Monday, September 30, 2019

Enron: the smartest guys in the room Essay

Enron Corporation was an energy, commodities, and service company out of Houston, Texas founded by Kenneth Lay in 1985. Lay built natural gas power energy in East Texas which helped Enron’s stock rise. Louis Borget, Andrew Fastow, and Jeffery Skilling were the top management executives from 1985 until 2001. Each helped to bring about the demise of the company in multiple ways. One of the first scandals in Enron involved President Louis Borget and two traders were discovered betting on Enron Stocks. The company books were altered to inflate profits so that the company appeared to be more profitable that it actually was. Borget was diverting company money into personal offshore accounts. Auditors tried to uncover the problem, but Borget and the traders had a separate set of books that they kept from the auditors. Kenneth Lay, who was aware of this unethical practice, and encouraged Borget to continue â€Å"making us millions†, two months later the separate set of books we re brought to the investigators and Enron fired the two traders and Borget had to serve one year in jail. After his biggest money maker was put behind bars Lay needed to find him a new money maker. So Lay hired Jeffrey Skilling to be the CEO. Jeffrey Skilling would only accept job if Enron adopted a mark-to-market accounting strategy. Mark-to-market accounting allowed the company to book potential profits on certain projects immediately after contracts were signed, regardless of the actual profits that the deal would eventually make. This gave Enron the ability to look like they were a profitable company. Skilling put together a performance review committee that graded employees and fired the bottom fifteen percent each year which made the employees very competitive and created a very tough working environment. Traders were very aggressive and they made it to where if you wanted to be in the market you didn’t have a choice to deal with Enron. Trading became the main reported profit for Enron. Skilling hired two guys that became his top lieutenants Lou Pai and Cliff Baxter. They were known as the â€Å"Guy with Spikes†. Baxter was a very smart guy and was Enron’s Chief deal maker. He was manic-depressive and best friends with Skilling. Pai was the CEO of Enron Energy Services. He was  very mysterious guy who employees say was never in the office. Pai only seemed to care about two things, money and strippers. He would bring strippers into the office and would put everything he spent in the strip clubs onto an expense reports to be reimbursed by Enron. All of Pai’s time in the strip clubs caught up to him and caused him to get a divorce. Once he got a divorce he sold all of his stock and resigned from Enron. He came out of Enron better than anyone cashing in his stock and receiving approximately two hundred and fifty million dollars. The division of Enron that Pai ran lost a total of around one billion dollars which was covered up by Enron. Enron had success in the bull market brought on by the dot-com bubble. Enron’s stock prices increased to record prices. The games was called â€Å"pump and dump† top executives would pump up the stock prices and then sell their million dollar options. Everyone at Enron was consumed with the stock price. Stock prices were even posted in the elevators for everyone to see. Enron launched a PR campaign to make itself look profitable even with all aspects of the company operating poorly. Skilling’s philosophy was to take high risks because these deals would make more money. One of these high risk deals was building a power plant in India, which nobody wanted to do because India could not afford the high prices. The company lost a billion dollars on this project but that fact was covered up by Skilling. The company paid out multi-million dollar bonus to executive on non-existent profits. Enron bought out Portland General Energy which gave them access to the deregulated market of California. All of the employees in PGE had bought their stock so when Enron took over all of the stock PGE stock became Enron. The Portland General Energy workers had always invested their 401k into stock which converted to Enron. These employees continued to purchase stock because of their trust in Enron. Enron’s main motivation for buying the company was to operate in California since they held the highest demand for energy in the United States. Enron’s traders would trick California’s electricity supply and export the energy to another state causing California to have blackouts. By California having these black outs they raised the energy rate in the state. Although Enron’s stock prices were steadily rising, the company was losing a lot of money. Skilling turned the company  into cyber space. They attempted to use broadband technology to deliver movies on demand and â€Å"trade weather† like a commodity. Both of the marketing strategies failed miserably. By using mark-to-market accounting they booked 53 million dollar in earnings on a deal that didn’t make a penny. Once they figured out they could not hide the company’s losses, the top executives started selling their stock. Enron was named the â€Å"most admired† corporation by Fortune magazine for the six years in a row. Jim Chanos, an Enron investor, and Bethany McLean, a Fortune reporter, both questioned the company’s financial statements and stock value. McLean tried to talk to Skilling about the irregularities but Skilling went on the defensive calling McLean unethical. Skilling sent three executives to meet with her and Fortune’s editor including CFO Andy Fastow. Andy Fastow was the main one keeping Enron running. He was cooking the books making it look like Enron was making a profit even though the company was more than 30 billion dollars in debt. Fastow created two limited partnerships, LJM1 and LJM2, for the purpose of buying Enron’s poorly performing stocks to improve its financial statements. Fastow had to go before the board of directors to get an exemption to run these two companies as well as Enron. This was a definite conflict of interest. He also had personal financial stake in these company’s either directly or through a partner. He made millions of dollars defrauding Enron. He pressured the investment banks such as Merrill Lynch, Citibank to invest by threatening them with loss of Enron’s bus iness if they did not. He had analysts fired who threatened to report Enron for wrong doings. A good sound ethics policy was established when Enron was formed. The problems occurred when the policy was not followed. By not following the ethics policy put in place, employees and management were encouraged to take risks thereby encouraging unethical behavior which ultimately brought down the company. Enron went bankrupt in 2001 due in large part to widespread fraud in company operating policies. The top executives were the main ones practicing unethical behavior in the company. By the top executives behaving unethically lower level employees followed their example. As long as Enron was making money no one cared how they went about doing it. In 2001, these unethical actions over the past decade and half caught up with Enron’s top executives and employees. Twenty thousand employees lost their job, medical insurance and employees also lost1.2 billion in retirement funds. Enron’s top executives were paid bonuses totaling 55 million and cashed in their stock at approximately 116 million dollars. Even though some of the executives mad e money in the deal they had to face criminal charges which placed some in prison and some still have pending cases. If Enron has survived their collapse in 2001 and I were to be a consultant for Enron, I would make sure that the code of ethics booklet that all employees read and signed before taking the job at Enron were followed. Employees and executives would have to take part in ethics training to be sure that they understand the book completely. Enron would have to have commitment from all of the executive positions to follow these rules and also enforce them even if the unethical actions were making the company more money. There would have to be a zero tolerance rule in place that everyone understood. All employees acting inappropriately would be reprimanded as established in the code of ethics booklet. Work cited Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room. Dir. Alex Gibney. By Alex Gibney, Peter Elkind, Bethany McLean, and Peter Coyote. Magnolia Pictures, 2005

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Final Project

Final Project Part 2(Worth 20% of your grade) Student Name: James Keys Class/Section: CMIS 102 Professor Name: Jose Romero Assignment due date: 11/4/12 // Which State. cpp #include â€Å"stdafx. h† #include <iostream> #include <string> using namespace std; int main() { int x = 0; int found = 0; int count=0; float sum; float average; int age[10]; string name[10]; string Find_State = â€Å"†; string state[10]; string state_abbr[10]; bool okay = true; do { cout << â€Å"Enter the family member's name. Type ‘done' when complete. ;lt;;lt; endl; cin ;gt;;gt; name[count]; if ( name[count] == â€Å"DONE† || name[count]==†done†) { okay = false; break; } cout ;lt;;lt; â€Å"Enter family member's age† ;lt;;lt; endl; cin ;gt;;gt; age[count]; cout ;lt;;lt; â€Å"Which state is † ;lt;;lt; name[count] ;lt;;lt; † from? Type in CA, NY, TX, VA, VT? † ;lt;;lt; endl; cin ;gt;;gt; state[count]; if ( state[count] ==  "CA† || state[count] == â€Å"ca†) { state[count] = â€Å"California†; state_abbr[count] = â€Å"CA†; }else if (state[count]==†TX† || state[count] == â€Å"tx†) { state[count] = â€Å"Texas†; tate_abbr[count] = â€Å"TX†; } else if (state[count]==†VA† || state[count] == â€Å"va†) { state[count] = â€Å"Virginia†; state_abbr[count] = â€Å"VA†; } else if (state[count]==†NY† || state[count] == â€Å"ny†) { state[count] = â€Å"New York†; state_abbr[count] = â€Å"NY†; } else if (state[count]==†VT† || state[count] == â€Å"vt†) { state[count] = â€Å"Vermont†; state_abbr[count] = â€Å"VT†; } else { cout ;lt;;lt; â€Å"I don't understand!! † ;lt;;lt; endl; count–; } count++; } while (okay || count ! = 10); char yn=' ‘; do { cout << â€Å"Do you wish to list people living in a certain state? << en dl; cin >> yn; if ( yn == ‘Y') { cout << â€Å"Enter the state abbreviation : â€Å"; cin >> Find_State; for (x=0;x<count;x++) if (state_abbr[x] == Find_State) { cout << name[x] << † lives in † << state[x] << endl; found++; } if (! found) { cout << â€Å"Couldn't find anyone living in the state of † << Find_State << â€Å". † << endl; } } else if ( yn == ‘N') cout << â€Å"Okay, we'll continue on!! † << endl << endl; break; } while (yn ! ‘Y' || yn ! = ‘N'); sum = 0. 0; average = 0. 0; for ( x=0;x<count;x++) { sum = sum + age[x]; } average = sum/count; cout << endl << endl << â€Å"The average age of your family is † << average << † years old. † << endl << endl; cout << â€Å"The entered data was :† << endl << endl; for ( x=0; x < count ;x++) { cout << name[x] << † lives in † << state[x] << † and is † << age[x] << † years old. † << endl; } return 0;

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Advertising and Integrated Communication

