Business Process Management (Course work) Essay

Business Process Management (Course work) - Essay Example Review the recommendations made in the reports toward changes The report for the investigation commission had made numerous recommendations, which would help the NHS trust develop better strategies, which would drive performance management in a positive direction. First, the commission’s board suggested that the trust had the obligation of implementing better strategies that would help oversee quality management standards as well as security in the health care sector. Training for staff also was among the first agendas, bearing in mind that failure in the two hospitals had been attributed to untrained staff working for patients. It did not also forget to address on the issue of staff numbers and the capacity of those that are employed. The trust’s board had to develop criteria for all staff employment (Care quality commission report, 2010). On the other hand, it was deemed crucial that the trust develop appropriate CRM strategies that would provide room for hospitals an d other stakeholders to be keen on complaints by patients. Responsibility for the poor standards of care provided by the hospital The poor performance at the hospital was attributed employment of the untrained employees, inadequate government policies that were blindly followed by employees as well as lack of accountability by employees. I attribute the poor performance to the hospital management majorly, due to poor performance management systems. It is evident that deaths occurred rampantly, complaints were adversely brought by clients, but they could not consider any situation. More over, having realized that the Mid-Staffordshire NHS was not having appropriate operations management, they had a chance to replace it with another, which could provide better services. On the hand, the trust was adversely wrong, in not being considerate about the type of workers they employ within hospitals. How can untrained nurses and junior doctors be left to handle the patients alone? This was a critical condition that needed a quick address (Jeston and Nelis, 2006). Management’s key performance indicators (KPI’s) Performance indicators are said to have been so profound by the CEO, and were displeasing to all patients and the community around. First, presence of untrained staff working for patients in the hospital was quite amazing. Secondly, the situation was marked by unlistened to numerous complaints from the patients who addressed on poor treatment. More over, numerous massive deaths were experienced in the hospital in a day, which are attributed to poor handling of patients. Switching off the heart monitors was a fatal case, since this hindered the emergency patients from receiving the required treatment and ended up dying. The present staffs were also few in numbers, which meant that they were overburdened with work, a factor that exposed them to poor performance. Organisation of performance measurements The management should have effectively organized t heir performance measu

Economics Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Economics Paper - Essay Example On the other hand if the local currency is strong, the foreign rate of exchange will be high thus making company's products to be expensive. At this situation, the company may opt for a domestic market for its products. In domestic market, the company has some power to decide on the price of its products. However this will depend on market structure of its product i.e. Whether it is a perfect competition, monopoly, or duopoly. In perfect competition market, the pricing strategy will be based on the forces of demand and supply of its product, which will be determined by the level of competition from other players in the market. Perfect competition market has a perfect elastic demand curve. Here the market determines the equilibrium price level. At this equilibrium price, the company will sell as much as it can. A slight increase in price will mean the company will sell nothing. In monopoly market structure, the company has the sole power to decide on the price it will sell its product. That is why monopolist is known as notorious in charging higher price of their products. Monopoly can interfere with the demand of its product by lowering it's output here the prices will go up and make more profit. In case of the company being a duopoly, it may collude with the other company that produces the same type of product and charge high prices provided that, there is trust between them. Therefore pricing strategy here will be dependent on trust and cooperation among the two market participants. Question two Most companies are profit maximizing and therefore their core objective is to maximize profit. However others aim at maximizing their sales. Profit oriented searcher will aim to produce the quantity and charge the price given by the point where marginal revenue equals marginal cost. This is as illustrated in the diagram below Price searcher aiming at maximizing sales will produce as a point total cost curve (TC) cuts total revenue curve m (TR) i.e. at the highest point possible. This is as illustrated below. Price searcher aim at maximizing sales, if his intentions are to promote the welfare of the producers i.e. to create the market to the producer's products. In a nutshell, price searcher must therefore choose between maximizing profit and maximizing sales. Question three Elasticity refers to the responsiveness of quantity demanded or supplied due to change in prices or income i.e. Change in quantity demanded or supplied due to a unit change in price or income. In this scenario I would expect demand for a specific brand of running shoes to be less elastic than the demand for running shoes in general. This is because specific brand limits the taste and preferences of a customer. This in turn limits the ability of the customer choice from a wider variety. Therefore a change in price of that specific brand is likely to be highly elastic. Consumers do not have substitute. Demand for a general brand of shoes will be more elastic since customers have

