What Words Come To Mind When You Think Of Continental Airlines Succes

What words come to mind when you think of Continental Airlines? Successful company, preferred airline, good service, on-time airline, top carrier, financially solvent, happy employees. These are all true; however, this was not always the case. Just six short years ago, probably not one of those descriptions would even be said in the same breath as Continental Airlines. In fact, in 1994, Continental was facing its third bankruptcy; that bankruptcy would have been the final blow to take this airline down for the last time. Employees were disgruntled about their work environment, their pay, and their airline; they had even taken pay-cut after pay-cut in an effort to keep the airline afloat. Customers did not think much more of the company, as Continental was considered simply the worst among the nation's ten biggest airlines. Continental Airlines is now recognized as one of Fortune Magazine's "100 Best Companies to Work for in America," even moving up from the 40th position to a very re spectable number 23 on the list in 1999 (a particularly satisfying award for a company of over 50,000 employees). Continental is also now considered to be a respected airline and company, not only in the airline industry but also across all industries both nationally and worldwide. This metamorphosis came about because of a team of individuals who took a hard look at the condition of the company. They considered where the company had been and where it could go. At that point in time, the possibilities were two; Continental could continue on the road it was on (and probably end up in its third bankruptcy and possibly the end of an airline) or undergo some major changes in the hopes of creating a really great airline. As the story goes, the Board of Directors of Continental Airlines went out on a limb and hired a gutsy, plain-speaking ex-Navy aircraft mechanic who was armed with a few commonsense notions about good management and who possessed the courage to look past the bottom line, managed to motivate his people to bold new heights of excellence and win back this company's long-lost customer base. This person, armed with a down-to-earth basic recipe for turning a company around, was and is Gordon Bethune. Change does not come about overnight, nor does it come easily. As stated by Merriam-Webster, change is "to make different in some particular fashion; to give a different position, course, or direction to; to replace with another; to make a shift from one to another; to exchange for an equivalent sum or comparable item; to undergo a modification of." Management is defined as the "act or art of managing; the conducting or supervising of something (as a business); judicious use of means to accomplish an end; the collective body of those who manage or direct an enterprise." (Merriam-Webster) These things all happened at Continental Airlines beginning in 1995 under the direction of Gordon Bethune. Gordon, as he is known to all of his employees from the second in command down to the newest ramp agent, is a leader who is about his people and his product. He is a feisty, plain-speaking man who fought for the position as Chief Executive Officer. After ten leaders in ten years, the Board of Co ntinental had only wanted someone to be a figurehead for the company. They were not looking for a "leader;" they had had ten of those already. The Board simply wanted someone to "take over." So, they let Gordon take over for the next ten days until the next board meeting; at that point, he would have a chance to address the Board and some decision would be made. What a timeline; what stress. Gordon knew the company needed dramatic change in every conceivable way. His first step was an easy one; he stuck a wedge under the once-locked, video camera monitored doors of the executive suite. This was the equivalent of hanging an "under new management" sign in the window of a restaurant. It was a start, as well as a testament to his style of management and to the culture he longed to see at Continental. Bethune spent the next ten days holed up with Greg Brenneman, then a consultant

The multi-format games magazine Essay Example

The multi The multi-format games magazine Essay The multi-format games magazine Essay The multi-format games magazine Edge has clearly been designed for the older gaming generation, by which I mean those over twenty years of age. This fact is distinguished as a result of the magazines subject content, but more importantly the relative complexity of its lexical usage. The magazine portrays a professional image through its neat graphological factors, in conjunction with a consistent sense of formality. Lexis Throughout the review Edge uses complex lexical items, such as alleviates, proficiency among some very subject specific specialised language.The impact of this technique reflects the comparative formality of the magazine. However, an understanding of these words provides an explanatory view on the magazines ideology in relation to the subject, which is this case, the game Super Mario Sunshine. An example of this is the sentence that youre only seriously aware of that ability when you lose it is testament to how well integrated into the mechanic it is, and gaining proficiency with it and the horizontal spraying is a joy.This sentence additionally reinforces the point of Edges lexical complexity and intended audience. The language is very considerable to the requirements of an older audience and suggests the need for a degree of education, narrowing the potential audience range. The use of aforementioned specialist lexis confirms this. The range of these words used in Edge supersedes those of the other three articles, both in complexity and number. Death throes, skybox, clipping and dual analogue are examples of computer jargon highlighted in the review.The magazines lexical superiority is confirmed with the very effective use of lexical cohesion. In the opening paragraphs of the review, Edge repeats the phrase six years five times. This phrase is also repeated twice during the conclusive paragraph of the review. The impact of this is to link the beginning and ending of the review in the readers mind in order to provide a relevant conclusion relating to the initial points made within the introduction. The reason for repetition will be handled appropriately in the Grammar section. GrammarEdge contains some very complex sentences, perfectly exemplified by There was always somewhere to go, always something to do; levels thrilled and baffled in equal measure; there were tiny polished touches that you might not discover for days, months, years. The example also shows the continuous use of punctuation marks used in order to break up the often-long sentences the magazine contains. However, the magazine also combines very short sentences, particularly clear in the use of repetition in the reviews opening Six years to marvel at the ingenuity of Tiny-Huge island.Six years in which to dive for coins in Jolly Roger Bay. Six years in which to fly. The short sentences tighten the gaps between the repetitions of six years increasing the emphasis upon the word itself, which is later to have implications for the magazines opinion on the game. The often short and precise sentences contained in the magazine, such as So lucid and solid too, No obvious invisible walls, So much negativity and Small flaws, sometimes present the direct nature of the magazine, contributing to a generally narrative style which involves the reader.The magazine again uses this method of shortened sentences for another case of repetition when giving its views upon the games flaws Or the level tasks loop just that fraction more than youd like. Or the clipping isnt quite there. Or the game crashes, dead, stop. By using Or to start every progressive sentence, the aim of this function is reinforced. The magazine then links this repetition to the following paragraph (beginning Or bigger issues) demonstrating the usefulness of cohesion in this case.My opinion that the review is in a style more spoken than written is influenced by a few extracts from the text. Only once, mind, in so much play time is a good example. The word mind, in this serious context, is quite inappropriate in a text which contains much elevated language and complex grammatical and lexical methods such as cohesion. Further examples of this, which also serve the purpose of involving the audience, are The fault is nearly always yours and if you will .The use of the personal pronoun you is particularly crucial in maintaining the audiences interest through personal address. The use of a rhetorical question at the beginning of the third paragraph Perfection? carries this role too, by answering questions the magazine arises itself. Conclusively, Edges use of grammar is irregular due its varying sentence length used for grammatical effect. This results in much comma use. However, every usage seems to serve a purpose which contributes to an overall appealing review.