The purpose of this report is to critically discuss and analyse the use of virtual and augmented reality and its application and uses in educational tourism. The report takes a systematic approach to discuss background to virtual reality, augmented reality, and educational tourism. Further, the report discusses the use of virtual reality and augmented reality in educational tourism followed by critical discussion. Lastly, the report discusses areas for future research in the field followed by a conclusion. Virtual reality can be defined as computer-stimulated reality that uses technology to replicate some real world or imaginary environment, and allows users to interact with the environment (Huang et al., 2016). It involves exact replication of elements of real world elements with synthesized 3D materials and proper collaboration of all the sensory inputs to initiate user engagement. First hint of virtual reality had come from the world of science fiction. In the year 1935, Stanley G. Weinbaum wrote a short story named "Pygmalion's Spectacles". This was the first book, where the concept of virtual reality was first explored. It explored a goggle-based virtual reality system along with holographic record of fictional experience. It included touch and smell. The use of virtual reality concept can be seen in training perspective. It allows the professionals to conduct training in regards to a virtual environment. Virtual reality can also be used in video game for creating graphics and sou nds. Augmented reality is the use of computer generated sensory inputs that is used to augment or supplement the real world elements of the environment for better user experience (Fino et al., 2013). It uses visualization techniques that superimpose computer-generated data such as text, graphics, video, audio, GPS data and other multi-media formats over the real worldview. Therefore, it enhances the user’s perception of the reality and the surrounding environment (Han et al., 2013). In the year, 1968, Ivan Southerland had developed first the system of head mounted display. In this system, augmented display was used by the mean of generated graphic for demonstrating simple wireframe drawing. Augmented reality is effectively used in architecture for visualizing building project. It can also be used in visual art and education and video games.   Educational tourism is carefully planned in combination with site visit and hands-on learning opportunities, which provide clear learning objectives for students.  A proper guide in educational tourism can assist students in gaining leisure activities as well as different learning objectives. Virtual reality is gaining huge popularity in the tourism sector, especially in the field of educational tourism. Virtual reality is being used for destination promotion and for educational purposes. It allows users to experience various conditions that no longer exist now such as pre-historic earth; moreover, it can also be used to experience space travel or walking through the museum, fort or any other simulated reality from the home. It has also made it possible to experience and learn through culture, environment and local community of various destinations across the world in a time efficient and economical manner (Tussyadiah et al., 2016). Augmented reality is used in educational tourism to enhance the experience of the users by providing sensory inputs of the real world. In educational tourism, it can be used to enhance user’s experience by providing real time information about the location and its features. This technology is being extensively used in educational tourism by providing tourists simulations of historical events, places and objects. Further, with the use of audio and video sensory inputs, users can live and experience the history that once existed. It also helps stimulate experiences such as viewing extinct animals, fragmented artefacts, and cultural experiences from history (Guerra et al., 2015). Tourism has always been regarded as means of gaining knowledge and new experiences. The learning gained through the virtual and augmented reality improves learning retention. Virtual reality enables the users to explore and experience various locations such as beaches, museums, or places of historic importance with a persuasive and interactive purview that can be viewed on a computer at home (Buhalis & Yovcheva, 2013). Both virtual and augmented reality provides compelling educational environment. These technologies have revolutionized the educational tourism as it provides a means to stimulate both mental and physical activities with the help of stimulated interactions with the unfamiliar contents. It is used to impart knowledge about the various subjects such as history, aerospace and the likes by providing firsthand experience to the users (Yovcheva et al., 2012). One such application of augmented reality is the use of interactive digital storytelling techniques that has been applied in various museums in order to enhance their educational potential. Further, it has been observed that both virtual reality and augmented reality techniques aids tourist organization and professionals to reach a wider audience and deliver more informed knowledge through better multi-media contents. Therefore, it helps the tourists to access valuable information, thereby increasing their knowledge regarding a tourist attraction or destination in an entertaining manner (Kounavis et al., 2012). Although, it has been established that virtual and augmented reality techniques plays an important role in educational tourism, however, it is still in the development stages and requires better infrastructures such as inter platform operability of virtual reality and augmented reality applications and better internet facilities. Moreover, future researches also need to explore the influence of advance technologies on the overall experience and learning outcomes of users. The researchers are to find more scope to apply these concepts on user’s overall experience and learning outcomes (Chung et al., 2015). From the above discussion, it can be concluded that virtual reality and augmented reality technologies provides one of the most powerful and effective means for participative learning. In the educational tourism sector, these technologies can be employed to recreate history or project future world in a digital format. This can be used in the educational tourism to provide simulated and interactive learning experiences. Buhalis, D., & Yovcheva, Z. (2013). Augmented Reality in Tourism: 10 Unique Applications Explained.  Digital Tourism Think Tank Reports and Best Practice. Retrieved May,  13, 2013. Chung, N., Han, H., & Joun, Y. (2015). Tourists’ intention to visit a destination: The role of augmented reality (AR) application for a heritage site.Computers in Human Behavior,  50, 588-599. Fino, E. R., Martà ­n-Gutià ©rrez, J., Fernà ¡ndez, M. D. M., & Davara, E. A. (2013). Interactive tourist guide: connecting web 2.0, augmented reality and QR codes.  Procedia Computer Science,  25, 338-344. Guerra, J. P., Pinto, M. M., & Beato, C. (2015). Virtual reality-shows a new vision for tourism and heritage.  European Scientific Journal. Han, D. I., Jung, T., & Gibson, A. (2013). Dublin AR: implementing augmented reality in tourism. In  Information and Communication Technologies in Tourism 2014  (pp. 511-523). Springer International Publishing. Huang, Y. C., Backman, K. F., Backman, S. J., & Chang, L. L. (2016). Exploring the Implications of Virtual Reality Technology in Tourism Marketing: An Integrated Research Framework.  International Journal of Tourism Research,  18(2), 116-128. Kounavis, C. D., Kasimati, A. E., & Zamani, E. D. (2012). Enhancing the tourism experience through mobile augmented reality: Challenges and prospects.  International Journal of Engineering Business Management,  4. Sie, L., & Patterson, I. (2015). Understanding the relationship between motivations and experiences of older Australian travellers through educational tourism.  CAUTHE 2015: Rising Tides and Sea Changes: Adaptation and Innovation in Tourism and Hospitality, 708. Tussyadiah, I., Wang, D., & Jia, C. H. (2016). Exploring the Persuasive Power of Virtual Reality Imagery for Destination Marketing. Yovcheva, Z., Buhalis, D., & Gatzidis, C. (2012). Smartphone augmented reality applications for tourism.  e-Review of Tourism Research (eRTR),  10(2), 63-66.

Friday, September 27, 2019

Effective Team and Performance Management Assignment - 1

Effective Team and Performance Management - Assignment Example It also discusses the critical factors affecting team performance and changes required for management of team and performance in the organizational context. Table of Contents 1.Executive Summary 2 2.Introduction 4 3.A Brief Idea of Team Dynamics and Team Formation 5 3.1 Phases of Team Formation 6 3.2 Stages of Group Development 8 3.3 Team Structure 10 4.Factors Affecting Team Performance 11 5.Changes to Be Occurred In the Team through Recommendations 12 6.Identification of Relevant Changes in Leadership and Management Styles 13 7.Conclusion 15 8.References 16 2. Introduction A team can be considered as a group of individuals who are involved for performing different functions towards accomplishing a desired objective. They are required for conducting complex tasks that are assigned by higher authorities in an organizational context. The imperative features of team can be noted as having stronger personalities, possessing effective development of specialized skills and commitment towa rds accomplishing varieties of personal objectives (Quick, 1992). In this similar context, the case study also relates to the issue of effective team and management of performance within the organisation. The case study is related to Electron which is regarded as a manufacturing company engaged in producing components particularly for the telecommunications sector. The company was founded in the year 1997 in the northern region of England. The company possess 150 members, amongst which 90 members are engaged in the department of production. Various departments that have been noted to be operated in Electron are production, marketing and sales, engineering finance and human resource. The company consists of both temporary and permanent employees. The objective of the company is to develop the culture of the company, enhance productivity, provide efficient services to the customers and most significantly gain superior competitive position. The case study focuses on team building aspec ts which are required for maintaining the efficiency of work within Electron, so that effective productivity can be carried out among the team members for the attainment of organisational objectives. In this regard, team building therefore can be signified as a necessary skill that every manager of different organisations focuses on. For developing an organized team, positive attitudes and structured approaches of leadership is required by the managers for handling employees effectively and efficiently (Maddux, 1994). The paper intends to discuss on team dynamics and team formation along with the factors affecting team performance. Moreover, the paper also gives a viewed knowledge about stages of group development as well as changes to be required in Electron to maintain organisational efficiency. 3. A Brief Idea of Team Dynamics and Team Formation According to Belbin’s model, team dynamics is generally utilised by multinational organisations that are involved in creating, re searching and developing new products, processes or solutions. It is considered as a growing trend. Team dynamics can be successful with the quality supervision of a particular team leader for the accomplishment of organisational targets persuaded by the employees and management in the organizational context (Dogaru, 2012). The contribution provides by team leader in the system of team dynamics can be identified as forming coordination amid the team members

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Practice of Do Not Resuscitate, Pros and Cons Essay

