Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Strategic Management in Bally Total Fitness

Table of Contents Summary of the Facts The Problem the Case Presents Causes of the Problems Alternative Solutions Recommendation Justification Reference List Summary of the Facts Bally Total Fitness had emerged as the leading operator of fitness centers. By 2004, the company was the largest, most efficient and the highest grossing fitness operator and more to that its operations had changed from fixed single location based, to becoming a nationwide operator.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Strategic Management in Bally Total Fitness specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Bally had been established in 1962, and although throughout the years it had had challenges like any other business venture, 2004 was probably the most difficult time since its establishment. Fierce competition had emerged, legal cases had been filed against the company as it was under investigation for its accounting management and procedures and worse still its stock price had drastically fallen to a level of being termed as collapsed. The top-level management at Bally Total Fitness had not overseen these hard times. This is so as experts had the presumption that the fitness industry was headed for a boom, as most Americans became more sensitized and concerned about their health status and well-being. The survey research had already released a report which showed that about two thirds of the American population was either obese or overweight. The research further stated that a third was actually obese. Since medical practitioners were emphasizing the need for people to engage in fitness practices, it was assumed the fitness industry would record major enrollment. However, although diseases caused by weight, problems were on the increase and people were concerned about their weight; many did not take the initiative of visiting the fitness centers. Bally which had emphasized and undertaken the initiative of expansion in read iness to tapping the projected new enrollments found itself in huge deficits and debts as the presumption never materialized and thus the strategic management had failed. The core reasons for enrollment into health clubs had significantly changed in 2004. In the past, enrollment was purely driven by the desire to attaining fitness, and thus people were not very sensitive to other externally induced factors. In 2004 contrary to the past practices, people had come to value other external factors immensely.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More These were like friends’ opinions and recommendation, the nature of the place regarding the cleanliness standards, nature and friendliness of the staff, the consistent persuasiveness of marketers and sales pitches, and the convenience and location of the fitness center as well as the brand name. The rapid and drastic diversification pr oved to pose management challenges to Bally. Health clubs had also rapidly changed to incorporate many activities. Equipment purchase was also done from established household names like Nautilus. However even Nautilus was hit by market competition and in 2003 it registered its first loss in the history of the company. By 2004, thousand of companies had emerged and competed against each other in the health club industry. In the past, the health club industry was not competitive and the majority of the clubs that existed then were mainly established by non-profit organizations. Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) being a non-profit organization had one of the most solid histories of fitness activities. YMCA had offered fitness activities in the US for over fifteen decades. In the health club business, there emerged different type of ownerships further diversifying the industry. These are owner-operated clubs: these are run and supervised by the owners; they are the majorit y and mainly operate from one location. Bally Total Fitness fell under this category of owner operated fitness clubs. Franchised clubs: under this, multiple investors joined efforts and a club franchised under them. This avails a club professional personnel and more purchasing power. The largest franchised club being Curves for women. Managerial and design companies: these are kind of a caretaker run clubs. Experts on behalf of the owners, of which most fall under corporate ownership like universities, hotel chains; hospitals and so on, run them. The last type ownership club is the Health spas. Health spas are relatively small and in most cases, they are in residential hotels and are in form of an extension. The emergence of various ownership-based clubs has further diluted the health club industry, rendering Bally’s management to undertake overambitious investment projects in an effort to outmaneuver competitors. Pricing and sales in a health almost follows the same procedur e (Wells Raabe, 2008). In a typical version, customers are charged once for enrollment and then each month there is charges as the subscription fees. Operation of a health is not a simple and enjoyable task as generally thought.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Strategic Management in Bally Total Fitness specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More One is forced to work for long hours, always be precise and alert, picking the various items dropped by customers, returning the weights to their respective positions as some customers neglect to do so. The working out is a tedious venture and this makes people have mood swing and thus the staff have a hard time dealing with such people. It was also assumed that the fitness industry would diverse further in an effort to cater for the varied demography. Experts were also projecting that some would go public and others would consolidate. It had also emerged that older people were embracing the health clubs contrary to the former years. Children were also seen to enroll in large numbers. Given the dissatisfaction of people with their diets, Bally had started manufacturing food supplements, which instantly became popular. In 2004 Bally had a mixed situation. There was improved enrollment of members as Bally’s membership drafted significantly surged. The pricing was also increased which meant more revenues to the company. However, poor management strategies and external pressure on the company were immense and hard to cope with. Capital market pressures were overwhelming the company. Competition from rival groups was also very high. Although Toback the CEO and his team were trying their best to remain competitive, internal wrangles were tearing Bally apart. It was reported that a major shareholder was advocating for the sale of the company. Rival groups were said to be interested in buying the firm. The Problem the Case Presents The major problem encount ered by Bally Total Fitness emanate from its management strategy. The company in 2004 was hit by the resignation of its auditors consequently; the company’s management changed accounting procedures. Instead of expensing the cost of enrolling new members within twenty two months, Bally turned to immediate cost expensing, consequently the company’s fiscal results in 2003 included over a half a billion dollar charge in cumulative adjustments.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This move by the management resulted to various court battles, as shareholders, who accused the company’s management of misrepresentation, unlawful and unprofessional practices of fraudulent accounting practices, filed lawsuits. The company announced that it was in the process of restating results of the past several years. This was because of a claim that the company was finding, irregularities and numerous problems in past accounting methods and practices. The current financial control system was also put under scrutiny. The company also announced it was considering filing lawsuits against past officials including the past CEO Lee Hillman. Hillman was the immediate former CEO who had resigned in a bizarre unexpected fashion as he cited concentrating on personal matters. His resignation had raised eyebrows and left many dissatisfied with his reason of resignation. Because of the scandals, huge deficits and debts incurred, Bally’s stock prices drastically fell further affecting the troubled company. Various legal investigations were started against the company. Causes of the Problems The fierce competition that emerged and the desire to make more profits made Bally’s management to look for new way or outwitting its competitors. However, these methods resulted to its downfall. The company was also riding on the assumptions that since there were spontaneous campaigns on how to combat obesity, then the company would register massive enrollment. The company embarked on widespread expansion campaign, consequently ending up incurring huge debts, yet enrollment remained constant. In an effort to make more revenues and retain more customers, the management of Bally changed the policy of committing members to few months to that of committing new members to a period of over three years. This move backfired, as customers did not want long time commitments. Long-term commitment also required more money on the side of the customer. This proved very exp ensive thus, customers backed off. In another effort to attract more customers, the management reduced the enrollment fees. This meant that revenues reduced immediately. Working in fitness clubs is taxing and tedious occupation. It is therefore hard to retain a skilled, friendly and motivated staff in the industry. Emergence of competition meant that Bally was automatically going to have a rough time containing and keeping its top cream staff. During this period of the new millennium, personal trainers became very popular and fancied. Fitness centers, including Bally, were thus faced with the expensive venture of recruiting more personnel to cater for surging popularity of personal trainers. The hiring of new personnel means drastic fall in profits. The management was also faced with the enormous task of staff motivation. Since working in fitness clubs is a demanding task as earlier noted. It is hard to find competent personnel as many opt for other careers. To motivate the few that take the path of working in fitness centers is even a greater task. Communication between the staff and management seems to be strained, as there is no clear channel of representation and communication. By 2004, Bally Total Fitness had outlets in twenty-nine states making it the broadest and widest geographic distribution in its category of owner operated fitness health chain club all over the United States. This plunged the company into debt of more than three hundred million dollars. There remained a wide gap between people’s recognition, awareness and sensitivity of the crucial and important role played by working out, and their actual willingness and participation to do it. This difference was responsible for the company not being able to register as many enrollments as it had been earlier anticipated. The resignation of Lee Hillman suddenly hurt the company’s public image. Much of Bally’s development and expansion had been during Hillman’s tenure. H e was the person behind the success of Bally. He resigned abruptly to pursue new challenges and be with his family. Any sudden change of management for any cooperation brings negative repercussions especially when the manager or the CEO was a successful one like Hillman (Hill Jones, 2010). People start to wonder what could make a manager at the peak of his career resign. This in turn is a suggestion that not all was going well. In a bid to outdo the outgoing manager as proof to be even better, the incoming manager has to take radical decisions that in turn could jeopardize the operations of the organization. As accompany Bally was hit hard by losing its main pioneer, Lee Hillman. To make the matter worse, Bally’s auditors resigned in 2004. Like Lee Hillman, they resigned suddenly without notice. This was the major reason for delay of the release of 2004 financial results. The efforts by the company to commit members for three years became a cause of disagreement. Patrons had long complained that cancellation requests were not honored. Cases of harassment and unprofessional deceptive means of collecting fees were also reported. The company was also accused of unauthorized charging of members’ credit cards or dubious acts of debiting from members’ bank accounts. In 1994, Bally Total Fitness Company had to pay over 120000 dollars in penalties and authorized to refund members membership fees. The trend of unprofessional, unethical acts continued, in 2004 the consumer Web sited highlight the rights of consumers violated by Bally. These malpractices led to the company being fined and at times refunding membership fees. This tarnished the public image of the company in a competitive field leading