situation.That means fully one in four people who call DrainFlow  to hire a plumber are worse than dissatisfied: they  are not customers at all! The remaining 75 percent of calls that did end in a customer service encounter resulted  in other problems. The most frequent complaints Leigh found in the customer  surveys were about response time and cost, especially  when the wrong person was sent to a job. A  plumber’s assistant cannot complete a more technically  complicated job. The appointment has to be rescheduled,  and the customer’s time and the staff’s time have  been wasted.The resulting delay often caused customers  in these situations to decline further contact  with DrainFlow—many of them decided to go with  Ligh tning Plumber. â€Å"When I arrive at a job I can’t take care of,† says  plumber’s assistant Jim Larson, â€Å"the customer gets  annoyed. They thought they were getting a licensed  plumber, since they were calling for a plumber. Telling  them they have to have someone else come out doesn’t  go over well. †Ã‚   On the other hand, when a plumber responds to a  job easily handled by a plumber’s assistant, the customer  is still charged at the plumber’s higher pay rate.Licensed plumber Luis Berger also does not like being in  the position of giving customers bad news. â€Å"If I get  called out to do something like snake a drain, the customer  isn’t expecting a hefty bill. I’m caught in a difficult situation—I don’t set the rates or make the  appointments, but I’m the one who gets it from the customer. †Ã‚  Plumbers also resent being sent to do such simple  work. Obi Ani i s one of DrainFlow’s order processors. She is frustrated too when the wrong person is sent  to a job but feels she and the other order processors are  doing the best they can. We have a survey we’re supposed  to follow with the calls to find out what the problem  is and who needs to take the job,† she explains. â€Å"The  customers don’t know that we have a standard form, so  they think we can answer all their questions. Most of us  don’t know any more about plumbing than the caller. If  they don’t use the terms on the survey, we don’t understand  what they’re talking about. A plumber would, but  we’re not plumbers; we just take the calls. † Customer service issues also involve the billing representatives. They are the ones who have to keep contacting  customers about payment. It’s not my fault the  wrong guy was sent,† says Elisabeth King. â€Å"If two guys  went out, thatâ €™s two trips. If a plumber did the work, you  pay plumber rates. Some of these customers don’t get  that I didn’t take their first call, and so I get yelled at. †Ã‚  The billing representatives also complain that they see  only the tail end of the process, so they don’t know what  the original call entailed. The job is fairly impersonal,  and much of the work is recording customer complaints. Remember—40 percent of customers are not satisfied,  and it is the billing representatives who take the  brunt of their negative reactions on the phone.As you can probably tell, all employees have to engage  in emotional labour, as described in your textbook,  and many lack the skills or personality traits to complete  the customer interaction component of their jobs. They  are not trained to provide customer service, and they see  their work mostly in technical, or mechanical, terms. Quite a few are actually anxious about speaking directly  with customers. The office staff (order processors and  billing representatives) realise customer service is part  of their job, but they also find dealing with negative  feedback from customers and co-workers stressful.Two years ago, a management consulting  company was hired to survey DrainFlow worker attitudes. The results showed they were less satisfied than  workers in other comparable jobs. The following table  provides a breakdown of respondent satisfaction levels  across a number of categories:  Ã‚  Ã‚   SHR034-6, 12-13 DrainFlow Plumbers DrainFlow Plumber Assistants DrainFlow Office Workers Average Plumber Average Office Worker I am satisfied with the work I am asked to do. 3. 7 2. 5 2. 5 4. 3 3. 5 I am satisfied with my working conditions. 3. 8 2. 4 3. 7 4. 1 4. 2 I am satisfied with my interactions with o-workers. 3. 5 3. 2 2. 7 3. 8 3. 9 I am satisfied with my interactions with my supervisor 2. 5 2. 3 2. 2 3. 5 3. 