Loyalty Marketing

Customer Loyalty Program for Restaurants in a five Star Hotel:Customer marketing long since began when marketing practices started.   Loyalty marketing is not a new concept.   Best customers generate most profits an example was in the 50s when ‘mom & pop stores look after its best customers.   A good customer spends more than thirty percent and keeps coming back but worst customers are less loyal.Chris X. Moloney and Fred Reichheld noted that loyalty marketing has a new marketing discipline called â€Å"Customer Advocacy Marketing† (CAM).   This programme in marketing is strongly linked with loyalty and customer referral (Wikepedia).With the future, it seems that new technology can always be costly but it is a marketer’s friend.   Hence, technologies and techniques of the past in some tasks are most reliable and appropriate especially in the business of hospitality and restaurants particularly for tasks where attitudes and habits of consumers are difficu lt to change.I.   Customer Loyalty – its benefitsThe rapid advancement of technology, relations between the 21st century customer and supplier needs to be nurtured because of growing competition and new demands or high customers’ expectations.   Restaurant businesses grow faster than the rate of demand.   A business is building up then suddenly a new comer comes along.   For this reason, it made sense to nurture or retain regular good customers than to attract new ones.a. Long Term ProfitabilityMarketing is supposed to contribute long term profitability into a business but competition is intense.   Now it is important to regard its effort in a changing marketplace.First of all we must check how a loyalty program fits an establishment, how can it continue to progress, and how to encourage future investment for its continuous development or its expansion?Customer Loyalty Program is only one aspect of the comprehensive marketing techniques but it is the central pillar of the plan.   In the article written by Randolph Hobler he noted that only 5% of the top 130 restaurants in the US have loyalty programs (Hobler).   Sixty percent of consumers go to restaurants with rewards program.   However, despite of the knowledge that a good loyalty program pays back from the very beginning; (example is the Tesco’s Club Card who makes money from day to day). Still, only twenty five percent of the National Restaurant Association in the U.S. used loyalty program.To attain this program data must be collected and from these data a study or an intelligent interpretation should be provided to have much clearer picture on the customer base.   Most of the program will have this question â€Å"When is the payback begun to happen?†Ã‚   For some it happens right away but in some it will depend on the circumstances.b. Customer RetentionHigh performing companies retains customers and magnets other clients.   Businesses that retains its client s makes more money at lower cost than the one who constantly pays for advertisements just to invite new customers.   A loyal customer depends mainly on the good and sound practice of the business and its marketing schemes at all times.   Clients are normally easy to lose than to win.Retaining customers have simple principles:   know your clients and reward them.It is important to perform the following tasks:a. Study the peak-hour and plan to retain the number of customers at slow times.b. Make new menu items and take-out productsc. Provide functions activities such as parties with specialty drinksd. Up-sell products like value mealse. Provide incentives and encourage secure registering and loading of cardsf. Changing business operations for a greater profit must also be considered by creating an economic balance between getting the attention of customers and in giving them rewards.II. How to build customer loyalty – its factorsCritical factors to built customer loyaltyM arket Size or EstimationThis is a tool which gives very good guidelines to calculate market sizes reasonably of the member base who would receive loyalty programs or rewards.Trends and ForecastTrends means consumer behavior and spending patterns based on customer marketing initiatives and forecasts of future marketing campaigns.Best practices and InnovationsProblems with loyalty programs and practices will be examined like issues and pitfalls, corporate values and visions including inconsistent messages to consumers, comparing loyalty rewards from competitors and finding out what does not work.Best Customer Marketing Access Pricing and Customer Lifetime ValueAs it implies, directing good customers since they bring the most profit.   Since pricing strategy is the key features in every business, best customers should have access to discounted pricing throughout its lifetime.   Customers may collect points on their purchase on a frequent or everyday basis measuring loyalty’s effect on the customer’s lifetime value.Essential data or business models can be used to analyze CLV calculations.  Ã‚   â€Å"The most important factor in consumer loyalty program is the price†(Weiss). Although it is important not all people buy because of the price but sometimes because of   loyalty to the brand.Customer loyalty and analysis – New toolsWe do not develop loyalty tools from scratch but examine newer tools used by the loyalty rewards program.   Some of them are:   The loyalty token – it is the bit of the program that members carry in order to have contact with the program.   An advantage of this is to link the transaction with the database however those data can be transmitted to and fro.   Why?   It is important to search the true value and function of a reward, its properties, getting the most of it, and the reward redemption process.Human Aspect of the Loyalty programThe aspect of human loyalty is very important.   This is the cycle of customer – employee – shareholder/owner relationships.   These are actions and emotions that must satisfy every human condition.   This is also one way of keeping clients happy with a new policy since most of the time the front liners are the one who deals with customers closely and yet are the ones who are underpaid.Customer loyalty program for hotels, resorts and casinosOne reason why restaurants in hotels are not expanding on its reward program is due to the fact that almost 50% of visitors do not belong to any loyalty program.   The business is still an untapped market.  Ã‚   For instance the use of wireless consoles to summon waiters, loyalty programs with personalize services such as greeting the customer by the name and   seats the client at their favorite table with his usual drink etc.. Technologies are also employed to hasten meal preparations.The future of loyalty as what experts thinks:The best way of looking into the future is to examine what happened in the past and from that make a projection.   Though it is hard to make expectations because sometimes things happen when you least expect it.The trend for globalization will have two distinctive effects. One, there will be no division in the international border.   We will have a global macro-regional system as opposed to centralized system we have today.  Ã‚   Second, worldwide trend on customer loyalty will be more difficult to develop because of the ever changing consumer values. (Trend).The future is here today. It would be to the disadvantage of new marketers of today if they would not embrace the new technologies.We are expected to see in the future more sophisticated innovations and consumers will expect more points to buy items which ordinarily are out of reach.   Marketers who will not embrace this change will be at the least advantage state.Since the opening of Scala’s Bistro in 1995 a culinary of French and Italian countryside, the restaurants focused on list of primarily California and Italian selections of wine along with few French varietals.   Scala offers 10-15 choices by the glass and 150 selections by the bottle.   The restaurants serve culinary delights of both Italy and France; fresh local vegetables combine to a rustic innovative menu.   It has offered 18% of gratuity to parties of more than six.   One can be found at 432 Powell Street, San Francisco, CA. or search the web to find out comments of its satisfied customers.References:Hobler, Randolph. â€Å"Late to the Table.† 2006.Trend, Herman. â€Å"The Future of Customer Loyalty â€Å", 2007.Weiss, Allen. â€Å"Is Price *Really* the Most Important Factor in Consumer Loyalty?† 2007.Wikepedia. â€Å"Loyalty Marketing.† 2007.

