Public education reform: Community or national funding of education Essay

Soares presents an article that draws on a political economy model of public funding as a tool to assess the education implications of moving from a community-to nation-wide funding policy. His intention is to widen the source for the finance of education that will redistribute funds both at the intra-generational and inter-generational levels. Previous literature has focused on the intra-generational redistribution effects of going from a local to state funded approach. Instead, Soares suggests a model of education reform that would see funding include the social security system and would allow factor prices to vary. Such flexibility would benefit welfare effects to students by enlarging the funding net in the form of a nation-wide system. Significant welfare gains that would occur with a nation-wide system are supported by other research (Soares, 2006; Wasser & Picken, 1996). Soares also reflects on his previous writings on the important roles of altruism and self-interest in influencing the political decisions of public education policy. He points to the inter-relationship of three main factors in determining how policy will be formed; altruism; the impact of public funding of education of the social security system; and the impact of these factors on factor prices. In conclusion, Soares article depicts a critical issue in education reform that has been ongoing for many years: How to source optimal continual funding for education that does not detract from the welfare of the wider population? He provides a viable alternative to funding. At present most States provide fewer dollars to minority and low-income students. A nation-wide funding policy would ensure that the funding gaps which exist across schools in the USA would be narrowed, providing equality of access to learning opportunities and resources. This would align with the recent No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.

Native American Medicine Essay

The medical cures and healing traditions used by the Native Americans are rather interesting and different compared to modern day Anglo Saxon cures. Native Americans, using their basis of ideas and beliefs, have developed a general idea of naturalistic cures and healing processes. Although the cures and healing processes are much different than Anglo Saxon ideas of curing and healing, the Native American processes tend to work well and even better than many Anglo Saxon cures. Native American medical and healing beliefs and processes are generally based on a more natural curing or purification process than the processes of modern day Anglo Saxons. Many Native American healing processes have been practiced for around 40,000 years. Different Native American healing traditions have appeared to share roots with different cultures, such as ancient Chinese traditions. Although many of the Native American healing traditions appear to share roots with ancient Chinese traditions, the greatest influence on Native American healing is the environment in which they have lived. The different plants and animals around them influenced their healing practices to be all natural. Another influence on their healing practices was other tribes. The migration of tribes around them allowed the tribes to share their knowledge of natural cures. Trade was also very helpful in Native American healing practices because many of the natural remedies required herbs from surrounding environments or long distances, and being able to trade with traveling tribes saved much travel time and risk. Although Native American healing practices have proven to be successful, a lot of their traditions have been lost. Many of the practices were driven underground and lost because they became banned or illegal in many parts of the United States. After 1978, the American Indian Religious Freedom Act was passed, and the Native Americans were once again allowed to practice their healing traditions. The long gap without practicing certain healing processes resulted in the loss of many of their practices, however. Even today, there are still difficulties with Native Americans being allowed to perform different ceremonies and rituals because the land serves other purposes. (www.cancer.org). Native Americans have successfully lived for many years by using their own idea of natural cures and purification. Native American healing is a broad term that includes different healing beliefs and practices of hundreds of indigenous tribes or North America. It combines religion, spirituality, herbal medicine uses, and purification rituals that are used to treat the indigenous people either medically, emotionally, or behaviorally. According to Lakota Sioux, the basis of natural beliefs and connections comes from the story of the white buffalo. The story begins with a woman appearing during the time of famine. She was wearing a white buffalo skin and carrying a sacred pipe. After appearing to the tribe, she explained to them that the wooden stem was for the trees and everything growing on earth. Her red bowl was to symbolize the flesh and blood of all people and the smoke was the breath of their prayers going to Wakan Tanka, the creator. The woman then presented the pipe ceremony to the tribe, which included offerings made to the four directions while drums were played and sacred songs were sung. The people then began to understand the connection between sky and earth and the unity of all life. Before leaving, the woman said she would return when the time was right and turned into a buffalo, changing colors several times. Finally, she became a white buffalo calf and disappeared. The people followed her teachings and were no longer hungry. Years later, a white buffalo calf, very rare, appeared and changed colors throughout its life. The calf is believed to be the woman. (www.native-americans-online.com). Through this story, many indigenous tribes have believed nature to be the cures and purifications needed for the soul to become whole. There are many types of Native American healing practices, and they are promoted to help with a variety of ills. Some of the most common aspects of Native American healing include the use of herbal remedies, purifying rituals, shamanism, and symbolic healing rituals to treat illnesses of both the body and spirit. Herbal remedies are used to treat many physical conditions. Practitioners use purifying rituals to cleanse the body and prepare the person for healing. Shamanism is based on the idea that spirits cause illness, and a Native American healer called a shaman focuses on using spiritual healing powers to treat people. Symbolic healing rituals, which can involve family and friends of the sick person, are used to invoke the spirits to help heal the sick person. (www.cancer.org). The Native American belief in spirituality caused the Native Americans to believe that diseases are caused by an object piercing the soul through sorcery. A disease can also be believed to be the complete absence of a free soul. Their naturalistic beliefs allowed them to believe that even diseases are considered natural occurrences, and because they occur naturally, they can be cured naturally as well. By using natural remedies, â€Å"medicine men† attempted to cure diseases that have invaded tribal villages. Natural remedies used by the medicine men included different concoctions of plants, fungi, or animals that could be eaten or rubbed on a certain area of the body to cure the illness. Before Europeans invaded Native American land, Native Americans had not had an extreme amount of experience in the treatment of disease. However, after the Europeans invaded their land, they (the Europeans) brought many diseases with them. Some of the deadly diseases included smallpox, measles, scarlet fever, typhoid, influenza, and pertussis or whooping cough. At the first sign of the diseases, the indigenous people continued trying their natural remedies, but after many failed attempts at curing the diseases, the people would often avoid the sick and leave them to die because they believed that evil spirits had taken over their soul. With the Europeans bringing many diseases to the indigenous land, the indigenous people believed the Europeans to be evil spirited and deadly. The many diseases brought by the Europeans caused a major Native American depopulation. In order to try to cure these diseases or other illnesses, Native Americans relied on the use of what they referred to as t he â€Å"medicine man† or â€Å"healer†. The medicine man was very well educated on the surrounding nature and knew what natural remedy would cure the illness. Often times, the medicine man would have to travel to other lands in order to find a certain plant or a fungus that was needed in the remedy. Medicine men were very effective at curing illnesses because of the knowledge they had of nature. Not only did the Native Americans use natural remedies to cure illness, but they also used natural purification processes in order to purify or cleanse their soul in an emotional healing process. The purifying ritual is a ceremony known as a sweat lodge, where the indigenous people would sit in extreme temperatures and sweat out the evil in them which allowed them to be cleansed. To begin the sweat lodge process, one must offer a pouch of tobacco to the medicine man. The tobacco is used to represent the spirit of the person presenting it. By offering the tobacco to the medicine man, one is asking him to work on their behalf in the spiritual world. When presenting the tobacco, one would also bring forth their specific desire such as an alcohol or drug problem. The sweat lodge process begins with the passing of what are known as tobacco ties. Many tobacco ties are hung around inside the sweat lodge and each tobacco tie represents a prayer. The four sacred herbs, sage, sweet grass, cedar, and tobacco, are used in order to help purify the room and allow the spirits to work. Then rocks, primarily lava stones from volcanoes, are heated using a fire until they are white hot. Once the rocks are white hot, they are brought into the lodge in order to begin the sweating process. To keep the rocks hot, water is poured onto them making an immense amount of steam and heating the lodge. Now that the purification process has finally begun, everyone sits in a circle and goes around, one person at a time, offering prayers. After all prayers have been given, the medicine man blends them all together in a mystical process altering the state of mind to something beyond the physical form. This is where the real healing takes place. As the purification process comes to a conclusion, a new ceremony known as wopela begins. Wopela is simply giving thanks. All participants bring in gifts for the medicine man in order to thank him for leading them through the purification process. The medicine man begins a prayerful state and takes the prayer ties and sets them up in the north end of the center. This allows the prayers to be carried to the Great Spirit in a good way. The medicine man then blows out the candles the lodge becomes pitch dark. Another emotional healing strategy is the use of the medicine wheel. The medicine wheel was an important transformation in the process of Native American tribes realizing that they are much different from each other. Basically, the medicine wheel was a sheet decorated in special symbols, colors, or stones that allowed others know about the inhabitants of the tribe. One was placed in front of every tepee or hut to notify others of that individual’s strengths and weaknesses. By doing so, each individual had their own guidelines to follow for personal growth by realizing what one needed to learn and what one needed to teach. After many generations, the people began to lose the concept of blame and anger upon others. One tribe member from Arizona states â€Å"If I said to you, ‘Does anyone ever make you angry?’ you would say yes. But in reality, this is totally impossible. You choose to be angry by the way you process the event. This is something you were taught to d o as a child. If you could imagine not one person in all of New York City having the concept of anger, that’s what it was like during that time period of no wars before the white man came.†(www.native-americans-online.com). By placing a simple wheel outside their homes, the Native Americans began to learn to cope with their anger and not place blame upon others. This shows a strong cultural emotional healing process because it rid the tribes of anger and blame on others. Indigenous people also believed in psychiatric healing beliefs by altering their state of mind. They were able to alter their state of mind through events such as drumming and chanting rituals, Salish spirit dancing, and visual stimuli. All processes were used in order to calm down an individual. The drumming or chanting of rituals acted as a concentration device to its listeners. A constant beat or pattern would reduce the tendency of the mind to wander. It would also enter the brain wave patterns and sometimes the subjects’ brainwaves would change to match the frequency of the drumming or beating. As for the altered states produced in the Salish Spirit Dance, the sensory stimulation would release neuro-endocrine opiod agents that would produce a peak experience during that dance performance. It is quite obvious that the healing processes of the indigenous people vary greatly from the healing processes of modern day Anglo Saxons. For example, in seeking a cure, Anglo Saxons search for a man made discovery to lead to a cure where as the indigenous people rely on nature for their cures. Although the Anglo Saxon solutions are very effective, the natural remedies also work and are less harmful. All Anglo Saxon cures provide quick solutions but at the risk of side effects which are not present in natural remedies. One belief of the indigenous people was that the illness was caused by nature, so nature can cure the illness. Another difference in Anglo Saxon healing processes is emotional or psychiatric healing. Anglo Saxon traditions in emotional healing include the use of a therapist or other person to talk to in order to solve the problem. The indigenous people use a similar cure, except they seek a higher cure such as the sweat lodge in order to be in contact with the spirit world. Anglo Saxons also place blame and problems on others in an attempt to relieve themselves of the pressure or danger of events. The indigenous people however, do not like to place blame on others, but on themselves. The indigenous people begin looking for a cure inside oneself in order to fix the problem. Although many rituals and healing processes of the indigenous people are much different than the processes of the modern day Anglo Saxons, the processes of the indigenous people have proven to work effectively in curing the illness. Their belief in having a pure soul contributes to the rituals they perform in order to heal. Both Anglo Saxon and Native American healing processes have been proven effective, with the difference being the focus of the solution. Native American medical and healing beliefs and processes are generally based on a more natural curing or purification process than the processes of modern day Anglo Saxons. Sources Used http://muwww-new.marshall.edu/jrcp/VE13%20N1/jrcp%2013%201%20thomason.pdf http://www.native-americans-online.com/index.html http://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatmentsandsideeffects/complementaryandalternativemedicine/mindbodyandspirit/native-american-healing