to loss of members to rival groups. This also shows that the company had a long history on engaging in unprofessional acts. Because of too much involvement in financial affairs and poor methods of enrolling members, the company found itself in a comprom ising situation. It had a dualism form of business, as there was a finance company and operating company further draining the resources of the company. The two operational adjustments also affected the company negatively. Club-level managers were required to act as general managers with the enormous task of club profitability falling under them. For any given company, specialization and division of labor is very important. This multitasking of managers and taking of roles that is not under their jurisdiction hampered productivity and efficiency The company encountered major accounting and control problems. The management changed the enrollment retention fees procedures. Instead of the revenues being registered for the period of the stipulated twenty-two months, they changed it to be immediately. Costs were also supposed to be expensed as soon as they were incurred. The management ended colliding with the shareholders. The management was accused and sued for fraudulent accounting pra ctices and misrepresentation. The past staff was also to be investigated. Public collision of management and shareholders is enough problems to scare away patrons. The change of established policies by management without engaging shareholders also illustrates lack of professionalism by the management. Such problems arising because of lack of a clear line of communication put the company at a compromising situation. The lack of communication was one of the major causes of the problem. Lee Hillman’s abrupt resignation and later the sudden resignation of auditors at the crucial moment of preparing the company’s returns clearly demonstrates that there was no elaborate mode of communication and there were no panels of looking into the grievances of the personnel. If top-level officials were resigning unannounced without warnings, then it shows even junior staffs were forced to take the same route. Patrons had also long complained of deduction from their bank without their a uthorization. This shows there was the problem of communication in the entire operations of the company. Paul Toback, the new CEO lacked the credentials and capacity to learn such a huge organization. He had no management formal education and his administrative experience had been gotten from a political office, which is a very different scenario when it comes to learning a fitness organization. Competitors have also created major problems for Bally; these competitors are YMCA, Gold’s Gym, 24 Hour Fitness and Curves International. YMCA has been in operational in the US since 1851. It is the largest health club operator in the US. Since it is a non-profit organization, its revenues are not taxed unlike those of Bally. YMCA’s maintenance cost is very low for the fact that it is a community owned organization. Unlike Bally that has to employ its entire staff, YMCA has a large workforce of volunteers. Yet still, its long outstanding history of tradition in sports make many opt for it. Famous games like basketball, volleyball and racquetball were invented in this organization. The young and sports loving population opt for it due to its outstanding commitment to developing sports. Gold’s Gym initially focusing on bodybuilding has solid history of effectives. The club has received much publicity unlike Bally. It received international recognition as early as 1977 when it was featured in Arnold Schwarzenegger’s movie. Relying on franchising, the company expanded tremendously. The company has grown to incorporate other activities like yoga, group exercising, cardiovascular equipments among other activities. This has made it multidimensional and very competitive allover United States. It has claimed to help shed twenty tons of body fat every day making it very popular with those aiming to shedding weight rapidly. 24 Hour Fitness has also been a force to reckon with in the fitness industry. When Bally was having trouble in 2004, 24 Hour Fitne ss recorded more revenues than any other for- profit health club. Its enrollment fees varied from place to place, and offered members the option of paying every time they visited, monthly or longer terms subscriptions, which were all prepaid, of which Bally Total Fitness had not endorsed. The health club also had a 24 hour electronically deduced subscription employing information and technology infrastructure something the Bally Company had not managed to do. The company had also taken advantage of the proprietary software to develop and commercialize individualized training routine and nutrition programs for its millions of customers. The company’s diversification, flexibility and endorsement of IT services made it to be far much ahead of its competitors. It was rumored to be interested in purchasing Bally. Curves International was also a major competitor to Bally. The company was exclusively for women. The company had expanded in many countries traversing even in Europe. Th e company catered for older women and those uncomfortable with male dominated health clubs. The company had no small outlets helping cut on maintenance costs. These competitors made the Bally Company’s management to become overambitious in a bid to remain competitive Alternative Solutions Bally’s main problems were because of poor management strategies, and the nature of the competitive markets. To save the company from collapse, communication must be improved. IT facilities and services must also be embraced. Diverse methods of membership enrollment must also be devised, before making change in any of the company’s polices, stakeholders must be consulted. Presumptions should not be used to influence the decisions in the company. Other ventures undertaken by the company like the manufacturing of supplements must be designated to different management. Workers union should be formed to air the plights of the over twenty thousand employees. The staff employment mus t be on merit. Specialization and division of labor must be observed (Jeff, 2008). The world is rapidly being interconnected by the information and technology advancement. For Bally or any other organization to achieve progressive development, adoption of IT facilities should be prioritized. IT services will enable the company to be more efficient, cost reduction will be witnessed, enrollment of members online, to clearly stipulate and state the terms of membership so as no members will claim that he/she was duped. This will drastically reduce lawsuits, as there will be elaborate information to refer. Members enrolling must be making informed consent decisions to avoid ambiguity and vagueness as they later result to disgruntled members. IT facilities will make management easier as the connectivity of the various branches will enable the CEO to have first hand information on the events taking place. The marketing and advertising of the products manufactured by the company will have b een made easier. Software programs will also attract more members. A company’s website, which is easy to access, should be availed for access by all staffs, the diverse member groups, ands non-members. However, an IT revolution would be very expensive especially at such trying times. Communication seems to be the major problem in the management strategies. Customers are not elaborately explained to, on the terms and conditions of various contracts. Top managerial officials are resigning without prior notice. The management is also making important administrative decisions without notifying the shareholders consequently emerging a rift between the shareholders and the management. To solve the problem of communication, meetings involving all stakeholders should be held regularly to solve the arising issue and familiarize with one another. Active participation in debates should also be encouraged and opinions of all stakeholders should be noted and taken into account. Journals a nd articles should be regularly published to keep all members informed on the progress of the company. Openness and transparency must be emphasized to ensure all matters and issues are clearly understood. Being too open might nevertheless bring negative effects. Rivals might use this chance to dig information on the company’s future steps hence sabotaging the activities of the company. Professionalism on the side of the staff seems to be lacking. For a long time, the company has been violating the rights of the customers. Customers are said to have complained about the harassment and deception they have received from those collecting fees. The customer is the most important asset to any company. Therefore any staffs who mistreat a customer acts unprofessionally as his/her mandate and role is to serve the customer. The company officials had been reported and accused of unauthorized charging of members’ credit cards or dubious acts of debiting from members’ bank a ccount. To solve the problem, staffs must be employed on merit and their past conducted be verified. Public opinion and suggestions must be encouraged to enhance collective participation in the running of the company. The staffs must be made to sign binding contracts that prohibit resigning without notice. However, being too strict and placing much scrutiny on the employees would hurt their production capability. This might also discourage potential workers from seeking work in the company hence creating a deficit. The company must be cautious while making any expansion initiatives or any decisions that drains the resources of the company. Competition with rival groups should focus on quality service, products and satisfaction of the existing members. Ambitions for rapid expansion must be discouraged as this makes the company to enter into debts. Most of the rivals do not have as many patrons as Ball Total Fitness does yet they are recording more revenues than Bally. Concentration a nd resources should be directed towards the satisfaction of the existing customers. Diversification of products, services and membership enrollment should be boosted to offer the varying population different choices to choose from and in the process taking care of the needs of the majority. The company’s management should not panic because of the level of competition. Panicking would result to making hasty and over ambitious decisions that might turn against the company. However, being over cautions might make the company conservative and opposed to change hence lag behind (Hussey, 1998). Recommendation The management of Bally Total fitness must undergo an immediate managerial overhaul if the company wishes to remain competitive in the market. The shareholders who literally own the company must place the company under transition leadership as the posts of new managers are advertised. The policies and rules governing the company must be reconstructed to include the shareholder s in the management endeavors. Bally Total Fitness is an owner-operated company. Although the shareholders should not get over involved in the day-to-day running of the company as this would jeopardize the smooth execution of the affairs in the health club, no major decision should be undertaken without unanimous consent of the shareholders. Justification The company is under investigation on various allegations and the consumer Website has highlighted the way the company has violated consumer rights. The company is unable to announce its annual results after the auditors had resigned ands the management is clashing with the shareholders. To restore and cultivate new public relations, the company must redeem its image in the eyes of the public and be seen to be making changes so as to rectify past malpractices. Since the management bears the greatest responsibility in the scandal, new management would show the public that their well-being is being addressed. An overhaul of the leade rship pattern would give the organization a fresh look (Sadler Craig, 2003). Since the company has one of the largest membership bases, it would not be difficult to make progress with the new management. Reference List Hill, C., and Jones, G. (2010). Cases in Strategic Management: An Integrated Approach 9th ed. New York: Cengage Learning Hussey, D. (1998). Strategic Management: From Theory to Implementation. Oxford: Butterworth Heinemann. Jeff, C. (2008). Strategic Management. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publication Inc Sadler, P., and Craig, J. (2003). Strategic management. New York: Kogan Page Limited. Wells, J., and Raabe, E. (2008). Strategic Management: an integrated approach 9th edition. Boston: Harvard Business School Publishing. This report on Strategic Management in Bally Total Fitness was written and submitted by user Marianna Cline to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Platinum essays