Women Asserting Their Power

Exploratory Essay #1 In A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin, the Iron Throne symbolizes the corruption of power and how having power can define a person depending on how one uses that power. Martin uses winter not just as a season but as a symbol of evil used to show how preparing for winter is also a way for preparing for evil. The corruption of power is a convention of high fantasy that is seen in A Game of Thrones. The Iron Throne is more than a seat made of many metals; it is a symbol of power because whoever sits on it is the ruler of the Seven Realms.Robert Baratheon, king of the Seven Realms, is portrayed through the eyes of his longtime friend Eddard Stark—more intimately known as Ned. Instead of ruling with reason, his actions are ruled by his emotions and desires. Robert is described to have â€Å"always been a man of huge appetites† (34). He is a stoutly man who enjoys food, but his huge appetites also refer to his desires. After Robert seized the Iron T hrone at the Battle of Trident, he was forever a changed man. Ned has known Robert since they were both young, little boys, so it is significant when Ned admits that â€Å"the king is a stranger to [him]† (299).The Robert that Ned knew as a young boy was not the same man as he knew now, but that man â€Å"had never been so practiced at shutting his eyes to things he did not wish to see† (319). â€Å"Robert was never known for his patience† (356). He is still a good man. â€Å"I should not have hit her. That was not†¦that was not kingly† (359). Robert is described to have â€Å"always been a man of huge appetites† (34), which refer to his huge appetites for food and wine but also refers to his appetite for power. At the battle of Trident, Robert displayed his desire for power when he seized the throne.Once he sat on the Iron Throne, his love for power made him negligent of the duties that come with power. He has no patience or desire to sit wit h the commoners and listen to their complaints. His disregard for the Night’s Watch at the Wall displays how little he treasures human life. He does not see how important it is to provide a visit to the Wall because â€Å"[the] Wall has stood for [†¦] eight thousand years [so] it can keep for a few days more† (37). His disregard for human life is an example of how power has corrupted him be become a negligent king, shown most apparently when Robert â€Å"vowed to kill Rhaegar for what he did to [Lyanna]† (36).He admits that killing the late Targaryen was not enough. It is this desire for revenge that exemplifies how being in power allows power to corrupt an individual and their decisions. As a king, Robert feels as if he is able to give power to the people below him to do his bidding while he gives in to his carnalities. When push comes to shove, Robert always takes the easy route out When Robert commands that Sansa’s wolf, Lady, be killed, he is una ble to do what Ned says is the more honorable thing to do.If one is going to take another one’s life away, then the executioner should give the one receiving the punishment a final respect for he takes away another man’s life. Instead of looking into Lady’s eyes, he takes the easy way out and tells Ned to do it. Robert’s inability to show respect for human life in his seat of power is also apparent when he commands Daenerys Targaryen and the child inside of her womb is killed. In that moment, Ned realizes that the boy that he once knew Robert to be no longer exists. The king who sits on the throne is not the same man who fought at the Battle of Trident. He has become an adulterer and a cheat.In contrast to the corruption of power in Robert Baratheon is Ned Stark and Ned’s desire to be righteous, even in the face of danger, because the Starks’ motto â€Å"Winter is coming† prepares them for the evil that is to sweep the land. It is app arent that winter is more than just a season in A Games of Thrones. When winter is referenced, there is a connotation of evil, which explains why it is important for the Seven Realms to have the Night’s Watch at the Wall. Robert indulges in the summer days and nights in the south, so he does not prepare for winter, which is a representative of evil, making him more susceptible to the corruption of power.Ned lives by the Stark’s household saying. He prepares for winter, so he is less vulnerable to the corruption of power. This is clearly shown in Ned’s interaction with Robert. Ned scrutinizes Robert negatively for his many vices: adultery, indifference, and overindulgence. Robert, in lieu of acknowledging the bastards that he possibly has fathered, he treats the women he has had sexual relations with as expendables, another example of Robert’s disregard for human life. Ned’s honor that is contrasted with Robert is also shown through Jon Snow, the ba stard son.Instead of leaving the blood of his blood to suffer with Jon’s mother, he chooses to bring Jon to Winterfell. Ned knows that breeding a bastard is a faux pas, but he faces the scrutiny and acknowledges his son. This shows that Ned—being a mere human—has made immoral mistakes, but what sets him apart from others is that he is able to repent and acknowledge his mistakes. Robert, on the other hand, chooses to take the easy way out. He does not acknowledge his bastards nor does he repent on his adultery. His high sense of righteousness is seen when Robert places the death penalty.Ned goes out of his way to give Lady a proper, Northern death where the executioner looks into the eyes of the one being punished. It is also apparent when Robert wants Daenerys and her child killed. The corruption of power in King’s Landing makes him â€Å"want nothing so much as to return to Winterfell, to the clean simplicity of the north† (269). He gives up his p osition as Hand of the King, showing how little his love for power is. The convention of the corruption of power in high fantasy is seen through the politics of A Game of Thrones.Ser Petry Baelish described the Red Keep to be home to â€Å"those who are loyal to the realm, and those who are loyal only to themselves† (269). Robert’s disregard for the Night’s Watch, the men who guard the realm from the unknown evils at the end of the world, shows that he cares little for what happens to the realm. He takes from the power that the throne entails to sate his carnalities and is â€Å"practiced at closing his eyes to things he would rather not see†, which is why the game of power is exclusive for the rich. While the king’s cabinet struggle to outsmart their colleagues, the poor struggle to meet their physiological needs.The northerners are not referenced to be poor, but they are like the commoners of the south because the northerners do not worry about w ho reigns. They live off the land and worry only about surviving winter. The south, on the other hand, is more cultured, but their government is more concerned about who will win the game of chess. The commoners have little interest in the game between the politicians because they have realized that just because someone is in a seat of power does not mean he or she will use it wisely.Cersei Lannistier, like her husband Robert, abuses her power and does what is best for her, not the realm. The opposite can be said for Ned. The moment he steps into office as Hand of the King, he attempts to rectify all that has gone wrong in King’s Landing: the financial deficit, Jon Arryn’s death, and even Robert’s bastard’s situation. Both Robert Baratheon and Eddard Stark have had exposure to the Iron Throne and winter, but it is how the individuals react to the power that decides whether power will corrupt them or not. Robert bathes in immorality and wickedness without ever noticing that he has gone astray.Ned, on the other hand, stands upright and aware of what is right or wrong. Works Cited Martin, George R. R. A Game of Thrones. Vol. 1. New York: Bantam, 1996. Print. A Song of Ice and Fire. Warner, Rosalind. â€Å"An American Game Of  Thrones. † Weblog post. Rozwarner. N. p. , 21 July 2012. Web. 28 Oct. 2012. . West, Thomas. â€Å"The Timeless, Powerful Themes of ‘Game of Thrones'†Ã‚  Yahoo! News  5 Sept. 2012: n. pag. Web. 21 Oct. 2012. .

Argumentative Essay Format

Argumentative Essay 5 I should have focused more on my grades this year. By attending many social events, waiting until the last minute to complete work, and refusing to study my grades began to drop. I feel that if I would have put more effort into my school work I would have achieved the grades I am capable of getting. By hanging out with friends and putting off work my grades gradually began to drop. Your senior year is not the year to slack off in; it would have better prepared me for college†¦ Argumentative Essay Should we always tell the truth? Do you always tell the truth or lies? You are not likely to reply immediately because this question is very extreme. While we live, we cannot always tell the truth, and we also cannot always tell lies. May be, it will depend on the situation that you encountered. There are innumerable reasons why most people tell lies to others. Usually, we tell lies to hide own fault or show off ourselves. There are a little bit different lies, of course†¦ Argu1nentative Essays Mani stones, Nepal An argumentative essay is an essay in which you agree or disagree with an issue, using reasons to support your opinion. Your goal is to convince your reader that your opinion is right. Argumentation is a popular kind of essay question because it forces students to think on their own: They have to take a stand on an issue, support their stand with solid reasons, and support their reasons with solid evidence. In a general writing test such as the TOEFL†¦ preferred styles in History; the Modern Language Association (MLA) of America style, used in the field of literature, arts, humanities, and some other disciplines; and the CBE format of the American Council of Science Educator, preferred in the natural sciences, and so on. The American Psychological Association (APA) format is the documentation advice for writers in the social sciences (education inclusive), produced by the American Psychological Association. It is the most widely accepted style in†¦ Evaluation Essay Argumentative essays work to convince an audience that the writer 's point of view on a subject is the correct one, and to persuade the audience to agree with the author’s viewpoint. The author must provide evidence and appeal to his or her readers. â€Å"Parents Should Be Allowed to Control What Kids Watch†, an article by Leland Y. Yee is an argumentative essay explaining why parents should monitor the games their kids play and the TV shows they watch, and the consequences of not doing†¦ Plans (activities) – e. Come up with financial projection i. How much funding needed ii. Itemize iii. Possible sources f. Monitoring system – how do we monitor success of our project? g. Other organizational support needed III. Final Paper: Format a. If data will be tabulated -- Proper titles b. Acknowledge sources, footnote c. Double spaced, short bond IV. Guidelines for Oral Defense a. Maximum participation! b. Only 1 hour to defend c. Criteria for evaluation of the paper and oral†¦ The part of the standard specifying the structure of the result set as well as carrying messages like errors or announcements is called the Output Query Format. The outermost XML element Output can envelope the GlobalComment, SystemMessage and ResultItem child elements. To describe the result of the query one can use GlobalComment. To propagate information regarding the responder system, the SystemMessage element is utilized. This includes errors and exception - for example if a proper result†¦ Argumentative Essay The function of an argumentative essay is to show that your assertion (opinion, theory, and hypothesis) about some phenomenon or phenomena is correct or more truthful than others'. The art of argumentation is not an easy skill to acquire. Many people might think that if one simply has an opinion, one can argue it successfully, and these folks are always surprised when others don't agree with them because their logic seems so correct. Argumentative writing is the act of forming†¦ The essays on the Declaration of Independence and the Letter from Birmingham jail, are very good persuasive essays, and that if I was alive during those times that I would have agreed with all of the authors. I also believe that these essay still stand today. First let’s start with the Declaration of Independence. In this essay Jefferson uses deductive argument’s that includes the examples on how Great Britain’s doings were wrong. It also gave me a chance to see how exactly why the United Sates†¦ Argumentative Essay Braden Rawson Social Networking or the use of specific websites or applications to interact with other users is one of the many key and driving factors today in our world. We find ourselves lost for many minutes or possibly hours at a time on any particular app or website. Looking deeper into the issue of social networking and its impact on our life, I highly doubt we have accomplished anything at all. A very smart man once said, â€Å"Time is money.† If that quote is true do we†¦

American Recovery Act Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

American Recovery Act - Essay Example Facts about the Act The act was developed by the Congress for fulfilling three most important goals of the country. The primary goal was to generate job opportunities within the country and at the same time perform activities for safeguarding the job opportunities that exist. The second important goal of the act was to encourage present activities for the betterment of the economy and also to invest for activities aimed at future long-term economic growth in the country. The third goal of the act was to promote ‘above standard’ levels of responsibility along with transparency in expenses of the government. The act intended to achieve its goals through provision of 288 billion Dollars to several business houses and families in the form of tax reduction sand benefits. The act also fostered provision of 224 billion dollars in the form of employment benefits and various other privileged programs. Furthermore, it was aimed to make available 275 billion dollars for the federal dealings, funding and loans. The act even made it mandatory that the individuals, families and businesses which receive recovery funds should report their mode of operating with the funds on a quarterly basis (Recovery, 2011). It is worth mentioning that despite of these wise objectives the act failed to secure the interest of the economy (Wagner, 2010). Effectiveness of the Recovery Act Wagner (2010) identified an important reason behind the failure of the Recovery Act. According to him, Keynesian multipliers have acted as stimulus towards transforming the act into a ‘failure’. The architects of the Recovery Act made use of the basic algebra to anticipate creation of job through the fiscal stimulus of the period 2009/2010. The fiscal stimulus through Keynesian multiplier is effective in providing momentary control in the economy during periods of excessive unemployment. The author downgraded the Keynesian economics on the basis of the fact that these mechanisms assist in measuring the unemployment rate but fails to recognize and apply means to put the unemployed persons back to work (Wagner, 2010). The theoretical aspect described in the above section can be supported through practical evidences from the unemployment facts of the country after the implementation of the Recovery Act 2009. The rate of unemployment of US during the month of August for the year 2009 stood at 9.7%. This percentage figure was the highest within a period of 26 years in the history of the country. The payrolls of the country declined by 6.9 million after the US economy had to face the recession which started its reign during December 2007. The Recovery Act was unable to halt the falling rate of employment that continued to decrease during the recession and reached to 14.9 million in 2009. Although the rate of decline in payrolls was below anticipation, the rate of unemployment grew up to a level which was more than the anticipated margin. In most of the sectors of the e conomy, the payroll was observed to decline except that in the sector of healthcare. The amount of total working hours in the economy also decreased by 0.3% in the same year i.e. 2009. The situation of long-run employment was even measured to have worsened than the previous years. These scenarios of employment during the year 2009, when the government took the initiative of passing the act determines a clean picture of its failure to fulfill its fundamental

