Trinity Community Hospital Development

Introduction Trinity community hospital operates in an environment that is influenced by national trends and policy frameworks. Currently, the hospital aspires to establish elaborate orthopedic, cardiovascular and cancer centers. Opening such centers will imply increased spending on the part of the hospital.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Trinity Community Hospital Development specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Despite the hospital’s strong strategies and planning, the revenues from the anticipated increase in volumes of patients have not been forthcoming leading to a drop in profit margins. The rationale is that national policies have affected the hospital’s financial performance negatively. While the self-pay program is yielding marginal revenues for Trinity Community Hospital, there has been a surge in Medicare and Medicaid utilization. Government’s increased involvement in health care has seen the rise of new health care policies. Ideally, national policies seek to increase health insurance covers to more people, although it is detrimental in the end. This paper discusses the impacts of national trends and policies on the hospital and prescribes a possible legislation. Impacts of National trends on Trinity Community Hospital National health policies have changed dramatically over the recent years. The government hopes to increase the number of uninsured individuals by rolling out a policy that has seen public health care providers record increased membership. Medicaid and Medicare health care providers are public-funded and as such, it is hard for private hospitals and health care insurers to compete effectively. There is a clear negative impact on community hospitals and private health care facilities. Trinity Hospital has had a declining financial performance. In fact, the revenues dropped from $462 million to $ 427 million in a period of two years. Trinity ho spital, therefore, contends with the question of reduced revenues. Reduced revenues have many impacts for Trinity Community Hospital. Chiefly, there is an apparent need for the hospital to open oncology, orthopedic and cardiovascular centers within the community.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Oncology services remain a major concern for the hospital given that the demand for such services is anticipated to increase exponentially in future. Besides, oncology services remain poorly organized in the hospital with only a few cardiologists liaising with the hospital to facilitate the diagnoses and prevention processes. To establish functional centers, the hospital needs to prioritize on urgently demanded service centers. For orthopedic and cardiovascular services, Regional Hospital and Tertiary Medical Center provide efficient services. Hence, the hospital ought to priorit ize on oncology services that are absent or poorly organized in other hospitals. National trends, therefore, will imply a review of the strategic plan to grapple with diminishing revenues. This is in agreement with David Joint’s perspective that the government has become far too involved in the health care sector at the expense of health facilities. Second, the hospital’s goal of establishing high-quality centers that provide oncology, orthopedic and cardiovascular services is at risk. Quality service centers imply more medical practitioners and employees. Nonetheless, the physicians’ returns do not match the heightened costs and as such, Trinity Community Hospital stands to lose a substantial number of already employed members of the staff while putting up with strained ability to hire skilled professionals. This will, in turn, make the hospital unable to attend to the needs of the hospital. This is not only detrimental for the hospital’s ability to meet its objectives but also lead to a farther reduction in revenues in addition to worsened shortage of medics (Marshall Rossman, 2009). Another impact that is embedded in the imminent shortage of physicians is an increase of demand for healthcare services, which at the current situation will not be met. This is not only at Trinity Community hospital but also at the community level.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Trinity Community Hospital Development specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Regional Hospital and Tertiary Medical Center will be unable to meet the demands of the patients given the impending shortage of physicians. Therefore, the national objective of increasing provision of health care to numerous people will not be achieved in the long term. Finally, Trinity Community Hospital may not be able to realize its objectives and goals stipulated in the strategic plan. It is, therefore, critical to review t he strategic plan to match the current trends. This would, in turn, insinuate a delayed realization of the hospital’s goals to provide health care services that are high of quality while at the same time complying with the national policies and trends that have made the services inaccessible contrary of the objectives of the national policies. Possible Solution and Legislation There are numerous impacts that will ensue after the legislators and policymakers allow a policy that reduces physicians’ payments to guide health care facilities. To arrive at a solution and a possible framework that will see the attainment of both the government and hospital’s objectives, there is the need to explore alternatives. At the outset, it is apparent that the government would like to see the number of people without health covers reduce significantly. The policy reflects a short-term antidote for an entrenched problem. Joint and Holland are right in their assertion that there i s a need for Trinity Community Hospital to be proactive in the activities of Hospital Political Action Committee that will propose a feedback to the legislators as well as the national policymakers. Primarily, working closely with the Committee will enhance lobbying. According to Krugman Wells (2006), a strong body that addresses the issues and impacts surrounding the current policies and national trends will have a better chance of convincing the policymakers than when Trinity confronts the policymakers as a single organization.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The committee will also allow the members to address pertinent issues and explore alternatives for the policies (Krugman Wells, 2006). For Trinity Community Hospital, alternatives that it will present to the committee include the following, although they are not limited to the Board’s opinion. First, it is important for the national legislators to appreciate that the current policies are inadequate to address the issues of rising demand for specific health services. Evidently, oncology and cancer services are not meeting the current demand of patients in the hospitals located within the community. Coupled with the fact that the government legislations seek to reduce physicians’ payments, the demand is poised to increase in the long term. As such, policies that address the issue of access to quality services for specific medical areas as orthopedic, oncology and cardiovascular could be the starting point during the feedback presentation. Besides, it is important to art iculate the rising shortage for physicians in different sectors through the Hospital Political Action Committee. For oncology services, Trinity Community Hospital alongside other hospitals, is yet to establish functional centers that provide cancer services to the members of the community partly because of the apparent shortage of medical professionals in the area. To that end, the policymakers will have to understand the glaring crises that may typify health care system in future. Subsequently, a possible legislation ought to prioritize on the areas that need staffing. While some health care services are readily available to the community, others remain elusive and it is upon the government to introduce a special category of physicians whose payments will be forthcoming. This does not only allure more people to join medical schools to pursue professions whose services are needed but also increase the ability for the hospital to retain current medics and provide improved health care services. Further, Trinity Hospital will use this platform to explicate that the numbers of uninsured patients continue to rise. Although Medicaid and Medicare constitute substantial percentage of health care insurance, increasing numbers of people have no medical covers and insurance to access health care in the community. An alternative policy ought to focus on reducing the number of uninsured members of the community while also ensuring that they prioritize on areas whose demand for services is high. Finally, the legislators ought to enhance a more comprehensive policy that addresses prevention healthcare as opposed to curative care. In line with Trinity Hospital’s objectives of embarking on community outreaches and sensitization to the members of the community, the policies ought to give priority to prevention programs that will not only reduce demand for health care services but also facilitate reduction of the current workload amongst physicians. It should be made a po licy for members of the community to access basic information regarding orthopedic, cardiovascular and oncology services. Besides, the policy should be driven by a campaign to improve people’s lifestyles and elucidate on dangers that are associated with specific lifestyles. This way, the hospital will reduce the anticipated numbers of patients seeking health care services and live within its objectives of providing quality healthcare services for patients given that their numbers will drop substantially. Summary In sum, it is important for the entire team at Trinity Community Hospital to appreciate the effects that national trends and policies will have on the hospital’s plans and projections. First, the policies will lead to a farther reduction in the revenues of the hospital. The revenue margin has reduced substantially in a period of two years. With such a decline in annual revenues, Trinity Community Hospital grapples with the need to establish orthopedic, cardiova scular and oncology centers which will be affected by diminishing revenues. Besides, legislation that seek to withdraw payments from physicians will lead to a sharp shortage of physician across the entire country. This is notwithstanding the growing demand for oncology services in particular. This is bearing in mind that, hospitals like Trinity Community Hospital are yet to organize their respective cancer departments. To address these issues, Trinity hospital ought to liaise with Hospital Political Action Committee that will increase the organization’s ability to lobby the legislators (Marshall Rossman, 2009). It is through the committee that Trinity Community hospital will be able to explicate the impacts of the policies. Besides, the committee will be able articulate the review of such policies to benefit the entire community. The amendments in the current policies will also focus on the need for more improved prevention care programs. This will go a long way in reducing the current unmet demand for services in the community. References Krugman, P. Wells, R. (2006). Health Care Policies and Impacts on Hospitals. New York: Worth Publishers. Marshall, C. Rossman, B. (2009). Healthcare Policies and Long-Term Impacts. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications. This case study on Trinity Community Hospital Development was written and submitted by user Eli W. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