Platinum essays Antonio de Ulloa discovered platinum in South America in 1735 and by Wood in 1741. Platinum is a silver-white metal that holds even more value then gold. Its atomic number is 78 and its mass is 195.08. It is also one of the heaviest metals. It is a transition metal and its electron configuration is [Xe ]6s14f145d9. This element has very unique properties, which make it valuable. First of all, it is very easily shaped. It can be shaped and working into almost every possible way, from thin wire too large sheets. Platinum is a solid whos melting point is 2045k and its boiling point is 4100k. The metal was used by pre-Columbian Indians. Platinum occurs native, accompanied by small quantities of iridium, osmium, palladium, ruthenium, and rhodium. These all belong to the same group of metals. The metal does not oxidize in air at any temperature. However, halogens, cyanides, sulfur, and caustic alkalis corrode it. Platinum resistance wires are used for constructing high-temperature elective furnaces. The metal is used for coating missile nose cones, jet engine fuel nossles, jewellry, thermocouple elements, electrical contacts, corrosion-resistant apparatus, in dentistry, sealed electrodes in glass systems, and so on. Platinum is an excellent catalyst, such as in catalytic converters for cars. ...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Destination Marketing and Management Assignment

Destination Marketing and Management - Assignment Example With globalization, competition between industry has increased to a great extend, and this has given rise to new destinations which are made affordable through effective marketing tools and strategies. In addition to the above, a new conceptual framework for competitiveness has been adopted by the tourism industry. This is because sustainable tourism can prove to be a key driver for the development of economic as well as social factors as long as it get delivered by an effective structures and strategies, and hence bringing together all resources of the relevant partners, the public, private and the voluntary groups (Terzibasoglu, 2010). Destinations are the most difficult entities in the process of market and manage and this is because of the complexity of the relationship between the local stakeholders. The marketing and managing of the destinations are also tough because of variety of stakeholders who are involved in the production and development of the tourism and products. The strategic aims are quite different from each other and often conflicting. Consumers however tends to experience a particular destination as total experience which comprises of the essence the resources of a particular region, services as well as products which tends to represents the personal and professional interest of people living as well as working in that particular destination (Dukic, 2009, p. 25). However, global competitiveness along with tourism concentration tends to create challenges as well as problems to create customer loyalty as well as sustainable competitive advantage in the tourism market. The issues are apparent mainly in the demand management and in the creation of images which are unique for particular tourist destinations. Tourism which has proved to be an economic activity has importance in the development of the national economy. Analysis and Evaluation There have been various discussions about the tourism literature particularly about the concept of destina tion. A standard and uniform definition of the term ‘destination’ has been said to be elusive as well as difficult to reach due to various implications and permutation which are associated with such an attempt. According to Pike, (2008) with the use of System approach and also supported by the consumption pattern of the destinations by the respective consumers, thus it can be argued that destination is termed as geographical space where a cluster of resources with respect to tourism exists and not any political boundary. It has been said that the system view of the tourism industry and the environmental scanning has affected the activities of the destination level and requires integrative and comprehensive approach with respect to management and marketing. But unfortunately the existing literature has defined and emphasised mostly on one aspect which tends to create challenge for the tourism industry. The scope and concept of destination management and marketing is well defined in the following figure. Figure 1: Destination Marketing and Management (Source: Wang & Pizam, p.6) Pike has identified three different types of organisations which are actively engaged in the destination management and marketing. They are known as DMOs who are mainly responsible for promotion, providing policy advices to the government agencies (Wang & Pizam, 2011, p.6). Strategic and tactical