Security Policy Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Security Policy Analysis - Essay Example Greater emphasis is also placed on personal accountability and responsibility of cyber security. Section 111(a) stipulates the supremacy of the Act in accordance with other laws relating to cyber security. According to my personal view, this section mimics the supremacy of the Constitution. It distinctly states how the Act, shall supersede very provision, statute, regulation, state rule, that expressly commands comparable cybersecurity practices developed for the purpose of protecting critical infrastructure. The policy is important in dealing with information security program management. It stipulates the structure for various agencies on now to prevent, assess and even manage cyber security risks. Additionally, it provides a network for federal agencies and other stakeholders to communicate and discuss new developments in cyber terrorism. According to Borene, every federal agency has a distinct role in policy enforcement. On a general basis, each party is tasked with being at the forefront of responsible global cyber engagement, enhancing information sharing and facilitating efforts to increase awareness, training and education to the general population (Borene, 2011). The lack of clear policy enforcements leads to cyber terrorist attacks on government agencies, loss of information and privacy and loss of billions of dollars on an annual basis. One such incident is the cyber-attack on Blue Shield and Anthem Blue Cross in February 2015. Even though no medical information was compromised, the incident breached notification laws at the state level. When technology moves faster than policy, there are many cases of financial loss and exploitation, such as the period before the establishment of the open data policy, an open source project by the U.S

Literature Review; Data Collection Annotated Bibliography

Literature Review; Data Collection - Annotated Bibliography Example 2011). Growth hormone syndrome triggers a decrease in the levels of thyroid stimulation hormones responsible for stimulating metabolism causing hypothermia. High’s book offers honest advice on the nature of rehabilitating patients with brain injuries. The author develops a critical evaluation of the focal cortical dysfunction on patients with traumatic brain injuries. Taking a realistic approach to the brain healing process, the chapters in High’s book have discoveries on deficiencies brought about by the growth hormone to patients suffering from mild, severe and moderate traumatic brain injuries. In the progress, High looks into the effective measures and programs to rehabilitating traumatic brain injury in patients. The author offers a critical outlook on a number of consequences caused by both elevated and dropped levels of growth hormone to the healing process of patients with traumatic brain injuries. High offers sane advice for those struggling with rehabilitating traumatic brain injuries, but his main project seems to be offering the reader a reality check regarding rehabilitation for traumatic brain injury using gr owth hormone replacement. This text is indispensable because of its honest viewpoint and encouraging approach to patients rehabilitating brain injuries. The authors develop a theoretical analysis of the epidemiology and severity of traumatic brain injuries. The authors introduce the GCS (Glasgow Coma Scale) that is used to analyze effects of stimuli the post traumatic consciousness. The authors conduct neuropsychiatric, functional and structural imaging assessments, that unearth neuropsychiatric behaviors related to post-traumatic behaviors of brain injury. The book develops an analysis of mood, psychotic, personality and cognitive disorders arising from treatment of traumatic brain injury. Cifu and Buschbacher’s book develops a critical analysis into the neuropsychology, rehabilitation and

Information Technology Governance in Colleges Research Paper

Information Technology Governance in Colleges - Research Paper Example This paper also aims at contemplating the major challenges and limitations faced by CIOs and senior management when trying to successfully implement IT governance in colleges. General consensus is that IT is now being tried to be made an essential part of almost everything performed within a college with growing awareness that it must be integrated into institutional planning to address the dynamic needs of high school environment. Future research directions and areas in which further development is required in context of IT governance are also included in the paper. There is a growing body of research related to the application of Information Technology (IT) governance in higher education which suggests that it is high time now for the educational institutions to acknowledge the critical importance of formalized IT governance systems (Lainhart, cited in Brobst and Council, 2005, p. 31). This is because without proper establishment of IT governance, low productivity results along with wastage of already limited financial and human resources. There is critical importance of establishing a framework of IT governance before a self-assessment program or information security plan is written (Custer, 2010, p. 41). Full-blown project planning is worth mentioning here as it is claimed that with this type of implementation, â€Å"there are fewer bumps in the road to completion and fewer surprises during implementation† (Armstrong, Simer, & Spaniol, 2011, p. 91). One of the important most goals for employing IT governance practices or framework is to reduce the number of security incidents which continue to rise among colleges and universities â€Å"resulting in significant cost† (Custer, 2010, p. 25). IT governance systems are important to implement in colleges because they effectively combat security breaches which increase security

