Kudler’s Strategic Plan Essay

The mission statement should be a clear and succinct representation of the enterprise’s purpose for existence (BRS Center for Business Planning, 2010). Kudler Fine Foods mission statement is to supply the finest assortment of their wines and foods with a knowledgeable support staff. Vision Kudler Fine Foods vision highlights their image for the future and their motivation. The gourmet grocery store’s vision is to sustain superior and quality foods, at competitive prices, with friendly service. Values Statements The values statement provides boundaries on how such success will be achieved and establishes a covenant you ask all stakeholders to accept by answering the question: â€Å"How will we behave as we pursue success?† (Magus Consulting, 2010). The value statement of Kudler Fine Foods focuses on employee’s dedication, high standards, and cleanliness. Their employees and customers are priority and Kudler provides the means to inspire employees, which in maintain long-term relationships with customers. Environmental scan Kudler Fine Foods performed an SWOT analysis scan to determine the company’s new strategies. To conduct the analysis, the company conducts SWOT analysis to establish its current conditions. Strengths Kudler Fine Foods is small, customer-oriented organization in which the owner, Kathy Kudler, interacts with staff members weekly. The company offerings include a wide variety of quality fruits, vegetables, wines, and cheeses. In addition, the stores are in excellent economic regions where customers can afford the prices. Furthermore, the firm has repeat customers, which demonstrates that the company has an impeccable reputation and high customer satisfaction (Apollo Group, Inc., 2007). Weaknesses Kudler Fine Foods sells mostly perishable foods, and about 12% of the stock is removed from the shelves to ensure freshness, which also results in waste and lost profits. In addition, the stores have high payrolls associated with specialty positions and small management that makes managing, ordering, and maintaining inventory difficult for the owner. Kathy is managing all the stores, ordering supplies, and maintaining inventory. A management model in which Kathy performs all major activities limits growth and represents a risk because if she became ill, she would not have a replacement, which would have a negative impact on store operations (Apollo Group, Inc., 2007). Kudler’s Fine Foods External Analysis Opportunities Kudler Fine Foods has the opportunity to fulfill other market needs by including additional gourmet products to their offer such as coffee and tea, a fish counter, a deli counter, among others. This horizontal expansion of the business will attract new customers and increase the share of wallet from current customers. Other expansion opportunities for Kudler Fine Foods include the consolidation and growth of the catering business and the entrance to the e-market by offering delivery of gourmet products and ordering of catering services. The Internet is usually a lower cost channel given that fewer employees are needed to maintain it and to drive an increase of the customer base. Finally, the most obvious growth opportunity for the company relies in geographic expansion. Opening more stores in the California area and in other states is a possibility for Kudler Fine Foods if they can increase their management capabilities. (Apollo Group, Inc., 2007). Threats Kudler Fine Foods, like other businesses, faces threats relative to the economic conditions of the region in which it operates. The market for gourmet products is very sensitive to economic downturn because consumption of such items usually responds to desire rather than necessity. Current unstable weather conditions and natural disasters (like earthquakes) due to global warming also pose a threat of increased costs of produce if it affects local producers that supply Kudler Fine Foods. Other threats come from direct and indirect competition. If competitors choose to expand geographically or to extend their product lines to include the products Kudler Fine Foods today provides, this expansion could have a negative impact on the company’s bottom line. Another threat could be that traditional supermarkets are expanding their offers to include organic products and some gourmet items. Traditional supermarkets usually have higher bargaining power, which allows them to offer lower prices, and they have the advantage of covering a wide rage of needs in a same location. (Apollo Group, Inc., 2007). Review of the individual strategies from Week Four and a recommendation for the best strategy for Kudler see strategies below (in pink) and choose best strategy Strategic Plan Kudler’s strategic plan involves increasing efficiency of their management and employees. Firms that implement the strategy of operational excellence typically restructure their delivery processes to focus on efficiency and reliability, and use state-of-the art information systems that emphasize integration and low-cost transactions (Pearce & Robinson, 2009). Kudler Fine Foods requires exceptional customer service because the store is a customer-oriented. Companies excelling in customer intimacy combine detailed customer knowledge with operational flexibility. They respond quickly to almost any need, from customizing a product to fulfilling special requests to create customer loyalty (Pearce & Robinson, 2009). Therefore, their strategic plan will include ways to retain their customers, as customers are the most important to their bottom-line. Concentrated Growth Strategy Kudler Fine Foods should consider the concentrated growth strategy. According to Pearce and Robinson (2009), the concentrated growth strategy is the least risky grand strategy. Successful implementation of a concentrated growth strategy would increase KFF’s market penetration. Smaller companies such as Kudler Fine Foods with limited resources can increase market position with a concentrated growth strategy. In addition, this strategy can help KFF to increase the number of repeat customers and their usage rates (Pearce & Robinson, 2009). However, this strategy does entail some risks. These risks include changes in the economy, possible slow market growth, vulnerability to high opportunity cost related to alternative strategic approaches, and the probability of financial losses by KFF related to poor forecasts (Pearce & Robinson, 2009). Product development focused on new products Kudler could develop Product development is the process of creating a new product to be sold by a business or enterprise to its customers. A product can be any item from a book, musical composition, or information service. The task of developing outstanding new products is difficult, time-consuming, and costly. However, quality products are not simply designed, but instead they evolve over time through hours of research, analysis, design studies, engineering and prototyping efforts, and finally, testing, modifying, and re-testing until the design has been perfected (Riley, 2009). Kudler Fine Foods is already a supplier of gourmet food and adding coffee products to the company’s selection would put them another step ahead of the competition. â€Å"Demand for both coffee and coffee â€Å"drinks† is so high that recent surveys estimate that coffeehouses alone sold $8.3 billion in coffees and coffee drinks and that amount is expected to reach almost $19 billion by 2011, according the Specialty Coffee Association of America. It reports that the United States coffee industry has grown almost 50% from $7.76 billion in 2000 to more than $11 billion in 2005 and the figures keep climbing† (Rosen, n.d., p.1). The type of coffee products that Kudler Fine Foods could market is gourmet coffee, flavored coffee, and decaf coffee. Differentiation and customer responsiveness Another alternative strategy that Kudler Fine Foods may consider to realize growth would be â€Å"differentiation.† Differentiation is â€Å"designed to appeal to customers with a special sensitivity for a particular product attribute† (Pearce & Robinson, 2009, p. 204). † Differentiation assists in building loyalty with customers as well as it enables an organization to charge a â€Å"premium† for its products and services (Pearce & Robinson, 2009). Differentiation helps separate a brand from others and build a reputation for â€Å"excellence† (Pearce & Robinson, 2009). Kudler may use differentiation to separate itself from competitors and help build its reputation, which would result in increased customer loyalty and would appeal to those customers seeking for specific attributes. Kudler may couple this strategy with â€Å"customer intimacy,† which tailoring products and services that fit customers (Pearce & Robinson, 2009). â€Å"Customer intimacy† assumes certain degree of knowledge about customers and the flexibility to make necessary adjustments. This long-term approach is designed to satisfy customers. Because Kudler is a relatively small operation with centralized management, it has the flexibility and the resources to grow to know its customers and build the kind of relationships that will result in lifetime customers. Market development by adding a sales channel Kudler Fine Foods has been successful in marketing its products through several stores where customers can choose and buy gourmet products. As revealed in the company’s SWOT analysis, the superior selection of a variety of products has been a critical strength to support such growth. According to Pearce and Robinson (2009), â€Å"market development allows firms to leverage some of their traditional strengths.† In this proposed strategic alternative Kudler Fine Foods can use its excellent selection of products to appeal to an even larger base of customers by selling its products through the Internet. Online sales have presented two digit growth rates in the past four years (Greene, 2009). Internet can be considered a cheaper channel to drive growth given that it requires less capital investment than opening a new location and it reaches a larger base of customers. Advertising in other media Other strategic option includes advertising with newspapers, a local radio station or television advertisement. Placing a weekly ad in a local newspaper, KFF will become a known brand for fine gourmet in the Del Mar area. Because the advertisement will be in a local paper, it pinpoints the target market and reduces costs. Kathy should advertise on the radio during peak hours her free cheese samples and wine meetings. If the cheese, dairy, and wine areas are in the front of the store, Kathy should consider placing it near the back. The goal is to compel consumers to walk around the KFF store to see their products before arriving at the cheese and wine area. Another way to market Kudler is through television. Because Kudler is selling locally, expensive commercials will work against them. By using a local advertiser, the intended message will be seen by consumers in that particular demographic area. Costs will be minimal because advertising in local newspapers, radio, and television will be done locally. Implementation Plan: Create a WBS and Gantt chart for the new strategy. Include objectives, functional tactics, action items, milestones, tasks, resource allocation, and a deadline. In addition, analyze the key success factors for plan implementation. Include cash budget for the implementation plan and forecasted financials for Kudler. I did this last week, but I was not sure if I did this correctly. See excel spreadsheet Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) Incorporating a work breakdown structure will assist KFF in their efforts to assign responsibilities and manage time. Currently Kathy is responsible for each department and which takes away her time from other managerial duties. The WBS has four sections, planning and supervision, inventory management, staff management, and marketing. Planning and supervision refers to how Kathy will operate Kudler Fine Foods. Kathy will make plans, verify the budgets, and meet with shift-supervisors for each department. Inventory management is crucial for a gourmet grocery store. Forecasting sales will help reduce chances of ordering too much food. A customer count can be incorporated by issuing savings cards so customers can attach to his or her key ring. This device not only tracks what customers are purchasing but also their geographic location. Food count will let shift-supervisors know how much food should be ordered every two days. Food management must be accurate because KFF offers the freshest foods and ordering too much food will cost the company. Kathy has to manage her staff so that she is not over or understaffed. Because there are six sections to KFF, there should be at least three employees in each department. Employees should strategically be placed in their area of strength. For example, an employee with excellent math skills, they should be placed on the register. In addition, the employees should be cross-trained in the event of someone taking leave. Shift-supervisors are also responsible for coordinating employee’s schedules. Marketing for a gourmet store is chief to earning sales. Kathy has to study the local businesses, schools, stores, and understand who the competitors are. This understanding will assist in becoming more profitable and peaking customer’s interests. Once Kathy is aware of the other factors, it is easier to strategize. In addition, considering holidays and vacations will alert Kathy of when to expect crowds and order more inventory. To continue to attract customers, Kathy should continue to offer free samples on Saturdays. Once a potential customer is interested, he or she has a higher chance of coming into the store and spending. A guest check average will assist with ordering inventory because the average calculates the number of customers divided by the money spent in the store.