4 The information about avera ge plumbers and average  office workers is taken from the management consulting  company’s records of other companies. They  are not exactly surprising, given some of the complaints DrainFlow employees have made. Top management is  worried about these results, but they have not been able  to formulate a solution. The traditional DrainFlow culture  has been focused on cost containment, and the  Ã¢â‚¬Å"soft areas† like employee satisfaction has not been a major  issue.The Proposed Solution The company is in trouble, and as revenues shrink and  the cost savings that were supposed to be achieved by  dividing up work fail to materialise, a change seems to  be in order. Leigh is proposing using cash rewards to improve performance  among employees. She thinks if employees  were paid based on work outcomes, they would work harder  to satisfy customers. Because it is not easy to measure  how satisfied people are with the initial call-in, Leigh  wo uld like to give the order processors a small reward  for every 20 calls successfully completed.For the hands-on  work, she would like to have each billing representative  collect information about customer satisfaction for each  completed call. If no complaints are made and the job  is handled promptly, a moderate cash reward would be  given to the plumber or plumber’s assistant. If the customer  indicates real satisfaction with the service, a  larger cash reward would be provided. Leigh also wants to find people who are a better fit with  the company’s new goals. Current hiring procedure relies  on unstructured interviews with each location’s general manager, and little consistency is found in the way  these managers choose employees.Most lack training in  customer service and organisational behaviour. Leigh thinks  it would be better if hiring methods were standardised  across all branches in her region to help managers identify  recruits who can actually succeed in the job. Your Assignment Your task is to prepare a persuasive report for Leigh on the potential  effectiveness of her cash reward and structured interview  programmes. Make certain it is in the form of a  professional business document that you would give  to an experienced manager at this level of a fairly large  corporation.Leigh is very smart when it comes to managing  finances and running a plumbing business, but she  will not necessarily know about the organisational behaviour  principles you are describing. As any new  proposals must be passed through top management,  you should also address their concerns about cost containment. You will need to make a strong evidence-based  financial case that changing the management style will  benefit the company. When you write, make sure you touch on the following  points:  Ã‚   SHR034-6, 12-13 1.Although it is clear employees are not especially satisfied  with their wor k, do you think this is a reason  for concern? Does research suggest satisfied workers  are actually better at their jobs? Are any other behavioural  outcomes associated with job satisfaction? 2. Using job characteristics theory, explain why the  present system of job design may be contributing to  employee dissatisfaction. Describe some ways you  could help employees feel more satisfied with their  work by redesigning their jobs. 3. Leigh has a somewhat vague idea about how to implement  the cash rewards system.Describe some of the  specific ways you would make the reward system  work better, based on the case. 4. Explain the advantages and disadvantages of using  financial incentives in a program of this nature. What, if any, potential problems might arise if people  are given money for achieving customer satisfaction  goals? What other types of incentives might  be considered? 5. Create a specific plan to assess whether the reward  system is working. What are the dependent variables  that should change if the system works? How will  you go about measuring success?

The British Royal Marine Corps' Influence on The United States Marine Research Paper

The British Royal Marine Corps' Influence on The United States Marine Corps - Research Paper Example This paper is dedicated to the study of British Royal Marine Corps’ influences on the United States Marine Corps. The United States attitudes and reactions to the presence of the British corps in their land. When the British gained control of the United States Maritime, they resulted in treating the United States residents as akin to slaves. Stating that the British treated United States Corps cruelly would be an understatement. This was bound to evoke feelings of reprisal in the community of the United States’ Corps. In order to understand the complexities of the reactions of the United States corps towards the British corps, it is imperative to first analyze the manner in which the British authority treated the Indians. The facts that have been publicized concerning the British rule in United States corps give a glimpse of the sad realities that faced the population of the Briton at that time. With respect to the British population in India at the time, the Indians di d not have any rights. An example of the treatment they faced is best exemplified by the fact that they were not allowed to walk on the sidewalks next to the British. Failure to adhere to this and any other baseless law resulted in the incarceration of the Indian outlaw. It is right to refer to wrongdoers as such since they basically received treatment akin to outlaws. While inside the jails and prisons, the Indians were severely beaten and abused by the commanding British police officers. The treatment of the United Corpse at that time is akin to the treatment of the black population by the Americans in the nineteenth century.

