The Continuum from Legitimacy to Fraud Research Paper

The Continuum from Legitimacy to Fraud - Research Paper Example Thus, the framework will only be used to the extent of four components of earnings management namely paper earnings management (PEM), real earnings management (REM), paper earnings fraud (PEF), and real earnings fraud (REF). PEM and REM relate to earnings management practices that comply with accounting standards and corporate laws in place while REF and PEF are earnings management practices that violate the standards and laws in place. Earnings Management Measurement The type of data used in this study shall be secondary data collected from the DataStream database. Such data is usually found from the financial statements of listed companies and therefore deemed reliable. Therefore, the issues of data reliability and validity for the present study shall not arise as no tools shall be developed for the collection of primary data. A number of approaches have been used by researchers to measure earnings management (Prior, Surroca and Tribo, 2007). According to McNicols (2000), three app roaches have been commonly used. These are: specific accruals, distribution of earnings, and total accruals. The present study will employ the total accruals approach which consists of both discretionary accruals and non-discretionary accruals (Dechow et al. 1995). Prior studies presented two approaches for measuring totals accruals. For instance, Kothari (2005) uses the balance sheet method while Jaggi et al. (2009) use the cash flow approach. Following Jones (1991) and Dechow et al. (1995), the current or total accruals can be defined using the balance sheet method as: TACt = ?CAt - ?Cash-?CLT + ?DCL – DEPt Where:?CAt = This denotes change in current assets in year t ? Cash = This is a change in cash and cash equivalents in year t?CLT = This is a change in current liabilities in year t?DCL = This means a change in debt included in current liabilities in year t. DEPt = This is depreciation and amortization expense in year t Collins and Hriber (2002) noted that the cash flow approach was a superior method than the balance sheet approach especially for companies experiencing mergers and acquisitions. Sun and Rath (2009) argued that the discretionary accrual approach is potentially ill-specified. This study therefore uses the cash flow estimation approach. Under the cash flow method, total accruals are estimated as follows: TAC t = Income t – Cash Flow t Where: Income = Earnings before extraordinary and abnormal items in year t Cash Flow t = Operating cash flow in year t Prior et al., (2007) noted that earnings management is estimated through discretionary accruals (DA) which are computed by â€Å"detracting the expected or non-discretionary accruals (NDA) from the total accruals (TA)† (p. 34). The DA and NDA can be estimated using the Kothari et al (2005) model. The model is different from the modified Jones model proposed by Dechow et al. (1995), and includes a non-deflated term that captures performance (ROA). Consistent with most empiric al studies in earnings management, the present study will adopt the modified Jones model. The argument for the adoption of this model is best described by Alghamdi (2012) as follows: â€Å"The argument of this study is that management may engage in earnings management via discretionary revenues by timing the recording of these revenues, such as recording them at the year-end when the cash has not yet been collected.  

Steps to Writing a Grant Proposal Essay Example for Free

Steps to Writing a Grant Proposal Essay For all organizations funding can be an issue. Depending if the organization is for profit, they depend on loans and revenue to support them, building inventory, and expanding. While non-profits depend on grants and donations to keep their organizations running. The most important with non-profits is writing grant proposals to keep the financial aspects of the organization intact. Human services need to take great care in who is responsible of writing grant proposals for their organization. The important steps that must be followed in writing the grant proposal after finding the appropriate request for proposal or application is to write an abstract for the proposal, which would include a summary of the proposal with the agency name, type, purpose and objectives, interventions, target population, location, and relevance of the proposed program to the funding intentions (Terao Yuen, 2003). The next phase of the proposal would be the table of contents, which is a guide of the contents covered and their location within the proposal. Other important parts of the written proposal should be included within this proposal are the plans, background and significance, and needs and problem statement. Not only are these important they define the needs of the targeted population, demographics, the current state of affairs, and what will be needed to ease the problem. Discussing the barriers to service helps the funders decide if the goals meet their stated goals; these include accessibility, availability, awareness, appropriateness, and acculturation (Terao Yuen, 2003). While it may seem that not all programs have all of these issues, most do in one way or another. Literature review helps to support the proposal request by identifying previous program results, data about the target population, and studies which are related to the issues. Stating who the target population is for a program is very important for consideration by donors; they need to know who will be served, why they are currently underserved, and why they need to be served. Age, race, at-risk status, economic status, gender status, or other urgent needs are all aspects of target populations which should be addressed; as well as others, as appropriate. The approaches and  methods section of the proposal tells the donor how you intend to address the problem as identified in other sections. Showing what your plan is, how you intend to intervene in the existing problem or situation, and how your program is unique to the current solutions which others are using. In effect, it is a summary of how your plan will work to â€Å"fix† the problem which presents itself in the target population. The vision of a program is the ideal of what the situation will become if the mission, goals, and objectives come to be reality. Vision may seem to be a rosy view of what could be; mission, goals, and objectives lay out the plan that the organization will use to get as close to the vision as possible. The activities of intervention or service and the definition of the desired outcome help the reader to understand what your agency intends to do and how they plan on doing it. The next step is closely related to vision, mission, goals, and objectives; the evaluation plan shows the continuous ways that an organization can judge whether it is meeting the needs of the target population. The agency evaluation step is probably one of the most important aspects of a grant proposal; donors want to know how you will measure if your program is successful or failing in its mission. The agency capacity and project management section of the proposal show the previous record of an organization; how well it has measured up on past programs, how well it managed past grants, and recommendations from other donors or people who sit in the public eye. The project management aspects address staffing, their responsibilities, the organizational structure, and how this program is related to past projects. The budget and budget justifications stage of proposal writing shows how the money requested will be spent and why it should be spent the way the detailed budget has projected. Items like the percentage to be spent on general expenses, salaries, staffing, and travel are all important to funders; if the largest percent of administrative salaries exist, the funder may require money be spent on other purposes. The other sources and amounts of funding which have been committed should be disclosed in this section of the proposal. An ending summary which pulls together the plan, the desired outcomes related to mission, goals and objectives, the budgetary definitions, and how all interventions will best serve the clients involved in a situation where urgent or unique need has made the program important. Grant writing is a skill that will be developed  with greater expertise through practice and experiences with funders. Great care should be taken to properly apply for grants related to specific programs and projects; otherwise, future submittals may be discounted because an agency has previously ignored the requirements of Requests for Proposals. Wasting the time of reviewers does not bode well for future applications. Being aware, attentive, and addressing accurately the requirements of those grants which relate to their programs will save the time and energy of grant writers which would be better served by applying for other appropriate grants. Section Two: Santa Rosa Philharmonic Youth Symphony Needs and Problem Statement Students in the Santa Rosa area who attend elementary and middle schools have recently lost opportunities to learn, appreciate, and gain practical knowledge of music due to budget cuts. They must wait to participate in music programs until high school or college; by then many have lost interest unless they have been taught privately. Few families can afford to sponsor private lessons for their children in this area. If there are not extracurricular activities available for students, they will find other avenues to fill their spare time; law enforcement, parents, educators, and social service professionals are concerned that gang activity, drug abuse, loitering, and other negative influences on a young person’s life may increase since there are less planned, positive, growth-related activities. When a survey was taken of community members and leaders, they were concerned that the lack of essential music programs would set students behind others who attend school in districts which still support music and fine arts and another concern is without access to formal music programs, the youth of Santa Rosa will lose their appreciation, enjoyment, and participation in music programs. Since the costs associated with private lessons are beyond the reach of most families, they recommend development of a project which educates students and supports music education, appreciation, and leadership training. There is a program in existence, The Santa Rosa Philharmonic Youth Symphony (SRPYS), which addresses all of these issues. Their mission, goals, and objectives will help to absorb students which have been excluded from musical experiences, but additional funding  will be required to continue and expand the program. While not all students will be talented enough to perform in the major Philharmonic events, some will gain entry to the Symphony proper through auditions which are held each June. Those who are not chosen will still be able to participate in education and appreciation programs; thus, keeping them interested and exposed to different types of music while also aspiring to be accepted to the Symphony through practice and individual learning opportunities. References Terao, K., Terao, K.L. Yuen (2003). Practical Grant Writing and Program Evaluation. Brooks and Cole/Cengage Learning, Florence, KY.

The British Empire East India Company Trade History Essay

The British Empire East India Company Trade History Essay This is a story of trade and exploration of ambition and foresight, silk and spice, tea and cricket, timber and gunpowder, cities and ports. It is the story of how a band of traders created a company that far exceeded the sum of their ambitions, uniting distant markets, bringing people together, building and sustaining an empire. It all starts in 1600. The concept of corporations was first established under ancient Roman law (source:  University of Virginia). It all began on 31st December 1600, when Queen Elizabeth I  granted a charter to the British East India Corporation, naming the corporation The Governor and Company of Merchants of  London, trading with the East Indies. Ships belonging to The Company dock at Surat and in the next two years establishes its first factory as trading posts were called, in the town of Machilipatnam of the Coromandel Coast f The Bay of Bengal. Landing in India gave the company access to spices not controlled by Dutch traders. Sir Thomas Roe was instructed by James 1 to arrange a commercial treaty with Emperor Nurudin Salim Jahangir. This gave The Company exclusive right to reside and build factories around Surat in exchange for rare commodities from Europe. This provided a secure base for operations to wage trade wars with Portuguese and Dutch governments and merchants. The major factories became the walled forts of Fort William in Calcutta (now Kolkata). Fort St George in Madras (now Chennai) and Bombay (now Mumbai) castle, which developed into the great Indian Cities of today. In 1667 London weavers attack on East India House, weavers, dyers and linen drapers in England protest that imports of Indian cloth are threatening their own industries. Initially, The Company responds by re-exporting Asian textiles to other countries in Europe. But market forces soon overshadow the cries of protesters, and Asian textiles continue to be hugely popular in England throughout the 18th century. The French and British East India Companies and their respective Indian allies were at war with each other. The East India Company led by Robert Clive defeat the Feench ally, Siraj Ud Daulah, at the battle of Plassey ending the rule of the last independent Nawab of Bengal. This is judged to be one of the pivotal events leading to the formation of the British Empire in South Asia. The resulting central administration and governance starts a process that leads eventually to the formation of unfiled India. In 1784 The East India Company had grown into a powerful political and trading organisation, rivalling that of the British Government, in effect ruling many of The British Empires territories. In political matters The East India Company was subordinated to the British government directly. The process was slow and required subsequent parliamentary acts to allow The British Government to fully separate the Companys political control from its commercial activities. In 1813 The Charter Act asserted the sovereignty of the British Crown over the Indian territories held by The Company. It renewed the Charter of The Company for a future twenty years but ended its Indian trade monopoly except for trade in tea. At this point The East India Company was forced to open India to missionaries, who had previously been banned. In 1848 Robert Fortune, a botanist was hired by The Company to obtain the finest tea plants from China to establish plantations in India. He disguised himself as Chinese from a distant province, hired an interpreter, a precaution as the Chinese were extremely protective of their virtual monopoly on tea production. His efforts resulted in the shipment of 20,000 plants to the Himalayas, establishing Darjeeling as one of the finest tea producing regions in the world, and India as the dominant world tea producer it is today. By the time of The Acts passing, The Company had been effectively dissolved anyway, as The Crown assumed all governmental responsibilities held by The Company by The Act for the Better Government of India. The Companys military force was incorporated into the British Army, leaving it with only a shadow of the power it had wielded years earlier. Queen Victoria was the ruling monarch at the time, and thanks to her new authority over India, became the first monarch to use the title Empress of India. It accomplished a work such as in the whole history of the human race no other company ever attempted and such is likely to attempt in the years to come.