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Christianity and Its Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Christianity and Its Development - Essay Example Some authorities hold the view that Galerius, rather than Diocletian, was the instigator of the persecution. "It is not without a deep moral significance," claims ProfessorWilliam Bright in The Age of the Fathers, "that the supreme effort of the pagan world-power to trample out the life of the Kingdom that is not of this world should bear the name of Diocletian, rather than of its true originator Galerius." Yet, even within the tetrarchy, Diocletian retained supreme control, as writer Stephen Williams asserts: "There is no doubt that Diocletian had control of every major policy in the Empire until 304, and has the major responsibility for the persecution until that date." Diocletian fell sick and eventually relinquished control in 305C.E. For some six years thereafter, the continuing persecution reflected Galerius' bitter hatred of all things Christian. These horrific events early in the fourth century confirm what had been predicted by the apostles Paul and Peter, as well as other inspired writers. The foretold "man of lawlessness,"the ruling clergy class of professed Christians, was already entrenched, as Diocletian's edicts, particularly the second, testify. (2Thessalonians 2:3,4; Acts 20:29,30; 2Peter 2:12) By the fourth century, apostate practices were already commonplace. Not a few professed Christians were members of the Roman army. Were there no Christians back then who were faithful to "the pattern of healthful words" received from the apostles Eusebius names some of the victims of the persecution, even graphically describing their torture, suffering, and eventual martyrdom. Whether all these martyrs died in integrity to the revealed truth available at that time, we cannot presently know. No doubt some had taken to heart Jesus' warnings to avoid sectarianism, immorality, and compromise of any sort. Evidently, some faithful ones who survived remained hidden from historic view. Indeed, so successful were the measures to stifle public Christian worship that a Spanish monument of the period hails Diocletian for having 'abolished the superstition of Christ.' Nevertheless, efforts to seize and destroy copies of the Scriptures, a key aspect of Diocletian's attack on Christianity, failed to wipe out God's Word completely. Unsuccessful in completely obliterating Christianity, Satan the Devil, the ruler of the world, continued his crafty acts through Emperor Constantine, who ruled from 306 to 337C.E. Pagan Constantine did not fight the Christians. Rather, he found it expedient to fuse pagan and Christian beliefs into a new State religion. Ever since then, the mixing of beliefs has caused many of the Christians to actually find the effect of the situation to have directly created measures of failure on their midst making their beliefs seem a bit blurry for the next generation that came after them. Nevertheless, there were those who remained in the faith ho knew tha t they needed to stick to what they know is right rather than accepting what is being taught of them to be right. This in itself is already a sense of persecution that is largely brought about by the division of the church.

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Human Resources And Organisational Development Essay

Human Resources And Organisational Development - Essay Example The company undertook aggressive expansion strategy by establishing budget clothing stores in malls and purchasing chains of travel agents. The company also created the â€Å"Montague† in honor of the founder of the company. 80 percent of the income was from the grocery business. Later, Mercury Consolidated acquired Smith’s and installed new managers with the objective of out competing Allworld Foods. Mercury Consolidated had initially embarked on similar strategies in New Zealand, France and South Africa. Allworld depended on other business lines like clothing, Montagues and travel to buffer the revenues when grocery business was declining. Smith’s ne management implemented new product mix and streamlined operations. Smith’s ventured in new markets Generation Y and Generation X. Within two years, Allworld dividends declined and employees expressed a lot of grievances with the management. Shareholders raised concerns of the remuneration of the management. According to the CEO, Lily Chambers, new a cultural shift was needed and was only possible to start at the top. The paper will discuss the need of changes in the organisational culture and processes in order to survive in the changing external environment. The paper will also analyze the current culture of Allworld and the desired culture. Lastly, the paper will offer recommendations that should be implemented in order to attain competitive strength and market share in the industry. Current organisational culture and desired organisational culture There are numerous reasons that may lead to failure of organisational market share. The decline in the market share can be... This report stresses that the CEO will then have to remove all the obstacles to the cultural changes. For instance, a review of performance evaluation methods, job descriptions and remuneration methods will assist in removing the hu8man obstacles to the cultural changes. The next step will involve creating short term wins. The short term wins are early indicators of the organisational cultural changes. The CEO should set time frames for the short term wins that could be like within a year. The early targets should be easy to achieve and may include low employee absenteeism. The management should then build on the short term win in order to ensure total organisational cultural changes. New product development and creativity should be the defining culture of Allworld. This essay makes a conclusion that the management of Allworld has relied on traditional aggressive pricing and advertising strategies to stay competitive in the market. There is evidence of poor management practices and lack of planning. Allworld lacks a contingency plan that can enable the company to effectively respond to urgent changes in the market. The management should change the values, assumptions and beliefs of the organisational culture. Scanning of the environment will enable Allworld to understand the competitive strengths and strategies of all the competitors. Allworld should conduct research on the changing customer needs since customers are no longer attracted to the low pricing strategy.