Total Hospital Information System Hospital Selayng

1. 0 Hospital Information System (HIS) – Overview 1. 1 Definition Hospital Information System (HIS) is an integrated information system which spans through the organization crafted to manage clinical, administrative, financial and operational functions of a hospital. HIS strives to achieve the most effective support for patient care and administration through various different electronic data processing and analyzing tools (Ismail, et al. , 2010). HIS serves as a platform to provide the required information to each level of the management at the correct time, in the correct form, and in the correct place, contributing towards improved decision making. HIS plays a pivitol role in planning, initiating, organizing and controlling the operations of the subsystems of the hospital and thus equips an organization with synergy and integrity required for it to function. More importantly, HIS also enhances patient care and comfort by offering personalized suggestions for care and enables a hospital to move from retrospective to a concurrent review quality (Ismail, et al. 2010). 1. 2 Global Trend in Hospital Information System (HIS) In early 2009, the market value of Hospital Information Systems (HIS) market was $7. 8 billion worldwide and this figure has been predicted to leap to an alarming $18 billion by 2016. The boom is primarily driven by governments’ dynamic motives and hospitals continually trying to increase workflow effi ciency Hence, hospitals are confident that embracing HIS will result in increased efficiency and reduced medical errors, which later translates into uplifting the quality of care provided to patients (Global Data, 2010). Growing evidence has demonstrated that the current systems fail to deliver adequately safe, high standard, efficient and economical healthcare. This can be curbed through computerization, with electronic medical record (EMR) as the fundamental component. This has resulted in clinicians and healthcare organizations around the globe scrutinizing into adopting more EMR technologies in their respective hospitals. France, UK, US, Canada, Finland, Denmark, Australia, New Zealand and several other countries have proposed plans to construct a fully intergrated computer-based hospital infrastructures with the electronic medical record systems laying the cement work. In the Asia-Pacific region alone, umpteen successful HIS implementations have taken place in various hospitals such as in Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Malaysia (Global Data, 2010). 1. 3 The Malaysian Outlook The federal government had adopted a national-level strategy to create a paradigm shift in the nation’s healthcare system. The Federal Government aims to revamp the healthcare system so as to produce a county of healthy individuals and communities through the adoption of information technology (IT). Major projects which has been undertaken include Multimedia Super Corridor Telehealth Project and MSC Telehealth Blueprint (1997) (Malaysianmedicine, 2004). Dr. H. M. Goh, secretary of both Malaysian Health Informatics Association and Asia-Pacific Association for Medical Informatics mentioned that it is impossible to provide good, safe and efficient healthcare ignoring IT, thus the the cost of healthcare would rise. He also stated that without computerisation, we won’t be able to retrieve timely information. ( Malaysianmedicine, 2004). Following this, Malaysia has witnessed several significant developments in the health care sector. One such eminent development is the establishment of total hospital information systems in Selayang Hospital (Malaysianmedicine, 2004). 2. Overview of organization – Selayang Hospital 2. 1 Brief History Located along the Kepong Selayang road of Gombak District, Selayang Hospital is a 960-bedded hospital which has been in operation since 1996. Selayang Hospital (SH) is the pioneer in being the paperless and filmless hospital in Malaysia. Though classified as a government hospital, it has sophistication of a luxury private medical center with a leading-edge on technology. The need for this ultra-modern hospital came about as Hospital Kuala Lumpur (KLH) was already bursting to its limits with its overworked staffs. Organized and accurate documentation and archiving was impossible with mislaid or missing patients' records. This had resulted on KLH being entangled in legal matters. Increasing number of patients expressed their displeasure and quality of patient care was deteriorating. These circumstances surged MOH to come up with SH project with proper incorporation of HIS (Yook, 1999) 2. 2 Clinical services at Selayang Hospital Among the services offered at Selayang Hospital are Gastroenterology, Hepatobiliary, Cardiology, Nephrology, Urology, Hand and Micro and Surgery. All the rest are categorised under secondary services, outpatient services and supportive services. The core business of Selayang hospital is providing a exclusive tertiary referral services to patients across Malaysia and a broader range of clinical services to customers who rely on Selayang Hospital as their regional or local hospitals. High quality specialist services in a large number of other fields is also a highlighted aspect of this hospital (Yook, 1999). 2. 3 Vision The Selayang Hospital project was designed by the Ministry of Health (MOH) in accordance with the Malaysia’s Vision of 2020, where the country would become a developed the country's Vision for Health was formulated proposed a national health policy. Besides, it was particularly mentioned in the Seventh Malaysian that there will thirty three paperless public hospitals launched in Malaysia. More specifically, eight of these hospitals will be using Total Hospital Information System (T. H. I. S), Selayang Hospital being one of them (Yook, 1999). 2. 4 Mission The mission of Selayang Hospital is to be a role model for Malaysian hospital, in using innovative, dynamic and cost effective technology and delivering a friendly, caring, compassionate and humanistic service. This wiIl be achieved through teamwork in partnership with the community to provide quality care to the satisfaction of our customers (Yook, 1999). 2. 5 Organizational Structure Patients at Selayang Hospital are of top priority so the structure is designed to maximize patients/customers' satisfaction with emphasis on staff efficiency. The Board of Directors (BOD) with the assistance of Total Hospital Information System and a Medical Advisory Board committee oversees the hospital overall operation. There are five distinct divisions in the hospital administration. The total medical and non-medical staffs amounts to 1090 people. The BOD is accountable to the State Health Directors (Image could not be retrieved) (Yook, 1999). 3. 0 Total Hospital Information System (THIS) in Selayang Hospital Selayang Hospital, the pioneer paperless and filmless hospital in Malaysia, uses Total Hospital Information System (THIS) for its fundamental operation. THIS combines aspects of clinical, administrative and financial management, enabling continual data flow between separate areas (Ismail, et al. , 2010). THIS would aid in meeting the objective of enhancing productivity, effectiveness, efficiency, quality and safety. THIS facilitates communication between care providers through sharing of information, enables automation of work processes, integration and interfacing with other components of HIS in addition to providing clinical decision support and maintaining a permanent record as a medico-legal requirement (Abdollah, 2011). For the incorporation and functionality of THIS, Selayang Hospital had opted to vendor solutions like Cerner for electronic medical record, Seimens for radiology department, Spacelabs for critical care unit, Oracle for materials management, finance and administration and Microsoft Office for internet and intranet usage (Li, 2010). Figure 1 depicts the system architecture as well as the technology partners that associate to Selayang Hospital (Abdollah, 2011). Figure 1 : Information Technology System Support and Technology Partners in Selayang Hospital (Abdollah, 2011). Figure 2 illustrates the structure of THIS in Hospital Selayang. Selayang Hospital incorporates clinical, administrative as well as financial processes as their total hospital information system within their hospital operations. There are various information system being deployed to cater specific needs and wants of patients and care providers as described in the following sections (Abdollah, 2011). Figure 2: Structure of Total Hospital Information System in Hospital Selayang (Abdollah, 2011) 3. 1 Types of Hospital Information System 3. 1. 1 Electronic Medical Record (EMR) Clinical Information System (CIS) is thought of as the system that mediates direct patient care. Within it, also lies the mechanical framework for capturing, storing and displaying the data generated by all clinical care activities. A defined portion of patient-specific collected from disparate sources by care-providers working in the various clinical services is put together as the Electronic Medical Record (EMR). EMR essentially provides for the recording of the following groups of data: a. profile of the patient b. information gathered regarding the patient’s illness, allergies and health status c. ctivities performed on the patient d. events that occurred (planned and unplanned) e. results or findings emanating from these activities and events (numeric, text or images) f. communications between care providers i. e. instructions, opinions, referrals and advice g. decisions and plans both immediate and long term (diagnosis, treatment plan) This consolidation is essential for the availabililty of future data for tracking puposes which in turn governs clinical management and patient data mining, in addition to report generating (Abdollah, 2011). EMR largely benefits government and health care providers. The need and requirement to document is both professional and legal as documentation enables care providers to communicate with each other thus facilitating continuity of patient care. Thus, in the form of the EMR, documentation satisfies the legal requirement of maintaining a record of events. It is accessible from multiple access points and units within the hospital and selective access outside the hospital. This largely reduces the time taken to retrieve medical records. Hence, the time taken to retrieve patient records are reduced. This would pave the way for increased productivity and quality of care. In the mean time, it would contribute towards better knowledge in clinical practices. Besides that, administrative benefits include easier report generation, better organization of clinical information, enhanced claiming and ordering processes, reduced billing timings which translates into providing better service to patients. Futhermore, THIS improved clinical decision making and disease management, patient education in addition to better documentation, increased time allocated per patient, and rejuvenated perception of care and quality of a healthcare institute. The incorporation of DSS into drug management, result generation and disease management are essential in good clinical practise. On the other hand, for researchers and policy makers can utilize EMR to device long term strategies for towards development country’s health care and proper allocation of resources (Haslina and Sharifah 2005). The workflow process such as the improvement of data inputting by avoiding duplications of data’s, reduction is transcriptions costs as well as improved communication is also benefited by Selayang Hospital due to the successful implementation of EMR (Erstad, 2003). Hence, in a nutshell, implementation of EMR such as improved decision making, disease management enhanced records and has made it possible to eliminate the use of papers for medical records. As a result, medical records become more trustworthy and easily comprehendable. Figure 3 : Electronic Medical record system . Source : http://level8systems. com/page. php? 3 3. 1. 2 Patient Management System (PMS) This system encompasses Patient Registration, Client-Resource Management and Charging, Billing and Payment system. For example, during patient registration, a identification number unique to that particular person is issued. This would act as the Medical Record (index) Number (MRN). It allows data regarding a single patient to be kept in a single record, shared between systems and used for subsequent visits and encounters without the need for repeated data acquisition and entry of static data. Staff job assignment is be part of the Client Resource Management System. It should enable all categories of staff to be allocated to work areas, rooms, wards, cubicles, beds, machines etc. according to dates and work shifts. Care providers need to sign in to confirm that they are available. The system should allow for constant updating of staff assignment. The Patient Tracking facility through PMS would also provide real-time status display and reports on attendances, location of patients, status of service provision and discharges Next, The Charging-Billing System would be able to calculate charges based on factors according to policies set by the hospital. It would be able to charge differently based on the service delivery such such outpatient service, emergency service and Inpatient service in addition to scrutinization by financial class. Figure 4 illustrates a typical Patient Management System software which stores and updates patient records. Hence, PMS enables patient’s records to be compiled and accessed in an organised manner. Besides that, subsequent processes like patient administration, clinical support tools and generating reports also is made easy. In addition, it also enables quicker diagnosis with proper relevant treatments available (Netripples, n. d. ). Figure 4: Typical Patient Management System. Source http://hpathy. com/software/hompath-classic8. asp 3. 1. Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) Pictures Archiving & Communication System (PACS) is majorly used in medical imaging unit. X-ray, echocardiogram, ultrasound machines capture digital images of a patient’s clinical condition. These images are sent to appropriate destinations using this system. It can be imagined as a pipeline network which carries water, which in this case are the images. Every laboratory at Selayang Hos pital is equipped with a high-end resolution computer screen to view these images captured from the machines. This service is provided by Siemens in Selayang Hospital. With the help of PACS, images are viewed on screens rather than the conventional x-ray images which are as bulky as a spreadout newspaper. More importantly, PACS reduces the radiation exposure in both patients and care providers. This leads to a healthier working environment; better image distribution; timeless retrieving of data and images; image quality improvement as well as easier handling of images Dr. Zaharah (n. d. ). Thus it can be understood that PACS is not a stand alone system but a subsidiary support system of Radiology Information System (RIS) described in next section. 3. 1. 