MKT 310 MOD 2 SLP Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

MKT 310 MOD 2 SLP - Essay Example For instance during the winter period, a few tourists visit this region and hence targeting these foreigners will yield minimal returns. However, this is the time to maximize our potential in introduction of the alternative side through full embarking on the cab business. This explains why we are able to dominate this market region in all the seasons. In addition, the market development is enhanced by the fact that we are customer centered and hence bring to them the most unique services. Therefore, the most important approach involves highlighting the customer unrealized and hence unfulfilled needs; an approach that has helped us to highlight the unexplored market that we can strongly be able to exploit. Competitors The cab business in Seattle is flooded with high competition based on the fact that this is a service with high demand hence attracting many investors. At the Seattle locality, the competition is strong with some of the competitors having been in the business for a long period of time. For instance by the time of commencement of our operations, the Yellow Line Cab was already exploring the possibility of opening another branch office in the capital city with a record of 70 cars for cab business. Another major competitor at this regional level is Redys Cab Company which has dominated the market not only in this region but also countrywide. With such a competitor, the Comfort cab is forced to be innovative in frequently exploring unique approaches of emerging at the top in terms of services. Process The management intends to incorporate various marketing processes through mainly comparing its approaches with the processes adopted by the already successful competitors. In addition, the company will have its business listed with the directories available online to enable the potential customers, especially those visiting the country for the first time, to locate our business, the various ranges of services offered and the list of friendly prices that t hey can compare with the competitors. Basically, this is an appropriate marketing approach based on the fact that the cost incurred to have a business listed online is negligible. Distribution strategy The Comfort Cab business is currently distributed around the Seattle region. However, with time, we aim to establish more business branches in more towns in the country. This is a normal business growth trend based on the fact that for instance, the initial launching of the Yellow Line Cab is traced back to the Seattle but the business has grown massively with time, spreading to the other regions of the country. One of the reasons for the massive growth was based on the fact that this giant company had to initially buy the developing companies, amalgamate with others and even force others to exit from the business as a result of the massive competition. This is the distribution strategy targeted to be incorporated by Comfort Cabs with the growth being expected to cover the whole count ry in the next five years. Basically, it is apparent that our services are locally available and hence no extra effort is to be incurred by the company being forced to extend its

Gordons Health Assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Gordons Health Assessment - Essay Example These functions relate to one another and can be used as evidence in making decisions on the outcomes of patient care. There are other factors that will affect the reliability of data that can be gathered in making health assessments that will be presented during the interview and physical assessment of the patient. Other factors such as physiological, psychological and even cultural factors can influence on how much or how little of the data can be gathered from the patient (Functional Health patterns, n.d.). Every patient will have different reactions when being interviewed about their health. Some patients may exhibit feelings of anger towards their health care provider stemming from previous encounters with other health care practitioners that left them with a bad impression. There is also the cultural aspect of the patient where they may find certain questions and medical practices opposed to their culture, tradition and beliefs. Others would be depressed about being or felling ill and refuse to cooperate. There is also the physical condition of illnesses where patients may be in too much pain or cannot give coherent answers because of adverse reactions to medication. The everyday stresses in the workplace can also affect the nurse that will be making the assessment. Personal conflicts and beliefs on culture and ethnicities can influence the way the assessment is being handled (Morrison & Ashley-Coe, 2001). Preparing for the interview is also a key element in making health assessments. Patient interviews need to be carefully planned. Interviewers need to get their patients' trust so that they can gather information as accurately as they can. As with any interview, it is important to maintain eye contact and avoid possible distractions. Learning from the patients' charts can give interviewers ideas on how to formulate questions for the assessment (Jarvis, 2004). It is the understanding of all these factors that can make a good health assessment, coupled with the theory of functional health patterns by Gordon. These functional health patterns divided into eleven subcategories can help in the evaluation of a patient's physical, emotional and psychological health. Case Study Maria is a female patient aged 60 years old with a history of diabetes and hypertension. For the past few months, the patient complained of having stomach cramps or indigestion and difficulty in sleeping. She also reported self medicating these cramps with over the counter medication but the symptoms was never alleviated. But she was not cooperative enough to submit herself to other lab testing in order to find out the cause of her stomach discomfort. She has been very diligent in taking her diabetic and hypertensive medication, but her blood sugar and blood pressure has been erratic. She attributes this to the discomfort that she has been feeling recently. The patient also reported having difficulty with her bowel movement where there were days where she could not void, the longest period being five days. There were two areas that had an impact on the patients' functional health or ability. These were Elimination and Sleep-rest. These two factors caused considerable discomfort to the patient and may be symptoms of underlying illnesses. For this, a comprehensive geriatric health assessment can be used in order to find

