The Challenge Facing Managed Care Organizations

The greatest challenge for managed care organizations (MCOs) in our current time is how to obtain lower priced medical fees. As we all know, American health care should essentially be a nonprofit enterprise. However, the privatization of American health care holds that health care in general and hospitals in particular are increasingly operating on a for-profit basis. In fact, the for-profit hospital sector has accounted for a relatively constant share (about 15 percent) of hospital beds over the last twenty years (Morrisson, 1999). This is why recently the U.S. Congress tries to push more â€Å"consumer-directed† health plan options to avoid cash-strapped managed care organizations (MCOs) to boost their deductibles, raise premiums and even defy federal law by authorizing policy holders to buy prescription drugs from low-cost vendors in Canada (Smith, 23 September 2004). Managed care organizations (MCOs) often apply the traditional fee-for-service models, which do not provide adequate financial controls and utilization incentives for physicians and hospitals to contain the costs of providing healthcare. Under managed care, the needs of the patients are balanced with efforts to provide cost-effective care. Typically, MCOs enroll subscribers by promising to provide all necessary medical care in exchange for a fixed monthly premium. The MCO also contracts with hospitals, physicians, and other healthcare providers to dispense the necessary medical care to its enrollees at a discounted reimbursement rate. In exchange for accepting reduced fees, the caregivers gain access to the MCO’s enrolees (Kirby, Sebastian & Hornberger, 1998). A problem with managed care is that employers who offer a health maintenance organization (HMO) to their employees often pay the premium as long as the HMO premium was not higher than the fee-for-service premium. This behavior by employers creates distorted incentives for the HMO in controlling its costs. Enthoven (1993) suggested that this incentive distortion can be corrected when employers design better alternatives for their employer contributions. The employer could contribute a fixed-dollar amount for health insurance with the employee paying the full difference between plans. The greater the portion of the marginal premium paid by the employees is, the stronger the incentive is to choose lower-cost plans. For example, if the employer pays 80 percent of the premium and the employee pays the remainder, then the employee pays only 20 percent of the difference between the low (let’s presume here) HMO premium and the higher fee-for-service premium. HMOs and other managed care arrangements are organized on a prepayment basis that appear in a wide variety of forms. An HMO could hire physicians on a salary, contract with a preexisting group practice of physicians, or contract with physicians who maintain a fee-for-service practice. According to Luft (1991), â€Å"Because specific social, legal, historical, political, and economic aspects of the medical care environment have shaped delivery systems such as the HMO, it is not reasonable to expect that the typical HMO could be transplanted intact to another country† (p. 173). The key to HMO cost savings is the organization’s wide range of medical services, both inpatient and outpatient. In this way, the HMO can receive the cost savings implied by reduced hospital use. This may be difficult to manage in systems where there are separate financing mechanisms for primary care physicians and inpatient care. As Luft (1991, p. 180) remarks. â€Å"If there were no way to shift funds from the ‘hospital side’ to the ‘physician side,’ it would be difficult to reward clinical decision makers for the development of more cost-effective practice styles.† This is why three areas appear to offer a magnitude of opportunities where MCOs can assist patients, these are ambulatory care, mental health and the alternative therapies. Firstly, ambulatory care-sensitive conditions reflect the quality and availability of primary care services, since they are readily treatable without the need for hospitalization. There are differences in the hospitalization rate for ambulatory care sensitive conditions. Shenkman et al. (2005) had indicated that specialty ambulatory care is important for many children with chronic conditions. However, access to such care may be constrained within managed care environments. The use of primary care providers (PCPs) as gatekeepers for managed care organizations (MCOs) is one commonly used strategy to control specialty care use. Studies of the impact of gatekeeping on children's receipt of specialty care have resulted in mixed findings. Some studies found more specialty care use in gatekeeping MCOs, compared with non-gatekeeping MCOs. Other researchers found that the replacement of a gatekeeping system with an open-access model increased specialty visits among a group of children with chronic conditions. Although the focus on gatekeeping in general yields some important information, MCOs use many other strategies concomitantly with their PCP gatekeepers, such as capitated payments, financial incentives, and prior authorization procedures. The use of these concomitant strategies may meet the unique needs of children with chronic conditions, including their need for specialty physician care. On the other hand, managed care had been significant contributor on delivery systems for mental health services. Taylor et al. (2001) had indicated that direct and indirect persuasion to provide more cost-effective treatments has been one consequence. The cost-saving qualities and the effectiveness of group interventions have produced clear expectations for an increased use of therapy groups. In the research of Taylor et al. (2001), they compared perceptions and uses of group treatments on a national sample of managed care organizations and mental health providers. Implications of differences and similarities between directors of managed care organizations and treatment providers are examined and discussed across five response categories (familiarity/training perceived effectiveness, likelihood of reimbursement/referral, daily use and expectation for future use). Taylor et al (2001) favored the approach where MCOs calibrate treatment referral/reimbursement decisions. Recently published comparison outcome studies and meta-analyses can and should empirically guide the present treatment delivering systems. Lastly, many managed care organizations have already begun to integrate complementary and alternative medical therapies (CAM) with conventional medical providers. Medical practitioners are obligated to assess CAM therapy with patients. Alternative therapies require professionals to rethink staff competency, patient assessment, and patient-focused care. Medical leaders must understand CAM trends and therapies to better integrate these concepts into health care policy, standards of care, and ethical decisions (Parkman, 2001). Among ambulatory care and mental health care, alternative therapies, or CAM, offers the most favorable and cost-efficient strategy for MCOs. This is because the aging â€Å"baby boom† generation is beginning to experience chronic but non-life threatening conditions, such as joint pain, headaches and menopause-related complaints and they are willing to explore options other than prescription drugs. For health plans, the attraction of offering alternative care products lies in retaining and attracting new members, diversifying their services from competitors in a congested managed care market and in attempts to address current or proposed state mandates (West, 1997). In 1997 alone, expenses for professional services were $21.2 billion, a 45% increase over the earlier 1990 data. Expenses for professional services, herbals, vitamins, diet products, books, and classes totaled $27 billion. Five surveys conducted since 1990 have reported frequent use of CAM, ranging from 30% to 73% by patients suffering from conditions such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, arthritis, HIV and AIDS, multiple sclerosis, and chronic musculoskeletal pain. Furthermore, the demand for CAM by the general public is increasing, despite the fact that its use is largely paid by consumers without coverage by third-party payers. In 1997, Americans spent an estimated $13 billion for visits to CAM providers and an additional $2 billion for commercial diet supplements and over-the-counter megavitamins (Pelletier & Astin, 2002). Managed care should not only focus on cost savings, but they should also look into diversifying their services. MCOs have generally contributed to the decline in the U.S. health cost growth rate. Their potential will continue to be limited to the extent that employers fail to offer true financial advantages to consumers who choose the low-cost health plans. Thus, more reforms in the policies should be reviewed and revised so that more people could benefit from the quality health care everyone deserves. References Enthoven, A.C. (1993). The History and Principles of Managed Competition. Health Affairs, supplement, 24-48. Kirby, E.G., Sebastian, J.G. and Hornberger, K.D. (1998, Jan/Feb). The Effect of Normative Social forces on Managed Care Organizations: Implications for Strategic management/Practitioner Response. Journal of Healthcare Management. 43(1):81-106. Luft, H. (1991). Translating the U.S. HMO Experience to Other Health System. Health Affairs 10:172-186. Morrison, I. (1999). Health Care in the New Millennium. NY: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Parkman, C. (2001, February). Alternative Therapies Are Here to Stay. Nursing Management, 32(2): 36-40. Pelletier, K.R. and Astin, J.A. (2002, Jan/Feb). Integration and Reimbursement of Complementary and Alternative Medicine by Managed Care and Insurance Providers: 2000 Update and Cohort Analysis. Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, 8(1): 38-44. Shenkman, E., Tian, L. and Schatz, D. (2005, June). Managed Care Organization Characteristics and Outpatient Specialty Care Use Among Children With Chronic Illness. Pediatrics, 115(6): 1547-1555. Smith, C. (2004, Spetember 23). Senate Panel Examines Health Care Choices, Insurance Costs. Knight Ridder Tribune. Taylor, N.T., Burlingame, G.M., Kristensen, K.B., Fuhriman, A. et al. (2001, April). A Survey of Mental Health Care Provider's and Managed Care Organization Attitudes Toward, Familiarity With, and Use of Group Interventions. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 51(2): 243-264. West, D. (1997, November 10). MCOs Integrating Alternative Care. National Underwriter, 101(45): 58.   