The Federal Republic of Central America (1823-1840)

The Federal Republic of Central America (1823-1840) The United Provinces of Central America (also known as the Federal Republic of Central America, or Repà ºblica Federal de Centroamà ©rica) was a short-lived nation comprised of the present-day countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica. The nation, which was founded in 1823, was led by Honduran liberal Francisco Morazn. The republic was doomed from the start, as infighting between liberals and conservatives was constant and proved insurmountable. In 1840, Morazn was defeated and the Republic broke into the nations that form Central America today. Central America in the Spanish Colonial Era In Spain’s mighty New World Empire, Central America was but a remote outpost, largely ignored by the colonial authorities. It was part of the Kingdom of New Spain (Mexico) and later controlled by the Captaincy-General of Guatemala. It did not have mineral wealth like Peru or Mexico, and the natives (mostly descendants of the Maya) proved to be fierce warriors, difficult to conquer, enslave and control. When the independence movement broke out all through the Americas, Central America only had a population of about one million, mostly in Guatemala. Independence In the years between 1810 and 1825, different sections of the Spanish Empire in the Americas declared their independence, and leaders like Simà ³n Bolà ­var and Josà © de San Martà ­n fought many battles against Spanish loyalist and royal forces. Spain, struggling at home, could not afford to send armies to put down every rebellion and focused on Peru and Mexico, the most valuable colonies. Thus, when Central America declared itself independent on September 15, 1821, Spain did not send troops and loyalist leaders in the colony simply made the best deals they could with the revolutionaries. Mexico 1821-1823 Mexico’s War of Independence had begun in 1810 and by 1821 the rebels had signed a treaty with Spain which ended hostilities and forced Spain to recognize it as a sovereign nation. Agustà ­n de Iturbide, a Spanish military leader who had switched sides to fight for the creoles, set himself up in Mexico City as Emperor. Central America declared independence shortly after the end of the Mexican War of Independence and accepted an offer to join Mexico. Many Central Americans chafed at Mexican rule, and there were several battles between Mexican forces and Central American patriots. In 1823, Iturbide’s Empire dissolved and he left for exile in Italy and England. The chaotic situation that followed in Mexico led Central America to strike out on its own. Establishment of the Republic In July 1823, a Congress was called in Guatemala City which formally declared the establishment of the United Provinces of Central America. The founders were idealistic creoles, who believed that Central America had a great future because it was an important trade route between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. A federal president would govern from Guatemala City (the largest in the new republic) and local governors would rule in each of the five states. Voting rights were extended to rich European creoles; the Catholic Church was established in a position of power. Slaves were emancipated and slavery outlawed, although in reality little changed for the millions of impoverished Indians who still lived lives of virtual slavery. Liberals Versus Conservatives From the beginning, the Republic was plagued by bitter fighting between liberals and conservatives. Conservatives wanted limited voting rights, a prominent role for the Catholic Church and a powerful central government. The liberals wanted church and state separate and a weaker central government with more freedom for the states. The conflict repeatedly led to violence as whichever faction not in power tried to seize control. The new republic was ruled for two years by a series of triumvirates, with various military and political leaders taking turns in an ever-changing game of executive musical chairs. Reign of Josà © Manuel Arce In 1825, Josà © Manuel Arce, a young military leader born in El Salvador, was elected President. He had come to fame during the brief time that Central America had been ruled by the Iturbide’s Mexico, leading an ill-fated rebellion against the Mexican ruler. His patriotism thus established beyond a doubt, he was a logical choice as the first president. Nominally a liberal, he nevertheless managed to offend both factions and Civil War broke out in 1826. Francisco Morazn Rival bands were fighting each other in the highlands and jungles during the years 1826 to 1829 while the ever-weakening Arce tried to re-establish control. In 1829 the liberals (who had by then disowned Arce) were victorious and occupied Guatemala City. Arce fled to Mexico. The liberals elected Francisco Morazn, a dignified Honduran General still in his thirties. He had led the liberal armies against Arce and had a wide base of support. Liberals were optimistic about their new leader. Liberal Rule in Central America The jubilant liberals, led by Morazn, quickly enacted their agenda. The Catholic Church was unceremoniously removed from any influence or role in government, including education and marriage, which became a secular contract. He also abolished government-aided tithing for the Church, forcing them to collect their own money. The conservatives, mostly wealthy landowners, were scandalized. The clergy incited revolts among the indigenous groups and the rural poor and mini-rebellions broke out all over Central America. Still, Morazn was firmly in control and proved himself repeatedly as a skilled general. A Battle of Attrition The conservatives began wearing the liberals down, however. Repeated flare-ups all over Central America forced Morazn to move the capital from Guatemala City to the more centrally located San Salvador in 1834. In 1837, there was a fierce outbreak of cholera: the clergy managed to convince many of the uneducated poor that it was divine retaliation against the liberals. Even the provinces were the scene of bitter rivalries: in Nicaragua, the two largest cities were liberal Leà ³n and conservative Granada, and the two occasionally took up arms against one another. Morazn saw his position weaken as the 1830’s wore on. Rafael Carrera In late 1837 there appeared a new player on the scene: Guatemalan Rafael Carrera. Although he was a brutish, illiterate pig farmer, he was nevertheless a charismatic leader, dedicated conservative and devout Catholic. He quickly rallied the Catholic peasants to his side and was one of the first to gain strong support among the indigenous population. He became a serious challenger to Morazn almost immediately as his horde of peasants, armed with flintlocks, machetes and clubs, advanced on Guatemala City. A Losing Battle Morazn was a skilled soldier, but his army was small and he had little long-term chance against Carrera’s peasant hordes, untrained and poorly armed as they were. Morazn’s conservative enemies seized the opportunity presented by Carrera’s uprising to start their own, and soon Morazn was fighting several outbreaks at once, the most serious of which was Carrera’s continued march to Guatemala City. Morazn skillfully defeated a larger force at the Battle of San Pedro Perulapn in 1839, but by then he only effectively ruled El Salvador, Costa Rica and isolated pockets of loyalists. End of the Republic Beset on all sides, the Republic of Central America fell apart. The first to officially secede was Nicaragua, on November 5, 1838. Honduras and Costa Rica followed shortly thereafter. In Guatemala, Carrera set himself up as dictator and ruled until his death in 1865. Morazn fled to exile in Colombia in 1840 and the collapse of the republic was complete. Attempts to Rebuild the Republic Morazn never gave up on his vision and returned to Costa Rica in 1842 to re-unify Central America. He was quickly captured and executed, however, effectively ending any realistic chance anyone had of bringing the nations together again. His final words, addressed to his friend General Villaseà ±or (who was also to be executed) were: â€Å"Dear friend, posterity will do us justice.† Morazn was right: posterity has been kind to him. Over the years, many have tried and failed to revive Morazn’s dream. Much like Simà ³n Bolà ­var, his name is invoked any time someone proposes a new union: it’s a little ironic, considering how poorly his fellow Central Americans treated him during his lifetime. No one has ever had any success in uniting the nations, however. Legacy of the Central American Republic It is unfortunate for the people of Central America that Morazn and his dream were so soundly defeated by smaller thinkers such as Carrera. Since the republic fractured, the five nations have been repeatedly victimized by foreign powers such as the United States and England who have used force to advance their own economic interests in the region. Weak and isolated, the nations of Central America have had little choice but to allow these larger, more powerful nations to bully them around: one example is Great Britain’s meddling in British Honduras (now Belize) and the Mosquito Coast of Nicaragua. Although much of the blame must rest with these imperialistic foreign powers, we must not forget that Central America has traditionally been its own worst enemy. The small nations have a long and bloody history of bickering, warring, skirmishing and interfering in one another’s business, occasionally even in the name of â€Å"reunification.† The history of the region has been marked by violence, repression, injustice, racism and terror. Granted, larger nations such as Colombia have also suffered from the same ills, but they have been particularly acute in Central America. Of the five, only Costa Rica has managed to distance itself somewhat from the â€Å"Banana Republic† image of a violent backwater. Sources: Herring, Hubert. A History of Latin America From the Beginnings to the Present. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1962. Foster, Lynn V. New York: Checkmark Books, 2007.