Discussion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 114

Discussion - Essay Example One example is of CCI’s initiative in scholarship program in Tennessee (Bowman and Kearney, 322). So the two theoriesdo not explain the politics in Tennessee. Ans: Taking is a government action when it assumes ownership of someone’s property on the domain of public purpose. Here the definition of public purpose is important. If the government is taking away the land for building up social goods like labor intensive industries, utility places like libraries, schools, colleges etc., then I think taking is reasonable as this activities lead to employment generation and creates welfare (Bowman and Kearney, 307). Ans: Dillon’s law states that local governments exercise only those powers which are granted by state government. State government has more power than local government but the trend has been shifting towards increased state support and empowerment of localities. Localities have powers to restructure themselves, impose new taxes etc, State government dominates decision making for localities by regulating their finance, by setting qualification criteria for local employees, by meetings and mandating financial disclosure etc (Bowman and Kearney, 325-326). Ans: Yes sprawl should be regulated because it leads to rapid land consumption and heavy dependence on development. It is resource intensive and costly. Cost of providing services like public education rises manifold times for the government. To check sprawl impact fee can be levied on new development like houses and the city should have proper authority to levy the fee. This will offset some costs for providing public service. Greenbelts should be established as it will limit the area for development (Bowman and Kearney, 333). Ans: Yes I would support city county consolidation as it will help in tackling stubborn policy program like pollution control in two cities which now becomes a collective problem after consolidation. Again economies of scale will

Why singapore failed to be a major trading centre?

Why singapore failed to be a major trading centre? â€Å"No historian has yet adequately explained why Singapore failed to be a major trading centre before the nineteenth century†. Raffles Professor of History, Wong Lin Ken. a. Do new Dutch/Portuguese reports, maps and scant archaeological evidence dating back beyond the 19th Century now suggest that Singapore was ALWAYS a strategic place after all? Numerous evidences had been uncovered, and reports and archaeological findings especially, certainly suggest that Singapore was largely strategic between the period of Temasek, in 14th century, and late 17th century. However, to conclude that Singapore was hence always strategic would probably be too much of an overstatement. This essay will discuss Singapores strategic significance, with the support of these evidences, during the different time periods. During the 14th century, trade was already ongoing between the West, South Asia and East Asia. The Melaka Straits was crucial for traders to sail to and fro the Indian Ocean to the South China Sea. Sailing in the past depended on wind direction, thus ships had to stop in Southeast Asia (SEA) to wait for a change in wind direction to bring them towards either China or India. Singapore was hence a strategic port because she was located in SEA and along Melaka Straits, making it a convenient stopover hence the central of international trade. Bits of celadon (from China), Chinese coins, fragments of stoneware (mainly from Guangdong and South Fujian) and earthernware (from Sumatra, Java and Borneo)and under-glazed blue and white stem cup (more expensive of porcelains from Jingdezhen during Yuan Dynasty)recovered support the above claim as they suggest extensive trade links Temasek had with China and SEA, and that its inhabitants, especially the wealthier ones inhabiting Fort Canning, were able to afford the more exquisite products of Jingdezhen. Temasek then, was able to attract maritime trade by providing unique products that rival ports were unable to supply. Recorded by Wang Da Yuan in Daoyi zhilue,Temasek supplied indigenous products like hornbills casques of excellent quality. Found only between north of Malay Peninsula and South of Borneo, traders can only lay their hands on it at Temasek or Palembang. Though Lakawood was in abundance, Temasek was one of the five ports that offer those of middle-quality. Celadon, white wares and stonewares uncovered at Riau Archipelago, dating back to the period of Temasek, had patterns and craft similar to those imported from Temasek. Furthermore, the origin of glassbeads of Riau Archipelago and Temasek should be identical given similar compositions. Hence, Temasek probably served as a collection centre and an entry to export for Riau Archipelago. In this case, evidences do suggest that Singapore was prospering and had an influence on regional economy and was thus strategic. During the 15th to 17th centuries, though Singapore declined slightly when Temasek was relocated to Melaka, fragments of under-glazed blue porcelains found at Kallang River, and Portuguese maps which indicate the presence of a shahbandars office, as elaborated in (b), suggest that she retained some of its strategic significance as a port by maintaining some trade with China. As mentioned, being one of the strategically situated along the Melaka Straits, the power that was able to erect a strategic dominance around the waters around Singapore would be advantaged in terms of security and economically. The Dutch had wanted to destroy Luso (Portuguese-Spanish) monopolies in SEA when they first started attacking Portuguese trading ships around Singapore waters and declared war with the Portuguese when they raided Santa Catarina and auctioned off its products. This saw the naval battles between the Dutch and Johor Sultanate, and Portuguese and Acehnese in the early 17th century and gave rise to the considerations of fortifying Singapore by both powers. Jacques De Coutre proposed to build forts at the east coast of Singapore and Muar River estuary and station a naval fleet at Sentosa to protect Portuguese trading ships from the Dutch. Dutch had the same places in mind for their fortification plans. Till this point, the Dutch and Portuguese reports do suggest th at Singapore was strategic. However, the plans never realised, which made us rethink if Singapore was really that strategic after all. Singapores strategic significance took a turn in the 18th century. There was not much evidence to prove this period of time, but by referencing to my contextual knowledge, we know that the Dutch shifted their focus from the Melaka Straits to the Sunda Straits, Portuguese diverted their trade to Japan having difficulties trading in the Melaka Straits and Johor Sultanate relocated their capital to the Lingga Archipelago, shifting the maritime silk road southwards. Singapore lost its value with the declination of Melaka Straits and was abandoned. She no longer held any strategic significance to participants of the maritime trade. Perhaps it is precisely that not much evidence was found that dates back to this period of time that it suggests that trading activities in Singapore was kept to its minimum. Moreover, no coins or porcelains were uncovered that dates beyond the Song and Yuan Dynasty, and the Ming Dynasty respectively, further supporting my contextual knowledge. It is evident that Singapores strategic significance changes with time, depending on human-related factors such as politics and economics, and hence is relative. The evidences may seem to imply that Singapore was always strategic, but when viewed from another angle, they can also suggest otherwise as stated in the previous paragraph. Therefore to say that they suggest that Singapore is always strategic may be a little too extreme. b.In light of this evidence, should Singapores history from 1511 to 1819 be written as (1) little more than a sleepy fishing village? (2) a declining but still thriving emporium astride hotly contested strategic waters (3) part of the Johor Sultanate?Please explain your preference. From the 15th century to 17th century, Singapore was a (3) part of the Johor Sultanate, but she was (2) a declining yet thriving emporium astride hotly contested strategic waters between the 16th and 17th century. It was only during the early 18th century that trade in Singapore started dipping, and she was perceived by the British as a sleepy fishing village when they stepped ashore in 1819. Hence, (1) little more than â€Å"a sleepy fishing village† suitably describes Singapores history between this period as it is a broader title and thus encompasses both (2) and (3), and the reduction of importance of Singapores port resulting from the declination of the Melaka Straits during the 18th century accounts for Singapore being â€Å"a sleepy fishing village†. When Singapore was (3), trade was still ongoing though insignificant compared to its Temasek period. Excavations on the north bank of Singapore River, where a settlement was once present, and Kallang River revealed fragments of ceramics and under-glazed blue porcelains with designs dating back to the rule of Ming Emperor Wanli (1573 to 1620). Similar findings in Johor Lama and Johor Shoal imply that the findings in Singapore belonged to the Johor River trade controlled by the Johor Sultans. Some may suggest that these pieces might have been disposed into the Kallang River when ships stopover for supplies because they broke during the voyage, and not because of trade present in Singapore. This may be true, however, according to two Portuguese maps, a shahbandar of the Johor Sultans office was featured on the southern coast of Singapore, proving the above conjecture wrong and showing that trade at the Kallang River was flourishing to the extent it needed a shahbandar to run it. This also indicates that Singapore then, was continuing some degree of trade with China, showing that she was (1). As mentioned, trade was also falling, compared to its Temasek period, as during this time, Melaka was the main port for international trade. Singapore then, supported Melaka by providing goods from herself for Melaka to export. An example being blackwood, which was brought from Singapore to Melaka, and then bought in bulk by Chinese traders. (2) may now seem to be plausible at this point in the essay since Singapore was a declining yet thriving emporium, and evidence show that its waters are hotly contested for between the Dutch and Johor Sultanate, and the Portuguese and Acehnese, and Singapore was seen by both as strategic to build a fort to achieve their individual aims as mentioned in (a). However, one may wish to note that Singapores waters may not be that strategic after all. In 1613, Aceh successfully attacked Batu Sawar as she was upset about the signing of the peace treaty between Johor Sultanate and Portuguese, uncovering the vulnerable position of Singapore waters, rendering it no longer strategic. Moreover, when Melaka Straits lost its importance to Sunda Straits in the late 17th century, Singapore was neglected and declined over the 18th century. Its waters were no longer contested and the issue on it being strategic or not became irrelevant. A village of Orang Lauts and Malays, not being much of a deal, were all that were left in Singapore. Melaka Straits was filled with pirates and Singapore, lying on the Straits, was hence seen as a sleepy fishing village by the British when they landed in the 19th century. (2) does not take into account these happenings, thus it is flawed in describing Singapores history. In conclusion, (1) best describes Singapore history as it accommodates the period when Singapore was (3), when trade was active though declining, the period when it was considered strategic and its waters contested by the Dutch and Portuguese, up to the period when British founded Singapore as a sleepy fishing village due to the decline of Melaka Straits. (2) was unsuitable as mentioned above, and (3) seems to be an understatement as Singapore was more than just part of the Johor Sultanate.