Friday, November 15, 2019

An Overview Of Ambulatory Surgery Centers Nursing Essay

An Overview Of Ambulatory Surgery Centers Nursing Essay An ambulatory surgery center is indication to the surgery that conducted without the need for overnight hospital stay. This term also recognized as outpatient surgery or same day surgery. This surgery in general not type of complicated surgery, it is simpler than the one which requiring hospitalization. This kind of ambulatory surgery is widely used in present time, where the cost of such surgery is low, simple and required less resources where for the inpatient it is essential to keep the patient in the hospital; that mean reserve bed for that patient in the hospital [1]. Another definition can be used here, that ambulatory surgery is the performance of planned surgical procedure with the patient being discharged on the same day [2]. The ambulatory surgery first found in 1909 by James Nicoll, a scottish surgeon, it was called by day case surgery. In 1912 Ralph Walter in the USA adopted this surgery type in the USA. It was unpopular until the 1960s and 1970s when the traditional surgeries became a bottleneck for most of the USAs Hospitals, where keeping the patient on holding list and admitted them in the hospital became more expensive, in addition the availability of beds decreased. Walter Reed introduced the ambulatory surgery to USAs hospital, since then patient manages improved significantly and rapidly with ensuring the patients fitness after discharge [2]. Ambulatory surgery form about 90% of all surgery performed nowadays in Canada and USA [6]. The day surgery can achieve high level of quality, cost effective and safe which lead to high level of patient satisfaction [6]. University of California at Los Angeles developed a hospital based on ambulatory surgery unit in 1962, then other units in the USA were op ened in 1966 At Gorge Washington university, until big number of ambulatory surgery is opened now in the USA and Canada [7]. Several associations created to developed a strategies and plans to adopt and improve the ambulatory surgery, one of these association is the Federated Ambulatory Surgery Association (FASA), this association founded in the USA since 1974, another 12 national association formed and become member of the International Association for Ambulatory Surgery (IAAS) [8] The advantages from ambulatory surgery system are varied in type, some of these advantages related to patient and their family and some related to the hospitals and the healthcare system as whole. Those advantages for the patient that they will receive more attention from the healthcare team, because the ambulatory surgery designed to serve that patient [9]. The ambulatory patient will return home after receiving the treatment, so it is better to well manage the day surgery units and provide the patient with treatment which allowed them to continue recovering at their family home environment. Small mistakes that could happen for inpatient will not occur to the ambulatory surgery patient, like missing drug or shot or give different medicine for patient, because in the ambulatory surgery patient is always having everything in plan and no mistakes there [10]. Day surgery is better for children than inpatient surgery where the children will not be separated from their family for long time. The children will be less stressful and feel more comfortable because they can join back their family after that surgery finish [11]. In the European Charter of Childrens Rights states that children should be admitted to hospital only if the care they require cannot be equally well provided at home or on a day basis [12]. Other main important advantage is that scheduling for ambulatory surgery is much easier and less complicated for registration. Furthermore the day surgery will not be cancelled because an emergency admission likes what happen to inpatient surgery. The recovery period for ambulatory surgery patient is faster than inpatient, this allowing to patient to return to the normal life sooner [13]. For the hospital the benefit is more in way of management way where the efficient for providing surgery and the flow is less risky where everything is scheduled and prepared without facing cancelation, this offer more utilization for the facility and resources and give the patient more booking choice [14]. All healthcare organizations are having problem with budgets and limit funds and the patient demand also increased at the same time, the new treatment way for making same day surgery operation is cutting down the cost and reduce the demand for saving beds and resources for inpatient who waiting their surgery to place; while the ambulatory surgery patient receiving high quality and effective treatment those inpatient having shortage sometimes because limitation and long scheduling [8]. (b) Discuss their evolution in the United State. The first found of ambulatory surgery was between 1864 and 1921 by James Nicoll while his working in Sick Childrens Hospital and Dispensary in Glasgow, Scotland. Most of his operation was on special condition like phimosis, mastoid disease, cleft palate and spina bifida that all were done in daily basis, where the children received treatment within the same day. James Nicoll reported that 8988 paediatric cases were success in 1909 [2]. Since that time to 1948 nothing changed and the ambulatory surgery did not change in the way to adopting it, in 1984 British Medical Journal reported that surgeon allows a patient to leave hospital within 14 days of an intestinal operation [15]. The idea was adopt by different surgery around the world but none designed a unit for ambulatory surgery, until 1962 when a hospital build a unit at the University of California at Los Angeles, USA based on Nicolls concept [16]. Another unit opened within USA at George Washington University in 1966, after that in 1968 another unit designed in Providence, Rhode Island [17]. Reed and Ford both opened their Surgicenter in Phoenix, Arizona in 1969; it was the first similar idea to what Nicolls units was [7]. In period between 1970s and 1980s a large number of day units opened in Canada, the USA, the UK and Australia and started reporting in medical journals the benefits of having day surgery and the procedures and the way of adopting them. The key elements of those publications were the quality, cost effectiveness and safety of these ambulatory surgeries, and they published in different places like Orkand Corporation in the USA, the Royal College of Surgeons of England and the Audit Commission in the UK and the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons of Australia [18-22]. Different association started to form in order to organize the work of ambulatory surgery units and deliver the new technique and methods to other units and maximize the benefit of having ambulatory unit attached to the hospital and separate surgery unit. Their Main goal is to promote quality standard expansion, education and research in the field of ambulatory surgery centers. The first foundation was the Society for the Advancement of Freestanding Ambulatory Surgery Centers (FASC) which now known as Federated Ambulatory Surgery Association (FASA), that association founded in the USA in 1974. Another 12 American association decided to form in 1995, and all become members of the International Association of Ambulatory Surgery Centers (IAAS) [8]. (c). How do ambulatory surgery centers influence healthcare delivery? In healthcare delivery system it is important to provide the patient with the appropriate treatment according to his/her case with high quality and effectively. The inpatient facing some difficulties in booking a date and time for his/her surgery and sometime they need to stay in the hospital for recovery, this amount of load on the hospital may lead to some mistake in healthcare delivery process where mostly happened in medication is. This scenario cost the hospital a lot of resources and dollars in order to fixing them, this misleading in manage the inpatient, most likely, not found in ambulatory surgery patient. The amount of accuracy the treatment deliver is high, moreover the quality and efficiency also acceptable. According to the nurse who their ages averages between 41 year in the UK and 45 in the USA, the ambulatory surgery unit is more attractive to them, where they need more time to spent with their family and the needs for weekend and overnight will decreasing. With fixed schedules for surgery in ambulatory surgery unit it gives the opportunity for nursing to work overtime with more efficiency and effectiveness. The efficiency of nurses in surgery is important where it cannot reach the highest value in the normal inpatient surgery which may be taken over night or weekend. [8]. According to the cost of inpatient surgery compared to the ambulatory surgery it can be significantly different, usually for inpatient surgery reserving bed for patient is important without knowing the period of time that patient need for recovery and weekend and night staff is necessary, these two facts added cost to the hospital where if it is ambulatory surgery the need for hospitalization time will be reduced and night/weekend staff is not required. In the ambulatory surgery units the time and staff are used more intensively and effectively. The average unit cost savings of between 10% and 70% is documented in case of having ambulatory surgery rather than inpatient surgery [8, 18]. The improvement of patient throughput is one of the advantages of having day surgery unit [14], another benefit is to provide an enhanced patient service in a cost effective manner [8]. For Children most cases are performed in ambulatory surgery unit, it is rule, unless it is necessary to consider them as inpatient. This will reduce the stress on the patient and their parents also elder people will recover fast in their home after having one day treatment in the hospital. The way of deliver the treatment in that way will improve the patient satisfaction and improve the efficiency of the healthcare [12]. If we consider the study of patient turnaround time and length of stay, these two measurements are good indicator of how effective is the healthcare treatment was, less length of stay is the case where we have ambulatory surgery unit working and the aim is to reduce the time that spend between starting the triage until the patient discharge. The quality of treatment is also a case where we need to consider less variability of process and high patient satisfaction, less autonomy is the key point in the ambulatory surgery units where everything is schedule and designed in way to have best treatment without mistakes. The load inside the hospital to reserve beds and prepare the beds, is major problem in present time where the demand is increased, the ambulatory surgery unit has fixed amount of resources and can server special cases (minor surgery) more efficient and effective. Inpatient surgery may facing a case where their scheduled surgery may canceled because emergency case come, the other cases can also be seen where the operation is canceled because lack of resources. Either case cannot be found in the ambulatory surgery units. All these leads to better quality, resources effective, cost effective, more satisfaction, time utilization and decrease the demands. (d). Describe the factors that impact the establishment of an ambulatory surgery center. Two main factors should be considered in order to establish a successful ambulatory surgery unit: It must provide operative service of high standards of quality and safety at least equal to those of inpatient care. It must be both patient and cost efficient such that it provide high levels of patient satisfaction and is financially sustainable. [8] The ambulatory surgery centers usually formed from different facilities in the hospital, each facility has it unique characteristic and because of this uniqueness the ambulatory surgery units has to fulfilled these need. In general there are four categories of facility: Hospital integrated facility: in this type of facility the patients of ambulatory surgery are treated in partial or total through the inpatient units. Self-contained unit on hospital site: in such units the ambulatory surgery is performed in separate units, units build only for one day surgery and they are total separate from inpatient units. Freestanding self-contained units: those units look like the units which existed in the hospital. Physicians office-based unit: this is a limited resource units it can operate small surgery. Several criterions can be used in designing the ambulatory surgery centers; one of these criterions is the surgical, there is wide range of procedures followed the surgery and attached to the operation. The resources needed and space for this kind of surgery is important factor effect establishing ambulatory surgery centers [8]. Other criterion is social, it is important criteria because the patient discharge to the environment, the social should be prepared for receiving patient and provides him/her with the suitable resources for recovering, and most of the cases the nurses asked the ambulatory surgery patient to keep the center updated to his/her status [8]. The patient age is another criterion affected the establishment of ambulatory surgery center, two ages range can benefits from ambulatory surgery centers the children and extreme ages [23]. Type of patient is also another factor, which patient is appropriate to considered as ambulatory surgery patient, if the patients need more attention they should be admitted as inpatient. (e). What are the challenges that hospitals face while implementing an ambulatory surgery center? Please (very briefly) describe them. As the demand on the ambulatory surgery increasing it is become necessary to discuss the challenges that facing the hospitals while implementing an ambulatory surgery center. It is important to identify these challenges and trying to control them to keep the quality and performance level high in the ambulatory surgery centers. Patient satisfaction is one of these difficulties that challenging the hospital to implementing the ambulatory surgery, it is hard to measure this amount of satisfaction and there is no certain baseline for this measure, but in general the patient is satisfied as long as that process goes as his/her expectation, which vary from patient to another according to their background and educations [24]. The productivity in the ambulatory surgery units can be measured using five types indicators [26]: Labor: because the nature of work in health care is based on labor, then the outcomes commonly represent service, with labor as input to the system the outcome could be clinic visits. Supplies: the output from this could be ambulatory surgery procedures. Equipment: Diagnostic tests are one of the possible outcomes. Facilities: that leads to home health and visits. Capital: Physical therapy treatments. One of the challenging is the ensuring employee motivation, with the amount of work they have in ambulatory surgery units the employee performance can be reduced by time, then the quality will be reduced because the employee is the key element here. In order to keep the employee as good as they could be, then one suggestion can be applying a Japanese management techniques happy employee is a productive employee. This idea has been discussed by Tabatabai in 1983 [27]. Another important terms is the motivation, the managers should provide the ambulatory surgery centers with a staff which motivate the employee during their works in that health care centers [26]. Improving the productivity of employee will not be separate from keeping the same level of quality or improving it, that is one of the challenges that facing the ambulatory surgery centers now days. The quality in the ambulatory surgery units should be taken from customers perspective, here the customers are both patient and physician; for example the waiting time from customers point of view is important and that duration should be very low. Scheduling is one of the problems in ambulatory surgery centers. All of the participants in health care (Patient, physician, and employee) should be prepared at the same time and processing the health care for same period of time, that is hard part to ensure the that load is distributed along the day, for some cases the maximum load at the morning and noon, but at midnight the load is less. Some engineering and system engineering tools and techniques are useful to solve this problem [26]. The number of outpatient and the patient in ambulatory is growing rapidly; the managers should manage the growing without direct them to another hospital or clinic is important strategy need very good management skills. That is one of difficulties that facing the ambulatory surgery centers. The challenging can be summarized as follow: Scheduling which can be happened because the numbers of patient is growing so fast and the need for good scheduling. Motivation: the employee performance is reducing while the number of patient is increasing and in the nearly future the needs for new strategy to motivate the employee. Patient satisfaction: with the number of patient increasing the number of different type of surgery in ambulatory surgery will increase. The need to standardized the procedure is growing. (f).Briefly illustrate the role of Industrial and Systems Engineering or Operations Management tools such as total quality management, process mapping, scheduling, etc., in establishing an effective and efficient ambulatory surgery center using at least two case studies or applications based on the literature. In the ambulatory surgery center the quality is essential rule to keep the performance and outcomes at acceptable level, also customer satisfaction is important in way to provide him/her with the wide range of treatment they required. At this step a continuous improvement and evaluation tools are the key element for ambulatory surgery centers to survive. A study suggested having a clinical indicators and acceptable thresholds that are relevant to daily practice, that will lead to easy measured and analyze the process parameters [25]. Modeling and simulation tool is good in way to provide the managers and the leader of ambulatory surgery units with virtual units where they can check the effect of increasing the demand on this type of surgery, where the most of hospital are looking to move their minors surgery to be done in separate units and leave the operation theater for the cases which need high attention and care. Enterprise-management tools, other useful tools to manage the ambulatory surgery units the idea is that units need to be managed as subsystem of the biggest system (Hospital). The interaction between hospital and ambulatory surgery units can provide these units and hospital with large amount of information of different cases and symptom that comes daily to the ambulatory surgery units and emergency department. In general industrial and system engineering tools can help the ambulatory surgery centers in different way, decrease the cost by decreasing the length of stay for patient: because most of the cases in the day surgery unit is normal and repeatable surgery (most of them are easy not complicated surgery) then the procedure can be standardized, this standardization will reduce the cost by removing the unnecessary process from the units. It is know that the nature of hospital is not same and there is high level of variation between different cases, this problem can be reduced in th e ambulatory surgery centers. Any engineering and system tools or techniques can be very useful in ambulatory surgery centers, in mean of the capabilities of providing the patient with excellent treatment within short period of time, both will result to patient satisfaction and improving the patient recovery time after leaving the ambulatory surgery centers, and also reduce the cost on ambulatory surgery center by reducing the number of employee and resources needed, because the good engineering tools mean less waste and more efficiently for both employee and resources. It can be summarized into following points: Decreased salaries expense by reducing the staffing requirements. Greater patient satisfaction through reduced waiting times. Increases employee satisfaction because workload is evenly distributed and activity levels do not create a hurry up and wait environment. Increases physician satisfaction because operations are more efficient and patients are more satisfied.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Reduce,Reuse and Reclycle Essay

