The Importance of Keeping Your Chain of Command Informed

It is important to keep your chain of command informed at all times, especially if you are in charge of the well being of soldiers. On the twenty sixth of January I failed as a Non Commissioned Officer to fulfill this duty. I was informed that one of my soldiers might be going to the hospital. I asked that person to keep me informed of my soldier’s status. Instead I should have checked on the soldier personally because her health was already in a fragile state and the problem she was having was of a very serious nature. I let my soldier down and endangered her by trying to keep the situation at the lowest level. I knew it was important to her that at the time her situation remained discreet. Although my soldier’s personal life is their business, their health and well being is mine and that should have taken precedence. My actions not only affected my soldier and myself but by keeping my chain of command in the dark I potentially could have affected their reputation negatively in the sense that, should that soldiers condition been more severe they would have been blindsided and their chain have command would have question why they did not act sooner. I took the situation too lightly and that was not my place to brush it off and assume that everything would get better. I know now that as an NCO it is my job to take care of my soldiers but it takes more than one NCO to do so. By keeping my squad leader and platoon sergeant out of the equation I limit my resources for help on evaluating and fixing the problem. What I should have done the second that this information was passed down to me was to contact the soldier themselves to affirm the information and get details and then immediately get a hold of my chain of command and let them know what is going on. My chain of command has been in the ARMY much longer then I and would know better what to do in a situation like this. It was selfish of me to think I was able to handle a situation of this matter on my own. I should have gone to the people who have experience in how to handle the situation and would do what is best for the soldier. My counseling says â€Å"When you receive information about a soldier being sent to the hospital it is your obligation to inform your chain of command so that information can be passed up the chain and the appropriate actions can be taken if need be. I understand that it might not seem like a very big deal but a soldier getting admitted to the hospital for any reason can take a turn for the worse without notice and also we have to account for the soldier while they are in the hospital. In the future make sure you pass this information up the chain as soon as it is received. † This counseling helped me grow as a NCO because it made good points that I never thought of when acting in this situation. First of all the fact that I, someone who is not a doctor cannot make a proper evaluation of someone in order to assume that there health problem is no big deal. And by acting like is no big deal I could have made the situation take a turn for the worse. Also I neglected to remember the importance of knowing my soldiers general where abouts at all times whether at work in the field and even at home. The consequences of my actions could have resulted in more than a counseling. Most importantly my soldier could have been in serious danger and by the time I seeked help it could have been too late to keep the condition of the situation minimal. She could have gotten really sick and her chain of command would have no idea and therefore would have been no help to her. Furthermore my dereliction of duty is punishable under the uniform code of military justice. It could have led to a loss in rank and pay or dismissal and separation from the Army under Army Regulation six-hundred and thirty five dash two-hundred chapters five, nine, thirteen and fourteen. If this would have happened I could have received an honorable discharge or even worse an other than honorable discharge. The results of these actions would have been immense. I would have not only have let down that solider but my other soldiers as well as my chain of command. Without the Army I would be unable to support my future family and would have let down my family and my country because I am a good soldier and am learning to become a good NCO. It all goes back to the NCO creed where it states that â€Å"I will communicate consistently with my soldiers and will never leave them uniformed. † It goes unsaid that I am responsible for linking the information between my chain of command and those soldiers under my command. When I got a call saying my soldier needed me I neglected to act on this and inform my chain of command who is equipped to deal with the situation. In the future I will be sure to notify my chain of command of anything that has to do with my soldiers or I because they can not properly do their jobs if I do not do mine. I am sorry for being careless and plan to use this event as a learning tool. I now know how serious things can get when a corporal tries to do the job of a platoon sergeant and will not let it happen again. A lot of people say that â€Å"it takes a community to raise a child† being an NCO is very much the same because one NCO cannot do everything it takes to take care of a soldier, it takes a platoon.

