HEALTHCARE ETHICS AND END OF LIFE DECISIONS Essay

HEALTHCARE ETHICS AND END OF LIFE DECISIONS - Essay Example There are also several factors that the court needs to look at as there comes a time when the court has to decide what type of treatment can be administered, withdrawn or withheld from a patient. Most important factors include whether a patient is competent or incompetent (Cohen-Almagor, 2001). A competent patient is seen by the court as an individual who is able to give informed consent or otherwise refuse treatment while incompetent patient is unable or lacks the capacity to do the same. In regard to individual autonomy the court is obliged to honor the consent of a competent patient in regard to their medical attention. When it comes to incompetent patient for example one that is in a comma, he or she cannot make an informed decision therefore an â€Å"advance directive† may be required in order to make a decision such as termination of life sustaining care and treatment. In the case quinlan, 70 N.J. 10, 355 A. 2d 647 is an example of a case where death is defined. Karen Ann Quinlan was in a vegetative state whereby she was brain dead and relied on mechanical respirator and artificial nutrition to sustain her. The courts were right to rule that a patient’s guardian and parents have the legal right to have a right of privacy on behalf of the patient. In so doing patients who are in an incompetent state can be safeguarded from suffering by their legal guardians or parents. The above definition however cannot be used as the universal definition as there are several definitions for the death. Some of the most common definitions are as follows: The common traditional meaning has always been adopted from Black’s Law Dictionary. The dictionary states that death is the â€Å"termination of respiration, heartbeat, and some of the central nervous system functionality, such as pulsation and respiration† (Pozgar, 2012). Most medical journals also define death as the end of life and dying as the process

Edgar Allan Poe’s The Masque of the Red Death Essay Example for Free

Edgar Allan Poe’s The Masque of the Red Death Essay Edgar Allan Poe’s short horror story entitled ‘The Masque of the Red Death: A Fantasy’ was published in Graham’s Magazine in 1838, and talks about a plague that the main character, Prince Prospero, attempts to evade (Laurent 2003). He holds a masquerade ball, each in different color, inside seven rooms in his abbey. On the other hand, Irvin Layton’s horror (or suspense) poem entitled ‘Rhine Boat Trip’ was written in 1977 and talks about murdered rabbis and the ghosts of children in the events in Nazi Germany, especially those that occurred during the Holocaust (Rhine Boat Trip, n. d. ). These two texts are both horrific, but aside from being different in terms of the format and the length, both display contrasting perspectives in their artistic, textual frames. Poe’s short story and Layton’s short poem display a suspense story; yet, as a whole, they display different styles and time frames. While Poe’s style displays something that is currently happening and distinctively described, Layton displays one that had already happened in the past and is directly described. Main Body The Masque of the Red Death by Edgar Allan Poe This short story attempts to describe how a plague called the Red Death enters Prince Prospero’s dominion, a prince who is being described as â€Å"happy and dauntless and sagacious† (Poe par. 2). The plague that has swept over the land is horrifying. As described, Blood was its Avatar and its seal –the redness and the horrors of blood. There were sharp pains, and sudden dizziness, and then profuse bleeding at the pores, with dissolution. The scarlet stains upon the body and especially upon the face of the victim, were the pest ban which shut him out from the aid and from the sympathy of his fellow-men. And the whole seizure, progress and termination of the disease, were the incidents of half an hour. (Poe par. 1) From this paragraph, Poe specifies how horrifying the plague is. The victim loses most of the blood within the body, which is the cause of sudden dizziness and dissolution. Poe’s use of blood is enough to make the story appalling to the reader. Using pictures that signify awfulness and terror, Poe makes the story one that makes the reader horror-struck. However, the plague is said to have stricken only his dominions and not Prince Prospero and his â€Å"hale and light-hearted friends from among the knights and dames of his court† (Poe par. 2). Poe makes it appear that the plague only strikes those that are not hale and light-hearted or only those that are wicked, depraved, or poor. When his dominions were cut in half and the depraved dominions were already cast out, Prince Prospero is said to summon his friends, and using a masquerade ball inside seven rooms, each in different color, of his castellated abbey, he entertains his friends amid the plague. Poe describes the abbey: This was an extensive and magnificent structure, the creation of the prince’s own eccentric yet august taste. A strong and lofty wall girdled it in. This wall had gates of iron. The courtiers, having entered, brought furnaces and massy hammers and welded the bolts. (Poe par. 2) The exact description of the castellated abbeys indicates that Prince Prospero and the one thousand light-hearted friends are being protected from the killing plague that has stricken over the land. Then Poe begins to describe extensively the seven colored rooms: It was a voluptuous scene, that masquerade†¦ There was a sharp turn at every twenty or thirty yards, and at each turn a novel effect. To the right and left, in the middle of each wall, a tall and narrow Gothic window looked out upon a closed corridor which pursued the windings of the suite. These windows were of stained glass whose color varied in accordance with the prevailing hue of the decorations of the chamber into which it opened. (Poe par. 4) Poe mentions that, having to describe the decorations of the castellated abbey, Prince Prospero is actually eccentric, august, voluptuous, and bizarre. Poe also mentions that â€Å"[t]he tastes of the duke were peculiar. He had a fine eye for colors and effects. He disregarded the decora of mere fashion. His plans were bold and fiery†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (par. 6). A mystifying figure suddenly appears, one that is described as â€Å"a masked figure which had arrested the attention of no single individual before† (par. 9). When Prince confronts the mystifying image, he suddenly falls dead, as specified in these lines: â€Å"There was a sharp cry – and the dagger dropped gleaming upon the sable carpet, upon which, instantly afterwards, fell prostate in death the Prince Prospero† (par. 12). The Red Death has entered the ball, and as the prince falls dead in the carpet, the people surges to the figure to remove the mask, only to find it empty. Each one falls to the ground, as the plague enters each of the one thousand guests in the ball. The Red Death surges upon all of the dominion. The Masque of the Red Death is one horror story in which Poe exemplifies great and immense description in every detail and part of the story. Poe uses symbols, such as colors and lines, in order to describe each detail magnificently and make the reader see distinctively. Rhine Boat Trip by Irvin Layton This 16-lined poem attempts to describe how the castles of the Rhine are haunted by ghosts of Jewish mothers and children in the lines: â€Å"The castles on the Rhine / are all haunted / by ghosts of Jewish mothers / looking for their ghostly children† (Rhine Boat Trip, L1-4). In contrast to Poe’s distinctive description, Layton’s style is simple and easy to read and understand. It does not describe each detail individually but rather, puts the picture and leaves the reader free to describe each picture. It allows the reader to put in detail what the castle looked like at Rhine. Having to put the exact name of the castle in the line is enough to picture the detail distinctively. Unlike Poe’s style, which provides the exact picture by describing immensely the detail in the story, Layton’s style is one that uses words in order to describe immensely what the picture or detail appears to be. However, instead of describing the castle as something that is enormous, fantastic, or incredible as Poe has done, Layton pictures the castle in a horrifying manner: â€Å"[A]nd the clusters of grapes / in the sloping vineyards / are myriads of blinded eyes / staring at the blind sun† (Rhine Boat Trip, L5-8). Layton instantly pictures the castle as horrifying, which is different from Poe’s style, wherein the latter pictures the castle as magnificently decorated before interpreting it as horrifying in the latter portion of the story. Each word that Layton uses carries a specific meaning. This is different from the manner in which Poe writes, wherein he describes in detail only to prove that the place is magnificent and is owned by a splendid duke living in the castle. In lines 5-8 of Layton’s poem, for example, the clusters of grapes of line 5 does not just depict the Jewish families but may depict families or communities that include everyone, including the reader. However, because Layton uses ‘sloping’ when he describes the vineyards, it may conclude to something that is negative, since it goes downhill, which is symbolic. Something negative, such as negative customs or culture that are found in the family or community, might have been included in the clusters of people. The use of grapes also depicts meaning, since grapes are used by the Jewish during the Passover and Holocaust. Having depicted too, that the clusters of grapes are actually â€Å"myriads of blinded eyes† (Rhine L7), it appears that the Jewish families (or German families) are blinded to what is about to happen to them and the surrounding community. They are staring at the blind sun because there is no hope for them in the end, since God is about to punish them, it is like God is nowhere in sight. In lines 9-10, wherein it says that â€Å"the tireless Lorelei / can never comb from their hair† (Layton L9-10), it appears that Lorelei is praying and doing sacrifices to God; and because she can â€Å"never comb from their hair† (Rhine L10), it symbolizes that important people in the community, such as Lorelei, pray and do sacrifices to God, so that the latter may show mercy to them and then remember His covenant with them. Lastly, lines 11-16 depict the rabbis that have been murdered and are wailing: â€Å"[T]he crimson beards / of murdered rabbis / however sweetly they sing / one hears only / the low wail of the cattle cars / moving invisibly across the land† (Rhine L11-16). Crimson is used to signify blood or death. The word ‘one’ is being used to mean both the person that hears only the wailing rabbis, as well as, the One God that appears to have turned His back on the Jewish people despite their prayers and offerings. Cattle cars are wailing in line 15, meaning that these cattle cars that are â€Å"moving invisibly across the land† (Rhine L16) are not with cattle but with people, which signifies a state that is inhumane and atrocious. The cattle cars are invisible because, first, no one had paid attention to them during their crisis; and, second, what the author has been describing is something that had already happened in the past. This poem also depicts strong emotional response because of distinctive images that were used by the writer. Like Poe’s story, this poem uses images, such as castles, grapes, vineyards, sun, rabbis, and cattle cars. However, unlike Poe’s story, Layton’s style is one that is simple yet direct; one that is more symbolic than that of Poe’s. Conclusion Poe’s short story entitled The Masque of the Red Death, as well as, Layton’s short poem entitled Rhine Boat Trip are both horrific, symbolic, and descriptive. However, Poe’s story is distinctively descriptive in detail, with an enormous, fantastic castle. Layton’s poem on the other hand, is simpler and direct, easier to read and understand, more distinctive in word, more symbolic in style, with a horrifying castle. Layton and Poe are alike; yet diverse. Works Cited Laurent, Sabrina. Metaphor and Symbolism in The Masque of the Red Death. July 2003. United Nuke. 14 March 2009 http://www. boheme-magazine. net/php/modules. php? name=Newsfile=articlesid=46. Poe, Edgar Allan. The Masque of the Red Death. 2009. Jalic Incorporated. 14 March 2009 http://www. online-literature. com/poe/36/. Rhine Boat Trip (1977). N. d. Gonzaga University. 14 March 2009 http://barney. gonzaga. edu/~rolson3/Layton. html. Other Sources Roberts, Edgar. Writing About Literature – Brief (11the ed. ). White Plains, NY: Pearson Longman, 2005.