Hezbollah Essay

Hezbollah, Arabic for â€Å"Party of God†, is also known as Islamic Jihad for the Liberation of Palestine, the Organization of the Oppressed on Earth and as the Revolutionary Justice Organization (Global Security, p. 1). Hezbollah (also Hizbullah and Hizballah) is a Lebanese social, political and paramilitary organization founded in 1982. Hezbollah’s historical and political background was the Israeli Defense Force’s presence in Lebanon (1982-2000), the Lebanese Civil War (1979-1990) and the plight of Arab Palestinians, many of whom had fled to Lebanon, where their presence â€Å"changed the historical balance between Muslims and Christians† (Bennett, 2005, p. 214). In the war, Lebanon’s various religious communities vied for power and Hezbollah was established as by Shi’a to strengthen their traditionally weak political position, with help from Iran and Syria. Committed to making Lebanon an Islamic state, to the liberation of Israeli occupied territory (which it claims means dismantling the Israeli state) Hezbollah was named a terrorist organization by the USA in 1994. One scholar describes the organization, which has seats in Parliament and in the Cabinet, runs a large social welfare program, as â€Å"a moderate, mainstream political party† (Harik, 2007, p. xiv). Harik says that Hezbollah â€Å"is considered a legitimate resistance force all over the Arab and Muslim worlds† (p. 7).   Azani discusses Hezbollah as a â€Å"social protest movement† (2009, p. 1). This raises the question whether the US is correct to label Hezbollah a â€Å"terror organization† and why it does so?   Harik says that no one has ever proved that Hezbollah has ever attacked a civilian (p. xiv) or that it was responsible for attacks on US personnel (p. 193). In responding to these questions, what follows examines the history of the organizations, its aims, programs and activities and why the US regards it as a terrorist organization. The Shi’a in Lebanon Modern Lebanon was created after World War I, when the Great Powers defeated the Ottoman Empire and divided the Middle East among themselves as League of Nations mandates. These newly created states were to be given independence when they were considered ready for self-determination. The Lebanon became a French mandate. Lebanon was religiously diverse, with Christians in a small majority, followed by Sunni Muslims, followed by the Shi’a. Under four centuries of Ottoman rule, the Shi’a were suspected being Iran’s fifth column. Consequently, the community was â€Å"impoverished and underdeveloped† (Norton, 2009, p. 12). Under the French, an attempt was made to share power between the main communities. The Marionite were given the Presidency, the Sunni the office of Prime Minister, which left the Shi’a with the Speakership, a â€Å"position with far weaker constitutional powers† (Norton, p. 12). This was based on the 1932 census, which, says Norton, was â€Å"the last official census ever conducted in Lebanon† (p. 12). This arrangement continued after independence in 1943. The Shi’a community in Beirut was very small; most lived in the south and in the Beqaa valley. Azani says that the â€Å"political awakening† of the Shi’a began in the 1960s and 1970s, led by Imam Musa al-Sadr, â€Å"a Shiite cleric with the characteristics of a religious and political leader.† Born in Iran to a Lebanse family he studied at the great centers of Shi’a learning (p. 48). From 1959, al-Sadr was Mufti of Tyre and â€Å"in less than two decades he succeeded, with strenuous activity, charisma and high rhetorical ability, in organizing the Shi’a community, characterized for hundreds of years by passivity and isolationalism, and in mobilizing it into collective activity for the realization of social and political goals† (pp. 48-49). The influx of Palestinian refugees into South Lebanon upset the traditional power of the Shi’a elite in the region. The increasing politicization of Shi’a leaders in Iran impacted their role in Lebanon. From the 1970s, the number and influence of clerics increased, with al-Sadr and the future founder of Hezbollah, Sheikh Muhammad Hussein Fadlallah, leading a movement that wanted to bring about an Islamic revolution in Lebanon, following the Iranian revolution of 1979. The Lebanese Civil War and the founding of Hezbollah On the one hand, the Shi’a in Lebanon were finding their political voice, encouraged by co-religionists in Iran. On the other hand, the security situation in Lebanon was deteriorating. The tradition of good relations between communities was breaking down with Christians being depicted as pro-Israeli, while Muslims were aligned with the Palestinian cause. April 13, 1973 a Christian paramilitary group ambushed a Palestinian bus in retaliation for the killing of a Christian earlier that day (Bennett, 2005, pp. 213-5). Fighting began between different communities, Sunni, Christian, Druze and Shi’a. In 1976, unable to stop the fighting the President asked the Syrians and other Arab leaders to â€Å"end the war.† Bennett remarks that as a result of the civil war, the word â€Å"Shia† entered the Western vocabulary (p. 215). The revolution in Iran would reinforce the word’s presence in the media. It was in the context of the civil war that Hezbollah was founded. The Palestinian Liberation Army was raiding Israel from across the border. Al-Sdar mysteriously disappeared in August 1978 (Norton, 2009, p. 29). This led to Israel invading Lebanon in June 1982, and to Hezbollah’s formation. From the start, committed to liberating Palestine, Hezbollah also raided across the border. However, its immediate aim was to end Israel’s presence in Lebanon. Between spring 1983 and the summer of 1985, Hezbollah â€Å"launched an unprecedented wave of suicide bombings which included an attack on the US Embassy and US Marine branches in Beirut in October 1983 and the US Embassy annex in Beirut in September, 1984† followed by the taking of Western hostages, according to Global Security (p. 1). Hezbullah’s Aims and Structure The organization’s Consultative Council has 12 senior scholars at its head and a Directing Council under its Secretary-General.. The organization’s charter sets out three objectives: 1. to expel the Americans, the French and their allies definitely from Lebanon, putting an end to any colonial entity. 2. to submit the Phalanges [Christian militia] to a just power and bring them all to justice for the crimes they have committed against Muslims and Christians. 3. to permit all the sons of [Lebanese] people to determine their future and to choose in all liberty the form of government they desire. [Hezbollah] call[s] upon them all to pick the option of an Islamic government, which alone is capable of guaranteeing justice and liberty for all. Only an Islamic regime can stop any further attempts at imperialist infiltration (Richardson, 2006, pp. 83-4). Hezbollah and Israel From 1978, a UN force was deployed in Lebanon to oversee the withdrawal of Israeli forces under Security Council Resolution 425. However, it was not until 2000 that Israeli troops were completely withdrawn. Until then, Hezbollah carried out attacks on Israelis targets. After the withdrawal, Israeli continued to launch missile strikes and raids into Lebanon and Hezbullah â€Å"in retaliation, launched rocket attacks in Northern Israel on an almost regular basis† (Bajpai, 2006, p. 594). According to Global Security, Hezbollah â€Å"operates against Israel in four main way†: 1. brimging terrorists and collaborators through the border crossings usinf foreign documents. 2. setting up a terrorist organization inside Israel and Judea, Samaria and the Gaza strip. 3. cross-border operations – smuggling weapons and terrorists 4. financial support for Palestinian organixzations and groups. Others do not use the word â€Å"terrorist† but represent Hezbullah’s activities as legitimate resistance to Israel, which has defied UN Resolutions to withdraw from all occupied territory. Bajpai writes, â€Å"even after its formal withdrawal from Southern Lebanon in 2000, Israel engaged in frequent military incursions† (p. 594). In 2004, the UN called for the disbanding and disarming of all Lebanese militia (Resolution 1559). However, in the elections of 2005, Hizbollah won 14 seats (out of 128), and was awarded 2 cabinet posts. By 2008, Hizbollah had eleven out of thirty cabinet seats (Council on Foreign Relations, p. 1). In the 2009 election, it lost a seat but still received 10 seats in the 30 members Cabinet. Hartik says that Christians have supported Hezbollah, which makes it harder for â€Å"its enemies to float the fundamentalist stereotype of a raging gang of religious fanatics whose main aim was to put enemies of the faith to the sword† (p. 79). Other Christians are outspoken in criticizing Hezbollah as the stooge of Syria and Iran and as setting itself up as a state within the state (Azani, p. 231). As well as carrying out military or terrorist action, depending on the commentator’s perspective, it spends millions on welfare and education work, funded by Iran. In 2006, Hezbollah’s operatives crossed the Israeli border and captured two IDF soldiers. This came a month after Palestinian operatives had captured an Israeli soldier (Global Security, p. 1). In response, a 34-day war followed during which Israel launched air strikes, killing â€Å"56 citizens including 37 children† (Bajpai, 594). As a result of this war and Hezbollah’s resistance, its popularity within the Muslim world increased. The war ended with a UN brokered cease-fire and another Resolution calling for the disarming of all militia. Hezbullah did succeed in preventing a full-scale invasion. The Global Security report on Hezbollah states that in addition to funding from Iran and help from Syria, the organizatuon engaged in fund-raising around the world (p. 2). The report makes no mention of its extensive social program but the Council on Foreign Relations however describes it as a â€Å"major provider of social services† (Council on Foreign Relations, p 1.) Acts Attributed to Hezbullah In addition to the acts mentioned above, according to CFR, Hezbollah lists the 1985 hijacking of TWA flight 847 and the attacks in Argentine on the Israeli Embassy (1992) and on a Jewish community center (1994). Azani refers to links with other organizations across the globe. He lists an attempt to destroy US ships in Singapore in 1995 and arrests of members in 1997 for planning an attack in a US Embassy. The 9/11 Report said that Al-Qaeda operatives train at Hezbollah camps (p. 203). He refers to other arrests made in 1999 and in 2001 when plans to attack targets in South and North America were foiled.   He says that the global network is spread across forty countries and every continent, including Europe where activists have also been arrested. In Germany, two charities funding the organization were shut down (p. 205).   However, Hartik points out that while Western attention focuses on its â€Å"guerilla activities† in the Lebanon it is social welfare activities that attract support, making it in her view a â€Å"mainstream† organization. It has achieved more in this field, she says, than any other party (p. 81). On the other hand, it has refused to disarm. After 2001 and the terrorist attack on the Twin Towers in NY, the US has repeatedly asked Lebanon to shut Hezbollah down and to close bank accounts. Lebanon has refused to do this, claiming that Hezbollah is not a terrorist organization, which Syria also denies. Syria is one of four countries considered â€Å"state sponsors of terror† by the US State Department. In April 2010, reports began circulating that Syria had given SCUD missiles to Hezbollah. Syria denies this.