Bend It Like Beckham Essay

At at the end they realize that racist and close-minded individuals are everywhere and if you desire to be a star, you do not have to accept anybody’s negative opinions but alternately put in the effort yourselves. When moving to another country, culture impact is what shocks families the most. In this case, Mr. Bhamra does not get accepted into a sports team because the way he presents himself, dressing differently from the norm, and the coaches do that welcome that. Due to this past experience that took place when he first came to the country, he closes many doors to his daughter, Jess, by not letting her go to practices, being on his wife’s side and thinking that he is only doing that to protect her from getting rejected and influencing her to profound her Indian culture values. This turns out to be a very difficult situation for Jesminder to handle because without her father’s support, she might end up being a failure. People say that gender stratification is not a common treatment amongst individuals anymore. But in the film, Jess’ father prohibits her from playing soccer because he assumes that it is not a sport for females, and that she will end up obtaining rejection from coaches and friends, just like he did as a teenager. Also because his wife acquaints him with false information stating that Jesminder’s sexuality would change, which results frightening him and causes him to restrain her from the activity completely. Jess accepts this in a very harsh way but does not give up and continues to play soccer without her father’s permission. The modern society states that culture and gender inequality is not in common use anymore, but that does not mean people will stop applying these injustices to others. Throughout the film Mr. Ghamra forbids Jesminder to carry out her passion, which is playing soccer, because he does not agree that ladies should perform the sport and because is not an Indian –like culture task. At the end of the movie he realizes that he cannot guard her forever and that she needs to defend herself alone with courage if she is willing to take risky chances. He becomes aware that it is not the world’s duty to change others but the person’s own to face their challenges. The situation shown in the film proves how Mr. Ghamra and his family suffered from different cultural conflicts between each other and others surrounding them. Certain gender issues and inequalities ,as a result of culture misunderstandings, also affect them. Although Mr. Bhamra did not accept his daughter eagerness to play soccer he realized that letting her persuade her dreams was the best option for her future. Concluding that, according to the film, it does not matter what people say or influence you to do, anything is possible and if you do not risk given chances, others will take along with your dreams.

Introduction to People, Organisation and Management Assignment

Introduction to People, Organisation and Management - Assignment Example Thus, it won 50 PC Game of Year awards. IN 1998, the game was published originally on Windows in 1998; then at Playstation 2 during 2001 and lastly at Linux & Mac OS X during the middle of 2013. Steam, the online distribution service of Valve, helped the games to be released in these particular platforms. Steam has enabled the gaming platform to connect to millions of people globally. According to the records, the company employed about 300 employees in 2012. Despite the success of the video games, the company has encountered issues pertaining to its organisational structure and decentralization (Belbin, 2010). The main aim of the report is to elaborate how Valve Corporation survived without leadership of managers. Valve Corporation adopts flat structure in order to avoid or reduce obstacle between its employees and customers. It is observed that flat organisational structure is useful for companies to provide freedom of practicing new technologies without thinking about technological failure. The justification for choosing these issues for the report is that flat organisational structure is threatened by high level of risk. It is observed that the company has committed innumerable mistakes by adopting the flat structure for its organisation. Additionally, it has been noticed that the company has no leaders who will communicate the information to its employees and direct them to do a particular task (Dawson and Andriopoulos, 2014). Thus, the company has failed to develop mentors or guides for its employees and thus it has given rise to informal mentoring which is another big problem for Valve. Informal mentoring leads to weak decision making which may harm the reputation of the company. An organization is defined as a social arrangement of human and capital resource which is controlled for achieving a set of collective goal. The human resource here refers to

Slavery in the 21st Century Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Slavery in the 21st Century - Research Paper Example In 1999, approximately 50,000 children and women were trafficked in the United States each year for the purpose of slavery (O’Neill-Richard, 1999). The International Labour Organization further identifies that approximately 12.3 million men, women and children are forced into slavery, taken captive by individuals with affiliations among organized crime groups (Ramonet, 2011). The Human Rights Watch makes estimates that approximately 120,000 children have been enslaved in Africa for the pursuit of militant action in countries such as Rwanda, the Republic of Congo, and Liberia (Fitzgibbon, 2003). The scope of the problem of human slavery in modern society is significant and difficult to control and evidence suggests that there should be more governmental intervention and global legislation created to combat this lingering problem. Examination of Slavery Variety The method by which individuals are forced into slavery vary depending on the desired outcome by those who abduct or tr affic the victims. Many who are forced into slavery conditions are misled by clever traffickers who promise victims legalization in a foreign country or the guarantee of a high-paying job if they are willing to migrate to another country. Donna Hughes, an educator in the study of women at the University of Rhode Island, identifies that many who are forced into slavery are recruited in nations where job skill training is low and economic conditions poor. Informed that they will receive a quality job by travelling to another nation, they are willing to comply with conscious acknowledgement of their poor job skills aptitudes (Univ. of Rhode Island, 2002). Upon arrival, usually in a different nation than where they were informed the job awaited, factions confiscate their travel visas and inform them that they will be engaging in prostitution with the threat of beatings or complete revocation of their various immigrant papers (Univ. of Rhode Island, 2002). Many of these individuals are p hysically locked in a brothel and refused exit, thus being forced to comply with the demands of their aggressors. In developing nations, individuals are sold by their parents for moderate cash reimbursement or are abducted to serve as laborers for factions that condone human slavery. Common activities include intensive and harsh labor in diamond mines or agricultural systems that fuel local civil war efforts in certain African countries or being forced to work as domestic servants for various crime ring Lords (Bales, 2004; Fitzgibbon, 2003). Some of these abducted or sold individuals are forced to work in prostitution rings or as street beggars to fund certain war activities. However, these developing nations have much more lenient and tolerating political actors that do not intervene in favor of the youths since they are segregated from adherence to international laws provided by the United Nations. In some nations, the political leadership is corrupt and maintains strong connectio ns with these trafficking rings, which complicates the process of securing human rights and ensuring an end to slavery in these nations. Some African youths are sold for meager totals of below