Essay --

In the novel Lord of the Flies William Golding uses many forms of symbolism to point out the underlying conflicts in their society. By using these symbols he makes the reader not only think about the problems that arise in the book, but also hints towards problems in our society today. The story uses the conch, fire, and the glasses to reference other meanings in the story. These symbols play a crucial part in the story in which they provide the reader with information that isn’t directly stated but is inferred. The first symbol that appears in the story is the conch which was found by Piggy and Ralph early in the story. The boys believed it to be held by the person with the power to govern and speak for the people. This power was recognized early to ralph "But there was a stillness about Ralph as he sat that marked him out: there was his size, and attractive appearance; and most obscurely, yet most powerfully, there was the conch"(Golding, 22). When choosing their chief the conch appeared to give Ralph power over Jack in the decision for bringing them all together with the conch i...

Online Financial Service Provision in Saudi Arabia

Furst, Lang & Nolle (2000) write that the Internet has been viewed as a valuable tool by bankers as well as lawmakers, other participants in the financial services industry in addition to regulators and business journalists around the world.As financial institutions do away with paperwork and cut costs of employing clerks to handle paper transactions in conventional financial companies – customers’ lives are made easier as they do not have to visit their financial institutions to carry out necessary transactions (Furst, Lang & Nolle, p. 1).   Saving time equates to saving money in this scenario.   Thus, the entire economy benefits through greater efficiency of financial institutions when they open up their virtual branches on the World Wide Web.How has the Saudi Arabian financial industry benefited from the advent of the Internet?   Are their factors that especially impede or support growth of online provision of financial services in Saudi Arabia?   How does e- commerce influence growth of online financial service provision across Saudi Arabia?In order to answer these questions, my dissertation entitled, â€Å"A Study of Factors Influencing Growth of Online Financial Service Provision in Saudi Arabia† would require me to conduct online interviews with managers of major and minor financial institutions in Saudi Arabia.   This research would explore factors influencing growth of Internet banking in addition to online provision of other financial services, for example, insurance in Saudi Arabia.Furthermore, this study would determine whether there are differences between Islamic and non-Islamic financial institutions as far as online financial service provision is concerned.   Lastly, this research would explore the target market for online financial service provision in Saudi Arabia, with the aim to develop customer profiles, taking gender into account.REFERENCESFurst, K, Lang, WW & Nolle, DE 2000, ‘Internet Banking: Develop ments and Prospects,’Economic and Policy Analysis Working Paper 2000-9, Sep 2000. http://www.occ.treas.gov/ftp/workpaper/wp2000-9.pdf.   

Macbeth †A butcher, a savage slaughterer Essay

A butcher, a savage slaughterer who is usually thpought to have no feelings of guilt or remorse. This is used Malcolm’s description of Macbeth. At some points in the play â€Å"MACBETH† there are many visible examples that this definition could be applied to Macbeth. However at other points in the play, Shakespeare shows the audience how much guilt and regret Macbeth has, we are even shown some self hatred from our once proud warrior. Malcolm, the son of Duncan, the dead king, describes Macbeth as â€Å"this dead butcher†. There are many arguements for and against this point, but I would hold the opinion that Macbeth is not a dead butcher, but he was infact trying to do the best for his country. It would not seem like this all through out the play though. When Macbeth confronts the witches at the beginning of the play, he is thought of as a good noble man, â€Å"O, valaint cousin ! worthy gentleman !† The language used here to represent Macbeth is full, proud language. All the words indicate that this is a man of truth and honour. Here at the beginnning of the play he is introduced to the witches. If used as an example against Malcolm’s description, it can be taken that the actions performed by Macbeth through the play was not of his own free will but of witchcraft that has been placed on him. Later in the play we find evidence that his mind is being tampered with, â€Å"Shall draw him onto his confusion;†. Infact not all the blame can be placed upon Macbeths head alone, his dear wife Lady Macbeth was a strong influence in the descision to kill Duncan. This was however the first and only murder she assisted in, the murder of the other characters was devised by only Macbeth. Even as Lady Macbeth asked the devil to take her guilt away, â€Å"Stop up the passage and access to remorse;†, she ponders her own descision. Just before the murder of Duncan, Lady Macbeth changes her mind and tries to prevent Macbeth from commiting the murder, but even his own arguement cannot sway the passage of events which he will take place in. On the otherhand Malcolm does have a reason to insult the dead Macbeth. He has not heard the same things as the audience and therefore does not know the personal hell Macbeth was going through at the end of the play, â€Å"I am sick at heart,†. The evidence Malcolm has to support his view is overwelming but not complete. The main reasons Malcolm holds are the death of many people including his father, the quick decline of Scotland and the fact that Malolm originally fled from Scotland because he was under blame for the death of the King. It is quite clear that Malcolm is full of hatred for Macbeth, â€Å"This tyrant, whose sole name blisters our tounges,†. The language Shakespeare uses now is of quite a different nature, all the words are powerful words and descriptions of hated, trechary and evil. Malcolms reasons for revenge were quite justified, his family had been killed and Macbeth had stolen the place on the throne, which Malcolm had once thought he deserved. The first murder commited was the murder of Duncan, which some say was also the murder of Macbeth because of the dreams and voices he heard while commiting the crime. As Macbeth walked to Duncans sleeping room he sees the dagger he is going to use infront of his eyes floating in the air, â€Å"Is this a dagger I see before me,†. After the murder he starts to shows signs of such guilt and also a little maddness â€Å"Wake Duncan with the knocking. I would thou couldst.† When talking to his wife he tells her that he heard a voice after the murder telling him that he would not sleep anymore, this becomes true, maybe not because of the voice but because of Macbeths self torment. Just before the murder Macbeth, in his room weighs the arguements to kill or not kill Duncan. The strongest of these arguements is that he really has no reason to kill him, The witches correctly predicted the death of the Thane of Cawdor which came about with no intervention of Macbeth, so maybe the same could be true about becoming king. Macbeth ignores this and thinks that the only way for him to be king, if the witches were infact telling the truth, was to get rid of all the obsictales in his way. His second and third murders took place at the same time. In the morning of Duncans murder Macduff found the body, the two guards ouside the room had taken the blame, because of Lady Macbeth placing the knife on them. Macbeth seemed to have no guilt about these brutle murders and placing the blame on two innocent men. When Macduff tells of the murder Macbeth rushes and kills the guards â€Å"That I did kill them.† The fact that he kills them, and seems to have no problems with placing the blame on others is probably one of the strong points for Malcolm outburst. His next murder is more carefully planned. Instead of a sudden outburst of anger he hires two murders to do the job for him. Here his signs of paranoia are showing because he also sends another murder to make sure everything goes to plan. This murder is more brutle most likely than the other murders, although he does not take part in it him self. He sends the murderers to kill his best friend and his son, Banquo and Fleance. When the murders report to Macbeth how their job went he says some cruel things about his dead friend,†Ã¢â‚¬ËœT is better thee without, than he within.†. Here he is saying that ir is better for the blood to be on the murders hands than inside of Banquo, a brutle image that could be used by Shakespeare to sway the views of the audience since no other person hears this. This conversation between the murderer and Macbeth takes place at his castle just after Macbeths corination. The banquet however is in honour of Banquo, in accordance with Macbeth. Even though it is thought bad to speak ill of the dead, Macbeth insults Banquo for not turning up to his banquet, and is thought of as rude. Until Macbeth goes to sit down he does not seem bothered about the death. Now the following incident could be an image of his mind, just like the floating knife, or it could be an act by the witches. As Macbeth tries to sit at the table he sees Banquo’s ghost in his chair. Nobody else sees it but Macbeth is clearly annoyed at Banquo. He claims that it is not his fault, â€Å"Thou canst not say, I did it;† His only other more important murder after this before the final scene is the murder of Macduffs family. When Macduffs flees to England Macbeth again thinks the only solution is violence and he sends part of his army to kill all those who are more close to Macduff â€Å"His wife, his babes, and all unfortunate souls that trace him in this line.† Now with Macbeth and Macduff being friends, they have more than linkely visited eachothers castle before. So Macbeth has probably met, spoke and befriended Lady Macduff, but still he is able to just give an order for them to have their throats cut. Through these murders we find a lot of evidence to back up Malcolm, and draw our own conclusions that Macbeth does indeed have very little guilt. However, the personal torment he is being put through is not made known. At the beginning of the play we are aware that Macbeth and his wife have a very good relationship together, â€Å"My dearest love,†, they even killed Duncan together. But towards the end their marridge seems to break down, we see how Lady Macbeth becomes ill and haunted by images of the murder, when he hears that she is dead and has taken her own life, all he can say is â€Å"She should have died hereafter;† that is all he says on her death. This may seem cold but we now know of his depression, and you cannot help but feel sorrow for his failed marridge. So my views on Macbeth being a dead butcher was that he wasnt one at all. He could have been under the power of evil forces, and towords the end he was haunted by guilt. Once he started on the road he couldnt turn back. I doubt that it was all Macbeths fault, he did think he was doing the correct thing but he didnt know the effects it would have on others and infact his country.