Recording reality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Recording reality - Essay Example Simon Cowel, who was one of the judges of the Pop Idol show quit and launced his own show, the X factor and owned its television rights. However, there was a perceived similarity between the two shows and this created a legal dispute. The only existing difference between the shows is that in Idol, judges only sued to criticize the performances of the contestants, unlike in the X factor where the judges mentors the participants. Participants/ contestants have continued to gain popularity and publicity out of participation in this show. In addition, the winning person gets the prize of a recording contract (Blanco, 2014). The talent show is mainly concerned with locating a potential pop star individual or a group, singing talent, personality and appearance, stage presence and routines of dance, all these are fundamental elements of the participant’s performances. In the initial shows, each contestant performs once in the first show in the presence of some studio audience as well as judges, singing over a pre-recorded form of a backing track. Dancers are also featured in the whole process. Contestants are also allowed to carry with themselves guitars, a piano, or any other singing instrument. The X factor talent show is aimed at improving the lives of participants who have singing talents. Ben Haenow won the X factor and he could not believe it, this experience changed his entire life. Other purposes of the talent show include: Whereas not everyone admits to being a fan of the talent show, its strong appeal has spanned generations from different gender and socio-economic backgrounds. In addition to the purposes of entertainment and growing talents, the show also presents a mass marketing opportunity for businesses and organizations in the UK. Brands pay money in terms of premium for them to reach large audiences on the X factor especially on ITV. Any person of any age and those who believe that they have singing talents are always

The Benefits of Using Marijuana for Medical Purposes Research Paper

The Benefits of Using Marijuana for Medical Purposes - Research Paper Example THC happens to be a cannabinoid compound binding to CB1 cannabinoid receptors within the human brain. These cannabinoids tend to mimic endocannabinoids produced in the brain that occur naturally, though they do it with effects that are much more powerful. CB1 receptors are within the cerebral cortex mainly the frontal sections, the basal ganglia, the hippocampus, the cerebellum, the anterior cingulate cortex, and the hypothalamus. There are experimental illustrations of the outcomes of THC by the use of animal studies, as well as in vitro human studies. The performance of THC is through inhibiting the discharge of neurotransmitters, comprising of L-glutamate, acetylcholine, GABA, 5-HT, noradrenaline, and dopamine. Though endocannabinoids tend to be rapidly inactivated through the enzyme, fatty acid amide hydrolase, there are exogenous cannabinoids like, which persist for longer periods of time, leading to the noted physiological effects (Masson, Leavitt & Chaffee, 2011). Benefits of Medical marijuana It is impossible to list all the medicinal, as well as medical benefits of marijuana since they are so many; people all over the world are standing up for their rights for the incorporation of holistic, natural medicines so as to remedy their ailments. With the help of modern technologies, the numerous medicinal benefits associated with marijuana are ever-increasingly turning out to be integrated into the same fabric of worldwide societies all over the world. Marijuana helps in the treatment of conditions, which in most cases are side effects of certain diseases including reduction of stress, thwarting depression and battling the effects of an astounding number of diseases, as well as other adverse health conditions. Below are some of the most remarkable, medicinal marijuana that is clinically-proven. In order to understand these benefits, it is appropriate to analyze some of the diseases leading to these side effects (Gerber, 2004). a) AIDS: Studies show that a qu arter of all AIDS patients is using cannabis as a way of pain or anxiety relief, in curbing nausea, and in helping in the improvement of their appetites since medical marijuana has anti-emetic, as well as analgesic properties, which tend to be beneficial in treating HIV and AIDS-related symptoms.  Ã‚  

Love the importance of internal control in auditing Research Paper

Love the importance of internal control in auditing - Research Paper Example The auditor may obtain this level of assurance by performing audit procedures. The audit procedures to be performed are designed in the light of size and complexity of the entity. These are also affected by the auditor’s assessment of the risk of material misstatement and the auditor focuses on the areas where the risk of material misstatement may be present. The risk of material misstatement is the function of the inherent risk and the control risk. Inherent risk is defined as the susceptibility of financial statements and assertions therein to misstatements which are material in the context of the financial statements. On the other hand, control risk is defined as a risk that the financial statements and assertion therein may susceptible to a material misstatement which are not prevented, or remain undetected and uncorrected by the internal controls of the entity. To respond to the assessed control risks, the auditor performs test of controls. The understanding of the design ed suitability and functioning of the internal controls helps the auditor in responding to those risks. It also helps the auditor to obtain reasonable assurance that the entity is achieving the financial reporting objectives. Thus, to assess the risk of material misstatement at overall financial statements level and at assertion level, it is essential for the auditor to obtain an understanding of the internal controls of the entity. Internal control is defined as a process designed to provide the auditor, whether internal or external to the firm, with a reasonable assurance that the company is achieving its objectives. The internal controls are affected by management, those charged with governance and other personnel of the entity. (Koutoupis & Andreas, 2007, p. 23, 25, 27). The implementation and maintenance of effective internal controls is the responsibility of the management. It is also the responsibility of the management to ensure that the controls designed and implemented by the management are achieving the desired objectives. The management should also assess whether the controls over financial reporting are reliable and whether any frauds may be detected by the internal controls in operation. The management shall also assess whether the employees of the organization comply with laws and regulations relevant to the entity. This usefulness of internal controls makes it necessary for the entity to continuo usly and consciously evaluate the effectiveness and appropriateness of internal controls. A good and effective management always assess the effectiveness of internal controls on a periodic basis. Such evaluations help to pinpoint any deficiencies occurred in the controls during the period. It also helps to improve the internal controls efficiency and effectiveness in the changing circumstances. The practice of self-assessment of controls has emerged in the past decade. (Dietz & Donna & Snyder & Herbert, 2011, p. 35-40). Through this tool, the management has taken the responsibility for evaluating and improving internal controls. This evaluation is also considered important while designing new or additional internal controls. However, the method of designing of new controls is more or less same with the evaluation of the entity’s existing controls. Firstly, the entity identifies the reporting

Business Plan Analysis Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Business Plan Analysis - Research Proposal Example The BP is clear in its statements on Replay's mission and business objectives. The BP describes in detail company's sales, gross margins and net profits to highlight the profitable nature of its venture. The BP indicates clearly what the keys to the success of this venture are and how they business will address them. It explains how the company will source the raw material and how it will sell its products. The critical issues that the business will face and how the company will face them have been explained. The company will have two divisions and will manufacture two products. The first plant (Recycling division) will produce cleaned and recycled plastic PET Flake (RPET) for which the raw material will be post-consumer beverage bottles. Waste material from Replay's sheets manufacturing customers will also be a source of raw material. Even though the output of raw material from this division can be sold directly in the market as flake, Replay proposes to use most of it in its second plant (Extrusion division). The output from here will be extruded roll stock PET sheets and extruded high strength strapping. Currently there are no competitors offering recycled PET materials in the western coast. All the major producers of this are in the eastern coast. There are distinctive cost advantages for manufactures in packaging industry and strapping material users when using the proposed products of Replay as there is a difference in cost of material of $ 0.2 per pound between virgin PET and recycled PET. Strapping material to be made from RPET is preferred by user industry over other currently used material like steel and virgin polypropylene, because of cost advantage. Locating a plant close to the source of raw material and market is a very important consideration for success of the project. This is because of the high cost of transportation and other logistics. By locating the plant in the west coast, the success of Replays business is assured. The company proposes to use the best technology possible. The plant that is being purchased for recycling PET bottles is state of art and well proven. Several companies are already using it. It uses an environmentally friendly technology. The owner of the patent of the technology is also one of the promoters of Replay. Because of the link of the promoter to the manufacturer, Replay will be able to source the plant at a relatively lower price, which will decrease their initial capital cost. This will further increase the profitability of the company. The raw material availability close to the plant is huge and growing because of increasing public awareness and initiative for recycling. The promoters have already made tie-up with one of the main "consolidators" for sourcing of adequate raw material for their entire requirement of Replay at competitive prices. Replay believes that price and quality will be the main considerations while selling. Its target market is the users of PET for roll stock sheet manufacturers (for producing high visibility packaging) and strapping producers for lumber industry. It expects to be able to give a clear price advantage as well as quality through the plant it is setting up. There is also a huge market for flake. Any material not consumed by their

Work-Related Project Analysis, Part I Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Work-Related Project Analysis, Part I - Essay Example This systems analysis includes a research into the supply chain system instated by Audi. The research methodology is primarily based upon a secondary research or more specifically a literature review of magazine article, press release, case study, and a textbook. The research design follows an empirical analysis based on qualitative sources that aims to analyze the working of its supply chain as the chosen system or project. Information is gathered from these sources as mentioned which will form the theoretical base in analyzing, assessing, and evaluating the efficiency, effectiveness, and performance of its supply chain system in delivery value to its consumers. The supply chain operations are important to any company for delivering its outputs and meeting its goals. Hence, this work related project analysis is to follow a literature review of secondary sources so as to gather the relevant information and knowledge regarding the system in place. The research design specifically invo lves use of germane sources so as to allow a rigorous analysis. Audi has now merged with the German based auto company Volkswagen AG after the company acquired 99 percent of its shares (Diaz, 2006). Having its head offices in Germany, Audi is a highly renowned automobile manufacturing company that produces high quality cars. The company’s supply chain system is a very important component of the supply chain which helps in delivering customer satisfaction and value to consumers. The production of its cars and the assembling of the various car components require seamless functioning of the supply chain. Production is aided by inbound and outbound logistics that helps to connect the transported raw materials with the production line. For many other car manufacturing firms, the supply chain department serves an important line function. Hence, I have chosen to base this research on the supply