And We Walked Right Through the Door Essay

â€Å"Anything I can help you find? † inquired the chubby female clerk wearing a cheesy red uniform vest complete with â€Å"Hi! My name is Amy, How can I assist you? † BS name-tag. Right away I recognize this this to be the limited dialog that clerks are required to resort to when they feel certain shoppers are suspicious, to remind them they’re being watched I suppose. I replied smiling, â€Å"No, my buddy’s in the bathroom, just looking around thanks. † the act starting to make me a bit queasy. â€Å"Alright then† she creaked, an undertone of distrust. From there I’m left to my own devices, or so they would like me to think. However I know otherwise as I’m using the very same tools that insurance managers and loss prevention employ – namely strategically placed fisheye thief catching mirrors – to keep an eye on the store walker who, after that terse conversation, started following me. Interacting with people who have an inkling that I’m up to no good while cradling nearly $150 worth of stolen goods in my coat, (just under the federal limit mind you) brought on strong feelings of sickness mixed with a rush of adrenaline†¦ maybe I was getting too old for this shit. After skirting my tail, I head for the back entrance which has posted up what looked to be a normal run of the mill alarm system. However having worked this place over several times before, I knew that this was simply cosmetic and no longer functioned properly. My best guess is the store was too broke to repair it, in part due to klepto jack-asses like me and my crew. Most likely they allowed this skeleton of a system to stay standing in hopes that it would deter those that didn’t know any better. In fact most of the security equipment in this place was for show. From the dozens of shaded domes mounted in the ceilings where maybe one quarter of them actually held security cameras, to the magnetic tags – or bugs as we coded them – that had no activated strips in which to trip the alarm systems that did work. Their security measures were as false as my attitude towards clerk Amy, only I felt I was better at hiding the fact. ?This was my hobby. I started at a very young age, six, maybe seven years old and only because I hated being told that I couldn’t have candy or toys that seemed to me within reason. The usual excuse always came back a whining â€Å"Because we don’t have the money, Craig† despite the fact we always seemed to have enough for coffee, cigarettes and booze. It was at that young age where it seemed straight forward enough to me take the item of my simple fancy, slip it in my pocket, and – most importantly – try not to be seen doing this. It wasn’t until a few years into my â€Å"hobby† that I was finally discovered in the act by, of all people, my little sister, Melissa. We were on our way to school when I suggested a stop at a small grocery mart, where she made a bee line for the freshly made donuts. While she was busy ogling the poignant sweets, I went to work finding fruit roll-ups to procure. As I started stuffing the box of snacks into my brothers’ oversized, hand-me-down, blue-green Dolphins starter coat, my sister caught up, discovering me in mid-theft. She asked â€Å"Why are you taking that? † wide eyed and confused. Hushing at her â€Å"Because I wanna share some with my friends, and you know how Mom and Dad are about money! † I pleaded quietly, the cashier’s too busy dealing with the morning flood of coffee and newspaper sales to notice. This line of reasoning seemed well enough for her and she agreed not to tell anyone, the deal sealed by sharing some of the spoils. I thought that would be the end of it†¦ turns out I was wrong. Over the next few weeks she wasn’t just stealing shit left and right, but bragging to me about it! It was no surprise to me when later that month my parents had to pick her up from the local mall security center, having been caught shoplifting Barbie accessories. Even worse, she dragged a friend of hers along for the ride and, after being caught red handed, tried to frame the poor girl she brought along as the evil master mind behind it all. Though I felt raw about leading my little sister into my bad habit, I still thought to myself â€Å"better her than me†. At the time, we had just moved into a newly built Habitat for Humanity home in a strange sort of raffle for low-income families. Though it was nice to live in a new house, one of the downsides was that one could hear everything that was happening in every other room, which left the feeling of having little to no privacy. It was excruciating to hear punishments that either of my siblings might receive, like say in the case of my little sister getting caught shoplifting. From down in the living room, my mother and I attempted to focus on The Andy Griffith Show though I couldn’t help overhear the post punishment conversation between my father and sister. â€Å"What were you thinking!? How many times have we told you that taking things is wrong!? † he yelled, my sister still sobbing from the hot ass-whopping she’d just received. He continued the inquisition â€Å"What made you think you could even get away with something like this, huh?!? † she answered near yelping â€Å"Because I saw Craig take something from the store! I slammed my eyelids together hard hoping it would make me invisible, though I could feel the scorching glare from my mother who was eaves-dropping on the conversation as well. After my own hot ass-whopping, I was ordered to gather up all things I’d stolen. Though I didn’t give them everything, what I did pile up was still a pretty impressive haul, namely cheap toys like yo-yos and Gak; I’d be damned if I was going to give up my Sega games, it was no picnic acquiring those gems. It didn’t take long before I felt safe enough to get back in the saddle, my only lesson being a stricter discretion toward my parents finding out. Oh yeah, the crew I mentioned earlier. While there were always a few lame duck part-timers that came and went the main trio consisted of Dustin B. , code name â€Å"D†, Walter R. aka â€Å"Strangler† the muscle, and me whom they had dubbed â€Å"Slyde†, or â€Å"Sly† for short. This was actually based on some form on confusion as Slyde was what I had named my â€Å"customized† coat for all intents and purposes. The customization of the coat was simple: cut holes out at the bottom of the pockets enabling me to hide cargo all the way round the back with the insulation fluff, some of which I had removed to avoid looking too lumpy as I added new items. D was the first to join my group and a sort of protege. He’d say things like â€Å"You never know when you’ll be in a position to have to steal stuff, like if the government falls! † and considered my rabble rousing to be more of a hidden art form. We’d play games of risk with one another, upping the stakes to hone our skills. Strangler wasn’t really a thief, more of a muscle guy. He wasn’t into games of risk, but he’d happily beat the living shit out of anyone who might get in our way. A perfect crew for what we were doing. ?We had codes for everything, bugs and spiders for mag-tags and stickers, hawks and Tony’s for cameras and walkers. We even had codes to let each other know what was to be bought (purchased) and what was to be stolen (buy) while still speaking in laymen’s terms. In my home state of Michigan, thankfully, one could wear a coat for nearly eight to nine months out of the year, and no one would consider it suspect. Though when dealing in the art of theft, you’ll need more than a custom coat to get by. I had put together a base set of five rules through my tenure, which I regularly preached to my fledgling group: 1) Never go on a run alone. Sometimes you might need the muscle to help you out of a bind; this was Strangler’s territory. In one particular incident, a well-built bald white guy came from, what seemed to me nowhere, placing his hand on my shoulder, â€Å"Sir, I’d like to talk to you about the items in your coat†. The next sounds heard were a shopping cart being revved up to ramping speed, Strangler behind the bar. The large man having no time to react, literally went head over heels into the cart, and off into the sunset. His ride was only cut short by a parked van he crashed into mid lot, where he and the cart crumpled over in a sad heap. We had a good laugh about it as we jaunted away. ) If you frequent a place, at least buy something to make it look a bit less shady. There’s nothing more obvious than your ugly mug walking into a place and never buying anything. After the third or fourth occurrence, they’ll stop to search you on principle alone (This is Detroit). 3) If you’re going to steal something, act like you’ve been there before. There’s nothing more hideously obvious than someone who looks around to see if they’re being watched. Also, the occasional outburst by local crazies or crotchety old men – any form of sudden distraction really – was a quick and easy pass to get the hell out of dodge while the gettin’s good. ) Get off the grounds as soon as possible! Store walkers are legally obligated to stay on company property, which led to another obvious conclusion: don’t hit a place up if it already has actually law enforcement on the premises, na mely because real pigs don’t have such limited jurisdictions, and probably because they’re already there for some other fool who’s been caught. 5) Lastly and to the point, don’t steal more than the federal limit. It’s not like it was difficult or unthinkable, just more risk than what it’s worth to my thinking. This was shoplifting 101 and I was the head instructor. It was a few years into our chaotic campaign when all my concerns were to be quantified; when new-bird Marty R. hit the scene. Though we’d known Marty for years (due to the fact that I was dating his younger sister), we were apprehensive to have him join our little club because of his garish nature. He was a tall sum bitch, at least a full nine inches taller than me, and I was six foot myself at the time. Big knarley knuckles, rail thin from a ridiculously high metabolism mixed with malnutrition, and bright Irish red hair earned him the code name, â€Å"Red†. There’s a saying that red heads are either drop dead gorgeous, or butt ass ugly, Red here was the latter. Aside from being really tall, he had a pension for the dramatic which meant he always spoke loudly, attracting attention. If that weren’t enough, he also tried to sport a mo-hawk that was supposed to be dyed atomic red, but came out neon pink. He had done well enough on his first few excursions, though as I tended to do with all newbies, first timers got the benefit of being surrounded by us young punks ready to throw down as they got the chance to exercise their sticky fingers. Not to mention, first timer’s targets happened to be large places where we had little issue with security, and where there were several other casual shoppers to take focus away from us. This was particularly effective on busy shopping days like Black Friday, one of my personal favorites. ?Red and I had stopped in a larger chain for nothing more than a two liter of soda for the troops back at one of our crash sites. Now not every visit to a store is made to pilfer items, because as the saying goes, ‘it’s not a party if it happens every night’. Red being the new guy wasn’t really hip to this idea yet, and was still very anxious to take what he could, as if there were no tomorrow. As I sleepily moved to the cold drinks at the back of the store, and not from the wall of tepid soda they displayed for chumps and out-of-towners up front, Red informed me that he was going to use the rest room, where vagabonds like us would normally go to clean up a bit. It may have been the way he said it, but I instantly got a bad feeling. Realizing that I had just woken up to take on this small task for the group, I shook off the vibe and told him to meet me outside in our usual spot when he was done. Sometimes, I hate it when I’m right. Red took it upon himself to yank a few items without me knowing, a wallet, a crappy ten dollar watch, and a fake gold necklace/locket combo for some girl he was crushing on. From this, he might as well have broken rule number one in not letting me know his intentions. As I stood waiting in the check-out line cold pop in hand, I noticed Red making his way out trying to look as though he hadn’t taken anything, a sure distinction to my eye. I had the mind to drop the pop and run over to him: not so much to help him, but rather to chew him out for being such a chud. However it was too late, the horrible scene I’d sought to rally against unfolded before me, as if I was given a front row seat. After the fact, I could only guess that this store had some idea about our group and its past debauchery, since they used three Tony’s to surround and take Red away. I wasn’t ready, we weren’t here on a mission, we were here for fucking soda! I felt like screaming at him, the mix of helplessness and anger at his dishonesty keeping me anchored to the floor as I looked on, holding the building express line up. As he was ushered past, he looked at me with those sad sorry eyes, where all I could do was look back, mouth agape. This moment also felt like a strong message for yours truly, the Tony’s eyes staring at me, warning â€Å"You’re next hot shot†. Unfortunately, this wasn’t Red’s first offense and he was later sentenced 2 years for what amounted to less than $30 worth of merchandise. Now Marty wasn’t much of a fighter, and considering his height coupled with the fact that his hair had mistakenly come out neon pink, brought a whole other hellish dimension towards the thought of time in jail for him. Yes, this was a sad day for our company indeed, but an affirmation of the rules I had laid down to begin with. I scorned the others with the story, probably because I wasn’t able to yell at Red, or more likely out of shame that I wasn’t able to do something about it myself. ?Some time has passed and I’ve all but stopped stealing. I might yoink a pack of batteries here and there, or occasionally walk out on a check if the server makes me wait too long, but these trifles are rare. Recently, I landed a position in loss prevention for a small chain of stores; the irony of this never fails to cheer me up. I even tried to stay in decent shape for the job by making it a point to run/jog in, or maybe old habits of being ready for a chase die hard. I was assigned a new store where they were going through the normal jargon, giving us the cue codes for theft in progress, blind spots to patrol, and all the other dirty little secrets I would have killed for back in the day. As I was being briefed by my new manager, I realized just how much of a royal prick he was, just from how he thought so much lesser of people that resorted to stealing. The more he talked, the more I indulged a day dream of feeding his pretentious ass to Strangler and how that would pan out. My first shift was painfully uneventful, right until the last hour as I started to get in the mindset of what to do once I was free again. It was at that time when Mr. douche-bag manager busted in to the surveillance room, like he was hopped up on too many energy drinks. â€Å"Look alive ladies, we got some kids in the liquor isle, and I’m damn sure they’re gonna grab something. They’ve been casing it for a while, looking all sorts of suspicious, so let’s get out there and NAB ‘EM! trying to be all team player, as if we were all supposed to put our hands in or something. To be honest, this was the part of my job I hated most, seeing new jacks like this give my former hobby a go in the worst way. Ducking their heads about, apprehensive yet obvious about whether or not they’re going to put an item in their jacket. Sure enough, scoping out these scrubby teens through a large fish eye mirror, I saw firsthand one of them squirrel a fifth of whiskey into his windbreaker, and make his way for the exit. Panic was written all over his face as he wrangled up the other two snots with him, simply disgraceful. The worst of it was when they neared the exit. We didn’t even have time to start in on our usual spiel before it suddenly turned into a free for all, the three of them sprinting off in unison. The two â€Å"friends† that the holder came in with, bolted in the exact opposite direction, leaving the actual target on his own. I’m not sure if they did this thinking they’d fool us with misdirection, or if they just ran out of fear; my guess was they got scared and bailed. At this point, I’m not the only one giving chase; two other Tony’s and the dick-head manager were also trailing. The manager was the first to go down, no surprise, tripping on his own stupid shoe-laces not even 20 feet from the entrance, biting off a piece of his own tongue as his chin smashed against the asphalt. One of the Tony’s was a fat guy and gave in shortly thereafter, claiming â€Å"I’m gonna see if the manager’s O. K. , you guys keep going! † pathetic. Two down, two to go, and we’re gaining on him. This kid must not have known the perimeter rule, because he cut around heading for the back of the store, towards the receiving docks. Since e insisted on staying on the grounds, as far as I was concerned it was still game on. Thanks to my daily regimen, I felt as though I could run like this forever! Primal instincts kicked in, I felt as though I were a lethal cheetah closing in on its prey. It was about the time we were rounding the docks that the defeatist thumping footsteps of the other Tony sounded, signaling his dropping out of the chase no more than 70 generous yards from the door. Never mind all that, I was about to end it, he was going down, this kid was mine! I reached out grabbing at his shoulder, my hand getting a taste of slick fabric from his blue wind-breaker, when something clicked. I stopped chasing and let him go. I didn’t even bother to gloat out loud that I could have caught him if I wanted, it didn’t even seem important anymore. I stood there watching him continue to run for his life as I caught my breath. I contemplated the awesome story that the kid would have to tell all his friends – the ones he presumably stole the fifth for – and to call out his two accomplices for bitching out the way they did. Thought flooded me near the point of tears as I recanted my own misguided youth, and the thrill of getting away from a near miss as he had just encountered. If I had brought him back, I would have had no say in his punishment, and I’m sure they would’ve done to him the same as they did to Red. I no longer wanted to be responsible for the incarceration of others this way. I strolled back acting more tired than I actually was giving the staff some bullshit excuse as to how the kid eluded me; I mean, what the hell did they know, right?