Applying the Nursing Code of Ethics to Patient Care Essay -- Nursing P

Nurses have the greatest potential for improving a patient’s well-being. As a profession, nurses need to promote the core values and code of Ethics amongst them. Nurse practitioners are required to understand and practice the specific knowledge and skills of core values such as nurse caring, advocacy, holism and professionalism to assist the patients in their critical condition (Volp 2007a). This essay will discuss the core values of responsible nursing practice and code of ethics in relation to the young patient who is suffering from paraplegia. Paternalism A policy or practice of treating people patients in a fatherly manner, especially by providing for their needs without giving them responsibilities. Paternalistic practices, wherein providers confer a treatment or service upon a person or persons without their consent, ostensibly by reason of their limited autonomy or diminished capacity, are widespread in healthcare and in societies around the world. Numerous issues surround paternalistic practices (Cody WK). So doctors and nurses make decision about the treatment of patients or their clients, but it is against the patient’s choices or thoughts, according to doctors and nurses, it is beneficial for the patient (Jones). On the other hand, when patient take autonomous decision then they will get some self-harm, so, conflict arises between the nurses those are on duty of the patient care and the patient’s right to autonomy. Frequently, nurses and other medical staff used the paternalistic action to resolve the problem (Jo nes). According to the Jones (p.379) suggested that, paternalism and autonomy as two inversely varying parameters along a spectrum of independence’. Moreover, nurses and doctors created an imbalance between... ...ier, item: AN 11355240. Johnstone, M 2005, ‘Ethics and Professional practice’, in J Crisp & Taylor (eds.), Potter and Perry’s Fundamentals of Nursing, Melbourne, Australia. Lane, P, O’Brien, U, Gooney, MA & Reid, T 2005, ‘The progression of holism into postgraduate curricula in critical care nursing’, Dimensions of critical care nursing, vol. 24, no. 3, pp. 131-138, viewed 6 May 2011, EBSCOhost database Academic Search Premier, item: AN 17099480. Moore C 2008, ‘A caring nurse’, Bella Online: The Voice of Women, viewed 1 March 2011, http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art43027.asp Rowe, J 2005, ‘Nursing: the art of caring’, in J Crisp & Taylor (eds.), Potter and Perry’s Fundamentals of Nursing, Brisbane, Australia. Taylor, C 2005, ‘Managing Client Care’ in J Crisp & C Taylor (eds.), Potter and Perry’s Fundamentals of Nursing, Melbourne, Australia.

John Locke ideas Essay

How did ideas of Locke’s Social Contract influence the Declaration of Independence? John Locke’s ideas influenced the writing of the Declaration of Independence by the discussion of equal rights, purpose of the government, and what the people should do to an abusive government. Both in the Declaration of Independence and in the Social Contract John Locke, they list that men should have equal rights. Also they both state the purpose of having a government. Lastly, they say what the people should do if the government does not protect these rights. In the Social Contract by John Locke and in the Declaration of Independence they state that men have rights. In the Social Contract it says â€Å"Men have rights by their nature†¦ We give up our right to ourselves exact [revenge] for crimes in return for [nonjudgmental] justice backed by overwhelming force. We retain the right to life and liberty, and gain the right to just, impartial protection of our property. † Just as in the Declaration of Independence it says â€Å"We hold these truths to be [obvious], that all men are created equal, that they are [entitled] by their Creator with certain [mandatory] Rights, that among these Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. † Therefore the Declaration of Independence got the idea Life, Liberty, and pursuit happiness from the Social Contract. Another idea both the Social Contract and Declaration of Independence have in common is the purpose of the government. John Locke’s Social Contracts States â€Å". Society creates order and grants the state its [purpose]†¦ The only role of the state is to ensure that justice is seen to be done† Corresponding to what the Declaration of Independence states â€Å"That to [protect] these rights, Government are [created] [by] Men, [coming] [from] their [own] powers from the [permission] of the [people]. † These writings both mean that the government has a duty to protect the rights of the people. The last thing John Locke did to influence the Declaration of Independence is he created the idea of what the citizens should do to abusive governments. â€Å"If a ruler seeks absolute power, if the acts both as judge and participant in disputes, he puts himself in a state of ear with his subjects and we have the right and the duty to kill such rulers and their servants. † this was the idea in John Locke’s Social Contract. This is very similar to what the Declaration of Independence, which says â€Å"That whenever any Form of government becomes destructive of these [rights], it is the Right of the People to [change] or to [get] [rid] [of] [it], and to [create] [a] new Government†. Both of these mean that if the government does not protect the rights of the people, the people can overthrow the government. How did ideas of Locke’s Social Contract influence the Declaration of Independence? John Locke’s ideas influenced the writing of the Declaration of Independence by the discussion of equal rights, purpose of the government, and what the people should do to an abusive government Men have equal rights is both stated in John Locke’s Social Contract and in the Declaration of Independence. Also they share the purpose of what the government should do. Lastly, they share the responsibilities of what the people should do in a abusive government.

Self-Driving Trucks Who’s in the Driver’s Seat

Self-Driving Trucks Who’s in the Driver’s Seat It’s a trucker’s worst nightmare- trucks that drive themselves! Getting nervous? Step on the brakes- although there may be a future where all trucks drive themselves and truckers aren’t needed, that future is not quite here yet. TruckersReport.com cuts through the noise and media hype, and sheds some light on the nation’s first self-driving truck, which has just hit the highway. Inspiration, the futuristic new truck imagined by Daimler Trucks North America, is a technological marvel, but it’s not quite ready to face the open road without a capable, qualified trucker in the cab. It has earned a Level 3 (Limited Self-Driving Automation) rating by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which means that a certified driver must be behind the wheel at all times, even on stretches where it’s legally allowed to assume control of all safety-critical functions. In the event of an emergency, a human driver must be ready to assume control. T herefore, he or she must be road-ready at all times the vehicle is in operation!18What does this mean? Inspiration can only take control during clear, daytime driving on highways. In fact, it has built-in sensors that prevent it from going into auto-pilot mode during sub-optimal conditions- a neat built-in safety feature!So, should you be afraid that the era of the truck driver is rapidly coming to an end? Not anytime soon! Drivers will play an essential role in the shipping and hauling industry for the foreseeable future. Even if truckers were needed less behind the wheel, there are a wealth of other tasks they will be needed to perform, from loading and unloading freight to key administrative tasks, maintenance work, and more. Bottom line: spend less time worrying and more time being the best truck driver you can be!The Nation’s First Self-Driving Truck: Everything You Need To KnowRead More at www.thetruckersreport.com