Origins of the British East India Company and Its Influence on the Brit

The British East India Company played a key role in one of the most successful periods of British history. The East India Company was responsible for the invasion of the Indian subcontinent, which became one of the empire’s leading supplier of profits. The East India Company was responsible for the overthrow of Hong Kong and other Asian countries; it was responsible for creating Britain’s Asian empire. The British East India Company began as a joint-stock corporation of traders and investors which was granted a Royal charter by Queen Elizabeth 1 to trade with the East. The original name of the corporation when it first formed was Governor and Company of Merchants of London Trading into the East Indies (Landow). They joined together to generate money importing spices from South Asia. James Lancaster was in charge of the 1st company voyage in 1601 that sailed around the coast of South Africa and across the Indian Ocean, arriving back in London in 1603 with ships filled with pepper. In the 1600s, pepper was the most significant part of the British East India Company’s commerce. The group established its first Asian factory in Bantam and â€Å"it was here that the English were able to expand into other parts of Asia† (The [British East India] Company Story). Market at Bantam was multicultural because of other merchants from Arab, Turkey, Iran, and China trading products from their own nations. The company had woolen cloth and silver, but Asian traders favored Indian textiles which were good quality; therefore, it had to uncover ways to get fabrics from India. In 1611, after failed attempts to enter into agreement with Mughal Emperor, Jahangir, the British East India Company enquired King James 1 to send a representative. The ambassad... ...t finally â€Å"went out of existence in 1873† (Landow). In the course of its supremacy, the British East India Company created trade across the Middle East and Asia. It regulated its own regions and played a role in influencing the American Revolution. The company’s products were the source of the Boston Tea Party in colonial America. Works Cited "The [British East India] Company Story." History. Trading Places. The British Library Board, n.d. Web, 3 Jun 2011. "The Boston Tea Party, 1773." EyeWitness to History. Ibis Communications, Inc., 2002. Web. 3 Jun 2011. Landow, George P. "The British East India Company: The Company that Owned a Nation (or Two)." George P. Landow, Professor of English and Art History, Brown University. Victorian Web. George P. Landow, Professor of English and Art History, Brown University, 6 Apr. 2010. Web. 3 Jun 2011.