Explain the Relation between Trade and World Output

World output or global output represents the sum of the entire amount of goods and services produced by all the countries of the world for a certain period of time. In simple terms, if each country produces a pair of shoes, a computer and a sack of coffee, multiply that by the total number of countries in the world to get global output. On the other hand trade, or more correctly international trade, is the exchange of goods and services across international borders. Since it is impossible for all the countries to produce similar products, trade allows countries to focus on products that they have an advantage in producing over other countries. A classic example is crude oil. Not all countries have an abundant supply of oil – the reason why Middle East countries sell their excess oil to countries that need them. Trade encourages effective and efficient use of a country’s resources. A country that is more proficient in growing coffee could forgo the manufacture of computers and shoes and increase their yield of coffee to ten sacks of coffee and trade some of these excess coffee to a country that has an advantage at making shoes and computers. Following the logic of this interaction, as a country becomes more efficient in producing goods and services its total output also increases. And, as all the other countries increase their total output, world output ultimately increases. Describe the broad pattern of international trade International trade has been evolving at a much faster pace after World War II. Much of the evolution of trade in present times is attributed to rapid advancements in technology. Production of goods is now done at a much faster and more efficient rate – lowering overall manufacturing cost and doubling-up output. At the same time, it is now faster to ship goods to any point in the globe and attendant support communication facilities have improved tremendously. According to statistics from the World Trade Organization (the organization tasked to oversee international trade): –   75 percent of the global exports come from developed countries, while only 25 percent are from developing ones. – 83 percent of exports from developed countries are manufactured goods, accounting for 62 percent of total world exports. – Manufactured goods from developing countries are growing – now registered at 56 percent of their total exports — and account 14 percent of the world total. – Today, more primary products are being exported by developed countries than by developing countries: 14% of world exports, compared with 11% by developing countries. If the nations of the world were to suddenly cut off all trade with one another,  what products might you no longer be able to obtain in your country? An obvious answer is oil since it is one of the top imports of the country. Still, other items would be woodcrafts and furniture and certain agricultural products like rubber and natural oils. If the other trading country is China, products that will no longer be available here are office equipment, shoes and other articles of apparel, telecom and sound equipment, and, professional and scientific equipment. Choose one other country and identify the products it would need to do without In the case of China, products that would no longer be available in that country are electrical and heavy machineries, mineral fuel, oil, seeds and fruits, organic chemicals, iron and steel, aircraft and spacecraft, and cotton, yarn and fabrics. Discuss trade patterns Trade patterns deal with what goods and services a country trades, with whom, and in what direction. Trade patterns are studied in two ways: through the pattern of movement in commodities like oil, capital and raw materials, and, through factor contents or the amounts of primary factors used in the production of goods. Trade patterns reveal the current state of international trade, the direction it is heading and its effect on overall global output. Trade patterns also reveal emerging markets as well as markets that are on the decline. Trade patterns also influenced by global events that do not deal directly with international trade. These events include the September 11 attacks, SARS and the war in the Middle East. The current trade pattern reveals an interesting trend: prior to World War II, primary commodities came mostly from developing countries whereas manufactured products came mostly from developed countries. After the WW II, the trend has reversed and that reversal continues up to the present. Explain the methods governments use to promote and restrict international trade International trade is generally regulated and controlled via imposition of tariffs. Nations carry out such measures in three ways: on their own (unilateral); in agreement with another country (bilateral); or, in agreement with several other countries (multilateral). Non-tariff measures include imposition of quotas and voluntary export restraints (VERs) – a restriction on a country's imports that is achieved by negotiating with the foreign exporting country for it to restrict its exports. To promote international trade, countries give concessions like preferential trading agreements (PTAs), custom unions and common markets. Custom unions are groups of countries that who adopt zero tariffs and no other restrictions on trade when trading among them. Common markets on the other hand, are groups of countries, who choose to eliminate all barriers to movement of both goods and factors among themselves. References World Trade Report: 2006 (2006). World Trade Organization. Retrieved October 30, 2007 from the World Wide Web: http://www.wto.org/english/res_e/reser_e/world_trade_report_e.htm Deardorff, A. (2001). Deardorff's Glossary of International Economics. Retrieved October 30, 2007 from the World Wide Web: http://www-personal.umich.edu/~alandear/glossary/    Morrison, W. (2007). China-US Trade Issues. Retrieved October 30, 2007 from the World Wide Web: http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/RL33536.pdf    Wild, J. Wild, K., & Han J. (2006). International Business. Prentice Hall   

Eurognosi in European Crisis Literature review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Eurognosi in European Crisis - Literature review Example From the report it is clear that  education is a type of learning where the skills, habits, and knowledge of people or a society are transferred to immediate generation through research, training, and teaching. Professionals usually conduct education. Most nations divided their education into preschool, primary school, secondary school, and University, apprenticeship, or college. Preschools give education to children aged between three to seven years. Preschool education is imperative to a child as it gives him/her a competitive age in an education climate and the world. Children who did not go through a preschool are usually behind when compared to who passed through the system.According to the essay findings primary or elementary education takes about six to eight years of structured and formal education. Most children start the primary education while aged 5 or 6 years. However, differences exist between countries. Most countries have committed themselves to achieve universal en rollment in elementary education, by 2015 due to the Education for All Program advocated by UNESCO. The separation of elementary and secondary education usually happens at about 11 or 12 years of age.  Higher education also known as the third stage, post-secondary education or tertiary, is a non-compulsory education stage, which follows the completion of a secondary school. Tertiary education includes undergraduate, postgraduate, and vocational and training education. Universities and colleges offer tertiary education.

Leadership theory (transformational theory) the components are Essay

Leadership theory (transformational theory) the components are inspiration & individualized consideration - Essay Example Inspiration in transformational leadership means the positive impact a leader has on his followers. The leader should inspire a vision that brings out the best capabilities of his sub-ordinates and pushes them to give their best. On their level best inspiration will push the sub-ordinates to go beyond the ordinary, inspiring extra-ordinary confidence and optimism about the future and belief in their own capabilities. The theory works well across all cultures and cross-culture as well. In Arabic cultures people are inspired by leaders who have a personal touch to their work. While in western cultures work is non-personal. Nevertheless, both the cultures require an inspiration and leaders in both cultures follow transformational models. Individualized consideration is the second part of transformational leadership theory which actually works reasonably well across cultures. Individualized consideration requires the leader to attend to each sub-ordinate individually, keeping all communication channels open and learning about behavior patterns. This also encourages the sub-ordinates to share ideas and celebrate the idea of individual contribution to a project. Individualized consideration works because the leader acts like mentor instead of a bureaucratic boss. Sub-ordinates warm up to the idea of contributing more to their jobs than routine work and they also feel that they are being given special attention by their bosses. Secondly, transformational leadership has lead leaders to work more efficiently in different cultures and different settings due to its wide acceptance. The Internet has made the sub-ordinates more open to transformational type of leadership which is helping different cultures assimilate. A few days back I decided to take up a small job as the store manager. It wasn’t something I hadn’t done before. Back in high school I had worked with my dad at his shop but to work for someone else is new to

Biblical Prophets in the Old Testament Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Biblical Prophets in the Old Testament - Essay Example He used them to deliver messages to the people of Israel during Old Testament times. The messages they delivered were of future happenings, to flee from sin and temptation, and to come back to God. The messages they delivered always required some type of action. There were five major prophets during Old Testament times. Robinson explains the meaning of major, â€Å"term ‘major’ in this context means that the prophet's message was preserved in a lengthy book and covered a wider variety of subjects than did the minor prophets. There were of course dozens or perhaps hundreds of prophets whose stories were never recorded.† The five major prophets whose writings were recorded in books are Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations (the author is unknown), Ezekiel, and Daniel. The first major prophet who will be discussed is Isaiah. He lived in Jerusalem and was a preacher. He delivered a message of peace that God would bring to the people of Israel. His messages were not fulfilled until the second coming of Christ. Jeremiah was known as the â€Å"weeping prophet† due to his desperate messages about Jerusalem’s future. He also had predictions for Judah and other nations. Daniel was captured as a teenager by the Babylonian army. He held a high-ranking position in King Nebuchadnezzar's court and interpreted dreams for kings. Ezekiel was known as a â€Å"son of man†. His book told about things that would happen about Jerusalem’s fall. Ezekiel also wrote about a new temple for Jerusalem. ... did the minor prophets. There were of course dozens or perhaps hundreds of prophets whose stories were never recorded." The five major prophets whose writings were recorded in books are Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations (the author is unknown), Ezekiel, and Daniel. The first major prophet who will be discussed is Isaiah. He lived in Jerusalem and was a preacher. He delivered a message of peace that God would bring to the people of Israel. His messages were not fulfilled until the second coming of Christ. Jeremiah was known as the "weeping prophet" due to his desperate messages about Jerusalem's future. He also had predictions for Judah and other nations. Daniel was captured as a teenager by the Babylonian army. He held a high- ranking position in King Nebuchadnezzar's court and interpreted dreams for kings. Ezekiel was known as a "son of man". His book told about things that would happen about Jerusalem's fall. Ezekiel also wrote about a new temple for Jerusalem. Biblical Prophets 4 The prophets, all of them and not just the major ones, were human. The Bible says that prophets deliver messages from God. The prophets delivered messages of all types. Some were happy messages of good news. Others were of about upcoming trouble and despair. Many did not even want to be called by God to deliver messages and to help "correct" the people. People felt like they were being judged and blamed at times and the prophets did not like having to receive this type of blame. They were human and were similar to modern day prophets. However, the prophets of today do not have the ability to make preternatural prophesies like they could in Old Testament

Describe the Jacksonian Era What were some of the highlights of this Essay

Describe the Jacksonian Era What were some of the highlights of this period - Essay Example He was a creator and destroyer, but he destroyed to create! He destroyed Bank of the United States and left the nation without the financial authority to regulate and oversee the economic health. On the social and political front, he arranged the relocation of more than 90,000 Indians. He established direct rapport with the voters of the country. Though democratic to the core, he often worked against the mandate of the Congress, and he was a firm believer in the rights of the states. But he knew how to maintain the sanctity of the federal structure of America when he threatened federal military action against South Carolina, when it claimed that it has legal right against federal law. The heritage of Andrew Jackson, as President Roosevelt said, is â€Å"his unending contribution to the vitality of our democracy.†(x) He was compassionate and he adopted an Indian child. He encouraged interracial marriages and left an inedible imprint on the American political and societal