Groups and Teams Paper

Groups and Teams Britny McCoubrey MGT/311 January 16, 2013 Marcia Smart, Ph. D. Groups and Teams Cooperation has been an essential tool for humanity throughout its history; people have used teamwork for hunting, gathering, farming, and protection as well as for community and social fulfillment. As industry and technology have reshaped and extended the dynamics and demographics of trade, traditional proprietorships have readily given way to partnerships, in turn gave way to corporations.Within these businesses, cooperation serves again as a driving force toward a common goal—often on a huge scale that operates on the work of smaller groups and teams. This paper will examine different kinds of working groups (supplemented where possible by examples from an organization for which the author has worked), and the importance of the fundamental differences between working groups and teams. It will also address the five stages of team-building, how conflict (a much-maligned term), act ually assists this process, and personal experiences of the author with this process.Different Groups Within an organization, different kinds of groups cooperate on different levels for different reasons. Robbins and Judge (2011) identify six types of groups: formal, informal, command, task, interest and friendship. Organizational structure determines formal groups, which work together to achieve organizational goals (p. 276). All of the associates working in a single Walmart store comprise a formal group. An informal group does not rely on the organization for structure, assembly or goals and gathers instead to satisfy social needs of the people comprising it (p. 76). The Walmart associates chatting at the break-room table constitute such a group—they may not be friends outside of work or even know each other, but they assemble to eat together and banter about their professional or personal exploits. Four subgroups exist within these groups: formal subgroups include command and task, while informal subgroups include interest and friendship (p. 276). Formally classified command groups report to one manager; at Walmart, a single Customer Service Manager supervises and assists up to 16 cashiers in a command group.In a task group, members don’t necessarily report to one manager, but rather transcend different managers, groups, and departments to accomplish a specific task within the organization. When a man ran out of Walmart with a stolen backpack full of other stolen sporting goods equipment, several managers from several departments chased him out the door and tackled him on the concrete in the parking lot. Those managers then had to cooperate with the Loss Prevention associate, the Sporting Goods bullpen associate, and even the police in order to handle the situation and move forward with prosecution.In many cases of crime or other special circumstances, associates of different areas have to come together to complete tasks that affect all of the m (and often the store). While all command groups are task groups in some way, task groups are more transcendental and therefore not always command groups (p. 277). Informal interest groups include people gathering for common interests, whether that common interest is quilting caps and blankets for the March of Dimes effort or lobbying for or against organizational or managerial actions or policies (p. 77). Friendship groups, on the other hand, gather for a sense of community; this often transcends the professional sphere and carries into the personal sphere, with people meeting outside of work and building personal relationships with coworkers. Groups vs. Teams While the terms ‘group’ and ‘team’ seem to be used interchangeably, fundamental divergences separate them. According to Robbins and Judge (2011), work groups take on the responsibilities of formal groups as defined earlier.They mainly work together to make decisions that help them fulfill their resp onsibilities and meet broad organizational goals, which thye do on an individual basis and without need or practical ability to utilize teamwork or collective effort. Work teams, on the other hand, functions on collaboration and synergy, powered by the efforts of several people working together to accomplish shared goals. While a group of cashiers will process transactions as fast as they can to control front-end congestion, the accounting team that handles the cash works together as a real team to andle their tasks, which include getting change for cashiers, taking in cash drops when tills close, and auditing those till drops. They work together in one little room, working out certain decisions and coordination on their own for their own specific goals. While groups work together individually, teams work together collectively, even though all work in the company of one another. Teams are often more valuable than mere groups because management can harness that synergy and collectivi ty, and use it to increase performance. The Five Stages of Team-BuildingRobbins and Judge (2011) identify the five stages of team-building as forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning (p. 279). Forming sees the team take shape amid structural, leadership, and purpose-oriented ambiguity. Much like a pack of creatures establishing dominance, the team members will push limits and test boundaries until they find what works and begin feeling like a team. This can happen when an associate is newly hired and must establish his place among his peers. Specifically, when Walmart remodeled Garden Center, people from different departments and ranks were pulled together to work on it.This was an awkward time at first, because no one really knew who of the many evenly-ranked employees was ‘in charge’. Storming actually needs conflict to iron out these details and determine who will lead the team, and to allow team members to come to terms with team-related constraints. T he associates argued for a few days on whose breaks and lunches took priority, as the remodel occurred on a single shift each day and lunches were difficult to coordinate without some having to wait longer than others to go.Finally, two leaders took charge and managed the schedules moreeffectively. More about team conflict management will arise later. Norming sees the team cohering and ‘settling’ into their roles and codes of conduct. Certain Walmart associates involved with the remodel had different skills and backgrounds, so as Goodwill (2011) suggests, leaders assigned associates to different duties, and once these and systems of evaluating success were established, teamwork became easier and tasks more defined.Performing is like fourth gear for the team; it is rolling and fully functional, firing on all cylinders and turning out real achievement. In the remodel, Walmart associates dug in and did what they knew they had to. This is the final stage in permanent groups , but in temporary groups assigned for a specific task within a timeframe, adjourning sees the team tie up loose ends, add finishing touches, and finally disband. The remodel team was likewise disbanded after shelves were replaced and reassembled so that actual Garden Associates could arrange and stock them.Those associates went back to their normal duties. Regarding these stages, Weinclaw (2010) makes an excellent point when she advises that these stages are not necessarily linear, and can repeat or occur at different stages or even in cycles. Just because a team has moved past one conflict, for example, or established leadership, this does not mean new conflict or leadership will not arise, and the team may have to go back through certain stages if this occurs.Conflict Management in Teams As mentioned previously, conflict actually helps to shape teams. However, this does not mean that all conflict at any level is conducive to efficient performance by a team. According to Robbins a nd Judge (2011), a certain amount of conflict can allow teams to strengthen rapport, engage creativity and remain dynamic, whereas the total absence of conflict can stagnate a team and render it static, which can cost the team drive.Conflict management sounds like a strategy for removing conflict, but Robbins and Judge (2011) define this phrase as using both resolution and stimulation techniques to achieve as optimal level of conflict, which implies that conflict may need to be stimulated occasionally as well as resolved. Sykes (2010) addresses ways that conflict can arise, including cultural differences (as a result of globalization, for example) and clashing communication styles.She emphasizes the importance of identifying the cause and creating a solution. In her opinion, a major element in managing conflict is to prevent it as much as possible (although she asserts that conflict management is not about absolute elimination, which would be impossible). Of course, a major aid in m anaging conflict on individual and group levels is to incorporate conflict management training into the workplace, so that employees are prepared to respond appropriately and effectively to conflict should it arise.At Walmart associates are trained, for example, on how to use the chain of command to report conflicts, and how to use the open door policy to get around additional or command chain-related conflict as well. Understanding conflict as a potentially positive influence on a team and knowing beforehand how to respond effectively to it so that it can have that positive influence can decrease drain on teamwork from conflicts not only by preventing them when possible, but by reducing the time and stress that they siphon from real tasks. ConclusionTeamwork, according to Goodwill (2011) remains a major theme in modern business, and understanding the complex processes of developing teams and managing conflict to keep a team dynamic and performing satisfactorily allows for an apprec iation of all that really goes into keeping those teams running smoothly. In a business world that increasingly thrives on teamwork and the output of its synergy, would-be employees and leaders alike need to embrace this form of collaboration. Teamwork has, after all, gotten humanity this far—surely it will carry it much further as time goes on.References: Goodwill, M. (2011, February 10). How to succeed at team-building. People Management, 30. Robbins, S. P. , & Judge, T. A. (2011). Organizational behavior (14th ed. ). Upper Saddle River, NJ:Pearson/Prentice Hall. Sikes, B. , Gulbro, R. , & Shoesy, L. (2010). Conflict in work teams: Problems and solutions. Allied Academies International Conference: Proceedings of the Academy of Organizational Culture, Communications & Conflict (AOCCC), 15(1), 15-19. Wienclaw, R. A. (2010). Teams & team building. Teams & Team Building – Research Starters Business, 1-6.CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY I  certify that  the attached  pape r is my original work. I am familiar with, and acknowledge my responsibilities which are part of, the University of Phoenix Student Code of Academic Integrity. I affirm that any section of the paper which has been submitted previously is attributed and cited as such, and that this paper has not been submitted by anyone else. I have identified the sources of all information whether quoted verbatim or paraphrased, all images, and all quotations with citations and reference listings.Along with citations and reference listings, I have used quotation marks to identify quotations of fewer than 40 words and have used block indentation for quotations of 40 or more words. Nothing in this assignment violates copyright, trademark, or other intellectual property laws. I further agree that my name typed  on the line below is intended to have, and shall have, the same validity as my handwritten signature. Student's  signature (name typed here is equivalent to a signature): Britny McCoubrey