Corporate Social Responsibility Essay Example for Free

Corporate Social Responsibility Essay Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is the idea that businesses conduct business practices for the social good while they pursue economic goals. It refers to operating a business in such a manner that all social environmental impacts that are created are then accounted for. Both market and nonmarket stakeholders expect businesses to be socially responsible. (Business and Society) It is a commitment to developing policies that integrate responsible business practices into daily operations, and to report on the progress made toward the implementation of these practices. (As you sow, 2011) So why is this so important? Some see this work as charity, philanthropy, or an allocation of resources that could better be donated by shareowners themselves, but to us, it is a vital investment in our future, essential to our top-line and bottom-line business success. Dunn, Hewlett Packard Senior Vice President for Global Citizenship Richard Murphy references a study, done in 2003 of buyer/supplier relationships, in his article â€Å"why doing good is good for business.† The study found a strong correlation between trust and procurement costs. The least trusted buyers in the study incurred procurement costs that were five times higher than the cost of most trusted buyers.† This statement alone shoes the value of social responsibility and how it now only impacts consumers views on the company but the relationships firms foster with suppliers. It is simply good for business. Throughout this report we will evaluate the importance of CSR and how it affects the firm and the impact the firm has on the community from and environmental perspective. A study performed in 2003, by researchers at the university of Iowa, evaluating the relationship between corporate social responsibility and firm performance; concluded â€Å"Corporate virtue, in the form of social responsibility and, to a lesser extent, environm ental responsibility is likely to pay off.† 1 After all it green is the color of money. It pays to go green this day in age. Going Green: Environmental Considerations Deseret Digital Media, also referred to as DDM, is an online internet conglomerate in the intermountain west. Being a media company, I’m sure much like others, environmental consideration are certainly a thought but not highly acted upon due to the â€Å"minimal† impact that online media has to the environment. While DDM has a strong company mission and culture, in which they excel and positively impact the community, they do little in means of protecting the environment. They are constantly in the public eye in their operation area due to their user base which leads me to believe that going â€Å"green† would only be a beneficial think for business. be good for business. Mark Orlitzky, Frank Schmidt, and Sara Rynes, â€Å"Corporate Social and Financial Performance: A Meta-analysis,† Organization Studies, 2003, pp. 403–41. Also investigating this issue are Marc Orlitzky and John D. Benjamin, â€Å"Corporate Social Performance and Firm Risk: A Meta-analytic Review,† Business Society, 2001, pp. 369–96; and for a contrarian view see Idris Mootee, â€Å"The Impact of Corporate Social Responsibility—From Creating Customer Goodwill to Influencing Social Standards,† Futurelab, blog.futurelab.net/2008/12. ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS We only have one earth, and one ecosystem. We each need to do our due diligence in protecting that ecosystem. Understanding the earth’s carrying capacity, how fast resources are being used and what we are doing to change that, can only positively affect our world ecosystem. Damaging any part of the ecosystem in one area can affect others in other parts of the world. (Lawrence Weber, 2010) Now human activity affects three major forms of natural resources; water, air and land. (Lawrence Weber, 2010) Deseret Digital Media can actively improve business practices and protocols to reduce the company’s impact on the usage of those three natural resources. Areas of impact below include but are not limited to: Water Resources: 3% of the water on earth is actually fresh. Only about one-tenth of 1 percent of the Earth’s water is in lakes, rivers, and accessible underground supplies, and thus available for human use. Water is, of course, renewable: Moisture evaporates from the oceans and returns to Earth as freshwater precipitation, replenishing used stocks. But in many areas, humans are using up or polluting water faster than it can be replaced or naturally purified, threatening people and businesses that depend on it. Humans are consuming/using water faster than it can be replaced or naturally purified, threatening those who depend on it. (Lawrence Weber, 2010) ï‚ § Considerations: DDM currently does nothing to maintain their water consumption. Currently the only consumption that is taking place is human usage by means of drinking water and restroom usage. Might not seem like a significant amount of consumption however; simple math, 100 employees x 64 ounces of drinking water = 6,400 ounces of water a day. While drinking water should not be regulated there are other ways to regulate water usage. ï‚ § Recommendations: A very simple concept used in all places, the restroom, can minimize water consumption quite significantly. Reducing the amount of usage by installing flushometeres. The current standard specifies that flushometers use no more than 1.6 gpf, though many manufacturers are shooting for 0.8 gpf (3 liters) 2. Urinals are also improving: The U.S. Department of Energys standards for urinals are currently at 1 gpf (3.8 liters)3. An important water-saving feature of commercial flushometers is that they can be designed to let users push a handle in one direction for liquid waste and another direction for solid waste. The latter would trigger a full flush while the former would trigger a partial flush. This dual-flush technology is becoming common other parts of the developed world, including the U.K. and Australia, though it has yet to become as popular in the United States. With wider use of these features, water efficiency is expected to improve for all toilet types. (Cancio, 2009) Air Pollutants/Energy Consumption: According to the American Lung Association (ALA) an estimate in 2008 reported that 125 million Americans, or 42 percent of the population, were breathing unsafe air for at least part of each year. (Lawrence Weber, 2010) This has to do with the pollutants that are being emitted into the air we are forced to breath. A major contributor the unsafe air and even more concerning; a major factor of Global Warming is the burning of fossil fuels that releases carbon dioxide. Not only do fossil fuels affect the air they also account for a huge percentage of the world’s energy source. 85% of the energy in the United States comes from fossil fuels by way of combustion of coal, oil and natural gas. (Lawrence Weber, 2010) Kohler. Power Lite Technology. (accessed December 11, 2009)http://www.us.kohler.com/tech/products/why_powerlite.jsp U.S. Department of Energy. Best Management Practice: Toilets and Urinals. Federal Energy Management Program. July 2009. (accessed December 16, 2009)http://www1.eere.energy.gov/femp/program/waterefficiency_bmp6.html Unfortunately the unlike water fossil fuels are nonrenewable energy sources. Even more concerning is that for every one barrel discovered for every three or four consumed. ((Lawrence Weber, 2010) 10) ï‚ § Considerations: When it comes to air pollution DDM luckily doesn’t have to worry about it as much, as say, a manufacturing facility. What needs to be considered more in depth is the amount of energy being used on daily basis. Being an internet company and hosting six websites 24/7, requires multiple servers and in turn a high consumption of energy. Along with traveling from coast to coast and using fossil fuel resources there are a few small â€Å"green† concepts that can be applied to reduce the amount energy being used. Deseret Digital Media has mentioned upgrading the hosting servers to protect the sensitive content, as well as, an energy saver. Recommendations: Something as simple as encouraging each employee to put their computers in an energy saving mode, turning computers in sleep mode or shut down when leaving for the evening. Updating IT equipment, and using energy saving light bulbs, are small changes that can make a sustainable difference. Land Waste: The United States produces an astonishing amount of solid waste, adding up to almost five pounds per person per day. Of this, 46 percent is recycled, composted, or incinerated, and the rest ends up in municipal landfills4. (Lawrence Weber, 2010) ï‚ § Considerations: While 46% is quite a large percentage there is more that can be done to protect the environment. Currently DDM has a small recycling program that is not widely publicized. While it is a great concept more needs to be done in order to encourage employees to use such programs. ï‚ § Recommendations: While having a small recycling program is a great concept more needs to be done encouraging employees. Posting flyers around the office, ensuring everyone is aware of the recyclable materials. DDM has numerous soda fountains throughout the building for their employees. Currently the drinking cups provided are Styrofoam that get thrown away regularly. Offering employees reusable hard plastic cups will help reduce the company’s carbon footprint and the amount of waste that is admitted into local landfills. ETICAL LEADERSHIP