Essay about play Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

About play - Essay Example In the beginning of the play, the conditions of living, as described by the house is striking. In addition to this, Walter Lee’s irresponsible nature makes a reader anticipate some kind of change, to alter the balance. Moreover, when Joseph Asagai visits the Youngers’ house, they are in the midst of cleaning up. This point is the fulcrum, since after this point, the ‘process of cleaning’ is geared up towards change. At the end of the play, we see that the family is all set to move into a new house in Clybourne Park, which is symbolic of a change in the physical environment. In addition to this, Beneatha’s life undergoes a change, since she chooses Asagai over Murchison, though it was an expected action. Moreover, the biggest change is seen in Walter Lee’s character, which becomes a round character by the end of the play. The character undergoes an internal change and this is evident when Walter Lee stands up for his family and their principles. Consider the following dialogue spoken by Mama, â€Å"Oh—So now its life. Money is life. Once upon a time freedom used to be life—now its money. I guess the world really do change .† Thus, Change can rightly be called one of the themes of the play. Another major theme of the play is the concept of ‘dream’. It is closely related to, and can be called a critique of the American Dream, wherein it is believed that every individual must be provided with the opportunities to earn and own a piece of land and lead a luxurious life. All through the play, the concept of ‘dreams’ plays a strong undercurrent. Each member has a particular dream. Mama’s dream is to buy a comfortable house in an all-white locality, while Walter Lee’s dream is to get into business. Ruth is an independent intelligent girl, who wants to steer clear of all the Americanisation, and get in touch with her African roots. Mama is scheduled to get the pension

Final Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 15

Final - Essay Example The word antique has been outlined by the poet to differentiate between those who don’t believe and those who believe (Dickson, 2591). The bible for example has been utilized to alienate the non believers and the believers. The deeply held conviction among the believers is seen not to have any bearings. The believers who are less in numbers are trying to find God by finding out that relationship that existed between him and the people who lived long time ago as presented by the bible. The poet acknowledges that those looking for God’s guidance through the bible posses a relationship that is second hand to the loving and deeply personal God. Many of the boys who don’t believe tend to reject God because they believe that he is impersonal and outdated. She claims that the problem lies with the type of presentation that exists. The use of the word warble is however interesting. Calling song bird images to mind is a subtle nod aimed at bringing out her confidence in connection to the almighty God. She asserts that the people should be used to condemn people but has to lead them toward improving their relationships with the almighty God. She utilizes the poem in educating the youths and young men to seek God through studying the bible. She also advices preachers to avoid condemning the young men through use the bible. She uses the word; it didn’t condemn referring to the bible as the word of God (Dickson, 2591). Emily Dickson is seen to support the pagan and to criticize and make a mockery of God in most of her poems. The antireligious tone in most of her poems has been avoided in literature studies to paint a better picture to the society. The poet has used the bible as a mean of ensuring her message is able to reach the people. The term boys are symbolic and have been used to refer the many the people in the world. Dickson is easily appreciated and

Contemporary Business Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Contemporary Business Analysis - Essay Example All major assets, even land, lost their values overnight. The entire world seemed at a loss about what to do. The major financial heads all over the world started thinking about he steps that should be taken to avoid such an incident to occur again. When the matter was observed, the major reason that was seen which led to the recession was found to be too mush lending done by the banks all over the world, particularly US. The question of the day was what to do to avoid this kind of crisis. One of the popular suggestions given was the requirement by central banks to private banks to increase their reserves that are held at the central bank. The suggestion was given much thought because it held many positives. Firstly, even if private banks again engross themselves in over lending in the future, the reserves held at the central bank would be more than enough to bail out the economy before the stage of recession is reached. The reserves would not only provide stability to the monetary system, but would also stop inflation from reaching massive heights, and would also allow banks and other major financial institutions, which are affected first in case of recession, to remains stable and in power to control the situation. Secondly, the major advantage of increasing reserves would be to save the common man from the repercussions of recession. We saw the examples of how people are affected. They lose their jobs, can't afford a lot of thing due to high prices, find their major assets like homes and investments losing value, and have to face the harsh life of bankruptcy. This eventually leads to fall out of entire economies. If federal reserves are in place then this whole scenario can be avoided by injecting liquid money in the economy at regular intervals so that inflation does not rise rapidly. Also the monetary base will help in keeping the value of assets intact over longer period of time. Thirdly, for private banks, let us first study all the positive implications. In the recession, the institutions most adversely hit are private banks, as they do not have the backing of governments like central banks; and also they are the ones that have all their assts as loans to individuals (Ganley). So when the value of assets fall or when people declare bankruptcy, they are the ones who take the hit as now they don't have any way to regain their money. By increasing the federal reserve base, the banks also have more security against their loans getting defaulted. Also, it was seen in many examples that banks have to declare insolvency or even bankruptcy, observing that the collateral on their bad debts have now lost all of its value. In such a case, the reserve base could be helpful to the banks such that they can maintain their base and have even a small amount of that base to have as liquid strength. Now let us discuss the negative implications of such a requirement. First of all, the private banks may be reluctant to go for such a measure. A bank is an institution that has to keep its profits high and its shareholders happy. If the reserves were to rise, then the banks will have less money to lend (Harrington, 2009). This would mean less money to gain interest from, which directly says less income earned by the banks (Harrington, 2009). As we know now that retail banking has become the key aspect in a bank's operations, therefore such a measure can hurt the profits of the bank tremendously. Second, as

Analysis and design of concrete pavements Research Paper - 1

Analysis and design of concrete pavements - Research Paper Example The research project involved carrying out an analysis and design of concrete pavements based on a comprehensive literature review as well as on the results of a number of engineering tests to determine the best designs for concrete pavements. Concrete pavements are road surfaces that are built using a concrete mixture of Portland cement, sand, coarse aggregate and water to provide durable surfaces that can effectively sustain vehicular or foot traffic. The history of the use of concrete pavements on roads and walkways dates back to 1893 when the world’s first strip of concrete pavement was successfully completed. According to Croney (2008), the first concrete roads were constructed in the United States at the beginning of the 20th century and the technology later spread to Europe and the other parts of the world in the 1920s. Over the years, concrete as a building material has been increasingly used for paving airports, highways, residential streets as well as business parking lots. According to many experts, the increasing popularity of concrete pavements is particularly attributed to the numerous benefits of using concrete as a paving material some of which include its durability and less maintenance requirement, workability, strength, cost effectiveness and durability. Contemporary design techniques used for concrete pavements have resulted in the development of economically sustainable concrete pavements that are not only offer one of the best riding surfaces but are able to perform for many years with minimal maintenance. According to Horenstein (34), modern designs often take into account all the diverse sorts of environmental conditions including future estimations on environmental changes and traffic growth. Currently, there is a growing need for sustainable and low cost alternative pavement materials in many developed countries including Australia. For example, since

Science and Religion Essay Example for Free

Science and Religion Essay Assess the view that science has replaced religion as the main ideological influence in society today? (33 marks) It will be important to assess the view that science has replaced religion as the main ideological influences in society today. The enlightenment project could be seen as the start of the debate between religion and science as the main ideological influence in society today. As moments in the 16th century had lead to the first real questions of religion being asked. As the contribution of natural sciences such as Biology, Chemistry and Physics grew it lead to more doubts about religion. As Da Vinci acts can be seen as an example of this, he had stolen bodies from graveyards and drew the inside of them which was as ethically wrong but beneficial in helping scientist asses the human body. Leading to people questioning the amount religion had done for society. Therefore showing science has replaced religion as the main influence in society today. As one sociologist Popper argues that science is a open belief system where every scientist’s theory can be falsified, as science can be open to criticism and tested by others. For example if scientist argues water boils at 100 degrees Celsius this can be tested (falsified). However with religion this is impossible as you are unable to test religious ideas on what happens after death. This leads to religion not being falsified and science ruled by the theory of falsification. Thus leading to Popper to believe science has been successful in explaining and controlling the world becoming the main ideological influence in society today. As Kuhn argues Religion consist on too many paradigms, as he believes there should be one dominate paradigm such as Science. As in religion you have many different religious such as Christianity, Islam and Judaism making it difficult to have one dominate paradigm. While science has one dominate paradigm. As Kuhn accepts that paradigms can change for example it was believed the earth being flat which was the dominate paradigm however had changed. As religion consist of too many, thus for Kuhn science has replaced religion as the main ideological influence in society today. Interactionist believe a scientific fact is simply is a social construction, it can’t be seen as a scientific fact because of the case study ‘little green men’. Researchers from the Cambridge astronomy laboratory annotated the patterns shown their printout from the radio telescope as LGM 1 and LGM2 which being published would have ended their careers. This lead to them believing the patterns was a type of unknown stars bringing internationalist to the conclusion that scientific fact is simply a social construction. Thus science is not replacing religion as both are just social constructions. Beck a late modernist believes that science has lead to a negative impact on society, as science has caused an increase risk in accidents, illness and major disasters like never before. For example of nuclear bombs has lead to the fear of war and a loss of millions of lives. Giddens similar to Beck believes science has lead to a negative impact on society such as the recession. As advancement in technology has lead to many losses of jobs, particularly in the financial industry which is more capital intensive then before. Thus leading to both Beck and Giddens arguing science has replaced religion as the main ideological influence in society today but negatively. However Beck’s views on how were faced with risk of accidents, illness and major disasters on a everyday scale can be seen as over exaggerated. Lyotard a postmodernist believes both science and religions are metanarratives of modern society. As a metanarrative is a ‘big story’ such as the enlightenment project, Christianity’s view of life. As Lyotard argues that people no longer trust scientist, as science has lead to a chance of nuclear war and fail to cure cancer. Leading to people not accepting science and postmodernist such as Lyotard believing it’s a metanarrative with no absolute truth. However Lyotard’s theory can also be seen as a metanarrative therefore contradicting him-self. Thus Lyotard believes both science and religion is a metanarrative and provides society with no benefits. George Bush can be seen as Christian fundamentalist being a man of the Old Testament which led to his religion influencing his opinions and polices on certain issues. As being a Christian he believes abortion is the same as murder and single sex marriages are seen as a big sin. This may have lead to policies created to make both of these harder to achieve. As being a born again Christian while George Bush was the Governor of Texas there were 131 state executions. Thus showing in the United States religion is still the main ideological influence in society today. To conclude it is inconclusive that science can be seen replacing religion as it varies depending on country and can change as more sociological views are brought forward.