Reneging on a Promise Essay

Billy Tushoes recently received an offer to join the accounting firm of Tick and Check LLP. Billy would prefer to work for Foot and Balance LLP but has not received an offer from the firm the day before he must decide whether to accept the position at Tick and Check. Billy has a friend at Foot and Balance and is thinking about calling her to see if she can find out whether an offer is forthcoming. Question 1. Should Billy call his friend? Provide reasons why you think he should or should not. Is there any other action you suggest Billy take prior to deciding on the offer of Tick and Check? Why do you recommend that action? Billy should call his friend to ask how the recruiting process is going, but not specifically ask if he got the job offer or not. I believe that it will give him an unfair advantage than the other applicants because the other applicants are still waiting as well. I think that it’s reasonable to call to ask when he should be expecting a call from the Foot and Balance LLP, but not to ask if he got an offer from the firm. Part B Assume Billy calls his friend at Foot and Balance and she explains the delay is due to the recent merger of Vouch and Trace LLP with Foot and Balance. She tells Billy that the offer should be forthcoming. However, Billy gets nervous about the situation and decides to accept the offer of Tick and Check. A week later he receives a phone call from the partner at Foot and Balance who had promised to contact him about the firm’s offer. Billy is offered a position at Foot and Balance at the same salary as Tick and Check. He has one week to decide whether to accept that offer. Billy is not sure what to do. On one hand, he knows it’s wrong to accept an offer and then renege on it. On the other hand, Billy hasn’t signed a contract with Tick and Check and the offer with Foot and Balance is his clear preference because he has many friends at that firm. Questions 1. Do you think it is ever right to back out of a promise you gave to someone else? If so, under what circumstances? If not, why not? I don’t think breaking any promises is right to do but I think some promises are more important than others. I feel that people feel obligated to keep promises with certain people based on their importance. For example, a boss or a best friend, a person can feel obligated to keep their promises with those people instead of others who are not as significant. †¨Ã¢â‚¬ ¨2. Identify the stakeholders and their interests in this case. The partner at Foot and Balance is definitely a stakeholder in this case because he is interested in Billy and wants to hire him. Billy is a stakeholder because of his interest in Foot and Balance LLP. And Tick and Check LLP is a stakeholder because they are interested in Billy as well. 3. Evaluate the alternative courses of action for Billy using ethical reasoning. What should Billy do? Why? I believe that Billy should stick with Tick and Check LLP. Billy already knows that he it is wrong to renege on a commitment. Even though he did not physically sign a contract, he did verbally accepted the offer. It would be unprofessional of him to accept the offer and then take it back a day later just because he got an offer from Foot and Balance. A verbal commitment is just as significant as signing the contract.

Successful Implementation of Electronic Health Information Technology Assignment

Successful Implementation of Electronic Health Information Technology - Assignment Example ting the EMR system in the hospital include quick processing of information, accuracy of information, completeness and relevance of information, increased information security based on authentication rules, and data consistency. Today, electronic health records have become an important aspect of a healthcare organization based on its role in successful completion of all tasks using the information appropriately collected, stored, retrieved, and analyzed by the electronic medical record systems. The collected information can be used by different health departments in the decision-making processes. Before actually purchasing and implementing the system, the management of my hospital conducted a survey to know the viewpoints and concerns of all indented users of the system including nurses. This reason behind this was to make every user well-informed about the working and need of the new system, as well as to address the concerns of all users. Nurses were particularly included in the survey because the management believes them to be an important role player in the overall information management system. Nursing personals play a dynamic role in the successful adoption of healthcare information systems (Hsiao, Chang, & Chen, 2011, p. 150). When the system was purchased in our hospital, the management conducted a two-week training program in which all users including nurses were provided with all relevant information about the system. Moreover, the users were also given practical training of using the system. As an end user, I feel that I have played my role in selection and planning of the new HIT system. Several issues can occur if the management does not take into account the concerns of nurses while planning for any new system. For example, if nurses are not informed about the new system before purchasing, the management can never know the exact requirements of the system as the result of which they may need to purchase another system in a short time. Similarly, if

Impact of Pearl Harbor Attack on the Outcome of World War II Essay

Impact of Pearl Harbor Attack on the Outcome of World War II - Essay Example Moreover, the Japanese wanted to destroy the confidence of the Americans and dispirit them from taking their war to Dutch East Indies and the Eastern Pacific ocean. Japan did not want any country to interfere with it in its conquest of the Southeast Asia. During the attack, Japan targeted the prestigious battleships of the US navy to completely dishearten them from interfering with their mission. The results of the attack were devastating as American lives were lost and the American ships were destroyed and sunk and their planes destroyed on the ground. However, it was not as devastating as the Japanese expected. Some ships were rescued and repaired since they were attacked while on shallow water. Moreover, most of the crew was not in the ships and those injured were rescued through the harbor. Moreover, some American aircraft carriers were not destroyed as they were not on the harbor on that day (Tames 17). The United States and Japan had been having negotiations in order to stop Ja pan from continuing to expand aggressively in Asia. However, the negotiations did not progress well as Japan did not want to give in to the US demands. Therefore, in order to get the United States out of their way, they launched a surprise attack using two battleships, six aircraft carriers, two heavy cruisers, nine destroyers, three submarines and one light cruiser. After the attacks, the US officially joined the World War II and declared war on Japan. They joined the war to avenge the losses they had incurred in terms of human lives and ships (Tames 23). The attacks on Pearl Harbor greatly affected the outcome of World War II. The United States, a very powerful nation, was not involved in the... The United States and Japan had been having negotiations in order to stop Japan from continuing to expand aggressively in Asia. However, the negotiations did not progress well as Japan did not want to give in to the US demands. Therefore, in order to get the United States out of their way, they launched a surprise attack using two battleships, six aircraft carriers, two heavy cruisers, nine destroyers, three submarines and one light cruiser. After the attacks, the US officially joined the World War II and declared war on Japan. They joined the war to avenge the losses they had incurred in terms of human lives and ships (Tames 23). The attacks on Pearl Harbor greatly affected the outcome of World War II. The United States, a very powerful nation, was not involved in the war at first. But after the attacks on Pearl Harbor, the US became actively involved and helped the allies to subdue their enemies. Their involvement ensured the defeat of Germany and Japan. Germany had been the major power in Europe while in Asia, Japan had held that position. The Soviet Union and the United states became the major world powers with the defeat of Germany and Japan and after Great Britain, France and China were financially exhausted and devastated by the war (Tames 29). The entry of the United States into World War II after Japan attacked the Pearl Harbor significantly impacted on the outcome of the war.

I have to write a research paper on the evolution of crying

I have to write a on the evolution of crying - Research Paper Example It is the hope of this author that such an analysis will provide the reader with a greater understanding of human emotional/evolutionary responses as well as the means by which such responses are understood, translated, and acted upon by individuals. Naturally, an evolutionary understanding of the process of crying necessarily requires both a biological, physiological, psychological, and sociological approach. Accordingly, each of these approaches will be analyzed at some length been the preceding analysis. Likewise, in addition to analyzing Charles Darwin and his theories put forward in The Expression of Emotions in Man and Animals, current research within the past seven years on the topic will also be heavily relied upon in order to draw a level of inference an understanding on to the subject matter at hand. As with many forms of scientific analysis that seek to draw inference with regards to the early evolution of mankind, it is not always possible to draw directly upon the extant /hard evidence in order to prove the complexities surrounding such a level of emotional and survival – linked behavior. Rather, it is necessary to draw upon current evidence and help to link it to the needs based approach that has so often been proven to exist with regards to the biological process of evolution. ... Said Darwin in The Expression of Emotions in Man and Animals, â€Å"The primary function of the secretion of tears, with some mucus, is to lubricate the surface of the eye, and a secondary one, as some believe, is to keep the nostrils damp, so that the inhaled air may be moist, and likewise to favorites power of smelling. But another, and at least equally important function of tears is to wash out particles of dust or other minute objects which make it into the eyes† (Darwin, 2007). From such an observation, the reader can easily determine that although Darwin was cognizant of the fact that human tears were an exhibition that was unique within the animal kingdom, he did not seem to place a very high-value on the way in which the emotional excretion of tears was important or relevant to the evolutionary process itself (Coulson, 2011). Naturally, such an oversight simplifies the expression of tears and calls into question why humans have developed such a response in such stark c ontrast to the other members of the animal kingdom. Ultimately, Darwin does not provide a reasonable rationale for this and such a question has been left up to more recent evolutionary research on to this topic. Although will not be the express purpose of this analysis to analyze other evolutionary interpretations, it must be understood that prior to the last 15 to 20 years, almost all evolutionary explanations surrounding human crying were concentric upon trying to define it as a necessary biological function that helps to lubricate mucous membranes, expunge the body of toxins, or other non-emotional or impact that can definitions and understandings of such an exhibition. However, recent research has helped to broaden the understanding and