Genuine dialogue essays

Genuine dialogue essays Living life in relation to God and to others has profoundly influenced anyone who is interested in interpersonal encounters. But really, how does one relate to God? How does on relate to other people and to nature? Much of the basis of studying these encounters as a quality of human interaction, as genuine dialogue, has its foundation with the philosophy of Genuine Dialogue, which we attribute to Martin Buber. In seeking to understand the essence of interpersonal encounters, we must first establish two fundamentally different relations: the I object relation and the genuine dialogue or interhuman relation. An I Object relation is the normal everyday relation of a human being towards nature and the things surrounding him. Man can also consider his fellows as an object and that is what he does most of the time, he views the other from a distance, like a thing, a part of the environment, forged into chains of cause and effect relationships. Radically different from this is genuine dialogue or interhuman relation. The human being enters into this encounter with his innermost and whole being, in a meeting; in a real dialogue this is what both of the partners do. There exists a definite relationship between the physical body and the I of both individuals engaged in genuine dialogue. The I Object relationship is seemingly non interpersonal. This type of relationship is characterized by the objectification and control of nature and people. The "I" in this relationship seeks to acquire and possess as much as it can and perceives itself as being an individual, who is set over against the subjects of its perception. But this "I" pays a price for such selfishness and will to dominate because it is isolated and alienated from the source of life. It is personified in acts like seeming, speechifying and imposition. It proceeds from how one wishes to appear and is concerned with the impression, which on...