CONSIDERATIONS In simple terms what are ethics and how do they play a role in business? Ethics is a conception of right and wrong conduct. It tells us whether our behavior is moral or immoral and deals with fundamental human relationships—how we think and behave toward others and how we want them to think and behave toward us. Ethical principles are guides to moral behavior. (Lawrence Weber, 2010) Business ethics derive from the same moral compass. This generalized human trait is applicable to business and their ethical ideas and behavior within an organization. All areas of business, accounting, marketing and IT have to follow a certain standard of ethical considerations in operations. For this report in particular we will focus of ethical leadership and how they play a role in our green effort, with regards to social responsibility. Institutionalizing a code of ethics and ethical safeguards are grounds for encouraging environmental ethical performance. Institutionalizing a code of ethics encourages our employees to align with the company’s â€Å"green† mission (an articulation of our goals) and our societal obligations. By creating a strong code of ethics we are establishing expected behaviors among employees. Environmental Protection Agency, â€Å"Municipal Solid Waste in the United States: 2007 Facts and Figures,† www.epa.gov/epawaste. ethical behavior is extremely important because it will help to ensure that employees have predefined expectations of in office behavior and guidelines to follow in all functional areas of operation, as well as the companies green efforts. In the first line of the written mission statement form Deseret Digital Media (2012) it states, â€Å"The mission of Deseret Digital Media is to become the trusted digital voice in all of the markets we reach. This goal is part of our broader corporate mission to become â€Å"trusted voices of light and knowledge, reaching hundreds of millions people.†Ã¢â‚¬  They are trying to accomplish what any company is hoping to do as well, be a trusted place to come to for your product, service or information. To develop a strong presence in the market by adhering to the green policy suggested above, DDM can have a much greater impact on their local market. As much as it pays to be green, ethics pays as well. Below review the ethical leadership recommendations for each environmental issue discussed above. Water Resources: The water conservation suggestion presented above is a little bit more detailed and requires many parts in order to implement. To start management will need to get with building maintenance and even determine if this is possible to make such a change to the plumbing. From there the implementation process will take some time and patience leaving many toilets out of commission for a time. After the conversion process has been completed a company meeting will need to be held regarding how the new toilet process will work. It wont need to be in depth just a quick overview is needed and the importance and positive impact it will have on the community. Air Pollutants/Energy Consumption: With the recommendation above: Something as simple as encouraging each employee to put their computers in an energy saving mode, turning computers in sleep mode or shut down when leaving for the evening. Updating IT equipment, and using energy saving light bulbs, are small changes that can make a sustainable difference. A lot can be done by management’s actions. If management isn’t shutting down at the end of the night, and we have outdated equipment what makes employees inclined to want to save our resources. Leading by example and have management place their computers in an energy saving mode and sending a interoffice memo encouraging employees to do the same thing will definitely help reduce the amount of energy being consumed by DDM in a daily basis. As for updating the servers to be more energy efficient DDM is one step ahead of the game. They VP of Technology realized what an impact that would make and this suggestion is currently in process. Land Water: Since DDM has a tiny recycling program with limited recycling stations it would be suggested that management offer individual recycling bins to be stationed at each individuals workstation. This way it is more accessible/convenient for employees to recycle certain materials as opposed to throwing them into a waste bin, which will eventually be deposited into one of the nations landfills. This small step can mean great things for reducing the company’s carbon footprint. We want to accomplish just that by allowing consumers to feel safe buying our product and letting their children play with it. Their stakeholders are those who use media on a daily basis, while ours are children and parents of children who buy/use our toy collections. â€Å"All Deseret Media Companies are owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. That ownership comes with a significant amount of trust and an expectation that we will align our actions to honor our owner. We want to work hard to demonstrate that we value our users and our marketplaces as well. To paraphrase the founder of largest the social media network in the world, We don’t create communities, they already exist. We know we have to earn the trust of the communities and individuals who choose to use our products. We are not perfect, but we want you to know that Deseret Digital is always working†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Deseret Digital, 2012) We need to align our actions much like Deseret Digital Media is order to grow a successful business and maintain employee and customer satisfaction. MEASURING SUSTAINABILITY TRIPLE BOTTOM LINE Now that we have a solid suggestion for the implementation of our green movement, we need to ensure that it â€Å"makes sense† for the company. Not only in a socially responsible manner but also from a fiscal stand point. A common and effective way to measure environmental impact compared to the company’s financials is known as Triple Bottom Line Accounting (TBL). Triple Bottom Line is a concept that was first coined by John Elkington of SustainAbility in 1994, and it referred to the interrelated goals of economic prosperity, environmental quality, and social justice. He developed the TBL concept in context of the growing concern centered around sustainability. TBL added the social dimension to the corporate sustainability framework which had previously focused mostly on businesses’ environmental impacts. The next year, SustainAbility developed the 3P (People, Planet, Profits) formulation of the TBL. Elkingtons 1997 book, Cannibals with Forks: The Triple Bottom Line of 21st Century Business, helped launch the concept of the TBL among corporate leaders. (McNulty , 2012) The TBL concept provided a means of incorporating sustainability concerns within the traditional accounting framework familiar to and accepted by corporate managers. While there is no universally accepted means of practicing TBL accounting and reporting, the TBL framework is widespread in the business world. A 2008 survey by KPMG of the 250 largest companies in the world found that nearly 80 % of them issued corporate sustainability reports and that the large majority (77 %) of the companies reporting did so using the TBL standards developed by the Global Reporting Ini tiative (GRI). (McNulty , 2012) This concept enables the organization to effectively assess sustainability movements and performance. Furthermore the metrics provide managers with feedback to make more informed decision and displays a picture for employees to see exactly hoe their green efforts contribute to corporate sustainability goals. When making a decision to use the TBL the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) is a great way to benchmark performance indicators for all three aspects; people, planet, and profits. The â€Å"people† component of the TBL refers to the social aspects of the an organization’s activites and impacts. In short it is meant to gauge the organizations impacts on and relations with its own employees, its suppliers and contractors, the communities within which the organization operates, and the organizations customers or clients. (McNulty , 2012) Since this is much harder to determine the social impact the ‘people’ component is slightly less developed so we aren’t going to focus too much on that. Compare to the ‘people’ aspect, with the â€Å"planet† component it is easier to measure environmental impacts. (McNulty , 2012) There are many metrics that contribute to the performance indicators used in the GRI. For the purposes of corporate sustainability, the Profits component of the TBL takes a broader view of an organizations economic impacts and evaluates the activities and impacts of a firm with respect to a wider array of stakeholders than just the firms owners. (McNulty , 2012) Below is an example of TBL principles: PowerStar, an electric utility company, is considering making an investment in a new power plant and is evaluating several options that use different technologies and would be located at different appropriate sites. The technologies being considered use different fuels and require different capital and labor inputs for construction and ongoing operations. In the past, PowerStar focused primarily on the financial returns associated with the different options. The firm has now adopted the TBL framework and is using a project evaluation matrix. This matrix evaluates how projects can be evaluated and trade-offs identified in terms of economic, social, and environmental impacts.