4 Radiology Information System (RIS) The Radiology Information System (RIS) is a system, which enables care providers who to capture, store and distribute images by interacting with the machines that produce these images and also the clinicians who request for the images. The Radiology Information System (RIS) is a system, consists of the following major functional areas: 01. Ordering of examination 02. Scheduling of appointments for examination 03. Creation of work lists 04. Tracking of examination and reporting status of cases 05. Image Tracking and Management 06. Clinical Result Reporting, 07. Storage and retrieval of reports To summarise, RIS which belongs to the radiology department, is a huge database which can be used to perform x-ray imaging, echocardiograms, computerized axial tomography (CAT) scans, positive emission tomography scans (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) tests when necessary ( Dr Zaharah , n. . ). The RIS creates and schedules the patient order for an image study. The RIS allocates a unique accession number to the order, sends a message to the PACS and the imaging modality to maintain accuracy in patient demographic details (Figure 5). Figure 5: Integration of RIS and PACS in acquiring and processing of images Source:http://www. pukkaj. info/NewsArchive2007/SendingradiotherapyimagestoPACS/tabid/1111/language/en-GB/Default. aspx) In a fully functional THIS system, RIS must be a high degree of integration between with EMR, PACS and PACS. In this sense PACS is a sub-set of RIS. Radiology images are considered as part of each patient`s EMR. Images need to be treated just like other patient data. Images as data are managed by Picture Archiving and Communications System (PACS). RIS is also linked with scheduling system to schedule appointments for patients. Figure 6 shows the schematic representation of functions and relationship between RIS, PACS and EMR (Abdollah, 2011). Figure 6: Schematic representation of functions and relationships between RIS, PACS and EMR (Abdollah, 2011). 3. 1. Pharmacy Information System (PhIS) Pharmacy Information System (PhIS) operates in the pharmacy department for numerous activities which includes clinical screening, inventory management, prescription tracking etc. PhIS are elaborate computer systems that were structured to meet the needs and wants of a pharmacy division to function effectively and efficiently. Pharmacists will be able to overlook how medications are used in a hospital usi ng insights from this system (Biohealthmatics, 2010). Clinical screening is one of the most important usage of PhIS. Drug interactions, allergies and all plausible drug-related disorders can be monitored using the assistance of PhIS. When a prescription is issued, the system checks for all possible interactions between all the drugs prescribed together to a patient at one time or with any particular food, reported allergies to the drug, and even if the sufficient and appropriate dosage has been given based on the individual’s body mass index (BMI), age, and other physiological factors. Instant alerts and warning messages are displayed if adverse drug interaction is detected (Biohealthmatics, 2010). Inventory Management is a another major component of the PhIS. Pharmacists need to know the drugs available, usage pattern and balance of stock. This inventory can be separate from or be a part of the Procurement and Storage Information System of the hospital’s integrated Management Information System. Continuous inventory monitoring is an essential requirement of a pharmacy in order to ensure that drugs never goes out of stock. Besides, multiple dispensing locations and manual inventory keeping is not only tedious but can also lead to inaccuracy in inventory management (Biohealthmatics, 2010). In addition, prescription management for both in patients and outpatients is also a vital segment of PIS. For instance, when the issued prescription arrives to the pharmacy, the orders are checked and matched against available drugs in the pharmacy and then dispensed accordingly to respective patients. More interestingly, prescriptions that passes through the system that can track the physician prescribing the drug, date of prescription, to whom was it prescribed and when was it was dispensed. Automated label printing which bears directions on how medication should be followed is also possible (Biohealthmatics, 2010). Besides, patient drug profiling can also be achieved through PIS. These are patient profiles and holds particulars of their present and previous medications history, known allergies, family history and other parameters. These profiles are also during clinical screening. A physican who prescribes a particular drug to a patient would be able to instantly see the patient’s profile and decide on whether or not this drug is appropriate (Biohealthmatics, 2010). Figure 7 shows a typical pharmacy information system modal provided by Siemens. This includes relevant information such as patient name, name of the drug, route of administration, dosage and frequency of administration. PIS works hand-in-hand with EMR to detect contraindications due to drug allergy, streamlines workflow in addition to assisting billing and charging in administrative and financial system. Figure 7: Pharmacy information system modal by Siemens Source:http://www. medical. siemens. com/siemens/en_US/rg_marcom_FBAs/files/presskits/SiemensMAC. pg 3. 1. 6 Laboratory Information System (LIS) Laboratory Information System (LIS) manages all the laboratory faculties which includes clinical chemistry, parisitology, hematology, immunology and microbiology in terms of receiving orders, performing tests and producing results. It also provides modules for sending laboratory trials order to the appliances through its multiple instrument interfaces so that the results can then be anal ysed instantly and a reports can be generated. Patient management is an important aspect of LIS. Patient particulars such as the date of admission, consulting doctor, and respective reference number would be maintained by this system. Data pertaining to the patient’s samples including the consulting doctor, corresponding department, specimen type, method of collection and the technician-in-charge of the collection can also be monitored (Nationmaster Encylopedia, n. d. ). In summary, LIS is used for processing and storage of information generated by medical laboratories. EMR, PMS as well as order management system are customized in order to allow interferences between LIS which supports in-patient as well as out-patient services. Moreover, the system produces barcode sample labels which are therefore used for acknowledgment of test samples. In Selayang Hospital, there are around 150 barcodes readers that are being widely used daily (Abdollah, 2011). 4. 0 Impact of Total Information System (THIS) 4. 1 Benefits of Total Hospital Information System (THIS) Total Hospital Information System (THIS) is an enterprise-wide system which spans the organisaton, designed to enhance clinical outcomes, operational efficiency and to improve financial management for healthcare industry. THIS serves as a secured and dependable meticulously integrated system that allows hospital officials to record, store and selectively disseminate clinical and other patient related information to appropriate entities (Netripples, n. d. ). T. H. I. S. provides effective solutions to hospitals which plan on reducing the administrative burden and clinical transactions, in addition to providing compassionate services to their patients. On a typical day in Hospital Selayang, the inpatient admissions reach 150/day whereas outpatient visits would reach upto 1000/day amounting to 250GB of patient records. T. H. I. S has enabled effective management of such high flow of patients, data storage, processing and retrieval. Figure 8 illustrates the daily usage of T. H. I. S shows the heavy reliance and interdependance between Selayang Hospital and the information systems. Figure 8: Daily Utilization of T. H. I. S (Abdollah, 2011). With the presence of THIS, most of the patient care demands can be met because it computerizes the process of collecting, arranging, filing and retrieving patient information. Furthermore, world class patient care can be provided by the hospital when equipped with good decision support system from THIS. Additionally, T. H. I. S. benefits in various other methods such as comprehensive patient record keeping, much lesser paperwork, quicker information sharing means between various departments, more flexible organization, reliable and timely information and adequate inventory management. A user satisfaction survey conducted in 2003 among staffs of Selayang Hospital revealed that T. H. I. S was appreciated and well received among nurses and doctors followed by allied staffs and clerks as depicted in Figure 9. (Abdollah, 2011) Figure 9: User satisfaction survey 2003 (Abdollah, 2011). Productivity wise, Selayang Hospital has evidently shown higher productivity after the successful implementation of Total Hospital Information System (T. H. I. S. ). As Selayang Hospital had incorporated T. H. I. S. from the start of its operation, studies analysing the effectiveness of T. H. I. S. before and after implementation is not possible. However, a comparative study comparing T. H. I. S. n Selayang Hospital with a traditional government hospital, Hospital Klang is currently being carried out. Few early findings from this study shows implementation of T. H. I. S. has managed to reduced time taken for admission by 40%, patient stay by 10% and discharge processes by a remarkable 70%. Qualitative benefits of this system highlighted in this study include easy availability of data, bett er patient record management and improved workflow (Abdollah, 2011). The ability of Pharmacy Information System (PIS) to keep track of the entire drugs inventory within the hospital is commendable. The PIS head manager is also able to make orders when an alert is raised on a particular drug. This therefore ensures proper inventory management and that all drugs are always in stock. In addition to the privileges that pharmacies’ will get through the implementation of T. H. I. S, doctors of the hospitals are also able to reap off its benefits as well. For the clinicians, EMR and PMS aid in clinical management of patients. A medical officer no longer requires the doctor-in-charge to be physically present but still can receive consults from him/her utilizing EMR and PMS. All these systems has indeed helped Selayang Hospital to manage the hospital effectively with efficient decision making. Moreover, T. H. I. S. aids hospital administrators whereby it significantly improves operational control. Lastly, in addition to enhancing patient care, T. H. I. S also increases the profitability of the respective organization. In summary, there are a number of direct benefits of THIS in hospitals. The most important advantage of this system is the ability to meet patients’ demands in a timely manner owing to the automation involved in data collection. Other uses include great reduction in paperwork and more efficient patient particular collection and management. Considering the unwavering benefits from implementation of Total Hospital Information System, it will soon become a necessity in terms of hospital management. 4. 2 Ethical Concerns The number and the magnitude of challenges faced by healthcare organizations are unprecedented. Selayang hospital is no different. Increasing financial bruden, rising public an payer expectations and increasing number of consolidations have placed these hospitals under immense stress. Heavy usage of information systems have provided record-keeping which is otherwise impossible. However, this leads to rapid and easy access to medical records raising issues of privacy against expediency (Boyle, 2001). In Selayang Hospital, these issues are handled with utmost priority. Patients’ privacy and confidentiality is protected through several measures. Only authorised users are allowed to access these information. Authorised users who are found to be misusing their access would be tracked in audit trails and stringent disciplinary actions would be taken against them. Therefore, patients are assured of their personal data protection (Abdollah, 2011). 4. 3 Drawbacks and challenges of Total Hospital Information System (THIS) Like any other information system implementation, in T. H. I. S. , users’ resistance to change is one of the major concerns. This is largely related to individual acceptance of IT application particularly by doctors and nurses. Though this is now not an issue in Selayang Hospital, failures in HIS has been repeated reported over the years. Unrealistic goals, complex user-interface, lack of clarity on the functionality required and lack of sensitivity to the local systems were some of the key reasons contributing towards failure of THIS in many fledgling hospitals (Cassels, 1995). The developing countries face even deeper problems such as inadequate electricity supply, lack of proper infrastructure, unsustainable funding, and the inadequate educational levels of the hospital staffs who are likely to be the primary users of the system rather than doctors in these countries. Other concerns include slow response time, absence of easy login-procedures, and tedious data entry (Chandrasekhar and Ghosh, 2001). Selayang Hospital though comparatively better in IT receptiveness, initial reluctance was present. Even today, reluctance to change and accept an IT application especially the EMR system in a conventional society still persists. Appropriate strategies like IT training and incentives need to be deviced to make both patients and hospital officials more receptive towards these systems (Haslina and Sharifah 2005). 5. 0 Future Plans Following these victorious execution of T. H. I. S, Selayang Hospital is currently looking a step ahead into developing a entirely automated Pharmacy Information System (PIS) with Decision Support System (DSS). Besides, management is also emphasizing on improving reporting and data analysis, enhance clinical documentation module with decision support and introduce mobile computing function to facilitate better hospital management (Abdollah, 2011). 6. 0 Conclusion It is beyond doubt that T. H. I. S has been the backbone in assisting hospital administration to ensure Selayang Hospital runs smoothly. However, without the staunch commitment from top management, physicians and other users and adequate number of IT professionals, this success would have remained as a dream. Thus, information systems only when coupled with good recipience would prove beneficial. 7. 0 References Abdollah, 2011. Hospital Information System in Selayang. [Booklet] September 2011 ed. Selayang Hospital Information Technology Department. Biohealthmatics, 2010. Pharmacy Information System, [online] retrieved from http://www. biohealthmatics. com/technologies/his/pis. aspx [accessed on the 2nd October, 2011] Boyle, P. 2001. Organizations ethics and healthcare: principles, cases and practical solutions. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Cassels, A. ,1995. Health sector reform: key issues in less developed countries, Journal of International Development [online] retrieved from http://www. ncbi. nlm. nih. gov/pubmed/12290761/ [accessed on the 3rd October, 2011] Chandrasekhar, C. P. and Ghosh, J. , 2001. Information an d communication technologies and health in low income countries: the potential and the constraints, Bulletin of the World Health Organization, Vol. 79, No. 9, [online] retrieved from