Practicing these three steps (Reduce, Reuse and Recycle) helps us lessen the environmental impact that manufacturing and distributing products have on our environment. Reducing waste is the most effective 3 R practice, because it means not producing unnecessary waste in the first place – So there is zero impact on the environment. If we reduce what we buy and use in the first place and reuse wherever possible, fewer things need to be recycled and the amount of waste we produce will fall. The next best is Reuse, because it extends the life of a product. That item still had to be made but it is used over and over, reducing the need to make new stuff. Recycling in the end is the reprocessing of materials. It helps reduce pollution caused by waste and the need of raw material so that rainforests can be preserved. BENEFITS: We are going to give you some tips and practical examples how to save money, energy and the environment. 1. Do not waste food, make sure that you buy what you are going to consume, give leftovers to your pets or discard them in a responsible way. (Environmental friendly). 2. Grow your own vegetable, fruits, and flowers. 3. When you leave a room always turn the lights off – Do not forget to switch off all the electrical equipment’s, turn down your emersion heater. 4. Instead of using dishwasher, wash dishes by hands from the sink 5. Always turn the tap off when you wash your teeth. You do not need the tap running when you are brushing your teeth. 6. Instead of buying a lot of books, you can borrow from the library or charity shops. 7. Do not automatically get rid of your old newspaper; use it in place of paper towels to clean glasses and mirrors. Shred it to make packaging materials, use it as a fire starter. 8. Reuse junk mail envelops for your own mail. Just put a label over the see through window or if the envelop has a bar code at the bottom, run a black marker through it. 9. Do not dump water you use to cook vegetable; water your plants with it. 10. Use the public transport (trains, undergrounds) rather than cars to reduce pollution. ADVANTAGES OF RECYCLING: Recycling uses much less energy than producing new materials from scratch. This means less fossil fuel is burnt and less greenhouse gas is emitted. The vast majority of materials collected from your doorstep are recycled and used in the UK. This means less fuel is used to export waste and import new materials. Recycling helps to reduce pollution, Co2 emissions caused by waste and preserve natural resources for futures generations. Recycling is one of the best ways for you to have a positive impact on the planet in which we live. It is so important to both, the natural environment and us (Human beings). N. B: However, recycling still creates some pollution because it is an industrial process. That’s why â€Å"Reduce and Reuse† are the most important of the 3 R practice. Did you know? Recycling Aluminium uses only five per cent of the energy and emissions needed to make it from raw materials. Each year in the UK, we go through over 1. 2 million Tonnes of electrical waste. (That’s the equivalent of 150 Thousand double decker buses). Prevention is better than cure as the doctors say. Therefore, we must act fast as the amount of waste we create is increasing all the time. We are going to conclude our topic with this wise and pertinent citation of Margaret Mead: â€Å"Never doubt a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. †