Practice of Do Not Resuscitate, Pros and Cons - Essay Example There are some cases where a medical decision to cease treatment accords with moral principles but may nevertheless invite legal censure as in the case of withholding unduly burdensome life-prolonging treatment from severely disabled newborns or severely brain-injured adults. Longitudinal Research 'describes what can be defined as the minimum common denominator of a family of those methods which tell us about change at the individual micro level" (Ruspini 3). The advantage of longitudinal data is that it suggests important cross-cultural differences in the presence of flat affect while methodological questions remain as to precisely how flat affect was assessed. The cross-cultural variation in emotional experience and expression generally and in "Do Not Resuscitate" patients specifically render the culturally valid assessment of flat affect a complicated undertaking. A medical decision to continue treating a patient may accord with a reasonable body of medical opinion, be legal (as in cases where patients have been deemed rationally incompetent under a mental health act), yet be quite unethical if the patient has expressly stated a wish not to be treated, and if this expressed wish, contrary to popular medical opinion, is not 'irrational' (Baker and Stro sberg 22). Death is of particular cultural and sociolinguistic concern insofar as the language and ethnicity of the individual conducting the psychiatric assessment may differ from those of the patient. Certainly a desire to die can be expected to vary substantially in relation to culturally constituted capacities such as self, agency, motivation, and the meaning of purposeful action. "longitudinal research is often undertaken precisely in order to identify social change and its correlates" (Bryman 71). In addition to the usual methods of cross-tabulations, comparisons of means between groups, correlation and regression analysis, there are some special methods that are particularly useful for the analysis of longitudinal data. The following are special methods which can be used to analyze data from our longitudinal studies: (a) age, period, and cohort analysis; (b) change graphs; (c) residual change analysis; and (d) longevity difference (Devine and Heath 63). A cross-sequential design is necessary to separate out the effects of age, period, and cohort. The essential steps are: first, the data must be arranged so that the time interval between times of measurement must equal the number of years in each birth cohort; second, each of the three types of differences must be measured: longitudinal (difference between earlier and later measurements on the same cohort), cross-sectional difference between cohorts at the same point in time), and time-lag (difference between earlier measurem ent on an older cohort and later measurement on a younger cohort); third, inference about the effects contained in these differences are based on the fact that each difference is composed of two effects: longitudinal difference equals age plus period; cross-sectional difference equals age plus cohort; and time-lag difference equals period minus cohort (Bryman 73). If there are no significant differences it is usually

Behavioural Finance in Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Behavioural Finance in Business - Essay Example Tapping telephone calls, monitoring computer and internet usage, and screening e-mails are some of the common employee surveillance practices. This paper will critically discuss the influence of workplace surveillance on managing people at work from the perspectives of both employers and employees. The paper will particularly focus on three relevant issues such as performance management, employee privacy, and use of information technology. Performance management Productive performance management is the ultimate goal of workplace surveillance programs. In order to effectively manage workplace or employee performance, it is necessary to measure employee performance levels frequently. Management professionals claim that surveys or other studies may not be an effective way to measure employees’ work performance and productivity. Furthermore, workplace surveillance is the only potential mechanism in today’s business environment as it is an impossible task for line managers a nd other executives to monitor each employee separately. Therefore, a vast majority of management experts strongly support the use of electronic surveillance techniques in the workplace. According to the 2007 Electronic Monitoring & Surveillance Survey conducted by the American Management Association (AMA 2007), nearly 45% of business organizations monitor their employees’ computer, internet, and phone usage. The survey also indicates that a notable percent of employees were terminated for offensive language; excessive personal use of company properties; viewing, downloading, uploading offensive content; and breach of the firm’s confidential rules (ibid). These survey results support the top managements’ argument that workplace surveillance must be in operation to improve value chain efficiency and overall organizational productivity. From an employer’s perspective, the workplace surveillance system would put a moral check on employees and hence they may become more productive. In addition, if there is a workplace system in operation, employees would be conscious of future consequences in case of any workplace misconduct.  

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Further Exploration assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Further Exploration assignment - Essay Example The Janice and Melwyn, looking back said that they felt each new baby created an increased bond of closeness between them, but then as the kids became older, Melwyn reports feeling that they were often, â€Å"in the way†. As a result, the couple reports that for nearly a decade, they couldn’t remember going on a date, seeing a movie together or taking a trip without the children. This eroded the quality of their marriage and relationship. Stevie and Lucas say that they have felt their love grow for one another as they support each other in caring for a toddler and preparing for an infant. They feel that they have had to change very little so far in their lives because of kids. They never were into partying or going out much before kids and that hasn’t changed. They do miss the quiet that has been lost to the two year-old’s toys and constant talking. They know that crying is soon ahead, as are late night feedings and diapers, but all in all they feel as clo se as they ever have. Janice and Melwyn report that when they had their first child, Janice quit her job as a bank teller to stay home with the children. She had a high school diploma and Melwyn was trained as a machinist. The economy was good, so Melwyn took overtime in order to make-up for the loss of Janice’s income. Janice did not return to the workforce until her youngest child was in 7th grade. She says she didn’t want to work once the kids came along, but admitted that being a housewife was boring and isolating at times. Stevie is going to continue her studies at university through her pregnancy and after the birth of the next child. She is studying elementary education. She feels this would provide good additional income at some point and allow her to have time with her kids. Lucas is an engineer. He is just starting his career and wants to be the sole provider for the family for as long as

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Hamptons International in UAE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Hamptons International in UAE - Essay Example The paper is divided into separate sections with each section analyzing one component of the business. There is a section on applying Porter’s Five Forces and another on the BCG or the Boston Consulting Group Matrix as applied to Hamptons. A section provides the value chain analysis and another section covers the financial analysis with the conclusion recommending a set of strategies for the company going forward. Each section flows into the next in an attempt to provide a holistic and well rounded analysis of the company and its operations. Before concluding this Executive Summary, one needs to remember the words about Hamptons being a quintessentially British company which invokes images of history and elegance that is now under a different ownership that is moving aggressively to capture new markets and grow its business. It is this conflation of old world work ethic and modern business practices that make Hamptons International a unique and singular company to

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Language Death Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Language Death - Essay Example The endangered languages badly need to be protected from being eroded and should be treated as a living heritage. In the globalized world of today, the endangerment of languages has presented them as anthropomorphic organisms, with lives independent of their speakers. Throughout the world; the emergence of regional and international economic networks have, blurred the national boundaries. The highly industrialized countries have exercised their economic monopoly and have thus, led certain world languages to compete as imperial or hegemonic while jeopardizing many others. Languages are capable of negotiating their coexistence on their own terms and it seems quite surprising at times that languages; which are reliably passed down through generations; still become extinct. Languages are parasitic species whose vitality depends on the communicative behaviors of their speakers, who in turn respond adaptively to changes in their socio-economic ecologies (Mufwene, 2002). These adaptations have resulted in language shifts, endangerment and destruction and it's not at all surprising when we come across or read about killer languages. The death of a language occurs when it's speakers decrease in number and gradually diminish, an is taken over by a killer or a leading language. A language killer is a dominant language which is learned at the cost of the mother tongue rather than in addition to it. Though the essential characteristic of a killer language in not to eradicate a language, but most major languages can be identified as killers and this process is sometimes called linguistic cannibalism, glottophagy or language cannibalism (Tove, 2000). English today is considered to be the primary killer language of the world as compared to other popular languages like Chinese, Russian and French, etc. and sign; or other less powerful smaller cultural languages. When the speakers of a language shift to another language, their native language is neglected and the new language takes over. When a language dies, it does not just disappear naturally, but the speakers leave them voluntarily either for their own good reasons o r for instrumental purposes. Globalization and Language Extinction The death of languages has usually been summoned by power as an important factor, which favored the language of the powerful over the less powerful nations and populations. During the past four centuries, this has been made more obvious by the European Colonization of the world, at least until the independence of the Asian countries and Africa, in the mid twentieth century. The economic relations of countries less industrialized, with their former colonial rulers, have been subject to the terms and language of their former rulers for economic exchange. The European languages have not only endangered the other languages but have been depicted as killer languages, about to replace all other languages (Crystal, 2000). In addition to this, a language is also endangered because it plays a vital role in the cost and benefit consideration; where the speakers need a particular language for socio-economic ecology. The survival of a language in the globalized economy can result in the giving up of a language for survival. A language can thus be doomed and eventually become extinct for the socio-economic benefits. For example, many African languages have recently lost not to political

Saturday, September 21, 2019

CNS Breathe Right Essay Example for Free

CNS Breathe Right Essay Company Profile CNS was originally formed by Dr. Daniel Cohen and Dr. Frederick Strobl as a medical equipment company in 1982. Strobl and Cohen were neurology residents at the University of Minnesota hospitals. Strobl was also an electrical engineer. The original intent of the company was to revolutionize brain activity monitoring by inventing and marketing a personal computer equipped with a circuit board that could analyze brain waves in real time during operations. After five years of increased technological advances but a steady decline in sales, the company hired Fred Brooks as president. In 1990, the company finally recorded profits in 1990 for the first time by marketing their brain monitoring equipment to sleep clinics. In 1991, Cohen met with Bruce Johnson, who wanted to scientifically advance some ideas he had for a nasal dilating system. After many attempts to dilate his own nasal passages internally, he came up with the idea to dilate them externally. Johnson then spent the next three years working on a spring loaded strip that would lift his nostrils and keep them dilated. CNS then acquired the rights to market and sell this product in 1992, and Cohen reassumed the position of president. In 1993, CNS hired Richard E. Jahnke as their new president. Because of a lengthy FDA approval process, it took a while before the Breathe Right strips could be sold to distributors. Because of this and because of continued losses in the sleep disorder market, CNS reported more losses in 1993. In 1994, however, things started to change. CNS was allowed shelf space in Eckerds, Walgreens, and Snyders. This, along with two endorsements from Herschel Walker and Jerry Rice, two prominent NFL athletes who swore by the use of the strip at the time, the sales of Breathe Right doubled in the fourth quarter of 1994. The company enjoyed continued success through  marketing the strips as a use for athletic enhancement, a cure for snoring, a sleep aid, and a drug free way of degongestion. Financial and Non-Financial Goals The original non-financial goal of CNS was to produce efficient and useful technology to monitor brain activity that neurologists could use to effectively receive and translate data from electrical signals in the patient’s brain in real time during an operation. After this attempt at innovation failed to be profitable, the company acquired the marketing rights to the nasal strips invented by Bruce Johnson, and the company’s primary goal was the marketing and sales of the â€Å"Breathe Right† nasal strip. Sources http://www.answers.com/topic/cns-inc http://www.answers.com/topic/cns-inc#ixzz2HFZZmk2c http://www.calmu.edu/blog/international-marketing-the-success-of-cns-breathe-right-nasal-strips/ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iexvzcmzYB0 http://www.breatheright.com/ http://www.studymode.com/essays/Analysis-Cns-Breathe-Right-Strips-62927.html