Rwanda Genocide Compared with Hotel Rwanda Essay -- African Politics

The continent of Africa has been continually engaged in civil, tribal and cross national conflicts from colonial independence up until present day. What historians regard as the most ‘efficient genocide’ in history, occurred in a mere 100 days in the small central African country of Rwanda. The Hutus and the Tutsis, two ethnic groups within Rwanda, have been at continual unrest for the past half a century. During the 100 day massacre of 1994, a murder occurred every two seconds; resulting in 18% of the Tutsi population being killed. A decade after the war, in 2004, the film Hotel Rwanda was released. The film followed the story of a Hutu man; Paul Rusesabagina as he housed over 1200 Tutsi refugees in his hotel. The Hotel De Milles Collines, a five-star resort in the capital city Kigali, was a safe haven for several hundred Tutsis during the 100 days of slaughter in Rwanda. The purpose of this paper will be to focus on the differences between the film Hotel Rwanda and the reality of the Rwandan genocide. I will seek to determine how accurately the film draws from history and how much of the film is fiction. For this essay I will first look at the history of the relations between the Hutus and the Tutsis dating back to the 1950s, so to grasp a background of the country. I will then account the events leading up to the 100 day massacre and look at how they were depicted in the film Hotel Rwanda. I will then examine how accurately Paul Rusesabagina and his efforts were displayed in the movie as well as the efforts from the U.N. This essay aims to have a comprehensive summary of the infamous tragedy as well as critically highlighting how Hollywood can alter history. Rwanda is nestled between the... ...ezproxy.library.uvic.ca/ehost/detail?vid=1&hid=11&sid=f5d57578-23a1-4dd9-bc4c-295bd3cebc3a%40sessionmgr4&bdata=JmxvZ2lucGFnZT1Mb2dpbi5hc3Amc2l0ZT1laG9zdC1saXZlJnNjb3BlPXNpdGU%3d#db=aph&AN=21301349 No Author. â€Å"The Real Hero of Rwanda.† U.S. Catholic (February 2006). 71-2. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.library.uvic.ca/ehost/pdf?vid=2&hid=11&sid=78e94ed4-e51d-4773-aba0-3ce0c64bad34%40sessionmgr10 Strauss, Scott. The Order of Genocide: Race, Power, and War in Rwanda. (Cornell University Press Ithaca and London). 2006. Rusesabagina, Paul. An Ordinary Man: An Autobiography. (An Address Given to the Los Angeles World Affairs Council) March 12, 2007. Retrieved from, http://www.lawac.org/speech/2006-07/RUSESABAGINA,%20Paul%202007.pdf Taylor, Christopher. Sacrifice as Terror: The Rwandan Genocide of 1994. (Oxford New York) 1999.

My Favourite Lecturer

Each lecturer has its own style, techniques and strategy to the lesson. Also different students prefer different types of lecturers and as the saying is â€Å"there is no disputing about tastes†. However it is obvious that lecturer who uses right techniques of teaching will be popular with majority of students and vice versa also true. Every person during his life was in a huge number of lectures, starting from school lessons and ending with scientific seminars. Some of them make bright impression and a person will remember them for a long time. I am not exception and I have my favorite lecturers.One of them is Mister X. He was taught me physics only during 9th grade but I still remember how enthusiastically attended his lectures. I never liked physics before his lectures, because I didn’t like a lot of formulas which you should remember and I think that using only them you can solve the problems. Lectures were also boring. Monotonous voice of teacher and a lot of naked facts about some topic were only things which I got at the end of each lectures. Mister X was my teacher but topic of this essay is â€Å"My favorite lecturer† and unfortunately I will not write about his practical lessons.As I wrote in previous paragraph I presented physics as the science about naked facts and formulas. But from Mister X’s lectures I started understand origins of those things and from that point they didn’t seems to me like naked facts or formulas. I understand that everything complex in physics based on fundamental simple phenomena. After his lectures I haven’t to remember formulas I can derive them by myself. It was wonderful for me because I never like remember and I started to think that remembering without understanding bases of something is not best way to gain new knowledge.Yes, it takes less time than looking inside of something, but also you remember them only for short period of time. Second difference of his lectures was way of explaining lectures. It was not monotonous voice, carefully written formulas in blackboard or synopsis from book. He distinctly highlights key points, gives examples from real life and visualizes a lot of things. His pictured cars were different in every lecture. He can draw a little car, write â€Å"Zhiguli† at the bottom and say: â€Å"Teacher from school drives car with velocity 50km/h†.Next he can draw a big car, write â€Å"Ferrari† and say: â€Å"Son of some office-holder drives Ferrari with velocity 120km/h† and gave information about physical problem itself. It was very funny for class and immediately attracts attention of all students. I described only some of his techniques used during lectures. He had full arsenal techniques and he can easily create a great atmosphere in the classroom. Of course I cannot convey atmosphere of the lesson here, but believe me it was fascinating and memorable.

A Review of Family to Family: Leaving a Lasting Legacy by Dr Jerry Pipes and Victor Lee Essay