Stage #1 of Final Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Stage #1 of Final Paper - Essay Example s, specifically those in male-dominated industries, are feeling the pressure of â€Å"acting like men,† so that they can gain respect and establish and protect their authority. Being too nice to employees, for instance, is seen as a weakness, of being â€Å"too soft or too womanly,† a negative trait ascribed to female managers. As a result, I became a tough manager, in other words, a â€Å"male manager† that fit gender expectations about management. An example of the need for being acting like a male manager was when a male employee, Sergio, got a complaint from a male customer, Jason. Jason accused Sergio of being a racist, when he said that Sergio sounded â€Å"so nice† when talking with Hispanics, but unruly and arrogant with â€Å"white male customers.† Sergio admitted that he had a different tone when he spoke with Jason, but this was because he claimed that Jason made a racist remark first. When Jason entered the bus, he looked at Sergio and said, â€Å"These Mexicans are taking our jobs dude,† referring to his male companion, who nodded. I understood the racial tension between the two but because we have a company policy against discrimination, I suspended Sergio for a month, which he got angry with saying I was â€Å"too harsh, like I didn’t know what it means to be a minority.† Because of his comments, I often thought about why I needed to toughen up as a manager, which shows n percep tions and what I think as social perceptions about the role of gender in creating and enforcing management attitudinal and behavioral

Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972) by Werner Herzog Essay

Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972) by Werner Herzog - Essay Example One important lesson that can be derived from the film pertains to the consequences of selfish desires of the leaders like Pizarro, Guzman, and Aguirre. All of them were given the opportunity to lead the expedition, but all of them failed because of some problems with their character and leadership system. Character is an important factor in the implementation of leadership responsibilities. In this film however, the immaturity of the leaders was presented by the way they come up with their decisions and in their ability to handle the pressures that surround them. â€Å"To lead is to serve†. This is the ideal principle of leadership but not even one of the three leaders has shown such example. For instance, Pizarro has exercised selfish dictatorship. His system might be effective in some respects but the effect was not good enough. This is because he was too insensitive with the situation that was taking place with his men. He did not think deeply about the possible consequences of his decision. In one instance, he sent out forty of his men to the dangerous Amazon River and jungle without realizing how this may impact them. He placed the live of his men at risk even if he knew that the Amazon River and the jungle will be treacherous for the expedition. Evidently, Pizarro had abused and mishandled his power. Guzman, on the other hand, displayed avariciousness in his leadership regime. More specifically, he deprived his men with their basic needs such as food. He wanted only to take care of himself and made sure that he has a good supply of food. Meanwhile, he let the men who are serving him go hungry and thirsty.

Business information system Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Business information system - Case Study Example This led to the system having success such as technical failures and network failures. It being a cloud-sourced system, network failure rendered the system useful. Neelkanth Drugs Pvt. Ltd is an Indian drug distributor. It distributes drugs from manufacturers by selling to retailers. In the first decade of the 21st century, the firm experienced increased growth over time and it was growing at a rate of 30% annually. However, this bust of growth was not to last forever because the growth, presented by a number of challenges, ended up declining. Not only did the growth decide eventually, but it also brought up issues for Neelkanth Drugs Pvt. Ltd because it now had to deal with a larger customer base. The need for use f IT became imminent and the managers had to consider procuring an ERP in order to help in serving the customers better. Some of the problems that led to Neelkanth Drugs Pvt. Ltd requiring them to acquire a system were as follows; The market in India was starting to gain a new structure and this increased completion for Neelkanth Drugs Pvt. Ltd (NDPL). As identified in the case study for Neelkanth Drugs Pvt. Ltd, the Indian drug market was very structured and regulated by the government as compared to the western drug markets. As a result Neelkanth Drugs Pvt. Ltd had to respond to this new challenge in the market. Neelkanth Drugs Pvt. Ltd (NDPL) had to know how to use this new strategy. Apart from having to make the decision to use technology to deal with its strategic issues, the mangers at Neelkanth Drugs Pvt. Ltd (NDPL) had to also make the critical decision as to what approach to use. The possibilities were many and varied and deciding what is the best way to deal with the issue was not an easy decision for ht managers. They had to decide to use a cloud according approach to the technology or they could use the licensed software to

Finance for Manager (Finance) Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Finance for Manager (Finance) - Assignment Example Here the study also involves a detailed insight into the duties of the financial manager in the company and again recommendations have been developed on the basis of three main factors, i.e. aid planning, control and performance management in the future. The report also discusses the possible source of finance for the recent investment proposal that the company is currently considering. Here the main focus is on loans as a source of finance; however two more sources of finance have also been included as alternatives for the company. Before moving into the current financial condition of the company and analysis of the company, it is crucial to discuss in brief the overview of the company. Overview of Company: Jool’s Furniture was started twenty one years ago and in 1995, the company went on to becoming manufacturers of kitchen and bedroom furniture and within ten years since then, the company went on to expand and have almost 150 different furniture products. The company has gr own since then and now it majorly consists of four main divisions, i.e. Kitchen, Bedroom, Quality and Office departments. The company employs as many as over 500 employees. Although the company has received a number of options to go public, the owner Smith – Brown prefers to keep the company under his complete control hence the public offers have been declined. The next section will detail an analysis of the current financial condition based on which recommendations have been developed for the company. Jool’s Current Financial Condition: In order to conduct an analysis of the company’s financial position, ratio analysis has been adopted here. The ratios analysis has been conducted in four main types, i.e. profitability ratios, efficiency, liquidity, and financial structure. Each of these has been discussed in detail below. Profitability: Considering the net profit margin of the divisions, it has been noted that each of the divisions has shown immense difference. The table below provides a clear insight into three main ratios here, i.e. gross profit margin, net profit margin, and return on equity (Broadbent & Cullen, 2003). Profitability Ratios Year 2009 2008 2007 Â   Quality Products Division Gross Profit Margin 41.37% 40.45% 38.91% Net Profit Margin 3.36% 1.98% -9.90% Return on Equity 9.99% 5.63% -26.30% Â   Kitchen Division Gross Profit Margin 37.61% 36.20% 39.22% Net Profit Margin 3.51% 3.27% 4.97% Return on Equity 11.54% 11.65% 16.73% Â   Bedroom Division Gross Profit Margin 29.78% 31.44% 26.37% Net Profit Margin 3.22% 3.27% 2.48% Return on Equity 11.86% 13.35% 12.85% Â   Office Supplies Division Gross Profit Margin 36.97% 33.64% 38.90% Net Profit Margin 4.86% 4.64% 5.53% Return on Equity 13.38% 12.05% 13.55% Considering the return on equity, it is evident from the results that the Quality products division has seen an improvement as compared to 2007 (-26.30%), the division seems to be stabilising itself currently. The Kitchens Div ision on the other hand has been facing a decline in all of the ratios which does not provide a good insight into the performance of the division

Inside Islam notes Essay Example for Free

Inside Islam notes Essay

Stabilising factor in the cold war from 1949 to 1963 Essay Example for Free

Stabilising factor in the cold war from 1949 to 1963 Essay To what extent was the nuclear arms race a more stabilising factor in the cold war from 1949 to 1963? From the period of 1949 up until 1963 saw increasing developments in nuclear technology by both the two superpowers, the USA and USSR. The race meant that both superpowers aimed to match each other and even gain the upper hand in terms of nuclear missile technology. Nuclear arms were seen as a form of scare tactic against the other superpower as both felt threatened by each others ideological capability. It was also used as a form of defence mechanism in case of future attack however, the power and destruction of the weapons in which these countries created would have proved fatal not only for the opposing country but for the world. The nuclear arms race has been argued that it stabilised relations between the countries especially after the Cuban missile crisis although there is much evidence that proves otherwise, in which relations between the soviets and the United States were as tense as ever. On the 6th of August 1949, the USSR tested the first atomic bomb in the north of what would be now Russia. This was to start a fury of nuclear testing between the nations. However the first testing was actually in 1945 when the United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, killing thousands of civilians. This immediately threatened not only Japan, the enemy of the United States during WW2 but also close neighbour, the USSR. Stalin saw the highly powerful bombs as force of power over the world. The United States showed the might and strength of their military weaponry but it made relations between the two superpowers very unsettling. It could be seen in this period, as a settling factor with the policy of Brinksmanship. The policy was formed by Eisenhower, the President from 1953 to 1961 and John Foster Dulles, the Secretary of State. It was a policy of intensely threatening the opposing side with action without delivering the action. In this case the United States were threatening the USSR with Nuclear action. It was a very dangerous policy as the name suggests it would go right to the brink of Nuclear War. This was very much true in the Cuban Missile crisis when the Soviets had nuclear weapons based in Cuba ready to target America, while the Americans had missiles based in Turkey, also ready to attack. Both superpowers were not only within each others sphere of influence, but they were also armed too. If the opposition was not backing down it would lead to two options, to either reveal the false threats or go to war. This policy however was used by both parties which in essence mad the whole of the period of time a very tense time. The false threats could be seen as a stabilising factor as both parties were not going to use the weapons, only as a scare tactic which would lead to an increase in communication between the countries. On the other side, threatening to destroy the opposing superpower could be seen as unsettling the relations even more than it already was. M.A.D. (Mutually Assured Destruction) could also be a Stabilising factor in this period as it caused both sides to rethink their strategies. Both sides had enough nuclear weaponry to annihilate the other and to even counter-strike when hit first. Both sides knew that using this strategy would prove too costly so for their own need they needed another approach. A more flexible approach in which the sides would use smaller, targeted missiles achieving to hit a specific area would be more worthwhile as it would limit the amount of action and devastation that the arms could bring. This agreement to use another approach to Brinksmanship in which it brought threatening words to the negotiations would be another step towards a more steady relationship between the soviets and the U.S. The Leaders of both sides also played a huge significance in terms of the nuclear arms race. The soviet leader Khrushchev who served from 1953 to 1964 was a very unpredictable character. This had made relations with the United States very unsettling especially when he possessed nuclear arms. America was desperate to initiate some kind of direct contact. This direct contact was made when the hot line telephone link was created. This could be seen as a sign of a more settled relationship during the nuclear arms race. It was a form of direct contact between the President, which at the time was Nixon and the Soviet Leader Brezhnev. Created in 1963, its aim was prevent a misunderstanding between the nations with the topic of nuclear arms. It was successful as it gave a quick response to any threats the Soviets made especially when the Soviets pulled out of Cuba, the United States were unsure of what the soviet would do next. The Nuclear Test Ban treaty of 1963 was another sign that the nuclear arms race was a stabilising factor as it banned testing of nuclear weapons above water. This was a huge significance as the previous decade consisted of both superpowers testing and improving nuclear weaponry. The main reason for this was the fact that they got too close in the Cuban missile crisis. They were literally hours from nuclear war. However there other factor that played into the formation of the treaty. The Soviet Union were in economic turmoil especially when they were paying almost a third of their GMP on arms. America was also in turmoil especially with the Vietnam War heating up and domestic issue of civil rights. In conclusion, after looking at the period of 1949-1963, the nuclear arms race was a stabilising factor in the cold war although things could have been the complete opposite. The risk of using Brinksmanship could have ended in war and eventual devastation of the world. Both countries, for their own sake needed to come to some agreement to limit the arms. By using the hot line telephone link both superpowers could prevent each other with great speed which helped misunderstanding especially when Khrushchev had a very unpredictable mind. The test ban treaty of 63 also helped limit the use of unsettling use of the weapons but it dragged other powerful nations such as China and France into the mix when they disagreed against the treaty.