Diversity, equality and inclusion in a work setting Essay

Diversity means variety. The concept of diversity encompasses acceptance and respect. It means understanding that each individual is unique, and recognizing our individual differences. These can be along the dimensions of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, age, physical abilities, religious beliefs, political beliefs, or other ideologies. It is the exploration of these differences in a safe, positive, and nurturing environment. It is about understanding each other and moving beyond simple tolerance to embracing and celebrating the rich dimensions of diversity contained within each individual. Diversity is a reality created by individuals and groups from a broad spectrum of demographic and philosophical differences. It is extremely important to support and protect diversity because by valuing individuals and groups free from prejudice, and by fostering a climate where equity and mutual respect are intrinsic. â€Å"Diversity† means more than just acknowledging and/or tolerating difference. Diversity is a set of conscious practices that involve: ï‚ §Understanding and appreciating interdependence of humanity, cultures, and the natural environment. ï‚ §Practicing mutual respect for qualities and experiences that are different from our own. ï‚ §Understanding that diversity includes not only ways of being but also ways of knowing; ï‚ §Recognizing that personal, cultural and institutionalized discrimination creates and sustains privileges for some while creating and sustaining disadvantages for others; ï‚ §Building alliances across differences so that we can work together to eradicate all forms of discrimination. Diversity includes, therefore, knowing how to relate to those qualities and conditions that are different from our own and outside the groups to which we belong, yet are present in other individuals and groups. These include but are not limited to age, ethnicity, class, gender, physical abilities/qualities, race, sexual orientation, as well as religious status, gender expression, educational background, geographical location, income, marital status, parental status, and work experiences. Finally, we acknowledge that categories of difference are not always fixed but also can be fluid, we respect individual rights to self-identification, and we recognize that no one culture is intrinsically superior to another. Health and social care settings reflect the diversity of the population at large. Residents in a care home for elderly people – men and women, possibly gay and lesbian – may range in age from 60 to well into their ninth decade. Each will have their own set of perso nal experiences and in locations with an immigrant community, may hail from a variety of different countries. And preferences, for example for food and music, will vary from one person to another, as will attitudes, for example to staff and fellow residents, beliefs, for example political ideas and religious faiths, health status and physical and intellectual ability. Apart from differences in age, sex and gender, physical characteristics, ability, experiences and personal attributes, people also differ in respect of their: Diet, for example different health conditions mean that some people have specific dietary needs, and vegetarians and vegans can’t take medication that is derived from animals. Religious faith, for example some religions have specific requirements with respect to diet and method of worship, others require the use of running water to maintain personal hygiene, the right hand for eating and the left for personal cleansing after using the toilet, and so on. Need for modesty and dignity, for example some people aren’t comfortable being touched or seen undressed by someone of the opposite sex or that they don’t know; and different people have different ideas about how to be addressed when being spoken to. Communication, for example different physical and mental health conditions require the use of different methods of communication; some people express their fear, pain and grief freely and openly whilst others are more reserved; and different people have different ideas about the extent of their personal space. Working with and getting to know a diverse range of people – service users, patients, their friends and family, colleagues and other professionals – enables health and social care workers to develop their knowledge and understanding of different ways of thinking and living and the reasons for different behaviours. As a consequence, tolerance of and respect for others develops, both of which are essential for meeting diverse – and individual – needs. And having their differences acknowledged and understood helps people to develop a sense of belonging. In addition, learning about different ways of thinking and living can be life-enriching. We become more open-minded to new experiences, opportunities and challenges, and are able to develop new relationships. As a result we grow as human beings and are able to achieve our full potential. Equality Equality is about treating people fairly, regardless of their differences, by ensuring that they have access to the same life opportunities as everyone else, ie that they have equal opportunities. Life opportunities include: Housing. Warmth and shelter are basic human needs. Education and employment. Just about everybody is capable of learning, and education not only enables us to find employment, it helps us to realize our full potential as human beings. Transport, without which we couldn’t get to work, to the shops, to see friends and family, to gp and hospital appointments, and so on. Health and social care, which all of us need at some point in our lives. Having enough money to buy a decent quality of life and not live in poverty. Being able to buy goods and services, in person, by telephone or online using cash, cheques, credit or debit cards or electronic transfer. Some people need extra help to access life opportunities. For example, having a physical or sensory disability can impact on gaining an education, a job, using public transport, getting to the doctors; and being elderly or mentally ill can affect an individual’s ability to maintain a decent standard of living, buy goods and services, speak up for themselves and have others listen to them. For this reason, equality is also about giving people help, providing them with appropriate services, so that they are not disadvantaged or treated less fairly than anyone else. People are disadvantaged for many reasons, but usually because they are different with respect to their: Appearance. Racial harassment and attacks are usually acted out on people whose appearance, for exam ple their skin colour and style of dress, is different from that of the perpetrator. Sex. Men are still more likely to be better paid than women and to reach the top of the career ladder, and some jobs are still perceived and advertised as being ’women’s’ or ‘men’s’ work. Sexual orientation. Gays and lesbians remain subject to physical and verbal abuse. Age. Older people often describe themselves as invisible, undervalued and a burden because of the way society treats them. Ability. A general lack of understanding about the needs of people with physical or mental disabilities results in them finding it very difficult to make the most of life’s opportunities. Imposing disadvantage on people can prevent them from entering into the everyday life of their community and of society. In other words they can become socially and financially excluded. Inclusion The term inclusion is seen as a universal human right and aims at embracing all people irrespective of race, gender, disability, medical or other need. It is about giving equal access and opportunities and getting rid of discrimination and intolerance. Inclusion nurtures a sense of wellbeing and of confidence in ones own identity and abilities. And it ensures that everyone can achieve their potent ial and take their rightful place in society. The potential effects of discrimination A prejudice is an attitude or way of thinking based on an unfounded, unreasonable pre-judgement of an individual, particular group of