The Golden Ratio Essay Example for Free

The Golden Ratio Essay The Golden Ratio is a fascinating number which can be found almost everywhere –from nature to architecture to art. To 18 decimal places, it has a value of 1. 618033988749894848 but is usually shortened to 1. 618 much like ? is usually rounded off to 3. 1416 (Powis, n. d. ). Signified by the letter Phi (? ), the Golden Ratio can be simply defined as â€Å"to square it, you just add 1† (Knott, 2007). Written in mathematical equation, this definition becomes ? 2 = ? + 1. When the resulting quadratic equation ? 2- ? 1=0 is solved, there are two solutions: 1. 6180339887†¦ and -0. 6180339887†¦. Notice that the two solutions have identical decimal parts. The positive number is the one considered to be the Golden Ratio. Another definition for ? is â€Å"the number which when you take away one becomes the value of its reciprocal† (Powis, n. d. ). Notice that the value of the reciprocal of 1. 618 (1/1. 618) is 0. 618 which is just one less than the Golden Ratio. The Origins of the Golden Ratio Euclid of Alexandria (ca. 300 BC) in the Elements, defines a proportion derived from the division of a line into segments (Livio, 2002). His definition is as follows: A straight line is said to have been cut in extreme and mean ratio when, as the whole line is to the greater segment, so is the greater to the lesser. In order to be more understandable, let’s take Figure 1 as an example. In the diagram, point C divides the line in such a way that the ratio of AC to CB is equal to the ratio of AB to AC (Livio, 2002). When this happens, the ratio can be calculated as 1. 618. This is the one of the first ever documented definitions of the Golden Ratio although Euclid did not call it such at that time. A C B Figure 1. Point C divides line segment AB according to the Golden Ratio The Golden Ratio 3 The Golden Ratio in Art and Architecture Throughout history, the Golden Ratio, when used in architecture, has been found to be the most pleasing to the eye (Blacker, Polanski Schwach, n. d. ). Rectangles whose ratio of its length and width equal the Golden Ratio are called golden rectangles. The exterior dimensions of the Parthenon in Athens, sculpted by Phidias, form a perfect golden rectangle. Phidias also used the Golden Ratio extensively in his other works of sculpture. The Egyptians, who lived before Phidias, were believed to have used the ? in the design and construction of the Pyramids (Blacker, Polanski Schwach, n. d. ). This belief however has both supporters and critics. Theories that support or reject the idea of the Golden Ratio being used in the construction of the Pyramids do exist it is up to the reader to decide which ones are more reasonable (Knott, 2007). Many books also claim that the famous painter Leonardo da Vinci used the Golden Ratio in painting the Mona Lisa (Livio, 2002). These books state that if you draw a rectangle around the face of Mona Lisa, the ratio of the height to the width of the rectangle is equal to the Golden Ratio. There has been no documented evidence that points to da Vinci’s conscious use of the Golden Ratio but what cannot be denied is that Leonardo is a close personal friend of Luca Paciolo, who wrote extensively about the Golden Ratio. Unlike da Vinci, the surrealist painter Salvador Dali deliberately used the Golden Ratio in his painting Sacrament of the Last Supper. The ratio of the dimensions of his painting is equal to ? (Livio, 2002). The Golden Ratio in Nature The Golden Ratio can also be found in nature. One of the most common examples is snail shells. If you draw a rectangle with proportions according to the Golden Ratio then consequently draw smaller golden rectangles within it, and then join the diagonal corners The Golden Ratio 4 with an arc, the result is a perfect snail shell (Singh, 2002). There have also been ongoing debates and conflicting research results regarding the relationship of beauty and  in humans. Some argue that human faces whose dimensions follow the Golden Ratio are more physically attractive than those who don’t (Livio, 2002). With conflicting results aside, the existence of the Golden Ratio just shows that beauty (whether in art, architecture or in nature) can be linked to mathematics. The Golden Ratio 5 References Blacker, S. , Polanski, J. and Schwach, M. (n. d. ). The golden ratio. Retrieved October 8, 2007 from http://www. geom. uiuc. edu/~demo5337/s97b/. Knott, R. (2007). The golden section ratio: Phi. Retrieved October 8, 2007 from http://www. mcs. surrey. ac. uk/Personal/R. Knott/Fibonacci/phi. html. Livio, M. (2002). The golden ratio and aesthetics. Plus Magazine. Retrieved October 8, 2007 from http://plus. maths. org/issue22/features/golden/index. html. Powis, A. (n. d). The golden ratio. Retrieved October 8, 2007 from http://people. bath. ac. uk/ajp24/goldenratio. html. Singh, S. (2002 March). The golden ratio. BBC Radio. Retrieved October 8, 2007 from http://www. bbc. co. uk/radio4/science/5numbers3. shtml.