Friday, September 20, 2019

Inter Professional Education Reflective Account Nursing Essay

Inter Professional Education Reflective Account Nursing Essay Throughout my time on the Year 1 Inter Professional Education (IPE) programme, I have compiled this portfolio consisting of a reflective account on my performance in throughout the programme. Included in this file are a number of secondary resources utilised in constructing the account as well as in aid of assembling the team presentation. My IPE group consisted of 4 medical, 2 pharmacy and 3 nursing students. As a multidisciplinary team, we collectively produced a presentation regarding clinical communication and ethical considerations in patient centred healthcare. Our theme was based around the growing issue of underage pregnancies throughout the capital. The wider issues of this topic ranging from the ethical, psychological, and moral implications as well as the great variety of healthcare professionals involved in managing such incidences. We chose this topic as it was something the whole group had differing views on and wanted to explore further. A copy of the article, Policy disaster as teen pregnancy rate rises to its highest in 10 years, is included for the benefit of the reader. This article from the Times Online was the key inspiration behind our choice of topic as it outlines the huge extent of the problems posed by teenage pregnancies. According to the article Britain has the highest incidence of teenage pregnancies in Western Europe. Despite the highly sensationalist tone and the incomprehensive survey of the contributing factors of teenage pregnancy, the article does offer a fascinating introspection into the ethical issues regarding pregnancy among girls below 16, the age of consent. The slideshow utilized during the team presentation, Yvonne at the clinic, is included for the benefit of the reader. As one can see it contains the key concepts the team touched upon during the presentation which was interspersed with a model role-play featuring a consultation at a sexual health clinic. Moreover, the script for the role-play has also been enclosed to help the reader appreciate the teams corroboration in conveying current issues integrated in a model scenario. Please find enclosed further evidence highlighting our effective teamwork comprising of emails, peer review forms and a diary of progress which had been logged between the IPE sessions. The essential features of a team and how it develops have been explained by Tuckmans summary of team development (1965). The model was used as a reference point for the groups progress, evaluate the teams development and to contemplate the next stage of action. The reflective account further vindicates how Tuckmans summary is clearly not exhaustive in describing the great spectrum of team behaviours. Instead, the IPE programme has enlightened the view that group dynamics are variable and so mechanical. Therefore the unpredictability arising amongst different teams, especially multi and possibly more vast amongst inter-disciplinary teams reinforces the belief that there are many contributors which affect group work. To conclude, I hope the reader finds the following account and secondary sources beneficial. In the time that has been allocated, I have tried my utmost to submit an honest account of my contribution to the IPE programme. Sincerely, Reflective Account In this reflective account, I will evaluate and analyse my performance as a team member throughout the IPE programme using the Kolb (1984) cycle1. David Kolb argues that experience is the source of learning and development. The cycle constitutes the following four stages; Concrete Experience, Reflective Observation, Abstract Conceptualisation and Active experimentation. Kolbs cycle suggests it is necessary to reflect on an experience, evaluate it and formulate concepts, which can then be applied to new situations such as working in a multidisciplinary team (MDT) 2. CAIPE uses the phrase interprofessional education (IPE) as a generic term which occurs when two or more professions learn with, from and about each other to improve collaboration and the quality of care CAIPE (2007)3. Our team consisted of nine people (four medical, three nursing and 2 pharmacy students). The application of an inquiry based learning (IBL) technique, would allow us to enhance our problem solving and communication skills. Over a period of five weeks, the team managed to present an ethical case study conveying the importance of communicative efficacy and ethical considerations within MDTs in providing patient centred care. In this paper I incorporate theoretical principles to the teams performance4-7 in a bid to divulge a deeper understanding of how and why I improve specific areas of my performance as a team member. Concrete Experience In the first IPE session, our objective was to decide the focus of our inquiry. Right from the onset, to my disbelief, the group was extremely focused and driven to the task at hand. Initially I was hesitant mainly due to the exposure of so many strangers with varying personalities but equally eager to think aloud4. This threatening situation meant that any early communication was difficult and for a considerable amount of time I found myself very quiet8. The reason for this was that my views towards this task were initially sceptical because of previous prejudices held against other disciplines. However, as the meeting progressed, I learnt that such presumptions had no basis and had arisen due to a lack of contact between the disciplines. A consensus was reached within the group to carry out our task along the lines of teenage pregnancy among girls below 16 and the wider implications it acquires. The session also included a simulated patient interview, which proved very informative and clearly highlighted the fundamental concepts of a consultation; rapport, empathy, body language, active listening and question styles. By the second session the group had conducted some research on loosely related material regarding the growing problem of teen pregnancies in the UK. In this student led session, we made a decision to commence the planning of the actual task. This was a very time consuming step to achieve as fellow members failed to comprehend the purpose of the goals we had set, since our task had a large scope and appeared vague. I felt it was my duty to urge the group to clear any misconceptions at this early stage and to channel our broad research into three specific concepts which are imperative to portray to our aud ience. I put particular emphasis on the current NHS guidelines, ethical issues and relevant multidisciplinary team approaches concerning the scenario5. Our concrete material which would provide the foundational premise for the duration of the course was provided by an article claiming Policy disaster as teen pregnancy rate rises to its highest in 10 years9. This article presents great scope for discussion including the ethical issues and the role of MDTs in managing such a growing problem. According to Bruce Tuckman (1965) there are a number of key issues relating to effective team discussion and behaviour10. Stage 1 is the forming phase and it depicts a teams natural instinct for guidance. Therefore, the premise for advancement for a particular group resides in the election of a leader. When discussing and deciding the topic for our presentation it became clear that certain individuals were more confident than others and my substantial contributions during the second session5, led me to assume leadership. Although my position involved delegating specific tasks to individuals, the group as a whole was very diplomatic and hence there was no need for an autocratic leader. As a result of this, the storming phase, which Tuckman described as the episode where decisions are most challenging, was a much rapid and unproblematic phase. This was because we all had a genuine interest in the topic and felt we each could contribute to the issue. The allocation of roles was carried out based on prior research. For instance, the individual whom had researched the healthcare team had the task of producing their own slide for the PowerPoint presentation. In addition the norming process of Tuckmans model was also coming into the fore as our keen actors6 were making great progress in their role-play of a consultation at a sexual health clinic. My contribution to the presentation consisted of a brief explanation of the importance of consent and whether a minor can consent to their own treatment (i.e. Gillick case, Fraser guidelines) 11, 12. Overall, continual discussion and communication between members mainly via emails enabled the presentation to evolve into the polished product which portrayed the efficient performing (final) phase of Tuckmans model. The team worked in an efficient manner after a sluggish start. The initial reservations were quickly diminished which helped us to progress towards our goals. During the days leading to the final presentation, I and a colleague realised some discrepancies in the script and the issue of a dress code for the team presentation was brought up6. Such concerns were clarified by email communication13, but unfortunately such enthusiasm was only shared amongst a few peers. Nevertheless, it was very satisfying to see that everyone had contributed something to the final presentation which was a sentiment to my effective delegation of roles14. I felt that a certain member had not contributed much throughout the course and was continually seeking a minimalist approach which could have been detrimental to the teams performance. I voiced my opinions in her peer review form so she could improve in the future as the potential adverse consequences of a breakdown of communication within the MDT can be damaging to the patients care. The roles conducted by the team members varied from communication, ethical issues and the role-play. Margerison and McCann (1995)15 constructed a teamwork model stating a successful team encompasses individuals with a variety of skills, hence fulfilling diverse roles. All the team members were, to differing extents, creators innovators as we each contributed something constructive. I believe certain members whom had thought of the idea of a role-play were more creative and others whom had continually produced their contributions on time were deemed concluders. Another individual whom had taken the responsibility of merging the slideshow together expressed her practical skills as an assessor, whilst another member helped to support me in my leadership role. Her efforts were invaluable in making by duties more proficient and constantly reminding me to book the library rooms for scheduled meetings. She was classified, according to the teamwork model, as an upholder. Finally, the indiv iduals involved in the role-play were concluders due to their quality standards and reporters because they were capable of incorporating prior knowledge to help answer questions following the presentation. I feel that I was a thruster because as a democratic leader it was my duty to organise and motivate other members, whilst continually involving them in the decision making process. Reflective Observation After the presentations, we took part in a peer review exercise, where our observations of each others performance throughout the course had to be reflected. The irony of teamwork is that a team is made up of individuals. These individuals will have different experiences, knowledge, expectations and priorities. Thus it is important that our team developed a keen interest in the performance as a whole, as this will influence individual contributions. Amongst the majority of peer review forms, I noticed many positive comments ranging from being knowledgeable on the subject of consent8, good at arranging ideas and has good delegation skills ensures everybody has an equal role to play14. This was extremely pleasing to learn because it illustrates that my fellow team members fully appreciated the effort that I put into the project. Also, my contribution to the presentation as a team player was also acknowledged stating I had contributed the knowledge and understanding of capacity and cons ent which helped to explain the patients rights in our role-play helped the nurses learn about the Gillick test, which until then we had no understanding of16. I believe this statement portrays my effective communication amongst the team throughout the programme enabling the group to maximise our potential to work in an MDT approach. Amongst the very few negative comments, a team member justifiably observed that I was a bit quiet at the start of the IPE session8. In retrospect, I believe I should have been more expressive and honest with my group and have confidence in making alternative suggestions ultimately benefiting the group. Furthermore, another team member felt I could have taken more control/been more decisive so that people were clear of what to do17. It was interesting to note that he/she had also written that I was good at sorting out the details i.e. what exactly each person was going to go away and research17. Nonetheless, I felt that I delegated the tasks suitably because I had ensured that each member understood and had ownership of their tasks for the next session. Although the issue had never been brought up nor had I been emailed of any confusion in the allocation of roles, I believe that I should have utilized the luxury of emailing each member clearly what they had to do. Abstract conceptualisation From this experience, I have gained a lot of knowledge both on the issues regarding underage pregnancies as well as the skills required to work effectively in a team. My fellow members had enlightened me of the growing problem of teen pregnancies in certain boroughs around the capital and we all felt the government was failing this young generation. According to the article mentioned earlier, The expansion of confidential contraceptive services for young people under 169 was the main causal factor. I learnt through an inquiry based learning approach the importance of effective clinical communication and ethical considerations in managing the issue. Furthermore, a fellow member also enlightened the group on the vital role of the sexual health centres in providing education and advice for the younger generation. I have also discovered the challenges associated with controlling large teams of varying disciplines. Apart from the logistical constraints, each member of the team had their own schedule and hence the proposition of extra sessions was difficult to attain. However, many challenges and complications were dealt with very effectively via email13, thus eliminating the scheduling and logistical constraints in place. Coordinating nine members of a team demanded good organisational and most importantly time management skills. This is enormously beneficial for me because as I progress through my medical career, there is an increasing demand for efficient teamwork. Active experimentation On reflection it is clear that our team worked very well together and expressed ourselves to construct an effective presentation of the chosen scenario. The Egalitarian atmosphere during the meetings was admirable, where every decision involved a vote of confidence. Nevertheless I feel as group leader I should have struck a balance between collective decision making and being more abrupt, as well as ensuring that all the tasks are being conducted well. Also in the future, fewer people could have presented the final task. A solution could have been to make a video for the role play, thereby freeing up more space for other members of the team on the stage. Overall, the IPE programme has been an incredible learning curve which has provided an insightful experience as well as an understanding of the significance of effective communication between professionals. Lastly, this experience has emphasized my weaknesses, but I have appreciated that others may have different ways of working; different skills and knowledge, which in practice contribute to the patients healthcare.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Bacteria :: essays research papers