people or situation, rather than on a factual assessment. Prejudices can be positive or negative. If we are positively prejudiced towards someone, we think well of them. On the other hand, if we are negatively prejudiced against someone, we tolerate them less. In the main, negative prejudices develop against people who are different in some way. Discrimination happens when we act out our negative prejudices. Discriminatory behaviour results in unfair, unjust treatment. The people most likely to be discriminated against are those who are different in respect of their: Age. Age discrimination, or ageism, isn’t only targeted at elderly people – youngsters can also be on the receiving end of bullying, harassment and undeserved criticism. Sex. Men and women continue to be treated unfairly in certain walks of life, in particular in the workplace. Discrimination based on sex is known as sexism. Nationality, ethnic background, religion. Some people consider themselves superior to those from different backgrounds and faiths. Victimisation, bullying and harassment of people for such reasons is known as racism. Ability. Barriers that prevent disabled people from accessing the same opportunities as able-bodied people and the ignorant acting out of negative prejudices against physically or intellectually disabled people, for example through namecalling and damage of their property, is known as disablism. Size. Some of us are guilty of judging people by their size and treating them unfairly as a result. This behaviour is known as sizeism. Financial status. Discrimination against people on the grounds of their income, for example treating people living in poverty as inferior, is known as povertyism. There are two forms of discrimination, direct and indirect. Direct discrimination occurs when someone is intentionally treated unfairly, for example harassment on the basis of skin colour or religion. Indirect discrimination occurs when rules or guidelines meant to apply to everyone unintentionally affect one group of people more than others. For example, a company policy requiring everyone to work night shifts indirectly discriminates against single parents or people who care for elderly relatives, and menus that fail to offer a selection of food indirectly discriminates against people with specific dietary needs or preferences. Discrimination takes place in a variety of settings, for example within educational establishments, where learners may not be given support and encouragement if it’s assumed that their disability or advancing years affects their ability to learn; in the workplace, when people are persecuted on the basis of their skin colour or sexual preference. In housing, when landlords refuse to let their property to someone because of their refugee status or ethnic background; and in health and social care, when people are denied access to care on the basis of where they live – the postcode lottery. Inclusive work practice Inclusive practice is about the attitudes, approaches and strategies take n to ensure that people are not excluded or isolated. It means supporting diversity by accepting and welcoming people’s differences, and promoting equality by ensuring equal opportunities for all. Inclusive practice is best practise. Health and social care workers demonstrate inclusive practice by working in ways that recognise, respect, value and make the most of all aspects of diversity. Having a sound awareness of and responding sensitively to an individual’s diverse needs supports them in developing a sense of belonging, wellbeing and confidence in their identity and abilities. And it helps them to achieve their potential and take their rightful place in society. In addition, inclusive practice involves having an understanding of the disastrous impact that discrimination, inequality and social exclusion can have on an individual’s physical and mental health. Having such an understanding ensures appropriate, personalised care and support, thereby enabling an individual to develop selfrespect and maintain a valued role in society. Because people who fail to support diversity or promote equality are usually entirely unaware of their attitudes and the impact of their behaviour, inclusive practice in volves reflecting on and challenging ones own prejudices, behaviours and work practices. It also involves challenging those of colleagues and other service providers, with a view to adapting ways of thinking and working and to changing services to build on good practice and to better support diversity and promote equality. Discrimination is an injustice and has devastating effects. The UK has in place numerous pieces of legislation (laws), rules, regulations, guidance documents and statutory codes of practice, all of which are intended to promote diversity, ensure equality and end discrimination. In other words they are in place to promote everyone’s right to fair and equal treatment, regardless of their differences. Acts of Parliament and regulations include: ï€  Ã¯â‚¬  The Human Rights Act 1998. This covers many different types of discrimination, including some that are not covered by other discrimination laws. Rights under the Act can be used only against a public authority, for example, the police or a local council, and not a private company. However, court decisions on discrimination usually have to take into account what the Human Rights Act says. The Equality Act became law in October 2010. It replaces previous legislation (such as the Race Relations Act 1976 and the Disability Discri mination Act 1995) and ensures consistency in what you need to do to make your workplace a fair environment and to comply with the law. The Equality Act covers the same groups that were protected by existing equality legislation – age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership and pregnancy and maternity – but extends some protections to groups not previously covered, and also strengthens particular aspects of equality law. The Equality Act is a mixture of rights and responsibilities that have: Stayed the same – for example, direct discrimination still occurs when â€Å"someone is treated less favourably than another person because of a protected characteristic† Changed – for example, employees will now be able to complain of harassment even if it is not directed at them, if they can demonstrate that it creates an offensive environment for them Been extended – for example, associative discrimination (direct discrimination against someone because they associate with another person who possesses a protected characteristic) will cover age, disability, gender reassignment and sex as well as race, religion and belief and sexual orientation Been introduced for the first time – for example, the concept of discrimination arising from disability, which occurs if a disabled person is treated unfavourably because of something arising in consequence of their disabilit. Other pieces of legislation that protect the rights of people who use care services include: The NHS and Community Care Act 1980. This protects the rights of older and disabled people to receive care at home and in the community in ways that take account of their choices. The Children Act 2004. This protects children’s rights by requiring Local Authorities to be flexible in meeting their needs. Health and Social Care Act 2008. This Act established the Care Quality Commission (CQC), the remit of which is to protect and promote the right of people using health and social care services in England to quality care and to regulate its provision. CQC took over the roles of the Healthcare Commission, Commission for Social Care Inspection and the Mental Health Act Commission in March 2009. These pieces of legislation have helped us move forward on equality, but in 2009, women were still earning, on average, 23% less per hour than men; less able but better off children were overtaking m ore able, poorer children at school by the age of six; people with disabilities were still more than twice as likely to be out of work than able bodied people; and one in five older people was unsuccessful in getting quotations for motor insurance, travel insurance and car hire.