Strategies to Reduce Hospital Acquired Infections

Strategies to Reduce Hospital Acquired Infections REVIEW OF LITERATURE When we think about hospital, one thing comes to our mind is â€Å"Hospital is the place for cure†. This revolutionary idea of treating the patients under the same roof was considered to ease the job of healing. But due to lack of knowledge of sterilization and antisepsis, it turned wrong in Pre- Listerian era leading to gangrene and death of patients which were suffering from wounds. Due to this reason a new discipline was emerged called as senics which was mainly dealing with the Hospital Acquired Infection (Nosocomial Infection). Semmelwis in 1861 with the help of medical officer and students observed the association of Puerperal sepsis in patients. Thus by the introduction of hand washing with chlorinated lime, he was successful to bring dramatic reduction in infection rate. Hospital acquired infection (HAI) are infections acquired during hospitalization, which are not present at eh time of admission (Atata et al, 2006). According to Baveja in 2002, the term hospital acquired infection, hospital- associated infection, hospital infection or nosocomial infection(nosocomion,meaning hospital) is defined as infection developing in patients after admission to the hospital ,which was neither present nor in the incubation period at the time of hospitalization . Such infections may become evident during their stay in the hospital or sometimes after their discharge. Due to its increased mortality and morbidity in the hospital patients these HAIs are of significant cause. HAIs are also caused due to prolonged hospital stay which are inconvenient for the patient and constitute economic burden on health care (Malhotra S, et al 2014). Dancer in 1999, depicts that microorganisms which are associated with hospital acquired infection displays two important characteristics, firstly those are the pathogens of well-established medical importance and secondly they also can withstand the hospital environment which benefits them outside temperature. Thus providing an appropriate environment niche for their survival until they transfer back to patients. Some pathogens originate from patients own flora especially those who are immunocompromised whereas others can survive in human tissues and thus rely upon person to person spread in order to disseminate. The patients who are immunocompromised due to underlying diseases, medical or surgical treatment, age are typically affected by nosocomial infections. In pediatric ICU, the hospital acquired infections are approximately three times higher than elsewhere in hospitals (Weistein 2006). Pathogen transference occurs most commonly by presence of bacterial or fungi in inanimate surfaces and equipment or between the hands of health professionals and patients (Kayabas et al., 2008). The transmission of microorganisms from hands of health care workers, medical equipment and surfaces which has become contaminated with a wide variety of pathogenic and nonpathogenic organisms has become a significant proportion of hospital environment infection which ultimately results in crosscontamination (Sehulster et al., 2003). When compared to other hospital patients, the patients who are hospitalized in ICUs are 5-10 times more likely to acquire nosocomial infection. The risk of infection and the frequency of infection vary by infection site. The increasing incidence of infection is caused mainly by antibiotic-resistant pathogens leading to seriousness of hospital acquired infection (Weber 2006). Some of the common human pathogens like, Staphylococcus aureus, Acinetobacter spp, En ­terococcus spp and Escherichia coli can survive for longer periods of time on the hospital surfaces or formites that can potentially transmit infectious organisms (Kramer et al., 2006). The primary sources of indoor air contamination are the microorganisms. When compared to outside air environment, the indoor air environment can potentially place patients a greater risk because enclosed spaces can confine aerosols and allow them to build up to infectious level. The relative humidity and/ or the moisture content of the materials determine that to what extent different micro-organisms are able to grow on indoor or outdoor materials (Dhanasekaran et al., 2009). Adebolu and Vhriterhire in 2002 reported that magnitude of hospital acquired infection is dependent upon the number and type of visitors, mechanical movement within the enclosed space, quality of hospital systems and level of hygienic conditions in hospital environment. Sites where infections acquired in hospitals and other healthcare facilities. To be classified as a nosocomial infection, the patient must have been admitted for reasons other than the infection. He or she must also have shown no signs of active or incubating infection. Depending on the hospital involved, 1 to 10 percent of the patients affected die as a result of the nosocomial infection (George Krucik 2014). Most of these infections can be prevented while others are unavoidable. In hospitals the contaminated surfaces are increasing the cross transmission which is shown in figure-2. Figure-2 Showing the contaminated surfaces in hospitals (source: Wikipedia). These infections occur: Up to 48 hours after hospital admission Up to 3 days after discharge Up to 30 days after an operation In a healthcare facility when a patient was admitted for reasons other than the infection. In the United States, it has been estimated that 9.2 out of every 100 patients acquire a nosocomial infection Pathogens Causing Infection According to the CDC, the most common pathogens that cause nosocomial infections are Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeroginosa, and E. coli (C.Glen May hall 2004). Based in biological and clinical criteria, the national Healthcare Safety network (NHSN) has categorized into 50 infection sites under 13 major types for the surveillance purpose (W. Bereket et al., 2012). When choosing the test organisms that are clinically relevant to human pathogens, six different organisms are considered to be major threats. These pathogens cannot cause the most devastating illnesses but majority of them will compromise with antibiotic resistant infections that are seen in most healthcare settings. These are commonly called as ESKAPE pathogens namely Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus Klebsiella pneumonia, Actinobacter baumanni, Paeudomonas aeruginosa and several species of Enterobacter. These (ESKAPE Pathogens) pose a biggest threat that physician face today. To fight with them we definitely need some new drugs and need some cooperation among industry and government to setup RD (research and development) infrastructure to fill the needs of new drugs tha t will tackle tomorrow’s infectious diseases threats. Escherichia Coli It is oxidase negative, Gram negative, and facultative anaerobic. It is one of the common organisms that are involved in Gram negative sepsis and endotoxin-induced shock. It is one if the leading cause of blood stream infections among all other Gram-negative pathogens. It is the fifth leading pathogen for causing blood stream infection in United States (Maazuddin t al., 2014). According to Bijay Kumar Chandra 2012, a study was concluded that Escherichia coli were most common agent found in nosocomial diarrhea. Some of the common infection caused by this organism includes wound infection, urinary infection, meningitis in neonates, pneumonia in immunocompromised hospitalized patients and E. coli associated diarrheal disease or gastroenteritis. It also possess broad range of virulence factors which are responsible for disease such as UTIs and gastroenteritis (Brooks GF et al., 2007). Enterococcus spp These are gram-positive cocci typically arranged in short chains and pairs. These grow optimally at 350C on a complex media which requires carbon such as glucose, nucleic acid base and vitamin B. when enriched with sheep blood agar, it supports the growth with large and white colonies. Enterococcus species are facultative anaerobic and are considered as a part of normal flora in genitourinary tract and gastrointestinal tract of humans. Enterococcus species have emerged as a one of the most important pathogen of hospital environment. The major enterococcal infections of humans are caused by two species namely Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium. Enterococci are one of the most important hospital acquired pathogens. Isolates of Enterococcus faecium and Enterococcus faecalis are the third most prevalent pathogens worldwide. The most common infection produced by this organisms are intra-abdominal infection, urinary tract infection, pelvic infection, surgiclal wound infection, endocarditis, bacteremia, neonatal sepsis and rarely meningitis. Enterococcus faecalis is the most common cause of infection (80-90%) followed by Enterococcus faecium (10-15%) (Marothi YA et al., 2005). Staphylococcus aureus Staphylococcus aureus is by far the most important pathogen in the hospital environment in all the genus staphylococcus. It is non-spore forming, non-motile, gram positive, catalase positive facultative anaerobe arranged in clusters (Wahington CW et al., 2006). The indicence of nosocomial blood stream infection is more known to be caused by S. aureus (Rodrigo et al., 2012). S. aureus is rarely isolated from urinary tract infection (T.Grace et al., 1993). This S. aureus is both pathogen and commensal. Approximately 30% individuals are intermittently colonized with S. aureus whereas 20% are persistently colonized. It is one of the leading cause of hospital acquired infections. Methicillin resistance staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) are the one which causes most of the infection and its isolation is continuously increasing (S Khono et la., 2007). Infections may occur during hospital stay by streptococcus and staphylococcus species when compared to other Gram-negative bacteria. Coagulase Negative Staphylococci The coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) species are widely known to cause NTs specifically bacteraemia in patients with prosthetic implants and catheter and also in patients who are immunocompromised. Staphylococcus epiermidis and Staphylococcus haemolyticus are the teo well known species and occur most common in CNS species (C.Geary et al., 1997). Coagulase negative staphylococci, Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus are the three most widely isolated pathogens which tends to cause blood stream infections. After hospitalization of the patient, the CNS usually takes 19 days to cause bacteraemia. The mortality rate of CNS is less when compared to some other pathogens (Aldof et al., 200). For the colonization of CNS, the main reason is its antimicrobial resistance. This CNS isolates is resistant to Oxacillin or nafcillin and methicillin (T Grace et al., 1993). Pseudomonas aeruginosa It is a Gram-negative with mucoid polysaccharide capsule typically arranged in pairs. It is a well known cause of pneumonia, endophthalmitis, conjunctivitis, sepsis and also associated with high mortality rates. Potential reservoirs include humidifiers, equipment, incubators, sinks, tap water and hands of health care workers. The identification of this pseudomonas aeruginosa is mainly based on simple biochemical test and colony characteristics. It colonizes the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts of the hospitalized patients. When normal defense mechanism is impaired, the pathogenesis by this organism is initiated. Pseudomonas aeruginosa attaches and colonizes the mucous or skin and invades locally to produce systemic disease. This process is mediated by different virulent factors like enzymes (proteases, elastases, phospholipase C), Pili and toxins (endotoxin A). P. aeruginosa produces infection such as blue-green pus, urinary tract infection, meningitis, and necrotizing pneumon ia (Contreras GA et al., 2008). Many contemporary studies showed that, the antibiotic resistance among the gram-negative bacteria is increasing especially of pseudomonas aeruginosa. The rate of resistance towards ceftazidime and imipenem by Pseudomonas aeruginosa was increasing dramatically. Prevention of Infection There are number of simple care practices that can reduce the probability of developing a Hospital acquired infection. Some of them include sterilization of resuscitation bags and masks, elimination of overcrowding, decreasing number of heal sticks, use of sterile suctioning technique, careful preparation and storage of infants formulas, using single dose administration of medications and avoiding drugs associated with increased risk of nosocomial infection. Infection Control Committee The infection control committee is a board which deals with the preventionof hospital acquired infections. It involves multidisciplinary personals like pharmacists, physicians, clinical microbiologists and others. This committee works on co-operation, information sharing principles and inputs. It has many different tasks to perform for the eradication and prevention of hospital acquired infection. It has to review and approve the surveillance data when needed. It has to examine and encourage the infection control practices and provide proper staff training in infection control safety. It also need to assess the new devices used in the hoapital for their risk in violating infection control stratergies and slso to communicate and co-operate with the hospital control committees for information. According to infection committee statistics, the infection rate were increased from 13.8- 22.1 per 1000 catheter days (Jeffery et al., 2005). Therefore infection control committee plays a key rol e in preventing the nosocomial infection. Hand Hygiene Hand hygiene has been considered to be the most important tool in nosocomial infections control. One of the significant contributors to the outbreaks of this hospital environment infection is failure to perform appropriate hand hygiene. Resident and transient microorganisms are known to be the natural microflora of the skin of hands. The resident microorganisms survive and multiply on skin and does not cause any harm to human flora whereas transient microorganisms represent recent contamination of hands which is acquired from colonized or infected patients/clients or contaminated environment or equipment. These transient microorganisms are not isolated consistently from most of the persons. When compared to resident microorganisms, the transient microorganisms which are found on the hands of health care personnel will become as a primary source of infections. Gram negative coliforms and Staphylococcus aureus has been known to be the most common transient microorganisms (Sarmad et al. , 2009). Appropriate hand washing results in reduced incidence of both nosocomial and community infection (Kampf et al., 2004).An estimated 40 percent of nosocomial infections are caused by poor hand hygiene (WHO). Hospital staff can significantly reduce the number of cases with regular hand washing (Figure-8). They should also wear protective garments and gloves when working with patients (James Chin 2000).