Interview for Gloria Aparicio Blackwell Research Paper

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Organic architecture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Organic architecture - Essay Example A considerable amount of time has to be taken in the report, for in it lies the success of an underlying project. A satisfactory review provides a strong background that provides a platform for the reader or audience to advance their knowledge. An excellent literature review provides a basis for the advancement of a theory. The truth on any project that requires an advancement of a theory is depicted by the use of a review. The review guidelines provide the foundation in which the theories can be advanced. The survey also includes some part of the theory that should be advanced. An analysis information is essential in identifying the areas where poor previous research has been done. In the study where an analysis of previous work has been carried out, the data proves essential in identifying poor research work and therefore ignoring the findings. A literature review puts together the thoughts and ideas of many on a common platform, thereby enabling the readers to have a conclusive understanding of the topic of study. A literature review on a project is imperative in bringing out the areas that require further and extensive research. A research is the foundation of understanding on a project and in areas where the results are not clearly convincing, further research is recommended. A literature review thereby provides information on where research needs to be done and where reliable research has already been done. Adoption of organic architecture in Australia was brought about by various issues. A literature review requires the use of published articles to come up with one central idea on the topic of study. (Baines, 2009) suggests that the study embraces the concept of using the past to prepare for the future. Review information is very reliable, and it brings together the knowledge from the past that can be applied as knowledge in the future. Reviews, therefore, ensure that the gap has been filled by a comprehensive

Movie Amelie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Amelie - Movie Review Example They are seen as "cultural artifacts created by specific cultures that reflect those cultures" (Wikipedia, 2007) Talking about the connection film-art, Tarkovski states the following: "Each of the arts has its own poetic meaning and cinema is no exception. It has its particular role, its own destiny - it came into being in order to express a specific area of life, the meaning of which up till then had not found expression in any existing art form." (1989, p.82) We understand from all these acceptations of film and its relationship with the idea of art that film in general is a form of art. Jean -Pierre Jeunet's movie, Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amelie Poulain, illustrates eloquently this idea. The movie concentrates on a small but very significant fragment from the life of a French young woman, Amelie Poulain. Her life up to the moment shown as present by the film is sketched in a few words and images. She was brought up in a family that could be described as a little bit weird. If we think about it, we all have our strange habits, likes or dislikes. But Amelie's parents seem to have more than what we may call regular eccentricities. And Amelie herself is not the common type of woman. She is different: she dresses in an uncommon manner and she acts in an uncommon way, especially when it comes to socializing. She barely interacts with others and she prefers to spend time in her own world. And this is what changes throughout the movie, as the action progresses. She eventually succeeds in establishing a connection, as she meets the young Nino, with whom she falls in love. But like everything in Amelie’s life, her way of making Nino notice her is not a common one. ... But like everything in Amelie's life, her way of making Nino notice her is not a common one. The mystery she creates, the clues that she leaves for him and that he has to understand and follow are both amusing and appealing. Their romanticism is so special that you feel irremediably in love with the movie. Although she loves him and she made steps in trying to connect with him, when the moment comes and he arrives at the caf where she works to meet her, as she had indicated to him, Amelie cannot react and when he asks her whether she is the girl he is looking for, she denies it. Amusing and at the same time interesting are the assumptions Amelie pessimistically makes when Nino seems not to come. She imagines all sorts of strange scenarios, events that could have prevented him from arriving. Circumstances lead to the meeting of Gina, Amelie's colleague, with Nino. Although they only meet to talk about Amelie, she misunderstands the situation and becomes contagiously