Describe the structure and life processes of bacteria. Bacterial cells, like plant cells, are surrounded by a cell wall. However, bacterial cell walls are made up of polysaccharide chains linked to amino acids, while plant cell walls are made up of cellulose, which contains no amino acids. Many bacteria secrete a slimy capsule around the outside of the cell wall. The capsule provides additional protection for the cell. Many of the bacteria that cause diseases in animals are surrounded by a capsule. The capsule prevents the white blood cells and antibodies from destroying the invading bacterium. Inside the capsule and the cell wall is the cell membrane. In aerobic bacteria, the reactions of cellular respiration take place on fingerlike infoldings of the cell membrane. Ribosomes are scattered throughout the cytoplasm, and the DNA is generally found in the center of the cell. Many bacilli and spirilla have flagella, which are used for locomotion in water. A few types of bacteria that lack flagella move by gliding on a surface. However, the mechanism of this gliding motion is unknown. Most bacteria are aerobic, they require free oxygen to carry on cellular respiration. Some bacteria, called facultatibe anaerobes can live in either the presence or absence of free oxygen. They obtain energy either by aerobic respiration when oxygen is present or by fermentation when oxygen is absent. Still other bacteria cannot live in the presence of oxygen. These are called obligate anaerobes. Such bacteria obtain energy only fermentation. Through fermentation, different groups of bacteria produce a wide variety of organic compounds. Besides ethyl alcohol and lactic acid, bacterial fermentation can produce acetic acid, acetone, butyl alcohol, glycol, butyric acid, propionic acid, and methane, the main component of natural gas. Most bacteria are heterotrophic bacteria are either saprophytes or parasites. Saprophytes feed on the remains of dead plants and animals, and ordinarily do not cause disease. They release digestive enzymes onto t he organic matter. The enzymes breakdown the large food molecules into smaller molecules, which are absorbed by the bacterial cells. Parasites live on or in living organisms, and may cause disease. A few types of bacteria are Autotrophic, they can synthesize the organic nutrients they require from inorganic substances. Autotrophic bacteria are either photosynthetic or Chemosynthetic. The photosynthetic bacteria contain chlorophyll that are different from the plant chlorophyll. In bacterial photosynthesis, hydrogen is obtained by the splitting of compounds other than water.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

How Wind Turbines Assist in Generating Alternative Energy :: Wind Power Energy

How Wind Turbines Assist in Generating Alternative Energy Abstract I have researched how turbines assist in generating alternative energy. I found my research primarily from the Internet from sources such as the U.S. Department of energy. I then noted what a wind turbine does to help generate energy, and why it is used as an alternative energy. I also found disadvantages to using fossil fuels, and why it is important to use alternative energy like wind. I then researched how the wind turbine worked and what each specific component of the turbine did. Before researching, I hypothesized that wind turbines did very little to help the Earth's crisis of burning fossil fuels, but after researching, I discovered that many farmers and ranchers are using wind turbines to help conserve energy, and they are doing so at a very low cost. Using wind turbines can benefit everyone, and since it is a clean renewable energy, it will not pollute the Earth's atmosphere. Introduction A turbine is a machine, containing a rotor that has blades. The turbines are powered by momentum, and the kinetic energy is converted to mechanical energy. A turbine works by using wind to make energy, which is opposite of a fan. There are two basic groups of turbines, the horizontal-axis variety, and the vertical-axis design. There are also many sizes of turbines ranging from 100 kilowatts to several megawatts. A turbine is constructed of many parts, including an anemometer, two or three blades, a brake, a controller, a gear box, a generator, a high-speed shaft, a low-speed shaft, a nacelle, a pitch, a rotor, a tower, a wind vane, a yaw drive and a yaw motor. Wind Turbines 3 Figure 1 (U.S. Department of Energy, 2006) Figure 1 shows the components of the wind turbine. Each has a different function to aid the conversion of kinetic energy into mechanical energy. According to U.S. Department of Energy, the anemometer measures the wind speed and transmits wind speed data to the controller. The blades are lifted by wind and from that start to rotate. The brake is a disc brake, which is used to stop the rotor in emergencies. The controller starts up the machine at wind speeds of about 8 to 16 miles per hour; turbines do not operate at wind speeds above about 55 miles per hour because they might be damaged by the high winds. The gearbox is where gears connect the low-speed shaft to the high-speed shaft and increases the rotational speeds from about 30 to 60 rotations per minute (rpm) to about 1000 to 1800 rpm, the rotational speed required by most generators to

Influence of TV And Radio :: essays papers

Influence of TV And Radio One of the most important means of communication by pictures and sounds is the television. Most of what we learn comes from television. Just think of all that we see in just one hour of television-commercials, educational programs, sitcoms, etc. The TV is another source that we can learn from about lands far away, people, and places. You can sit in your living room while visiting Europe, Asia, or even Australia. Television is a huge influence on our daily lives, as shown by how much time is spent staring at its screen. Unfortunately, the heaviest viewers of television are children. Of course, there are worthwhile programs on TV suitable for kids, such as Sesame Street and the Magic School Bus, but just imagine what a child would think if he saw just one episode of Melrose Place. Do we tell the children that this is acceptable? Radio is important, but is not used as frequently anymore due to the birth of television. We hear the news and can listen to different opinions of controversial subjects. Millions of families used to gather around the radio to listen to dramas, light comedies, variety shows, live music, and other programs. However, people can communicate a lot more quickly between any two points either on land, at sea, in the sky, or also in space, with the use of the radio. Politically, the radio made it possible for the people to be informed about government policies directly. Radio was "born" in the twenties, and "died" in the forties. Because the depression made listening the only amusement people could afford, the thirties were radio's finest years. Later, in the fifties television was making a breakthrough. By 1961, 88% of the United States' households had two sets which were in use for an average of 5 hours a day. Television killed off small-club boxing, minor league baseball, and practically any other activity that meant leaving the living room. Television is the perfect baby-sitter. We just plop our kids down in front of the set, while we go among our business. Television has spent more time raising our kids than we have. Children no longer play baseball or swing on the swings in the park or play tag in the back yard as much anymore. Television and radio have, obviously, been a huge influence on our lives. But the main question is: have they been a good influence or a bad

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Organizational Systems and Quality Leadership Essay