Carbon Dioxide Emissions at Mammoth Mountain, California :: Nature Volcano Essays

Carbon Dioxide Emissions at Mammoth Mountain, California According to Dr. David P. Hill and Dr. Roy R. Bailey of the United States Geological Survey, the most common geological question in Mammoth, California is Where is the volcano? Although Mammoth Mountain does not resemble the classically recognized cone-shaped volcano, the mountain experienced significant volcanic and seismic activity in the past two decades, which have brought the mountain the recognition as a potentially hazardous volcano. A massive volcanic explosion 760,000 years ago created the Long Valley Caldera in California. A build up of magma beneath the earth's surface caused an uplift of the crust which led to the explosion. Afterwards, the crust sank over a mile, into a depression measuring 10 miles wide and 20 miles long. A magma chamber still exists beneath the caldera. The fumaroles and hot springs confirm the presence of a magma body. The underground magma heats groundwater which rises to the surface and releases in hot springs or steam vents (Hill et al. 2000). Recent uplifting caused the Resurgent Dome in the middle of the caldera to rise 2.5 feet over the past two decades. This volcanic unrest, on a previous stable volcanic system, prompted the USGS to put in place an Emergency Response plan and to closely monitor the region for further signs of unrest (Hill et al. 2000). The Mono-Inyo Crater volcanic chain lines the southwest side of the Long Valley Caldera. Mammoth Mountain, a volcano within the Mono-Inyo chain, formed 50,000 years ago from multiple dacite eruptions (Sorey et al. 1999) Dacite magma is an intermediate between rhyolite and andesite (Kearey 2001). Over the last 5,000 years, eruptions in the Mono-Inyo volcanic chain occurred periodically every 250-700 years. The active volcanic chain is being closely monitored for signs of future eruptions which include earthquakes, uplift of magma and gas emissions (Hill et al. 1998). Starting in the 1980's numerous earthquake swarms took place throughout the Long Valley Caldera concentrated in the southern section of the caldera. In May of 1989, seismic activity started in Mammoth Mountain, a volcano on the southwest edge of the Long Valley Caldera, with a period of earthquake swarms. Scientists collected data indicating that a dike was rising beneath the mountain and intruded 2 km below the surface of Mammoth Mountain (Sorey et al.

The Role of Women in Homer’s Iliad Essay -- Iliad Thetis Andromache He

The Role of Women in Homer’s Iliad Homer’s Iliad is undoubtedly focused on its male characters: Achilles, primarily, but also Hector and Agamemnon. Nevertheless, it seems that the most crucial characters in the epic are female. Homer uses the characters of Thetis, Andromache, and Helen as a basis for comparison to the male characters. Homer wants his audience to see and understand the folly of his male characters in choosing war over peace, aggression over kindness, and honor over family. While the behavior of these characters clearly speaks for itself, the contrasting attitudes and behaviors of the female characters proffer an alternative; in comparison, the reader can hardly fail to concur with Homer’s message that war, aggression, and honor are misplaced and self-defeating values. The men of the Iliad are very emotional individuals; however, the emotions they express are consistently rage, pride, and jealousy. Achilles and Agamemnon jealously bicker over Briseis, a war prize that neither man particularly values. Agamemnon eventually returns her to Achilles with the admission that he never actually coupled with her; Achilles is less-than-enthused to have her back. Not only is Briseis, as a woman, regarded less as a human being as she is chattel, but the real issue dividing Agamemnon and Achilles is petty jealousy and pride. This is symptomatic of a general attitude among men that "might makes right," and the only priority is to exert a dominance over others whenever possible and at any cost. Achilles is willing to risk the lives of his compatriots and eventually forfeits his own life in pursuit of glory. Hector also loses his life and fails his family and country for glory despite having weighed the alternatives and con... ... remembered for their great glory. Kindness, to them, is a weakness; yet ironically, it is their kindness for which they are remembered and mourned by those who loved them best. One role of the women of ancient Greece was mourning for the dead; the lamentations of the women in the Iliad are a role well fulfilled. Works Cited and Consulted: Calame, Claude. Choruses of Young Women in Ancient Greece : Their Morphology, Religious Role, and Social Fucntion.  Trans. by Derek Collins and Jane Orion. 1997. Sissa, Giulia. 1990. Greek Virginity. Trans. by Arthur Goldhammer. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Orig. pub. as Le corps virginal. 1987. 000: Librairie Philosophique J. Vrin. Steiner, George, and Fagles, Robert, eds. Homer: A Collection of Critical Essays. Twentieth Century Views, ed. Maynard Mack. Englewood Cliffs, N. J.: Prentice Hall, 1962.

Low Wage Jobs and Barbara Ehrenreichs Nickel and Dimed Essay -- Pover

McDonalds, Wal-Mart, and cleaning services: all of these have one thing in common-they are all minimum wage jobs. Their pay is low and work load high, and because of this living as a low wageworker is never easy. One must handle many hardships in order to make a few meager dollars, with which most cannot sufficiently live. 'The 'living wage' in the United States is between $9-10.18; sounds great to a college student, but in the real world this kind of money just isn't going to cut it,' (Ramisch). Minimum wage standards for American workers rest at $5.15 per hour, and in such slighted fields, very few make much more than that, perhaps $6-7, but even that is a rarity. The material life of a low-income employee includes bare necessities and next to zero luxuries. These workers often live paycheck to paycheck and never have a moment to fully enjoy life because they are constantly working, supporting themselves, and/or their families. Barbara Ehrenreich tries capturing this unackn owledged side of low wageworkers in her book, Nickel and Dimed, when she goes undercover as a fellow employee. Her real life accounts are noted as accurate and shocking as she brings the severity of poverty to the forefront for many Americans (Ehrenreich 3). She portrays the lives of millions in one simple novel, and it is through this piece of literature that so many relate and feel less estranged in the overall scheme of things. This relation is especially true for three young women, Brandyll Powers, Whitney James, and Charity Pouge all of whom are forced to live on their scanty incomes in today's society. These interviewees discuss their daily struggles of living on minimum wage and how they are active representations of Ehrenreich?s novel. .. ...idden truths and in essence, portrays a minimum wage worker quite well. But for those that must live this life style on a daily basis, simply writing about their injustices will never be sufficient. Government action is the next needed step to help modify minimum wage, and the answer is clear: raise the accepted standard. However, with all the other issues in this country, when will the government finally realize it is time to take action? Works Cited Ehrenreich, Barbara. Nickel and Dimed. New York: Henry Holt, 2001. James, Whitney. Telephone Interview. 16 March 2006. Pouge, Charity. Personal Interview. 14 March 2006. Powers, Brandyll. Personal Interview. 14 March 2006. Ramisch, Claudia. ?Living on Minimum Wage.? ENGL 1302H Class Presentation, Kentucky Wesleyan College, Owensboro, KY. 13 March 2006.