Organ Donation Essay

Many citizens constantly see television shows and media that negatively portray organ donation. One prime example comes from the new hit series, Nip Tuck. Nip Tuck has a storyline built around this image of beauty through plastic surgery while working with an underground kidney market. Many patients in this show wind up being murdered in some cruel intentional way just for a single kidney. Not only does this pull negativity to organ transplants already but someone watching also has to fear the person in need of that organ. Majority of the time Nip Tuck has wealthy, well connected businessmen who need the transplants. Symbolizing any type of authority figure with the power to take a life can begin to inflict a slight amount of oppression through the viewer’s mind. With Organ donation becoming thrown into this light constantly people willing to give donated organs to citizens of need has drastically begun to decrease. More Americans are becoming obsessed with living longer and experiencing more, ignoring the basic side effects of their actions and soon needing some form of organ donated. This growth in exploration has created a large demand for many of these operations, shoes that simply cannot be filled. Organ donation serves three main positive purposes, Scientific Studies, Medical transplants, and Hope. While many might not know a multi-organ procedure is possible many of the same failures an individual could have in their heart, could be linked to the trouble in their kidneys and surprisingly the procedure is relatively common. With a single organ donation there is always the risk of the individual’s body’s rejection of this new article. Now if we introduce two different organs in one operation, the odds Allee 2  of a body rejecting at least one of the organs grow drastically. This adds multiple different stresses on the body not only because of the two separate procedures but as well as on the inside as the body tries to become familiar  with these new tools. Studies show that clinical data on all episodes of treated rejection from a multi-organ transplant out of 56 patients; â€Å"48% of these patients have had no rejection in either organ, 27% experienced heart rejection alone, 14% experienced kidney rejection alone, and 11% had both heart and kidney allograft rejection†( pg. 861-867). Of course there are other factors that play into these tests such as age or condition of other organs but the main outlier in this study was actually the severity of any surgery. Many would look at these percentages in the study as a negative outcome. What wasn’t stated earlier about this experiment was that all 48% of the successful transplants were heart and kidney transplants. The other 52% that had trouble with the new organs were simply because of the isolated heart transplant procedure. This procedure allows for scarce to no mistakes throughout the entire process because of the preciseness. The argument is then discredited because of the relationships with many other surgeries because of the high risk factors. Technological advances are constantly erupting in the medical field from surgery techniques to the basic procedures and listed instructions being taught to the successors of the current medical staffs. The process of organ donation is only increasing in effectiveness and soon will become a large industry in the economic jungle, as of now organ donation may still be a recalled toy in some cases but the kinks are all becoming smooth and positively functional. Constantly refuted is the health and disease control of most transplant procedures which can contain a plethora of viruses. Facts show that a patient receiving a solid organ transplant was 10 times more likely to become infected with cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease 15 years ago. New advancements and studies have designed an antivirus treatment that is over 95% successful at containing and illuminating CMV within six to twelve months. The patient will receive doses of antiviral prophylaxis either orally or by injection consistently for several months. As the patient shows progress and recovery the dosage is steadily decreased until the body becomes completely self-sufficient. Putting the disease concern to rest another opposition of organ transplants can come in the form of broken or fractured bones. When an individual  receives a transplant the bone structure around the area can become under pressure from the swelling organ trying to recover. A study was conducted in 1994 and scientists were shocked to find â€Å"fracture incidence was 13 times higher than expected in male heart recipients age 45–64 years; nearly 5 times higher in male kidney recipients age 25–44 and age 45–64 years; and 18 times and 34 times higher in female kidney recipients age 25–44 years and 45–64 years compared with NHIS data† (Department of Medicine, 1999). The study was taken from six hundred patients and out of those six hundred fifty six individuals had fractures during their recoveries. Another aspect in the recovery process is the fact that the patient’s body will be weak and low on nutrients due to the lack of food intake and nutrients. The longer a person’s recovery period the more likely he or she could develop weak muscle tissue, and bone structure leading to more incidents. The care programs developed in this day and age not only surpass any rehabilitation abilities from 1994. Now treatment not only includes multiple vitamin and nutritional supplements but also multiple electrostatic treatments specifically designed to work an individual’s muscle structure. This will provide motion and a large supply of blood flowing to the area or muscle needing the extra work. As the muscle structure improves a patient’s bone structure becomes stabilized and reinforced leaving the entire patients system in close to complete health. Organ donation has also been studied from multiple perspectives of the patient and donor. Scientists first wondered the thought process an individual went through to part with his or her organ. One would expect that a person about to go through this procedure would look for some knowledge or research before relinquishing their organ. A study found that not only did the majority of organ donors not have any factual information about their procedure from previous classes or events but the donors also had done absolutely no research on the topic. This showed the scientists that there was no apparent cognitive thought process for committing this act. Most of the studied donors discovered a sense of satisfaction after the procedure simply from the knowledge that they could have possibly saved a life. Another angle taken by scientists was more  direct towards the patient receiving the organ. UNOS is a private, nonprofit organization that coordinates the nation’s organ transplant system under contract with the federal government. In the year 2000, more than 5,500 Americans died awaiting transplants, and in the U.S., there are currently over 80,000 people awaiting transplants. Having abundance in patients waiting for an organ and the shortage in supply majority of the organs received are from people who have passed away and donated their bodies to science. Although a donor can survive his or her life even after giving up a Kidney, portions of the liver, skin & bone marrow few individuals are willing to take this risk only increasing this shortage. Every 10 minutes, a new person is added to the organ transplant waiting list. When a patient receives an organ the family gains an immediate boost of moral and hope. The placebo affect organizes in full force when it comes to surgery. Knowledge alone can give the patient enough to fight and continue the upward rise to recovery. Ninety percent of Americans have openly stated that they are for organ donation. Life changes are difficult to make. Organ transplantation includes plenty of these changes in order for recovery and success. In the end change is for the better. Organ transplantation calls for a healthier diet and slowly working into exercise practices. Any patient will gain from this in the process and the new organ or area from the surgery will not be the only part of their body positively affected by this change. Organ donation is a necessary medical implement and there will always be a need as long as the technology keeps its firm grasp on the medical society. If the organization UNOS does not remain in supply and continue helping save lives many more lives will be lost. Not from loss in supply of the organs but more so from underground procedures. One example of this is constantly seen in Mexico. There was a woman who had needed some cash so she decided to donate a kidney. This individual was told no passport or information would be necessary and that she would simply take a bus to a small Mexican border town then be brought back. Border patrol intercepted a woman being forcibly taken across the border, found in the vehicle was a complete surgical kit, a  single shovel, and a large trash bag. Not only would this individual have never seen another day of life and laughter but this would just be the beginning if organ donation ceased to exist. Eliminating these organ transplant foundations would introduce patients to multiple diseases, possible contamination, and worst of all death from incorrect practice. All of the information only points to a positive present for organ transplants. As long as citizens see the dire need for support and donors, soon organ transplantation will have a successful future, full of keeping both hop es and dreams alive. Works Cited Abecassis M, Adams M, Adams P, et al. Consensus statement on the live organ donor. JAMA 2000;284:2919-2926 Bredehorn T. et al. (2002), â€Å"Questioning the relatives for organ and tissue donation,â€Å" Transplantation proceedings 34(6):2353-4. DiSalvo, Thomas. Clinical Transplantation: Williams & Wilkins 1997, 27 March – Volume 63 – Issue 6 – pg. 861-867, Ed Lovern, â€Å"HHS launches bid for organ donations,† Modern Healthcare, 23 April 2001, 21. Lock M., Schmidt V.-H. (2003), â€Å"Twice dead: organ transplant and the reinvention of death,† Asian journal of social science (31)1:137-41. Organ Procurement and Transplant Network (OPTN) National Waiting List, as of 2 August 2002. Available: http://www.unos.org/frame_Default.asp?Category=Newsdata. Accessed 8 August 2002. Reprints or correspondence: Dr. Carlos V. Paya, Div. of Infectious Diseases, 200 First St. SW, Rochester, MN 55905 (paya@mayo.edu) U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, Organ Donation: Donate Life, â€Å"Frequently Asked Questions.† Available at http://www.organdonor.gov/faq.html. Accessed 08/08/2002.

Hcr/210 Week 6 Checkpoint

Record Organization HCR/210 January 15, 2012 There are a few differences and similarities among small, medium, and large facilities concerning the organization of patient records and in how they handle loose reports. I have noticed that most facilities prefer that their loose records are permanently anchored in their charts, which makes sense to me because it prevents the loose reports from being misplaced and lost. However, the different sizes of facilities tend to organize patient files differently according to each particular facility’s policies. The most popular methods of organization that I have seen include chronologically, form numbers, report type, and category. During my review of the interview threads, I noticed a lot of similarities and a lot of differences in how patient files are handled. For example the medium and large facilities are by far more likely to use electronic files than paper ones, thus eliminating the threat of misplaced records. The most common difference that I saw was in whether or not the facilities use paper files. It seems that almost all of the medium and large facilities are using electronic files and everything automatically gets filed with the patient’s main file immediately. However, in small facilities they are much more likely to use paper files in which case everything is filed with the patient’s main record immediately in order to make it easy to locate and to prevent it from getting lost. In conclusion, whether the facility is small, medium, or large they all take special care in the organization of their files whether they are paper or electronic.

Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 25

Case Study - Essay Example angement where a business organization dedicates to paying health insurance premiums for their workers so that in case of any emergency arising from work activities, they are well taken catered for (Hunnicutt 2010). In planning for health care benefits in an organization, there has to be careful attention on the way the plan is created so that it caters for all workers incommensurate to the company management structures and functions of all its workers. This means that the company does not have to create health care insurance plans that lead to division among the workers. Southern California Grocery has been facing huge challenges in executing its health care pal for its staff. However, a plan to consider some ways of reducing the health insurance costs for the company can be helpful in cutting down its spending in health insurance for two sets of workers. To reduce some of these costs, first, the company should consider establishing various wellness programs. The advantage with these programs is that they influence worker’s lifestyle changes that results in reduced costs for health care. Wellness programs enable workers to participate in their healthy lifestyle; this includes education in ways of preventing certain diseases and illnesses (Dubois 2006). Wellness programs enable employees to make good choices concerning their lifestyle and how those particular lifestyle patterns affect their lives. The second activity that can reduce its health care costs is doing a health assessment; health insurance census ensures employers pay reduced costs for their employees, after an assessment of their health status. This will be an essential process since the grocery may end up harmonizing the rates of heath care insurance to all its employees. Thirdly, the grocery should consider establishing a cost sharing agreement in the payment of the health insurance costs. They grocery should recommend a certain percentage of the costs to be met with its workers, while it honors