Having two children of his own, Paige and Josh, Dr. Jerry Pipes has written several books dedicated to families and their connection to Christ. These include Building a Successful Family, Becoming Complete and the book being reviewed, Family to Family. Pipes received his B. S. at Texas A & M University, followed by his M. A. at Southwestern and then his D. Min. at Luther Rice Seminary. He is the President of Jerry Pipes Productions, which seeks to â€Å"impact people through cutting edge resources and events† (jerrypipesproductions. com). Pipes has written instructional booklets and training processes that have exceeded 18 million copies. His teachings have spread internationally through his involvement in assemblies, crusades and conferences. According to his website, Pipes most recent trip to the Northcrest Baptist Church in Meridian, MS resulted in over 445 decisions for Christ. Co-author Victor Lee entered full-time ministry in 1995 and is currently the Minister of Single Adults and Evangelism at First Baptist Concord in Knoxville, TN. He has contributed and edited several Christian publications, including special event evangelism material. Lee and his wife, Judy, reside in Wake Forest, NC. Content Summary  The cover of Family to Family shares instantly the book’s purpose: a way for hurried parents to leave a lasting legacy with their children and find true significance in the process. Pipes and Lee have constructed a guide aimed at growing as a family in Christ and sharing that relationship with one’s relatives, community and acquaintances. The introduction explains that the book is not a quick fix but a helpful tool for becoming a healthy, on-mission family. The books definition of family is â€Å"persons related to one another by marriage, blood, or adoption† (p. 9). The first chapter discusses how to become a healthy family in Christ. Sharing shocking statistics concerning the lack of family engagement with one another, the authors instruct one to first examine one’s family. They teach that a healthy family should mirror one that spends quantity and quality time together; one that expresses commitment to one another and to the family as a whole; one that has both parents equally involved in raising the children; one that finds significance in Christ; one that passing the baton of faith to the next generation; one that spends God centered time together (p. 2-15). In order to have a reflection of a healthy family, the authors suggest six spiritual growth principles which include: quiet time, lordship, development of a powerful prayer life, personalization of God’s word, Christian friendships and accountability and development of a ministry (p. 13). Living out God’s purpose of the Great Commission is the framework of a healthy and growing family unit (p. 15). Chapter two focuses on developing a family mission statement. The mission statement serves as a centerline that intentionally submits to the ways of Christ. God’s priorities become the family’s priorities. The mission statement begins with the parents and is passed down to the children. When constructing a family mission statement, the family should consider the mission of Jesus (p. 27). The authors provide several Scriptural references to this mission. They also provide five foundational elements in considering a mission statement: (1) the authority of Jesus; (2) making disciples; (3) comprehensive nature of the call to teach â€Å"all nations;† (4) baptize new believers; (5) the eternal presence of God (p. 28-29). The process of developing a mission statement must be fun and inclusive of all members. The family should consider their goals, take a family inventory and conceptualize and personalize the statement. The authors provide many examples of family mission statements. Since nine in ten people come to Christ before reaching age 25, the authors dedicate chapter three to passing on the baton to the next generation. This requires trust, communication, involvement and discussion. Raising children to become mature in Christ begins with the parents and is fed by the church, not the opposite. The seven key elements to mentoring to children include: modeling, presence, affirmation, praying with and for, transparency, doing things with them and not for them and making one’s actions reflect the Word of God (p. 52-57). The authors give advice on family devotion and family worship (p. 60-63). Chapter four focuses on sharing one’s faith outside of the home. This takes the form of lifestyle evangelism. One is taught how to minister to one’s immediate family, relatives, friends, community, acquaintances and person X (p. 73). Person X is anyone who one will never (most likely) have further contact with. There is also guidance on ministering to special needs children. The authors provide several evangelism ideas for each type of relationship. They discuss ministry evangelism (including the key methods of look, listen and linger), lifestyle evangelism and family evangelism. Chapter five is closely linked to chapter four as it teaches one to go into the church. The authors share that an on-mission, healthy family will make it their effort to spread the Word of God by integrating ministry and the church (p. 7). The book gives an example of how to connect with the community while ministering through the church. It suggests a family block party that has the qualities of being inclusive, intimate, intentional, informal, interesting and imaginative. Pipes and Lee also instruct one to engage in family mission trips at least once every two years. It labels the Jesus Video as an effective and non-confrontational way to share Christ while in the mission field. Chapter six concludes the book as it teaches one to share the message. It stresses the importance of prayer and implements the heart  acronym in association with praying for the lost (H= heart is receptive to gospel, E= spiritual eyes and ears are open to message, A= attitude toward sin matches God’s attitude, R= God releases them to believe, T= trust in Christ to live a transforming life) (p. 105). The authors provide guidance on ministering to individuals where they are in life. They teach that receptivity will come in varying levels. Most importantly chapter six teaches that one is not alone in the mission of sharing the gospel. It also gives many methods to successfully sharing which in turn raises the family to follow the ways of Christ. The conclusion is simplified into one page, challenging the family to step out and respond to the call of evangelism and to be an on-mission family. Evaluation Jerry Pipes and Victor Lee have constructed a book that convinces the reader to mature as a family in the direction of Christ. It’s chapters overflow with logical and structural guidance to reaching this goal. Every section is presented in a categorized manner that is easy to follow. Along with this, the chapters include appropriate and practical examples for the particular lesson being discussed. The most interesting example provided in the book is in chapter six describing how to share the message of Christ. In this example the authors are explaining that one is not alone in the mission of spreading the gospel: After prayer, a man named Chris feels the deep need to be vulnerable and sensitive while sharing his faith. While Chris is on a plane he begins a conversation with a married couple. The couple asks Chris of his profession and he replies that he is involved in a ara-church ministry. In disgust the couple asks why he would do that. He replies in a heart-breaking manner that he, his brother and his best friend were all very depressed. The depression resulted in Chris finding Christ and the brother and best friend committed suicide. The couple is quickly moved to tears because they are on the way to bury their son who has recently committed suicide. This is a powerful story and one full of God’s presence. The authors used the story to show how greatly involved the Holy Spirit is in teaching, guiding and using his followers for the advancement of the Kingdom. The inclusion of examples is a strong point found in Family to Family. The authors also include biblical support throughout the book, stressing the Scriptural references to the Great Commission. Any instruction given is accompanied by biblical command. For example, the authors teach that discovering real purpose in life involves making choices about â€Å"who you are and what you stand for† and reference Joshua 24:15 which states, â€Å"And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve . . . But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. The author’s main presupposition, that many families do not spend adequate time with one another sharing the Word of God and the love of Christ, is supported with statistical data (i. e. 88 percent of the children who grow up in churches leave the church and never return) (p. 50). Pipes and Lee conclude that by following the suggested guide given in Family to Family, the family unit will be more prepared to have meaningful Christ-filled relationships within and outside of the family, respond to the call of Christ and pass the baton of faith to future generations. It is difficult to point out many flaws within the book. For the purpose of this critique, the only suggestion for improvement would be to tie in the theme of family in a more distinct manner throughout the chapters. At times it seemed that it was geared more toward evangelism rather than the books stated theme of leaving a lasting legacy with children and finding significance along the way. Nonetheless, Family to Family is an appropriate guide for growing in Christ (both individually and as a family). Implementation of its strategies and suggestions may prove to be a beneficial tool to parents and singles. Dr. Pipes has shared his book internationally and has continued to win souls to Christ. Family is an important aspect of life and when molded in the way of the Lord, the family, as a unit, can share the love and knowledge of Christ with the world around them. Salvation becomes a domino effect: family to family.