Six Sigma ought to be a learning process. The WritePass Journal

Six Sigma ought to be a learning process. Introduction Six Sigma ought to be a learning process. ).   The Six Sigma approach links the (Gutià ©rrez, Bustinza and Molina 2012). This is an indication of the ability of the firm to take in new information and make it work within the existing infrastructure (Ibid). With a clear benefit related to the capacity to identify and adapt this element is a learning cornerstone (Ibid).   In order to balance this area of improvement Six Sigma identifies five fields that must be addressed including the define, or identification stage followed by the measurement phase to gauge the extent of the issue, then an analysis of the issue must be performed based on these initial components(Gygl et al 2005). This analysis will then be subject to improvement, alleviating the root cause, followed by the creation of new controls in order to better maintain integrity (Ibid).   Again, personal experience has demonstrated the value of progress built on the capacity to learn and adapt. The design or redesign phase is often more than a simply tweak to an existing system, commonly requiring a complete reconceptualization of the model (Harmon 2007).   Several fundamental business causes are credited with needing this step.   An organisation may simply choose to upgrade or completely reinstall a process in order to make progress (Gygl et al 2005).   Or, during an on-going improvement process, a discovery making a new process essential is made. Further, a company may see a long term advantage by offering an entirely new product or line, making this step essential (Ibid). There is a five step process to achieving this goal of design or process redesign. This process includes the Define, or identification of goals for the new process, Match, or the development of performance requirements, to Analyse or the analysis using the performance requirements created, Design and implement, refers the creation and subsequent implementation of the developed process followed by the Verify, or testing to make sure that the new process lives up to the specifications of the required research (Gygl et al 2005). This design stage of the Six Sigma process incorporates the lessons gained from each step by the company to create and then implement a complex goal (Macadam, Antony, Kumar and Hazlet 2012).   Yet, the lessons learned from the experience may differ with each team member, making future application difficult (Lifvergren et al 2012). With each application personal experience will impact application and can only be improved through additional experience.   With the creation of learning process for the team membership, the capacity for the team to achieve a successful resolution to the process is enhanced (Sony and Naik 2012).   Conversely, the overly complex nature of the Six Sigma method can lead to unnecessary delays in development and production (Macadam et al 2012). Personal experience during the implementation of Six Sigma illustrates the very complex methods required to generate the expected results. This overly complex approach has delayed project production by adding in sev eral elements to be considered that were time consuming to attend to.   The effort to add organisational learning to this aspect is difficult as the need to incorporate all of the diverse elements is hard to do. The Process Management section is required in the presence of the need for a fundamental change in the manner in which a business operates (Gygl et al 2005). Often credited with being the most challenging potion of the Six Sigma process, this entails a similar approach as did the first two sections. This process includes the defining stage, or the identifications of key requirements, the measuring of performance phase, the comparison of requirements and current production levels, the analysis stage is need in order to determine the best methods for process refinement and the controlling process performance stage in order to maintain the progress gained through the experience (Ibid). This step of the Six Sigma process allows for the company to identify their fundamental challenges, learn from the determined shortcomings and achieve success through implementation (Parast 2011). The step by step organisation of goals enables streamlined learning process that allows for a companywide learning component. Arumugam, Antony and Kumar (2013) illustrate their argument that Six Sigma enhances the learning process in order to produce better results. Incorporating the two organizational elements of Six Sigma resources, technical and the social or team safety factor, their research supports the argument that he Six Sigma project teams are a deliberate extension of the process and promote organizational learning (Ibid).   This study demonstrated that the project resources clearly impact the knowing-what and knowing how.   Additionally, the team psychological safety factor impacts the knowing how learning mechanism (Ibid).     The knowing how balances the influences of the knowing what on overall project success, a clear indication of learning. Lifvergren et al (2010) credits the Six Sigma learning process as creating a seventy five per cent success rate over the course of twenty two Six Sigma projects. In this case success is defined as the business increasing revenue and enhancing operations (Lifvergren et al 2010). Further, the lessons learned during this period, were then utilized to contribute to other developing projects adding to the fundamental value of the technique (Ibid).   Personal experience has taught that The Six Sigma method enables an atmosphere of targeted learning for the team members, which in turn allows for enhanced benefits. Organisational Theory and Six sigma’s contribution to the learning organisation Organisational theory describes the interaction between the activities of the business and the world (Jones 2010).   Organisations are formed around a group of people working together towards the same goal. Organisational learning is defined as the change in the organisations knowledge base as the entity accrues experience (Argote 2012). This involves both the area of declarative knowledge, or facts, and the procedural knowledge which encompasses the related skills and routines, the concept touches on every level of business. This suggests that as an organisation grows and operates it also learns (Ibid). Others argue that the process of gathering experience is not strictly confined to operational production, but can in fact be made of theoretical and secondary experience (Easterby-Smith and Lyles 2013). Organisational learning directly impacts the quality and performance of the company (Argote 2012).   This element has been argued to be a measureable indication of a companyâ€⠄¢s wellbeing (Ibid). The capacity to read the signs of the world around them enable these forms of company to ‘learn’ from the environment, and by doing so, is able to create a sustainable model.   Modern researches have determined that organisational learning within an organization may be measured either by assessing cognitions of the membership (Easterby-Smith and Lyles 2013).   Others argue that the behavioural approach is the better method of evaluation with research focus on the practice and routines of the membership and take note of how performance characteristics change (Pepper 2010). In both approaches, it is the membership that is evaluated as well as their response to the environment around them. Six Sigma contributes to the organisational learning process by laying out a clear set of guidelines, which can lead to a successful resolution (Aboelmaged 2010). With a wide array of both statistical tools and methods, the opportunity to become overly dependent on a single approach can diminish the results (Snee 2010). The wide range of available mechanisms adds depth and adaptability to the Six Sigma process (Pepper 2010). However, the converse argument describes this as an overly convoluted process that will only lead to a dearth of data which will in turn become a detriment to the application (Snee 2010).   Six Sigma contributes to the learning process by laying out the process clearly, this allows for a companywide approach that serves to utilize the wide range of experience innately available. How can six sigma be implemented into the organizational learning mechanism The Six Sigma process can be implemented through the management phase that provides support for the company (Nair, Malhotra and Ahire 2011).   The roles of executive leadership, or the CEO, the Champions or stewards of the Six Sigma implementation, Master Black Belts or in-house coaches and Black Belts as experts on specific elements provide a clear tool for Six Sigma to be implemented into the organisational learning mechanism (Ibid). Others cite these very same elements as being contrary to the organisational learning effort by making it overly complex (Nair et al 2011).   Further, the organisational learning effort can be hampered by a lack of qualified leaders, crippling the time frame (Livfergren et al 2010). This system offers advanced training and certification in Six Sigma components in order to alleviate this same issues as well as enhance the opportunities for positive organisational learning experiences (Basu and Wright 2012). Yet, personal experience has illustrated t he fact that many of these trained advisors are ill equipped for each unique Six Sigma application experience. The concept of organisational learning incorporates many of the same mechanisms that the Six Sigma uses (Basu et al 2012). For example the initial step within each of the Six Sigma basic processes consists of the identification and subsequent definition of the issue at hand in order to understand the limits (Ibid).   The organisational learning approach utilizes the concepts of experience and inquiry in order to bridge the conceptual gaps found in the business world (Easterby-Smith and Lyles, 2012). The compatibility of goals allows for a Six Sigma approach that closely correlates to the companies need to be progressive (Basu et al 2012). Further, the Measure and Analyse elements of the Six Sigma approach enable a clear benefit to the organisational learning efforts, as the company or issue at hand is scrutinized, measured and considered in detail (Glyn et al 2012).   However, personal experience has illustrated that this over attention to detail can create the opportunity for or ganisational learning that is hampered by the over exposure to diverse theories. The process of organisational learning is further supported by the Six Sigma’s elements of improve and control (Argote 2012). The recognition and resolution of the issue being researched leads to a more informed membership that will in turn provide improved performance.   Others argue that the increased scrutiny only adds to the member’s opportunity to fall prey to delay (Basu et al 2012).   In each case the Six Sigma supports the organisational learning process as well as adds to the quality of analysis and provision for resolution. How can six sigma influence organisational learning? Six Sigma has several opportunities to enhance organisational learning at every level of operation (Yun and Chua 2002).   Others argue that the implementation of the Six Sigma process is a waste of resources (Eng 2011).   Innovation and consumer satisfaction by the Six Sigma concept enables a better outreach capacity for the entire organisation, directly enhancing the entities ability to learn (Yun et al 2002).   Others cite the elements of the system as being less than innovative or original; in fact, arguing the system is redundant (Argote 2012). However, the complex nature of the Six Sigma mechanism allows for a comprehensive examination of the even the most detailed business, adding to the opportunity to accurate organisational learning. Over exposure and reliance on the statistical tools related to the Six Sigma system are a common criticism of the system (Corbett 2011). Others cite the availability of wide range of tools an asset during the often exhaustive examination process (Eng 2011).   Further, the Six Sigma method has been argued to an extension of the Total Quality Management, or TQI, system, and in no substantial way new or innovative (Corbett 2011). However, others find the nature of method, both reassuring and inclusive (Eng 2011). Conclusion The Six Sigma process has become a matter of substantial debate as business turn to emerging theory in order to streamline operations.   The evidence produced in this study has illustrated the divide over the systems complexity, yet exposed the industries need for the tool. With the capacity to assess and identify and subsequently improve, the Six Sigma system adds depth to any organisational learning experience. Further, the knowledge gained during this exposure will be available for later use.   Utilizing the Six Sigma elements including Black Belts and Master Black Belts, the incorporation into any existing organisational learning model is made possible.   Yet, this same issue of complexity has the potential to derail and diminish the return of the Six Sigma experience if the process lacks consideration or balance during implementation. Eventually, as with any highly refined tool, the Six Sigma has the capacity to become a valuable element of the organisational learning experience.   Yet, the success or failure of application will rely on the methods chosen as well as the professionals responsible for the analysis. References Aboelmaged, M. G. (2010). Six Sigma quality: a structured review and implications for future research. International Journal of Quality Reliability Management, 27(3), 268-317. Anand, G., Ward, P. T., Tatikonda, M. V. (2010). Role of explicit and tacit knowledge in Six Sigma projects: An empirical examination of differential project success. Journal of Operations Management, 28(4), 303-315. Argote, L. (2012).  Organizational learning. Boston: Kluwer Academic. Arumugam, V., Antony, J. and Kumar, M. (2012). Linking learning and knowledge creation to project success in Six Sigma projects: An empirical investigation.  International Journal of Production Economics. Basu, R. and Wright, J. (2003).  Quality beyond Six Sigma. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann. Corbett, L. (2011). Lean Six Sigma: the contribution to business excellence.  International Journal of Lean Six Sigma, 2 (2), pp. 118131. Desai, D. (2010).  Six sigma. Mumbai [India]: Himalaya Pub. House. Easterby-Smith, M., and Lyles, M. A. (Eds.). (2011). Handbook of organizational learning and knowledge management. Wiley.com. Eng, T. Y. (2011). Six Sigma: insights from organizational innovativeness and market orientation. International Journal of Quality Reliability Management, 28(3), 252-262. Gutià ©rrez, L. G., Bustinza, O. F., and Molina, V. B. (2012). Six sigma, absorptive capacity and organisational learning orientation. International Journal of Production Research, 50(3), 661-675. Galganski, C. J., and Thompson, J. M. (2008). Six Sigma: an overview and hospital library experience. Journal of Hospital Librarianship, 8(2), 133-144. Harmon, P. (2007).  Business process change. Amsterdam: Elsevier. Lifvergren, S., Gremyr, I., Hellstrà ¶m, A., Chakhunashvili, A., and Bergman, B. (2010). Lessons from Sweden’s first large-scale implementation of Six Sigma in healthcare. Operations management research, 3(3-4), 117-128. Martin, J. 2007.  Lean six sigma for supply chain management. New York: McGraw-Hill. Kumar, M., Antony, J., and Tiwari, M. K. (2011). Six Sigma implementation framework for SMEs–a roadmap to manage and sustain the change. International Journal of Production Research, 49(18), 5449-5467. Nair, A., Malhotra, M. K., Ahire, S. L. (2011). Toward a theory of managing context in Six Sigma process-improvement projects: an action research investigation. Journal of Operations Management, 29(5), 529-548. Parast, M. M. (2011). The effect of Six Sigma projects on innovation and firm performance. International Journal of Project Management, 29(1), 45-55. Pepper, M. P. J., Spedding, T. A. (2010). The evolution of lean Six Sigma. International Journal of Quality Reliability Management, 27(2), 138-155. Snee, R. D. (2010). Lean Six Sigma–getting better all the time. International Journal of Lean Six Sigma, 1(1), 9-29. Sony, M., and Naik, S. (2012). Six Sigma, organizational learning and innovation: An integration and empirical examination. International Journal of Quality Reliability Management, 29(8), 915-936. Yun, J. Y., Chua, R. C. (2002). Samsung uses Six Sigma to change its image. In Six Sigma Forum Magazine, 2(1), 13-16. SQ Quality Press.