sad. Audrey Tautou plays her part so well that at the end of the movie, when, while she is making a cake and imagines how her life would be with Nino, she starts to cry, we feel moved too. Fortunately, the ending is a happy one. Nino comes to her door and they express the feelings they have for each other in a really special way. They don't use language, only gesture. And thus, Amelie finally manages to connect to people. The fact that the development of the action brings about a change is one of the elements that relates the movie to a literature. In a novel, or a drama the character undergoes a change from its beginning to its end, so that the final scene brings about a character different from that we saw when we began reading. Although inspired

Discuss the extent to which factor availability is no longer an Essay

Discuss the extent to which factor availability is no longer an effective explanation of the competitiveness of regions or count - Essay Example The essence of competitiveness and allied issues is to gain an insight into the economical wellbeing of the country and the effective allocation of resources. This paper concerns with the factors that drive regional competitiveness, and whether factor availability is a contributing factor to regional competitiveness in the modern era or not. The essay looks into the concepts of competitiveness and perfect competition from a microeconomics perspective. Considering the factors that influence competitiveness at the level of the firms, one can establish that competitiveness depends on the capacity of the firms to compete, progress and to make profits (Martin n.d.). Competitiveness Defined Competitiveness is present in the potential of the firm to make products on a regular basis which fulfill the criterion of open market with respect to price and quality amongst other factors. Moreover, it also relates to the competence of the firms in making products that are profitable. Competitiveness at a microeconomics level buttresses the notion that for a firm that fulfills the criterion of an open market, it needs to be more competitive than other firms in order to capture a share of the market. Likewise, a firm that is not competitive will not be able to sustain a large market share and over the period of time, it will be forced out of the business unless it is supported by some artificial protection (Martin n.d.). When considering competitiveness between regions, one has to look beyond the competitive and noncompetitive firms, and to include the common traits of competitiveness present between regions. According to the Sixth Periodical Report on the Regions, regional competitiveness can be defined as the â€Å"the ability to produce goods and services which meet the test of international markets, while at the same time maintaining high and sustainable levels of income or, more generally, the ability of (regions) to generate, while being exposed to external competition, r elatively high income and employment levels† (Martin n.d.). Different Perspectives on Competitiveness The notion of competitiveness of the national level is much more debatable and ambiguous. Although policy makers consider the attainment of competitiveness with respect to other firms as the main goal of the economic policy, competitiveness has been severely criticized and has been considered to be primarily â€Å"meaningless† (Martin n.d.); in fact, P Krugman, in his book Pop Internationalism, states that national competitiveness is a risky mania and has a vague macho ring to it (Krugman 1996). He argues that it is not correct to make a comparison between firms and countries because firms can be forced out of business if they are uncompetitive, but the same trend does not apply to countries. At the level of the firms, gaining market share affects other firms in the industry negatively, but on the regional or national level, the success

Fad diets Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Fad diets - Research Paper Example (Dr.Gandhi, 1994 p90) In the words of Merriam Webster, a fad diet is a diet that is followed for a time with exaggerated zeal. Its popularity spreads fast and is widely used but just for a short time within which its popularity comes to an abrupt end. This is because the diet so religiously followed does not work and fails terribly. (Flynn, 2006 p224) Fad diets often fly in the face of sound medical and nutritional research. These diets fail to provide the nutrients needed by our bodies to function. The world health organization, the American heart association and the American dietetic association among other health organizations strongly oppose the use of fad diets because they put our health at risk. (Mariana, 2004 P7) It is a three phase diet in which the first phase involves restriction to intake of fruit, bread, pasta, potatoes and baked goods. The second phase requires the dieter to add good carbs back to the diet while the