International Retail Buying & Merchandising

International Fashion Branding International Retail Buying & Merchandising ‘Evaluate the various buying structures that exist in order to support a retail buying function and the impact of these buying structures on the roles and responsibilities of the retail buyer. Use illustrative examples to support your answer. ’ Within the retail environment customer satisfaction and company profitability are a crucial consideration in the merchandise choice of the buyer (Diamond & Pintel, 2008).The range of the buyer’s duties will depend on the size of the business and can be seen as three main buying approaches; centralised, decentralised and a combination of the two. Throughout this essay the buying structures will be explored in depth and the advantages and disadvantages of each will be underlined. The difference between these three approaches will highlight further the roles and responsibilities of the retail buyer and how they change depending on the type of organisati on. The buyer’s role within the retail sector is an extremely crucial one.A fashion buyer selects a range of products targeted at a specific clientele within a certain price range to hopefully gain profit for a retail company (Kang, 1999). Therefore getting the merchandise collection correct has been described as ‘the engine of success’ within retailing (Aufreiter et al. , 1993). A successful buyer requires a variety of skills including communication, calculation, analysing market positions, the power of negotiation and should also be creative (Varley, 2005).There are three roles of a buyer as stated by Hirshman and Stampfl (1980), firstly as a change agent where the buyer inspires the consumer to consider purchasing new and exciting goods, secondly as a gatekeeper where the buyer will coordinate the movement of the product from supplier directly to the customer. Finally the opinion leader role will encourage the customer’s outlook however this does not ne cessarily result in a direct purchase from the company.The key activities which a retail buyer must carry out are as follows; analysis of market opportunity which helps understand consumer buying behaviour, the creation of a merchandise plan which will incorporate a range of goods and merchandise within that category. The buyer needs to then select and build a solid relationship with a supplier to give the business a competitive advantage. The development of the product will ensure an exclusive feel of the brand, precisely tailored to meet the desires of the retailer and their customer. These goods will then me packaged, presented and promoted accordingly (Fernie et al. 2003). The buying role can differ between companies due to the size of the organisation, the budget allocated, classification of merchandise, the number of employees and where the stores are located (Diamond & Pintel, 2008). These attributes clearly define the organisational structure that a business will use to appr oach the buying role. The first of the three approaches, which large chain stores favour, is a centralised structure. This is where a whole buying team are involved and all purchase decisions are made at Head Office.Usually buyers will have separate departments and select a specific product range, for example lingerie or footwear (Goworek, 2001). As the size of a company grows, the buyer’s role becomes more intense as they deal with larger sums of money, a greater number of products and competition increases. More staff is brought in to help spread the workload and this in turn separate the buying role from the marketing one. This can be perceived as a negative as buyers are required to be kept up to date with promotions and merchandising decisions (Rosenbloom, 1981).On the other hand, there any many advantages of buying taking place in Head Office over store level. Stores with full point-of-sale data capture systems can accumulate up to date information on sale trends and bu ying patterns for each item and store them to allow forecasts to be more precise. This helps provide buying power with the negotiation of supply prices and allows a single point of communication for supply base. Subsequently allocating more time to the buyer to analysis market trends and discovers new products for their customer.In short the cost of buying function is lower as economies of scale are achieved. Tighter quality control techniques can be applied to improve production and delivery performance whilst buying and stock control choices are levelled across all stores. This gives store managers the opportunity to focus on motivating their staff and the running of their store (McGolderick, 2002). However while centralised purchasing does have its advantages, it can occasionally not recognise the needs and variation in demand of an individual store as well as that of the store manager.With buyers working from Head Office quarters there is very little informal communication with the various units making ‘the organisation less adaptive to marketplace and environmental changes’ (Stampfl, 1978). Every store will have a different set of customers and product assortment. However as the retailer is not in control of buying the merchandise they must work with the allocated product from the central buying team (Wang, L, 2010). This in turn can demotivate managers at local levels as they feel their input or contribution to the buying activities is invalid.All buying teams within centralised structure main goals are to become the front runner in the marketplace. Marks and Spencer are one of the many chain stores which are constantly reviewing their buying strategy to ‘deliver lower stock levels, shorter lead times and greater flexibility’ (marksandspencer. com, 2013). Decentralised merchandising can be found within independent retailers selling products with stable demand. In such cases the store managers often take on the function of buying locally as well as many other numerous management roles.It is favoured when a number of decisions need to be made at store level based on customer’s needs. A well-known brand which takes this type of approach is Johnson & Johnson who offer a range of health care products. This is due to the various businesses they are involved in which have different customer desires. By having a diverse range of businesses, with more than 250 autonomous units, the company has managed to modernise and grow regardless of its size (Singer & Abelson, 2010). Giving store level management more opportunity to have an element of control over the buying for their stores.A method of enhancing customer service and the stores efficiency against the large companies who use the centralised method is to allow the small retailers to cater fully to their local product choice (Varley, 2005). A major plus of using a decentralised structure is the ability for a store to adapt to change within the local market without having to wait for the centralised buying team to give the go ahead. This can boost self-esteem of store managers as they feel they have a large contribution with the buying decisions.The CEO of Johnson & Johnson, William Weldon stated a negative with having a decentralised approach, the head of the company will have to gain a good deal of trust with their store managers to make the correct decisions. Having decisions spread out amongst the company can also lead to inconsistency across the organisation. Weldon also pointed out that by having a decentralised approach it allows his business to advance internationally. They count on local employees in overseas markets to make critical business decisions (Kokemuller, n. ). A combinative structure is the third approach that a retailer may adopt where the ability to purchase takes place at both central and local level. This may involve the central buyers buying the core lines for all the stores and products to suit local needs are bought in turn by local managers. This method has been utilised by international food retailers whose head office buy main brands sold in all stores. The local management are in control for obtaining goods from local suppliers in order to fulfil customer tastes.In 2001 Waitrose itself has encouraged the use of local produce by stocking over two thousand lines alongside other large chains such as Asda and Co-operative Group (Morrell, 2010). Another method used within this structure involves a centralised buying team who select a range of goods from which store level managers choose according to the desires of their consumers. Whilst this does not entirely give the opportunity for the store manager to select exact products for their outlet, it does allow them to have some say within the buying decisions.An example of this would be the franchise restaurant Subway, where their Head Office takes control of the marketing, menus and food quality but the store managers themselves take cont rol over matters such as hiring and training of staff (DuBrin, 2009). A further illustration would be the famous clothes apparel Benetton, who create a variety of styles. Although the individual licensee cannot buy from outside suppliers, the single units have the opportunity of selecting the clothes from the company that they believe will suit best with their customer (Diamond & Pintel, 2008).A combinative method fulfils the demands and expectations of customers through the organisations ability to buy centrally, prices are more competitive and the local taste is also met (Bruce, 2004). The roles and responsibilities of a retail buyer can vary in terms of what purchasing structure is used within a business. For a small organisation the buyer can be involved with the sales and promotional sides of the business whereas in large chain stores they have various positions at different levels such as buying directors, managers, buyers, buying assistants and trainees (Goworek, 2001).Single units opt for a decentralised buying approach where the store level management are responsible for all buying tasks. Shop owners operate their own store as they believe they could provide a tailored product and service specific to their customer. Independent stores generally sell one arrangement of products or restricted amounts of merchandise; this is purchased by the store level manager. Within single units the owner takes on many roles but with chains, that have hundreds of stores, the role of the buyer becomes more constrained and focused on purchasing (Diamond & Pintel, 2008).A crucial skill of the buying team within a centralised structure is to be efficient communicators as they are constantly speaking with suppliers and other departments. As the distance between stores increase, it becomes more challenging for a buyer to make frequent visits to each store. These units are controlled at Head Office with very limited contact occurring between buyer and store manager. The main focus being purchasing and communication is achieved through telephone and e-mail, information is also accumulated via electronic reports (Diamond & Pintel 2008).Within a smaller business the range of merchandise is usually wider, for example men’s business-wear which would include suits, shirts and ties. With large chain store such as Bhs and Oasis, buyers are given a more concentrated product range for instance men’s shirts. This in turn leads to further pressure to generate more sales for their specific department. In comparison to individual stores which acquire a more flexible buyer with a broader skill set to assist with quality control.The roles and responsibilities of a buyer within a combinative structure is a mixture between the buying department at Head Office purchasing the core lines of a range and the store manager’s contribution to providing the store with local good they believed to cater to needs of their customer. This could be difficult to ma nage as purchasing will take place at both levels, for this to be successful, the general manager and the buying team would need to communicate regular so that merchandise within the store was consistent.Overall a buying structure is needed in order to help support a retailing company deliver its market with a carefully selected product range, providing them with a competitive advantage and in turn hopefully generating profit. Three main approaches were evaluated and linked with different types of businesses which best suited them. Centralization is more broadly used by larger retailers such as chain stores; decentralization provides a structure for independent retailers and thirdly a combination of the two which takes elements of both of these to create a core line as well as using local produce.When companies are considering both the handling of data and of merchandise then the decision must be made as to which is the preferred method. A centralised approach allows organisations t o have a larger buying department with greater efficiency which becomes more focused on areas of purchasing. Some retailers see this as restricting as store managers have limited say within this process, therefore they opt for a more flexible method offered within the decentralised approach.After clear assessment of all three structures it was concluded that a combination of centralised and decentralised approaches would be an overall satisfactory method to put in place for most organisations as the main ranges within a retailer would be controlled by Head Office with an experienced buying department but also store level managers would contribute to the buying decisions as they had expertise with what the customer would desire. References Aufreiter, N. , N. Karch and C. Smith Shi (1993) ‘The engine of success in retailing’.McKinsey Quarterly, 3, 101-116. Bruce, M. (2004). The anatomy of retail buying. In: Butterworth-Heinemann, E International retail marketing : a case study approach . Oxford: Elsevier Ltd. 64-68. Diamond & Pintel. (2008). The Buyer's Role. In: Vernon R. A Retail Buying. 8th ed. New Jersey: Pearson Education Inc.. 3-32. DuBrin, A. (2009). Organizing. In: Calhoun, J and Acuna, M Essentials Of Management. 8th ed. Mason: South-Western Cengage Learning. 219-295. Fernie, J et al. (2003). Principles of Retailing. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann. p145-150 Goworek, H. (2001).The Role of the Fashion Buyer. In: Blackwell Science Ltd Fashion Buying. Great Britain: DP Photsetting. 4-14. Hirschman, E. C. ; Stampfl, R. W. (1980). Roles of retailing in the diffusion of popular culture: Microperspectives. Journal of Retailing 56 Kang, KY. (1999). Conceptual Framework: Retail Buying Process. In: Kang, KY Development of an Assortment Planning Model for Fashion Sensitive Products. 1-14. Kokemuller, N. (n. d). Decentralized Company Business Structure. Available: http://smallbusiness. chron. com/decentralized-company-business-structure-20629. tml. Marks and Spencer. (2013). Careers. Available: http://corporate. marksandspencer. com/mscareers/opportunities/head_office_roles/headoffice_buying. McGolderick, P. (2002). Product Selection and Buying. In: Alcock, T and Howell, C Retail Marketing. 2nd ed. Berkshire: McGraw-Hill Education. 279-301. Morrell, L. (2010). The benefits of local sourcing. Available: http://www. retail-week. com/in-business/supply-chain/the-benefits-of-local-sourcing/5010688. article. Rosenbloom, B (1981). Retail Marketing. New York: Random House. Singer, N and Abelson, R. (2010).After Recalls of Drugs, a Congressional Spotlight on J. ; J. ’s Chief. Available: http://www. nytimes. com/2010/09/29/business/29tylenol. html? pagewanted=all;_r=0. Stampfl, R. W (1978). Structural constrains, consumerism and the market concept, MSU Business Topics, 2 (4), 37-66. Varley, R. (2005). The Role of Product Retail Managers. In: Taylor and Francis Retail product management : buying and merchandising . 2nd ed. Oxon: Routl edge Ltd. 21-41. Wang, L. (2010). Buying committees in Chinese retail industry. Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics. 22 (4), 492-511.