English as a Second Language in Thailand Education

The importance of English as a world language, the advance of technology and education reform envisaged by the new Thai Constitution are key determinants for new developments for English language teaching and learning in Thailand in this decade. This paper will first focus on the role of English and the problems of English language teaching in Thailand. It will also touch on the part of education reform which is related to English language teaching. Then, it will state what has been planned or already done to improve the English language teaching and learning situation in Thailand, now and in the future. The role of English in Thailand is quite important as it is in many other developing countries. New technology and the adoption of the internet have resulted in a major transition in terms of business, education, science, and technological progress, all of which demand high proficiency in English. With the economic downturn in Thailand a few years ago, a large number of Thai companies have embraced cooperation regionally and internationally. Mergers, associations, and takeovers are common and English is used as the means to communicate, negotiate and execute transactions by participants where one partner can be a native speaker of English or none of the partners are native speakers of English. However, Thailand has always been a country with one official language, Thai. We are proud that we have never been colonized. Another reason for having been a country with one language is the concept of national stability. There have been proposals to make Thailand a country with two languages, Thai and English, but this has never materialized due to the abovementioned reasons. English can, therefore, be at most the first foreign language that students must study in schools. Hence, Thais’ level of English proficiency is low in comparison with many countries in Asia (e. g. Malaysia, Philippines, and Singapore). According to the speech given by the Minister of the Ministry of University Affairs on March 6, 2000, the average TOEFL scores of Thais are the same as for Mongolians but higher than for North Koreans and Japanese. Researchers on the topics of needs and wants of English in workplaces have also suggested that the English curriculum in Thai universities cannot meet the demands for English used in the workplace. The skills used most at this level are listening and speaking which are not the focus skills in the Thai tertiary education English curriculum. It can be said that up to now English language teaching in Thailand has not prepared Thais for the changing world. Thailand will lag behind in the competitive world of business, education, science and technology if the teaching and learning of English is not improved. Here are some comments concerning the importance of English and the problems of English language teaching in Thailand. Dr. Rom Hiranyapruek, director of Thai Software Park, stated that English is as important to the domain of information technology as other infrastructures. Thais have high proficiency in technology but because of our below average English competence, we cannot make much progress in terms of science and technology. Mrs. Arunsi Sastramitri, director of the Academic Training Section of the Tourist Authority of Thailand, stated that tourism is the main source of inc ome in our country. However, Thai graduates who are in the tourism industry have a poor command of English. This has contributed to misunderstanding and a negative attitude towards Thailand. 2 What has caused the difficulties in English language teaching and learning in Thailand especially in the primary and secondary schools? According to Biyaem, 1997, the teachers and learners face the following difficulties: For teachers, there are many obstacles such as : – heavy teaching loads. – too many students in a class (45 – 60) – insufficient English language skills and native speaker cultural knowledge. – inadequately equipped classrooms and educational technology. university entrance examinations which demand a tutorial teaching and learning style. As for the learners, they wish they could speak English fluently but most of them think that English is too challenging for them to be competent because of these difficulties: – interference from the mother tongue (Thai) particularly in pronunciation, syntax, and idiomatic usage. – lack of opportunit y to use English in their daily lives. – unchallenging English lessons. – being passive learners. – being too shy to speak English with classmates. – lack of responsibility for their own learning. However, it is not only the level of English competence that inhibits Thailand from being able to keep pace with the rapid changes that are taking place everywhere around us, Thai education, as a whole, does not enable Thais to cope with this fast changing world. Thailand’s new constitution, adopted in 1997 has, therefore, established the National Education Act which creates the most radical education reform in Thai history. This education reform to be implemented between 1996 and 2007 involves four main areas: school, curriculum, teacher and administrative reform. Its main concern is that learners have the ability to learn and develop. Learners are the most important component and lifelong learning must be encouraged. A twelve-year basic education will be provided free to all Thai students. In 2005, there will be an Office of Quality Assurance, whose task is to oversee the quality control of education at every level and in every aspect. Schools are to be given more autonomy. There will be greater involvement by families and local communities in school policy and administration. An independent and learner–centered approach is a must, and analytical learning instead of rote learning will be incorporated. Teacher education will also be a focus. Teachers will have to undertake research and develop teaching abilities as well. With the importance of English as a world language and the changes that come with the National Education Act, plus the challenges of new technology, what follows will discuss the English language teaching and learning scenario in Thailand in this decade. 1. More international programs As of last year, there were 56 international schools around the country. There were three foreign colleges and universities in Thailand. In private Thai universities, there were 77 undergraduate, 30 graduate and five Ph. D curricula using English as the language of instruction. In governmental higher education institutions, there were 143 undergraduate, 205 graduate and 77 doctoral international programs in English which have been established either independently by Thai institutes or have links with overseas institutes. It is expected that most new programs to be opened in universities in the future will be international programs.

The Macro Economy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Macro Economy - Essay Example On the other hand, low retail sales can signify that consumers are bent towards saving for the future rather than enjoying the goods offered to them right now. The automobile industry is connected to other items which can be retailed by sellers but pure retail sales figures often do not include automobile sales. This is because automobile sales can vary sharply from month to month but the trends for automobile sales are connected to the trends for retail spending. The consumer price index is a measure of the average prices which a consumer has to pay for basic elements which are required by a household. Increasing consumer price index levels show the influence and impact of inflationary trends in the economy which may convince people to save more and economize when they can. A decreasing consumer price index would suggest that things are getting cheaper for the average consumer and s/he would be more inclined to spend out of his/her savings to make purchases which might otherwise be delayed for the future. Spending is also linked to the GDP because one of the components of the calculations for the GDP of a country is the economic activity of its citizens. For example, American consumers who spend more money in a given year would add to the consumption figures and if other elements of the GDP (investment, government spending, exports and imports) remain the same then the GDP for that year can be expected to be higher than normal. Of course a lower CPI could encourage spending and improve the GDP while a higher CPI would have the opposite effect.

Margret thatcher other people bring problems , but he brings me Essay

Margret thatcher other people bring problems , but he brings me solutions - Essay Example In 1992, Margaret Thatcher was appointed as a peeres in the House of Lords effectively relinquishing her post in the House of Commons. There she assumed the title of Baroness Thatcher of Kesteven which in this capacity she gave the quote Other ministers bring me problems, David brings me solutions.† She however did not mean the Prime Minister David Cameron but the other David who was appointed as a the â€Å"enterprise czar†. In 1974, Thatcher challenged Heath for the leadership of their party and won. In 1979 national election, Thatcher became the Prime Minister of England where she was known as the â€Å"iron butterfly† due to her steadfastness in making difficult decisions. This moniker came about when Margaret Thatcher assumed as the Prime Minister of UK in 1979 where UK had been experiencing high unemployment rate under a series of trade union strikes which the media dubbed the â€Å"Winter of Discontent† because the Labour led government implemented a freeze on the pay increase of the workers to control the lingering inflation of 20% (Hall and Jacques 1983). Upon assumption of office, Margaret Thatcher implemented her policy programs which are popularly known as â€Å"The Thatcherite Agenda†. The Thatcherite Agenda was characterised by neo-liberal policy of a market oriented economy and neoconservative policy which emphasises the traditional Tory values of One Nation Conservati sm, national interest, law and order. Consistent with her market oriented economic policy; she curbed the traditional prerogatives of trade union to hold strikes (by holding them accountable of the loss during labour disruption) and prevented the artificial rise of wages which contributed to the lingering inflation and inefficiency of UK industries (Gamble 1994). Thatcher once quoted saying â€Å"Other ministers bring me problems, David brings me solutions.†