third stage involves eating anything in moderation. (Healing self and spirit, p5) Dr. A.T.W Simeons propagated the idea of HCG diet in 1950’s.Hcg stands for Human Chorionic Gonadotropin normally found in the urine of pregnant women. It can be used as an obese treatment. Dr Simeon suggested that it could be used for weight loss if taken with calorie diet that is very low. Initially, the HCG diet was available as HCG injection, but later was found in the forms of gels, drops, powder and pills.HCG has become popular over time due to its affectivity and hassle-freeness as it helps people loss one calorie per day if used with very low calorie diets. Dr. Simeon purports that the diet does not have side effects can be used by anyone above 16 years without doctor’s prescription and guarantees one to live a normal life with no trouble while at it. He further says that it gives the dieter a fresh and younger look. (www.hcgdietdrops.org) The latest weight loss trend in Hollywood is the baby food diet which has

State of Confusion Paper Essay Example for Free

State of Confusion Paper Essay Determining the difference between personal jurisdiction and subject matter jurisdiction will help to determine which location a lawsuit should be filed in. Defining interstate commerce and which level of government has the right to place restrictions on the commerce is important when discussing a lawsuit. Understanding how lawsuits work as well as what lawyers will try to introduce within the court will allow the defendant to be able to better predict the outcome of the lawsuit. Personal Jurisdiction Personal jurisdiction also known as personam jurisdiction is the courts authority over the parties involved in the dispute (Melvin, S. P., 2011, p59). Personal jurisdiction, defined in this manner, the parties involved can be a business or an individual. It is the courts responsibility to determine fairness to all parties involved while complying with the laws of the federal constitutional requirements. The court determines personal jurisdiction over a party who lives in another state by a state long-arm statute. The court must determine if the out of state defendant, transacts business in the other state, commits a negligent act which leads to a loss to the other party, or owns property within the state (Melvin, S.P., 2011, p61). The court will look at Truckers lawsuit to determine if the State of Confusion’s statute causes a loss to Trucker’s business. The injurious effect will be taken into consideration at the lower courts level. Does the statute of the State of Confusion cause an injurious effect on the Tanya Trucker a resident of the State of Denial? Subject Matter Jurisdiction Subject matter jurisdiction is the courts authority over the dispute between the two parties (Melvin, S.P., 2011, p59). State courts are who handle any matter involving state statues, state common law or a state constitutional issue (Melvin, S.P., 2011, p60). The federal court will only hear matters in which arise from a federal statute or regulation, federal common law, or an issue with the U.S. Constitution. Federal courts may also hear matters when the parties involved are from two different states or if the monetary amount is greater than $75,000 (Melvin, S.P., 2011, p 60). The federal government will only provide a ruling based on state law if the diversity of citizenship is used. Both subject matter jurisdiction and personal jurisdiction must be satisfied before the federal court will be able to hear the case. In Tanya Truckers case against the State of Confusion the trial should be held in the federal courts within the State of Denial. The basis for this belief is because the matter between the State of Denial and Tanya Trucker is the nonresident (Trucker) is alleging loss to her business by the State of Confusion, therefore, the federal court within the State of Denial will hear the case but base the decision on the State of Confusions state statute as well as follow the Commerce Powers as defined by the US Constitution. Legal Issues Tanya Truckers attorneys will argue the State of Confusion has passed statues which attempt to regulate interstate commerce. The statue states all B-type truck hitches are required on all trucks which pass through the State of Confusion or the State requires the truck without the hitch to go around the State of Confusion therefore limiting the interstate commerce. This statue directly effects the Commerce clause of the US Constitution. The State of Confusion will argue the statue does not provide discriminatory laws on out of state business, the statue is a legitimate effort to regulate health, safety, and welfare (Melvin, S.P., 2011, p35). The State of Confusion will further argue the statue allows for the safety of the B-type hitches allows the fellow commuters on the highway protection because of the safety of the hitch which is installed. The hitch will prevent accidents to other