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Willowbrook

I am going to begin this essay discussing some of the ways the human Services field has changed with the developmental disibilities. I am going to discuss ways it has changed from training classes that I have went to and learned from. Back many many years ago, people with disabilities were looked at in a totally different way then they are today. Today individuals with developmental disabilities are taken very good care of and are watched very closely. Back in the 1930s there was a place called Willowbrook that was built and was a state run facility for individuals with developmental diabilities. Willowbrook was in the Willowbrook neighborhood in Staten Island, NY. It was opened in the 1930s and closed in 1987. Willowbrook was orginally degisned for 4,000 individuals but eventually ib 1965 it had more than 6,000 individuals. In 1965 it was the biggest state run facility for individuals with developmental disibilites. It was a very bad place for these individuals due to questionable medical practices and experiments. Sen. Robert Kennedy even called it a â€Å"snake pit†. In the first decade that it was open individuals were getting hepatitis, it became very common. Most of the individuals developed some type of hepatitis within the first 6 months. In 1965 when the population was over 6,000 individuals Senator Robert Kennedy toured the facility. It was very overcrowed at this time with 2,000 more individuals than the building was designed for. Senator Robert Kennedy gave some recommendations for improving the conditions after he seen they were â€Å"living in filth and dirt, their clothing in rags, in rooms less comfortable and beerful than the cages in which we put animals in a zoo†. Many of the individuals who lived there were abondoned by their families, foster care, and or other system agencies. In 1972 Geraldo Rivera who was an investigative reporter in New York did some investigation. During his investigations he found â€Å"deplorable conditions†. The deplorable conditions were â€Å"overcrowding, inadequate sanitary facilities, and physical and sexual abuse†. Rivera then went onto the Dick Cavett Show and showed some film of indiviuals that lived at the school. On March 17, 1972 a class action law-suit against New York State was filed in federal court. A settlement was not reached until May 5, 1975. It took several years before all of the violation were corrected. Due to the publicity of the case their is now a federal law called the Civil Right of Institutionalized Persons Act of 1980. In 1983 there were plans to close Willowbrook made by the the state of New York. In 1974 it was renamed Staten Island Develpmental Center. By March 1986 the population was at 250. On September 17, 1987 the last individual left the facility. While I was in a training class for my current job, we had to watch a video by Geraldo Rivera about Willowbrook. The conditions named above were so true but reading about it sounds good compared to actually seeing how these individuals actually had to live. Not only were these individuals already abandoned by their loved ones now they had to live in terrible conditions.