Licensure, Certification and Accreditation Essay

Licensure, Certification and Accreditation - Essay Example The principal focus of all standards developed for the JCAHO is supposed to be on the patient. While the specifics of a standard for a particular performance area may emphasize the clinical or operational aspects of that performance area, the ultimate intent of the performance standard, according to the JCAHO, is the outcome for the patient (Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Organizations, 1996b). As a part of its health care accreditation program, the JCAHO began almost decade ago to require health care institutions to report sentinel events as a part of the JCAHO accreditation watch program. Sentinel events are patient-care errors or accidents that lead to patient death or major injury (Moore, 1998). In theory, the focus on sentinel events may be considered to be a strong point in the hospital accreditation process. In actual application, however, the value to the consumer of the sentinel event focus is weakened considerably. In 1998, the JCAHO issued a revision to its se ntinel event policy that encouraged health care organizations to voluntarily report sentinel events to the JCAHO, while the JCAHO in turn would stop making sentinel events information available to the public. This policy of the JCAHO was just one more example of the health care industry, it lawyers, and it lackeys in government trying to make a silk purse out of a sow ear [e.g., denying public access to specific information about health care mistakes so that the perpetrators of such mistakes could avoid being hauled into court by the people they harm]. Any health care organization that cares about its patients would voluntarily and without any urging of the JCAHO or any other organization develop standard operating procedures and control mechanisms to preclude the occurrence of all medical errors that harm patients. In 1999, the JCAHO published Preventing Adverse Events in Behavioral Health Care: A Systems Approach to Sentinel Events. The manual provides suggestions to health care o rganizations to help them to integrate standards for the prevention of adverse events (sentinel events) and other organizational risk management strategies (HO Releases Manual on Adverse Events999). Now, health care organizations can report sentinel events on line to the JCAHO and save even more money (that they can use to pay their lawyers to continue to shield their errors from the public). One area for which standards are established by the JCAHO is ethics. Ethical standards for health organizations apply to clinical practice, research, and all other aspects of the management of health organizations (Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Organizations, 1996c). Patient rights and organization ethics are dealt with together by the JCAHO. Since 1991 the JCAHO has required all hospitals to have in place procedures and resources to deal with ethical issues related to patient care. Again, in theory, this approach may be considered to be a strong point in the hospital accreditatio n process. The standards on patient rights were supplemented in 1995 with the requirement that hospitals address issues related to organizational ethics. Organizational ethics requires a hospital to conduct iness relationships with patients and the public in an ethical manneroint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, 1997, p. RI-1). The patient rights ethical standards not only require that hospitals

The Importance Of Symbolism In Three Short Stories Essay Example for Free

The Importance Of Symbolism In Three Short Stories Essay Symbolism is an integral part of literature.   It allows the writer to create for the reader multiple layers of meaning in an indirect manner, almost at an unconscious level.   At its most basic, this representation can be an almost one-for-one transposition, but the most skilful and enthralling literature allows for multiple possible readings, making it possible for every reader to take away their own personal interpretation, a message that can seem tailor-made for that person alone. These three short stories are famous pieces of literature, and rightly so: they have rich symbolic imagery that has captivated readers ever since their first publication.    That they are famous works is indisputable, but the reason for this enduring fame seems to be that each story’s symbolism speaks to a fundamental and enduring critique of humankind’s most elemental darker impulses, and the outcome of each reflects an uglier side of human nature than we prefer to own.   For this reason, these short stories have endured, and added both their message and the writer who composed it to the annals of literature. In Shirley Jackson’s â€Å"The Lottery† (268-273), a village assembles in the town center for the drawing of their annual lottery.   At first, the reader can be forgiven for believing that this is a festive rite in the life of the town, but as the tale moves along, a darker, more sinister shadow is cast over the proceedings, culminating in the ritual murder of the ostensible winner of the lottery by the whole village, including her family. The lottery itself seems to be a symbolic representation of the dangers of blindly following ‘traditional’ customs once the original meaning and purpose of the ritual has been forgotten, and only the ritual itself remains.   In this case, custom dictates that a member of the community be selected by lottery to be ritually stoned to death each year, and though no-one can remember why this must be so, they adhere to the custom, despite the fact that they know that other villages have abandoned the practice, and many of their own community are uncomfortable with continuing it. There are, however, other layers to the story.   It was once said that, â€Å"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.†Ã‚   The acquiescence of the community to the practice of ritual murder is disquieting, all the more so because not all the villagers are convinced of the necessity or the morality of the lottery. Those who are uneasy with the practice murmur their disquiet, but are quickly silenced by the voices of those who uphold the established custom as an integral part of their community and its identity, with no moral or practical justification provided.   Despite the fact that they do not seem any more convinced of the necessity or the morality of the lottery than they had before they spoke, the dissenters quickly fall silent, and do nothing as the inevitable outcome takes place.   Nay, they take their crime one step further; not only do they do nothing to prevent the murder, they actively participate in it. More conventional tales, such as Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, show a similar dilemma for a moral character, and the conventional ending is that the moral character takes a stand against the evil, whatever the personal cost.   In The Crucible, the character John Proctor has a choice: to stay silent about his extra-marital affair that has left his scorned lover with a motive when a witch hunt gives her the opportunity to call for the death of his wife, or to own his misdeed, own his dishonor, and save the reputation and life of his innocent wife.   He heroically chooses the righteous path, and dies to expose the injustice of the witch hunt. In â€Å"The Lottery†, however, those who have the ability to see the injustice see it, and do nothing, overthrowing both the conventional ending of such tales and the conventional belief that people have an intrinsic tendency to good over evil.   Even if this conventional belief is unjustified, we are accustomed to our fiction providing us with this more psychologically comfortable outcome, and people were enraged at the subversion of this convention in this particular short story.   It exposes an ugly side of human nature, the unwillingness to risk self even in the cause of justice, and people were, and are, uncomfortable with this reflection of themselves. In Guy De Maupassant’s â€Å"The Necklace† (4-11), once again, we are confronted with a darker side of the human psyche.   Written in the tone of a parable, the story recounts the tale of a vain and proud young wife who believes herself born for better things. Her selfish ambition leads her to borrow a necklace from a rich friend in order to feign the appearance of a woman of higher affluence and social standing than she in fact possesses at a high society event.   She loses the necklace, and she and her husband work in abject poverty for 10 years in order to replace the necklace without revealing the wife’s folly to the friend.   At the end of the 10 years, the vain and foolish wife has lost her coveted beauty, and upon meeting the former friend by chance, learns that the necklace she worked so hard to replace had been an imitation, and the labors that had robbed her of her youth and beauty had been for nothing. This tale is almost Biblical in its ‘pride goes before a fall’ message.   The necklace symbolizes the wife’s pride, vanity and imprudence.   It can also be taken to represent the belief that the social success that the wife covets and yearns for is as false a worthy aspiration as the gems in the necklace.   Reading audiences can be satisfied with the conventional ending, but it is an almost vengeful outcome for the character, with no chance of her redemption or salvation.   It too is a reflection of the darker side of human nature, and almost as troubling as the ugly side of the character that is revealed is the ugly side of the reader’s own grim satisfaction with her poetic justice. In Flannery O’Connor’s â€Å"A Good Man Is Hard to Find† (636-646), a family sets off on vacation.   The seemingly innocuous beginning leads to murder and mayhem when they have a car accident, and are waylaid in this predicament by an escaped murderer, who kills them all.   This dark little short story uses the journey to symbolize the path that the family is on in their lives.   The car wreck is a pretty accurate representation of where their lives were headed: the individual flaws and pettinesses of each member of the family are illustrated along the way. The children are rude, unruly and unmanageable; the parents do not lead by virtuous example, not bothering to discipline their misbehaving children; and the grandmother is manipulative and self-righteous.   Along the way, they stop for lunch, and the grandmother commiserates with the owner of the rest stop over their belief that good people are becoming scarce.   The irony of this is that the grandmother and the owner blame others for their own folly, and refuse to take responsibility for others taking advantage of that folly.   It is also ironic that not a single character in the story demonstrates any morality or compassion, it is their frailties that they betray. It is a combination of their follies that causes the accident, the abrupt end of the journey (symbolizing the end of their lives), and once the murderer arrives on the scene, he kills them, one by one, subverting the conventional salvation ending with their symbolic damnation. It is a very strongly religious message from a self-professed Catholic writer.   Whether the killer (The Misfit) represents God or Satan (one could argue either way), he symbolically represents judge, jury and executioner, and even the grandmother (who we are led to believe has made some kind of connection with The Misfit, and may therefore survive the incident) betrays her self-serving motives, and is killed.   The moral of the story seems to be that we all have a dark side, though there may be degrees of evil, but all evil will eventually be discovered and punished. Each of these three short stories’ use of symbolism is extremely evocative and effective.   This rich symbolism, combined with subversive plot outcomes, has made for a fascinating insight into humankind’s inherent darker impulses, and the outcome of each of these stories reflects the ugly side of human nature with an unsettling degree of accuracy. WORKS CITED Jackson, Shirley. â€Å"The Lottery.† Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing. Eds. Edgar V. Roberts and Henry Jacobs. Sixth edition. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 2001. 268-273. Maupassant, Guy De. â€Å"The Necklace.† Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing. Eds. Edgar V. Roberts and Henry Jacobs. Sixth edition. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 2001. 4-11. O’Connor, Flannery. â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find.† Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing. Eds. Edgar V. Roberts and Henry Jacobs. Sixth edition. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 2001. 636-646.