motorists on the highway. The statue allows the state to protect the commerce on the highway by requiring the hitch be installed on all vehicles which pass through the state. The research presented allows me to conclude the court will side in favor of Tanya Trucker. The State of Confusion is discriminating against all trucks and towing trailers by forcing them to use a specific hitch or not pass through their state. This statue is in clear violation of the Commerce Clause set forth in the US Constitution. Stages of a Civil Suit In order to know the stages of a civil litigation it is important to know the definition of what civil litigation is. Civil litigation is a dispute resolution process where the parties and their counsel argue their view of a civil (noncriminal) controversy in a court of law (Melvin, S.P., 2011, p78). The stages of a civil litigation can overlap at times causing the stages to become blurred however, the stages help to allow the parties involved to understand the process and make sure a clear and concise resolution or ruling has been made. The stages of a civil litigation are, prelawsuit, standing, complaint and summons, answer, counterclaim, motions, discovery, pretrial conference, and trial. Following these stages and going through each stage completely allows for an unbiased verdict either by judge or jury. Prelawsuit Prelawsuit is an informal demand from one party to another. Prelawsuit allows for the parties or their attorneys to get together and discuss the issue. Prelawsuit is each party’s way of letting each other know what their demands are before a formal lawsuit is filed. This first step can help to resolve a number of issues before the costly issue of suit follows. Standing Standing is one party asserting a claim they have suffered an injury if fact, harm that is direct, concrete, and individualized, and articulates what legal redress exists to compensate for the injury (Melvin, S.P., 2011, p79-80). The standing formally tells the other party exactly what their conduct is doing to the economic interest of the business. Complaint and Summons The complaint and summons stage is also known as the pleadings stage. If no resolution in the informal stage can be attained then the formal proceeding begin with a complaint and summons. A complaint is the facts of the case in a formal matter which describes the liability and the defenses of the party (Melvin, S.P., 2011 p80). A summons is a formal notification to the defendant that s/he has been named in the lawsuit and informs them that an answer must be filed within a certain period of time (Melvin, S.P., 2011, p80). Answer An answer is a formal document which addresses each complaint from the defendant. This document usually states what each party agrees to and what each party still disputes. If the answer does not come in a timely matter the other party can be held in default which will allow for the other party to automatically lose the suit. Counterclaim A counterclaim is a way for the plaintiff to assert a countersuit establishing their credibility and attesting to damages by the defendant for not following the statue. The counterclaim being filed gives the defendant the ball in their court. They must now answer to the countersuit in a timely manner or be held in default. Motions A motion is a document filed by one party that requests court action in a matter pertaining to the litigation (Melvin, S.P., 2011, p84). A common motion filed in courts is the motion to dismiss. Discovery Stage The discovery stage allows each party to gather evidence to present in the pretrial conference and to be used in the trial. There are many different methods in the discovery stage. Depositions are common in this stage of discovery. Depositions are oral questions asked in front of a witness (Melvin, S.P., 2011, p84). Pretrial Conference A pretrial conference’s primary purpose is to encourage each party to agree to a settlement. If a settlement is reached the trial will not proceed. If a settlement is not reached then the parties will appear for the trial. The pretrial conference is usually each party and their respective attorneys appearing before the judge. Trial A trial as defined by the text The Legal Environment of Business generally takes place in front of a judge as the finder of law and a jury as the finder of fact (Melvin, S.P., 2011, p86). There are many stages to trial such as jury selection and opening, testimony and submission of evidence, closing arguments and charging the jury, deliberations and verdict, posttrial motions and appeals, and collecting the judgment. Trials can lead to a settlement when either party realizes they are found at fault prior to the verdict. A settlement can happen at any stage of the trial proceedings. References: Melvin, S. P. (2011). The legal environment of business: A managerial approach: Theory to practice. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill/Irwin.