An analysis of Colonialism

An analysis of Colonialism Colonialism can be defined as a means by which a superior nation takes over the financial and radical affairs of a country usually through forceful means. It can also be defined as the strategy or training of gaining full or partial political control of another country. Colonialism can either be physical (military) or emotional (civilizing). Physical in the sense that military efforts are highly needed in other to attain full political control of a country and psychological whereas the colonizers need to be civil with the colonies if their mission is to be successful. The concept of colonialism has some advantages and disadvantages. The advantages are stated thus: Firstly, colonialism brought about education to the colonies. Before the coming of the whites to Africa or any other colonized country or continent, the people did not know how to read or write, all they ever knew was to go hunting, fishing and other agricultural activities, and this was the normal or everyday routine of the people from generations to generations. But after the coming of the whites, they brought the western education which after a long struggle and fights between the whites and the colonies, the colonies finally started sending their children to school which made a radical change for the colonies and as a result of that, there was organization and people started becoming literate. Also, the slaves that were taken as a result of colonialism to the white land, majority of them were trained in many aspects and this has increased the technical know-how of the slaves worldwide. Technical know-how in the sense that, the technical acquaintance of the slaves increased, for instance, slaves who have masters that are scientists, or into invention of mechanical accessories definitely grabbed some of the methods of invention after helping their masters. Also, other slaves that are doing the day to day job in houses that is, doing the house boy/ house girl jobs learn more about the hygiene factors and balance dieting etc. Secondly, colonialism brought about the abolishment of some barbaric acts between the colonies that is, in ancient African societies were they believe in idol worshipping, there was a belief that if a child was born, and dies that moment, he or she was regarded as an evil child and buried in the evil forest for the evil spirit to take the child. Also, colonialism exposed the killing of twins as a primitive and horrific practice and it stopped in the name of the colonizers. Also, there was the issue of human being sacrifice that was done to appease the Gods when something or a disaster has happened and the chief priest goes to the traditional head of the society and gives a name of a citizen in the society and says he or she must be sacrificed before things become normal once again. All these were barbaric acts that after the coming of the whites into the African societies, they saw it as barbaric and an abuse of human right so after gaining control of the societies either directly or indirectly, all these acts were abolished. Thirdly, colonialism was just an undercover name because most of the whites had a motive which was missionary that is, to preach Christianity to the black people. This was a major move to end the idol worship by the whites and it gained support because most of the people were tired of the human sacrifices in their societies to appease the Gods. So immediately Christianity was introduced, the idol believers started going for it which helped immensely to reduce the barbaric acts of the idol worshippers. For instance, in the ancient Igbo communities before colonialism, they all believed in idol worship and as a result of colonialism, they all changed their faith. Moreover, colonialism brought about equality amongst the people being colonized that is, in ancient primitive societies, women were not allowed to make decisions regarding any aspect in the society, all they were ever expected to do was to remain the house wives and satisfy their husbands and that was it. But as a result of colonialism, women were allowed to make decisions, participate in the politics, also sit in council with chiefs for the societal decision making and this was a major advantage of colonialism. Furthermore, colonialism brought about organization in the government of the colonies and advancement from the traditional rulers to a firm governmental structure such as the civil service which created more job opportunities rather than just serving the traditional heads. It also brought about democracy because the appointment of the head of government involved the people choosing who they wanted otherwise known as voting. The monarchs were only ceremonial heads and their method of ruling was dictatorial in nature because like in the Hausa pre-colonial era,the emirs were believed to be the spiritual heads and very close to Allah, so, every decisiontaken by the emirs whether right or wrong was obeyed by the citizens with no objection. This led to some dictatorship and abuse of power by the emirs. But as a result of colonialism, all this reduced to a minimum level because the rulers only became ceremonial heads while the presidents elected were the ones with real governmental powers o therwise called à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“head of governmentà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ . Colonialism, also has some disadvantages which are stated thus; Firstly, colonialism led to economic exploitation by the whites because they gained more from the raw materials and minerals gotten from Africa than the Africans. They made the Africans do the job of mining the minerals then send the minerals to their own country and harness them into finished products but the Africans do not get anything from it. And this was a major set back in colonialism because it exploited the colonies. Also, the white officers enforced taxes on their colonies which the Africans were not used to, and it led to some unrest in the colonies, for instance, the Aba Women Riot of 1929 was as a result of the imposition of tax in the eastern part of Nigeria which led the women to start rioting and it led to serious killings among the people and the whites. Colonialism lead to discrimination and lack of respect and maybe racism, discrimination in the sense that the blacks were treated as savages and of no worth. The whites felt superior to them because they saw how primitive the stage of the blacks was and feeling of superiority arouse, which made the colonizers oppress the blacks racially. Thirdly, there was a lack of admirationfor the African tradition which for instance, in the French colonial system of colonization, the policy of assimilation was a policy that wanted to change the whole African culture of their colonies. This was because they did not haverespect for African culture and tradition. That is why they neglected it and wanted to transform it absolutely. Also, the colonizers came with a task to change the sacred views of their colonies. So because of this, Christianity was enforced on major colonies even in Nigeria, the southern part of Nigeria were thought these beliefs. Moreover, the colonizers brought a system of management which was unacquainted for the people of the colonies. The British brought an indirect system of government which the people were not accustomed with. The southern part was not familiar with the indirect system which did not do so well. The people and old-fashioned heads found it difficult to cope with even the colonizers did not find it alright. It was only effective in the northern part which was more monocratic in nature. In conclusion, colonialism conveyed a lot of variations to civilization of the colonies and also did some harm too. But in general we can say that it has more benefits than the detriments which made it successful. With this I can say that colonialism is one of the best thing that has ever happened to man.