High School and School Teachers Essay Example for Free

High School and School Teachers Essay Abstract The report underscores the importance of the skills that are most essential and associated with career and college readiness, [Paul Weeks] says. Since many secondary school teachers arent familiar with the skills that have been identified as the most essential to succeed in college, high school educators cover a breadth of skills. Postsecondary instructors would rather see more depth, not a broad range that are only an inch deep, asserts Weeks. For example, two students can pass algebra but have vastly different experiences and their knowledge can vary greatly. Colleges review class titles but rarely evaluate the essential skills mastered in the class. Now we know what skills lead to college and career readiness, suggests Weeks. And the more high school teachers are aware of those skills and can teach them, the better their graduates will perform in postsecondary education. Boone County schools also are collaborating with Northern Kentucky University to develop basic math programs. We want to make sure that every student is at that level of mastery. It drives everything we do, [Karen Cheser] says. To prepare students to be college ready, it requires conversations, transparency, and a willingness to put out data. It takes community-will and providing resources, she remarks. Publication Title The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education Publisher The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education Date 08/2013 Study Explores Why many High School Graduates Are not Ready for College by Gary M Stern Content Type Journal Article Abstract The report underscores the importance of the skills that are most essential and associated with career and college readiness, [Paul Weeks] says. Since many secondary school teachers arent familiar with the skills that have been identified as the most essential to succeed in college, high school educators cover a breadth of skills. Postsecondary instructors would rather see more depth, not a broad range that are only an inch deep, asserts Weeks. For example, two students can pass algebra but have vastly different experiences and their knowledge can vary greatly. Colleges review class titles but rarely evaluate the essential skills mastered in the class. Now we know what skills lead to college and career readiness, suggests Weeks. And the more high school teachers are aware of those skills and can teach them, the better their graduates will perform in postsecondary education. Boone County schools also are collaborating with Northern Kentucky University to develop basic math programs. We want to make sure that every student is at that level of mastery. It drives everything we do, [Karen Cheser] says. To prepare students to be college ready, it requires conversations, transparency, and a willingness to put out data. It takes community-will and providing resources, she remarks. Publication Title. The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education Publisher The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education Date 08/2013 Study Explores Why many High School Graduates Are not Ready for College by Gary M Stern Content Type Journal Article Abstract The report underscores the importance of the skills that are most essential and associated with career and college readiness, [Paul Weeks] says. Since many secondary school teachers arent familiar with the skills that have been identified as the most essential to succeed in college, high school educators cover a breadth of skills. Postsecondary instructors would rather see more depth, not a broad range that are only an inch deep, asserts Weeks. For example, two students can pass algebra but have vastly different experiences and their knowledge can vary greatly. Colleges review class titles but rarely evaluate the essential skills mastered in the class. Now we know what skills lead to college and career readiness, suggests Weeks. And the more high school teachers are aware of those skills and can teach them, the better their graduates will perform in postsecondary education. Boone County schools also are collaborating with Northern Kentucky University to develop basic math programs. We want to make sure that every student is at that level of mastery. It drives everything we do, [Karen Cheser] says. To prepare students to be college ready, it requires conversations, transparency, and a willingness to put out data. It takes community-will and providing resources, she remarks. Publication Title The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education Publisher The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education Date 08/2013.

History of the English Empire

History of the English Empire England Empire Colonies In 1883, the British historian J.R. Seeley surveyed his nations empire with bemusement: â€Å"We seem to have conquered and peopled half the world in a fit of absence of mind.† When you consider the various American empires before c.1815, would you argue that they were acquired and maintained absentmindedly? In his collection of lectures entitled The Expansion of England, J.R. Seeley exasperatingly stated that the creation and growth of the British empire had been met with â€Å"a fit of absence of mind.† Seeley detailed the worrying trend amongst his contemporaries that the American colonies had not yielded sufficient profit for Britain, while the loss of the British American colonies had been as inevitable as the ripening of fruit. This sentiment was inextricably linked to the fact that Britain had endowed its American colonies with liberty and representative government, while not obsessively exerting metropolitan authority; conducive factors to the American revolution. As Britain had lacked the explicit notion of conquest in determining her imperial project in North America, and was rather, and primarily, a commercial empire, the question as to whether the various imperial projects had been conducted in â€Å"absence of mind† is raised. The fact that the British, French, and Dutch American empires were commercial ventures conducted by private individuals and companies to settle and procure profit from America, highlights the somewhat ad hoc maintenance of empire. However, to suggest that the foundation and settlement of the various American empires was done in an exclusively non-purposeful manner across the five centuries in which the continent was discovered, settled, and economically exploited is problematic. The sheer duration of the American empires puts to question how the various empires would have spanned centuries if they had been acquired and maintained absentmindedly. Further, in assessing the conquest of South America by the Spanish, an empire intrinsically founded on the spirit of the conquistador and mineral exploitation, the suggestion of absent-minded imperialism is further put to question. In addition to the problem of synthesising the various imperial missions under the questionable label of inattentiveness, there also lies the inherent issue that Seeley did not consciously intend to accuse the various American empires of governing with an â€Å"absence of mind†. Thus, the issues raised by the duration and ideological differentiation of the American empires cloud any simple creation of a definitive conclusion as to how, and by whom, the empires were acquired and maintained. From the foundation of the first British colony at Jamestown in 1606 to the Declaration of Independence in 1776, the British American empire to which Seeley referred to had spanned one-hundred and seventy years. This colonial longevity implicitly puts to question the sign of an absent-minded empire. Although there was no singular, cohesive force which settled, economically-exploited, and governed the American empires, there was purpose to be found in all the imperial projects. The fact that there was not one, but several, interwoven missions with different intentions and outcomes obscures the purposeful nature of the imperial projects.However, the very inception of the American empires clearly displayed purpose.In the royal charters granted by Elizabeth I and Henry VII, explorers such as Sir Walter Raleigh were given prerogatives to locate and conquer suitable areas of the New World for English possession. The creation of colonies had a two-fold purpose; to emulate the economic success of Spainand create ting new areas of commerce and agricultural produce for England. Indeed, not only were royal charters granted by European monarchs to explorers seeking to claim and settle the Americas, but they were also granted to trading companies. This delegation of power showed pragmatic solutions to the acquisition of the virgin American markets. As the British, French, and Dutch states did not have enough capital to run the risk of acquiring new land, it was the purpose of companies such as the Plymouth and London groups to settle New England and the Chesapeake and to create agricultural produce and symbiotic trading agreements with the natives present there. Therefore, the control exuded by the private companies in the American empires should not suggest absent-mindedness on behalf of the mother countries, but rather, a practical measure to maximise profit and minimise investment in an untested and perhaps ruinous scheme. In describing the â€Å"absence of mind† of the British state, Seeley highlighted the issue of reluctant British imperialism and that this reluctance led to imperial disorganisation, which ultimately epitomised the absence of mind which he aimed to identify. However, this was not a direct attack on the commercial nature of the American colonies, but rather Seeley aimed to highlight a lack of a cohesive imperial identity which primarily referred to Britains Indian empire. Seeley states quite openly that â€Å"our acquisition of India was made blindly† while â€Å"when our first settlers went out to Virginia and New England We did intend to establish a new community†. Thus, by first allowing private investors to settle and acquire an economic base in America, followed by a direct application of metropolitan control when the colonies began to prosper, the British state had indeed acquired and maintained her commercial empire with purpose. The beneficial economic motives which led to the granting of a royal charter for Jamestown in 1606 resulted in the eventual if tortuous prosperity of the colony; identifying the commercial purpose of the British American empire. Even though it took several decades for Jamestown to prosper and be fully recognised by metropolitan authority in England may suggest a tenuous link for imperial purpose and direct control. But, by the seventeenth century, the British state had created the Navigation Act of 1660 which sought to consolidate previous economic regulations and ultimately, make trade more prosperous for England. By stating that no goods could be imported or exported into territories owned by Charles II, unless carried in English vessels, ensured the commercial hegemony of England in her American colonies. This coherent economic regulation, legislated just fifty-four years after the foundation of Jamestown, testifies to a purposeful maintenance of Britains commercial empire. Furthermore, the power of the British metropole, epitomised in the increased regulatory interference in the post-Seven Years War climate shows further purposeful maintenance of the American colonies. After Britain had curtailed French and Spanish power in North America, the British state aimed to apply the dictates of a centrally-based parliament, obsessed with the concept of sovereignty. This ideological shift primarily resulted from the altered power structure created in the aftermath of the Seven Years War. Due to a British sentiment that the colonies had defiantly dragged their feet during the course of the war combined with the fact that Britain defeated its imperial rivals in course becoming a hegemonic force in North America created a perceptible power shift. In creating a monopoly of power, the economic and political status of colonists and Indians worsened, culminating in Pontiacs rebellion and the subsequent grievances and retaliations of white settlers, such as the Paxton Boys, placing Britain in an unprecedented situation. In response to the increasing frontier disputes, growing prejudices between settlers and Native Americans, and the changed power-structure present after the Seven Years War, the metropolitan became increasingly authoritative in colonial legislation. Parliamentary revenue acts were enacted to pay for a ten-thousand strong land army to maintain authority in the colonies; the Royal Proclamation of 1763 aimed to reinforce the Crowns control of new colonies in North America, while the Stamp Act of 1765 attempted to apply direct taxation to the American colonies. This shift in metropolitan attitude, following the Seven Years War, was to become significant in the colonial grievances leading up to the Declaration of Independence while showing direct evidence of the purposeful governance of the Britains American empire. Nevertheless, the assertion that the American empires were acquired and maintained absentmindedly is not baseless, and can be persuasively attributed to the commercial empires of North America. The limited design and short-sighted nature of the various imperial projects is especially evident in the creation of some of the first American colonies in the early seventeenth century. The initial setbacks of the English colonies at Roanoke which completely vanished and Jamestown, which witnessed continual deprivationand ruinous warfare against the Powhattan empire to the similar failure of Cartiers French colonies shows the limited design and purpose behind the formative American colonies. The fact that such ventures failed for simple, and surmountable, reasons such as lack of supply and poor location and suffered initial, and unnecessary, setbacks in declaring war against Native Americans, showed that the American empires, from the very beginning, had limited success and little central control. In essence, Jamestown was not the centre of metropolitan attention, most of its initial settlers quickly died, and by 1622 the Virginia Company was close to bankruptcy. Indeed, the sixteenth and seventeenth century French and English explorers and settlers initially sought the lucrative promise of Gold and Silver akin to the Spanish discovery and exploitation in South America. Explorers such as Raleigh and Cartier became obsessed with the acquisition of precious metalsin a vain attempt to match the prosperity of the Spanish empire. Therefore the English and French colonies, following the absence of a codified plan, essentially stumbled, half-reluctantly, upon their system of agricultural produce and commerce,in lieu of Gold. Moreover, the criticism applied to the absent-minded metropole in the foundation of the American colonies can be further applied to the ad hoc maintenance of the American empire. Since private companies and individuals had been in control of colonial affairs in varying senses and had been granted differing vested powers, the maintenance of metropolitan authority was not cohesive. Effective metropolitan control was not in place until the radically altered political structure following the Seven Years War in America. Indeed, rather than the Seven Years War being perceived as a prime example of purposeful metropolitan maintenance of an economic and political empire, it was the increase in metropolitan authority after 1763 which highlighted previous absent-mindedness regarding America. Until the latter half of the eighteenth century, metropolitan authority had been a secondary premise behind the commercial nature of the American empire, which was founded not on exploitation, but the granting of political freedoms, liberty, and local representation. Given the general perception that the British, French and Dutch empires began ignominiously in the seventeenth century, while the respective States ruled their mercantilist empires with a laissez-faire attitude, it would seem apt to label their imperial experiences as absent-minded. However, despite the initial setbacks in America, each of the American empires did aim to settle and govern their colonies in the best interest of commerce. Trade was the pre-eminent motive for the investors of the Virginia company, while specific instructions were given to prospective colonists of Jamestown to maximise productivity. Further, the nature of French imperialism in North America shown in the system of trading posts on the St. Lawrence and Mississippi River, epitomises the commercial presence of the European powers in America. In presiding over a large portion of sparsely populated land the French sought to create a monopoly of trade with the Native Americans without impinging on territory or imposing a large army; their empire was built on a trade relationship in which both the French traders and state, as well as the natives, benefited. Further, in the small colonies of the New Netherlands and New Sweden, army deployment and state control was similarly weak, creating the perfect environment for lucrative trade. Indeed, a recurring theme in Shortos depiction of the New Netherlands was the realisation made by explorers and governors that the Dutch colony was situated in an optimum location for the control of trade along the seaboard and into the American interior. This proved that it was the identification and exploitation, through colonisation, of prosperous economic regions which was important to European imperial regimes; suggesting a purposeful maintenance of the commercial North American empires. The argument for absent-minded imperialism further falls apart when applied to the Spanish style of empire employed in South America. The Spanish state, while recognising the commercial benefits of the South American colonies, acquired and maintained her empire purposefully. Inspired by the legitimisation to New World conquest granted by the Alexandrine Bulls and through the use of the requerimiento, the Spanish pursued an empire of conquest intent on the subjugation of the native peoples, exploitation of bullion, and the evangelisation of the native population. By conquering the Aztec and Mayan empires in the sixteenth century and exploiting abundant gold and silver deposits, the South American Spanish Viceroyalties were intrinsically founded on the Spirit of Conquestwith an aim to increase Spanish power via the importation of bullion. The Spanish thus used the plunder and mineral deposits of South America as a means to increase their power in Europe and to consolidate their position in the Americas. Furthermore, the central nature of this debate, that of Seeleys bemusement at the imperial absence of mind in America, has had its original intention taken out of context. Seeley saw the American empire as an integral part of Greater Britain which had been unfairly neglected by British historians. By declaring that the â€Å"absence of mind†, Seeley was referring to the fact that Britains imperial project in America had failed to alter British perceptions of Great Britain, that it had failed to â€Å"change our ways of thinking† and that â€Å"we do not reckon our colonies as really belonging to us†. Thus the â€Å"absence of mind† was not directed at the acquisition and maintenance of empire, but rather at the â€Å"indifference which we show towards the mighty phenomenon of the diffusion of our race and the expansion of our state.† To conclude, the declaration that the American empires were acquired and maintained with a complete absence of mind is incorrect. Each European imperial project had differing intentions, were settled by different individuals and spanned across centuries, and so a sense of continued purpose was inevitably lost. But there was, of course, purpose behind the imperial projects, or they would not have been settled or economically exploited in the first place. Both France and England settled in America for commercial interests while the Spanish purposefully exploited the economic wealth of South America. Further, the importance of questioning J.R. Seeleys quote cannot be understated. He was not necessarily accusing Britain of an absence of mind in regards to America, but rather in a historical sense; that the greatness of the imperial schemes had be ignored, and a re-assessment of the importance and centrality it held to British history must be made. Bibliography Appelbaum, Robert (ed.)Envisioning an English Empire: Jamestown and the Making of the North Atlantic World (2005). Armitage, David,The Ideological Origins of the British Empire (Cambridge, 2000). Elliott, John, Empires of the Atlantic World: Britain and Spain in America 1492-1830 (New Haven, 2006). The Old World and the New, 1492-1650 (Cambridge, 1970). Games, Alison, Migration and the Origins of the English Atlantic World (Cambridge,  1999). Pagden, Anthony,Lords of all the World: Ideologies of Empire in Spain, Britain and France, c.1500 – 1800 (New Haven, 1995). Richter, Daniel,Facing East from Indian Country (Cambridge, Mass., 2001). Samson, Jane (ed.)The British Empire (Oxford, 2001). Seed, Patricia, Ceremonies of Possession in Europes conquest of the New World, 1492 – 1640 (Cambridge, 1995). Seeley, J.R.,The Expansion of England (London, 1883). A Declaration and Remonstrance of the Distressed and Bleeding Frontier Inhabitants of the Province of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, 1764)