The Life Cycle of a Star

The Life Cycle of a Star Introduction For millenniums, stars have fascinated the human race. In medieval times, these heavenly bodies were thought to possess mystical powers and some civilizations even worshiped them. This supernatural view was caused by the lack of information on the true nature of stars. Modern science has enabled man to study stars and come up with scientific explanations of what they are and why they shine. Astronomers in the 20th century have been able to come up with a credible model of the entire life cycle of stars. Green and Burnell (2004) state that the life cycle of a star takes place over a timescale that appears infinitely long to human beings. Astronomers are therefore unable to study the complete life cycle of stars since the changes occur at a very slow rate to be observed. The evolutionary pattern of stars is therefore deduced by observing their wide range at different stages of their existence. This paper will set out to provide a detailed description of the life-cycle of a star. Birth of a Star Stars are born from vast clouds of hydrogen gas and interstellar dust. This gas and dust clouds floating around in space are referred to as a nebula (NASA2010). Nebulas exist in different forms with some glowing brightly due to energizing of the gas by previously formed stars while others are dark due to the high density of hydrogen in the gas cloud.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Life Cycle of a Star specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More A star is formed when the gas and dust making up the nebula start to contract due to their own gravitational pull. As this matter condenses due to gravitational pull, the gas and dust begin to spin. This spinning motion causes the matter to generate heat and it forms a dull red protostar (Krumenaker, 2005). When the protostar is formed, the remaining matter of the star is still spread over a significant amount of space. The protostar keeps heating up due to t he gravitational pressure until the temperature is high enough to initiate the nuclear fusion process (NASA, 2010). The minimum temperature required is about 15 million degrees Kelvin and it is achieved in the core of the protostar. The nuclear fusion process uses hydrogen as fuel to sustain the reaction and helium gas is formed from the fusion of the hydrogen nuclei. At this stage, the inward pull of gravity in the star is balanced by the outward pressure created by the heat of the nuclear fusion reaction taking place in the core of the star (Lang, 2013). Due to this balance, the star is stable and because of the nuclear fusion, considerable heat and a yellow light is emitted from the star, which is capable of shining for millions or even billions of years depending on its size. Mature and Ageing Stars The newly formed star is able to produce energy through nuclear fusion of hydrogen into helium for millions to billions of years. During the nuclear fusion process, the heavier heliu m gas sinks into the core of the star. More heat is generated from this action and eventually, the hydrogen gas at the outer shell also begins to fuse (Krumenaker, 2005). This fusing causes the star to swell and its brightness increases significantly. The closest star to the Earth is the Sun and scientists predict that it is at this stage of its life cycle. The brightness of a star is directly related to its mass since the greater the mass, the greater the amount of hydrogen available for use in the process of nuclear fusion. Death of a Star A star dies when its fuel (hydrogen) is used up and the nuclear fusion process can no longer occur. Without the nuclear reaction, the star lacks the outward force necessary to prevent the mass of the gas and dust from crashing down upon it and consequently, it starts to collapse upon itself (Lang, 2013). As the star ages, it continues to expand and the hydrogen gas available for fuel is used up.Advertising Looking for essay on astronomy? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The star collapses under its own weight and all the matter in the core is compressed causing it to be being heated up again. At this stage, the hydrogen in the core of the star is used up and the star burns up more complex elements including carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen as fuels. The surface therefore cools down and a red giant star, which is 100 times larger than the original yellow star, is formed. From this stage, the path followed in the cycle is determined by the individual mass of a star. Path for Low Mass Stars For low mass stars, which are about the same size as the Sun, a helium fusion process begins where the helium making up the core of the star fuses into carbon. At this stage, a different heating process from the original hydrogen nuclear fusion process occurs. Al-Khalili (2012) explains that due to the compression heat, the helium atoms are forced together to make heavier elemen ts. When this occurs, the star begins to shrink and during this process, materials are ejected to form a bright planetary nebula that drifts away. The remaining core turns into a small white dwarf star, which has an extremely high temperature. The white dwarf is capable of burning for a few billion years but eventually it cools. When this happens, a black crystalline object referred to as a black dwarf is formed. Path for High Mass Stars For high-mass stars which are significantly bigger than the Sun, the carbon produced from helium fission fuses with oxygen. More complex reactions occur and eventually an iron core is formed at the center of the star. Since this iron does not fuel the nuclear fission process, the outward pressure provided by the previous nuclear process does not occur and the star collapses. The collapse leads to a supernova explosion. Green and Burnell (2004) describe a Supernova as the explosive death of a star (p.164). During this explosion, the star produces an extreme amount of energy, some of which is carried away by a rapidly expanding shell of gas. The exploding star attains a brightness of 100 million suns although this amount of energy release can only last for a short duration of time. For stars that are about five to ten times heavier than the sun, the supernova is followed by a collapse of the remaining core to form a neutron star or pulsar. As the name suggests, neutron stars are made up of neutrons produced from the action of the supernova on the protons and electrons previously available in the star (Krumenaker, 2005). These stars have a very high density and a small surface area since their diameter stretches for only 20km (Al-Khalili, 2012). If the neutron star exhibits rapid spinning motion, it is referred to as a pulsar.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Life Cycle of a Star specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More For stars that are 30 to 50 times heavier than t he Sun, the explosion and supernova formation lead to the formation of a black hole. In this case, the core of the star has a very high gravitational pull that prevents protons and neutrons from combining. Due to their immense gravitational pull, black holes swallow up objects surrounding them including stars and they lead to a distortion of the space. Parker (2009) observes that the gravity of the black hole is so strong that even light is unable to escape from this pull. The only substance thing that black holes emit is radiation mostly in the form of X-rays. Conclusion This paper set out to provide an informative description of the life cycle of a star. It started with nothing but modern astronomy has made it possible for mankind to come up with a convincing sequence for the life cycle of a star. The paper has noted that all stars are formed from a nebula cloud. It has revealed that the life expectancy of stars can vary from a million to many billions of years depending on their mass. A star begins to die when it runs out of hydrogen and the fusion reaction can no longer occur. The paper has also demonstrated that the death of a star is dependent on its mass. If a star is the size of the Sun, it will die off as a white dwarf while if it is significantly bigger, it will have an explosive death as a supernova. References Al-Khalili, J. (2012). Black Holes, Wormholes, and Time Machines. Boston: CRC Press. Green, S.F., Burnell, J. (2004). An Introduction to the Sun and Stars. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Krumenaker, L. (2005). The Characteristics and the Life Cycle of Stars: An Anthology of Current Thought. NY: The Rosen Publishing Group.Advertising Looking for essay on astronomy? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Lang, R.K. (2013). The Life and Death of Stars. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. NASA. (2010). The Life Cycles of Stars: How Supernovae Are Formed. Web. Parker, K. (2009). Black Holes. London: Marshall Cavendish.

Critically position the authors perspectives in relation to each other Essay

Critically position the authors perspectives in relation to each other - Essay Example He explains that it is only due to overlap and multiplicity of the various elements of a city that it appears to be a complex entity in the eyes of the observer (Alexander, 1965). Jacob’s view about cities is more or less similar to that of Alexander. Jacob’s argues that a city comprises of several entities which even though they may be very different from each other, they in one way or another have a supplementary role to play with respect to each other. She believes that efficient city planning and design on the basis of conserving and strengthening this mutual support between social and economic components of the city is the sure way to come up with successful cities (Jacobs, 1961). According to lynch, a city is a composition of both mobile and stationary elements both of which are equally significant in relation to each other. The complexity of a city occurs over time as a result of human modifications for personal reasons. He identifies a good city as one which paints a harmonious picture in the mind of the observer through ease of recognition of its constituent elements (Lynch 1960). Corbusier on the other hand breaks down the complexity of a city into being made up of mass and surface. Mass reflects the various forms that can be seen while the surface is what envelopes the mass and gives it its individuality. A good city is depicted through a proper plan that gives the city order (Corbusier, 1931). Alexander identifies that the different social systems within a city serve different social groups from different spatial areas. The effect brought about by this social organization is that within a single neighborhood, there are several social centers to serve the different social units (Alexander, 1965). Lynch on the other hand identifies that there seems to a significant agreement in the perception of the environment among people of the same social group and this affects the design of a city to give an environment that is favorable for the different

Behavioural Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Behavioural Finance - Essay Example It is very clear that some of the participants in the market do not make rational decisions which translate to mistakes. However, astute market players get the chance to capitalize on such mistakes. For instance, a rational investor can take the decision to buy when there is market crash resulting from speculative behavior (Mussweiller & Schneller, 2003, p. 124). Given a risk-adjusted basis, rational investors can beat market performance in a consistent manner. According to the perfect market hypothesis, prices reflect the full information about the market. This has the implication that an investor cannot beat the market unless he or she has inside information. A number of indices have been created with the aim of mimicking market performance. Research studies indicate that index funds account for almost 10 percent of the U.S. stock market capitalization and 60 percent of the money flowing into mutual funds. Despite the increasing euphoria towards passive management, there is active management which has enabled investors beat market bearing returns. Behavioral finance insists that investors are irrational in their decisions and that it is easy to partly predict future performance of stocks using their past performance. Careful analysis of the past trends of the tocks has the advantage of making it possible to outperform the market (Mulino, Scheelings, Brooks & Faff, 2009, p. 50). Rational investors can outperform because there exists inefficiencies in the capital market which create investment opportunities. Rational investors outperform the market because irrational investors often find themselves in the bottom part of the distribution pattern. There is some level of disconnection between stock performance and stock market valuation. The existence of irrational investors has resulted in the markets being driven by emotions rather than logic (Dreman, Johnson, MacGregor & Slovic, 2001, p. 127). However, research studies indicate that logic often triumphs over em otions. Irrational investors tend to lose while logic investors record gains. Most of the investors in the market do not bother to look at the fine details of their investment portfolios. Instead they look for information such as who are investing in the same portfolio and this has the negative effect of encouraging wrong decisions. There are a number of situations that a rational investor can exploit and record superior performance that the market. Theoretically, this is possible even though no investor has ever recorded consistent returns above market expectations (Statman, Fisher & Anginer, 2008). First, a rational investor can do a comprehensive homework and identify small cap stocks that in most cases are not well followed. Such stocks are often ignored by equity funds because of the fear of high risks associated with small companies. Furthermore, such companies are not well known in Wall Street and this makes it possible for most of the investors to ignore them (Caginalp, 2002 , p. 73). A rational investor can identify such companies and analyze their prospects for superior returns. The small cap firms have a potential of recording higher returns than the market because their true value has not been influenced by speculations. Second, the market sometimes overdoes its pessimism for a number of individual companies as well as certain sectors (Bruce, 2003, p. 125). The situation