Imc Plan for Ups Mi Essay

Imc Plan for Ups Mi Essay Imc Plan for Ups Mi Essay IMC for UPS MI Rent-A-Book Joliette Hernandez Brandman University Principles of Marketing MKTU 301-OT1 Theresa Cummings February 23, 2013 IMC for UPS MI Rent-A-Book This Integrated Marketing Communications Plan focuses on UPS’s new division, which is called UPS MI Rent-A-Book. UPS-MI Rent-A-Book was created to provide an economical textbook rental experience for all students within the contiguous United States. This would be offered as an economical product because we have eliminated the middleman, we have the available warehouse space needed to expand if needed, plus the know-how in order to house all rental textbooks. We would also be able to offer the customer several shipping options such as: direct ground shipping, Next Day Air, Second Day Air, as well as other shipping options. We have found from primary research that a large majority of college students have not heard of UPS MI Rent-A-Book, and have realized that in order to succeed brand recognition must be improved upon. Our goal is to make sure we integrate ourselves within a college student’s everyday life, making UPS MI Rent-A-Book the mind-set they have in mind f or renting textbooks. UPS MI Rent-A-Book is a Fontana, CA based company that allows users to either purchase books at discounted prices, or to rent books with affordable rental periods. The rental periods available for our customers are 30 days, 60 days, and 90 days, with discounts offered for future rentals if returned by their original due dates. Rent-A-Book allows students to rent or purchase books with ease, with books delivered in about a week. Even though UPS MI Rent-A-Book is in its second year of actual business, they currently have about 200 employees running a 24 hour operation. Our current strengths are varied, for instance the fact that we are a division of UPS, a shipping company magnate that is an industry shipping leader leads to having a solid financial backbone to lean on. We currently have no physical locations on college campuses other than our operating warehouse located in Fontana, Ca, but our website is attractively placed to draw customers in. Our colorf ul website was designed to be user-friendly and comfortable, where consumers can do their browsing and shopping with the right-click of their mouse. Our 24 hour customer hot line is manned by our reputable customer service team which can handle any urgent issue given to them. In order to gain further knowledge as to our UPS MI Rent-A-Book brand, we asked 100 of our purchasing customer’s as they finished their sale to participate in a voluntary survey. Our results showed that out of the 100 surveyed that 56 of them were female, while the remaining 44 were male. We also noted that our results showed that about 30% responded â€Å"no† when asked if they had ever heard of this Rent-A-Book division of UPS. Being that our new UPS venture is new, it is understandable as to why it may have a low brand recognition. With College textbook prices on the rise, â€Å"increasing at about 6 % per year, and have tripled from December 1986 to December 2007,† Rent-A-Book is w ell situated to entice a large percentage of the textbook rental and purchasing market (Longley). Target Audience Demographics: Male 41% Females 59% Ages 18-24 28% 25-34 23% 35-44 92% Children in Household: 53% Have kids at home. Household income: $0-50k 23% $50-100k 21% $100-150k 35% Education Level: No College: 41% College: 47% Grad School: 11% Ethnicity: Caucasian 53% African American 25% Asian 8% Hispanic 13% Other 1%  ©2013 Quantcast Corporation Marketing Objectives: a) Maintaining or increasing our market share in the US by about 5% for the next 5 years. b) Become the market leader for rental textbooks in the US by 2015.

Roche Pharmaceuticals Operations Planning Research Paper

Roche Pharmaceuticals Operations Planning - Research Paper Example Sales & Operations Planning At Roche an efficient sales & operations planning is used in order to balance demand and supply, to align mix and volume and for integrating financial and operating plans. This has been facilitated by using of Enterprise Resource Planning systems discussed in later sections. At Roche, the top management takes ownership of the sales and operations planning process. The management considers it a source of delivering business plans and strategies. The medium to long term decisions are taken by the top executives while the short term decisions are taken by the middle management. Various products at Roche pharmaceuticals are divided into families which makes it easier for management to review them for planning. Roche believes in proactive management rather than reactive crisis management. Hence, the sales and operations plan are designed well ahead of time. The sales and operations planning process also encompasses risk analysis and mitigation. The various possible scenarios in the planning horizon are studied and plans are made to tackle sudden rise or fall in demand and resources. After the plans have been decided at the top, they are communicated throughout the organization for smooth and accurate implementation. Broadly speaking, 5 steps are followed by Roche for Sales and Operations Planning. In the first steps, all new product development programmes are reviewed with the help of Research and Development Department. The information obtained acts as input for the sales and operations planning process. The concerned risks and assumptions are also documented. In the second step, a new sales and demand plan is created. The forecasts made here are dependent upon inputs from various stakeholders in the meeting. Roche accomplishes forecasting with the help of SAP ERP tools. The system generated forecasts are shared with all stakeholders. Any changes suggested are incorporated after discussion and the final forecasts are developed. These forecasts act as input for demand planning meeting. The concerned risks and assumptions are documented. In the third step, an operations plan is prepared in order to fulfill demands for each time period. For this the old operations plan is studied and the differen ces are noted. In the new operations plan, these differences are adjusted keeping in view the various resource constraints and inventory levels. The operations plan is multiplied by bill of materials required for each product family to arrive at total required resources. The required resources are compared with available resources. If there are significant differences, solutions to fill those gaps are identified and documented. In the fourth step, the impact of operations plan on other departments such as Accounts, finance, IT and sales is studied. Reconciliations and corrections are done to address concerns of various departments. Finally the key recommendations and potential scenarios are studied to from an agenda for the final Sales and Operations Planning meeting. The agenda is shared before the meeting for everyone to understand. In the fifth step, final Sales and Operations meeting is conducted. In the final meeting, the progress on previous sales and operations plan is studie d, plan for each product family is reviewed, approvals are made and new proposals are decided. The minutes of meeting and action plans are then communicated to various stakeholders (PHS, 2006). 5.3. Aggregate Planning Strategies Roche pharmaceuticals uses aggregate planning for achieving its medium term objectives. The activities are planned at various

Interactive illustration in print media targeting children's Thesis

Interactive illustration in print media targeting children's market(under12) - Thesis Example Against the back drop of this information, it won’t be an exaggeration to state that the increasing sophistication of the digital market has captured a major share of the children’s segment, thus indirectly driving them away from the conventional medium of reading i.e. the print media. Furthermore, the development of internet, and the growing affordability as well as ease of home computing has led to a further growth in increasing the attractiveness of the interactive digital media. Children today, have a wide variety of options at their disposal in terms of reading and learning, with internet and interactive digital media forming a huge chunk of their modern childhood activities. Considering the immense potential and popularity of the interactive digital media, and the fact that it has now penetrated educational settings, the significance of interactive print media seems to have taken a back seat. However, the importance and credibility of the print media in revolution izing the social and educational experiences of young readers cannot be completely written off. It is on account of this very reason that educators, researchers, content producers as well as policy makers are now showing an increased interest and concern regarding the dominance of interactive digital media and its likely impact on the invasive experience and understanding of essential social concepts of children. They have stressed that the revival of the print media is necessary as it has an immense potential to stimulate the intellectual, emotional as well as physical development of children. The unique characteristics that the print media offers can go a long way in helping children in shaping their understanding of the world around them. It can also help in the development of a well designed interactive print media can help in engendering a sense of true learning among the young readers. This paper on interactive illustration in print media throws light on various aspects of the print media and its likely impact on the young readers. In the process it traces the roots of this medium and charts its evolution into a highly interactive medium which is specifically designed to stimulate a keen sense of understanding and growth among the target audience, i.e. young children (Schumm, 2006; Wooten, 2009). History of illustration in print media targeting children The market for children’s books was virtually non-existent in the olden times. Most of the picture books prior to the sixteenth or seventeenth century were mainly designed and targeted at the adult audience. Children were not given due importance as an independent market segment and hence there were rarely any books targeted specifically at them, although a privileged few i.e. mostly children from rich upper classes of the society were exposed to and /or had access to illuminated manuscripts (Pope, 2010; Cullinan, Person, 2005). Figure: An example of an illuminated manuscript for children According to Aries, the artists during the tenth and the eleventh centuries hardly displayed any interest in illustrating for children, as they did not consider them an important segment of readers. He

Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 10

Education - Essay Example To me education means more than the custom representation of a room and someone giving the instructions, the teacher, while others takes the instruction, underlying the assumption that these instructions are supposed to be beneficial to the individual. For instance, how many days in the calendar year is someone supposed to attend school and how much of these new skills is one supposed to learn in a single day? This would purely lie on the definition of education and measure of its significance from the learner and the society’s point of view. The classical definitions of education will explain the subject and units one is supposed to take or guided through by an instructor within a given period of time. The time may take weeks, months or even years depending on the education structure of the country with scholarly terms such as terms and semesters in place (Education Review, 6). This would be the total sum of the subject the learner is taken through within the period which in most cases the monitoring of the progress is done through continuous assessment tests and the end of term or semester examinations. This does not give the quantifiable definition of what education is and the subjects of the assessment tests may not necessarily cover the â€Å"amount† the learner has acquired. So, what exactly is education and how much does the learner need to â€Å"absorb† so as to be termed as â€Å"fully educated†? Historians and theorists have come up with definitions in an attempt to holistically define origin of education and the measure to evaluate how much one needs to have achieved to be regarded as â€Å"educated†. They argue â€Å"education derived from Latin word â€Å"Educatum† which means the act of teaching or training†, while others claim â€Å"education originated from Latin word â€Å"Educere† meaning to â€Å"lead forth† or to â€Å"come out†. Some

Research Methods Profoilio Exercise Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5500 words

Research Methods Profoilio Exercise - Assignment Example intains and energizes employees to carry out their tasks effectively but it may not capitalize their full potential if they are not motivated through praise and recognition. The satisfaction level and commitment levels tend to get decreased if an individual is not encouraged, praised or given incentives at regular intervals. Research indicates that Employees are seen leaving the companies not because of less pay but because they feel unmotivated at work (Lutchman, 2008, p.46). This relationship between the two is still unexplored. Thus, it is essential to document and identify the underlying reasons for resignations and terminations taking part in organizations. The number of employees leaving the organization due to lack of motivation is growing tremendously, and this requires scrutiny. Though, there are many factors that have an impact on employee turnover, but motivation is a vital element for success. Its absence can have an adverse impact on the employee and its presence increases the quality of work and makes them more committed to performing their task. Hence, this problem was chosen because it would generate an understanding of individual’s needs that encourages them to carry good practices in the organizations (Lutchman, 2008). At BSc Level, this problem is suitable for study as it is related to a psychological perspective and is related to Human Resources, which is my existing field of subject. The relationship between motivation and turnover is seen ignored by Human Resource Professionals as most of the firms are work oriented and are inclined to maximize productivity by utilizing resources of an organization. As motivation is goal directed so it can be said that the professional standpoint would help me undermine my future value for any company, I plan to work. In other words, it can be said that this relationship between motivation and turnover is a critical element for success so it shall allow ascertain substantial levels of motivational