Internet gambling Essay

Gambling online is growing exponentially, without the protection of reliable regulatory structures that ensure age and identity verification, the integrity/fairness of the games, or that responsible gaming features are included on a site. In a poorly regulated Internet environment, this study investigates gambling on twenty online sites. Content analysis was utilised to evaluate whether the sample displayed responsible gambling features. In the absence of established, agreed, regulatory evaluation criteria, the researchers constructed their own, based on examples of good practice on available websites and following the recommendations of the Gambling Review Report 2001 and the Gambling Act 2005. The primary findings suggest that most online gambling sites are responsible and most show elements of good practice, which is of interest given the unregulated environment and absence of policing. While some features are derived from conventional gambling policies and regulatory influences, some are unique to the special ethical risks of gambling on line. Web designers and commissioning organisations appear to have anticipated social criticisms by incorporating guards against unethical outcomes before regulatory controls have been imposed. As the impossibility of regulating/controlling the Internet is a common cliche in many commentators’ analysis, this self regulation and willingness to refrain from taking revenue from vulnerable punters, is intriguing. The authors recommend further research to establish an accurate picture, including the size and characteristics of the UK online gambling market. Secondly, to study and compare online gambling with more traditional forms of gambling in terms of underage and problem gambling. More studies need to investigate which forms of responsible gambling are most effective in reducing underage and problem gambling. Lastly, the response of the industry to legislation and micro regulation would be a guide for policy makers and responsible industry practitioners. Introduction Since the increased popularity of Internet access into homes and workplaces in the early nineties, Internet gambling opportunities have expanded at a surprisingly swift pace and more people are gambling online (Wood, Williams and Lawton, 2007). The unregulated nature and uncontrollability of the Internet, with low or no tax gambling, have created a perfect environment for the proliferation of gambling (Crist and Yeager, 1998). Anyone, anytime, anywhere with a computer, a connection, and a credit card can gamble at hundreds of different online gambling websites. Recent statistics state there are as many as 2,500 gambling websites currently operating; consisting of 1,083 online casinos, 592 sports and race-books, 532 poker rooms, 224 online bingo sites, 49 skill game sites, 30 betting exchanges, 25 lottery sites and 17 backgammon sites (Casino City, 2006). Gamcare (2008) state that the number of Internet gambling websites is approximately 3,000. By 12 September 2007, the Gambling Commission had received only 146 applications for operating licences that include provision for online gambling, a minute proportion of the 2,500 sites worldwide. Internet gambling revenues in a single year were $651 million in 1998, more than double the estimated $300 million from 1997 (Sinclair,1999). Further, the global Internet gambling industry is forecast to grow from about $9,000 million in 2004 to $25,000 million in 2010 (European Commission, 2006). If the estimated figures are accurate, then the importance of Internet gambling will continue to rise. Gambling presents a large set of negative social consequences and online gambling has its own challenges beyond those of gambling in general; introducing many new potential problems and rekindling many old ones (Griffiths,1999). Internet and land based casinos have problems detecting and deterring addicted gamblers. Even with the opportunity presented to physically verify age in conventional gambling outlets, no gambling jurisdiction is 100% effective in keeping out underage gambling (Gambling Online Magazine, 2004). It is feared that the anonymity offered by the Internet will exacerbate this problem. Computer-based systems allow gamblers to self-exclude or establish loss limits and may stand a better chance of being effective than the current systems in most conventional casinos. Whilst a determined gambler can move from site to site, reports of players’ activities can be made readily available with contact details for bodies that aim to assist those with problem gambling issues. However, offline and online operators other than those regulated in the UK, do not collect information about a customer’s financial situation, spending or habits, for both practical and protection of privacy reasons. A person who has developed a problem must identify it themselves and take their own constructive steps to deal with it. Operators only train staff to help those who believe they have a problem and approach customer services. Presently there is no comprehensive research or definitive standard as to how to identify someone who has developed a gambling problem. The prevailing view is that it is the minority of players who develop gambling problems. The current regulatory response to this issue is influenced by this perspective (EGBA, 2007). The Growth of Internet Gambling Several factors have contributed to the growth of online gambling. †¢ Internet access has increased globally and technologies that drive the Internet have improved. Confidence in conducting financial transactions online has increased and some governments have licensed online operators within their borders. †¢ The personal computer extends the range of choice. Land-based casinos dictate which games are available to players. Online gambling lets players move through cyberspace to play the games they prefer. †¢ The Internet provides the highest level of anonymity for conducting gambling. The more pervasive concern has been that the Internet attracts people away from person-to-person contact, fostering alienation and real-world disconnection (Boase, 2006). †¢ The costs of establishing online sites are considerably less than those of land-based gambling operations. Flatt (1998) has estimated as little as $135,000. Problem Gambling The ability to gamble anonymously provides problem gamblers with a safe haven without physical scrutiny or surveillance (Scharf and Corrin, 2002). Problem gambling is categorised as an addiction. A severe disorder characterised by obsessive thoughts of gambling, a loss of control, often involving lying and stealing in order to recover gambling losses. As well as other negative consequences (Netemeyer,1998). Specific to Internet Gambling is the role that technology contributes to alteration in gambling habits (Griffiths, 1999). There are no regulated opening times, as exercised by terrestrial operations. It has been argued that there is an ‘exodus from reality’, in the sense that gambling online does not involve ‘real cash’. A gambler may lose control as he or she cannot see a money balance and does not suffer a physical loss. Online gambling loses the social aspect of gambling creating the disadvantage that there are no friends or peers to discourage a gambler from going too far (Griffiths, 1999). Underage Gambling. There is a high priority of protecting children from online gambling, considered more addictive than conventional forms of gambling, because of young people’s familiarity with and access to computer-based technologies (Conway and Koehler, 2000). They have a perception of control resulting from their skills honed playing PlayStation or interactive video games, and may have a false sense of security boosted by their fluency (Mackay, 2004). Another concern is that underage gamblers have easy access to sites and to forms of gambling, from which they otherwise would be excluded by conventional outlets. Many sites offer a ‘demo’ mode, i.e. play without wagering money. It is suspected that ‘demo’ games may give very good odds. Adolescents who are successful on these games could develop a habit which continues when they reach adulthood and are legally permitted to gamble for money, when the odds are no longer so favourable (Mackay, 2004). Regulation Gambling in its various forms is often seen as a deeply-rooted trait of the human activity, which although a source of gratification for many and not innately immoral, can cause harm to individuals. Gambling has long been subject to regulation by governments, reflecting moral, religious and political mores. A pragmatic motivation for such regulation is to generate revenue, which might result in a conflict of interest in regulatory regimes, as the industry grows. The objective of regulation can vary from protecting consumers by ensuring the probity and integrity of the gambling operators and the purging of fraud and abuse of criminal activities, such as money laundering, to reduction of the social cost of problem gambling. There is a gap in the literature concerning the efficacy of regulation. Regulation of online gambling is a comparatively new phenomenon and it is too early to measure its effectiveness. There are debates about appropriate licensing frameworks, legal and technical standards for operators and cover issues, such as protection of customer funds, continuous and repetitive play and intervention to tackle problem gambling. Methodology Content analysis, adopted for this study, has been defined as a systematic, replicable technique for compressing many words of text into fewer content categories based on explicit rules of coding (Krippendorff, 1980). Content analysis has four key advantages: †¢ it is unobtrusive †¢ it is flexible and applicable to unstructured materials †¢ it is context sensitive. †¢ it can be applied to large amounts of data. The lack of research applying content analysis to websites is partially a result of the complexity of Internet information, in particular; the definition of a website, the unit of analysis and the method of sampling. A major problem in conducting Internet content analysis is related to defining the term ‘website. ’ With a large volume of information on a website, it becomes unworkable to analyse the whole website. Therefore, parts of the website, the units of analysis, must be chosen for evaluation. In addition to size, websites differ in purpose, structure and content, therefore selecting a unit of analysis consistently across all samples is highly problematic (Ha and James, 1998). Coding an entire website is difficult and can introduce bias based on size. Selecting the unit of analysis is not an easy task as the volume of data can overwhelm the researcher. In this study the first step was to decide on the sample. The sample consisted of the top twenty most popular online gambling sites visited in Britain, according to: †¢ www. gambling. com, †¢ www. cam-orl. co. uk. Internet-betting-online. html and †¢ www. ukcasinoguide.org. uk . The sites were accessed and coded during a period of three days, in February 2006. The term website was applied on a general level, defined as a collection of pages or files linked together and available online. The unit of analysis was the homepage, plus drill downs. The study attempted to limit the analysis to the homepage. However, it was decided that the content available on a homepage was too limited and did not necessarily reflect the breadth and scope of content available on the whole website. The study experimented with gambling sites. A commonality of approaches indicated prima facie industry norms. The study observed evidence of good practice. The content of the websites was evaluated by characteristics providing factual information and of responsible gambling. The coding template was based on possible features associated with each of the two categories and was used to record the content of each website, within the unit of analysis. Ratings were based on how difficult it was to locate information. More drill downs meant the information was harder to find and scored a lower rating. It was believed that the more easily located and extensive the information, the more an online gambling operator was committed to responsible gambling. Reliability and Validity The reliability of a study involving content analysis refers to the stability and reproducibility of the results (Stemler, 2001). Stability requires researchers to code the data consistently. According to Weber (1990), concerns regarding reliability often