Beta Thalassemia: Causes and Treatments

Beta Thalassemia: Causes and Treatments Thalassemia is an inherited autosomal recessive blood disease that affects the bodys ability to produce haemoglobin, the protein that red blood cells use to carry oxygen. It reduces the rate of production of globin chains that make up haemoglobin, which are either alpha (ÃŽÂ ±) chain or beta(ÃŽÂ ²) chain. Beta-Thalassemia Major disorder occurs when both the beta globin chain are affected by mutation or deletion, resulting in the abnormalities in the formation, size and shape of red blood cell. Patients suffering from beta-thalassemia have to endure the pain from severe anemia, fatigue, enlarged spleen, and also bone problems besides jaundice. Thalassemia is found in almost every country worldwide, however it is more commonly found in Mediterranean and Asians. The data from the National Thalassemia Registry shows that currently there are 4,768 thalassemia patients registered in Malaysia. Based on the screening conducted by Ministry of Health, the carrier rate averages at about 5 %, which means about one in 20 Malaysians carry the thalassemia gene. The diagram attached in the next page shows an overview of the pathogenesis of ÃŽÂ ² thalassemia. Thalassemia can be treated and prevented by many different screening test and treatments. However, thalassemia is not curable yet. So, what are the current available treatments to help relieve the disorder symptoms? A POSSIBLE SOLUTION The treatment for thalassemia depends on the severity of the conditions. For example, people who are carriers or have a mild ÃŽÂ ± or ÃŽÂ ² thalassemia trait which usually does not have any symptoms, need little or no treatment. People with moderate and severe condition of thalassemia need treatments as soon as possible or else they are under dangerous situation that can cause fatal. BLOOD TRANSFUSION As the red blood cells of thalassemic patients are little and not healthy, it couldnt carry out its normal function of carrying oxygen efficiently which may cause the patient to have difficulties in breathing and other related problems. Therefore, the most effective treatment for these patients is blood transfusion therapy. Blood transfusion therapy is the main treatment for thalassemic patient. It is given through a needle into the vein, which gives healthy red blood cells with normal haemoglobin. Since the lifespan of the red blood cell for thalassemic patient is less than 120 days, the patient requires a regular blood transfusion. A person with moderate thalassemia needs blood transfusion when the body is under stress such as during infections. However, people with major thalassemia, Cooleys anemia, need more regular blood transfusion which is every 2 to 4 weeks.9 Basically, there are reasons why thalassemic patients need regular red blood cells transfusion. First of all, it is to correct anemia and make sure that tissues get normal amount of oxygen and carry out body functions. It is proven by research done by the scientists and doctors, where a thalassemic patient who receives a regular transfusion could live up to 50years compared to the one not receiving any treatment whom could survive only unti l childhood. Regular transfusion also helps to keep the haemoglobin level near normal and the production of ineffective haemoglobin could be stopped.7,12 This treatment helps to improve childs growth and well-being and usually prevents heart failure. 1 The blood transfusion in thalassemic patients is not the same as normal blood transfusion. As we know, blood contains different types of components and this component has its advantage that the components are in small volumes with higher concentrations of a particular product for specific indications. Therefore, thalassemic patients are given packed red blood cells instead of whole blood to improve the oxygen carrying capacity.13 However, regular blood transfusion leads to another medical problem known as iron overload. Regular blood transfusion creates an excess of iron in the body because the haemoglobin in red blood cell is an iron rich protein. As there is no natural way of eliminating it from the body, it is stored primarily in spleen, liver, endocrine organs, and heart, and becomes toxic in tissues and organ. Iron overload can cause these organs to malfunction and damages it if untreated.14,15,16 In order to remove the iron overload, a therapy known as iron chelation is done. A test called serum ferritin test is carried out to determine the amount of iron in the body as it is an important iron-storage protein. Injections of Desferrioxamine (Desferal) is given to the patient 5-7 nights per week with 8-12 hours supply which is done during sleeping time. It is injected under the skin from a small pump. Desferal works by carrying out excess iron through urine.22 Thus, iron level in the body can be reduced. So, in conclusion, the main treatment for thalassemic patients is regular blood transfusion and iron chelation therapy as blood transfusion makes the iron stored in the body overloaded. However, one sad thing about what thalassemic patients undergoes is that they started doing this since they are infant and continues this painful treatment for the rest of their lives and endure the side effects of both treatment. SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC IMPLICATIONS People suffering from thalassemia seem to have some emotional and psychological problems that disturb their routine lives. As we know, the people suffering from thalassemia have certain physical symptoms such as enlarged spleen which makes the stomach looks big and the head of the patient would be slightly in oval shape as the diploetic fibres in skull extend from the internal lamina. This makes them feel awkward and shy to meet people and other people also might look at them in different way. Based on the experience of Noor Hafiza Noor Hamdan, 33 a thalassemic patient interviewed for The Star newspaper, she said that : Before this, I was shy and solemn, and I did not like to smileà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. When people smile at me, I would ask myself, why? Maybe its because I have a sickness this lines are quoted from what she said in the interview. This shows that thalassemic patients lack of confidence and ashamed of themselves being in that condition, so they interact less with the public. This makes them feel lonely and leads to depression, another psychological disorder. Some people outside even discriminate them. Many thalassemic patients suffer in getting jobs besides being neglected by the parents and also the public. According to Pn. Noor Hafiza, she was not lucky with several other employers before working in a fast food outlet as she was not given the job opportunity after she showed her medical check-up which states that she has thalassemia.17 Some patients even tend to commit suicide as they couldnt cope with the pain and treatments that gives them more pain. Patients who couldnt cope with the treatment which requires not only money but also almost half of their hours in a day makes them think that its better to die rather than suffer and being a burden to the family. Besides that, they feel embarrassed by their limited ability to do things by their own. 4,19 On the other hand, economic implications also give a big impact to the patients life. Beta- thalassemia major patients require a regular blood transfusion of every 2 weeks, which cost them a lot of money. Not only transfusion, patients have to undergo many blood test and to be forgotten, the iron chelation therapy. Desferal is a controlled medicine that is very expensive medicine. This is one of the reasons why thalassemic patient couldnt continue their treatment. 1997 1998 (as from February) Thalassaemia association RM138.90 RM153.00 Goverment purchase (via Remedi) RM157.20 RM157.20 Pharmacy/clinic RM190.00 RM209.00 HUKM non-formulary purchase RM194.00 Customer purchase RM211.00 RM261.00 This research done by Prof. Elizabeth George shows the Desferals price increase from year 1997 to 1998, by 2009, the price had increased in the range of from RM500 to over RM1000 which is definitely not affordable for low class and middle class families. Thus, it becomes a financial burden to the family. As the patient gets older, the blood requirement increases as well as the Desferal. This directly increases the cost of living for a thalassemic patient. 20 There is no other way for the patients besides taking Desferal as without it, they have an average lifespan of only 20years only.5 WORD COUNT: 1463words BENEFITS AND RISK Benefits of blood transfusion are that it helps the body to have new and healthy red blood cell with normal haemoglobin. As we knew, thalassemic patients suffer from abnormal red blood cells with mutated or deleted haemoglobin, hence their red blood cells couldnt carry out its function and creates health problems such as the most severe ones is anemia. With this blood transfusion, a person could live longer to an average lifespan of 50years besides growing normally. Blood transfusion also helps the patients bones to form normally. As blood is given externally, the bone marrow does not have to work hard to produce red blood cell so it can concentrate on the formation of proper and normal bones. On the other hand, iron chelation helps to remove iron and prevents the organs like endocrine organs and liver from being damaged. 21 However, there are risks in both treatments. The most common risk of blood transfusion is infections and rejection. The patient has to get the same blood group in order to avoid rejection. There are chances of infection during transfusion either due to the blood itself or improper handling of the needle and syringe. Although a person receives regular Desferal, over time, the iron will be deposited in the spleen and liver and causes it to be damaged. Besides that, the patient has to cope with the side effects of both blood transfusion and Desferal which includes nausea, dizziness, and problems in hearing.22 ALTERNATIVE SOLUTION SPLENECTOMY Splenectomy is a surgical way of removing spleen. Old and damaged red blood cells are removed in the spleen. Since the red blood cells in a thalassemic patient are weakened, it is destroyed when passed through spleen. This makes the body to have fewer red blood cells. Removing spleen can help to lower the number of red blood cells that are lost, besides being removed due to the enlargement which causes pain to the patient. Splenectomy is done to patient above 11years old and after the removal, patient might need antibiotics to prevent infections as without spleen a person is more prone to infections. Patients can also get pneumococcal vaccine (Pneumovax) before the surgery to prevent infections.2 BONE MARROW STEM CELLTRANSPLANT Bone marrow transplant is another possible solution for thalassemia patient. The first successful transplant was performed in 1981 to a six-month baby from Italy.23 Bone marrow transplant involves the replacement of healthy stem cells as the patients stem cells are not producing healthy blood cells. The transplant procedure is similar to blood transfusion where it is infused through central nervous catheter. The stem cells migrate to the bones from the blood stream to stimulate the production of new bone marrow that migrates to the large cavities of bones and produce new blood cells.24 The most commonly used stem cell is the embryonic stem cell because it is easier to extract and have more advantage compared to adult stem cell as it is totipotent and not yet undergo differentiation and determination. 25 However, there are risks in getting stem cell transplant. First of all, risk of getting a suitable stem cell that matches the body to prevent rejections. Besides that, risk of infection is another problem during the process. According to Dr. Revathy Raj, Consultant Paediatric Haemato Oncologist, Apollo Speciality Hospital, Chennai, as the immune system will be lowered by immunosuppressant drug to reduce the risk of rejection, the body is now more prone to other infections.6,26 EVALUATION http://www.penthal.org/thalassaemia.htm is the website from a non-profit organization that aimed to give information about thalassemia not only to the patients but also to those who wants to know about it. In my opinion, this website is trustable and reliable as the information is factual and valid. This organization is an active group and always updated with latest new. Besides that, they are reviewed by some doctors and also origins from Penang, which means the information is more specific to Malaysians. It is also trustable as the basic informations on thalassemia given are the same as other resources used in this report such as http://www.medindia.net/patients/patientinfo/Thalassemia.htm , http://www.thalassemiapatientsandfriends.com/index.php?topic=1571.0 Information are also obtained from a paper cut : The Star Online, My blood is Different which is based on the personal experience of Noor Hafiza Noor Hamdan and some information from Ministry of Healths Thalassemia website, www.mytalasemia.net.my. The experience shared by the patient gives a lot of reliable information on treatments and their risks. The Ministry of Healths website is also very helpful in providing all kind of information by using videos and slides shows which makes it more clear and understandable. However, it gives only a brief and limited input regarding thalassemia as its main purpose is to provide brief information about this disease. It is hard to find any specific book related to thalassemia as the disease is still considered as new and unpopular in Malaysia. Most of the book sources that I referred are books related to genetics and pathology as thalassemia is related to both. However, the book, Robbins Basic Pathology, 7th Edition by Vinay Kumar and others as stated in bibliography is the most reliable and useful among all. The diagram taken from the book is very useful in explaining the pathogenesis of ÃŽÂ ²-thalassemia as it couldnt be found in any website I explored. Besides that, the explanations given in the book are also simple, clear and understandable. For example this sentence that describes about ÃŽÂ ² thalassemia: Î’-thalassemia, associated with total absence of ÃŽÂ ²-globin chain, and characterized by reduced synthesis of the chain in homozygous state. Genes obtained from thalassemic patients has revealed more than 100 different mutations responsible for it. Controlling Operative and Postoperative Pain | Literature Controlling Operative and Postoperative Pain | Literature Review of literature is a key step in research process. The literature review is to discover what has previously been done about the problem to be studied what remains to be done, what methods have been employed in other research and how the result of other research in the area can be combined to develop knowledge. It is essential step; it can be done before and after selecting the problem. It can help to determine what is already known about the topic (A.P.Jai, 2005). This chapter attempts to present a review of studies done methodology adopted and conclusion attained by earlier investigators which helps in this study. The sources are internet search, textbook, published journal, editorials published and unpublished thesis. In this chapter, the researcher presents the review of the literature under the following headings, Section-I: Studies related to importance of postoperative pain management. Section-II: Studies related to Using Numeric Rating Scale for pain Assessment. Section-III: Studies related to effectiveness of music therapy among General Surgical Patients. Section-IV: Studies related to Effectiveness of Music Therapy among Post Caesarean Mothers. Section-V: Studies related to Gate Control Theory of Pain (Melzack and Wall (1965). Section-VI: Conceptual Framework Based on Gate Control Theory of Pain (Melzack and Wall (1965). SECTION-I: STUDIES RELATED TO IMPORTANCE OF POSTOPERATIVE PAIN MANAGEMENT. Kolawole and Fawole, (2003) conducted a study on Postoperative pain management following caesarean section in University of llorin Teaching Hospital (UITH).llorin, Nigeria. Prospective descriptive design was used to assess the effectiveness of various common methods of analgesia used in hospital following caesarean section. This study was conducted over a period of 18 months. Pain assessment was carried out by 4-point Verbal Rating Scale of None, Mild, Moderate, and severe. The first 24hrs postoperatively was particularly painful for the patient with 79.6% and 54.6% reporting moderate to severe pain in the recovery room and day 1 respectively. They concluded that the pain remains a significant problem following surgical operation in our environment. (PMID.15008293) Seers and Carroll, (1998) conducted a study on Relaxation techniques for acute pain management. They were used a systematic review of randomized controlled trials and seven studies involving 362 patients were included. Three of the seven studies demonstrated significantly less pain sensation or pain distress in those who had relaxation, four studies did not detect any difference. It was concluded that the well designed and executed randomized controlled trials are needed before the clinical use of relaxation in acute pain management can be firmly underpinned by good quality research evidence. So we can recommend that the relaxation in acute pain settings is carefully evaluated and not used as the main treatment for the pain management. SECTION-II: STUDIES RELATED TO USING NUMERIC RATING SCALE FOR PAIN ASSESSMENT. Yaakov Beilin, Jabera Hossain, and Carol, (2009) conducted a study on Numeric Rating Scale and Labor Epidural Analgesia, in this study a Numeric Rating Scale(NRS) used to evaluate pain in research studies, they define desire for additional analgesic medication as a clinically relevant outcome in research studies about pain and compare it with the results of the NRS. A post hoc analysis of three studies that conducted previously in concerning labor epidural analgesia was performed. In all three studies, score was obtained before and 15 min after analgesia. They found that the very few patients (2%) with a score of 0-1 wanted more medication. When the score was 2 or 3, 51% of the patients wanted more medication, and score was >3, almost all patients (93%) wanted more medication. Grouping the final NRS scores into 3 categories (0 or 1, 2 or 3, and >3) is more useful to the clinician than using individual NRS scores. Cinzia Brunelli, (2009) did a study on Comparison of Numerical and Verbal Rating Scales to measure pain exacerbations in patients with chronic Cancer pain. Crosses sectional multicentre study conducted on a sample of 240 advanced cancer patients with pain, background pain and BP were measured by 6-point VRS and 11 point NRS. In order to evaluate the reproducibility of the two scales, a subsample of 60 patients was randomly selected and the questionnaire was administered for a second time three to four hours later. The proportion of inconsistent evaluations was calculated to compare the two scales capability in discriminating between background and peak pain intensity and Cohens K was calculated to compare their reproducibility. It concludes that NRS revealed higher discriminatory capability than VRS in distinguishing between background and peak pain intensity with a lower proportion of patients giving inconsistent evaluations (14% vs. 25%) (Cohens K of 0.86 for NRS vs 0.53 for VRS) while the reproducibility of the two scales in evaluating background pain was similar (Cohens K of 0.80 vs. 0.77). Nathalie Dieudonne, Alexandra Gomola, Philippe Bonnichon, and Yves M.Ozier, (2008) conducted a study on Prevention of postoperative pain after thyroid surgery. In this study double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled trial used to evaluate the analgesic efficacy of bilateral superficial cervical plexus blocks performed at the end of surgery. Ninety patients were randomized to receive 20 mL isotonic sodium chloride or 20 mL bupivacaine 0.25% with 1:200,000 epinephrines. Postoperative pain was assessed every 4 h using an 11-point numeric rating scale (NRS-11). All patients received acetaminophen every 6 h. In addition, morphine was administered following a standardized protocol if the NRS-11 score was à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¥4. The main outcome variables were pain scores (NRS-11), the proportion of patients given morphine at any time during the 24-h period, and the amount of morphine administered. The Bupivacaine group had a smaller proportion of patients given morphine (66.0% vs 90.0%; P = 0.016), and lower initial median pain scores (P = 0.002). SECTION-III: STUDIES RELATED TO EFFECTIVENESS OF MUSIC THERAPY AMONG GENERAL SURGICAL PATIENTS. Sigma Theta Tau International, (2009) conducted a study to assess and compare the effect of music therapy on postoperative pain of patient undergone elective abdominal surgery. A quasi-experimental design was used and convenient samples of 30 (15 in each expcontrol group). Pain was measured by Verbal Rating Scale. Music therapy was given as per patients wish to experimental group and intensity of pain was monitored before and immediately after recovery from anesthesia, during the 1st and 2nd postoperative day for both the groups. Results revealed that those patients who listened to self selected music tapes had significant differences (p Tse MM.Chan Me. Benzie, (2005) conducted a study to find the effectiveness of music therapy on postoperative pain and analgesic use following nasal surgery. Sample size was 57 patients (24females33 males) who were matched for age and sex and then non-selectively assigned to either an experimental or a control group. Music was played intermittently to members of the experimental group during the first 24hrs postoperative period and pain intensity was measured by Verbal Rating Scales. It shows the significant decrease in pain intensity over time were found in the experimental group compared to the control group (p Nilsson, Unosson and Rawal, (2005) conducted a study on Stress reduction and analgesia in patients exposed to calming music postoperatively. The randomized controlled trial was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of music therapy. Seventy-five patients undergoing hernia repair in day care surgery were allocated to three groups: intraoperative music, postoperative music and silence (control group). Patients postoperative pain, anxiety, blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR) and oxygen saturation were studied. The postoperative music group had less anxiety and pain and required less morphine after 1hr compared with the control group. The result concluded that intraoperative music may decrease postoperative pain, and that postoperative music therapy may reduce anxiety, pain and morphine consumption. SECTION- IV: STUDIES RELATED TO EFFECTIVENESS OF MUSIC THERAPY AMONG POST CAESAREAN MOTHERS. Arastirma TAF pre Med Bull, (2009) conducted a study to evaluate the effectiveness of music therapy on postoperative pain after Caesarean section. The sample size was 100 and randomly allocated into two groups (50 in each group).Group 1, patients listened to music through a headphone for 1hour immediately before surgery where as in group-2, not listen to any music during the same period. In the postanaesthesia care unit patients were connected to I.V. PCA device when they were able to respond to commands. The patients level of satisfaction with perioperative care was assessed by a 10cm Visual Analogue Scale and the severity of postoperative pain was assessed by VAS. The results shows that the postoperative tramadol consumption, total amount of tramadol consumption, additional analgesic use and all VAS values were lower in group-1(p Amin Ebneshahidi, and Masood Mohseni, (2008) conducted a study to evaluate the effect of patient selected music on early postoperative pain, anxiety and Hemodynamic profile in Caesarean section. The sample size was 80 who were undergoing elective C.S.surgery enrolled randomly to listen 30 minutes of music or silence by head phones postoperatively. Pain and Anxiety were measured with visual Analogue Scale. Results says that the pain score and postoperative cumulative opioid consumption were significantly lower among patients in the music group (p SECTION-V: STUDIES RELATED TO GATE CONTROL THEORY OF PAIN Marial, (2007) did a study to assess the effectiveness of back massage on pain during first stage of labour among mothers in selected maternity centre at tirupur. 60 samples were selected by using convenient sampling method for the study (experimental group-30 and control group-30). Experimental group received massage were as the control group did not. She used Melzack pain gate control theory for conceptual frame work. Data was collected using behavioral intensity and visual analogue scale. The statistical calculation done was frequency mean, SD, chi-square andt test. The result of the study shows that massage is a cost effective nursing intervention that can decreases the pain perception during labour. Jacintha, (1995) did a study on the effect of back massage during the first stage of labour. She divided the samples in to two groups of 30 each. The experimental group received back massage for 10 minutes per hour. She used non participatory observation technique to observe the maternal behavioral every hour. She used Melzack pain gate control theory for conceptual frame work. The experimental group was interviewed regarding their experience and feelings of back massage before shifting them to the post natal ward. 100% of mothers remembered massage given to them during labour, with feeling of comfortable in 76.66% and relaxed in 43.33%. All the mothers were of the opinion that all mothers in labour should be given back massage. Locsin, (1981) did a study to assess the effectiveness of music on the pain of selected postoperative patients during first 48 hrs. The 24 female gynecology and/ obstetric patients were assign to two groups (control and experimental). The measurement of the experimental variable was done by an Overt Pain Reduction Rating Scale (OPRRS) which is devised by the writer. Significant differences were found between the groups of postoperative patients in their muscular-skeletal and verbal reactions during the first 58hr at the 0.05 level. The conceptual framework of the study was based on the concept of distraction following the Gate Control Theory of Pain by Melzack Wall (1965). The finding says that the music can be used as a nursing measure for postoperative patients. SECTION-VI: CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK BASED ON GATECONTROL THEORY OF PAIN (MELZACK AND WALL (1965) The conceptual frame work for the present study was derived from Gate Control Theory of Pain (Melzack and Wall, 1995) Application of Gate Control Theory of Pain Polit and Hungler, (1965) state that a conceptual framework is inter related concept on abstraction that is assembled together in some rational scheme by virtue of their relevance to a common scheme. It is a device that helps to stimulate research and the extension of knowledge by providing both direction and impetus. The present study was aimed at determining the effectiveness of music therapy on intensity of post operative pain among primipara mothers who had Caesarean Section. The conceptual frame work of this study was derived from gate control theory of pain. Gate Control Theory of Pain: Many theories of pain have been presented in the literature. These include specificity, pattern, affect and psychological/behavioral theory (Mander 1998). The most widely used and accepted theory is that of Melzack Wall (1965). These researchers have established that gentle stimulation actually inhibits the sensation of pain. Their gate control theory states that a neural or spinal gating mechanism occurs in the substantiate gelatinosa of the dorsal horns of the spinal cord. The nerve impulses received by nociceptors, the receptors for pain in the skin and tissue of the body, are affected by the gating mechanism. It is the position of the gate that determines whether or not the nerve impulses travel freely to the medulla and the thalamus, thereby transmitting the sensory impulse or message, to the sensory cortex. The pain impulses will be carried out by the small diameter slow conducting A-delta and C fibers. Impulses traveled through small diameter fibers will open the pain gate and the person feels pain. Pain gate is also receiving impulses produced by stimulation of thermo receptors or mechanoreceptors transmitted via large diameter; myellindated A-delta fibers inhibit superimpose the small diameter impulses. (Myles -2003) If the gate is closed, there is little or no conduction, for example distraction, counseling and massage techniques are ways to release endorphins, which close the gate. This prevents or reduces the clients perception of pain (Freeman and Lawlis, 2001) If the gate is open, the impulses and messages pass and are transmitted freely. Therefore, when the gate is open, pain and sensation is experienced. (Potter and Perry, 2009) Many non pharmacological procedures such as hydrotherapy, music therapy (distraction), application of heat or ice, massage, vibration, TENS and movement stimulate the nerve endings connected with large diameter fibres which can produce a reduction of pain by closing the pain gate. Based on the principle of gate control theory, the following conceptual framework was developed. Method used to reduce intensity of postoperative pain is instrumental music which is composed by violin among Primipara mothers who had Caesarean Section. Stimulation of Pain Receptors: Surgical trauma of the uterus due to Caesarean Section stimulates pain receptors in lower abdomen and lumbar area of the back. In the control group there was more stimulation of pain receptors in these areas due to the close contact between the contracting uterus and abdominal and lower back structures. In case of experimental group(Music therapy), there was less stimulation of free nerve ending in the lower abdomen and lumbar area of back compared to the control group due to the distraction caused by music therapy. Travelling of Pain Impulses: Normally pain impulses are traveling through small short conducting A-delta and C fibres. Impulses from stimulation will be distracted by instrumental music and decrease in pain perception produce a reduction of pain by closing the pain gate in experimental group. Gating Mechanism: Pain impulses after the Caesarean Section are transmitted through the spinal nerve segment of T11-12 and accessory lower thoracic and upper lower sympathetic nerves, which are traveled through (A-delta and C) small diameter and slow conducting amyelinated fibres and reach the pain gate and open the gate thus the mother perceives pain in the lower abdomen and lower back. Impulses reduced by music due to decreased in pain perception to travel through fast conducting myelinated A-delta fibres which impose small fibres and close the pain gate. SUMMARY This chapter dealt with the studies related to importance of postoperative pain management, application of music therapy and conceptual frame work based on gate control theory of pain.