Public relations Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 7250 words

Public relations - Dissertation Example The field of Public Relations has been rapidly growing of late mostly because of the non-commercial and commercial organizations have started realizing the need for introducing various public relations activities. The means through which the public relations message need to be conveyed has increased considerably in the recent years for instance the cables, internet and satellite are the mass Medias which are unevenly distributed and globalized at the same time. A simple definition of Public Relations can be â€Å"Public Relations is the positive communication of a company or brand's message to all its target audiences is they staff, customers, the general public, the trade or government bodies†. However a more significant distinction by Destiny could be- PR as tactical communication, at a superior stage within the firm, and; PR as largely applied: intended at attaining column inches in the technical journals or favorable remark in the financial press. Public relations have bee n accompanying us for over thousands of years. â€Å"Sematikos† is the Greek term for Public Relations which mean Semantics. During 50 B.C. Julius Caesar created the first campaign memoirs named, â€Å"Caesar’s Gallic Wars†. There he revealed his military utilization strategies to persuade the Roman citizens that he was the best Monarch of the state. St. Augustine, who was a professor of public speaking in Milan during the 394 A.D., used to deliver the usual acclamation to the ruler and was the closest person to a minister for the imperial court. Thus, it can be said that St. Augustine was the first to be charged with public relations function. Thomas Paine wrote a pamphlet named â€Å"The Crisis† In 1776 that convinced the Washington Army to settle and start fighting at a time when there will be a number of people prepared to move towards arid region so that they could flee from the cold and the adversity of a winter operation. He was known as a master o f political communication whose works could easily influence the actions and thoughts of the mass. Lincoln's secretary of state, William Seward, gained a large number of audiences of America, during the year 1861, through his considerate way of speaking by the efficient usage of the press. He stated, "I speak to the newspapers – they have a large audience and can repeat a thousand times what I want to impress on the public.† In the year 1963, John Marston held a perception of PR which is still considered as true in today’s context, which says, â€Å"a brotherhood of some 100,000 whose common bond is its profession and whose common woe is that no two of them can ever quite agree on what that profession is â€Å"Public Relations has been defined in different ways by a variety of scholars and practitioners in which the term â€Å"management† has been used largely. The definition of Public Relations as stated by Grunig and Hunt says â€Å"management of comm unication between an organization and its publics†; Ledingham and Bruning described PR specifically as â€Å"relationship management† while the argument by Cutlip states that PR is â€Å"the management function that establishes and maintains mutually beneficial relationships between an organization and the public on whom its success and failure depends† According to Kitchen and Papasolomou, several scholar states that PR

Works of Art. Denticas artistic works Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Works of Art. Denticas artistic works - Essay Example Stories by Dentica not only represent the politics in the country but also the culture that the society especially, women have to defy in order becoming successful in the society (Munro 76). In this writing, emphasis will be on the stories, children of the sea, seeing things simply, and epilogue; women like us. Violence and suffering The story children of the sea are Dentica’s work in which she narrates a story of two persons in Haiti. The theme of suffering and violence is evident from the story where the narrator tells of the challenges and hardships of life in the war torn region. The story entails two lovers separated by war in the country (Munro 76). The author brings them together in his unique writing skills. The â€Å"boat people’’ is in use to describe the lover of the female and the sufferings that he has to experience. From the narrator we get the phrase â€Å"a number of students were shot in front of fort Dimanche today, they protested for the bodi es of the radio six†. This describes the level of violence in Haiti and the oppressions plus sufferings they encountered. The author utilizes stylistic language to express the problems faced by the people (Munro 76). For example, she uses the vultures to explain how she spends nights without sleep listening and â€Å"counting bullets in the dark† (Munro 76).... Her baby succumbs to the hush conditions that she faces in the boat which leads her to great desperation. Eventually, the boat could not stay floating for long. In the children of the sea, the narrator utilizes first person narration to describe the violence and problems faced by in the story (Davis 74). Celline tells to her lover how she got pregnant from the ordeal with the macoutes. The author uses the phrase â€Å"cutting the face† to explain the action that Celine took to escape from her country. The narration creates a picture of the situation in Haiti due to the author’s use of styles such as symbolism. This enables her to convey her messages to the audience concerning the issue of oppression and the role of the women in the story (Davis 72). To express the pain in the society, the author utilizes crying as a symbol. The inhabitants of Haiti face problems and therefore cry. In addition, the author explains the lack of senses of the dead as Celine’s baby do es not cry. The butterflies in the story convey information that relates to the difficult situations presented by the narrator. For example, there was a black butterfly which indicated the death of the narrator (Braziel 77). Through the use of symbols and other styles, the author portrays the writing as an art. The story seeing things simply presents Danticats use of style to communicate writing as an art. It consists of princesse and her encounters when she visits her painting friend. While Catherine is talking about art, princesse poses naked, but she is shy. She eventually gains her confidence because no other person watches her (Braziel 77). Through Catherine’s mentorship, princesse is able to produce a painting of her own. When she is going to the painter, she encounters

Research Methods Profoilio Exercise Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5500 words

Research Methods Profoilio Exercise - Assignment Example intains and energizes employees to carry out their tasks effectively but it may not capitalize their full potential if they are not motivated through praise and recognition. The satisfaction level and commitment levels tend to get decreased if an individual is not encouraged, praised or given incentives at regular intervals. Research indicates that Employees are seen leaving the companies not because of less pay but because they feel unmotivated at work (Lutchman, 2008, p.46). This relationship between the two is still unexplored. Thus, it is essential to document and identify the underlying reasons for resignations and terminations taking part in organizations. The number of employees leaving the organization due to lack of motivation is growing tremendously, and this requires scrutiny. Though, there are many factors that have an impact on employee turnover, but motivation is a vital element for success. Its absence can have an adverse impact on the employee and its presence increases the quality of work and makes them more committed to performing their task. Hence, this problem was chosen because it would generate an understanding of individual’s needs that encourages them to carry good practices in the organizations (Lutchman, 2008). At BSc Level, this problem is suitable for study as it is related to a psychological perspective and is related to Human Resources, which is my existing field of subject. The relationship between motivation and turnover is seen ignored by Human Resource Professionals as most of the firms are work oriented and are inclined to maximize productivity by utilizing resources of an organization. As motivation is goal directed so it can be said that the professional standpoint would help me undermine my future value for any company, I plan to work. In other words, it can be said that this relationship between motivation and turnover is a critical element for success so it shall allow ascertain substantial levels of motivational

Works of Art. Denticas artistic works Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Works of Art. Denticas artistic works - Essay Example Stories by Dentica not only represent the politics in the country but also the culture that the society especially, women have to defy in order becoming successful in the society (Munro 76). In this writing, emphasis will be on the stories, children of the sea, seeing things simply, and epilogue; women like us. Violence and suffering The story children of the sea are Dentica’s work in which she narrates a story of two persons in Haiti. The theme of suffering and violence is evident from the story where the narrator tells of the challenges and hardships of life in the war torn region. The story entails two lovers separated by war in the country (Munro 76). The author brings them together in his unique writing skills. The â€Å"boat people’’ is in use to describe the lover of the female and the sufferings that he has to experience. From the narrator we get the phrase â€Å"a number of students were shot in front of fort Dimanche today, they protested for the bodi es of the radio six†. This describes the level of violence in Haiti and the oppressions plus sufferings they encountered. The author utilizes stylistic language to express the problems faced by the people (Munro 76). For example, she uses the vultures to explain how she spends nights without sleep listening and â€Å"counting bullets in the dark† (Munro 76).... Her baby succumbs to the hush conditions that she faces in the boat which leads her to great desperation. Eventually, the boat could not stay floating for long. In the children of the sea, the narrator utilizes first person narration to describe the violence and problems faced by in the story (Davis 74). Celline tells to her lover how she got pregnant from the ordeal with the macoutes. The author uses the phrase â€Å"cutting the face† to explain the action that Celine took to escape from her country. The narration creates a picture of the situation in Haiti due to the author’s use of styles such as symbolism. This enables her to convey her messages to the audience concerning the issue of oppression and the role of the women in the story (Davis 72). To express the pain in the society, the author utilizes crying as a symbol. The inhabitants of Haiti face problems and therefore cry. In addition, the author explains the lack of senses of the dead as Celine’s baby do es not cry. The butterflies in the story convey information that relates to the difficult situations presented by the narrator. For example, there was a black butterfly which indicated the death of the narrator (Braziel 77). Through the use of symbols and other styles, the author portrays the writing as an art. The story seeing things simply presents Danticats use of style to communicate writing as an art. It consists of princesse and her encounters when she visits her painting friend. While Catherine is talking about art, princesse poses naked, but she is shy. She eventually gains her confidence because no other person watches her (Braziel 77). Through Catherine’s mentorship, princesse is able to produce a painting of her own. When she is going to the painter, she encounters