Germany Economic Situation

Germany Economic Situation Introduction Introduction to Germany Overview Germany is located in Europe and it is considered one of the most prosperous nations in this part of the world. It is a federal parliamentary republic that is made up of 16 semi- autonomous states (Fulbrook 23). The capital city of the nation which also serves as the political, economic and cultural center is Berlin. It is also the largest city in the country.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Germany Economic Situation specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More As of the year 2010, the population size of this nation stood at 82.3 million (Fulbrook 23). This makes Germany the most populous member of the European Union, the economic bloc to which it belongs. It is also regarded as a major political power and one of the most technologically advanced nations in Europe. History This country has a very long history dating back several centuries. However, contemporary historians are of the view that the current Germany state can be traced back to the year 1814 after the fall from power of Napoleon I, a man who has ruled France and the neighboring territories with an iron fist for a very long time (Boyes 10). After his fall from power, the Congress of Vienna came together in the year 1814 to form what came to be known as the German Confederation (Philpott 245). This is also referred in some quarters as the Deutscher Bund. The confederation brought together 39 autonomous states that were hitherto operating independently. However, there were periodic disagreements among the member states regarding the restoration politics that were advocated to ensure the smooth running of the confederation. The history of this country is marked by intermittent conflicts and revolutions. For example, the country was actively involved in both the first and the second world wars. In World War I, this country suffered a great loss having lost more than two million soldiers. In 1918, the co untry went through the infamous German Revolution which led to the creation of the Germany republic. At some point, the country was divided into two entities which were informally referred to as West and East Germany. The western part of the entity was allied to the western nations of France, United Kingdom and the United States of America while the Eastern sector was allied to the Soviet Union.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Population As indicated above, the population of this country was approximately 82,329,758 as of the year 2010 (Fulbrook 35). In the same period, the population growth of the country stood at about -0.053 percent per annum. This means that unlike countries in the developing world which are battling huge population growth, the major concern of this nation is the negative growth in its population size. It is also noted a large portion of this c ountry’s population resides in the urban centers. As of 2008, Fulbrook (35) is of the view that about 74 percent of citizens in this country was living in the urban areas. As of the year 2010, ethnic Germans made up about 91.5 percent of the total population in the country. These were followed by individuals of Turkish ethnic groups at 2.4 percent. Protestant is the main form of religion in this country. Boyes (10) is of the view that about 34 percent of the citizens are followers of the protestant Christian faith. Catholics account for about 32 percent of the total population with Muslims accounting for about 3.7 percent of the total population. Like other developed nations, the literacy levels in this country are quite high. As of the year 2010, literacy level stood at 99 percent while level of school attendance was 100 percent (Philpott 243). Infant mortality rate stood at 3.99 per 1000 individuals in the year 2010, with life expectancy for men standing at about 75.98 year s. The life expectancy for women in this country was quite high than that of men, standing at 82.40 in the year 2010. Political System According to Wolf (4), parliamentary form of government is practiced in this nation. Germany can be described as a democratic state with a constitution that protects the rights and freedoms of the individual. The constitution also informs the distribution of powers in a federal form of government. According to Hopkins (15), the chancellor who is equivalent to a prime minister is the leader of the executive arm of the government. There is a ceremonial president who is the chief of state. The prime minister of the country is elected by the lower chamber of the country’s legislature.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Germany Economic Situation specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The federal judiciary system of this country can be considered as being fairly independent. It is made up o f several structures enshrined in the constitution such as the constitutional court, high courts among others (Blaise 3). The role of the judicial arm in this country is to interpret the constitution and to ensure that the rights and privileges of the citizens are protected. Germany is a multiparty democracy with several vibrant political parties. The Christian Democratic Union (also referred to as the Christian Social Union) is one of the oldest parties in the country. With 237 seats in the Bundestag, this party is considered to be one of the most influential political entities in Germany. It is currently led by Angela Merkel who also happens to be the current Prime Minister of this country. Another party referred to as the Social Democratic Party holds 146 seats in the current parliament. This party is not only one of the oldest parties in Germany but also in the world. Currently, the party is led by Sigmar Gabriel who is also credited with promoting the party among the large citi es and the industrialized states in this country. Another political entity in Germany is the Free Democratic Party which draws majority of its supporters from the middle and upper class Protestants in this country. Today, this party which is led by Guido Westerwelle holds 93 parliamentary seats. Other political parties in this nation include The Left, Alliance 90 Greens among others. Germany Foreign Relations It is noted that the current Germany nation is significantly different from the Germany that it was during the first and second world wars as far as her foreign relations are concerned. During these wars, Germany was an enemy to many nations such as the United States of America and the United Kingdom. Today, the country enjoys fairly strong and close ties with other western nations such as the united states of American and United Kingdom. It is also a member of NATO and an active member of the European Union (Niewyk Nicosia 345). The country also actively participates in Unite d Nations’ affairs making it one of the key contributors to this body. Another organization to which the nation is affiliated is the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (herein referred to as OSCE).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Economy This report is going to address the economic situation in Germany today. As such, this aspect of the nation will not be deeply dealt with in this section of the report. However, it is important to mention that the economy of this nation is the fifth largest in the world. This is using purchasing power parity (herein referred to as PPP) as the indicator. It is the largest economy in Europe, dwarfing other economies such as France in the region. As of the year 2010, Germany was the leading exporter of machinery, technology and household items in Europe. This was made possible by a highly skilled labor force that is to be found in this nation. However, it is important to note that the economy of this country faces several challenges like other economies in the world despite the fact that it is a fairly large one. One of the challenges is the low fertility rates as identified earlier in this paper. This threatens the sustainability of this economy given the fact that it might ru n into labor shortage and reduced internal market in the future. Objectives of the Report This economic analysis report has several objectives. They are as listed below: Analysis of Germany’s macroeconomic indicators Analysis of Germany’s fiscal indicators Analysis of Germany’s monetary indicators Analysis of Germany’s international indicators A critical analysis of the problems facing Germany from a business perspective A critical analysis of future prospects for businesses in Germany Macroeconomic Study of Germany Preamble In section 1 of this report, the reader was introduced to the economic analysis of Germany which is going to be the major focus of the report. Issues covered included political system of the country, economic situation and demographic data. The aim of this background information was to provide the reader with an idea of the nation which is going to be the focus of this report. The author also provided the reader with a list of objec tives that the report will strive to achieve. In this section, the reader will provide information on the macroeconomic indicators of Germany. The issues that will be covered in this section include major macroeconomic indicators, fiscal indicators, monetary indicators, international indicators and Germany’s level of foreign exchange reserves. Major Macroeconomic Indicators in Germany Real GDP The Gross Domestic Product (herein referred to as GDP) is a major indicator used to measure the status of a country’s economy (Trading Economics 3). It can be conceptualized as the total value of all goods and services that are produced by the economy in a given period of time. This value is usually expressed in terms of dollars. According to Blaise (2), it is a measure of the size of the country’s economy expressed in terms of dollars. On the other hand, real GDP can be conceptualized as the size of the countrys economy after adjustments have been made for price changes ( Blaise 3). This means that the inflation or deflation rates are taken into account when computing real GDP. The relationship between GDP and real GDP is vividly illustrated in the equation below: GDP= Real GDP x Price (adapted from Boyes 10) As of 2010, the GDP in terms of purchasing power parity for Germany stood at 2.94 trillion US dollars (Central Intelligence Agency [CIA] 8). This makes it the fifth largest economy in the world. Real GDP Growth Rate Real GDP growth rate measures the rate of growth of the economy making adjustments for price changes. According to the CIA (3), the real GDP growth rate in Germany for the year 2010 was 3.5 percent. In 2009, the growth was -4.7 percent while it was 0.7 percent in 2008. The figure below represents the growth rate of real GDP in Germany between 2007 and 2011: Figure 1: Real GDP Growth Rate in Germany Source: Trading Economics (4) Rate of Unemployment Rate of unemployment in any economy can be conceptualized as the percentage of the la bor force in that particular economy that is not employed (International Monetary Fund [IMF] 3). In 2010, the rate of unemployment in Germany stood at 7.1 percent according to figures given by the International Labor Organization (ILO). This was a slight improvement compared to the 7.7 percent that was recorded in 2009. Current Account Balance IndexMundi (2) views current account balance as â€Å"the (economy’s) net trade in goods and services plus net earnings from rents, interest, profits and dividends and net transfers to and from the rest of the world during the period under consideration† (pp2). It is noted that the figures above are computed using exchange rates as opposed to purchasing power parity. In 2010, the current account balance for Germany stood at 188.4 billion US dollars. This was a slight decline from the 2009’s estimates of 188.6 billion dollars (IndexMundi 1). Fiscal Indicators Ratio of Gross Fiscal Deficit to Nominal GDP The 2010 budget for this country was marked by a huge fiscal deficit similar to that recorded in other nations in the European Union. The fiscal deficit for the country in 2010 was about â‚ ¬50 billion (Workman 9). This was about -3.3 percent of GDP according to CIA (21). The country has put measures in place to bring down this ratio to about 0.35 percent of the GDP by the year 2016. Government Expenditure The government expenditure in this country was about 1.535 trillion US dollars in 2010 (CIA 22). According to Roubin (237), about 50 percent of the country’s GDP is consumed by the government given the fact that the authorities have to support an expensive social welfare policy. The public debt for this country in 2010 was about 80 percent of the GDP (Philpott 244). Niewyk Nicosia (34) puts the average level of government expenditure at about 43.7 percent of GDP. Revenues According to the CIA (39), total revenues (tax plus non-tax) for Germany stood at 1.427 trillion US dollars in 2010. Th e figure below represents the tax revenue for Germany as a percentage of GDP between 1996 and 2008: Figure 2: Tax Revenue for Germany Source: Trading Economics (3) Monetary Indicators Growth of Money Supply The rate at which money supply of an economy grows at is directly related to the rate of inflation in the country. This is given the fact that the government may control the supply of money in the economy in order to control the rate of inflation. In 2010, the growth of money supply in Germany was at 10.1 percent (World Bank 122). This was similar to the rate of money supply that was evidenced in the early 1990s. Inflation Rate As already indicated, the rate of inflation is determined in part by the rate of money supply in the economy. As a result of the current global economic crisis, the rate of inflation in this country is projected to hit the 2.4 percent mark in November 2011. Between 1992 and 2010, the average rate of inflation in this country was about 1.9 percent (Trading Economics 4). According to CIA (23), the inflation rate was about 1.1 percent in 2010, up from 0.3 percent in 2009. The figure below represents rate of inflation between 2008 and 2011: Figure 3: Inflation Rate in Germany Source: Trading Economics (9) International Indicators Openness Index Openness index can be conceptualized as a measure of the extent to which an economy interacts with other economies in the world. According to the World Bank (133), this is also referred to as the ratio of merchandise trade to the size of the GDP. In other words, it is the total exports and imports divided by the country’s GDP for that particular period. In 2008, the openness index in this country was 73.20 (Trading Economics 8). The figure below represents the openness index for Germany between 1976 and 2008: Figure 4: Openness Index for Germany Source: Trading Economics (3) Growth in Level of Exports Exports in this country were worth 95 billion Euros as of September 2011 (Trading Econo mics 2). Germany being the biggest exporter in the world, this form of trade accounts for more than 30 percent of the GDP. The figure below illustrates Germany exports between July 2009 and July 2011: Figure 5: Exports in Germany Source: Trading Economics (3) Growth in Levels of Imports In 2008, imports in this country were worth about 1.2 trillion US dollars (Workman 5). China accounted for about 6 percent of this figure while the United States of America accounted for about 5 percent (Workman 5). 2010 imports were approximated by the CIA (9) at about 1.099 trillion US dollars. This was up from 972.5 trillion US dollars in 2009. Level of Foreign Exchange Reserves KPMG International (4) conceptualizes foreign-exchange reserve as the foreign currency deposits that are held by a country’s central bank and other financial organizations. As of December 31 2010, the level of foreign exchange reserve in Germany was about 216.5 billion US dollars. This was up from 180.8 billion US dollars the previous year (Blaise 4). Critical Problems in Germany Preamble In section 2 of this report, the author provided the reader with an analysis of the macro economy in Germany. Various macroeconomic indicators were analyzed. These included major macroeconomic indicators, fiscal indicators, monetary indicators and international indicators. In this section, the author will provide the reader with an analysis of the critical problems in Germany. This critical analysis will be based on the macroeconomic study conducted above. The critical analysis will be carried out from a business perspective. Critical Problems Slowed Economic Growth The economic crisis that has swept the world since 2009 has not left Germany unscathed. Philpott (245) reports that the economy of this country has come to a near-standstill during the fourth quarter of 2011. The current global economic slowdown is said to have been the largest contributor to this development. Between April and June 2011, the lar gest economy in Europe grew by a paltry 0.1 percent, creating panic in the whole continent (CIA 23). This was a dismal performance given the fact that the economy was projected to grow at about 0.5 percent during this period. The current crisis in the oil market has also been blamed for the poor performance recorded by the German economy. This is considering the fact that the country is net oil importer. In 2009, the country imported about 2.671 million barrels a day. This is compared to the exports of 470,200 barrels a day made the same year. Fall in domestic consumption was also blamed for this dismal performance. Energy production also declined within the same period. Coupled with the rise of crude oil prices in the world market, this factor has greatly impacted on the economy. Declining Population Growth Rate It is also noted that the population of this country has continued to decrease over the years. This is a major concern for economists and other analysts in this country. In 2011, population growth rate was -0.208 percent according to CIA (9). Birth rate in 2011 was about 8.3 births in every 1000 persons. This is as compared to death rate as of July 2011 which stood at 10.92 deaths in every 1000 persons. What this means is that the economy might start importing labor in future. This is in addition to shrinking internal market. Unemployment Rate The rate of unemployment in this country has been another source of major concern among businesses. It is noted that in 2011, the rate of unemployment stood at 11 percent, up from 7.8 percent the previous year. Whereas this trend may appear good to businesses due to availability of cheap labor, it is not good for the growth of the economy. Future Prospects for Businesses in Germany Preamble In section three above, the author provided the reader with an analysis of critical problems that Germany is facing today. This critical analysis was carried out from a business perspective. The problems that this country fac es as a result of the current global economic crisis and the recent changes in oil prices were analyzed. Three critical problems were identified. These are the slow economic growth, decrease in population growth and unemployment rates in the country. In this section, the author will provide the reader with an analysis of the future prospects for businesses in this country. This analysis will also be based on the economic analysis that was carried out in this paper. Future Prospects for Businesses Slowed Economic Recovery Businesses should be aware of the fact that the country is recovering slowly from the economic crisis that it went through. However, it should be noted that this is just a short term holdback. Analysts such as Carsten Brzeski of the ING are however optimistic regarding the future of the country’s economy. He is of the view that the current trend in the economic growth in Germany is an indication of normalization in growth of the economy as it emerges from the throes of the economic meltdown. He is of the view that the economy of the country may still grow by about 3 percent this year (Fulbrook 34). There are other analysts who do not hold such a positive outlook as far as the economy of the country is concerned. These are of the view that the German economic miracle (also referred to as Wirtschaftswunder) might be coming to an end. They are of the view that the country may go back to an economic recession rather than emerging from it. However, there is still some hope for businesses in this country as far as the state of the economy is concerned. The Germany government has taken note of these developments and has made some steps to help the economy recover. Since the year 2009, the constitution of the country has been changed to include policies that are meant to reduce the fiscal deficit in the country. This is through the famous ‘debt brake’ or Schuldenbremse (Fulbrook 98). This is aimed at reducing the deficit of governm ent spending to a maximum of 0.35 percent of the GDP. This is by the year 2016. The policy goes further to state that state governments in this country will not be allowed to run deficits at all starting from 2020. This development shows that the future is bright for businesses in this country. Germany’s Foreign Policy It is noted that the foreign policy of this country has being improving over the years. Starting January 2011, Germany was elected to serve as a temporary member in the UN Security Council. It is also noted that there are strong trade ties between Germany and other nations around the world. This is very important for multinationals operating in this country and other businesses that are involved in exports and imports of goods and services in the country. However, analysts are of the view that the economy of this country relies heavily on exports. This is so considering the fact that this country is the leading exporter in the world. This being the case, the co untry’s GDP is very vulnerable to changes in the international market. Population Growth and Future of Businesses in this Country Another point that should be taken into consideration by businesses operating in this country is the fact that the population of this country is shrinking. This is both positive and negative to the country’s economy. The social welfare of the citizens is likely to increase since the government can easily manage the small population. However, this might be a challenge to businesses operating here. The size of the internal market may reduce. This means that the businesses may be forced to export their goods and services while importing labor in the future. Conclusion This report found that Germany has the largest economy in Europe. However, the report found that the economy of this country has being growing at a very small rate in the recent past. This slow growth has negatively affected the whole euro zone economy. Inflation rate was found to be 1.1 percent as of 2011. The country has a significant foreign exchange reserve as compared to other economies in the region. Some of the problems that are faced by this country include slow economic growth as mentioned above, reduced rate of population growth and unemployment rates. Being a net oil importer, this country is vulnerable to changes in the price of oil in the world market. This report notes that the future is bright for businesses operating in this country. This is given the fact that the government has taken measures aimed at improving the economy. The foreign relations between Germany and other countries have also improved over the years. However, there are some challenges such as the reduced population growth that businesses have to contend with. Blaise, Robinson. Sluggish German GDP Derails European Stock Rebound. Reuters. August 16, 2011. November 30, 2011. reuters.com/article/2011/08/16/markets-europe-stocks-idUSLDE77F0AQ20110816. Boyes, Peter. Germany in th e 21st Century. New York: Free Press, 2011. Central Intelligence Agency. The World Fact Book. November 15 2011. November 30 2011. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/gm.html. Fulbrook, Mary. A Concise History of Germany. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2011. Hopkins, Kathryn. Germany Officially in Recession as OECD Expects US to Lead Recovery. The Guardian. July 12 2011. November 30 2011. guardian.co.uk/world/2008/nov/14/oecd-recession-germany-inflation-deflation. IndexMundi. Germany Unemployment Rate. IndexMundi. July 2011. November 30, 2011. indexmundi.com/germany/unemployment_rate.html. International Monetary Fund. World Economic Outlook. International Monetary Fund, September 2011. KPMG International. Country Focus- Germany. KPMG International, Fall 2010. Niewyk, Donald L., Nicosia, Francis R. The Columbia Guide to the Holocaust. Columbia: Columbia University Press, 2010. Philpott, Newton. Germany in Europe. London: Free Press, 2011. Roubin, Peter. Germany: Fiscal Policy. Global Economics. March 2011. November 30, 2011. roubini.com/briefings/49792.php. Trading Economics. Tax Revenue in Germany. Trading Economics. March 2011. November 30, 2011. tradingeconomics.com/germany/tax-revenue-percent-of-gdp-wb-data.html. Wolf, Martin. Europe Needs German Consumers. Financial Times. February 9 2010. November 30, 2011. ft.com/cms/s/0/3d744b46-15b7-11df-ad7e-00144feab49a.html#axzz1fAmzmojb. World Bank. World Development Indicators 2009. New York: World Bank, 2010. Workman, Daniel. Germany’s Top Exports and Imports in 2008. International Trade. May 8, 2009. November 30, 2011. http://daniel-workman.suite101.com/germanys-top-exports-imports-in-2008-a116094.