Business Ethics- Cosmetic Industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Business Ethics- Cosmetic Industry - Essay Example Though this industry is continually growing at leaps and bounds, it is though wrought with a wide array of ethical issues from sourcing of cosmetic ingredients to testing of the cosmetic products to determine safety to the marketing of such products and services (Betton 7-9). The essence of ethics is all about determining the rightness or wrongness of certain human actions, and the number of ethical controversies that plague the cosmetic industry have tremendous moral, environment, social, legal, and health implications to the stakeholders involved (Skov 3). This paper analyses the business ethics of the cosmetic industry with a focus on make-up industry globally. Brief Overview of the make-up cosmetics Industry The make-up industry is the one of largest segment within the cosmetics industry after skin care and fragrances, and mainly consists of face make-up, lip make-up, eye make-up and nail make-up. For the year 2010, the global market generated sales worth $34.5 billion and growin g at 4.2% compounded annual growth rate over the period 2006-2010. This growth is as depicted in figure 1. With most of the world economy still in recovery, the growth rate over the period 2010-2015 has been projected to be at 4.1% annually with the market value projected to rise to $42.2 billion by the end of 2015 (Datamonitor 9). Figure1: Global make-up Market Value, Source: Datamonitor, 2011, pp. 10 The highest growing markets are the markets in the Americas and Asia Pacific with these markets exhibiting a 4.3% and 4% growth rate respectively (Datamonitor 9). The biggest consumer of make-up cosmetic products though is Europe accounting for 41.2% of the global market value followed by t he Americas which account 30.5% of the global make-up market, Asia-Pacific 25.7% and Africa and the Middle east at 2.5% (Global insight 1; Datamonitor 13). The leading player globally is L’Oreal followed by Proctor & Gamble and Estee Lauder Companies as shown below in figure 2: Figure2: Glob al Make-up market share. Source: Datamonitor, 2011, pp.14 With most cosmetics companies increasingly claiming to produce their make-up products in the most ethical manner, ethical considerations impacting the industry have increasingly become issues to contend with. Key ethical issues within the industry The ethicality of an issue is mainly determined by how right or wrong an issue or action is. There are a number of ethical issues faced by cosmetic industry, and in specific the make-up industry. These include testing of products on animals, misleading advertisements concerning the performance of the cosmetic products, inclusion of harmful ingredients into the cosmetic products, unethical alliances between academic institutions and professional dermatologists with cosmetic companies to endorse the use of the company’s products purporting them to be scientifically proven as safe and with high efficacy, and unethical sourcing of products ingredients (Betton; The Environmental A ssociation for universities and Colleges; Hussain & Yamaguchi). These ethical issues have plagued the cosmetic industry with most cosmetic industries which claim to be ethical mainly showing that they source their raw materials ethically following fair trade policies and that they do not use animal testing for their products. Most cosmetic companies have at some point tested their cosmetic products on animal

Interferences in the Assay of Serum Albumin Using the Bromcresol Green Lab Report

Interferences in the Assay of Serum Albumin Using the Bromcresol Green Indicator - Lab Report Example Albumin's molecular structure was reported from research in the past 30 years. Albumin's clinical importance was discussed, explaining that the test for Albumin is not a marker for any specific disease, while it is an important indicator for the physiological condition of the body. It was explained that an abnormally high result for Albumin needs to resolved and at face-value is considered a spurious result. The cause of elevated albumin levels are usually a result of accompanying serum proteins, acute phase infections, elevated immunoglobulins(found in multiple myeloma), or autoimmune issues. The BCG method was thoroughly researched. It is a valuable test for screening, when performing mass analysis of blood work in large clinical laboratories. It has fallen out of favor with laboratory clinicians for fear that the test can mask hypoalbunemia and low readings. BCG is an acid-base indicator, its acid to base color change is from yellow to blue, with a range in pH from 4.2-5.6. The de tection of hypoalbunemia is always important to a physician. Low Albumin readings are indicative of a deteriorating condition in the body. An alternative to the BCG indicator is Bromcresol Purple(BCP), also an acid–base indicator. A comparison studies have been performed of the two methods. When compared to a benchmark analytic method Capillary Zone Electrophoresis(CZE), the positive bias for BCG was 3.77, while BCP faired much better with 0.67. Our experiment produced linear curves needed in detection and quantification of albumin concentrations. We demonstrated the effect on accompanying globulins elevating the result in BCG determinations of albumin. We also showed that time, reagent concentration and wavelength of absorbance significantly affect albumin readings. We bring to consideration for further testing the affect of pH on the test. Background and Literature review In clinical medical laboratories the testing for serum albumin, globulins and total protein are standard procedures, performed daily. Theses assays may also be requested STAT or on an emergency basis for patients suffering a crisis situation. The techniques for determining albumin and total protein are numerous and varied. Most clinical laboratories perform three routine three routine examinations; 1) Total Protein(TP) 2) Serum Albumin(Alb) 3) Serum Globulins Human blood contains both a cellular and liquid portion. Albumin is the most abundant protein in the human circulatory system1 and contributes 80% to providing colloid osmotic pressure2. Albumin is chiefly responsible for maintenance of the blood's acid-base balance, commonly referred to as pH3. In mammals it is synthesized by the liver as a preproalbumin. It undergoes a two cleavage processes before release into the body's circulation in its final form. It has been determined that the half-life of a albumin molecule is 19 days4.. Figure 1: Molecular Cleavage of albumin from preproalbumin->proalbumin->albumin Figure 2: The classical perception of the Albumin molecule Peters, T., Jr. (1985). Serum Albumin. Adv. Protein Chem.37; 161-2455 Figure 3: Primary, secondary and tertiary structure (Carter and Ho, 1994) . 6 This picture shows the bovine albumin amino acid sequence. The BSA molecule is made up of three homologous domains (I, II, III) which are divided into nine loops (L1-L9) by 17 disulphide bonds. The loops in each domain are made up of a sequence of large-small-large loops forming a triplet. Each domain in turn is the product of two subdomains (IA, IB, etc.). The primary structure of albumin is unusual among extracellular proteins in possessing a single

Not using plastic grocery bags Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Not using plastic grocery bags - Research Paper Example Such matter is non-biodegradable when disposed in the environment because it does not break down, dissolve, or rust at any timeframe. The bags could also be made from biodegradable polymer, polylactic acid derived from Lactic acid. The amount of plastic that the world consumes has steadily risen through the past years due to increased industrialization (Freinkel, 2011, p.7). Attribute to success Due to the excessive environmental degradation through the constant use of plastic grocery bags, other alternative measures were incorporated in order to reduce environmental pollution. Use of paper bags made from synthetic natural paper for carrying of goods from one point to the other. Such papers are biodegradable, can easily dissolve, and they are destroyed by water hence causing no harm to the environment and the living organisms. The governmental legislation policies on plastics ensured that there was a reduced production of plastic bags until there was a total ban on plastics, this led to decrease in the demand, and use of the plastics, and hence the adoption of alternative means for carrying goods. Increased production and introduction of biodegradable bags into the market at a manageable cost in the first place promoted a quick adoption of such carriage materials, which were convenient to carry and use. The national environmental management authority (NEMA) giving out stern policies with respect to using plastic bags and the hazards caused by carrying goods in them promoted a change of heart to reduce the health hazards and risks coming with the constant use of plastics. Challenges The other bags used for carrying goods are expensive compared to the price of plastics, because they are made of expensive synthetic materials. Such bags are not as durable and tough as plastic bags, which are made of combination of tougher material. These other synthetic bags cannot be used to cover and safely store certain contents unlike plastics, which could be used to cover cert ain contents. It takes a lengthy period to adapt using other paper bags after the drastic decline of using plastics. The plastics were available in a variety of sizes to accommodate numerous goods, but the introduction of other paper bags in limited sizes has impacted the way a variety of goods are carried and sometimes extra costs are incurred purchasing more than one paper bag for carrying goods that would fit within one plastic bag. Such biodegradable bags are not readily available in the rural settings because of poor communication channels that would enable effective transportation and shipment of such consignments to be available to the consumers. Environmental impact Following the decline of using plastic grocery bags, there has been a variety of impacts to the environment. Since plastics litter the environment, there has been reduced distribution of plastic litter (misplaced solid waste) within the environmental surrounding; soil profile and aeration have been improved due t o limited non-biodegradable plastic material. There has been reduced water pollution and infections to animals and human beings caused by the consumption of unpalatable plastic material, and air pollution caused by the burning of plastics, which eventually produce chlorofluorocarbon elements that contaminate the air, and causes global

Financial analysis ' report' on Dunelm Group plc Essay

Financial analysis ' report' on Dunelm Group plc - Essay Example Another trend among consumers is their increased use of the internet to buy products the industry has on offer. Thus, competition has risen. It is expected that the industry’s value will continue to fall (Key Note Media Centre, 2013). Industry players are expected to venture more into the use of online market as will be shown through an outlook of two industry players; Dunelm Group plc and Home Retail Group plc. Dunelm Group plc was founded in 1979. It is located in Watermead Business Park. Dunelm Group plc headquarter is in Syston, LE7. The main executives of this company include CEO Will Adderly, financial director David Stead, the founder and long-term president William Adderly, and the company secretary Dawn Durrant (Dunelm Group plc, 2013). The company is involved in the sale of home furnishings and home wares. The company sells bedding like duvets; curtains and curtain accessories; bedroom furniture; cushions and cushion covers; home and electrical accessories; dining accessories just to name but a few. Dunelm group operates a hundred and thirty-seven stores and its brand name, Dunelm. It also has an on-line presence from where customers can order products at their convenience. Currently, the company continues to be successful in spite of the economic pressures facing it. The success is evidenced by it continued expansion plan through opening of new stores in the UK. As indicated in its strategic priorities, it intends to develop and take advantage of its infrastructure, develop its specialization, and expand further through various channels (Dunelm Group plc, 2013). The market capitalization stands at 1.75 billion pounds. It is listed in the London stock exchange with a total of 201.92 shares in issue. As of June 28th, 2014, the company’s revenue totalled 730.15 million pounds, which compared to the last

The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Research Paper

The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) - Research Paper Example A look into the history of OSCE over these years proves that the organization has done much more than any other organization could do in uniting the nations, preventing and mitigating conflicts, increasing mutual trust, and promoting economic and human rights conditions in the region. The highest political leader of the organization is the chairman in office. The selection of the chairman in office takes place every year from the member states. As specified in its website, OSCE has two permanent bodies which are responsible for taking important decisions; they are the ‘OSCE Ministerial Council’ and the ‘OSCE Permanent Council’ (OSCE website). The Ministerial Council normally has its meeting once in a year. This council is made of the Foreign Affairs Ministers of all the member states. As Bloed notes, the Permanent Council consists of representatives from each member state; this body conducts its meetings on a weekly basis and discusses the various issues in the region. Also, all immediate decisions are taken by this body (4). There are various offices to implement the decisions of OCSE. They are ‘the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), the High Commissioner on National Minorities (HCNM), and the OCSE Representative on Freedom of Media’ (qtd . ICNL). The secretariat of OCSE has its office in Vienna and it functions under the Secretary General. This secretariat has a number of various units. They range from â€Å"Action against Terrorism Unit, Conflict Prevention Centre, External Cooperation, Gender Section, Office of the Coordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities, office of the Special Representative and Coordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, Strategic Police Matters Unit, and Training Section†(qtd ICNL, ‘NGO Law Monitor’). The OSCE has its origin associated with the dà ©tente phase of the early 1970s. In fact, there had been an increased interest in