Barack Obama and his Political Propaganda Essay Example for Free

Barack Obama and his Political Propaganda Essay The process of running for the United States presidency is no easy task. Like in almost any relationship, attraction is the key to provide the foundation for anticipation and expectations. In the beginning, one will always place his best foot forward, and contemplating on addressing issues which would appeal dramatically to other people. Running for the presidency is no less than different with pursuing a girl to have a relationship with you. It all starts with making her pay attention to what you have to say and to what you can offer despite many competitors.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Barack Obama came across the attraction stage with flying colors because he seemed to have captured the attention of most population in the American community, across varying groups and minorities (Martin, 2008, p.1). For one, he appeared to come prepared for what is known as a great battle to get Democratic nomination against Senator Hillary Clinton who is one tough competitor. Obama lacks the experience, and can be said as less popular than Clinton who has established her prominence during the presidency of her husband. However, the appeal in Obama’s candidacy defers the idea that he was only elected as Senator in 2005, and a very young player in the realm of politics.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This paper aims to explore the political propaganda used by Obama to ensure his future in the White House. For the purpose of the paper, we shall examine the different types of media used by Obama to gain votes and preferences, the manner by which he delivers his agendas, his target audience and supporters, and how this greatly affects his stance in the race to get the democratic nomination. It is certain that the race between Obama and Clinton’s nomination is very tight, but we shall take the time to assess how Obama’s political propaganda has delivered expected results in his leads on major polls and surveys worldwide as Democrats most preferred candidate. â€Å"Change we can believe in† It is a fact that most Americans are demanding change from future politicians in running the country. Many circumstances and events has led Americans hopeful for change and has been the pivotal driving force behind many political agendas. Obama is no exception. By using the ideology of â€Å"change† as a campaign slogan, he ignites the hope among idealistic men and women around the country to believe in what he regards as change (Obama 2008: Change we Believe In, 2008). Obama has a great advantage in speaking with eloquence and sensitivity, with emotions that has words fulfilled with hope and change, gives many people the self-identity they want to see change in the future administration, or in this case, in a democratic candidate for the presidency. This is a note worthy to be taken beforehand, so as to provide a basis on how we can assess Obama’s political propaganda.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Even before the decisive voting held on February 5, 2008, there has been a pronounced shift in favor for Obama of Illinois from opinion polls, surveys, campaign contributions and political and media endorsements (Martin, 2008, p.1). Obama, being a new player in the realm of politics used significant intervention from different political representatives to endorse his candidacy. For example, when Senator Edward Kennedy expressed his fervent support for Obama, it has generated significant contribution in uplifting Obama’s candidacy. As many critics saw it, Kennedy’s endorsement has become a signal of the Democratic Party’s consensus on his candidacy. Following this influential event led to many mass media endorsements of the event including newspapers published in California, Los Angeles Times and La Opinion, which the most widely-read Spanish-language daily.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   After Kennedy’s endorsement, opinion polls showed Obama in strict ties with Senator Clinton for the democratic nomination (Associated Press, 2008). The strategy used governs many political advisers view to gain majority of delegates from key states to secure victory, and Obama did it with just one major political and highly-publicized endorsement.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The appeal of Obama’s political propaganda can be deemed into two significant standpoints. First, the on-going deep desire for social and political change is strongly used by the Obama campaign to hub an illusion, and to foster great support from the idealist (martin, 2008, p. 1). This s highlighted by the mass media by emphasizing that this change will come from someone from the African American community, a fundamentally groundbreaking event in American history if and when Obama wins as the first black President. However, Obama is not a clear product of any acts against racial oppression and civil rights struggles. He is a politician groomed to be of appeal to massive voters in the coming elections.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Obama’s political propaganda seeks to disengage and disassociate itself from the struggle of the elite and ruling class in running the country. More so, the critiques on Obama has seemingly less impacts because of a well-organized activities from the media who supports his candidacy and owes their respective professions to corporate bosses and financial institutions which have their own candidate as preferences. Even Obama’s appeal has penetrated the right-wing group with endorsements from Rupert Murdoch for example.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Also significant of the character of Obama’s political propaganda is the shift in campaign contributions from major business firms. More money means more capability in a candidate’s political machinery. Obama has been endorsed by different military institutions, then national security adviser to President Jimmy Carter, Zbigniew Brzezinski, and Warren Buffett, the second richest man in the United States. Other known mass media executives and corporate executives have also pledged significant amounts for Obama to continue his aspiration on the America presidency. Through continuous efforts from the Obama campaign wagon to instill their dedication towards real change, the Los Angeles Times broke their tradition of not endorsing any candidate with the promotion of Obama’s candidacy in their editorial (Martin, 2008, p.1 ).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     As an observation, although generally the political propaganda of Obama is sufficient for him to gather and maintain support, it is also clear with biases to achieve voters support. For one, it sometimes resorts to Ad Hominem or the attack to his primary opposition and her arguments. In many cases, through debates and news reports, Obama responds to what Clinton offers on a negative tone. Although at times he emphasized their differences, he also had made several points of their similarities obvious to other people. By using change as a promotional concept and advocacy of his candidacy, he often appeals to authority which uses an ideal which is popular amongst people and grant their support for the ideology he used. He also often uses the appeal to prejudice on many public conventions and speaking engagements to evoke the sense of emotional value and goodness to benefit his character. Conclusion The Obama campaign has utilized effective marketing campaign strategies which efficiently used their connections and endorsements form media outlets and institutions. For the most part, Obama is following a political propaganda which is embedded to deny political differences and social classes but with emphasis on the economic differences between individuals in the society.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Obama political propaganda strongly used news reports, radio, television and posters. It specifically and strategically used these media to indoctrinate various groups of audiences he wished to communicate with and to. Usually through this media, Obama used a directional method on how people can learn about more of his strategies, goals and principles. Through these methods, he intends to initiate individuals as information seekers, to recipients, to reinforcement and opinion leader in favor of his own. Works Cited: Associated Press (2008). â€Å"Obama comes up short on union support.† Hemscott Group Limited. Retrieved on March 24, 2008, from http://www.hemscott.com/news/latest-news/item.do?newsId=56416543358904 Martin, Patrick (2008). â€Å"US political establishment lines up behind Barack Obama.† International Committee on the Fourth International (ICFI). Retrieved on March 24, 2008, from http://www.wsws.org/articles/2008/feb2008/obam-f04.shtml Obama for America (2008). â€Å"Obama 2008: Change we Believe In†. The Official Site of Obama’s Campaign. Retrieved on March 24, 2008, from http://www.barackobama.com/