African American History in the Poems of Langston Hughes Essay

African American History in the Poems of Langston Hughes Langston Hughes was an African American poet who was one of the first black voices to be heard in America. He was distinct among his contemporaries with his writing about the blacks' experiences and history. His pride of his race and history was apparent in most of his works. In his poem, "The Negro Speaks of Rivers" his pride of his history and civilization is apparent by the repetition of the pronoun "I" in most of the lines. He is proud that his roots go back to the ancient civilizations which where associated with the great Rivers of Asia and Africa namely the Euphrates, the Nile and the Congo. Hughes repeats, "I've known rivers" which indicates the connection of black people with the beginning of human history. He also repeats, "My soul has grown deep like the rivers" which suggests the wisdom that is related to rivers; it also suggests that his soul bears the imprint of the sufferings of slavery and racism. The poem implies the whole history of African Americans' slavery without mentioning the word itself. He narrates this history from the beginning of time, when he "bathed in the Euphrates" and "built [his] hut near the Congo" as he was living a normal life. Then he "looked upon the Nile and raised the Pyramids above it", as the building of the Pyramids was the act of slaves. Then "Abe Lincoln went down to New Orleans", this precise line implies the blacks' history of slavery in America. It tells of existence of the slavery for a long period in America and of the efforts to abolish it, which ended by the Civil War in 1865 and Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation for freeing the slaves. Therefore, it is the history of people who were fr... ... "Dreams". Since dreams are the first step in any act, then black people have to dream in order to gain their freedom which is symbolized here by the" bird". He also hints in the poem at the oppression of white people to blacks. He considers America a "barren field" that is devoid of warm feelings and mercy. This" barren field" is" frozen with snow"; this symbolizes the white people who practise all sorts of oppression on the black race. Thus, it is evident that Langston Hughes in his poetry aimed at sending a message to the audience who most of them were whites. He was telling them about the history and civilization of the African Americans. He was speaking of the blacks' sufferings from slavery, discrimination and racism. He was aiming at showing his pride of his black ancestry and the contributions of the black people to the American civilization. African American History in the Poems of Langston Hughes Essay African American History in the Poems of Langston Hughes Langston Hughes was an African American poet who was one of the first black voices to be heard in America. He was distinct among his contemporaries with his writing about the blacks' experiences and history. His pride of his race and history was apparent in most of his works. In his poem, "The Negro Speaks of Rivers" his pride of his history and civilization is apparent by the repetition of the pronoun "I" in most of the lines. He is proud that his roots go back to the ancient civilizations which where associated with the great Rivers of Asia and Africa namely the Euphrates, the Nile and the Congo. Hughes repeats, "I've known rivers" which indicates the connection of black people with the beginning of human history. He also repeats, "My soul has grown deep like the rivers" which suggests the wisdom that is related to rivers; it also suggests that his soul bears the imprint of the sufferings of slavery and racism. The poem implies the whole history of African Americans' slavery without mentioning the word itself. He narrates this history from the beginning of time, when he "bathed in the Euphrates" and "built [his] hut near the Congo" as he was living a normal life. Then he "looked upon the Nile and raised the Pyramids above it", as the building of the Pyramids was the act of slaves. Then "Abe Lincoln went down to New Orleans", this precise line implies the blacks' history of slavery in America. It tells of existence of the slavery for a long period in America and of the efforts to abolish it, which ended by the Civil War in 1865 and Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation for freeing the slaves. Therefore, it is the history of people who were fr... ... "Dreams". Since dreams are the first step in any act, then black people have to dream in order to gain their freedom which is symbolized here by the" bird". He also hints in the poem at the oppression of white people to blacks. He considers America a "barren field" that is devoid of warm feelings and mercy. This" barren field" is" frozen with snow"; this symbolizes the white people who practise all sorts of oppression on the black race. Thus, it is evident that Langston Hughes in his poetry aimed at sending a message to the audience who most of them were whites. He was telling them about the history and civilization of the African Americans. He was speaking of the blacks' sufferings from slavery, discrimination and racism. He was aiming at showing his pride of his black ancestry and the contributions of the black people to the American civilization.