National health insurance Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

National health insurance - Research Paper Example This essay argues that the United States should reform its health insurance system and switch to a national system because the current system is not working. The World Health Organization released a report in 2000, which set out three goals of a fair and just health care system. These are: (a) providing good health (b) responsiveness, i.e, satisfying peoples’ expectations of respect and care from health care providers and (c) ensuring that costs are distributed according to an individual’s ability to pay. (www.ddl.umaine. edu). Japan has a nationalised health care system, whereby health care services such as preventive measures for certain diseases, pre-natal health care and similar mandatory services are provided by the Government, but specialized health care required by individuals is funded through a universal health care system, i.e, employee insurance. As pointed out by Harden (2009), the Japanese system costs half as much but achieves much better outcomes as compared to the United States. In the case of Sweden, health care is funded through a combination of state funding, taxes, social insurance and patient fees (Gennser, 1999). The advantages offered by the partially nationalised systems of health care in both these countries is: (a) lower costs of the system to patients (b) access to health care by all citizens and (c) better health outcomes, because people are able to approach health care centres and get basic medical check up procedures performed on an ongoing basis to detect serious medical conditions early on. There are also however, some problems which have manifested in these systems in most developed nations. For instance, Gennser (1999) points out that one of these problems is the overall increase in health care costs over a ten year period, while productivity fell. This was caused largely by increased employment of health professionals, but a lack of optimal use of the available manpower. Secondly, there is a general decrease in

How to Prepare for Final Examinations Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

How to Prepare for Final Examinations - Article Example Before, the beginning of examinations, the student should set certain goals which he likes to achieve or reflect in the examination results. Subsequently, all the efforts should be made to attain those predetermined goals. The goals should be realistic ones. In other words, the student should never set goals which are beyond his capabilities. There are many students who struggle to get even the desired grades in the final examinations because of the unrealistic goals just before the examinations. It is difficult for an average student to achieve first grade even if he tries extremely hard during the final examinations. If he wants to achieve first grade he should begin his preparations at the beginning of the course itself. When it comes to preparations of final examinations, different students opt for different ways. However, there are some general principles which are followed by the majority of the students while they prepare for their final examinations. First, it is better to start examination preparations as early as possible in order to avoid problems later. Early preparations help the student to avoid stress and anxiety with respect to final examinations. Majority of the students fail to perform well in final examinations because of their anxiety and stress related to the outcomes of the examination. Self-assessment of the level of knowledge in each subject is the second step in the preparations of final examinations. Before the beginning of the preparations, the student should decide which subjects need more attention and which subjects need less attention since he is the only one who knows his mastery in different subjects very well.  Ã‚  

Coca-Cola SCM Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Coca-Cola SCM - Case Study Example It is a functional system that comprises the running of the source materials’ movement into the business, various scenarios of how the products and services are produced, and the management of how the services and the products are delivered to the customer. Hence, functions like obtaining source materials, and the ownership of distribution mechanisms are passed on to other businesses that are specialised with these functions. The regulation of the day to day logistics by the parent business is decreased, while, the number of business partners increases. Supply chain management enhances the speed of the movement of products and goods and minimises the cost. It enables the management of the inventory, transport, supply, customer service, and the distribution (Lambert, 2008). The Coca-Cola Company produces a variety of soft-drinks. Its headquarters is in Atlanta. The company produces the syrups that are used to produce the various soft drinks and sells them to bottlers around the world. It has an estimated 3,500 types of soft drinks under its name. Soft drinks are beverages that contain no alcohol, but are carbonated, have sweeteners and are of different flavours (The Coca-Cola Company, 2011). The Carbon (IV) oxide gives soft drinks their unique taste while the sweeteners provide the calories. Over the years, Coca-Cola has continually produced different soft drinks under various brands totalling to over 500 in nearly every country around the world. The old supply chain management of Coca-Cola Company involved several stages. It included the internal supply chain, the distribution and logistics network, the supply network, and finally to the customers. The internal supply chain was composed of production of the various beverages that it produces, the sourcing of the ingredients, the distribution to its business partners, marketing and sales, and the accounting of all the finances. The marketing and sale of its products have been characterised

Personal reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Personal reflection - Essay Example This problem however, is not just limited to teachers, but also goes all the way from students to administrators. The negative effect of student’s freedom include hanging out in hallway inappropriately, being late in school, not doing home work, and not paying attentions in classrooms. For such things, there have punishment like calling their parents and inform them about the problems, detentions, or tardies. These punishments, however, usually fail to enact change in the student’s behavior. To educate students and teach them how to operate in the real world, educators need to teach them that their behavior has consequences. Though it is tempting to always simply blame teachers and parents for students’ failings, one cannot find a solution without recognizing that students are sometimes a problem and need to be made a part of the solution. In the readings from Haller and Strike, the teachers were universally blamed for having students so far behind – yet o nly nine students were behind in a school with very difficult circumstances. If teachers did not do their work then why were only those nine students so far behind? We need to teach these children that learning is valuable, and can be done anywhere, if you are devoted.

Guide Lines for Selecting a Career Personal Statement

Guide Lines for Selecting a Career - Personal Statement Example Career choice is one of the most important decisions in anyone's life, and yet countless young people enter careers that later prove to be wholly unsuitable. Even today most young people have no way to find out if a particular career would really suit them. Decisions that are central to future happiness and success are therefore very often being taken in the dark. Hence young people can take advice from older people in their family or can look at examples; that is people who have achieved success in their desired career. It also happens that halfway through their career people realize this was never meant for them. All this is part of life but there are also people who successfully achieve their target careers and are successful in them. Its necessary to adopt a career that u have an interest in. The reason being that a person who selects a career of his interest is more dedicated to his profession. One of the greatest misfortunes in life is to be superior at something you don't like. You may be skillful in mathematics, but you may hate it. You may be proficient public relations communicator, busy interacting with people every minute of the day but my love life of isolation and meditation. In order to be able to select the right career, one has to reflect, analyze, know one's inner self, and be able to clearly differentiate between what one is good at (proficiency, competence) and what you like and want to do in life (interests, principles). The first thing to do is to build up a concept of the person you would like to be. Let your personal sense of right and wrong be your guide and resist enticement and pressures from elders and peers. Choosing a job you like which is not in clash with your values and lets you apprehend your full individuality and creative potential will enable you to achieve a sense of completion. It is recommended to interact with career counselors and in par ticular near and dear ones such as parents and peers, and elders, and taking their suggestions. Read some good books on career guidance and take a few career tests. A person can either visit a career counselor or psychologist who will administer relevant tests to him/her. Or try online tests. The role of my father's firm is to manufacture and sell electric generators. In reference to the work, I can adopt two educational lines in the future that can help me become the head of the firm. The first one is of getting a degree in Electrical Engineering and the second option is doing a Masters in Business Administration. After studying both critically the first option is not as agreeable and suitable as the second one. The second option can give me a better all-round knowledge about how to run an organization, which things to check and how to manage the resources. The first option restricts me to the technicality of the job. Having talked about this I will come to my college and high school responsibilities. I will have an open choice until my high school in the matter of my professional career, but things will start to take a certain direction as I enter my college. From my college, my aim towards my professional goal would start to clear up and I will start to go in details o f managing a business.  

Power & Organisation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Power & Organisation - Essay Example aintain a high degree of relevance and importance in the study and understanding of the dynamic movement of the human sociological environment, conduct and behavior. The complexity and diversity of human activity and social order carries with it the inception of uniquely new problems arising from the structural changes in contemporary society. It is then essential to know the various elements and factors that knot the ties of human relations and to identify the causes affecting the same, whether adversely or beneficially. The focus of this paper is to come up with a critical analysis of the various views made by selected authors in the study and understanding of how knowledge and power affect the relationships between individuals and similarly in their associations and organizations. In so doing, the author aims at obtaining a fresh perspective at improving the practice of the profession of a manager from the explanations and arguments made by authors and practitioners on the subject under the discussion. Miriam-Webster Dictionary defines power, among others, as â€Å"(1) the ability to act or produce an effect (2) capacity for being acted upon or undergoing an effect (3) legal or official authority, capacity, or right or, (4) possession of control, authority, or influence over others;†. The second definition is the reverse of the first whereby the power is in the passive sense. The individual is capable of achieving his goal through cooperative and collective endeavor with other individuals. Power comes with being able to yield to others or to a common cause or to pursue a common purpose. The third definition is a traditional concept of power usually exercised by some form of discipline and punishment mandated by a political authority. An example is how the citizenry are compelled to obey the laws of government. The last definition identifies power as the embodiment of that political authority. In this sense, power is exercised by a particular individual

Britains Recent Credit Crisis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Britains Recent Credit Crisis - Essay Example If it is opposite there is recession. "The circular flow diagram divides the economyii into two sectors: one concerned with producing goods and services, and the other with consuming them. Resources are converted into goods and services by business, and in this transformed state travel back to consumers. Money flows in the opposite direction. These flows involve two markets in which exchange take place: the resource or factor market in which business buys resources, and the goods and services market in which business sells goods." "Access to cheap credit in Britain has fuelled a decade of unprecedented growth, with home prices tripling over the past decade, a faster rise than in the US. Consumer spending has skyrocketed, now making up roughly two-thirds of the country's total outlays. And the overall economy in Britain is more dependent on financial services than it is in the States. As in the US, consumers are another key driver of the economy and today they're among the most indebted in the world. British consumers owe $2.7 trillion on credit cards, mortgages, and other consumer loans or more than the country's entire economic output. Household debt as a percentage of gross disposable income is 166%, compared with 127% in the US. So it's hardly surprising that in the past year, British banks have had to write off $18 billion in bad debts, mostly consumer borrowing. With the average home now costing $370,000 roughly 11 times the average salary housing is less affordable than at any time in the past 15 years. The latest data show house price inflation running at about 9.5% annually for August, but the rate is starting to slow. Although most believe that the Bank of England is unlikely to raise rates further anytime soon, the cost of servicing mortgages is expected to climb. That's because the crisis in the financial markets has raised the cost of borrowing for lenders, who will in turn pass on those costs to consumers, many of whom have adjustable rates."iii Explanation of Current Credit Crisis in Great Britain using the circular flow diagram. The diagram below shows the U.S. Circular flow including credit flows. It is a lot more involved than the previous circular flow diagram but it would explain the current credit crisis in Great Britain. Since the financial system in Great Britain and the U.S. are very similar, they have similar traits but face similar problems. The only thing is Great Britain's credit problems are a lot worse than the U.S. Let us analyze the British situation using the circular flow diagram below. 1. British Consumers have borrowed over $ 2.7 trillion which is even higher than the total Annual GDP number. Now obviously this debt has been acquired over a period of few years, so how does this reflect as an injection into the circular diagram. 2. Let us look at the simple