Tech Mahindras takeover | Analysis

Tech Mahindras takeover | Analysis 1. Research Question Will The takeover of Satyam Computers by Tech Mahindra be profitable to Mahindra and Tech Mahindra? The primary objective of this essay is to answer the above research question through primary and secondary data along with the use of various analytical tools in order to come up with an effective answer to the above question. The first company in the research question, Satyam Computers is an IT company which is prominent all over the world. My essay will investigate the aftermaths of one of the biggest scams in the world, the Rs 7000 crore scam committed by the chairman of Satyam Computers on the company. My essay also follows the second company mentioned in the research question, Tech Mahindra which decided to take over Satyam Computers as it was beneficial to them. On the whole, my essay will evaluate this takeover and predict whether this would be profitable to Tech Mahindra and its parent company Mahindra Mahindra. 2. Theoretical Framework To analyze my research question effectively, I will be applying various business theories to extract a considerable answer to my research question. I will be using the following theories and analytical tools in my essay:- SWOT Analysis Lewins force field Analysis PEST Analysis on the eve of takeover. The Wheel of Fortune- Post Merger and Pre Merger Analysis Graphs showing the rise and fall in share price before and after the takeover 3.Areas of study IB Business and Management HL Module 1: Mergers and acquisitions. Ethics and CSR. 4. Method of Research and Plan of Action I will undertake extensive research of the scam by investigating it in leading Business Magazines such as Business World and also include the various interviews that the chairman Mr. Ramalinga Raju has given since the scam. Secondary research will also include examining official documents like the letter of confession of Ramalinga Raju when he quoted the exact amount of the scam and also stated the reasons for it. Further research will also include visiting the Satyam Computers head office in Hyderabad and scheduling interviews with a leading manager from Tech Mahindra who was appointed at Satyam to smoothen conditions over there. Abstract Will The takeover of Satyam Computers by Tech Mahindra be profitable to Mahindra and Tech Mahindra? In this case, Tech Mahindra acquired a scam-hit Satyam Computers as they felt that it would be beneficial for them to strengthen their hold in the IT industry as it has done for itself in the Automobile industry. As The Mahindra Group does not have a strong presence in the IT sector, they have taken the decision to acquire Satyam Computers in order to have a stalwart hold in the IT sector. The main aspect which drew attention towards this project was why The Mahindra Group decided to acquire Satyam Computers. The motive behind this project is to analyze as to what were the reasons on behalf of Tech Mahindra to acquire Satyam Computers. Through research it has been found that there were many benefits for Tech Mahindra behind this acquisition. Through this acquisition, they would become the 4th largest IT firm in India and would also bring them a great deal of popularity in the IT sector. Tech Mahindra would be introduced to many new industries from manufacturing to financial services and also into the Aerospace industry as Satyam has a strong presence in the aerospace sector too. Hence, this acquisition would make them pioneers in the IT sector. After analyzing using the analytical tools, and rise in share price of Satyam as well as Tech Mahindra before and after its acquisition. It was concluded that Tech Mahindras acquisition of Satyam was in fact beneficial for Tech Mahindra. Hence, the final conclusion would be that Tech Mahindra, through this acquisition would improve not only the condition of Satyam but also the stand of The Mahindra Group in the IT sector. Introduction:- Background information of both the companies Tech Mahindra- The Mahindra Group, with a net worth of US $6.3 billion is one of the top 10 industrial houses in India. It is a market leader in multi-utility vehicles in the Indian market and worlds second largest producer of tractors. The Mahindra Group has a leading presence in the major sectors of the Indian economy including the financial services, trade, retail and logistics, automotive components, IT and Infrastructure. It is also the proud recipient of the Japan Quality Medal, the only tractor company worldwide to be bestowed this honor. It also holds the distinction of being the only tractor company worldwide to win the Deming Prize. The US based Reputation Institute recently ranked Mahindra among the top 10 Indian companies in its Global 200: The Worlds Best Corporate Reputations list. The Mahindra Group has many verticals of its business ranging from Automobiles to IT. Automobiles, Farm Equipment, Infrastructure and Real Estate, Engineering Services and IT are its main verticals. The IT vertical of Mahindras business is called Tech Mahindra. With more than 25000 employees, Tech Mahindra Ltd formerly known as Mahindra British Telecom (MBT) is an Indian Information Technology service provider headquartered in Pune, India. It is the 6th largest software exporter in India (Nasscoms, 2007) and 2nd largest Telecom Software Provider in India (Voice Data, 2007) and JV between Mahindra Mahindra Limited (MM) and British Telecommunications plc (BT). Tech Mahindra is a leading provider of solutions and services to the telecommunications industry, with a majority stake owned by Mahindra Mahindra Limited, in partnership with British Telecommunications plc. With total revenues of Rs 44,647 million in the year ended March 31, 2009, Tech Mahindra serves telecom service providers, equipment manufacturers, software vendors and systems integrators. Satyam Computers:- Satyam, Indias No. 4 software services exporter, was founded in 1987 by its chairman B Ramalinga Raju, who was born into a family of farmers. He started Satyam Computers with 20 employees and bagged multitude of IT projects from US companies. Satyam debuted on the Indian markets in 1991, followed by a listing in New York in 2001. In 2008, it launched a secondary listing on Euronext Amsterdam under NYSE Euronexts new fast path process for cross listings in New York and Europe. Satyam, based in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad, now has 52,865 employees. Satyam Computers is a leading global business and information technology Services Company, which delivers consulting, systems integration, and outsourcing solutions to clients in numerous industries across the globe. Satyam leverages deep industry and functional expertise, leading technology practices, and an advanced, global delivery model to help clients transform their highest-value business processes and improve their business performance. The companys professionals excel in engineering and product development, supply chain management, client relationship management, business process quality, business intelligence, enterprise integration, and infrastructure management, among other key capabilities. Satyam also caters other services such as Enterprise Integration and Infrastructure Management. It specializes in Sheet Metal Parts and Fabrication in the fields of Automobiles and Electrical Industries. Satyam Computers also has a strong presence in the Aerospace Industry. Satyam, who se clients include General Electric, Nestle, Qantas Airways, and Fujitsu, also specializes in business software, and offers back-office outsourcing and consulting services. It competes with local players such as Tata Consultancy Services, Wipro and Infosys Technologies as also global majors such as IBM and Accenture, for outsourcing deals. PART iii- RESEARCH FINDINGS 3.1: Background information of the scam:- Though Mahindra Group has a strong hold in the Automobile sector, they felt the need to advance in the IT sector as Mahindra was a small player in the IT sector. They realized that the fastest way to grow in the IT sector was through Mergers and Acquisitions. In the year 2007, Mahindra started scouting for companies to acquire in the IT sector. In 2008, as a part of their plan, Mahindra sent feelers to Satyam Computers and offered Satyam an opportunity to merge with them. This proposal was at the time when B. Ramalinga Raju was still the Chairman and more importantly it was before the fraud was admitted. Though Raju wanted to merge with Tech Mahindra, he chose not to answer this proposal. Soon after this, Ramalinga Raju admitted to the fraud and Satyam was almost driven to bankruptcy. Mahindra felt that this was the breakthrough they required in the IT sector and lunged at it. A graduate in B.Com, Raju did MBA from Ohio University. Before Satyam, Raju ventured into other businesses such as construction and textiles. 3.2: The conditions leading to the scam, the reasons, and its aftermaths:- It started with Satyams plans to buy Maytas properties and Maytas Infrastructure Company for a proposed $1.6 billion. Satyam had planned to acquire about a 51 per cent stake in Maytas Infrastructure costing $300 million and a 100 per cent share in Maytas Properties which would cost them $1.3 billion. Satyam would buy 31 per cent stakein Maytas Infra from promoters at Rs 475 per share with an open offer to public for 20 per cent stake at Rs 525 per share. It seemed that this deal would empty Satyams treasury and would bring in debt along with adding almost $1.48 billion to the promoters kitty. The news of this acquisition sent shockwaves across the country questioning the hidden lines behind the deal. Soon after Ramalinga Raju announced that Satyam was going to acquire Maytas Infrastructure and Maytas Properties, he invited the wrath of the investors in a conference call. Faced with shareholders revolt and heavy criticism over corporate governance issues, Satyam withdrew the offer within hours of making the proposal. But by that time, the damage was done. What had shocked investors is that this will be funded out of cash reserves and debt in 75:25 ratios. The big question was why a share swap option couldnt have been considered instead of draining Satyam Computers cashreserves. 3.3: Research findings of incidents which added to Satyams ethical miseries:- A severe blow to the Hyderabad-based IT provider facing criticism from investors on its decision to acquire Maytas was of World Bank banning it for 8 years.The World Bank has banned Satyam from providing it services for eight years for alleged malpractices, including bribery. The ban would severely impact the business prospects of the Hyderabad-based company, already battling to retain and attract fresh business in a recession-hit global market. The World Bank debarment had been meted out for improper benefits to bank staff and lack of documentation on invoices.† Satyam started providing IT services to the World Bank in 2003. Two years later, allegations of bribery surfaced. In 2007, an internal World Bank investigation found that former VP Mohamed Muhsin had secured contracts and purchase orders worth $100 million for the Indian firm in return for Satyams stock options (ADRs) at preferential prices. After which he was banned permanently from the bank. However, Satyam was allowed to work for the bank till 2008. There have also been allegations against Satyam of causing security breaches at the bank. World Banks records, which contain sensitive financial information, have reportedly been illegally accessed over the last year. This raised greater questions over the ethical behavior of Satyam. Due to this, an investigation was carried out into the accounting statements of Satyam and there were found to be large gaps in the balance sheet along with inflated profit margins and others in _ _ _ _ (Date). Ramalinga Raju then admitted to committing a fraud of Rs.7000 crore and held himself accountable for the gaps in the balance sheet and other accounts. On January 7, 2009, Ramalinga Raju wrote a confession letter to the board of directors as well as to the Chairman of SEBI regarding the fraud that was committed by him. In the letter, he stated how he had tampered with the accounts and the balance sheet by inflating the profits and the bank and cash balances, by accruing non-existent interests and by overstating debtors position. The following is an extract from his letter of confession:- Dear Board Members, It is with deep regret and tremendous burden that I am carrying on my conscience, that I would like to bring the following facts to your notice:- Inflated (non-existent) cash and bank balances of Rs.5040 crore (as against Rs.5361 crore as reflected in the books) An accrued interest of Rs.376 crore which is non-existent. An understated liability of Rs.1230 crore on account of funds arranged by me. An overstated debtors position of Rs.490 crore (as against Rs.2651 reflected in the books) 3.4: Graphs Showing the Share Price of Satyam Computers and Tech Mahindra before and after the scam and the Takeover. 3.5: Tech-Mahindra Satyam deal:- After the scam, the condition of Satyam went from bad to worse. Hence, the Government seceded to appoint four directors for Satyam till someone took over Satyam and made conditions better for Satyam. Later, the Government held a bid for the takeover of Satyam Computers. According to IT analysts, the chances of a strategic takeover have brightened after the company announced the possible dilution of stake by founder and promoter B Ramalinga Raju. Despite the recent developments, IT analysts reckon that the fourth-biggest software exporter is a good buy, as the India outsourcing story is intact. IBM, it is reckoned, has strong expertise across verticals. So, it was well positioned to leverage on its strengths. An acquisition of a company like Satyam would further strengthen the Big Blues global services delivery capability. Another expected buyer was the US headquartered Cognizant. A Satyam buy will help to build significant scale and bring it into the big league of IT players, according to market trackers. However, the unexpected winner turned out to be Tech Mahindra, coming out from the blue and taking the bidding by storm. Tech Mahindra had won the bid for Satyam Computer after bidding at Rs 58 per share. Tech Mahindra would pay Rs 1, 757 crore for a 31 per cent stake in Satyam. Satyam would operate as a special purpose vehicle until Tech Mahindra raises its stake to 51%.No other bid was within at least 90 per cent of Tech Mahindras bid. While LTs bid was at Rs 46/share, WL Ross bid for Satyam stood at Rs 20/share. Spice Corp, IBM and iGATE were among those confirmed names that dropped out of the race after showing an interest in the company. On April 13, 2009, Kiran Karnik, the MD at Satyam announced that IT services provider Tech Mahindra had offered the highest bid at Rs 58 per share and become the new owner of the company. Tech Mahindra, however, would run Satyam as an independent company with separate liabilities. Part IV: ANALYSIS 4.1: Benefits behind the takeover of Satyam by Tech Mahindra:- The Mahindra Group is one of the top 10 industrial houses in India. It has proven to be a pioneer in the automobile industry and also has a leading presence in the major sectors of the Indian economy including the financial services, trade, retail and logistics, automotive components, IT and Infrastructure. Tech Mahindra (IT) is a provider of solutions and services to the telecommunications industry, with a majority stake owned by Mahindra Mahindra Limited, in partnership with British Telecommunications plc. The Mahindra group, although strong in the automobile industry, is not well-balanced in the IT sector. Hence, it needed to diversify itself into the IT sector and create a name for itself there just like it has done in the automobiles and farm equipment sectors. Having a strong hold in the IT sector would prove beneficial for Mahindra as it would enhance its versatility. The downfall of the IT service giant Satyam Computers provided a breakthrough for Tech Mahindra. Tech Mahindra won the bid for Satyam at the price of Rs 58/ share in the presence of giants like IBM, iGATE, LT and WL Ross. After Tech Mahindra won the bid for Satyam Computers, Anand Mahindra, the owner of The Mahindra Group revealed the motive behind the takeover saying, â€Å"We want to be the leader in the IT field and that is our vision for Mahindra Satyam. But right now, the immediate task is to bring the company back on track.