Celies Transformation in Alice Walkers Color Purple Essay -- Color P

Celie's Transformation in The Color Purple      Ã‚  Ã‚   Celie is not a typical protagonist. In Alice Walker's The Color Purple, the main character Celie is an ugly, poor girl who is severely lacking in self-confidence. However, Celie transforms throughout the course of the novel and manages to realize herself as a colorful, beautiful, and proud human being. Celie becomes a powerful individual.    The Color Purple follows Celie's transformation from an ugly duckling into a beautiful swan. What is remarkable is the fact that this transformation does not merely compose the plot of the novel, it also dominates the layout of the pages. The book's chapters are not written in a typical fashion as each chapter is a letter written from Celie to God, Celie to her sister Nettie, or Nellie to Celie. Alice Walker utilized this method of storytelling to give the reader a very personal glimpse into Celie's mind and soul. The writer gets a feel for Celie through her writing style- she uses specific phrasing to express herself and, over time, her mechanical writing skills improve greatly. We see Celie's thought process as she makes decisions and then writes about them. This powerful narration is the main driving force behind the words.      Ã‚   If we analyse the story instead of the narrative perspective can we see that the main reason of Celie's insecurity is caused by the way she is treated by men. She is sexually abus... ...kling transforms into a beautiful swan.    Works Cited and Consulted:    Klosowski, John E. "The Color Purple and Its True Color." Houston Cronicle. December 14, 1995 : 42-44.    Smith, Pamela A. "Green Lap, Brown Embrace, Blue Body: The Ecospirituality of Alice Walker." April Cross Currents 2000 (1999): 18 p. Online. Internet. 30 Nov. 2001.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Available: http://www.aril.org.smith2.htm.    Walker, Alice.   The Color Purple. Washington. Pocket Books/Washington Square Press (1985). Winchell, Donna Haisty. Alice Walker. New York: Twayne Publishers, 1992. Notes: 1 Walker, Alice, The Color Purple (1982), p. 11 2 ibid, p. 38 3 ibid, p. 76 4 Walker (1982), p. 82

Leading With The Heart :: GCSE Business Management BTEC Essays

Leading With The Heart I. Preseason Ch. 1: Getting Organized Establish right away in the first meeting the only rule for the team: â€Å"Don’t do anything that’s detrimental to yourself. Because if it’s detrimental to you, it’ll be detrimental to our program...† (Krzyzewski, 2000, p.4). Don’t dwell on it, so it does not ruin the moment. Recruit individuals who want to be part of a team and who are cacheable. Use plural pronouns from the very first meeting on. Use the words â€Å"our† instead of â€Å"my,† â€Å"we† instead of â€Å"I,† and â€Å"us† instead of â€Å"me.† Leadership on a team is plural, not singular. Make sure you are not the only one speaking in meetings, especially the first one, to demonstrate the principal of â€Å"we’re all important† (Krzyzewski, 2000, p.7). Include players, assistants, trainers, and team managers. Time Management During the first meeting, hand out notebooks and pocket calendars with important dates listed, such as practice times, special events, and game schedule. â€Å"Teach time management, not only as it relates to individuals, but as it pertains to a group† (Krzyzewski, 2000, p.18). Academics Remind athletes to tell professors of their schedules, when they will be missing class, and their plans on what to do for getting the materials they missed. Encourage the athletes to get the total university life experience. That is why there are no athletic dorms, so there is no separation between the athletes and student body. Stress the honor in academics and all things. Rules The rule â€Å"don’t do anything detrimental to yourself† covers a wide variety of things. Establishing too many rules gets in the way of leadership. â€Å"Don’t be a team of ‘I got’chas† (Krzyzewski, 2000, p.10). Leadership is â€Å"ongoing, adjustable, flexible and dynamic,† and so it allows the leader to have discretion. No â€Å"hard and fast rule† gives the leader the flexibility in different situations and provides the â€Å"latitude to lead† (Krzyzewski, 2000, p.11). Support System â€Å"Set up a family support system for your team. It’s like getting a shot to keep away jealousy† (Krzyzewski, 2000, p.12). Distribute laminated cards to each individual with the phone numbers of staff and fellow players. Remind them to call somebody when they’re in harms way. A Handshake Deal Make handshake deals with players during the recruiting process, and tell them of the â€Å"fair but not equal† policy, which means be â€Å"fair† in everything that you do, but players

Kasambahay Bill Debate Essay

Domestic workers are called a friendly term in Manila â€Å"Kasambahay†: to emphasize they are part of the household. The bill is yet to be signed in Congress to provide legal recognition for the domestic workers and recognize the important role that Kasambahay plays in the building of the family and of society. Filipinos oftentimes depend on the services of domestic house helpers for the orderly management of their households. Unfortunately, even if they perform vital day-to-day functions, domestic house helpers are often mistreated subjected to physical and mental abuse and made to work under inhuman and brutal working conditions. Although there are existing labor laws which seek to protect house helpers from these abuses, their implementation has been widely ignored. Moreover, these laws have become inadequate to fully address the concerns and needs of our house helpers. The kasambahay has the right to decent work which includes decent employment and income, humane conditions of work, access to and coverage in social protection schemes, and the opportunity for social dialogue and representation. This bill also recognizes the dignity and the nobility of the household helper industry. Under this proposed legislation, the rights and interests of household helper are enhanced and protected by ensuring just and equitable terms and conditions of their employment are embodied in their contract with their employers. This proposed legislation is an affirmation of the value and dignity of every person and guarantee full respect for human rights. Body: Affirmative: The bill will ensure that household helpers will be provided with basic necessities and other benefits. With House BillNo. 144, or the†Kasambahay Bill† passing its third and final reading in the House of Representatives, around two million domestic workers might soon enjoy standardized minimum wage and other basic benefits like health care, vacation leaves, and basic necessities. The bill mandates employers to enter into a contract with their helpers specifying the terms of the latter’s employment and job responsibilities. It will also require employers to provide for their helpers’ lodging, board, basic education, and medical needs. Employers are also not allowed to place their helper under debt bondage, nor are they allowed to employ minors to work for them. The State affirms labor as a primary social force and has committed to protect the rights of workers and promote their welfare. It is party to international instruments pledging the elimination of forced labor, elimination of discrimination in employment and occupation, and the abolition of child labor and trafficking in persons. The State has adopted the Decent Work Framework outlining good conditions of work for Filipino workers, which includes establishing labor standards, decent employment and income, enhanced coverage of social protection and strengthened social dialogue, including kasambahays. It seeks to uphold the rights and dignity of kasambahays to protect them from abuse and exploitation by providing safe and humane working conditions. Despite the vital and necessary work performed by kasambahays for most Filipino households and the important role they play in society, they are considered as one of the most vulnerable sectors in society due to the nature of their work. Of equal concern however, are employers of kasambahays who have equal rights to protection from abuse and exploitation of kasambahays. The State further recognizes that kasambahays of minority age have special inalienable rights and privileges that should be espoused and protected, particularly in the areas of education and self-improvement. The State recognizes the importance of partnering with various groups and individuals in the promotion and protection of the rights and welfare of kasambahays and enabling to be empowered members of society. Section 1 Article III of the Convention concerning decent work for domestic workers states that each member shall take measures to ensure the effective promotion and protection of the human rights of all domestic workers. The passage of Kasambahay Bill is a fulfillment of the country’s commitment to the international community when it ratified the domestic workers convention. More importantly, this aims to protect the welfare of more than two million househelpers, nursemaids, cooks, gardeners and laundry persons all over the country. Article II of the Kasambahay Bill (formally titled Act instituting policies for the protection and welfare of the domestic workers) explicitly enumerates the rights and privileges of every domestic worker. To wit: – The employer or any member of the household shall not subject a domestic worker to any kind of abuse or any form of physical violence or harassment. – The employer shall provide for the basic necessities of the domestic workers to include at least 3 adequate meals a day and sleeping arrangements that ensure safety. – The employer shall respect the privacy of domestic worker and shall extend the same to his/her communication and personal effects. – The employer shall grant the domestic worker access to outside communication. The employer shall afford the domestic workers to finish basic education and may allow access to alternative learning systems, higher education or technical and vocational training. The domestic workers shall also be entitled to a daily rest period of eight hours and a weekly rest period of least twenty-four consecutive hours. A domestic worker who has rendered at least one year of service shall be entitled to an annual servic e incentive leave of five (5) days with pay. It shall also be unlawful for the employer to place the domestic workers under debt bondage or the rendering of service as security or payment for a debt. Any violation of the act shall be punishable with a fine not less than 10,000 pesos without prejudice to the filing of appropriate civil and criminal action. Some provisions of this measure are in response to reported incidents of abuse and exploitation against our kasambahay and prevent them from happening of service. Rebuttal: On the other side of the argument, Kasambahay Bill is a messy, impractical. If not politically motivated, the Kasambahay bill is profound in theory, but in practice, it is messy and not practicable. First, not all housemaids are born equal, so to speak. Some come from recruiting agencies, others are walk-ins, and some others are poor, rescued distant blood relatives. It is so easy and noble to fix their salaries, give them the regular employee’s perks, benefits and bonuses, but the fact remains that our house helps are not employees at all because they have an entirely different, if incomparable, daily work routine. How can a housemaid be compared to the egular employee who commutes or drives to work, spends stressful time on the road and money just to get to work? That’s why employees and/or laborers are given fixed wages and all those perks and bonuses. And culturally and traditionally, our housemaids are not our employees but â€Å"family,† simply because they live with us. Some of them are even considered second mothers to the children of a busy working mother. If the Kasambahay bill becomes a law, it should apply only to housemaids hired from agencies, with a written contract that stipulates nature of tasks, salary, benefits, bonuses, etc. But then, considering the ramifications of the law, can the hiring family in turn charge the housemaid for board and lodging, granting he/she is a stay-in? It is therefore possible that many hardworking housemaids will lose their job and/or not be hired at all. At most, a Kasambahay law should be applied on a case-by-case basis. While the rich and the business sector may welcome it because they can afford the demands of the law. Conclusion: The kasambahay bill should enacted into law after 15 years in the making because itis for the benefit of our 1. million kasambahays nationwide. It provides minimum labor standards, including minimum wage setting, regulating working hours, provision of insurance and leave benefits for household helpers. This pro-poor measure stands to benefit the almost two million domestic workers we have throughout the country. Aside from the pay standardization, the House Bill 6144 also assured all domestic helpers of entitlement to a 13th month pay, coverage in the Social Security System, and all the benefits provided under Republic Act 8282, as amended. Also theKasambahay bill requires employers to provide three basic necessities —board, lodging and medical assistance, to their household help, nursemaids, cooks, gardeners and laundry persons. The Kasambahay bill seeks for the protection of local household workers from physical and emotional abuse. One of the highlights of the bill is the comprehensive package since it entitles our kasambahays of food and medical provisions, allowable holidays and days off, provision of a written contract, proper accommodation, social security and PhilHealth coverage, annual salary increases and medical certificates, among others.