A. Understanding Nursing Sensitive Indicators Nursing sensitive indicators include the configuration, process and outcomes of nursing care. The configuration of nursing care concludes the nursing staff, their nursing skills, and the level of education that each nurse holds. The process of nursing care concludes the nursing assessments, intervention and implimentation. The outcome of nursing care either positive or negative depends on the quantity and quality of the care provided to the patients by the nursing staff (â€Å"Nursing world,† 2013) Each nurse should hold proper information and knowledge of nursing care such as knowledge of pressure ulcers. In this scenario every nursing personnel should provide the ultimate nursing care in dealing with pressure ulcers. In order to prevent any pressure ulcer each nursing personnel should be aware of the pressure ulcer concept, their prevention and the correct technique of reducing any other complication related to pressure ulcers. In this case the nurse and the CNA should use their knowledge of preventing any pressure ulcer. The first action is to assess completely the patient for any sign of pressure ulcer such as any erythema or bruising. It is essential that the nursing staff know to reposition the patient and reasses the out of sight sites parts of the body for any sign and symptoms of bruising and shearing. Also it is important for nursing staff to know that, the patients with restraint order, are at higher risk of getting pressure ulcer so the nurse is responsible for proper and effective way of using restraints and on the other hand is supposed to know at what time the restrains are not proper to be used. In the nursing sensitive indicator category also it is included,the patient satisfaction, which was missing out in this scenario; due to the fact that the nurse did not consider the patient satisfaction fact, and she dismissed the incorrect diet, which was being so easily delivered for the patient.if the nurse had the patient satisfaction category in her mind, She also would have report the daughter about the increct diet incident, and  also the nurse would also avoid commenting inappropriate words to the daughter. How Hospital Data Could Advance Quality Care In this scenario the hospital in order to advance the quality of care, could have shared the information about the incident with the nursing personnel. The hospital could provide the best quality of care to the patients and achieve the patients’ satisfaction, by sharing the data. Advancing the quality of care would have positive effect on both patient satisfaction and nursing care. Knowledge of nursing care empowers the nursing staff in such cases. In this scenario the knowledge of pressure ulcers, restraints and patient care is significant. On the other hand the nursing care in this scenario could have been better and the family/patient could have been cared better if the nursing staff had gotten the best patient care knowledge. Resources Available Several resources exist in the hospital in order to address the nursing sensitive indicators. In this scenario as a nurse I could partner with dietician in order to address the tray issue and deliver the correct tray to the correct patient. To resolve any misunderstandings I would apologize to the daughter of the patient for the incident. I would speak to the nurse who commented inapprotely to the daughter of the patient. I would discuss the situation and possible solutions with the doctor/nurse in charge. I would educate the CNA the proper information about noticing the signs of any pressure ulcers and proper techniques in avoiding them. I also would ask a wound care consultant to provide proper information to the nursing staff about pressure ulcers. To fully provide the best patient care I also would refer the patient and family to any social worker in dealing with any ethical issue that may interfere in the quality of care. References http://www.nursingquality.org http://www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/ThePracticeofProfessionalNursing/PatientSafetyQuality/Research-Measurement/The-National-Database/Nursing-Sensitive-Indicators_1 Nursing world. (2013)

Monday, September 16, 2019

Debating and discussing the benefits and drawbacks

Thematic instruction is a method of learning that is going more and more outstanding within schools across the state due to the Government ‘s instruction reappraisal and their proposed new course of study for 2011. The switch to this method of instruction is intended to assist reorganize the traditional capable countries into ‘thematic ‘ countries of acquisition, easing the force per unit areas on schools to learn purely to the course of study and give their instructors the freedom they need in order to make cross-curricular thematic lessons. This study will try to specify both thematic and cross-curricular instruction and discourse their several advantages and disadvantages. Shoemaker ( 1989 ) states that a cross-curriculum instruction is one that is set up so that schoolroom topics overlap with one another, the method efforts to convey together legion facets of the course of study into assorted lessons to reflect the ‘real universe ‘ such that pupils can â€Å" utilize cognition learned in one context as a cognition base in other contexts † ( Collins, Brown, & A ; Newman, 1989 ) . Shanahan ( 1995 ) agrees with this definition, he states that â€Å" thematic instruction is a method of forming learning about subjects or subjects doing it possible to incorporate direction across nucleus countries†¦ Thematic units are designed to promote pupils to dig deep into subjects developing both an consciousness and apprehension of bing connexions across thoughts. † The above definitions suggest that thematic and cross-curricular instruction is indispensable for kids to tie in that accomplishments learnt in one category are of import to ols for finishing undertakings within other topics in school and undertakings outside. Applebee, Langer, & A ; Mullis ( 1989 ) study why the alteration to this method or instruction is necessary â€Å" while pupils are larning the basic information in nucleus capable countries, they are non larning to use their cognition efficaciously in thought and logical thinking † Marzano ( 1991 ) and Perkins ( 1991 ) construct on this ; they believe that these methods work towards turn toing some ‘recurring jobs ‘ in instruction, one in peculiar being that of stray accomplishment direction. Ofsted ‘s study ‘The Curriculum in Successful Primary Schools ‘ ( 2002 ) in which it was noted that successful schools were the 1s in which â€Å" The instructors recognised that where links are effectual they enable students to use the cognition and accomplishments learned in one topic to others. † Because cross-curricular and thematic instruction involves the linking of activities that are designed around subjects or subjects every bit good as traversing legion countries within the National Curriculum they â€Å" provide an environment that Fosters and encourages procedure acquisition and active engagement of all pupils † ( Fisher, 1991 ) , this would therefore aid instructor turn to the different acquisition manners of students within their schoolrooms. A claim that Komorowska ( 2001 ) backs up, saying that because â€Å" teaching kids is non systematic, the methods and techniques chosen by the instructor are of a higher significance than their consequences. † With respects to the diverse acquisition manners that kids have, experts have identified three ( hypertext transfer protocol: //www.time4learning.com/learning-styles.shtml ) : Auditory scholars remember by speaking out loud, like to hold things explained orally and may hold problem with written instructions. Auditory scholars may speak to themselves when larning something new. Ocular scholars easy retrieve ocular inside informations and prefer to see what they are larning. They prefer to compose down instructions and may hold problem following talks. This type of scholar enjoys art and drawing ; reads maps, charts and diagrams good ; fascinated with machines and innovations ; dramas with Lego ; likes labyrinths and mystifiers. Kinesthetic scholars prefer activities that allow them to make what they are larning about. Haptic scholars like to touch things in order to larn about them and wish to travel around when speaking or listening. Shows you instead than Tells you. Through the usage of thematic and transverse curricular instruction, schoolroom instructors are able to provide for these three distinct groups of scholars and, hence, make an ambiance in which each group remains interested in the lesson therefore battling any ennui and increasing the students ‘ potency for larning. Former Secretary of State for Education and Skills, Charles Clarke, wrote in the Excellence and Enjoyment Strategy ( 2004 ) , â€Å" What makes good primary instruction great is the merger of excellence and enjoyment. Children learn better when they are excited and engaged – but what excites them and engages them best is genuinely first-class instruction, which challenges them and shows them what they can make. † Which falls in line with Larsen-Freeman ‘s statement ( 2000 ) that larning becomes even more effectual due to it being â€Å" facilitated in a cheerful environment † , and Resnick ‘s ( 1989 ) claim that this method increases students ‘ motive for larning and their degree of battle because they can see the value of what they are being taught and become more actively engaged in the lesson as opposed to the isolated accomplishment larning that other methods offer. It is, nevertheless, of import to see general larning features every bit good as the antecedently mentioned groups of features and how these are successfully manipulated through the usage of these methods. Thaiss ( 1986 ) , Krogh ( 1990 ) and Jacobs ( 1989 ) all write that kids that are able to utilize fact-finding accomplishments to research what they are larning, and interact with other members of their acquisition community, whether that ‘s other students, instructors or schoolroom helpers, really learn more than those kids that are non encouraged to inquire inquiries and portion sentiments with other scholars. Vygotsky ( 1962 ) gives us an account as to why this technique is successful. He pointed out that kids who have different accomplishments, learn from each other. This is because through the encouragement of probe, oppugning and working together, students are given the chance to see undertakings from the point of position of others. Finally, the humanistic attack in learning emphasises the importance of single and typical features of a human being and the desire for fulfillment. In instruction it means student-oriented learning instead than teacher-oriented one Biskup ( 1990 ) . Fisher et Al says, â€Å" what promotes creativeness is a oppugning schoolroom, where instructors and students ask unusual and ambitious inquiries ; where new connexions are made ; where thoughts are represented in different ways- visually, physically and verbally ; where there are fresh attacks and solutions to jobs ; and where the effects of thoughts and actions are critically evaluated. † In a humanistic schoolroom, such as the 1 that uses thematic and cross-curricular methods, the instructor is non merely a protagonist and assistant but besides a scholar. This is because the work is based on subjects that the instructor may non be used to, it brings the instructor down to the same degree of the kid and the student about takes charge in look intoing by inquiring inquiries. The instructor ‘s chief function is to make an ambiance in which scholars feel relaxed and do non hold any suppressions therefore scholars ‘ endowments are exploited during the learning procedure. Of class, whilst there are legion benefits to utilizing these methods, there are besides a figure of drawbacks which must be considered. David Hart, former general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, â€Å" Theme-based instruction will disfavor students in the passage to secondary. And it will do the secondary instructor ‘s undertaking much more hard. † This is to state that even though there may be benefits to learning like this within a primary schoolroom, students heading from a mostly thematic based manner of learning could perchance happen that the generic manner of learning within secondary instruction i.e. topic-based acquisition, hard to set to. Thus disfavoring the student ‘s learning experience, compared to schoolmates who are used to this type of instruction. Further drawbacks of the methods include the demand for ongoing coaction between instructors and planning, as the subjects must be carefully and thought through in order for them to be meaningful and do sense within the course of study. Chris Woodhead, states in his study of 1992 that, â€Å" It ‘s harder for instructors to construction a consistent proviso in the topics that are deserving analyzing if they ‘re seeking to build links between these topics every bit good. † The excess work that Woodhead remarks on is necessary for the success of the methods because the intertwining of the course of study within that one subject, as stated earlier, may be hard and would necessitate a batch of planning and coaction with other members of staff, and without this excess work from the instructors it is possible that some content that could be covered may be missed. Finally, with respects to planning, the resources available to instructors within a school could besides be a possible obstruction for the two methods. For illustration a school may non hold sufficient ICT resources for all twelvemonth groups to utilize in order to develop these accomplishments during literacy or numeracy lessons. There is besides the possibility that within these Sessionss that some students get confused and lose sight of the chief constructs of the activity or lesson. This could be down to hapless planning and administration of the instructor or due to the student being over-stimulated with the many different activities in gesture within the lesson, therefore, ensuing in the student being ‘spread thinly ‘ across the lesson, go forthing attempts for larning uneffective. The cross-curricula and thematic methods of instruction can be good to instructors and pupils, as discussed antecedently they allow kids to larn in a manner that is most natural to them. As Scott and Ytreberg ( 1990 ) province: â€Å" some kids develop early, some later. Some kids develop bit by bit, others in springs and bounds. It is non possible that at the age of five all kids can make x, at the age of seven they can all make Ys, or that at the age of 10 they can all make z.. † This is to state that kids are all different human existences larning things at different rates. These methods allow all students to pick up the intended acquisition aims and ends through this fact-finding procedure, it ‘s through this procedure that the students become more responsible and engaged in their ain acquisition. In consequence this ‘levels the playing field ‘ leting the students to successfully finish the acquisition aim in their ain manner and within the intended perio d of clip. However, it would be prudent to take to these methods with cautiousness as the drawbacks discussed do look to hold footing such as