MAE Assingment Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

MAE Assingment - Assignment Example Dev.   0.025827   11240942   65635008   0.019383   Observations   45   45   45   45 Table 1 above presents the descriptive statistics for our variables of interest. The only point of concern that may arise in this situation is that all the variables reflect some degree of skewness which violates the normality assumption. Additionally, the fact that the number of observations is only 45 may also be a point of concern since this can lead to small sample bias. 2. Time plots Figure 1: Time plot of P There are no seasonal patterns evident in the time plot of P. Figure 2: Time plot of Q The time plot of Q exhibits strong seasonal variations. Figure 3: Time plot of G As is evident from figure 3 above, similar to the time plot of P, the time plot of G also does not exhibit seasonal fluctuations. Figure 4: Time plot of X Figure 4 shows that X also follows a seasonally fluctuating pattern 3. Thus, there is strong evidence of seasonal fluctuations among the Q and X series. Thi s is visible in the oscillatory patterns that these series seem to follow. The series P and G exhibit no seasonal patterns. Additionally, all the series reflect a steady upward trend. Therefore inclusion of seasonal dummies is important since our dependent variable Q does exhibit seasonal fluctuations. ... 18.31869 0.0000 P -7530.197 6092.988 -1.235879 0.2235 G -84559.50 9770.479 -8.654591 0.0000 X 1.865016 0.111494 16.72746 0.0000 R-squared 0.915605   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mean dependent var 4442.111 Adjusted R-squared 0.909430   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  S.D. dependent var 505.4463 S.E. of regression 152.1132   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Akaike info criterion 12.97181 Sum squared resid 948675.2   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Schwarz criterion 13.13241 Log likelihood -287.8658   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hannan-Quinn criter. 13.03168 F-statistic 148.2710   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Durbin-Watson stat 1.390217 Prob(F-statistic) 0.000000 From table 2 above we find that the estimated coefficients for both P and X are significantly different from zero (evident from the t-statistic). G however is not a significant determinant of Q. The coefficients reflect that the demand for drink and tobacco is negatively influenced by the price of the items and positively influenced by the total consumer expenditure. The coefficient on G is also negative but since it is not significantly different from 0 at the 5% level, we conclude that it does not have an influence on drink and tobacco demand. Thus, our results imply that an increase in the prices of drinks and tobacco will lead to a reduction in its demand while an increase in overall consumer expenditure leads to an increase in the demand. 5. Attempting to include all four dummies leads to perfect multicollinearity. Thus we modify the equation and include dummies for the 1st 3 quarters only. Table 3 presents the results. Table 3: OLS estimation with quarterly dummies Dependent Variable: Q Method: Least Squares Date: 09/01/11 Time: 01:01 Sample: 1980Q1 1991Q1 Included observations: 45 Coefficient Std. Error t-Statistic Prob.  Ã‚   C 5127.935 356.9563 14.36572 0.0000 P -8713.964 2700.994 -3.226206 0.0026 X 0.805451 0.096091 8.382187 0.0000 G -23150.70

Change Management Issue Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Change Management Issue - Essay Example The given case study represents a very common situation in the workplace. In this case, we have a situation where a person is experiencing a lack of ethical-judgment. To come close to the point, we have a case in which an individual decided that his moral principles were more desirable to the company than the policies or procedures at his workplace. The case showed that both Mr. B and Bob demonstrated unethical attitudes toward Steven, the worker within their department. Failure to take a more ethical attitude toward Steven led him to continue working in the same IT department and doing a job he hates. Applying more ethical principles at the workplace would have saved Steven from being forced to do the job he hates.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A clue to the case can be derived from Kantian ethics. Kantian ethics is frequently referred to as deontological or rule-based ethics. Kantian ethics is traditionally concerned with what makes a principle right or wrong. Kantian ethics is based on the famous categorical imperative. In the course of his research, Kant provides people with two main formulations of the categorical imperative. Kantian ethical principles indicate that each person should act as a rational being. The Kantian approach eliminates any possible cases of lying (Kant, I, p.56, 1996). The Kantian approach to lying indicates that the philosopher supported a total prohibition of lying as a form of building relations with other people. Kant also mentioned the fact that lying cannot become a universal law for all people, thus pointing to the fact that lying is virtually impossible in the workplace. Such negative attitudes toward lying are reasoned by the fact that work relations are supposed to be built on trust and mutual understanding. Since a lie depends upon someone believing you, a person who lies shows disrespect to the other person who is placing their trust the one the liar (Kant, I, p.58, 1996). When we view Steven’s case from Kant’s theory, we see that Mr. Bob, HR, ignored his duty in order to avoid lying. Instead of ethical behavior, he became involved in cheating.   According to Kant, cheating people are the worst examples of unethical behavior in the workplace.   

Christianity vs Islam in the Middle Ages Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Christianity vs Islam in the Middle Ages - Essay Example However, it was, modern historians agree, a dynamic string of centuries when from the ruins of the Roman Empire new powers emerged, namely Islam-ruled states of al-Andalus in Spain in the West, the Ottoman Empire in the East and between them the new power houses of Christendom, where crusades originated. It was not simply a battle of religions, but a clash of civilizations to dominate the known world (excluding China and India). In this battle modern Europe was born, both in terms of aggressive â€Å"crusader† attitude and missionary approach of assimilating other cultures. Moreover, even such a modern term like â€Å"cold war† first appeared in Spain in the XIII century to mark the difficulties two cultures trying to coexist are facing2. The Islam and the Christianity, in an odd manner, managed to simultaneously co-exist and to battle almost uninterruptedly on the European scene for more than eight centuries. These two civilizations were â€Å"caught up in a situation where old cultural and social patterns had been broken and new ones were forming†3. Between 636, when the Battle of Yarmouk took place, and 1453, when Constantinople fell, the head city of an already beheaded Byzantine Empire, Europe’s history was dominated by constant rivalry between Islam and Christendom, whose â€Å"attitudes to Islam had been compounded of ignorance, misperception, hostility and fear†4. On the other hand, in the process of fighting for domination Islam and Christianity inevitably borrowed from each other, while constantly desecrating the world of â€Å"the other†. The largest cathedral of the Byzantine Empire, â€Å"St. Sophia†, was transformed to a mosque by the Turks, while many mosques in Spain were changed to churches during and after the Reconquista. Historians agree that this struggle began in 636 when the armies of Byzantium faced those of the Rashidun Caliphate in the Battle of Yarmouk and were defeated. This massive

Communications Analysis of two interviews Essay

Communications Analysis of two interviews - Essay Example Besides, there was another Loan officer that interrupted out discussion quite frequently during the interview. Although I did not express it, yet somewhere deep inside me, I had mixed feelings about this attitude of Bill Cook and his staff. Opening and Closing: In the beginning, Bill Cook welcomed me into his room with a big smile on his face. We wished each other and shook hands. He himself took my coat and pulled back a chair for me. He asked me if I would like to have something to drink first. Despite his professionalism and nice tone of speech, I remained quite intimidated throughout the interview. By the time we were done with the interview, we shook hands with each other once again, and I thanked him for his time, attention and consideration. Relationship Dimensions: I felt quite nervous throughout the interview. Bill Cook was a stranger to me. We had never seen each other before the interview. In order to get the maximum response to my questions, I had to make my questions eas ily perceivable for Bill Cook. This demanded development of a comfort level with a person, who was an altogether stranger to me, though I managed to develop it sufficiently well. However, there was so much to ask that I felt constant nervousness. I had to ask Bill Cook why women Loan Officers could not be seen at any of the Land Bank branches. This and several other questions like this were indeed, quite personal, yet they were extremely important, so could not be missed. The nervousness kept me from becoming over confident and I conducted the interview in a prudent manner. At the end of the interview, the atmosphere was calm and relaxed and we had both enjoyed the discussion. Listening: Bill cook was a little preoccupied and seemed to be in a hurry from the speed of his response to my questions. Besides, his attention was being constantly sapped by the flooding phone calls and the interruption of the Loan officer, yet he managed to hear me good enough to deliver to the point answer s. In order to make my self heard well, I made use of the aggressive listening approach, and from the results, I can tell that the selection was right. Nonverbal communication: I was dressed in a business black suit and blazer and Bill Cook had worn khaki’s and a striped polo shirt. Bill Cook made good use of body language in conveying his points to me. He particularly emphasized upon the use of hands and eyes while making the speech. He maintained a constant and uninterrupted eye contact with me. I could not stand that, and would occasionally look down in an attempt to hide my nervousness and intimidation that had occupied me throughout the interview. Bill Cook tried to explain with hands, which made more comfortable and facilitated while making the speech. A hand shake was a good symbol of nonverbal greeting both before and after the interview. Reflection on the interview: Overall, the interview went extremely fine. I do believe that I could somehow, not get the entire trut h from Bill Cook regarding the lack of women’s representation in the job. Perhaps, I should have pressed him harder on the subject, though it was not entirely possible because Bill Cook seemed to be in too much a hurry to let me play with words. Still, I got sufficient information from Bill Cook to content my concerns. I chose to interview Bill Cook because he is quite experienced in Loan banking. I wanted to learn about banking and wanted to know why women did not participate in it in any branch of the