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down

Final Paper: â€Å"The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down† By: Anne Fadiman Meghan Maloney 26 April 2013 To understand the struggles that the Hmong people face living in America it is important to understand where they come from and what they have gone through. The majority of the Hmong people originate from the mountainous country of Laos. The mountains created isolation from the neighboring cultures and cultivated a clan identity. They were part of a society where everyone worked together and lived off the land. They also practiced oral tradition since they could not read or write any language.Unfortunately, in the 1960’s Laos became the battlefield for the Vietnam War. The land was destroyed and the Hmong were forced to move or fight. Many evacuated while many were trained and armed by the U. S. as a secret guerrilla army. During this time of war, the Hmong lost all self-sufficiency, and became dependent on the U. S. for food as well as survival. An exodus of Hmong from Laos to Thailand was the death of many. The Hmong were hunted and forced to leave everything behind. The clan identity was left behind as well for it was everyman for himself. Those that were lucky enough to make it to Thailand were faced with assimilation.The Hmong saw assimilation as an insult and a threat to their culture. In order to resist oppression, the Hmong took the United State’s promise of land and government support, and moved to America. Still resisting assimilation in the U. S. , the Hmong were faced with culture shock. One of the biggest differences between Hmong culture and American culture is the practice of medicine. Anne Fadiman in â€Å"The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down† tells this clash as the story of Lia Lee and her American doctors. Lia Lee is a Hmong child that was born in the U. S. n July 19, 1982, after her parents, Foua and Nao Kao Lee, moved to America. She was delivered at a hospital in Merced, California they way Americans th ink is normal-on a metal table, scissors to snip the placenta, washing the baby with soap, and putting the baby in a heated box. Normal childbirth for the Hmong would be the mother pulling the baby out herself in silence on the dirt floor of their hut and then burying the placenta under the house. The Hmong believe that when you die your soul will come back to get your placenta. When Lia was three months old, her sister, Yer, slammed the front door in her face.Moments later Lia’s eyes rolled up, her arms flailed over her head, and she fainted. Lia’s parents believe that the noise of the door had been so frightening that her soul fled her body and became lost. The resulting symptoms are recognized as Quag Dab Peg, â€Å"The spirit catches you and you fall down†. Having Quag Dab Peg gives the person the power to perceive things others cannot see, and is a prerequisite for the journey into the realm of the unseen. Quag Dab Peg is considered an honor and blessing in Hmong culture. It allows the person the opportunity of becoming a txiv neeb, or spirit healer.It also confers an enormous amount of social status in the community because the txiv neeb is seen as a person of high moral character since the spirit chose them. In Hmong culture, saving face is of high importance. Foua and Nao Kao Lee brought Lia to Merced Community Medical Center (MCMC) after she had 20 of what Americans call seizures. At times, the Lees believed that Lia’s epilepsy wasn’t as much of a medical problem as a gift. The Hmong believed in shamanistic animism, which asserts that malevolent spirits are constantly seeking human souls, especially those of vulnerable or unloved children.Their hope was that if the spirits decided to keep hold of Lia, that long-term she would become a tvix neeb, and if she did not become a tvix neeb, then their hope was that the sickness would be short-term. The American doctors in MCMC view the Hmong as problematic patients and were not empathetic with the traditional Hmong lifestyles. Because there are no interpreters, communication is always an issue, they bring lots of family members with them as well as animals, and they make loud noises. When Foua and Nao Kao arrived at MCMC Lia had stopped seizing and was coughing.The doctors were forced to as they put it â€Å"practice veterinary medicine† since they couldn’t talk with the Lees, and treated Lia for her cough. They diagnosed Lia with early bronchiopneumonia because she exhibited those symptoms. The doctors had no way of knowing that the bronchial congestion was caused by aspiration of saliva or vomit during her seizure without trying to communicate with the Lees. The doctors put a pen and paper in front of the Lees and had them scribble on it. The doctors assumed the Lees would be able to buy and administer the medications that the paper described in detail.In reality the Lees had no idea what they just signed and walked out. This same situ ation happened a few more times until one time the Lees brought Lia in when she was still seizing and Dr. Dan Murphy was on shift. Dr. Murphy had some knowledge of the Hmong and could certainly diagnose her with epilepsy. In Hmong-English dictionaries Quad Dab Peg translates to epilepsy. Lees parents and the American doctors both knew what disease she had but to different cultures it meant different things. As stated above, in Hmong culture it was a privilege and was caused by Lia losing her soul.In American culture, we believe epilepsy is caused by a sporadic malfunction of the brain due to a head injury, tumor, infection, etc. We view it as a disease and that it needs to be taken care of by giving the person anticonvulsant drugs since there is no cure. This is just what Dr. Murphy did. Lia was discharged with specific instructions on what medications to take, how much of each, and what time of day they were to be taken. Considering Hmong don’t have the same time keeping sys tem as Americans, can’t read, don’t know how to measure medicine, and don’t believe in all this medication, Lia did not receive any medication.The Lees believed a txiv neeb could help Lia, so they had one come over and sacrificed a cow for her. It did not help and the American doctors continued to see Lia not getting better when her parents kept bringing her to MCMC. The American doctors thought that because Lia had no levels of medication in her blood her parents were guilty of child abuse. If they would have seen how much the Lees loved and cared for Lia at home they would have known this was not the case. Instead, they got the government involved and took Lia from the Lees and sent her to a foster home.The Lees welcomed Lia home after a year apart and lots of work with a social worker, Jeanine, whom was very interested in the Hmong and helped with administering the seizure medications. Hmong have many customs and folkways that are contradicted by those of the American mainstream and medical communities; for example, upon Lia’s arrival home her parents sacrificed a cow to propitiate ancestors and cure her illness. They performed traditional Hmong medial practices like coin rubbing, pinching Lia, gave her an herb necklace, and tried changing Lia’s name so that the spirit would leave her body and not be able to find her.On Nov. 25, 1986 not long after being home, Lia had another seizure episode. After ten minutes had passed, Foua and Nao Kao got in touch with their nephew who could speak enough English to get an ambulance. By calling for an ambulance Lia was given more attention upon arrival in the emergency room, but it delayed her treatment. Lia continued to seize for two hours and was barely breathing. A twenty-minute bout of status elipticus is considered life threatening. Lia was transferred to Fresno Intensive Care Unit for Pediatrics.Foua and Nao Kao thought that Lia was being transferred because the doctor at MCMC was going on vacation, but in fact it was because Fresno had a pediatric unit. At Fresno Lia was diagnosed with septic shock, the result of a bacterial invasion of the circulatory system that triggers the failure of one organ after another starting with the lungs and then moving to the brain. She also developed a condition in which her blood cannot clot. Lia’s EEG was flat. She had no brain activity left. The doctors decided to discontinue the anticonvulsants because she was dead to them.The doctors explained that her seizure medicines lowered her immune system responses, which allowed a bacterium to take over and stop brain activity. Foua and Nao Kao were somewhat right; the doctors were giving too much medicine and not enough neeb. It is most likely though that if the Lees were still in Laos, Lia would have died before she was out of her infancy, from a prolonged bout of untreated status epilepticus. Foua and Nao Kao finally got permission to bring their daughter home as they had been insisting the whole time. Lia went home on Dec. , 1986 as a quadriplegic, spastic, incontinent, incapable of purposeful movement, and in a persistent vegetative state. To Lia’s parents she went home as their little princess that they loved with all their heart. At home, Lia’s parents adored her and never left her side. They fed her teas from powdered roots and herbs, made several pig sacrifices, and bathed and dressed her multiple times a day. Because of the quality care Lia was receiving, she was stable and her medical check-ups decreased. Lia did not die but did not recover.Examination of this unfortunate story of a clash of two cultures has led to the discovery of what can be done to facilitate cooperation between cultures. Dr. Arthur Kleinman from Harvard Medical School designed a series of eight questions to elicit a patient’s explanatory model and enable the understanding of other cultures. The questions include: â€Å"What do you call the proble m? Why do you think it started when it did? What kind of treatment do you think the patient should receive? What do you fear most about the sickness?If the doctors at MCMC had taken the time to find a translator and sit down with the Lees to ask these questions, Lia might not be in a vegetative state. Other suggestions that could have aided in cooperation between the doctors and patients are female doctors for female patients, involvement of the patient’s families in all decisions, the use of interpreters who are both bilingual and bicultural, and the practice of conjoint treatment. The doctor using Western allopathic medicine can cure the disease but the indigenous healer heals the illness. This strategy promotes trust between the cultures.One person’s worldviews should not dominate another’s because they feel it is right. We need to realize our view of reality is only a view, not reality itself. In the U. S. , the medical community rarely has ways to communica te with people of cultures so radically different from mainstream American culture; even a good translator will find it difficult interpreting concepts between the two different cultures' world-concepts. Doctors need to be able to transcend culture and practice cultural responsiveness where they listen to patients and respond to them both as members of their cultures and as un-stereotyped individuals.A whole doctor-whole-patient approach is imperative: Ask not what disease the person has but rather what person the disease has. I am glad to hear that we have been moving in this direction as an American culture since 1995. Medicine in the U. S has been teaching students to separate emotions from the patient; dissociation is part of the job. In the last decade, efforts have been made to correct this way of thinking, and realize you are treating another human being not a universifiable body. Classes incorporating culture studies are being required as part of medical school and undergrad uate school curriculum as well.