Friday, November 8, 2019

People Attitude about Green Computing

People Attitude about Green Computing According to OECD (2006), the demand for information technology keeps rising every day. Information technology is termed as the driver of business activities in economies. Business information technology tools are needed to enhance business operations in different organizations.Advertising We will write a custom thesis sample on People Attitude about Green Computing specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The rise in demand for information technology products causes firms to invest hence producing information technology tools to help in meeting the demand in the market. Technology keeps changing at a fast pace. What is considered to be an efficient technology today maybe be seen as an archaic technology within a short span of time. This necessitates a continuous process of inventing information technology products. Several generations of information technology products have been developed since the beginning of the 20th century (Information Resources Management Association Khosrowpour, 2001). The 21st century has seen another revolution in the information technology infrastructure. New information technology products keep entering the market (Cerasale Stone, 2004). Yoshida (2010) observed that different types of materials are used in the manufacture of information technology devices. Materials used for manufacturing these products and the manner in which they are used have an enormous impact on the environment (Kuehr Williams, 2003). Information and communication tools are listed among the notable green gas emitters. This is because of the high number of such products which exist in the global market (Smith, 2009). The impacts of information technology products on the environment have been categorized into three groups. These include the first order impacts, second order and third order effects. The first category is composed of the direct effects of the information technology products on the environment. The effect s range from the stage of manufacturing down to the stage of consumption. The second order effects are indirect. They develop from the first order effects. Third effects come as a result of the continued demand for information technology in the global economy (Houghton, 2003). The use of green computers is a trending subject. There is widespread advocacy for the enhancement of the use of green technology. Green computers are effective in maintaining a green environment through the use of environmental friendly materials. Australia falls among the industrialized countries of the world. Therefore, the demand for information and communication technology is accelerating (Houghton, 2003).Advertising Looking for thesis on computer science? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Many people keep using computers and related devices without considering their effects to the environment. A survey of Australian universities shows that a high number of students use computers. However, most of them are not familiar with the risks that are posed during the use and disposal of the computers. This is also reflected in other places like offices and institutions where computers are used (Australian Government, 2007; Landwehr, 2005). Houghton, Steele Henty (2003) observed that computers are listed among products that emit green gases to the environment. Computers also account for a high percentage of energy consumption in the world. Approximately, 90% of Australians use computers in offices and at home (John, 2006). Sustainable use of computers is considered as one of the preferred mechanisms of minimizing the effects of information technology on the environment (Friedewald Raabe, 2011). Effective disposal of computers and computer parts that utilize environmentally hazardous substances is given as an option for sustainable use of computers. Several policy guidelines on safe disposal and recycling of computers are bein g developed. Computing devices, which use less energy, have been introduced in the market (Deng Williams 2008). Studies about computer use in the United States show that computers are part and parcel of human life. They aid in the accomplishment of a wide range of tasks. Computers are seen as part of human life. This means that people cannot work well without the support of computers. Computers are found in all forms of organizations, in the United States. Computers are widely found among all population groups. The United States has been in the limelight for a long time for failing to lead the way in the conservation of the environment. The country leads in terms of the wide use of computers and other information technology devices.Advertising We will write a custom thesis sample on People Attitude about Green Computing specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More However, pressure has piled, forcing the country to adopt environmental protectio n certifications. The concern for the environment in the United States has shown commendable growth. Most Americans understand the human and environmental dangers that come with the use of computers. They understand the market and the need to purchase computers that adhere to the codes of sustainable environment (Seitz, 2011). Hong Kong is among the countries that are undergoing economic transformation. The demand for information technology in the country is growing. Green computing in Hong Kong is a dominant subject among the consumers of information technology. Companies are busy setting up information and communication technology. This has increased the demand for computers in Hong Kong. Information technology experts embrace the concept of green computing. This is based on the concerns that are raised by the people of Hong Kong. Green computing technology is attained through three approaches. These include social responsibility, environmental protection, and economic progress (C how Chen, 2009). References Australian Government. (2007). Managing the environmental impact of information and communications technology (ICT). Sydney: Australian Government Press. Cerasale, M. V., Stone, M. (2004). Business solutions on demand: Transform the business to deliver real customer value. London: Kogan Page. Chow, W. S., Chen, Y. (2009). Intended Belief and Actual Behavior in green computing in Hong Kong. Journal of Computer Information Systems, 50(2), 136-141. Deng, L., Williams, E. (2008). Measures and trends in energy use of semiconductor manufacturing. Web.Advertising Looking for thesis on computer science? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Friedewald, M. Raabe, O. (2011). Ubiquitous computing: An overview of technology impacts. Telematics and Informatics, 28(2), 55-65. Houghton, J. W. (2003). Australian ICT Industries Update 2003, Australian Computer Society and Victoria University, April 2003. Web. Houghton, J. W., Steele, C., Henty, M. (2003). Changing Research Practices in the Digital Information and Communication Environment. Department of Education, Science and Training: Canberra. Information Resources Management Association., Khosrowpour, M. (2001). Managing information technology in a global environment. Hershey, PA: Idea Group Publishing. John, W. H. (2006). Innovation in ICT: A changing landscape. Telecommunications Journal of Australia, 56(2), 1-6. Kuehr, R., Williams, E. (2003). Computers and the environment: understanding and managing their impacts. Kluwer: Dordrecht. Landwehr, C. E. (2005). Green Computing. Security Privacy Magazine, 3(6), 3-3. OECD. (2006). Information and Communications Technology Outlook 2006. OECD: Paris. Seitz, V. (2011). Attitudes Toward Green Computing In The US: Can They Change? Web. Smith, T. (2009). Challenging the chip: from cleanup to sustainability. 9th Asia-Pacific NGO Environmental Conference (APNEC 9), 20–21 November. Kyoto: Japan. Yoshida, F. (2010). Information and communication technology and environmental issues. Environmental Economics and Policy Studies, 12 (3), 133-138.

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Bulgaria

Since its establishment in 681AD, Bulgaria has been the object of aspirations of many powerful nations. Bulgarias fertile lands, beautiful mountains, and dense network of fast flowing rivers have been the cause of many wars whose purpose was to control those valuable resources. Another factor that contributed towards the interest of other nations in the territory of Bulgaria was its strategic position. Founded in the heart of the Balkan Peninsula, Bulgaria functioned as a political, commercial and cultural bridge between Europe and Asia. Every trade route that was established between the nations of Europe and Asia passed through the territory of Bulgaria. It controlled the trade and the flow of ideas and was influenced by the trends in architecture, construction and arms. Due to its strategic position, Bulgaria was the fastest growing state in Europe. Its economic achievements attracted pioneers from many different states. The increase of the population brought many different individuals with different ideas of ruling the country. Eventually the land was divided into parts and every part had its ruler. This division of the country made it vulnerable to the number of barbarian tribes and other nations who were equally interested in establishing control over the land. As a result, Bulgaria fell under Byzantine rule at the beginning of eleventh century and after that under Ottoman rule at the end of the fourteenth century. The lack of kinship and unwillingness to act as a unit has been a national characteristic of the Bulgarians. Unfortunately after many years of suffering the people of Bulgaria have not learned their lesson yet. In my opinion, the biggest and most destructive social problem of my country, Bulgaria, has been the lack of national identity and the lack of desire to participate as a team. Although the citizens are Bulgarians in terms of their religion, culture and language, it is very unlikely to se...

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Assignment 1 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 24

1 - Assignment Example American economic growth is, hence, evident due to the rise in per capita income and increased pool for taxation. Obama applauded American troop’s mission in Iraq and Afghanistan for great success. The troops were returning home to serve and help boost Homeland security. The president remarked the growing economy, reducing debts and the nation’s success to a rise from the collapse. He challenged the citizens to commit and support the State in generating more income and creating more employment opportunities. The president explained following as the necessities of a middle-class economy. First, the economy needs to help working families to feel more secure in a transforming world in terms of healthcare provision and general welfare (The White House 1). Secondly, the economy should strive to ensure the citizens maintain earning higher wages through affordable and free education systems. Finally, the economy should generate high-wage jobs that solve the unemployment issues. The state of union, according president Obama’s speech on January 20, is strong. The White House (Office of the Press Secretary). Remarks by the President in State of the Union Address January 20, 2015.web. January 27, 2015.

Friday, November 1, 2019

Business law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 21

Business law - Essay Example What happened before filing of the suit is that the plaintiff had been ordered to do the work anew. This plaintiff did not do wholly but only did part since reconstruction would require demolition of thee whole structure. The plaintiff went ahead and asked for payment for which the defendant denied. This denial of payment thus led to Jacob and Young Inc. to filing this suit. Here, the courts had to resolve whether the defendant’s argument was feasible. This is because the plaintiff had presented evidence that the materials used in construction were of the same quality as that the client had specified although not from the manufacturer the client had stipulated. The court finally decided for the plaintiff after judging that the materials used in construction were in fact of the standard quality the client had specified although from a different manufacturer. The decision was affirmed in whole. The rule of law is that â€Å"If the difference in value is greater than measure of allowance, then compensation is to be given.† (Shourie, 50). The court reached its decision by looking at the plaintiff’s facts and ruled that they were