Operation management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Operation management - Essay Example We also can customize the wrapping papers and cards with names or a special message etc. Financing will directly come from the financial resources of Mouza. II. Executive Summary The Bows and Ribbons is a unique business that offers services to clients that do not have time or the skills to wrap their own gifts. The uniqueness of the business will gather enough interest to produce a mass base clientele that would be enough to create a fad. Straight forward direct network marketing will be used to ensure that the knowledge about Bows and Ribbons are heard by successful women in the country. Prudent innovations and a good portfolio of designs shall be compiled to ensure that references are available for the women who do not have enough time to think of gifts much more its wrapping and bows. III. Industry Outlook, Forecast & Trends Somebody is being born everyday thus the number of potential clients are the relatives and acquaintances of the people who have a birthday for a particular d ay. Women in urban centers, most especially men in the metropolitan area normally career women who may not have the time to shop much more to wrap their own gifts. ... Competitive Advantage Our service has many advantages in compare to our competitors. The first advantage is that it’s a mobile gift-wrapping store which makes our consumer save time, the store comes to their house instead of them going to the store. The second advantage is that we have compatible prices although it’s a home service. We provide the best quality with very reasonable prices. The third advantage is that we offer latest designs of gift-wrapping material that are not found anywhere else in the Emirates because it’s imported from outside the UAE. The last advantage is that we can customize the gifts. The clients can have any name printed on the wrapping paper or on the cards. IV. Description of Value The innovative component of our service, is that we are the first mobile gift store in the UAE. We give our customers the opportunity of staying at home and having the best wrapping service at the same time. The second innovative component is that we have a small printer that can customize cards, ribbons and wrapping paper we also can engrave names on boxes. In addition, the materials we use have a high quality and have the latest designs and we constantly offer new trends of wrapping. We can do flower arrangements as well, which makes us two-in-one, a mobile gift-wrapping store and a mobile flower shop. V. Operational Plan Bows and Ribbon will maintain two vans that will be deployed to client sites. Calls or even facebook messages will be entertained to send the vans. Payments will also be collected by the driver of the vans including the person who specialize in gift wrapping. VI. Marketing Plan The strategy is to make the most number of women aware of our services and the quality of our services.

Is Strategic Leadership Necessary to Effectively Manage Global Strategy in Todays Essay Example for Free

Is Strategic Leadership Necessary to Effectively Manage Global Strategy in Todays Essay Critically evaluate whether strategic leadership is necessary to effectively manage global strategy in today’s turbulent business environment In today’s environment, companies need more and more flexibility to success in a rapidly changing world which evolves constantly over the year. It is interesting to speculate if a strategic leader is necessary to lead the company to the success and to well manage the global strategy of the firm. The term of leadership is hard to define and there are over 400 definitions of what it really is. Leadership can be in a poetic way, according to Warren Bennis, â€Å"like beauty: it’s hard to define but you know it when you see it†. Or in a more concrete way, we can say that leadership† is a matter of making a difference. It entails changing an organization and making choices among plausible alternatives. It depends on the development of others and mobilizing them to get the job done. â€Å"(Useem, 2001). Consequently, strategic leadership is the vision of the leader, the directions chosen by him to lead the company to the success. Strategic Leadership consists also in persuading the members of the organization in order to build an organizational structure whose aim is the strategic productivity. (managementstudyguide. com, 2010). This concept of strategic leadership is more and more important in a context of global strategy. Indeed, nowadays, it is more and more usual to globalize its company in order to gain in productivity and performance. Thus, the global strategy of a company is somehow, a kind of strategic guide to succeed in the globalization process. This is a guide which permits the company to go ahead the barriers to international trade by gaining competitive advantages according to (quickmba. com, 2010). A global strategy must ask itself some questions like what must be the presence on the market in each country? How to build an international global presence? Regarding to these two important aspects of a business, it is interesting to wonder if the strategic leadership is related to the global strategy and more precisely if the strategic leadership is necessary to success in globalizing its company within this turbulent business environment. The strategic leadership may have an impact on the global strategy of a firm; nevertheless, strategic leadership is sometimes subject to some issues which can impair the viability of the company and its potential success. Indeed, the leaders have a lot of pressure, they have to deliver results and manage the personal, which is more and more complicated in a changing world directed by the development of new technologies which implicated more and more reactivity. And sometimes leaders can make mistakes, Gerald Ratner, CEO of Barclays Bank, has said in front of TV cameras and reporters that he didn’t have a credit card because it’s too expensive! That wasn’t very professional Thus, the position of the leader is always a kind of a precarious position because he has to make decisions which will determine the success of the company. Charan and Colvin (The quest for quality of work life: a TQM approach) highlight some strategic mistakes that a leader could make, some misjudgements which can lead to issues in term of strategic leadership. The first one may be people related. Indeed people can’t be underestimating, and sometimes it happens, people of an organization are the glue of this one, so it is necessary to understand people skills to have a harmony in the corporation, especially in terms of relationships, according to Bill Donaldson and Tom O’toole (strategic market relationships: from strategy to implementation, 200), â€Å"personal contact cannot be underestimated†. So it is crucial to have some strategic leadership to make sure that everybody is held at fair value. Moreover, another difficulty for the leader is to fail putting the right people at the right place, this task requires a analysis of each people in the staff in order to place them in the job in which they are the most efficient and in which they will work the best and do their best contribution. According to Buckingham and Coffman (1999) in their book† First, Break All the Rules: What The Worlds Greatest Managers Do Differently†, they put forward twelve questions which are really useful to put people in the adapted job (bainvestor. om, 2010). Another people related problem can be the fail to deal with managers who are underperforming. The decision making process is also seen as a issue in strategic Leadership, some decisions are not made which can implied a cost in term of time and money. The leader has to use good tactics to make their decisions. The problem is that, according to Nutt (researchnews. osu. edu, 2010) a good tactic in decision making require time and leaders are looking for quick fixes, but over the long term, theses tactics turn out to be successful. Beyond these issues, the leaders have also to face some challenges in particularly concerning the environment which is changing. Lao Tzu says that â€Å"resisting change is like holding your breath; if you persist, you die†. The challenge that faces the leader is how to adapt them to a changing environment, and more precisely in this context of globalization, because the employee may feel suspicious relative to the change. This kind of barrier has to be destroyed by the leader by setting objectives, having open discussions with employee or showing their commitment. Manage the employee is a challenge, but the nature of the strategic environment is another one. According to (airpower. au. af. mil, 2010), there are four components which can be seen as challenges to the strategic leader: Complexity, Ambiguity, uncertainty and volatility. The leaders have to anticipate scenario to avoid volatility (ex Bosnia/Kosovo), and to highlight the act of the competitors to reduce the uncertainty and the complexity of the interdependence of the components. Moreover, the ambiguity can be solved by working in team; this work will permit not to have multiple interpretation of one problem for example. As said before, the economic world has change over the past few years, with notably the financial crisis which has affect business productivity. This event shows us that the situation can change one day to another. Thus Brigid L. Bechtold explains in his book â€Å"Chaos theory as a model for strategy development†, the necessity of putting in place news strategies to balance a random economic situation. Moreover, the author emphasize the notion of interaction between the company which are now interdependent, a strategic leadership must deals with this situation in order to communicates and acts conscientiously, and notably in the case of corporate parenting. The corporate parenting has to set priority for the strategic leadership. Corporate parenting is a management which is intern to the company, no others actors of the market are taking in account; there are no interaction with others actors such as competitors or buyers. The aim of corporate parenting is to give value to the firm, but these operations require money and generate cost. There are three different types of this kind of management, strategic planning, strategic control and financial control. The strategic planning puts resources together in order to reinforce each business units to achieve a common goal, for example providing central services and resources. The strategic control consist in using the corporate parent ability to build some value for the business and finally under the financial control type the corporate parent evaluate and ontrol the performance of each business unit (scribd. com, 2010 ), and then business units are more independent even if they are subject to performance standards. The corporate parenting provide thus a clear image of the strategy to all the business units, managers can focus on the same goal. Moreover, a corporate parent can interfere and guides its business units if they are underperforming for example. A s an example we can talk about Virgin which is the perfect example of a successful corporate parenting: Robabdul. com, 2010 Virgin was able to understand and institutionalized markets, but also in terms of innovation, by buying and created partnership with good skilled company. Moreover the management is flexible and gives flexibility to business units. (robabdul. com, 2010) But the corporate parenting can also destroy value instead of adding this one. (accessmylibrary. com, 2010), some might say that the destruction of the value is created by the â€Å"level of corporate overhead costs†, but even if these costs are high, it is not the principal cause of failure. The most often, the influence of the parent are bad, because they put in place invalid objectives and unsuitable strategies. Thus, the managers have to use this strategic leadership of the corporate parents to develop the same and adequate strategy within the business units and the strategic leadership must be aware of the objectives given to ensure that they are realizable. In a context of globalization, this corporate parenting can face culture issues which can impact on the global strategy. The globalization is a phenomenon which is more and more spread; it’s a new way of working and in to manage people who come from different countries, some authors had created some dimensions dealing with cultural dimensions and the different value orientations. Indeed the majority of these workers don’t understand the attitude and the reactions of their colleagues because of the culture which includes different ways of thinking or acting. A strategic leadership has to leverage on cultural difference for competitive advantage. To create opportunities of collaboration a strategic leader must understand the management philosophy and the national character, to help this, Greet Hofstede created dimensions (hofstede. com, 2010) which permit to analyze and understand people from a different culture. A good strategic leadership is needed to manage these cultural gaps, because culture can be assimilating to the driving force beyond a man behavior. To succeed in a multicultural environment, the leaders must adopt the concept of global leadership, (Managing cultural differences: global leadership strategies for the 21st century, by Robert T.  Moran,Philip R. Harris,Sarah Virgilia Moran, Butterworth-Heinemann, 2007 ), they have to be capable of operating in the globalized world and being respectful of each culture, he must be flexible and open in order to perceive and understand people reactions. Companies have also to take care of what they said, if they didn’t pay attention to their slogan, they can get into trouble, thus the slogan of American Airlines â€Å"Fly in Leather† has been translated in Spanish by â€Å"fly naked† (brandingstrategyinsider. com, 2010). To have this open-minded spirit, the relationship between management and strategic leaderships must be define The leadership, and more particularly the strategic leadership are the eyes of an organisation, they have to see what is coming, to anticipate the future in order to give the opportunities to the company to create the future. Instead, the management, according to the figure, is more about execution. Indeed, the management deals with organization, they follow and accomplish the mission given by the leadership, they have to â€Å"comprehends the vision and the road map† (relationship-economy. com, 2010). A good example of the relation Leader/manager is the story of the creation of the iMac by Apple. 2-speed. com, 2006) The ex-CEO of Viewlogic relates its anecdote: all the work on the iMac was done, the product was about to be launched when Steve Jobs, a great leader, require that the case for the computer has to be transparent. This resulted in additional cost and engineering work had to be restarted because it has to be pretty either. This story shows well the differences of vision between a leader and a manager; Steve Jobs has seen the importance of the design over the long term and put the base of Apple competitive advantage. Relationship-economy. com, 2010 In this climate of economic uncertainty, the role of the strategic leadership within the global strategy is important notably speaking of the globalization phenomenon which is playing a major role in the business environment of today. Strategic leaders are necessary because they are the inspiration of the company, the guide of the managers. As seen before, in terms of corporate parenting, strategic leadership plays a crucial role in the success of the different business units, but sometimes, it happens that the influence of this one compromise the viability of the different business units. Globally speaking, a company has often resort to internationalize itself, to succeed in this way a strategic leadership must be set, in order to understand and leverage of cultural differences. Concerning the relationship between the relationship between management and strategic leadership, they have a special relationship, on could not function without the other. Whitout the execution of the ideas of the strategic leader, these ones would be useless. These two concepts are interdependent, the management deals with organizing, planning and answers short terms questions, while conversely, the strategic leader responds to long terms issues and determines the position of the company and its strategic direction. The strategic leader must communicate to the company values. He should increase the belief of employees in the company and be transparent and involve them in their role. It must be open in order to speak freely of market information, because employees want to know where the company is going and want to know what the leader knows. It is also important for the leader to take into account the opinions of everyone. Indeed even if the decisions that are not suitable with the wish of the employees, having been listening reinforce their membership to the business. Even if there are bad decisions making by some strategic leaders, (notably speaking of the CEO of the banks which didn’t pay attention to the mistakes that they have done and start the financial crisis), they are necessary in the global strategy of a company but some strategic leadership can be at the origin of failure and being not adapted to some kind of company. Thus strategic leadership is important to manage global strategy to give confidence and to innovate in the turbulent environment. But to avoid some mistake the management can be stricter and let more place to concrete work instead of just ideas in order to stabilize and create a secure environment for the business. References http://www.quickmba.com/strategy/global/ http://www.managementstudyguide.com/strategic-leadership.htm http://www.cmoe.com/strategic-leadership.htm