No topic Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 10

No topic - Assignment Example This is a perfect representation of democracy as it is the voters’ opinions that are reflected on the elected leaders. #2.The voters are allowed to make independent choices too. They are never forced towards making a decision that satisfies the previous leaders’ wishes. Instead, they are issued with at least two leaders or choices to make in case of a referendum in the ballot paper. Hence, it is up to a voter to make his choice, which counts, in the final tally of the total. #3. In the aftermath of the elections, there are losers too. They are rather termed as the minority in the government. The minority are guaranteed rights such as freedom of speech and expression and the right to access the media/press. #4. All these actions of the minority are in an attempt to keep the majority (government) on toes to fulfil their promises to the citizens and live up to the expectations of a good government. The government then leads the country effectively and cannot be subdued by personal opinions/

Rhetorical Analysis on Ads in Magazines Essay Example for Free

Rhetorical Analysis on Ads in Magazines Essay Magazines are gaining in popularity nowadays as a tool not only to provide information, but also to advertise ads on products that are available on the market. Since magazines gain readers with different kinds of interest, what are the rhetorical strategies used by advertisers to market similar products to different target audiences of similar culture? Capturing the target audiences’ attention requires understanding about the audiences which open new avenues for many strategies to be used by advertisers to advertise an ad in order to make sure that the ad can actually capture the target audience. To describe or analyze the strategies used by advertisers, a variety of analytical tools, such as determining who the target audience is, describing the details in the ad, studying the Aristotelian appeals used by the advertisers, and also the angle of vision involved in the ad are needed to examine these strategies. Describing the details on an ad could be a good starting point to begin the analysis. Kraft ad for its Macaroni Cheese in Oct 2009 issue of Good Housekeeping magazine shows a girl standing on her right feet, with a smile carved on her face and an umbrella in her left hand. Beyond her are two boxes of macaroni and cheese of the same size, one of Store Brand and another one of Kraft, sitting right next to each other with the Kraft’s splashing a massive amount of cheese out of the box. What appears right above the bottom line, with all letters capitalized, is â€Å"KRAFT HAS MORE CHEESE THAN THOSE OTHER GUYS. SO GO FOR THE CHEESIEST† and with a bigger font right above it, is â€Å"THE MAC WITH MORE CHEESE†. Emphasis is on the color of the Kraft macaroni, the splashes of cheese, the girl’s boots, and the umbrella, as they stunningly boast the same magnificent orange color, unlike the one that is being used on the macaroni of the Store Brand. Sunchips came up with an ad in May 2010 issue of Women’s Health magazine on page 109. The focus in the ad is on a lady with a black hair and brown skin smiling as she is about to make her bite on a chip that she is holding. Right above her head is a sentence saying â€Å"THERE ARE MANY WAYS TO HELP THE PLANET. HARVEST CHEDDAR IS ONE†. Few steps beyond the lady, happily playing with the fresh water of in the river, are two kids. There is even rock face by the river’s edge with 4 people on it watching the kids. Nothing can beat the feel of having river water flows through our fingers and touches our body as we immerse ourselves in the water. It is amazing of how the water never stops flowing, not even a single second. SUNCHIPS claims that such beauty of nature can be sustain with the use of its plant-made bags that is compostable. Happiness is possible as we can enjoy every single bite of the chips and at the same time, taking care of the nature. Such joy can be seen on the face of the lady that is about to make her bite. Determining who the target audience is should be the next step after describing the details in the ad. Kraft appeared in the Good Housekeeping magazine, targeting middle class and a wide range of age of married women that care about the health of the their family, interested in learning home cooking for the family and care about environment. An article on â€Å"Cook like a Chef† provided some interesting food for the family and how to make it. This article is targeting married women in the middle class who would like to learn how to cook some interesting meal that is affordable for the family. Dixie Ultra came up with an ad showing a picture of a family happily having breakfast by using their paper plates. This ad targets on those who care about the environment. Fresh Step came up with an ad for its product, which is a healthy food for cats. This ad is clearly targeting those who care about the health for the family by promoting a healthy product for pets in the family. It is clear that based on the evidences found in the magazine, the advertiser for the ad for Kraft is basically targeting a wife and a mother that puts family above all else. The ad for Sunchips appeared in Women’s Health magazine, which targets middle-aged up to old women with middle-class income that care about staying in a healthy lifestyle as a consumer. â€Å"Run Less / Lose More†, an article in the magazine provided the information on how do women, ranges from middle-age up to old, lose fat in order to obtain a healthy and nice looking body. Another article that showed the reason for this type of target audience is â€Å"Lose your Fear of Lifting†, which gave some encouragement to women to get a perfect bodyline. The magazine came up with an ad, â€Å"Metabolic Max Program† by Jenny Craig that showed the target audience is those in pursuit of healthy lifestyle and at the same time concern about how much they will have to spend on such program. Another ad showed a lineup of affordable branded cosmetics products for the women. This ad is targeting middle class women that care about their beauty appearances. Different from the ad for Kraft, the advertiser for Sunchips’ ad targets any women, whether married or not, that put physical appearance and health as the top priorities in their life. Now that the details in the ads and the target audience have been figured out, making way for rhetorical analysis for both ads is needed to show how the strategies used by the advertisers to connect the details in the ads with the target audience and how do they give impacts to the audience. In order to attract the targeted audience, Kraft uses a strategy called pathos, one of the Aristotelian appeals, on its ad. The use of orange color in high contrast tends to attract the targeted audience as it can show the amount and quality of cheese that is being used to make the product. Cheese is well known for its delicious taste and good for the health, so this detail will surely attract the target audience, as they would want to choose a delicious and healthy food for the family. A picture of a girl standing on one leg with joy also brings the same strategy. The emotion that is being expressed by the girl tends to catch the targeted audience’s attention because they would definitely want to see their children having the same emotion. These two strategies tend to be related to pathos because they are attracting the audience’s emotions and values. The same strategy, pathos, is being used by Sunchips in order to steal the targeted audience’s attention. Pathos can be seen through the use of a picture of a lady that is about to make her bite on the chips. Such pleasant smile showed by the lady can attract the audience by creating a desire of having the same smile among the audience. Besides pathos, logos is also being used in the ad too. The message in the ad, about what are the bags of the chips made off, gives a clear reason to the targeted audience. For the consumers that care about their health, they will definitely give attention to this message because it helps them maintain a clean environment. Living in a clean environment is another way of having a healthy lifestyle. In this ad, the strategy of delivering emotions to the targeted consumers shows pathos. Logos can be seen by the reasons showed in the ad for the targeted consumers. Another strategy for the rhetorical analysis is the angle of vision, which is the use of important details to be focused on and the omitting of other details that may distract the audiences’ attention, is being involved in the ad too. For Kraft ad, the advertisers focuses on the massive amount of cheese spilling out from the box that contains Kraft’s macaroni and cheese product. The reason why the advertisers did this is because that they wanted to show how large is the amount of cheese present in the product. The advertisers include a text that suggests the macaroni product of Kraft has more cheese and a picture of a girl that is happily standing on one leg, for the audiences to focus on. The angle of vision presents in these details attracts the target audience by showing the quantity of the cheese and how appetizing the Kraft’s macaroni and cheese is. These would probably be the things that the target audience would want to focus on when it comes to choosing f ood that their kids will enjoy. However, there is a scientific detail that the advertisers try to omit from the audiences which is the ingredients used to make the product. Since the target audience wants healthy food for their families, this detail is being omitted because without doing so, the ingredients will show how unhealthy the food is. The advertisers for Sunchips ad focus on the image of a lady that is smiling while holding a chip on her hand and the use of the beautiful scene of a riverbank beyond the lady. Such beautiful smile of the lady and how wonderful is the environment shown in the ad are as if that the secrets lie behind the chips. This would attract the target audience as they would want to see such beauty in themselves. The same detail as in the Kraft ad, which is the nutritional information, is being omitted from the audiences because of not healthy. This is done because the advertisers know that the targeted audiences care about health in their life. The rhetorical strategies used by advertisers to advertise an ad are simply not just strategies. They are a step-by-step method to deliver the message in the ad to the target audiences; from determining whom the target audiences for the ad are, to how to give an impact to those audiences by using Aristotelian appeals and angle of vision in the ad to so that the target audiences could get a clear picture on what is being delivered by the ad. Analyzing the strategies used to deliver what the advertisers wanted to through the ad could actually open up new avenues on how to communicate with the audiences through an ad by just connecting the details available in the ad. In fact, it is not only helpful to gain audiences for an ad, but also to gain readers for our writing work. Works Cited Sunchips. Advertisement. Womens Health May 2010: 109. Print. Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. Advertisement. Good Housekeeping Oct. 2009: 108. Print.