Job Recommendation Letter Sample for a Remote Worker

Job Recommendation Letter Sample for a Remote Worker SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips In our brave new world of ubiquitous internet, some employees work on a remote basis, communicating with teams via email and video chat. Whether they contribute as programmers, writers, or in another field, they might work from anywhere with a wifi connection. This letter represents this remote relationship with a clothing company manager writing for a freelance web designer. Even though the manager hasn't worked with the candidate on a day-to-day basis, he can still attest to the quality of her work, as well as touch on some of the personal characteristics that he has gotten to know. Read on to see how the remote manager weaves a strong reference for a web designer. Sample Letter #4: Written by a Remote Manager for a Freelance Worker Lucia GomezChief Operating OfficerSunStar, Inc.10 Solar RoadPortland, Oregon 97207 Dear Ms. Gomez, I’m very pleased to recommend Sara for the position of Web Designer with SunStar, Inc. Sara has worked with our clothing company, Oak Tree Co., on a freelance basis over the past several years. While I've communicated with Sara remotely via video chat and email, I’ve gotten to know her as a reliable employee with rock star web design skills. I have no doubt that she’ll continue to create outstanding work as a full-time web designer with your company. Sara began contributing to our E-commerce company over two years ago. She jumped in during a major push to rebrand and worked on design across the site. Sara elevated our company’s aesthetic by creating elegant designs across our pages. In fact, she redesigned our central logo, which we use across all our pages and email newsletters. She’s fluent in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript and has experience with website builders, like Wordpress and Wix. Sara has an artistic eye and a keen sense of user experience. We owe a great deal of the appeal and ease of use of our new website to Sara's efforts. In addition to working on front end design, Sara also worked across our social media platforms. She helped shape our Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest pages and engage users with viral content. She was especially skilled with curating content on Instagram and Pinterest. Most recently, she put together a style story on one of our jewelry designers, a feature that's gotten over 2,000 shares. Between her strong sense of aesthetics and attention to detail, Sara was able to create a sleek visual experience that drew in customers and boosted sales. While Sara has been a great talent on our team, she seeks to work for a cause about which she’s passionate- environmental protection. She’s excited about SunStar’s mission to make solar energy affordable to the average consumer. We’ve had conversations about her commitment to a sustainable lifestyle and efforts to reduce her carbon footprint. I’m excited she’s found this opportunity to apply her expertise as a web designer to a cause that’s so close to her heart. Sara is a creative, detail-oriented, and savvy web designer with a passion for the solar and renewables industry. She’s great at working independently and can produce high-level work with little supervision. I have no doubt that she will make an excellent addition to the SunStar team. Please feel free to contact me with any questions. Thanks for your time. Sincerely, Arjun GopalInterface Design DirectorOak Tree Co.agopal@oaktree.com555-555-5555 Arjun's complimentary letter makes Sara sound like a stellar web designer who can wear many (metaphorical) hats. Recommendation Letter 4: The Breakdown Some managers don’t get to know an employee on a personal or day-to-day basis. They may not work closely with them or, in this case, conduct their business remotely via video chat and email. When it comes to industries like web development, design, and marketing, the work can often largely speak for itself. Sara likely shared a portfolio with her prospective employer, and her remote manager, Arjun, can further attest to her web design skills. Even though he didn’t work with Sara on a daily basis, Arjun can still speak to the personal strengths and interests he has gotten to know. For instance, he knows she’s reliable, artistic, detail-oriented, and able to produce high-quality work with a great deal of independence. He also discussed her commitment to environmentalism and sustainability, a passion that will appeal to her prospective employers at the solar energy company, SunStar. Arjun talked about Sara's contributions to Oak Tree and skills in web design and social media. His letter testifies to the quality of her work and her qualifications for Sunstar’s full-time Web Designer position. What's Next? Can't wait to read another sample letter of recommendation? We've got you covered! Check out this reference letter sample supporting an employee's internal promotion! Care to navigate back to the complete collection of sample recommendation letters, along with some pointers on how to make yours stand out? You can find our full guide on sample reference letters here. Want to provide a strong recommendation for your employee, but don't have the time to craft the perfect letter? PrepScholar's new recommendation tool, SimpleRec, takes you from good intentions and a blank page to a fully written and formatted letter of recommendation in under 5 minutes. All you need to do is give us some simple pieces of information about your employee and your experience working with them, and we'll do the rest. Try out SimpleRec risk-free today:

Market Across Culture Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Market Across Culture - Dissertation Example Direct exporting is one of the well-established market entry processes within the UK and Mexico. After 2000, the procedure of goods export from the UK to Mexico has witnessed a significant hike. During 2009, over 66%, i.e. almost 753 million pounds of the export from the UK to Mexico where goods. From 2011 to 2012, export of the UK products in the Mexican market increased by 12.5% i.e. 1.13 billion pounds. Market Growth Strategy After the market entry strategy, the organization needs to properly decide upon the market growth strategy. The analysis of Ansoff’s growth strategies will assist the organization to properly evaluate the growth opportunities within the Mexican market (Appendix 3). 48% of the population of Mexico originates from the Mexican-American cultural background, while almost 25% of them are from Spanish cultural background. As a result, the organization needs to select different market expansion strategy as per the differences in the culture. The food consumpti on pattern of the Mexican-American population is highly influenced by the US and UK culture. Therefore, the organization needs to utilize the market development strategy that will influence the management to introduce existing product for the new market. The food preferences of the Hispanic population are different from the UK food consumption pattern. They highly prefer corns, pepper, and beans in their food items. Hence, the marketers need to adopt diversification strategy to expand their business in the new market.

Comprehensive Emergency Plan for Ashford University Essay

Comprehensive Emergency Plan for Ashford University - Essay Example This report is aimed at developing a comprehensive emergency plan in preparation for natural disasters at Ashford University’s main campus, including incidences of flooding, tornadoes and heavy storms (Continuity of Government & Continuity of Operations, 2003). Each crisis or emergency requires a different type of response. For instance, if there is a bomb threat, it may be necessary to shelter people in place, whereas evacuating the building will be appropriate for other situations like a tornado warning (U.S. Department of Homeland Security). This will ensure that the campus is prepared for the event of a disaster, and analyze the potential responses to the occurrence of such an event. The purpose of this emergency plan is the management of major emergencies and crises in the advent of such occurrences, so as to ensure that major crises and emergencies are handled in an organized way. This emergency action plan is aimed at protecting the Ashford University employees from serious injury, loss of property or life in the event of an actual or potential major disaster. Such situations may include the event of a fire, a bomb threat, earthquake, tornado or a hazardous chemical spill. This emergency action plan will describe the initial routes of action for protection of students and employees and those responsible for the implementation of those actions within the university. This plan is an all-risk emergency plan for addressing disaster and crisis management, and will integrate the various departments of the university and other resources in a coordinated response effort to manage or reduce any loss of life and property through the provision periodic emergency respons e capability tests. It is also necessary to ensure the effective utilization of resources and the minimization of any disruptions in school activities and of programs. It is a fact that preparation for emergencies will ensure a higher margin of safety if a crisis or

HEALTH SCIENCES AND MEDICINE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

HEALTH SCIENCES AND MEDICINE - Essay Example Based on such a perspective, this paper analyses the extent and impact that the shortage of nurses has caused to Hallways Hospital, and most especially on the stakeholders, with specificity on patients. A number of reasons have been stated to contribute towards the shortage of clinical nurses and other professionals in Hallways Hospital. These include early retirement for the nurses as a majority of them seek to get involved in other activities, considering that the profession is considered t lack profitability by a majority of the professionals. Additionally, poor working conditions have also contributed towards a number of nurses leaving the hospital and seeking for other greener pastures (Huston, 2009). Poor remuneration is also a contributing factor towards the shortage of nurses in the hospital (Buerhaus, Straiger and Auerbach, 2009). The shortage of nurses in Hallways Hospital has significantly had severe consequences on service delivery in the hospital, with the greatest affected stakeholders being the patients who are ideally directly affected by the shortage. Instances in which there is increased shortage of nurses, it is obvious that there is a successive reduction in the quality of service delivery as the few nurses have to perform extra tasks, thereby causing them distress, which then results to poor performances (Cowen, 2011). Motivation is usually a very important element in every profession and in healthcare facilities, one of the best means to motivate nurses and other healthcare professionals is to provide better remuneration in terms of wages and pay. Currently, healthcare facilities are some of the institutions where workers receive the least of wages and pays. These ideally, are a demoralization of the nurses, making them perform poorly in their duties. With increased poor performance, the service delivery in such institutions is likely to depreciate, and as such, Hallways hospital has been greatly