Sunday, September 15, 2019

A Vivid Dream Zechariah 3:1-10

Introduction The book of Zechariah is full of vivid imagery and peculiar visions that all help in the conveying of God’s message. This paper will examine the specific vision described in Zechariah 3:1-10. The intent of this essay is to examine the message of this vivid vision that Zechariah received and also to determine the application for readers at that time and for believers today. Compare English Versions The first step in studying this passage had been to read it over and over in multiple English translations to get a feel for how it could be interpreted in English.While there is some difference in the wording of different English translations it does not seem to change what is being communicated in the text. Some interesting differences in v. 4b do appear when describing the new clothing that is given to Joshua, it is described as simply a â€Å"change of raiment† (King James) or more elaborately â€Å"pure elaborately† (ESV) and in the NRSV â€Å"festal apparel†. The following verse describes the charge unto Joshua from the Angel of the Lord as being â€Å"protested† (King James) or â€Å"gave his charge† or even â€Å"spoke very solemnly† (Living Bible) which all seem much different than â€Å"assured† (NRSV).There is obviously some discrepancy as to the tone of this charge. Overall, the different English translations all describe a very similar vision experience. Structural Outline 1. Clean clothes for Joshua (3:1-5) 1. 1 Set the scene (3:1) 1. 2 Rebuke of Satan (3:2) 1. 3 Removal of iniquity (3:3-4) 1. 4 Clean garments and turban (3:5) 2. Promises from the Angel of the Lord (3:6-10) 2. 1 Joshua’s Commission (3:6-7) 2. 2 Promise of a coming Servant (3:8) 2. 3 In that Day (3:9-10) Genre of the Text This section of text is from the Prophet of Zechariah which places it in the genre of prophetic literature; however it also resembles apocalyptic iterature like that found in the book of Revelati on. What distinguishes this type of literature as apocalyptic is the obvious vision that is being described here (Miller 134). The scene for this vision is a courtroom with Joshua being on trial before the angel of the Lord. The vision then concludes with some messianic prophecy referring to the Messiah as â€Å"the Branch† (v. 8) and a promise is made for that day when â€Å"every one of you will invite his neighbor to come under his vine and his fig tree†. This is apocalyptic literature in the form of a vision conveying a messianic promise to those who will listen.Research the Text When reading this genre of literature, understanding whom it was written by is important to fully interpret the text. Zechariah’s name means â€Å"the Lord remembers† and is one of the most commonly used names in the OT (Miller 135). Zechariah’s name, along with his message, consistently reminded the nation that the Lord had made a covenant with Israel† (Klein 20 ). It is also a priestly name which could indicate Zechariah was a Priest as well as a Prophet (Miller 134) but this could also mean that he simply comes from a line of Priests (Klein 21).The first two chapters develop Zechariah as a â€Å"young man† (v. 4) who has an ear turned toward God in a difficult time in Israel’s history. It is also essential to understand the historical context that this text was written into. The book of Zechariah would fit into the Post-Exilic era of Israel’s history, after the return of God’s people to the city and the re-construction of the temple in Jerusalem had started. The message was directed to the â€Å"struggling Jewish returnees† (Miller 134) who would have been largely affected by the time in exile in Babylon.The Babylonians had recently been conquered by the Persian Empire and so great change for the nation of Israel was happening once again. Haggai and Zechariah (written at the similar time periods) both em phasize the everlasting Kingdom of God and the coming of a Messiah. The people of Judah would have been concerned about how their nation would survive in a world of such large superpower empires like Assyria, Babylon and now Persia. Would God ever demonstrate his power and establish his people as the most powerful of nations? Have the people paid their dues in exile?Why had he allowed them to go and return to their land and rebuild the temple? These questions would have been on the minds of the people at the time when Zechariah received this vision. This vision describes a courtroom scene involving some specific characters. The first character is introduced simply as â€Å"he† (3:1). This would be the same he as is mentioned in the previous chapter as â€Å"a man with a measuring line in his hand! † (2:1), and this man continues to be a messenger declaring the coming of the Lord (2:10) from his Holy dwelling (2:13).It seems as if it could be the same angel who â€Å"c ame again† in 4:1. Other commentaries say it is more likely that â€Å"the Lord himself made the revelation since the fourth vision, unlike the former visions, does not identify an angelic interpreter† (Klein 131). It seems however that ch. 3 continues on from the vision in chapter 2 and all the visions so far have had an angel to guide Zechariah through what he is seeing not the Lord personally. The next difficult part of this text is the uncleanliness of the High Priest named Joshua.The rebuilding of the temple was occurring at this time in Jerusalem and the High Priest would have been needed to oversee the running of the temple when it was completed but here Zechariah receives the revelation that the high priest is not fit for this service. The scene is this; the Angel of the Lord is the judge, the High Priest is on trial and the ‘adversary’ or the persecutor is â€Å"Satan† who is accusing the High Priest (3:1). The mention of the â€Å"filthy g arments† (v. 3) was significant when referring to a Priest in particular as the clothing of the Priest was to be to very specific standards (Lev. 8:5-9).This indicates that Satan’s accusations would have proved true. Yet, the Lord rebukes Satan. It seems that the Lord is asserting his authority and making the statement that he is the one who declares purity and innocence, he is the judge not Satan or the enemy or the adversary (the word Satan could be interpreted with any of those words). One commentator comments on this section that â€Å"Satan was reminding the Lord of the nation’s past wretchedness (1:2,4-6) and its unworthiness† (Miller 163) another commentator emphasizes this point â€Å"If the high priest is so filthy, how much more the nation as a whole† (Klein 133).Klein goes onto describe how this Joshua figure played a key role in the restoration of the returning community at this time in history and would have served as an excellent symbo l to represent the returning remnant. So the beginning of this text paints a significant picture of the nation of Israel’s guilt and the Lord’s rebuking of Satan for being so audacious as to make such a claim. The Lord responds by declaring Joshua’s innocence. In v. 4 the angel who is standing as Judge (most likely the LORD himself as he has the divine authority to bring judgment) declares that the filthy garments shall be removed.This reveals not the innocence of guilt but the pardoning of guilt. There is a demonstration of God’s forgiveness happening in this vision. Another question that arises has to do with who the witnesses are that are surrounding this trial scene and assist with the redressing of Joshua the High Priest as his pure clothes (vv. 4&5)? They are also brought up in v. 8 as â€Å"your friends who sit before you, for they are men who are a sign†. Klein refers to them simple as the â€Å"unknown angels† (139). The imagery of the Priest being dressed in clean garments is a common imagery and is used in Ps 132:9 â€Å"May your priests be clothed with righteousness†.The clean turban seems to be â€Å"the finishing touch. On the high priest’s turban was a plate of pure gold inscribed with the words: â€Å"HOLY TO THE LORD† (Exod. 28:36; 39:30). All of this is witnessed by the â€Å"Angel of the LORD [who] was standing by† (3:5b), adding to the legitimacy and importance of what is occurring. The Lord has sent his personal emissary to oversee what is occurring (Klein 141). The filthy garments have been removed and replaced with pure and clean clothes, now Joshua is ready to receive his commission. Now we arrive at the angel of the LORD’s commission of Joshua in v. . The discrepancy in the English translation of the description of this commission (described above) is not commented by Klein or Miller. The best translation seems to be â€Å"solemnly assured† (ESV) as it raises the importance on what it about to be said and that it will be a positive commission, an assurance. The commission has three parts. The first part is a call to be obedient, the second part is the reward if he is obedient which includes authority to rule in the temple, and the third part is the right to be included in the witnesses who surround them.Klein comments on this second reward, that it will allow Joshua â€Å"the high priest, whom the Lord exalts still higher, will have a direct access to the throne of God. Only the high priest could enter the holy of holies, and only once a year (Lev 16), but the declaration made to Joshua far surpasses this privilege by granting Joshua entry into the Lord’s heavenly throne room. † The scene in the courtroom has now moved from one of accusation to a scene of forgiveness and of honoring the high priest and therefore also the people of Judah.Next, the angel of the Lord prepares to make a promise (v. 8a) by calling Joshua to listen! â€Å"The verbal form mirrors that found in the Shema in Deut. 6:4, emphasizing the importance of the message to follow† (Klein 143). The message is to be directed to Joshua’s â€Å"friends who sit before you, for they are men who are a sign† (3:8a). It would seem reasonable that these friends of Joshua are fellow priests, or at least people who also hold a place of leadership among the returning community of Judah.Klein comments that this sign is that â€Å"Joshua’s fellow priests, however, symbolize good things the future will bring† (143). The future embodiment of this blessing will be in the servant who is the one called â€Å"the Branch†. These titles â€Å"servant† and â€Å"the Branch† are very common in the OT. The title â€Å"the Branch† links the messiah figure directly to the line of David (Miller 165) and the title of servant is reminiscent of the significant affirmation God gives to characters su ch as Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Deut. 9:27) and the same Hebrew word (ebed) is translated as â€Å"servant of the Lord† (Klein 145).The messianic imagery continues with the imagery of the stone as it has elsewhere in scripture, â€Å"The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes† (Isa 8:13-15; 28:16). Other interpretation of this stone is that it is referring to the cornerstone that would be used to build the new temple (Klein 147). This entire passage however seems to be concerned with the messiah and continued representation of him seems to be more likely, especially when considering the temple was most likely already completed at this time (Klein 147).The seven eyes on the stone would then represent the all-seeing and all-knowing power of this messiah. The concluding verse of this text affirms that this Messiah figure will bring about the desired peace and continued relationship that his people desi re. The imagery of sitting under a vine and â€Å"his fig tree† seems related to the title of â€Å"the Branch† as well and links the time of well-being with the Davidic Messiah who is to come. The vision concludes with an image of peace, prosperity, community and relationship. Relate the Parts In the concluding image the main purpose of this vision seems to be captured.The opening scene acknowledges the guilt of the accused and then removes that guilt, rebuking Satan, declaring that no one but the LORD is the judge. It welcomes the community to come around and participate in the removing of the guilt and the placing on of purity. However, the second section reveals that there is a further command now to live a life worthy of these shiny new clothes. Then it all concludes with the revelation of the source of this forgiveness and acceptance, who is â€Å"the Branch†, servant and stone, the messiah. The Theology How does this text reveal the nature of God?The visi on sets God up as the Judge, but what kind of judge? One who sees the guilt of his high priest and the people of Judah but removes that guilt. What gives him this kind of power? The prophets serve to remind God’s people of the covenant that they have with God and this should be kept in mind when considering who this Judge is. He made the law that the people are guilty of iniquity against. They sinned against him. Just as a debtor is the only one who can release someone from their debt, so the lawgiver is the only one who can forgive the lawbreakers.What is the Judge’s reason then for pardoning his people? The iniquity of the priest would have prevented the coming of his people to worship at the temple. Here is a judge that longs to be part of his people’s lives. He will also provide the means for this to happen in the future with the coming of his servant, he wants to be directly involved, personally involved. The end result of all this sounds much like street p arty. Through the cleansing of our iniquity we gain the honor beyond or expectation and with our neighbor in a prosperous land (v. 10).This is God’s reason for pardoning his people; this is the God we worship. Application How often have I worn the filthy clothes around this week? I constantly believe in the accusations of Satan, that I am a terrible friend, a terrible boyfriend that I simply use the people around me. What happens then? I live like that. When I believe those accusations I lie in light of those accusations. The importance of believing that God has dressed me in clean clothes is undeniable; he has got me ready for a party and declared me worthy of that invitation.Now it is time to live like I am heading to that party. I am who God declares me to be. Another application exists communally. Now the church knows who the messenger who was spoken of here is. We know Jesus and in this text in Zechariah he is once again emphasized as the one who came from God to bring a bout the peace and love of community when he comes. Should not the church also live as people free to enjoy the community of each other and of God? That is why Christ came, that is why he was sent.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Eagle Airlines