Biflavone and a Plant Sterol Isolated from Antidesma bunius

Biflavone and a Plant Sterol Isolated from Antidesma bunius A Biflavone and a Plant Sterol Isolated from Antidesma bunius (Linn.) Spreng. Ivan L. Lawagai,* Suad Naheedb, Mohammed Mosihuzzamanc, Allan, Patrick G. Macabeoadeg, Erickson Paragasefk, Peter Prokschh, Alicia M. Aguinaldoaeg Keywords: Antidesma, Antidesma bunius, Amentoflavone, Betasitosterol, biflavone, sterols 1. Subject and source Antidesma bunius (Linn.) Spreng. (Euphrbiaceae) ‘‘bignay† is a common plant found throughout the Philippines. The bark is poisonous as it contains an alkaloid thus, is used medicinally. The leaves are acidic and diaphoretic, and, when young, these are boiled with pot-herbs, and employed by the natives in syphilitic infections (Quisumbing, 1978). The leaves are sudorific and are employed in treating snakebite in Asia (Morton, 1987). The leaves of Antidesma bunius, commonly known as â€Å"bignay†, are traditionally used by native Filipinos to control diabetes (Lawag et al., 2012). Fresh leaves were collected from the hills of Brgy. Agustin Navarra, Ivisan, Capiz Province in January 2009. The plant was identified by Asst. Prof. Rosie A. Madulid and a voucher specimen (USTH 5357) is deposited at the UST Herbarium, Botany Laboratory, Research Center for the Natural and Applied Sciences, University of Santo Tomas (UST), Manila, Philippines. 2. Previous work Dammara-20, 24-dien-3ÃŽ ²-ol and friedelin were isolated from the stem and leaves of A. bunius (Hui and Sung, 1968). In 2008, Samappito and Butkhup identified the flavonoids catechin, Procyanidin B1 and Procyanidin B2 from the fruits and Gallic acid, quercetin, catechin and epicatechin were also detected from the fruits of A. bunius (Santiago et al., 2005). 3. Present study 3.1. Extraction and isolation Dried and ground leaves Antidesma bunius (1610 g) were extracted with 80% ethanol to give a green syrupy extract (240.0 g) which was subjected to vacuum liquid chromatography (VLC) using solvents of increasing polarity starting with hexane, hexane-dichloromethane (1:1), dichloromethane, dichloromethane -ethyl acetate (1:1), ethyl acetate, ethyl acetate-methanol (1:1), and methanol to give seven fractions. The fifth fraction (4.04 g) was further fractionated twice on silica gel packed on VLC using solvents of increasing polarity starting from hexane and ending with methanol giving five fractions each, respectively. Fraction three which was purified twice on silica gel using hexane-dichloromethane (1:1) and hexane-dichloromethane (95:5) furnished 1 (16.13 mg). Isolation of 2: the fourth fraction (12.34 g) after VLC was chromatographed on silica gel using 5-10% gradients of methanol in dichloromethane to give ten fractions. Fraction three (42.3 mg) was further purified using Sephadex LH20 using 20% gradients of methanol in DCM to give 2 (5.9 mg). (1)(2) 3.2. Identification of purified compounds The compounds were identified as Stigmast-5-en-3ÃŽ ²-ol or ÃŽ ²-sitosterol, a plant sterol, (1) (Balamurugan et al., 2012) and (Sosinska, et al., 2013) and 3,8-biapigenin (Amentoflavone), a biflavone (2) (Chari et al., 1977) and (Ryu et al., 2010) on the basis of their IR, LR-EIMS, LR-ESIMS and NMR (1H NMR, 13C NMR, 1H-1H COSY, HMBC and HSQC) spectral data and by comparison of spectra reports with the literature. 4. Chemotaxonomic significance Other Antidesma species like A. menasu (Risvi et al., 1980a), (Risvi et al., 1980b) and A. pentandrum (Chen et al., 2004), (Kikuchi, 1983) are known to contain plant sterols. A. puncticulatum is known to contain flavonoids (Nuengchamnong and Ingkaninan, 2009), while A. laciniatum was reported to contain both plant sterols and flavonoids (Tchinda et al., 2006). The isolation process that was presently preformed on the ethanolic leaf extract of A. bunius afforded compounds 1 and 2 which were coherent to the compounds that were previously isolated or reported from the other Antidesma species. Although the said compounds were reported for the very first time in A. bunius, compound 1 was also reported to be present in A. pentandrum (Chen et al., 2004) and in A. laciniatum (Tchinda et al., 2006), while compound 2 was reported to be present in A. laciniatum (Tchinda et al., 2006). This further establishes the chemotaxonomic relationship of A. bunius towards the other species of the genus Antidesma. Although plant sterols (Hui and Sung, 1968) and biflavones (Samappito and Butkhup, 2008), (Santiago et al., 2005) were previously reported in the leaf and bark extracts A. bunius, this is the first report that indicated the presence of ÃŽ ²-sitosterol (1) and Amentoflavone (2). Compounds 1 and 2 therefore add up to the list of isolated and identified compounds from the leaves of A. bunius. References Quisumbing, E., 1978. Medicinal Plants of the Philippines. Katha Publishing Inc., Quezon City, Philippines. Balamurugan, R., Stalin, A. and Ignacimuthu, S., 2012. European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry 47, 38 – 43. Chari, V. M., Ilyas, M., Wagner, H., Neszmelyi, A., Chen, F., Chen, L., Lin, Y., Lin, Y., 1977. Phytochemistry 16, 1273 – 1278. Chen, Y.C.; Cheng, M.J.; Lee, S.J.; Dixit, A.K., Ishikawa, T., Tsai, I.L.; Chen, I.S., 2004. Helvetica Chimica Acta 87 (11), 2805 – 2811. Hui, W. H.; Sung, M. L., 1968. Australian Journal of Chemistry 21(8), 2137-40. Kikuchi, H., Tensho, A., Shimizu, I., Shiokawa, H., Kuno, A., Yamada, S., Fujiwara, T., Tomita, K., 1983. Chemistry Letters (4), 603 –606. Lawag, I., Aguinaldo, A., Naheed, S., Mossihuzzaman, M., 2012. Journal of Ethnopharmacology 144(1), 217 – 219. Morton, J., 1987. Bignay. p. 210–212. Fruits of Warm Climates. Julia F. Morton, Miami, FL. Nuengchamnong, N., and Ingkaninan, K., 2010. Food Chemistry 118, 147 – 152. Samappito, S.; Butkhup, L., 2008. Pakistan Journal of Biological Sciences 11 (13), 1654 – 1661. Santiago, D.M.O., 2005. MS Thesis University of the Philippines, Los Banos. Sosinska, E., Przybylski, R., Hazendonk, P., Zhao, Y. Y., Curtis, J., 2013. Food Chemistry 139, 464 – 474. Rizvi, S. H. Shoeb, A. Kapil, R. S. Popli, S. P., 1980. Experientia 36. Birkhauser Verlag, Basel (Schweiz). Rizvi, S., Shoeb, A., Kapil, R., Popli, S., 1980. Phytochemistry 19 (11), 2409 – 10. Ryu, Y. B., Jeong, H. J., Kima, J. H., Kima, Y. M., Park, J., Kim, D., Naguyen, T.T.H., Park, S., Chang, J. S., Park, K. H., Rho, M., Lee, W. S., 2010. Bioorganic Medicinal Chemistry 18, 7940 – 7947. Tchinda, A..; Teshome, A.; Dagne, E.; Arnold, N.; Wessjohann, L., 2006. Bulletin of the Chemical Society of Ethiopia 20 (2), 325 – 328. Current Affiliations: iChemistry Department, Adamson University, Ermita, Manila, Philippines. jJinnah University for Women, Nazimabad, Karachi, Pakistan kDepartment of Chemistry, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164, USA * Corresponding author. E-mail address:*[emailprotected] (I.L. Lawag)