The History of Modern Women and Body Art Essay -- Art Tattoos Arts Ess

The History of Modern Women and Body Art I chose to do this field report on body art because I, personally, find the topic very complex and interesting. It is for this reason that I decided to narrow the scope of my field research. I am focusing this report on the trends and evolution in body art as relating to modern women. When I say modern women I am referring to the women from about the 18th century to the current day. I chose to focus on women imparticular because of the strong societal pressure that is specifically place upon them to fulfill a certain role and aesthetically look a particular way. I wanted to research the history of body art and how it related to these pressures and stigmas. In my research I found everything from information on tattooing practices to body modification through clothing. As De Mello noted in her book, Bodies of Inscription, "Contemporary tattooing has evolved from a practice that was originally imported from the islands of Polynesia and later transformed into a form of working-class folk art" (p10). The credit should be duly given to the original tattoo artists of Polynesia, but the art form also existed in North America within Native Tribes. James Swan sights a specific tribe known as the Haida who practiced the cultural tradition of tattooing (Gilbert, 94-5). Both women and men were tattooed, but as common in many cases, the markings were different for each. The women more commonly had tattoos on their hands and forearms. Most had tattoos also on their breast and legs below the knee. These markings are very culturally significant. They allow the tribe identification on the basis of the design which tells the family name of the wearer (Gilbert, 94-5). The popularization of tattooin... ... to be. I was looking for more information that gave details on societal views and how that influenced women in particular in the way they modified their bodies. I did find a wide variety of ways in which women modified their bodies, but perhaps not as many specifics about the society and their reaction to that particular method of adornment. I think I could've probably found much more detailed sources had a looked hard enough for them. In the future I will try to find more detailed information on a variety of subtopics within a main topic to better guide my research. Works Cited Brain, Robert. 1979. The Decorated Body. New York: Harper & Row, Publishers, Inc. De Mello, Margo. 2000. Bodies of Inscription: A cultural history of the modern tattoo community. Durham: Duke University Press. Gilbert, Steve. 2000. Tattoo History. New York: Juno Books.

Pragmatism in Navarre’s Heptameron :: Navarre Heptameron

Pragmatism in Navarre’s Heptameron In Navarre’s Heptameron, the tale of the princess who thwarts an attempted rape reveals the superiority of pragmatism over passion in a Europe transitioning from the medieval period to the Renaissance. Firstly, it is worth mentioning that the princess’ physical defeat of her lustful attacker would have violated traditional societal mores vis-à  -vis the male-female power dynamic. However, it is the princess’ social response that is most significant. While initially insistent on the would-be rapists ‘head’, she calms down after a discussion with her assistant. Her good judgment eventually prevails and the conclusion is favorable for her. The princess was a woman of moral uprightness; that is emphasized in the tale. Her rage emanated from her knowledge that a man, whom she, in an exercise of free will and of her honor, had rejected, would then try to take forcefully that which she had refused to give voluntarily. Clearly, the assailant (also her host) deserved to be punished. The medieval solution would be execution of the attacker; that was the surest way of preserving the family’s honor. However, in the process, the princess’ personal reputation could be destroyed. So, the princess pursues her own personal interest; she refuses to be a victim of â€Å"greater good† philosophy. Her innovative solution leads to the host being consumed with his own guilt. He can no longer bear to face the woman he loved so greatly. His bruises serve as a personal reminder of his sin. The princess, on the other hand, receives confirmation of her suspicions—which she would have been deprived of had she punished her host in a more traditional fashion—and her honor remains intact. Her scheme is also more torturesome for the host; he knows that she might know and her professional and noble behavior throughout attests to her goodness—a goodness he tried to violate.

Channel Structure and strategic choice in distribution channels Essay

This article mainly talks about the importance of marketing channel of marketing channel strategy decisions, they are highlighted by: 1) term consequences and 2) the constraints andopportunities that they represent..The present paper incorporates strategic management theory into marketingchannels literatures to examine the impact of different channel structures onthe choice of a generic channels strategy. Specifically, the contingent effects of channel power/control and the degree ofvertical integration are examined as they affect the choice between thegeneric strategies of overall costleadership, differentiation, focus, andcombination strategies. Besides research on the manipulation of power and influence attempts, littleattention has been given to the study of channel strategies. The intent of the present paper is to examine how one strategy concept,choice of a generic strategy, can be applied in a channel context. The basis of the discussion of strategy will be Porter’s str ategy typology,though supporting literature wiU also be used. Overall LowCost Leader, The OLC strategy stresses economies of scale,proprietary knowledge, preferendal access to raw materials, aggressive pricingpolicies, cost minimizadon, stable product lines and other factors which leadthe firm to become â€Å"The† low-cost producer or supplier in its industry. Specifically, I will be concerned with how varying levels of vertical integrationand power/control within the channel affect the choice of a generic strategy. I first need to provide a brief review of the strategy framework to be utilized. The Strategic Framework The work by Porter defines three generic strategieswhich firms might choose to pursue in order to establish a competidveadvantage: overall low-cost leader, differentiation and focus. According to Porter, a firm’s compeddve advantage combines with its scope ofacdvides to determine which of the three generic strategies the firm willchoose. The generic strategy, will, in turn affect the performance of the firm. 80 Firms stressing the differendadon strategy seek to be unique in theirindustry along some dimensions that are widely valued by buyers. Focus The focus strategy rests on the choice of a narrow compeddve  scopewithin an industry. The firm following this strategy selects a segment or subsecdon of an industryand s ets a strategy to serve it better than anyone else in the industry. Combination Strategies Porter states that each of his strategies is a†Fundamentally different approach to creadng and sustaining a compeddveadvantage†. Further support for a combination strategy is found in Wright, et al. Interestingly, the firms with the highest performance followed a combinationstrategy. Vertical Integration and Strategy The literature just discussed providesevidence that organizations may pursue more than one strategy at a time,thus allowing for a combination strategy. The current paper will include four potential strategies from which firms mightchoose: OLC, differentiation, focus, and combination. The following section will develop propositions, which identify contingentchannel conditions, which affect the choice of a generic strategy. Development of Propositions A number of management researchers have putforth contingency approaches, identifying under what conditions each genericstrategy is appropriate. On the internal end, are cost minimization, low cost leader, and defenderstrategies, consistent with the vertically integrated firm? At the other end ofthe continuum are maximizing, prospecting, and differentiating strategies,consistent with the nonintegrated firm. PI: Firms which are highly vertical integrated are more likely to choose an OLCstrategy. P2: Firms with low levels of integration are more Ukely to choose adifferentiation strategy. In terms of a combination strategy, there is evidence to suggest that firms,which generate high growth and high profits, are better equipped to use botha differentiation and an OLC strategy. When combined, these strategies produce enhanced economies of scale andimproved ROI. Some researchers take the position that power is necessarily a negativeaspect in that, those who possess it will attempt to infiuence exchangepartners by use of coercive influence strategies. If the firm chooses a focus strategy, it will attempt to â€Å"Own† a particularmarket segment either through price leadership or differentiation. The difference between this strategy and the focus strategy is the fact thatfocus concentrates on a particular segment, while this strategy is industry-wide. The choice between these two strategies is likely to depend on the scope  ofthe supplier’s activities. While these firms are able to compete on an OLC strategy, there is not muchincentive to do so. When competing firms counter the low cost leader strategy, firms musteventually turn to some form of differentiation or suffer long-runconsequences for the industry. P5: When faced with the superior power of buyers, suppliers with a regionalcompetitive scope will attempt to combat the power of buyers by choosing afocus strategy. As discussed in the section on vertical integration, the pursuit of tactics suchas integration, cost reductions, and reliance on standardization of practices,is consistent with an overall low-cost leader strategy. P6: When faced with high levels of supplier power, buying firms willemphasize on a differentiated focus strategy. The concept of channel strategy has received little attention. Specifically, the contingent effects of channel power/control and the degree ofvertical integration have been examined as they affect the choice betweenthe geneVic strategies of overall cost-leadership, differentiation, focus, andcombination strategies. Contingent propositions is meant to show the interrelationship of channelstructure and subsequent channel strategies.