The Rights of Animals Essay Example for Free

The Rights of Animals Essay When we say that all human beings, referring to both men and women, whatever their race or sex may be are created equal, what is it that we are actually proclaiming? Peter Singer, writer of â€Å"All Animals are Equal† aims to advocate to us as readers to make the mental switch in respect to our attitudes toward a species other than our own. And by this I am referring to animals. R.G Frey takes on a very different position that he expresses in â€Å"Moral Standing, the Value of Lives, and Specieism. † Although there is nothing in his work that has ever suggested that animals don’t count, he disagrees with Singer, in a way, because he does not believe that animals possess moral standing. But first, I would like to discuss Singer’s essay merely due to the fact that there may be a case for a new liberation movement. Singer â€Å"urges that we extend to other species the basic principle of equality that most of us recognize should be extended to all members of our own species (pg. 171).† Many may note or make the connection that the idea of â€Å"the rights of animals† is somewhat of a parody to the case for women’s rights. But some may argue that the case for equality between men and women cannot validly be extended to non-human animals because, for an example, and realistically speaking, women now have the right to vote because they are just as capable of making that decision like men are, whereas animals on the other hand are incapable of understanding the significance of voting so they cannot have that right. Which then brings me back to, what exactly are we declaring when we say all human beings are equal? Because as we know it, we must face the fact that humans come in different shapes and sizes. We each have different moral capacities, different intellectual abilities, different amounts of feeling and sensitivity to others, different abilities to communicate, and different capacities to experience pleasure and pain- all of which are examples Singer discusses. And as a result, if the demand for equality were merely based on the actual equality of human beings, we would have to stop demanding it. â€Å"It would be an unjustifiable demand. (pg. 173)† states Singer. It is unjustifiable to discriminate on the basis of age, sex, or gender because neither of those are a guide to a person’s ability. Singer proposes another important reason as to why we ought not to base our opposition on any kind of factual equality because, â€Å"we can have no guarantee that these abilities an d capacities really are distributed evenly, without regard to race or sex, among human beings (pg. 173).† The most important thing we must consider is that equality is a moral ideal, not a simple assertion of fact. â€Å"The principle of the equality of human beings is not a description of an alleged actual equality among humans: it is a prescription of how we should treat animals (pg. 174).† I strongly agree with Singer here; animals have the capacity to experience pain and suffering just as humans do. Therefore the interests of every being that is being affected by an action should be taken into account and given the same weight as the interests of any other beings, such as animals. At this point, Singer expresses animal testing as what should be a major concern in our society. Singer states that it is simple discrimination. He uses an orphaned human infant for comparison, by suggesting that if the experimenter is not prepared to use this human over his readiness to use a nonhuman being, it is simply a form of discrimination. As far as we can tell, an animal is just as sensitive to pain and any human infant. â€Å"Experimenting on animals, and eating their flesh, are perhaps the two major forms of specieism in our society (pg. 176).† Animals have emotions and desires that allow them to live a good life whether we think so or not. And to that respect, the distinction between humans and animals will be a continuum in which we will move gradually. Frey, on the other hand, has a very different standing on this issue compared to Singer. Frey focuses his essay on the comparative value of human and animal life, taking the notion of autonomy to be central to this issue since autonomy is the source of a huge part of the value of one’s life. ‘Thus, I [Singer] am a restricted vivisectionist, not because I think animals are outside the moral community but because of views I hold about the value of their lives (pg. 193).† The three propositions Frey mentions in his essay are that animal life has some value, not all animal life has the same value, and lastly, human life is more valuable than animal life. Frey calls this claim of the comparative value between human and animal life the unequal value thesis. The unequal value thesis expresses why the value of humans is of more importance than the value of animals. What is missing is the potentiality for enrichment, because lives of less richness have less value. Autonomy plays a vast part of the human case, because by exercising our autonomy one can mold their life to fit the conception our society portrays of what is perceived to be living â€Å"the good life.† â€Å"Thus, by exercising our autonomy and trying to live out some conception of how we want to live, we make possible further, important dimensions of value to our lives (pg. 196).† Although Frey does mention that not all members of the moral community have lives of equal value. In fact, some human lives fall drastically below the quality of normal human life, which would conclude that in some cases a perfectly healthy animal can have a higher quality of life than that of some human, such as ones with mental disabilities for example. But Frey addresses to his readers that the way in which we defend this thesis is a vitally important affair. To discuss the issue of using animals in scientific research as Singer did, he remains a vivisectionist because of the benefits medical and scientific research can present. And it is the unequal value thesis that justifies the use of animals in medical and scientific research. Frey believes that the unequal value thesis is in fact defensible. In conclusion, Frey stresses again that the argument of his essay is not to present animals of having no value, but rather about whether they have lives of equal value to normal human life. Overall, both writers express that animals for in fact have some value to their lives, whether we believe it to be of equal value to humans or of less value is based purely on our moral principles. Works Cited: Lafollette, Hugh, ed. Ethics in Practice. Malden: Blackwell Publishing, 2007. Print Frey, R.G. â€Å"Moral Standing, the Value of Lives, and Speciesism.† Lafollette 192-204. Singer, Peter. â€Å"All Animals Are Equal.† Lafollette 171-180.