Helping Company Strategy to Help Your Career'The Perspective Of Middle Essay

Helping Company Strategy to Help Your Career'The Perspective Of Middle Level Managers - Essay Example Furthermore, they must work hand in hand with the senior managers to facilitate change and organizational learning. (b). How can middle level managers relate their departments/units' "strategies" or directions to the company (business line) level strategies so they can successfully manage their departments/units and their personal careers' Middle level managers must believe in their organizations and they must ensure that the strategies of their departments are aligned with the company's vision and the overall mission of the organization. Middle level managers would only succeed if their strategies are helpful in the short run as well as in the long run. They can successfully manage their departments and their personal careers when they would give utmost importance to their specified units and that how they can succeed in their careers and in their departments too. Moreover, middle level managers must believe that strategies are not just to satisfy regulatory requirements but they must be implemented in order to achieve the overall objectives of the organization. Middle level managers usually attain titles like General Manager, Plant Manager, and regional Manager etc. They can influence and shape the overall strategies of the company in a number of ways. They can depict entrepreneurial behavior and can successfully achieve corporate entrepreneurship in the organization. Their charismatic attitude can change the company's business line strategies and influence the overall business model of the company. Their personal careers can experience a boost when the organizational strategies are experiencing a positive phase and that's due to middle level managers. By effectively shaping the strategies of their departments they can present a positive view in from of the top management. (d). what other effective roles can middle level managers play in the development and execution of their company strategies' Middle level managers can play different roles in the development and execution of the company's strategies. Middle level managers perform the actual implementation work of strategies and they coordinate with low level managers and then develop a strategy and execute it. They are usually known as "change masters" as they modify their strategies for the betterment of their organization (David). Top level managers usually target them and low level managers needs motivation to work therefore they help both of them in the execution of strategy. They must coordinate with the top management and should focus on the core objectives of the organization when developing or executing a strategy. (e). At personal level, how can middle level managers help/support their bosses (i.e.., senior executives) in developing and executing company/business line strategies, thus to help their own (middle level managers') careers' The careers of middle level managers are based on the performance of their organiza

Analysis of Personal and Organizational Ethics and Values between Essay

Analysis of Personal and Organizational Ethics and Values between For-Profit and Not-for-Profit Organizations - Essay Example Not For Profit Organization: The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Organization Profile The United nations Children’s Fund is a not for profit organization which was established as an initiative of the United nations Organization to provide humanitarian as well as developmental assistance to children and mothers, especially in the developing world. The organization is commonly known by the initials UNICEF, which were derived from the original name of the organization which was The United nations Children’s Emergency Fund. The name was shortened to the United nations Children’s Fund in 1953.The organization had its headquarters in New York, USA and is one of the key members of the United nations Development Group, being part of its executive committee. The organization was created and established in 1946 by the United Nations General Assembly to provide emergency services to children and women in the countries that had been adversely affected by the e ffects of the World War II. Among the emergency services provided included provision of food and healthcare services to the children and their mothers. In 1953, the organization had grown and was made a permanent part of the United Nations System since its services were considered very vital in helping the United Nation meet its objectives. The organization relies heavily on contributions from private donors and governments. About two thirds of the resources of the organization come from member governments, the rest of the resources come from private corporations and individuals. Individual contributors are estimated to be about 6 million people who make their contributions through the national committees in member countries of the UN. The services of the organization are aimed at assisting development at the community level in the developing countries while promoting the well-being and health of children. The organization’s services were recognized internationally when it wa s awarded a Nobel Peace Prize in 1963 and the Prince of Asturias award of Concord most recently in 2006. The mission and vision of the organization revolves around improving the lives of children and women in the developing countries through provision of health care services and development projects in the communities. Ethical Dilemma Like any other not for profit organization, The United Nations Children Fund faces a lot of challenges. Some of the challenges that not for profit organizations face include legal, financial, leadership or ethical problems. Ethical challenges often involve a conflict of interest. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) faces a conflict of interest in financial management. The organization has limited resources while there are many children and women in the developing world who need the services provided by the organization. Despite getting financial backing from governments as well as individuals and corporations including other not for prof it organizations the organization still faces a lot of challenges in reaching out to its target population across the globe. Most of those who need the services of UNICEF are located in rural areas of some of the poorest countries in the world. The organization faces a challenge of reaching out to these individuals in order to help improve their loving standards. With this situation, the organization faces an ethical dilemma of whether to continue with its operations to individuals in some of

Helping Company Strategy to Help Your Career'The Perspective Of Middle Essay

Helping Company Strategy to Help Your Career'The Perspective Of Middle Level Managers - Essay Example Furthermore, they must work hand in hand with the senior managers to facilitate change and organizational learning. (b). How can middle level managers relate their departments/units' "strategies" or directions to the company (business line) level strategies so they can successfully manage their departments/units and their personal careers' Middle level managers must believe in their organizations and they must ensure that the strategies of their departments are aligned with the company's vision and the overall mission of the organization. Middle level managers would only succeed if their strategies are helpful in the short run as well as in the long run. They can successfully manage their departments and their personal careers when they would give utmost importance to their specified units and that how they can succeed in their careers and in their departments too. Moreover, middle level managers must believe that strategies are not just to satisfy regulatory requirements but they must be implemented in order to achieve the overall objectives of the organization. Middle level managers usually attain titles like General Manager, Plant Manager, and regional Manager etc. They can influence and shape the overall strategies of the company in a number of ways. They can depict entrepreneurial behavior and can successfully achieve corporate entrepreneurship in the organization. Their charismatic attitude can change the company's business line strategies and influence the overall business model of the company. Their personal careers can experience a boost when the organizational strategies are experiencing a positive phase and that's due to middle level managers. By effectively shaping the strategies of their departments they can present a positive view in from of the top management. (d). what other effective roles can middle level managers play in the development and execution of their company strategies' Middle level managers can play different roles in the development and execution of the company's strategies. Middle level managers perform the actual implementation work of strategies and they coordinate with low level managers and then develop a strategy and execute it. They are usually known as "change masters" as they modify their strategies for the betterment of their organization (David). Top level managers usually target them and low level managers needs motivation to work therefore they help both of them in the execution of strategy. They must coordinate with the top management and should focus on the core objectives of the organization when developing or executing a strategy. (e). At personal level, how can middle level managers help/support their bosses (i.e.., senior executives) in developing and executing company/business line strategies, thus to help their own (middle level managers') careers' The careers of middle level managers are based on the performance of their organiza

Nursing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Nursing - Assignment Example But if the person with a history of chemical dependency is no longer engaging in drug use, he is protected by ADA from employment discrimination, provided he has been in recovery long enough to have become stable. This means the employee is in a long term recovery programs with long term abstinence from drug use. In the case of the employee taking patients’ medication for self-use, the first step would be to establish whether the employee is addicted. Confronting the employee to admit that he diverted the drug for his own use is the next step. Firing the employee may not be the best option here. The Human Resources department would place the employee on a medical leave of absence and help her report to a drug rehabilitation facility. On completion of the in-patient portion of the drug rehabilitation program, the Human Resources should then fire her on gross misconduct involving diversion of patient’s drugs. Under the Americans with Disability Act, drug addiction is considered a disability. But here he won’t be qualified under ADA since he is engaged in the illegal use of drugs. The legal section will be able to take over from here and handle the case if the employee decides to sue the organization. That will, however, be a futile

Describing and Pursuing Essay Example for Free

Describing and Pursuing Essay Based on these two articles, we can say that according to Wheatley a leader should be fearless in face of challenges; a leader should lead change and be willing to take the first step to help and influence a situation. She also believes that leadership is not about being at an important position. According to her, anyone can be a leader simply by refusing to take things lying down and by standing up to do something about a problem and try and change the situation. In comparison to Wheatley, Paul Thornton, in â€Å"Leadership- Seeing, Describing and Pursuing what’s Possible†, believes that a leader should be able to accurately analyze the current situation and then see into future to envision the possibilities. A leader can envision the future by taking specific steps such as studying the best, asking questions, traveling and learning from the businesses of different countries and other such methods. Once a leader has discovered these possibilities he must describe these to other people in a way that catches their attention. And then deliver it in a passionate, energetic and animated manner. Finally, a leader pursues his dream in order to make it come true. In other words, a leader must work hard in order to become a successful leader. Thus while Wheatley believes that leadership starts at the very basic level and anybody can be leader simply by taking small steps towards bringing about a change, Thornton believes that leaders bring change through meticulous planning which starts with envisioning the future. Thornton’s second article, â€Å"Management Styles, Directing Discussing and Delegating†, discusses three management styles: Directing, Discussing and Delegating. In the directing style the manager tells a group of employees what to do, how to do and when to have it completed. In this management style, the manager does everything, letting the employs only follow the directions and is suitable when employees lack experience. In the discussing style of management, the manager asks questions before telling the employee what to do. The discussing style of management is about learning from the employees before assigning them a job. In the delegating style of management, managers discuss the problem with the employee, than tell them what to do, but let the employee decide how he completes the job. Thornton discusses these three management styles in details, explaining what to do and what to avoid in each of the three styles. When we compare this article with the other three articles, we find that this article covers a completely different topic than the rest. While the other articles talk about leadership, this article is about management styles. The article talks about the relationship between a manager and an employee. However, a manager need not necessarily be a leader and the article does not talk about leadership. If we compare the writing style of Wheatley and Thornton, we find that Thornton has a more formal writing style. He uses bullet points to express himself and summarizes in the end. Thornton’s articles have the look and feel of a lecture note. Also, the articles get directly to the point, talking about the issue at hand without getting into background stories. Wheatley, on the other hand has an informal writing style. Her articles are written for the layman and are full of stories to illustrate her point. Purely from a writing style point if view, Thornton’s articles are more engaging. However, the point she is trying to make has a tendency to get lost in all the stories she writes. This problem is avoided by Thornton, as he talks about the issue clearly and concisely and summarizes it all in the end to ensure that reader gets the point. Both Wheatley and Thornton have thorough knowledge of their subjects. However, Wheatley speaks from a practical viewpoint while Thornton is more theoretical. As far as their advice on leadership is concerned, once again Wheatley advocates a more informal style, stressing the fact that every individual can be a leader. Thornton, however, seems to feel that leadership should be learnt and he gives detailed commentary on how to be a better leader. There are many definitions of leadership. For Wheatley, it is about taking small steps to make a difference. For Thornton, it is about planning the entire process of change carefully. Both the definitions have seen the test of time and have thrown up successful leaders. But while Wheatley suggests these leadership styles, Thornton takes the pain to explain what leadership is and how to be a successful leader.