Putting Elderly Parents in Anursing Home Essay

There will almost absolutely come a day when your parents will need you. When this time comes, they will probably not admit that they need you or anyone else for that matter, but in reality, they will definitely need someone. If you look back to your childhood it’s quite similar to those days they had to care for you. They took care of your every need from bathing, feeding and dressing you appropriately. Those days you may not remember as well as they do but they happened. The days that they were responsible for you, unfortunately now they need the same care that they provided for you so long ago. So what are your options you say? Put them in a nursing home where you’ll take the chance they may be cared for properly? Chances are every time they have to use the bathroom or need assistance their going to have to press a help button and wait. Wow, they just became a number in someone’s eye and honestly how degrading can that be. The clear option for so many reasons would be to keep them at home and care for them as they did you. So with a firm standing putting your elderly parent in a nursing home is by far the worst option compared to keeping them at home. The average cost of putting an elderly parent in a nursing home verses keeping them at home is by far reason in itself. Deciding to keep you elderly parent at home verses a nursing home is an easy choice once you weigh the factors in of their independence, the cost and by far their love for u and your love for them. Are you ready to choose? This day it’s almost an inevitable choice that you’re going to have to make rather you want to or not. Do you have a clue what this involves? The bottom line is if you choose not to be there you’re given up that last chance you’ll ever have to be there for them. The normal stay in a nursing home is an average of just 2. 4 years. The average daily cost of a private room in a nursing home in the United States is $70,080 a year, or $192 a day. The average cost of a semi private room is $169 a day, or $61,685 a year. [ (Elder law answers website, 2008) ] Wow, now can you just see their life saving dwindling. I can say after being a nursing assistant employed in the nursing home setting for seventeen years now. That I can tell you I’ve heard it endless times form my elderly residents in the nursing home, how they worked hard all their life and for what? To live out their golden years watching everything they worked for go to their care. Needless to say it’s heartbreaking for those who have to watch it and those experiencing it. It’s hard enough for them to except the care they now need. But really to watch their whole life savings disappear for the need to survive every day. On so many levels it’s completely wrong and not fair. It’s hard to accept and realize that they’re hurting a lot more than you are and a lot more than their probably ever going to tell you they are. But they made great sacrifices and tremendous efforts to make your life relatively easy when you were growing up; the least they deserve now is to have a life that is comparably comfortable as they live out their golden years without having to watch their life’s work go down the drain. The average daily cost of keeping your elderly parent at home is far less than you would expect. There are so many options out there to help them stay home. If your elderly parent remains home they still have so many options available to help keep as much as their independence as possible. Home health care services are available in almost any area and provide supervised personnel care to help them with either health needs or their daily activities of living. Meals and transportation are also available to help retain independence. Home delivered meal programs can help ensure a proper diet for them. Adult day care and hospice are also options to help retain your elderly parent at home. Respite care is also available to you. They will send a trained person to care for your loved one so that you can run errands or take a vacation and have the break you may need [ (new york Life , October) ]. So with many options to help retain your loved one at home it’s easy to see the benefits of keeping them at home as long as possible once you have assessed the cost to do so. The daily average cost of keeping a loved one at home with a paid caregiver is an average of $96. 0 dollars a day and an average of $34,560 dollars a year [ (Kobrin, 2009) ]. Compared to a nursing home this is by far the cheaper option. But still with adding in the other options listed above this can be even cheaper if you do your research for your local area. By being head smart you can keep your elderly parent at home without watching everything they’ve worked for go down the drain. In ending choosing to keep your elderly parent at home is more than the right choice. In the long run it’s going to save them money and prolong their independence as long as possible. This is also your chance to give back to them all that you can for everything they did to support and raise you. It’s your turn now to make that right choice. By keeping them at home they’ll be much happier and so will you. This is their golden years! So let them shine as there suppose to. Do this by keeping them at home and showing them the respect they completely deserve. In doing this you will be letting them keep their independence and the life that they’re use to for as long as possible.

Medical Research and Ethics essays

Medical Research and Ethics essays Medical ethics tends to be a problematic issue, particularly where certain types of research are concerned. Indeed, some practitioners hold the public good in such high regard that they violate human rights for its sake. Of particular importance here is patient consent. Indeed, this issue is central to whether medical ethics are being violated or not. If patient consent is obtained, and researcher has provided full disclosure of the nature and risks of the study, the ethical requirements of the study have been met. Some researchers are however tempted to violate these requirements for the sake of results. An extreme case of such a violation is the Tuskegee syphilis study, which as become widely publicized as an example of gross human rights violations in favor of medical research. Another case to be addressed later is the one of a doctor taking blood samples from children without full disclosure to their parents. The General Medical Council (1998) is very clear on the ethical requirements for consent in the case of children or those who are incapable of making their own medical decisions. According to the General Medical Council (1998), the physician is to establish decision-making capacity prior to proceeding with medical investigation or treatment. It emphasizes the need to seek the help of the appropriate professional bodies if this appears to be necessary. In the case of fluctuating capacity, the Council suggests that physicians continually assess the patients understanding and the consistency of his or her compliance with the proposed procedures. In the case of mental incapacity, the physicians assessment of the patients best interest is subject to the Mental Health Act of 1983 and the Code of Practice of the Mental Health Commission. Controversial or experimental treatments that are unconnected to the mental disorder are subject to court approval. Mentally incapacitated patients therefore enjoy ...