Confidentiality of Health Information Essay Example for Free

Confidentiality of Health Information Essay 1. Should corrections be date and time stamped? Yes, it is very important to keep track of when changes are made to an individual’s medical records. Any correction made to confidential medical information should be time and date stamped. In addition, the name of the person who makes the changes should be recorded with the time and date change. should there not be a note of who makes changes to the medical record. An example of the negative consequences of not date and time stamping medical records, electronic or otherwise, is that in a court of law, one’s medical records could be inadmissible due to this simple negligence. A medical malpractice case, in which the patient deserves compensation for being diagnosed incorrectly, or not diagnosed at all, could hinge on this incredibly important detail. Whether or not the patient’s medical records was date and time stamped, as well as signed by the individual working on the patient’s electronic medical record. 2. When should the patient be advised of the existence of computerized databases containing medical information about the patient? A patient should be advised of the existence of computerized database containing medical information about the patient , before the patient’s physician releases said information to the entity keeping the computer bases. All medical information must be shared with the patient before any treatments are performed, so that the patient may give their informed consent for the treatment or procedure to be administered. If patients were unaware of the existence of their medical information stored in computerized database, they obviously would not have the knowledge to access their own records, which is highly unprofessional and detrimental to the patient’s health care in the future. According to the American Medical Association (AMA), patients have the right to know where their records are being stored and who has access to them for safety and privacy of the individual. 3. When should the patient be notified of purging of archaic or inaccurate information? States â€Å" procedures for purging the computerized data base of archaic or inaccurate data should be established and the patient and physician should be notified before and after the data has been purged.† It is essential that the patient and physician always know what is going on with their confidential medical records. Care must be taken to make sure that the medical record are never accidently mixed with other computer based record. With technology growing faster than most of us can keep up, most of today information is on computer. Either being stored on a disk, on websites, or even online storage . The American Medical Association (AMA), has issued opinion 5.07 confidentiality for computers. 4. When should the computerized medical database be online to the computer terminal? The computerized medical database is online to the computer terminal only when authorized computer programs requiring the medical data are in use. According to the (AMA ) policy, External individuals or organizations should not have online access to these computerized database. containing identifiable data from medical records patient. Access should be controlled through security measures. Some examples of these are encryption of the file, password to gain access to the file, or other user identification. In addition, leaving a terminal online to the database when it is not necessary can make it easier for hackers to get into the system. 5. When the computer service bureau destroys or erases records, should the erasure be verified by the bureau to the physician? I believe that when the computer services bureau destroys or erases the record, the physician should be notified in writing that it has taken place. Before records can be destroyed or erased the bureau has to establish that the physician has another copy, of some form, in his possession. The patient and the physician have the right to know any little alteration on any record. This will help in knowing what information has been erased and what significance it has as far as patient’s medical process is concerned. 6. Should individuals and organizations with access to the database be identified to the patient? Yes, all individuals and organizations with some form of access to the computerized databases, and the level of access permitted should be specifically identified in advance. Full disclosure of this information to the patients is necessary in obtaining consent to treatment. patient data should be assigned a security level appropriate for the data’s degree of sensitivity, which should be used to control who has access to the information. The patient has the right to know who have an access to his/her information and why. This will for the respect of the patient’s right to privacy and confidentiality. 7. Does the AMA ethics opinion mention encryption as a technique for security? Yes, the computerized data systems have a compromising information security. The (AMA) opinion is that â€Å" there should be controlled access to the computerized database via security procedures such as encryption (encoding), passwords, and other user identification including scan able badges†. Confidentiality agreements should be made with other healthcare professional whom the office networks with encryption is recommended if the network entails public channel of communication such a radio waves, telephone wires, and microwaves. This will increase the changes of information confidentiality. 8. In regard to electronic medical record (EMR), what is the policy for disclosing authorized data requested by third parties? The patient must give consent in writing authorization for disclosing any information about his/her medical record. the individual or groups requesting the data required to obtain the expressed consent of the patient. The dissemination of confidentiality medical data should be limited to only those individuals or agencies with a bona fide use of the data. As well as the fact that, the third parties receiving the Electronic – PHI , do not have the authorization to disclose the information to additional sources. Then , the database should disclose the least amount of E-PHI possible to serve the purpose , while also limiting the period of its use. Finally, the policy for disclosing the E-PHI is clear, the database must acquire consent for the dissemination of the least amount of information possible , the database must maintain the patient’s confidentiality, and, the third parties receiving the data may not disclose the data to any other organization or individual. American Medical Association, (AMA) opinion 5.07. REFERENTS: www.ama-assn.org/ Search box type, opinion 5.07 www.ahima.org/ www.ama-assn.org/ama/category