The Care Programme Approach And Its Impact Social Work Essay

The Care Programme Approach And Its Impact Social Work Essay This essay will outline and analyse the Care Programme Approach (CPA), a social policy which was introduced in England in 1991. it will critically analyse and evaluate how and why this policy (CPA) was introduced. In doing so, it will attempt to explore the social problems with which the policy was concerned, its ideological origins, its aims and its nature. Finally, this essay will assess the effects of the implementation of the CPA based on issues of access and outcome. What is social policy? According to one website Ive consulted: The name social policy is used to apply to the policies which governments use for welfare and social protection; to the ways in which welfare is developed in a society, and to the academic study of the subject. In the first sense, social policy is particularly concerned with social services and the welfare state. In the second, broader sense, it stands for a range of issues extending far beyond the actions of government the means by which welfare is promoted, and the social and economic conditions which shape the development of welfare. http://www2.rgu.ac.uk/publicpolicy/introduction/socpolf.htm Social problems with which the policy (CPA) was concerned There are several social problems with which the CPA was concerned and some of them are: The 1984 murder of social worker Isabel Schwarz by a former mental health client as cited by Sharkey (2000) prompted a government inquiry that was led by Sir Roy Griffiths in 1988. His report Community Care: Agenda for Action was the forerunner to the National Health Service and Community Care Act of 1990 (NHSCCA) which sets out the foundation for present day Care Programme Approach in England. The care programme approach was also instigated by the Christopher Clunis unmet needs as noted by the Ritchie Report in 1999. The report criticised the demeaning failures of the health and social services to work together in relation to the needs of people with mental health problems and to protect the public. The emergence of advocates groups such as MIND, the Mental Health Foundation and Informal Carers pressure group in the 1980s were also major social factors that led to the development of the CPA (Mor ris (1993). Those groups raise fundamental civil liberty issues surrounding the legal rights of people returned back into the community from psychiatric hospital and the need for appropriate services. Another major concern according to Means and Smith (1998: p48) was the official report on Ely Hospital, Cardiff, which confirmed staff cruelty to patients at this mental handicap hospital. They argued that The level of media publicity generated by these incidents became so high that a policy response became inevitable (ibid). CPAs ideological origins There are several factors that affected the development and establishment of the Care Programme Approach (CPA). However, the key factors that influence the implementation of the CPA are: political, economic and social. From the earliest stages of the Poor Laws through to the present day social security system, political factors have influenced welfare provision. Like most other policies, the CPA emerge as a result of the conservatism New Right ideology of minimum state intervention, privatisation, the idea of justice and the emergence of global market forces. The conservative government lead by Margaret Thatcher from 1979 through to the 1990s believed, politically, in reducing the power of the local authority and local government with the notion that care in the community must increasingly mean care by the community (Lavalette and Pratt 1998: 237). Mrs Thatcher expressed the view that the sacrifices which the family and voluntary organizations have played in community care from the V ictorian era to present day should not be seen as second best or degrading. Her philosophy was built on the importance of mixed economy, choice and given power back to the users of services. Mrs Thatcher was politically concerned with the political structures of the local labour government and the need to give more power to the market forces (private sector) to energize the economy. The care programme approach policy was also partly motivated by economic factors. The New Political Right regards the free market as the best way forward for organising society. They believed that a competitive market and a mixed economy of welfare is vital in encouraging competition which inspires innovation and efficiency which will inevitable provide better and cheaper services than a nationalised and bureaucratised services. This was a move away from the accepted orthodoxy of the Keynesian economics which sees government intervention in the provision of social care as necessary for the stability of the economy. The mixed economy is therefore seen by the New Right as not only promoting equality and choice but also cost effective. Many believed that the political underlying principle of giving service users choice would cover up the huge spending on the uncoordinated health and social care budget. As a result, both health and social care services were forced to introduce financial and management systems in relation to the purchase of care. For example, social workers became care managers and the purchasers rather than the providers of care. Regarding social ideology concept, the major social ideology was that, people with mental health problems, were expected to be integrated back into the community with clear and structured care plans. The fatal attacks by dangerous mentally ill people such as Christopher Cluniss who was misdiagnosed and prematurely discharged then ended up killing an innocent person, were major social factors which affected the development of the CPA. The case of Clunis raised significant social issues of the risk and danger posed by people with mental health problems, especially those not receiving proper care. The case also raises major trans-cultural social issues in relation to the significant number of black men placed on supervision register. The aim of the policy The Care Programme Approach was introduced in order to provide a clear framework for the care of people with mental health problems outside hospital (Means and Smith1998: p156), which Thompson et al (2000:573) said this include: Systemic multidisciplinary assessment, planning, monitoring, and reviewing a care plan, the inclusion of users and carers in the formulation and delivering of care and identification of a lead person or key worker and that, all of this is undertaken within a framework that is flexible and responsive to the clients changing needs (ibid). Nature of the CPA According to Thompson et al (2000) the CPA was introduced in 1991 and is intended to be the cornerstone of the governments mental health policy. This process applies to all people that are experiencing severe mental health problems who are clients of mental health services, whether on an informal or formal basis. The policy outlined four stages which should be applied to all clients in all cases. The First stage is, to carry out an assessment based on the circumstances of the client, including any support needed by carers. Secondly, to negotiate the care package in agreement with the client, carers and relevant agencies that are designed to meet the identify need within available resources. The third stage is to implement and monitor the agreed package by the appointment of a key worker now known as care co-ordinator. The care co-ordinator is responsible for the assessment and planning process. He or she could be a mental health nurse, social worker or occupational therapist. The las t stage is, to review the outcomes of the care plan and if necessary undertake revision of services provided. The policy is based on person-centred approach and one that has been important for health and social care to develop integrated policies and procedures around models of assessment, diagnostic evaluation, integrated working relationships around care plans and monitoring people in care and community by means of integrated budgets. Whereas, practice under previous systems were not person-centred instead, they involved offering people limited number of inflexible choices which were more or less organised to meet requirements of service providers rather than the service users and their carers. With mental health placed in psychiatrist hospitals or prisons these residents are controlled and manipulated by those in charge. The effects of the CPA The policy helped services maintain contact with service users, stressed the need for service users involvement in decision making; ensures that there is coordination and communication between all the professionals that are involved in the assessment and delivery of the patients care needs, but failed to provide comprehensive co-ordinated care. This lead to several criticism been made about the policy for example, it has been criticised that working together often leads to role insecurity and role ambiguity, thus creating a major hindrance to working together. The policy has also been criticised for mostly being used for inpatients instead of people in the community. This was referenced by Sharkey (2000) as an important point citing the Christopher Clunis case due to the failure to offer culturally sensitive services to meet his needs and citing the example of Lavallette and Pratt (1998: 104) in which they commented that mental health policies and practice based upon white European, middle-class norms of behaviour can result in a system which does not understand that people from other cultural backgrounds may express symptoms of mental health or ill health in different ways. This is useful in enabling the understanding of how Christopher Clunis was failed by all the professionals who saw him. For example, Sharkey (2000: p83) refer to the Ritchie Report that A GP whom Clunis had visited had struck him off his list because he was abusive and threatening. The Mental Health Foundation carried out a recent studies which aim was for respondents to talk openly about their mental health issues in relation to employment. They sent out about 3,000 questionnaire and those who replied , 86% were white UK, 3% Black African Caribbean, 2% Black Asian and 4% were other European white including Irish. What the findings has shown is that ethnic minority are uncomfortable to talk about their mental health problems for fear of discrimination and oppression. They also highlighted 85% of those with long term severe mental health problems are unemployed. These can contribute to the stress and anxiety experienced by users, carers, friends and families. For example, living with someone with serious ongoing mental health problems can cause increased strain, worries and distress together with loss of friends and social contracts (example intimate relationships), social isolation (due to stigma attached) and difficulties in coping with particular symptoms. At the same time, the protection of the public from the risk of harm is of paramount importance because patients discharged without adequate supervision or the provision necessary to meet their housing, social and health needs would increase risk to themselves and members of the public as evident in the case of Christopher Clunis. The CPA has also been criticised as a policy that it is largely dominated by medical module of treatment and social issues are neglected by practitioners and this has been highlighted by Thompson (2009) that spirituality is very important component of a persons well-being and despite this concern, peoples spiritual needs are often seen to be neglected during treatment or in developing and managing care plans for day-to-day activities. In some cases, as noted by rethink.org, a charity campaigning for mental health awareness, spirituality is even seen as a manifestation of the individuals psychosis or delusions by some members of society. Even though the polic y was introduced so that people with severe mental health problems could be assessed and assigned a care coordinator so they dont present a risk to themselves or the public, there have been some problems with users of services slipping through the net and ending up either homeless or causing ham to themselves or others (sometimes even committing fatal attacks). For example, Taylor (2010) wrote on the Metro Newspaper about a man with mental health problem who hadnt been offered treatment on several attempts ended up killing a pregnant woman. Conclusion Even though this policy has helped people with severe mental health issues to be integrated well into the community and live supported or independent lives, some people with mental health problems are still seen by the policy makers as a burden and stigmatised as a threat to the community. They are routinely being denied the human rights of freedom of movement, family life, and equal access to paid jobs and adequate financial support which may then lead to homelessness and readmission in institutional care.