[pic] Eagle Airlines Business Decisions with Data Models Assignment on Risk Analysis Team Members: Sfykti Dimitra Goumas Evangelos Manikas Athanasios Papaspirou Yiannis As assigned by Mr. Hadjistelios, President of Eagle Airlines, a simulation analysis is developed in order to evaluate company’s intention to proceed with the purchase of a new aircraft. According to the President’s estimations, the uncertain parameters which affect the annual cash flow are the below; 1. Hours flown 2. Charter Price/Hour 3. Ticket Price/Hour 4. Capacity of Scheduled flights 5. Ratio of charter flights 6.Operating Cost/hour The main assumption to work upon the scenarios is that the numbers generated for the different variables remain the same across the years. Initially, a base scenario is built and a profit-and-loss account for a typical year of operation is derived using the most likely values of the different parameters. Upon construction of the base scenario, the optimistic and pessimi stic scenarios are also formulated in accordance to the assumptions by the President in respect to possible variations to higher and lower values than the most likely ones used for the base scenario.For all three scenarios, the demand/cash flow is calculated revealing a wide range of values (from â‚ ¬273. 180 to -â‚ ¬39. 040) among the 3 possible cash flows. In addition, the one-way sensitivity analysis conducted for all six uncertain parameters demonstrate the impact of each parameter on annual cash flow and by the designation of a scatter plot, we can identify to what range of values every uncertain parameter affects the demand. Upon that, a Tornado diagram is plotted in order to visually demonstrate the range of impact of each parameter.According to the diagram, ticket prices/hour and capacity of Scheduled flights seem to be the two important parameters that most influence the annual cash flow, whereas the ratio of charted flights and operating cost/hour are the ones affect the least. Following this determination, a two-way sensitivity analysis is implemented and the outputs shown in a 3D plot illustrate a one-level relationship between the variables. By assuming that the probability distributions are the ones assessed by Mr. Hadjistelios, a test scenario is run using the @RISK add-in with 50. 00 iterations and the results’ interpretation is described below. Interpretation of results The basic data and the main decision factors to be taken into consideration by the President are raised below in order to provide substantial argumentation for the final business decision. ? According to the given data, the annual cash flow of the base scenario is â‚ ¬46. 184, less than the breakeven point by â‚ ¬7. 513. Therefore, in case the base scenario will actually happen, the company will need more than a 5-year lifetime in order to pay out the investment of the new aero plane. In the optimistic scenario, the annual cash flow is â‚ ¬273. 180 and the difference from the breakeven point is â‚ ¬219. 483. According to this scenario, the investment is highly profitable and will be paid off by the end of the first year while a number of approximately â‚ ¬93. 180 profits will be generated. ? In the pessimistic scenario, the annual cash flow is – â‚ ¬39. 040 and the difference from the breakeven point is â‚ ¬92. 737. , which is a bad scenario but at the same time quite unlikely to happen. According to @RISK analysis, as illustrated in the figure below, some important observations are derived; [pic] The probability that the investment will be profitable within a 5-year lifetime is 73. 4%, meaning that the annual cash flow will be greater than the breakeven point of â‚ ¬53. 697. ? The probability the annual cash flow to be less than the breakeven point is 26. 6%, as presented in the graph above. ? However, it is important to refer that the same probability (26. 6%) applies for the company to generate cash over ↚ ¬96. 511. The above implies the fact that if in one year the cash flow is below breakeven point, this under the same probability can be offset by another year’s revenues. [pic] According to the normal probability distribution, the expected value (mean) is approximately â‚ ¬77. 342 that actually is translated into a â‚ ¬23. 645 return on investment. ? A probability over 50% that the company will generate cash flow of at least â‚ ¬74. 467 (median) which represents the 40% of the aeroplane current value. ? However, another important statistical parameter to be taken into account is the standard deviation of â‚ ¬35. 257 that describes a quite wide dispersion/variability of the probability distribution. ? If we do not take into consideration the discount rate of 15%, then the breakeven point will be 36. 00 (180. 000/5) and the probability of the investment to be profitable is 89%. ? In case the company self-funds the purchase out of the cash surplus of the company, t he investment seems to be less risky since potential deviation from the breakeven point does not imply financial obligations to third parties, such as banks (loans and interest rates). [pic] ? The probability that the investment will be paid off already by the end of the first year is 0. 7% while the probability that the company will generate negative values by the end of the first year is 0. % which seems a quite extreme case, with a smallest value of -â‚ ¬22. 642. [pic] ? However, it should be considered that the company operates a number of business parts and it is being taxed for the total activities as a whole, thus with a tax rate of 33% the actual loss will be â‚ ¬22. 642 * 0. 67 =â‚ ¬15. 170, with the assumption that the company is profitable overall. Another important factor to consider is the operations’ expansions by 33% with the purchase of one additional aircraft to the current equipment of the three twin – engine aircrafts which provide charter f lights and scheduled commuter services.The company may redefine the strategy and decide to add new destinations in the services, currently limited to south Balkans, so as under the promising prospects analysed above, to further strengthen the company’s brand name and grow the Share of Market (SoM). The above can be well justified considering both cases of charter and scheduled flights. On the one hand, in respect to charter flights the company seems to have already identified available ground to grow by further building on the level of service.On the other hand, the scheduled flights, currently holding a percentage of 60%, represent the variable that mostly affects the cash flow, according to Tornado diagram. This in combination with the fact that the company â€Å"had slightly more control over the ticket price per/hour of scheduled flights† demonstrates a high future development potential with a thorough strategy. The critical service category in the context of the n ew investment risk analysis for Eagle airlines to analyze is Scheduled flights.Ticket prices/hour and capacity of Scheduled flights, the two most important and correlated variables, should be in depth evaluated according to the most likely possible estimations. For example, according to the data given, the variability for the price per ticket is greater in the higher values than the lowest ones. However, the actual price per ticket is highly correlated to the capacity/utilization rate and the flight hours. The base scenario argues for good prospects, but a deeper analysis could identify opportunities that Eagle airlines should closely monitor and evaluate in order to maximize its profits.It is important also to refer that according to the estimations, there is no high variability of the operating costs compared to the expected value of â‚ ¬445/hour (only â‚ ¬15 in either direction). Some important facts are given also throughout the case providing additional argumentation over the purchase; Piper Chieftain has been maintained according to the legislations and regulatory environment, is in a good condition and the expected normal use is 5 years with possibilities for more, contains the necessary navigation and communication equipment, and insurance has been included in the fixed costs.The above, in case were unknown, would be important cost factors to analyze and include in the risk analysis assessment. The above analysis argues the business decision to proceed with the investment in the Piper Chieftain, having calculating and evaluating the risks involved while recognising the opportunities.