Hofstede And Trompenaars Framework Of Cultural Dimensions Commerce Essay

Hofstede And Trompenaars Framework Of Cultural Dimensions Commerce Essay Well known experts have dimensioned culture on both societal as well as organisational perspective. Culture seems to be an ideology comprising framework for every human in the group (David B. Dickerson, Alexander Kouzmin, Nada Korac-Kakabadse,2006). Cultural frameworks may be quite broad as witnessed in the instances of national identification such as the Dutch, the African, the American, and the Asian and so on. Such framework develops the personality even though it might not be tangible; its representation is viewed under its image and behaves as adjoining parts of a picture. (Counts, James,1996). Since more than two decades, the findings and studies relating to the need and application of culture has been influenced by the framework of Geert Hofstede. He is a renowned Dutch anthropologist. During the year 1970, Geert hofstede presented various dimensions of culture by evaluating values concerning work of International business management employees. Geerts most master peace of work was recognised when he divided culture into four different dimensions: Power distance, uncertainty avoidance, Individualism versus collectivism, and masculinity versus femininity. In the year 1991,Geert Hofstede demonstrated a fifth dimension of culture. Hofstede explains the long term orientation as featured by continuation of existence, forming relations by the level of a post, and containing a feeling of disgrace. The short term orientation is featured as having a perfect balance and saving self image concerning the beliefs and traditions and a mutual sharing of good regards(Svend,Hollensen,2007) . The motivation of his framework throughout the academic background, and the results occurring through his findings would imply the validity of the application of such cultural frameworks. Although with the implementation of his cultural frameworks, its reliability had not been fully approved. This may be because his cultural framework being more responsive in terms of standardised point of view than its psychological characteristics(Geert, Hofstede,1991). Enormous findings and research reflect about the actual validity of hofstedes cultural framework. These in-dept findings which have concentrated on people are cross cultural dimensions, which depicted some unreliability on its framework. Few have discovered essential overlap on several dimensions of culture and rest have noticed some cultural dimensions to be less valid. On an aggregate, these studies imply the emergence of finding the reliability of hofstedes cultural framework (Carlos M. Rodriguez,2005). Fons Trompenaars is another Dutch expert of cultural framework, had founded seven cultural orientation in his book Riding the waves of culture (1997). These seven dimensions are universalism versus particularism, achievement versus ascription, neutral versus emotional, defuse versus specific, Communitarianism versus individualism, Human-Time relationship and Human-Nature relationship, and Sequential vs. synchronic. Among these seven cultural dimensions, two of them are quite familiar to that of hofstedes cultural dimensions: collectivism versus individualism, and power distance to some extent. Trompenaars communitarianism 1 vs. individualism is almost very similar to that of Geert Hofstedes collectivism vs. individualism. Trompenaars ascription/achievement cultural orientation implies the accordance of status seems to have connection with that of hofstedes cultural dimension: power distance. This states that if one agrees the accordance of status by the nature except the achievement which depicts a higher capability of accepting power distance. These assumptions or dimension even though essential in analysing the culture of various countries, do not give a clear idea about their preferences and impact on peoples behaviour. This is although not completely linked, as Geert Hofstedes power distance index the way status being accorded, but to the approvable power index in the society, which is not examined by Trompenaars. His other cultural dimensions have more focus on resulting consequences of specific values(Geert Hofstede,1993). The neutral/ emotional cultural dimension explains the capacity of the expr ession of the feelings, which implies a behavioural feature other than a value. With respect to the cultural dimensions of hofstede, Fons Trompenaars had not created his framework on mathematical or statistical information, but on self gathered instrument which he believed having an approved relevancy. Hofstedes five cultural Dimensions: Cultural Dimensions Power Distance Masculinity vs. femininity Individualism vs. Collectivism Uncertainty Avoidance Long vs. short term orientation Source: Geert hofstede (1980), figure 1.1 Power distance  : Power distance index is an element that conveys an allowance or expectation of lack of equality between the people who are either more or less efficient in the society. It explains how the strong people of the organisations and institutions agree and consider that the power is not distributed equally. It shows a feeling of inequality (higher versus lower), but meant from bottom, and not from the top. It describes how the extent of inequality in the society is transferred by the leaders as well as the followers. This dimension enlightens that all the members of the society are unequal, but few are not equal even than the others. Under high power distance societies, the decision makers are the people at the top level whereas in case 2 of low power distance societies, the power is widely distributed and links among the members of the society comprising the feature of equality. Low power distance gives an opportunity to the people for playing an essential role in making decisions for the organization. Hofstedes scale of culture shows that there is high power distance in Arab countries (80) when compared with countries like Austria which consists only 11. Germanys position is nearly in the middle with only 35. The reason is the powerful belief for equality and not the distance between the rich and the poor. It means that Germany has a very good opportunity to grow in the future society. The countries, such as United States shows a power distance of 40 on hofstedes cultural scale. Comparing with Germany, there is an uneven distribution of wealth seen in the United States. This distance between the societies and its members goes on increasing every year. Uncertainty avoidance: In a high uncertainty risk, the members of the society abide by the rules, policies and corporate laws, such as the future methods as a source of enhancing and encouraging society. This dimension tells us that there is a mutual approval of regulation and authority by accepting high risks in order to make essential decisions for the organization. The employees or the members of the organization with low uncertainty avoidance have a fearless feeling for the future. Under high uncertainty avoidance, the decision makers do a high planning to form protective barriers for reducing the risks concerning the events in the future. Countries like Singapore and Jamaica shows a very low uncertainty avoidance comparing with countries like Japan, Greece and Guatemala with high uncertainty avoidance. Individualism vs. collectivism: Individualism indicates the extent to which the people prefer to work as individuals rather than working in a group. It signifies the ambitions and ability of individuals as person. Under individualist approach people are not dependent on others for their decisions. They rather go with their own personal opinions and regards. The people under this kind of culture have a desire to satisfy their personal goals over the groups. In a collectivist society, people think as a group rather than individuals. Collectivist culture is quite opposite as compared to the individualist culture. The countries like United States and United Kingdom explains quite higher individualist ratings, whereas countries like Brazil, India, and Lebanon shows low ratings. For instance, people above the age of eighteen are regarded as matured individuals in making personal decisions independently irrespective of the interference by the elders. On the other hand, under collectivism pe ople depend on each other for their decisions. Team work is the essential objective of their culture. Masculinity vs. femininity: Masculinity refers to the extent to which values like self achievements, wealth, prosperity, property, success, competency, have a greater influence over care, relations, trust, honesty, dignity, maintaining the pleasant environment of the society. People have a certain misconception of this dimension relating to the sexes in the society. This culture specifies various different roles for both man and women in terms of bigger as essential. The feminine culture prefers simple or short as wonderful and assumes the nature of life and relations more vital than materialistic items. Countries like Unites States, Korea and Japan showed a high masculinity rate as compared to low rates seen in Denmark and Belgium. For instance, carrying heavy blocks of bricks is suitably done by a man, but the same work would be difficult for the women. 3 Long vs. short term orientation: Geert Hofstede and Bond (1988) discovered the fifth dimension which was finally stated as time orientation. This cultural dimension was revealed by the findings of the students from twenty three different countries all over the globe. This dimension clarifies that the people believe in a futuristic approach than relying on the past or the history. It also implies dealing with moral righteousness irrespective of the truth. The effect of the high rating in this long term cultural dimension is the tenacity, keeping the relations according to the order. On the contrary short term orientation indicates own stability and firmness. Some of the Asian countries like India and China have a high rating on long term orientation list whereas some of the European markets are seen under short term orientation index. The values concerned with long term orientation are reluctant as in the case of short term orientation is about the belief for the traditions and saving self image in the society (Hollensen, 2007). The seven cultural dimensions of Fons Trompenaars: Universalism versus particularism: Universalistic culture states that the people believe in following laws and rules of the society and they dont prefer exceptions, whereas under particularistic culture people like to be with the exceptional or flexible choices rather than following the specified rules and regulations. Communitarianism versus individualism: In a communitarism culture, people prefer to go with the taking care of their group and working under a team. It is the duty of the people to behave in a manner that serves the society. The needs of the people will be naturally fulfilled by such behaviors of the people.The people under individualism kind of culture go for the free activity and their personal choices. Neutral versus emotional: Under a neutral culture people do not believe in exhibiting their emotions. Exhibiting excess of emotions may flourish the ability to interest individuals. The people on the other hand tend to show their feelings and emotions for the emotional culture. Defuse versus specific cultures: In a defuse culture people believe in sharing everything they desired. The different roles played by the individuals in others life is not differentiated irrespective of their professional or personal life. In a specific culture people try to compete or relate with others on the basis of some specific intentions. The interaction between the people under specific culture is for a specific reason or a purpose. Achievement versus ascription: Under achievement culture, people are regarded on the basis of their performance and the successful results of their hard work, whereas in an ascribed culture people are judged on the basis of their background, sex they belong to, and even their age. Sequential vs. synchronic cultures: This culture is based on the aspects of time in terms of short term or long term and organising in it a sequence i.e. step by step or parallel. Under sequential culture people tend to do one thing at a time, whereas under synchronic culture people believe in doing multitasking activities. They do many things at the same given time. Internal vs. External control: This dimension is related to the control of the nature internally by the people. They believe nature as a machine which can be easily controlled for their own beneficial. They also believe that the nature can be controlled 4 by the inner belief of the individuals like grabbing the opportunity at the right time. The other dimension specifies the control of nature externally to the human being. People under this external controlled culture abide by the changes in the nature. (Fons,Trompenaars, 1993). Strengths and weakness of Hofstedes cultural framework Strengths: Since the information derived by this study is quite old enough, it is still based on excessive and relevant samples. There are no other findings done as on so many national cultures as such by hofstedes in a detailed manner. The previous four cultural dimensions enlighten more by comparing more on the national culture. The deep studies of hofstedes framework are quite relevant as per the IBM employees and international managers. Hofstedes framework is regarded as the most popular framework in the field of cultural findings. Even though his framework is comparatively general for analytical purposes, it can be applied to our day to day cross-cultural outcomes. Weakness: Hofstedes framework of cultural issues is outdated. The data information is not complete in statistical terms because each and every country is not taken into concern. Alike other cultural research, hofstedes framework states that the borders of the nation and its cultural limits matches each other. The cultural mix cannot be considered in cross-cultural countries like United Kingdom, United States, and Spain. The cultural dimensions are quite in a brief structure to explain practical ways to face situations in a cross cultural environment. His framework exhibits only theoretical orientation. The application of his cultural dimensions may vary from one culture to another; the collectivism dimension varies in different countries. For example, Indian collectivism is family oriented whereas Japanese is organisational oriented. In India, an employee who prefers his family interest before organisational is regarded as loyal in nature. (Svend,Hollensen,2007) Strengths and weakness of Trompenaarss cultural framework Strengths: Trompenaars had added some essential cultural dimensions including few of hofstedes. Trompenaars described his framework as problem solving, specifically linked with time, connections and surrounding environment. (Trompenaars, 1993). Weakness: Trompenaars cultural dimensions were not created by statistical analysis. Indeed he developed his own collection framework only on the data he assumed to be reasonable. 5 This collection of information is mostly based on theoretical than derived from scientific experiments. The data collected from questionnaires is relevant to few questions through which its importance had been exhibited. The usefulness of the hofstede and Trompenaars cultural framework in terms of segmenting and targeting markets and predicting consumers behaviour in international markets is simplified with the help of figure1.2: 5 Table 1.2 Countries Power Distance Uncertainty Avoidance Individualism Masculinity Time-Orientation Evaluation of market segmentation and targeting Germany Small Medium Medium-high High Short Choosing products with better performance; utilisation of productive and successful achievement criteria, demand for variety, pleasure and equally risk oriented markets. Sweden Small Low High Low Long Comparatively lower resistance with the new products, high demand by the consumers for novelty, variety and pleasure, and highly environment friendly consumer desire for the people of marketing and firms concerning social issues. Source: Exhibit 3.8, International marketing Journal, Michael R. Czinkota, Ilkka A. Ronkainen, pg74, edition8, 2007. 6 Graph 1.3 Source: Cultural differences in decision making in project teams, Ralf Muller, Konrad Spang, Sinan Ozcan, 2009, vol.2, issue 1. The main reason of the graph 1.3 is to acknowledge the differences in the decision making process in a group comprising members from various nations. Its based on the pattern of the decisions made by the people of Germany and Sweden. This graph study had benifited the members of the group and the project managers in knowing the consequences of cultural diversity in the process of decision making. It indirectly helps to reduce the expected friction during cross cultural project work and also helps to overcome the crosscultural barriers. Figure1.4 Hofstede: Germany United States Power Distance 30 35 Uncertainty Avoidance 60 41 Individualism vs. Collectivism 63 88 Masculinity vs. Femininity 61 59 Long term vs. Short term Orientation 28 25 7 In 1998, arguing on the high rating on the individualist culture in the United States on the cultural scale of Geert Hofstede, Charles Campbell, wrote that It ought to be paradoxical, or at least oxymoronic, our being described as a culture of individualists. He had also stated D H Lawrence, whose philosophical belief is that, people are free to believe what they actually wanted to in United States, in circumstance it does not protest the mob (Charles P. Campbell,1998). Figure 1.5 Trompenaars: Germany United States Universalism vs. Particularism Universalism Universalism Individualism vs. Communitarianism Individualism Individualism Neutral versus emotional Closer to emotional Closer to Neutral Defuse versus specific Specific Partial specific Inner-directed vs. Outer-directed Inner directed Inner directed Achieved status vs. Ascribed status Achievement Achievement Time Orientation Future oriented Future oriented Source: http://www.geert-hofstede.com/hofstede_united_states.shtml http://www.geert-hofstede.com/hofstede_germany.shtml http://changingminds.org/explanations/culture/trompenaars_culture.htm#uni The characteristics of every country can be examined against the average of the world which is developed by Geert Hofstede. When the scores of the two countries stated in the figure 1.4 and 1.5 are compared with each other, than it shows quite close similarities. Neutral versus emotional and Defuse versus specific are the only to dimensions depicting dissimilarities. Such differences may lead to political, economical or business severe issues. Fons Trompenaars analysed and interpreted various nations concerning his seven cultural dimensions. He formulated them relating to their characteristic feature or importance, but he did not preferred them by scoring them. The outcomes of Fons Trompenaars tests alike Geert Hofstede, implied that their cultures showed quite close similarities, but still there were few vital differences. 8 Conclusion As this research study shows, that the evidence that might be valid for individual level of comparison may not be the same if we think at global issue or macro analysis.It can be seen that the universalism versus particularism cultural orientation differentiating groups collectivism and that of societys collectivism. The diffuse/specific dimension implying the series of involvement, show no evidence of relation to Geert hofstedes cultural dimensions. We can also see that the limited differences between Germany and United States corporate culture and even they are bounded to identical national cultures. It is desirable that further examination of this evaluation will definitely increase its utilisation in the organizations. Getting to know about ones culture enlightens the similarities or differentiations of other cultures. There have been many implications of the localization which has also taken into consideration Geert Hofstede and Fons Trompenaars cultural frame works. Fons Trompe naars cultural studies are based on the research which describes the misconceptions and difficulties faced in various cultures across the globe. Trompenaars also believed that his cultural views must be formed in an international pattern of cross cultural environment.