The Simpsons Essay Example for Free

The Simpsons Essay On one day Matt Groeing was sitting and sketching out side James L Brooks office he invented the Simpsons. They were first shown as 30-second bumpers in the Tracy Ullman show. Bumpers are shown before the adverts. They were very successful so Fox Network took a very huge risk to produce a half hour episode of the Simpsons. The Simpsons was not test marketed to a group of sample viewers because there wasnt enough time. The first episode shown on 17th December 1989 Called The Simpsons roasting on an open fire. The animated show is made up during a 6 to 10 month production time at first a script is made. Then the people who do the voices are recorded on to a tape. Then they make a storyboard with the use of the actors voices in Klasy-Csupo animation house where a group of artists are drawing, this can be up to 2,000 images. The script is then filmed on to a computer with the voices. Then its sent to South Korea where it is made into an animation. It comes back to he studio as a 25-minute clip, this is then cut down to 22 minutes and thats the show! The show is very popular as a result of its two main audiences. The main audience is Adults, they enjoy watching the satire bits this is when The Simpsons are making fun at anything thats in the news, and they also enjoy the clever scripting of the show, which include funny film references. The second audience is children they enjoy watching the violence of the show like Itchy and Scratchy. They enjoy watching it as a cartoon because they like the slapstick for instance when Homer falls down a cliff. However the Simpsons causes a bit of controversial debate as there a lot of people arguing that The Simpsons are not a good example as an ideal family. The nation needs to be closer to The Waltons than The Simpsons President Bush. There is so much arguing going about The Simpsons ignoring simple rules like wearing a seatbelt and drinking so people are thinking if it should get banned or not. The Simpsons are nothing like a normal family. A good example of a normal family in The Simpsons show is The Flanders. They are kind and say grace when eating their food, on the other hand The Simpsons just eat their food like dogs. Another example is Wilma Flintstone who is a normal housewife however Marge is quite different because instead taking care of three kids she has to take care of another Homer! Analysis and interpretation- representation and audience consumption The Simpsons is made up as a cartoon evidently the animation makes it very easy to add slapstick humour, this is when we laugh at things that are not really meant to laughed at, for example a real human being but we would if it was a cartoon. This is also called Rubber-band reality, where you can stretch the reality of a scene by using cartoons. Furthermore The Simpsons can also be called a situation comedy, this is when the comedy comes out of the situation, a good example is when Homer drives the family in to wild and the comedy comes from the situation, which is the forest. The normal situations in an episode are usually; the school and The Simpsons home. The Simpsons is funny in very different for example either the violence is funny or it could be the scripting. However the best ay for me is the slapstick humour and elastic band reality. A good example is when Homer fight Barts new dad and then things get a bit complicating. There are some very strange stereotypes in the Simpsons take Marge she is an extraordinary house wife she does the shopping and takes care of Maggie. Lisa is a clever girl whos a buff in school and gets A* all the time, shes quite close to Bart and her mum. Bart whos the typical underachiever boy is hopeless at school. He gets on well with Lisa sometimes, for example when Nelson is bullying Lisa Bart helps out her out. Homer is a drunk, fat, alcoholic potato couch. He is the main character in the Simpsons and has to be the funniest one, as a result of his childish behaviour. There are also a few extra stereotypes such as Apu the Indian shopkeeper and Chief Wigam the typical fat, lazy, doughnut eating American policeman. When you first look at the Simpsons they may seem like a dysfunctional family however you have to look very deep inside the family to realise that thy do love each other. Firstly Homer and Marges relationship, if you first look at the pair you see them arguing all the time. A good example is when Homer forgets there anniversary and they end up wanting a divorce. However in the end they always sort things out saying I love you. Homer and Bart are always arguing and trying to strangle each other at any time possible. Bart is being a bit disrespectful by calling his Homer There always falling out a good example is when Bart runs away from home and lives in a tree house. Nevertheless they do love each other. For example when Bart find out Homer is Santa Clause he says Homer I didnt know you loved us that much and they do find out a lot about each other when they are threaded to each. Marge and Lisas connection is very close as they are always together. Marge is always helping Lisa a good example is when she is addicted to the corrie hotline and she helps her from calling it. There relationship is very loving. Marge and Maggie are always together, Maggie loves her mum as much as she can and so does she. When she has to choose between the Flaunders or her mum she picks her mum. Marge also loves Bart very much she is always taking care of him. However they are sometimes arguing. The relationship between Homer and Lisa is not very strong Homer sometimes forgets that shes even there, like when he forgets to by here a Christmas present. Homer always forgets about Maggie and doesnt even know her full name. Bart and Lisa are always fighting with each other and doing jokes, therefore it doesnt look as if they like each other. However they do love each other as it is shown in some episodes, as I explained earlier. Bart and Maggie love each other as well. The Simpsons is always being compared to the Flaunders. This is because the comparison gives it a good effect, and it makes it more entertaining to see what Homer would do to give the same treatment as Ned would give to his family. A good example is when the Flaunders get a new caravan and Homer gets a second hand one and they end up stuck in the wild. I think that the main reason why the Simpsons have been going on all these thirteen years is because that it has two target audiences. People are coming home from and watching the Simpsons and saying that my lifes not that bad after all. This is called Philologically Human its when the Simpsons act and feel like humans and Matt Groeing put it a mental health service to the world. The Simpsons are good and bad role models they are bad because Homer hardly cares about his family and hes just a fat alcoholic potato couch. Bart is also bad because hes an underachiever and proud of it. However sometimes they are good role models like Lisa she an A student. They all are happy together as a family at the end of each episode and they always say, I love you. OVERALL the Simpsons love each other and thats what counts.