† Tech Mahindra prior to the acquisition specialized in Telecom services, Equipment manufacturing, Software vendoring and in System Integration. Whereas after the acquisition, they would specialize in other fields where they have a lack of experience like Consulting services, Outsourcing solutions, Engineering and Product Development, Supply Chain management, Business Intelligence, Enterprise Integration, Infrastructure management, etc. Satyam also provides engineering services to many of the component manufacturers in the world today especially in Sheet Metal Parts and Fabrication which are used in Automobile and Electrical Industries.This deal with Satyam would also bring Tech Mahindra into new industries from manufacturing to financial services. It would also introduce Satyam into the Aerospace Industry as Satyam has a strong presence in it. With skill strength of about 6,000 engineers, the work in this vertical would be dealt with effectively. Through this takeover, Tech Mahindra has become the 4th largest IT service firm in India only behind Tata Consultancy Services, Wipro Technologies and Infosys Technologies. Prior to this takeover, Tech Mahindra drew almost 50% of its revenues from a single client- British Telecom plc. But with the takeover of Satyam, they would be servicing the customers of Satyam like Ford, Opel, etc. who require designs, drawings, etc. from the engineers of Satyam. Mr. C.P. Gurnani, the to-be CEO of Mahindra Satyam said that it would be beneficial for Satyam to be associated with the 65- year old Tech Mahindra. This is because of the fact that the company would get 110 of Tech Mahindras customers for the Enterprises Services business. Getting Satyam back on track would be no easy task as there would be many challenges that have to be faced after the takeover. These challenges will be quoted below. 4.2: Challenges for Tech Mahindra:- The biggest challenge that Tech Mahindra will have to face is that they have to reduce the workforce to an optimum level which will be a difficult task as Satyam Computers has about 50,000 employees most of whom are in ineffective positions whom Tech Mahindra can layoff. Another big challenge for Tech Mahindra will be to regain customer confidence. Tech Mahindra does not have the adequate experience in all of Satyams business verticals and it will be a challenge to deal with the issues relating to these verticals. Tech Mahindra has to complete all the legal liabilities of Satyam Computers. Tech Mahindra has to face challenge of merging the work cultures of both the companies as the work cultures of both the companies are not similar. It also has to face the challenge of winning over the trust of the employees of Satyam and other human resource management issues. It will also be a challenge for Tech Mahindra to repair the balance sheet of the scam-tainted company as it will be difficult to know as to where the lost money has gone. Another challenge will be to show the real profits and losses of Satyam Computers. The steps taken by Tech Mahindra have to be chosen very carefully as they are now managing one of the biggest IT giants in India. Any wrong move may result in very dire circumstances for Tech Mahindra. What is the Impact of Point of Care Diagnostics? What is the Impact of Point of Care Diagnostics? What is the Impact of Point of Care Diagnostics? Nicolas Piperno Multi-stakeholder approach to market for Point of Care Diagnostics in Canada Point of care diagnostics, otherwise referred to point of care testing (POCT), is a form of in vitro medical testing that is performed near the site of patient care, and does not involve the use of laboratory staff and facilities to provide the result. Point of carecan mean, for example, on the wards in a hospital, at a patient’s bedside, in their home, in a consulting room in a doctors office or using tele-health technologies. This concept is not new. Urine testing or blood glucose tests, for example, have been traditionally done at the bedside. Over the past few years, however, analytical systems have been developed that enable a wide range of tests to be done quickly and simply without the need for pre-preparation or sophisticated laboratory equipment.[1] These tests are designed to sample blood, saliva, urine, or other bodily fluids in order to measure proteins, nucleic acids, metabolites, drugs, dissolved ions and gases, human cells, or microbes.[2] The tests require only elementary instruction to use and some can measure multiple bodily agents.[3] Interpretation may be as simple as viewing a stripe or spot of color on a strip of paper or polymer. The key objective of POCT is to generate a result quickly so that appropriate treatment can be implemented. As technology plays a bigger role within healthcare, POCT and accompanying decision-making toolssuch as medical databases arebecoming more prominent. Other major benefits are obtained when POCT is linked directly with an electronic medical record. Results can be shared instantaneously with all members of the patient’s circle of care through a software interface enhancing communication among its members. All of these benefits can eventually lead to improved clinical and economic outcomes. With the increasing availability and use of POCT, many stakeholders stand to be impacted by its innovation, application, and market opportunities. More specifically, physicians and patients would be impacted by the clinical outcomes, and the provincial government and pharmaceutical companies would be mainly impacted by the economic outcomes. This paper seeks to evaluate how each stakeholder plays a role in the increased use of POCT, and if there are points of resistance or leverage for this idea. Physicians POCT have the greatest potential for facilitating faster decision making and therefore more effective patient triage in the emergency department or reduced operation time in the operating room. For example, assessment of the coagulation status via POCT during cardiopulmonary bypass surgery reduces the requirement for blood products, postoperative blood loss, and the time spent in postoperative high dependency care.[4] Little evidence, however, supports the use of point of care testing in primary care.[5] Hence, physicians would be able to start treatment earlier because they would not need to wait for laboratory test results to come in before they can perform any subsequent treatments. Any POCT, however, will only be beneficial if appropriate action is taken on the result. Thus, the rate limiting step in reducing length of hospital stay may not be delivery of a test result[6], but acknowledgement and communication of the result, and the appropriate action that follows.[7] Physicians, as well as nurses that would actually be the main administrators of POCT, just want to be able to do their job effectively. POCT would allow them to do that, and would therefore be a welcoming new tool for them. Challenges remain, however, in the training of staff. Even with the most sophisticated device, reliable results can be obtained only if the patient is prepared appropriately and the correct technique is used. As POCT is likely to be done by staff with limited technical background, training and quality control are critical.[8] If the POCT is linked to an online database, an opportunity arises where technicians can monitor if the POCT is being used properly and realistic results are being uploaded to the patient record. Obviously, privacy issues come into play when more than one person has access to a patient’s medical record. Medical practitioners would be strong advocates for POCT, because they are the ones that would see the on-the-field benefits of its use. The only point of resistance would be the fact that they would need to be trained every time a new POCT is put into use. A way to mitigate this would be to make the POCT device as simple as possible. This becomes less obvious when POCT devices become more sophisticated with options to measure many things at once. Additionally, medical databases will eventually become more sophisticated, and users will need to adapt to changes with the system. Not listed as a key stakeholder, but just as important is the laboratory personnel that could potentially lose their jobs because the POCT will be replacing what they do. This might also be a point of resistance. However, as stated above, there might be a possibility to reassign them as technicians that ensure the quality of the POCT results. Patients POCT will also allow patients to perform the tests themselves in the comfort of their own home. This is the case for diabetics, however POCT can also be performed for patients taking anticoagulants. A major challenge in this scenario would be compliance. Getting patients to perform POCT on their own time might result in them forgetting, especially with older patients. There are however technological tools that can correct for this such as apps that remind the patient when to perform the next test.[9] However, this requires the patient to be comfortable with technological devices. Patients are another stakeholder that would be able to see the on-the-field benefits of POCT use. They will be able to take ownership of their disease if they do the POCT themselves, be able to receive feedback immediately, and not have to wait for laboratory results in which the waiting time can be often a very stressful scenario. POCT will give the impression of a faster access to healthcare in a country where wait times make it seem that the healthcare process is incredibly slow. This will increase patient satisfaction, and thus will be a reason that POCT will be favourable for them. Other ways that POCT will increase patient satisfaction would be with fewer journeys to the hospital as some tests can be done in the comfort of their own home. Furthermore, POCT can be used to figure out an optimal treatment for them. Quicker optimization of treatment, without the need for trial and error, can lead to less adverse side effects and a more comfortable healthcare experience. As for physicians and nurses, training becomes an issue because the average patient does not have technical knowledge. Again, the answer lies in the simplicity and ease of use of the POCT device. Provincial government One of the main objectives of the provincial government when it comes to healthcare is the control of its increasing costs. Healthcare has become really expensive in Canada, and it risks being not sustainable if we maintain the status quo. Innovative technologies such as POCT and the complementary medical databases can serve to reduce costs in many ways. The economic benefit of POCT can be looked at from a short term point of view or a long term one. In the short term, POCT can gain from a more effective use of resources. For example, one study comparing laboratory and POCT suggested that certain tests might be used to rule out the need for other tests as in the case of suspected urinary tract infection.[10] Fenwick et al argued that urine leucocyte esterase and nitrite tests can effectively rule out patients with suspected urinary tract infection, which could reduce the inappropriate use of antibiotics as well as laboratory workload.[11] Providing a more rapid result, however, does not always save time and money. No savings can occur unless the result is acknowledged and action taken because of this result. Other short term savings involve a reduction in the length of hospital stay. The rapid availability of a result reduces the time to make decisions, thereby allowing more rapid triage, treatment, or discharge. In addition, POCT can be used to know whether a patient needs admitting to hospital.[12] This saves the hospital, and subsequently, the provincial government a huge amount of money because resources are spent more efficiently. When it comes to long term savings, societal benefits, measured through quality of life indices can be seen as a gain for the government since this would allow less sick days, and more working hours, thus, more tax revenue. There is also an option for POCT via medical databases to become an important resource for public health officials. Big data can be used to guide preventative health policy and possibly save the government millions of dollars in the avoidable healthcare costs. The government could potentially be favourable of POCT because of all of its economic benefits, however risks arise when considering the reliably of POCT results, which can negate the cost savings, and the potential for infection outbreaks – since we exposing bodily fluids to perform such tests. Furthermore, because POCT allows for testing to be decentralized from the traditional laboratory, data management and privacy becomes an issue. Provincial Governments will have to consider these risks and may impose certain regulations that might prevent the extent of the economic benefits of POCT. Pharmaceutical Companies This stakeholder comes in two types. The first type is the pharmaceutical company that is involved in diagnostics equipment. This type of stakeholder stands to gain a lot from POCT because it opens up market opportunities and additional revenue streams. The second type of pharmaceutical company is the one that is involved in drug RD and sales. These pharmaceutical companies might lose revenue as a result of a more efficient healthcare system and less inappropriate use of drugs. Pharmaceutical companies that do both might have to evaluate whether the loss in drug sales is less than the profit made from POCT device sales. Furthermore, because POCT devices will still need to go through a lot of RD, the sale price might be so high that the provincial government might not see the economic value in it. Laboratories already profit from economies of scale, and POCT would be less likely to profit from such economies since its use is decentralized. In general, lobby groups from drug companies risk being the biggest threat to the proliferation of POCT if they see it as a risk to their bottom line. Their lobby groups tend to influence government decisions on regulation and application of certain healthcare devices. Getting them on board would be critical to the widespread of POCT. Conclusion In general, the biggest wins come from doing healthcare differently. Because of the huge labour and pharmaceutical costs involved in healthcare, having the practice of medicine shift towards individuals outside of hospitals might be more economically viable. Rapid delivery of results can facilitate better clinical decision making, improved patient adherence, and greater patient satisfaction, all of which lead to improved clinical outcomes. Most stakeholders stand to benefit from POCT albeit with some concerns, however pharmaceutical companies and laboratory testing companies would be the biggest opponents of POCT. Finding ways to appease their concerns without sacrificing the added benefits of POCT would be the best way to proceed. Appendix 1: Key Stakeholders with Regard to POCT References [1] Price, C. (2001). Regular review: Point of care testing.BMJ,322, 1285-1288. [2] Meagher, R., Hatch, A., Renzi, R., Singh, A. (2008). An integrated microfluidic platform for sensitive and rapid detection of biological toxins.Lab on a Chip,(8), 2046-2046. [3] Li, H., Mccormac, M., Estes, R., Sefers, S., Dare, R., Chappell, J., Tang, Y. (2007). Simultaneous Detection and High-Throughput Identification of a Panel of RNA Viruses Causing Respiratory Tract Infections.Journal of Clinical Microbiology,45, 2105-2109. [4] Despotis GJ, Joist JH, Goodnough LT. (1997). Monitoring of hemostasis in cardiac surgical patients: impact of point ­of ­care testing on blood loss and transfusion outcomes. Clin Chem (43) 1684 ­96. [5] Hobbs FDR, Delaney BC, Fitzmaurice DA, Wilson S, Hyde CJ, Thorpe GH, et al. (1997). A review of near patient testing in primary care. Health Technol Assess (1) 1 ­230. [6] Kendall J, Reeves B, Clancy M. (1998). Point of care testing: randomised, controlled trial of clinical outcome. BMJ (316). 1052 ­7. [7] Scott MG. (2000). Faster is better—its rarely that simple! Clin Chem (46) 441 ­2. [8] Crook MA. (2000). Near patient testing and pathology in the new millennium. J Clin Pathol (53) 27 ­30. [9] CellTrak | Electronic Visit Verification | Mobile Healthcare | Hospice | Home Health| Visit Record | Home Care. Retrieved March 11, 2015, from http://celltrak.com/ [10] Rink E, Hilton S, Szczepura A, Fletcher J, Sibbald B,Davies C, et al. (1993). Impact of introducing near patient testing for standard investigations in general practice. BMJ (307) 775 ­8. [11] Fenwick EAL, Briggs AH, Hawke CI. (2000). Management of urinary tract infection in general practice: a cost ­effectiveness analysis. Br J Gen Pract (50) 635 ­9. [12] Brogan GX, Bock JL. (1998). Cardiac marker point ­of ­care testing in the emergency department and cardiac care unit. Clin Chem (44) 1865 ­9.