Cultural Revolution in 1960s Britain Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Cultural Revolution in 1960s Britain - Essay Example The purpose of this paper is to discuss how the 1960s saw the birth of new forms of consciousness and political awareness in Britain, which will be accomplished using close reference to at least two forms of textual material. Since the experiences held by various individuals during the 1960s vary so tremendously according to factors such as age, location, social status, and family status, it is important to focus a study of this sort on a small set of demographics rather than by tackling the entire subject as it affected the world as a whole. This will be accomplished through specifically discussing 1960s Britain. First, a general discussion of 1960s Britain will be included, and this will be followed by references to specific texts that covered that specific time frame. Up until the 1960s, individuals in Britain lived by a very structured lifestyle: one that is often referred to as 'traditional' by most of us today. In fact, today's government in Britain is more traditional than most Westerners are personally familiar with, so this fact lends a great deal of strength to the idea of how those who were used to an even more structured society may have reacted to such a vast change over such a short period of time. Whether or not the loss of this highly organized structure was deemed positive or negative had a lot to do with the personal opinions of those who were affected by it or who observed it, especially firsthand. Those individuals who were more conservative in nature saw the dissolution of the old societal framework as negative. They found comfort in the structure of the more traditional and authoritative society. Moral values, to them, were stronger and more widely held underneath this type of structure. When this traditional structure dissolved, people in this group believed that society in general within Britain took a turn for the worst. They believed that the outcome of the revolution of the 60s could have been vastly different than it turned out to be, but instead, the power was in the wrong hands and Britain fell victim at the hands of the naive. In contrast, those who were more liberal and eclectic in nature saw the dissolution of the old societal framework as positive. In this light, they were rebellious against what they had previously been faced with. They were able to stand up for what they believed was right with regard to their freedoms and rights. No matter what side of the fence a person stood on, however, he or she undoubtedly saw certain events unfold during 1960s Britain. Blacks fought for and gained certain civil rights. The youth of the decade set trends and stood out with their own unique culture. People rebelled, protested, and pushed forth with idealism. Music took the lead, gaining status as a global language, and the Beatles were the most popular icons of the time. Christianity declined in popularity as people turned to Oriental nations for religious inspiration. Gays came forth and fought for their rights, and so did feminists. People began to behave significantly different with regard to sex, their personal relationships, and in general, and this included the media and books with relaxed censorship. The underground emerged, as did the counter-culture. People in general saw a new and better world forming-certainly one that was fairer across the different

Luxury Consumption in China Literature review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Luxury Consumption in China - Literature review Example Despite of these challenges, the luxury industry still is becoming highly attractive as the affordability of consumers is also increasing. As the middle class in the world is gaining strength and becoming more loyal to luxury branded goods, luxury industry still have a number of lucrative market segments to be catered. It was estimated in 2003, that the financial returns of luxury goods manufacturing industry globally was $ 90 billion, which crossed the $ 150 billion mark in 2007. By offering services and products to the untapped market segments, the luxury industry is expected to increase the size of its returns by $ 400 billion by the end of year 2015 (Heaney et al., 2005). As the size of luxury branded goods industry is increasing, the format of business is also changing. Now, luxury goods manufacturing businesses are no more privately or family owned business, but transforming into public limited companies. In this manner, the luxury branded goods industry is attracting investments from all around the world which enables them to invest heavily on research and development to understand consumer behavior. Understanding consumer behavior is essential for expanding the size of luxury businesses into untapped international markets. The understanding of consumer behavior has delivered its fruits in recent years, which is evident from the dramatic expansion of industry’s size in India, China, South Africa and Brazil. Especially China has remained the front runner, where consumers are becoming more brand conscious and spending lavishly on purchase of luxury branded goods (Michman & Mazze, 2006). ... Especially China has remained the front runner, where consumers are becoming more brand conscious and spending lavishly on purchase of luxury branded goods (Michman & Mazze, 2006). Being the fastest growing economy in the world, China offers the biggest market place to luxury brands. The increase in the economic development has resulted in the increase in personal incomes of Chinese consumers. Due to this, a large section of the consumers has formed a market segment which is wealthy and social stimulators, which is described as the â€Å"new rich†. This segment of the market has the tendency to live a celebrity lifestyle and satisfy their desire for expensive and sophisticated goods and services (Dubois et al., 2005). According to a research of Ernst and Young, it was estimated that by the end of 2015, China would account for 29% consumption of luxury goods and services in the world. This rate of consumption would cause China to become the 2nd largest consumer of luxury goods and services in the world. This is the reason, that heavy investments are made by luxury brands to understand the consumer behavior of Chinese consumers, so that the product and marketing strategies can be developed accordingly (Ernst & Young, 2005). Keeping in view the lucrative opportunities available to luxury brands in China, a number of these brands has installed production facilities in the country. These include Bally, Gucci, Ferragamo and Luis Vuitton. Other brands like Zara, Jimmy Choo and others are preparing their action plans to enter Chinese market as a local producer of luxury goods, to take full advantage of lucrative opportunities in the country. Beside factories in China, a number of luxury brands have their subsidiaries, operational facilities and stores in