Gay and Lesbian Same Sex Marriage is a Civil Right :: Gay and Lesbian Marriage Must Be Legal

Interracial marriage is a topic that has been out of the national limelight for quite some time because most people in the United States have grown to accept it. When the Supreme Court ruled for the right for couples to marry interracially in 1967, they called the laws preventing interracial marriage nothing more than an attempt "to maintain white supremacy" (Stoddard 413). The conclusion of the United States Supreme court was that because laws against interracial marriage served no purpose other than discrimination, they should be eliminated. The modern gay rights movement has sparked a similar controversy among lawmakers; The question of whether or not same sex marriages should be legal in the United States. In the aforementioned case, the Supreme Court ruled that marriage is "one of the basic civil rights of man...[and is] essential to the orderly pursuit of happiness" (Stoddard 413). Despite this decision that has been standing for more than thirty years that clearly states that marriage is a basic civil right, there has been widespread controversy about same sex marriage. The opposition to this basic right has been met by opposition with weak arguments such as: Citing Judeo/Christian legend saying that homosexuality is wrong; saying that since same sex couples could not reproduce, they should not be allowed to marry; the term "same sex marriage" is a contradiction in terms because the word "marriage" implies the union of a man and a woman. Amongst others, these are the fleeting arguments against same sex marriag e. These are attempts of people who are trying to maintain a heterosexual supremacy, the very same ideal of "white supremacy" that the Supreme Court ruled was unconstitutional in 1967. Like the laws against interracial marriage once did, the laws that exist today against same sex marriage serve no purpose other than that of discrimination. These unjust laws should be abolished. The source of much of the discrimination against same sex marriage is rooted in religious beliefs. It is almost impossible to hear a conservative politician talking about the subject of same sex marriage without a reference to The Bible. The infamous reference that has so many jumping at the throat of homosexual marriage is in the book of Leviticus, and it reads: "The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to the Israelite people and say to them: .

K to 12 programs: Implementation is it worth it or Burden Essay

To start with, what does Education means to you? In the dictionary, it is defined as the act or experience that has a formative effect on the mind, character, or physical ability of an individual. In its technical sense education is the process by which society deliberately transmit it’s accumulate knowledge, skill and values from one generation to another. In my own words, Education is the process of learning by which the knowledge, character and behaviour are produced and modified. In this essay, I will impart upon my readers my opinion of what education means to me. My education given to me by my grade school was one which provided me with sufficient skill about academics performances however I have hard time in arithmetic, knowing my own limitation in academics makes me comprehend that I must build up more. As time goes by, our education improves. The DepED implied new curriculum. This is the K to 12 programs. Under this curriculum there will be additional 2-years in secondary level. Is the K to 12 curriculums â€Å"worth it†? In my point of view it is worth it. Why? Because it helps all the students to learn more about entrepreneurship and livelihood business and our country will become globally competitive. The K to 12 curriculums will be sufficient to prepare students for work and this is the betterment of our education system and our economy. And the good thing in this curriculum is when you are graduated in this curriculum you can immediately work without continuing college but you can’t have a degree but if decide to continue college it is better because you can have a superior work and have a degree. While on the other hand, it is â€Å"Burden†. Well they say that this K to 12 curriculums is an additional burden to the parents particular when they are having deficient in money sending their children in schools. Of course all of the parents desire to send their children to have high-quality education but in various cases because of poverty their option is to not educate them. In conclusion, the K to 12 curriculums is worth it neither it a burden. Without doubt, education can affect one’s future. It is undeniably that through education, we can pursue our dream and ambition in life. The choice is in our hands. We must equip ourselves with plenty knowledge in order to be successful in life. It is depending on us what will be our future; education is just a tool to reach our ambition in life. The work is still in our hands. And education is the best gift you could ever  receive, because once you have it, no one can ever take it. I believe this understanding of the DepED will be a big chance to achieve our objective in life. I have come to think that the K to 12 curriculums is a brilliant project but the question is â€Å"Will the K to 12 programs facilitate the students intending to pursue a higher education†. A relationship is like a rose, How long it lasts, no one knows; Love can erase an awful past, Love can be yours, you’ll see at last; To feel that love, it makes you sigh, To have it leave, you’d rather die; You hope you’ve found that special rose, ‘Cause you love and care for the one you chose.

Fizzy drinks Essay

Aim The aim of the experiment is to check whether pH of the chosen fizzy drink is basic, neutral or acidic. To find the answer the titration method will be used. The chosen fizzy drink will be Sprite due to its transparency (it is easy to see when the color changes during the experiment). Hypothesis Sprite will probably have acidic pH (smaller than 7) as one of ingredients is citric acid. However as it is drink used by people pH cannot be to small as it would be harmful to the human organism. As I checked pH of Sprite should oscillate somewhere around 2.75. Theory â€Å"A titration is a method of analysis that will allow you to determine the precise endpoint of a reaction and therefore the precise quantity of reactant in the titration flask. A buret is used to deliver the second reactant to the flask and an indicator or pH Meter is used to detect the endpoint of the reaction. A typical titration begins with a beaker or Erlenmeyer flask containing a precise volume of the reactant and a small amount of indicator, placed underneath a burette containing the reagent. By controlling the amount of reagent added to the reactant, it is possible to detect the point at which the indicator changes colour. As long as the indicator has been chosen correctly, this should also be the point where the reactant and reagent neutralise each other, and, by reading the scale on the burette, the volume of reagent can be measured. As the concentration of the reagent is known, the number of moles of reagent can be calculated (since concentration = moles / volume). Then, from the chemical equation involving the two substances, the number of moles present in the reactant can be found. Finally, by dividing the number of moles of reactant by its volume, the concentration is calculated.† In this case phenolphthalein is the indicator as it stays transparent in the acidic or neutral environment and changes its color into pink in the acidic environment. Materials – NaOH – 5g – Sprite – 125 ml – Phenolphthalein – Distillated water 250ml Apparatus – balance – burette – spatula – Erlenmeyer flask – Beaker – Cylinder Variables – volume of NaOH – type of fizzy drink – volume of the fizzy drink – precision Procedure 1. Prepare all needed apparatus and substances 2. Weight 5g of solid NaOH and put it into beaker 3. Fill the beaker with 250 ml of distilled water to make 0.5 mol NaOH solution 4. Fill the burette with NaOH solution and write down to what level the burette is filled so you can later know how many of the solution was needed to neutralize fizzy drink 5. Measure 25 ml of Sprite in the cylinder 6. Put 25 ml of Sprite into the flask 7. Add to it 4 drops of phenolphthalein 8. Put the flask under the burette 9. Slowly pour the NaOH solution into the flask with Sprite 10. When the color of Sprite is pink stop the titration (it is important to be precise) 11. Write down how many NaOH solution was needed to neutralize your fizzy drink 12. Repeat steps 4-11 five times to get some more reliable results 13. After you finished your experiment neutralize NaOH solution that you still have and then clean the equipment you used during the experiment. Safety guidelines !!! – Work areas should be arranged so that a person does not need to travel through a high-hazard area while attempting to exit the laboratory during an emergency. !!! – Eyewashes and showers must be accessible to all chemical laboratories. !!! – Do not consume food and drink in the laboratory. !!! – Wear your googles and gloves to protect your eyes and skin !!! – Move in the labolatory carefully !!! – Keep the labolatory clean in order to prevent any accidents !!! – Pay particular attention to the protection of eyes and skin because NaOH can couse damage to your. !!! – Confine long hair while working in a labolatory. !!! – Do not panic if you have done something in a wrong way, just report your teacher and do what he/she has said !!! – Flush away all accidentally spilled substances with water and report your teacher !!! – Neutralize the remaining substances and remove them from equipment !!! – Wear your gown while working in lab Data Collection number of the test Initial quantity of NaOH solution in burette (in ml) Final quantity of NaOH solution in burette(in ml) Quantity of NaOH solution used to neutralize fizzy drink(in ml) Table 1. data collected during the experiment Data Processing and Presentation In order to find the pH of Sprite at first the average quantity of NaOH solution used to neutralize the fizzy drink has to be calculated: ml In order to make some other calculations ml has to be changed to dm3 1 dm3 = 1000 ml Hence: 5.18/1000 = 0.00518 dm3 Next the number of moles of NaOH solution used in the experiment has to be determined from the formula Where: n is number of moles C is molar concentration V is volume in dm3 Hence: Next the number of H+ ions in the solution has to be determined using the following formula: , where [H+] is the molar concentration n is number of moles of H+ ions V is the volume of the solution As number of moles of OH- ions in the solution is equal to the number of moles of H+ ions, nH+ = nOH- = 0.00259mol By knowing this pH of Sprite can be calculated by using the formula below: pH = -log[H+] pH = -log0.1036 pH = 0.98464 Conclusions The result obtained in the experiment differs a lot from the reality (pH is approximately 2.75). Even not knowing the proper value of pH of Sprite it is rather obvious that the result is wrong as no substance drank by human can have such a little pH. This would destroy our organism and therefore could not be sold as a fizzy drink. The percentage error equals: This is a huge difference and it can be explained by a number of reasons: 1. we did not catch the exact moment of neutralization but the moment, when the mixture was already basic so, this difference in time can be crucial 2. little differences in measurements during the experiment could also be the cause of mistake 3. the time when the color of phenolphthalein did not disappear could be measured wrong and that can be another cause of mistake Summing up these sources of mistake could not change the result in such a great extend – 279%. Although the results of the experiment were imprecise, the aim was partially achieved. Sprite was proved to have acidic pH. Evaluation The experiment could be done on some greater amounts of Sprite so that the results would be more precise. Although 5 tests were made, maybe some more should be done to make the data collected during the experiment more reliable. Besides that it is hard to find some other ways to make the experiment better or more reliable as the titration method is quite precise and the results should not differ much from the reality. Sources: – â€Å"Chemistry for the IB Diploma (standard and higher level)† by Geoff Neuss – â€Å"Chemistry† (second edition) by John Green and Sandru Damji – www.en.wikipedia.org entry: titration