stem from the ambiguity of word meanings, category definitions, or other coding rules. The validity of a study involving content analysis is determined by the extent to which the definitions (included in the tool) reflect the sub-categories. The validity of categories is enhanced by the inclusion of many words to arrive at the same judgment. For example, the words gambling and betting were considered interchangeable. One of the primary reasons to conduct content analysis is to collect objective information. Therefore, the study ensured that the procedure was clearly laid out and defined. It was consistently applied to the sample. The following three steps were taken to enhance the reliability and validity of the study’s findings and to ensure that the information gathered was objective. First, to enhance the reliability of the results, after the tool was applied to the website, the coder re-coded the website on the same day to ensure accuracy. Second, the coding scheme was tested to ensure the suitability of the categories and the overall reliability of the tool. It was important that the list of variables was exhaustive and mutually exclusive in order to avoid any confusion. Lastly, to improve the validity of the results, the definitions were reviewed and expanded to ensure that there was an exhaustive list of words for each sub-category where applicable. For example, for the sub-category ‘Addiction Help,’ words such as ‘problem gambling,’ ‘concerns about gambling,’ were included in the coding guidelines to broaden the category, allowing the coder to capture the data. Findings Considering the large amount of data collected, only the criteria of responsible gambling were analysed intensively. These are illustrated in Table 1. The key areas of concern, underage gambling and problem gambling are expanded in Tables 2 and 3 respectively. Sample characteristics Security Online gambling security is as good as most other e-commerce sites. There are no reported any security-related fraud (Turner, 2002). Online gambling sites know that cheating their customers is bad for business and therefore tend to be honest. The market is so competitive that the reputation of market leaders is paramount. Players are likely to switch to rival sites if practices are questionable. Payment systems are critical to the success of any online business and online gambling operators have their own particular challenges to face. The integrity of systems must be assured. [pic] Table 1 Voluntary Initiatives Systems must be secure from hackers and crackers, from both outside and from within. There are readily available codes to ensure security such as the use of encryption and digital signatures. These technologies are already in use. All sites accessed displayed secure transaction information. The ‘dot com boom’ followed by the ‘dot com crash’ has had Internet gambling casualties. Several Internet gambling operators have gone bankrupt. For example Netbetsports and Luvbet folded owing their customers money (Barker, 2007). These firms had a relatively high profile within the industry. Luvbet was one of the first bookmakers to promote an Internet site offering tax free betting. Netbetsports offered Internet customers high bet limits and tax free betting, when UK tax rates were still nine per cent. Internet gambling is expanding in ever-changing and unregulated websites (Hartman, 2007; Holahan, 2006). It is uncertain whether as an unintended consequence of domestic regulation; risk taking clients might be challenged to gamble with unscrupulous vendors. This could represent an extra excitement factor, perhaps generating worse personal consequences, than in an unregulated environment. Responsible gambling The concern with responsible gambling is the rationale of this study. It was intended to measure how online sites recognise that gambling can cause problems for customers and to investigate and record the measures to offer checks. The websites were evaluated according to how helpful responsible gambling information was. The study found no consistency in the responsible gambling information. British legislation requires mandatory procedures promoting socially responsible gambling. This should be clear and prominent on their homepage, if it is to be effective. Eleven sites displayed responsible features on the home page or easily accessible links. Most of the remaining sites contained these features, but access was difficult, hence their lower rating. Fair Gaming and Independent Audits Fair gaming refers to sites operating honestly and responsibly, ensuring monetary deposit safety and winning bets paid in a timely manner. Fifty-five per cent of sites accessed contained information stating that they were independently audited. Independent audits confirm the percentage of payouts of games, review the output and validity of the software, that it consistently produces random results and fair outcomes of games. For example Price Coopers Waterhouse at www. roxypalace. com. The Gambling Review Report (2001) recommends that online gambling software systems must be random-operated and tested by the Gambling Commission. Online sites must make payments only to the credit card used to make deposits or by cheque to the player. The study looked for evidence of these recommended features. Security and honesty of transactions are as important to the supplier as the customer. A bad reputation for online gambling sites could be commercially crippling (Griffiths, 2003). Therefore the responsible features recorded here do have an economic payoff. Ethical Statement An ethical code was a key criterion to be assessed when visiting each site. Only one ‘ethical code’ which covered policies on compliance and data protection, measures restricting minors and the risks of compulsive gambling, was observed. This might be seen as a ‘narrow’ interpretation of corporate social responsibility (CSR) focussing on legal/rule based elements. Legal safeguards are problematic, since any Internet relationship questions which law should be complied with. Smeaton and Griffiths (2004) found two-thirds of the sites they visited displayed no evidence of social responsibility and concluded that social responsibility was a low priority for online sites. Problem Gambling Social responsibility can be evidenced by attempts to offer services in a way that does not encourage repetitive play or by supporting a client with a problem. Sixty per cent of the websites provided problem gambling information. InterCasino UK |Ethics drill down finds the website is committed to detecting and reducing compulsive gambling with |Med | | |procedures including monthly deposit limits and analysis of gambling patterns (this information was not | | | |verifable for the study). | | |Coral Casino |Link to GamCare and facilities for daily/weekly deposit limits, self exclusion periods and access to customer|High | | |accounts. | | |Platinum Play Casino |Link to gambling support agencies and facilities for self-assessment tests, daily/weekly deposit limits, self|High | | |exclusion periods, access to customer accounts and filtering programmes. | | |Spin Palace Casino |Link to gambling support agencies and facility self exclusion periods. |Med | |City Club Casino |Link to a statement of encouraging sensible gambling and link to Gamblers Anonymous. |Low | |Roxy Palace Online Casino |Link to Gamblers Anonymous website. |Low | |32 Vegas Red |Link to Gamblers Anonymous website. |Low | |Victor Chandler |No link or message to be found. |Nil | |Crazy Vegas Casino |Link to gambling support agencies and facilities for self-assessment tests, daily/weekly deposit limits, self|High | | |exclusion periods and filtering programmes. | | |English Harbour |Link to Gamblers Anonymous website. |Low | |Casino Tropez |No link or message to be found. |Nil | |Vegas Red Casino |No link or message to be found. |Nil | |Ruby Fortune Casino |Link to gambling support agencies and facilities for self-assessment tests, daily/weekly deposit limits, self|High | | |exclusion periods, access to customer accounts and filtering programmes. | | |Eurobet Casino |Link to GamCare and facilities for daily/weekly deposit limits, self exclusion periods and access to customer|Med | | |accounts. | | |UK Casino Club |About Us’ link leads to a ‘Responsible Gaming Policy’ which offers a self-assessment test, cooling off |Med | | |periods and exclusion options. | | |Golden Riviera |Link to Gamblers Anonymous website. |Low | |William Hill Casino |Link to GamCare and facilities for daily/weekly deposit limits, self exclusion periods and access to customer|Med | | |accounts. | | |Hammers Casino |No link or message to be found. |Nil | |King Solomons Casino |No link or message to be found. |Nil | |www. 888. com |Link to Gamblers Anonymous website. |Low | Table 3 Problem Gambling Information UK legislation requires training of gambling operators’ employees to identify problems and to have procedures to sensitively deal with these. Fifteen sites had problem gambling information. Five linked to the Gamblers Anonymous website. Four sites offered assessment tests. It was not within the parameters of this study, to determine if online gambling sites follow up on tests, when a result indicated a problem. Three of the sites accessed provided information relating to filtering programmes, which can block underage users. These could be found through links to other sites and there was a free trial download facility available. Self-exclusion and Deposit Limits A player who feels that he or she is losing control of play and requires help in restricting access to online gambling were served by eight sites in this study that provided the facility for self-exclusion. This option was never located on the homepage and accessed only through drill downs. The study could not determine if applications were processed immediately or if self-exclusion from one site meant exclusion from multiple sites. It was unclear if these schemes required the gambler to undergo counseling assessments prior to re-admission, or if after the self-exclusion period had lapsed; the player automatically was included again. The study was also not able to clarify if players who request self-exclusion were given information about problem gambling counseling services. Computer-based systems can allow gamblers to self-exclude or establish loss limits and may stand a better chance of being effective than the current systems in most conventional casinos today. Whilst a determined gambler can move from site to site, reports of a player’s activities can be made readily available, with contact details for bodies that aim to assist those with problem gambling issues. Internet gambling operators are equipped to collect adequate data and information to be able to identify patterns of problem gambling (DCMS, 2006). There is the technological ability for operators to collect enough data to be able to identify patterns of problem gambling. This is a requirement of the 2005 Act. However, this is a prescription only for operators with a British licence and the position of the European Gambling and Betting Association (EGBA, 2007) is that it is extremely difficult to monitor and identify when someone has begun to gamble irresponsibly. Therefore according to EGBA, offline and online gambling operators should not collect information about a customer’s financial situation, spending or habits, for both practical and privacy issues. Operators that act on this aim to establish a responsible reputation and may see it as a competitive advantage factor. Yet they may infringe the principle of privacy. An issue for regulators is whether to acquire the power to compel operators to intervene in the event of identifying a problem gambler. The technical provisions in Britain for socially responsible Internet gambling have been drafted and are in the process are being applied. Assessment of the effectiveness of regulations in curbing problem gambling has yet to be done. Some sites permit customers to limit the amount of money that they are able to deposit into their account on both a daily and/or a weekly basis. It was noted that amounts may be revised downwards at any time, but increases are implemented after twenty-four hours. The online gambling operators are unable to override limits set by customers. Some sites allow access to a player’s full history of transactions, withdrawals and deposits. The Gambling Review Report (2001) recommends online sites should be required to set up facilities that enable players to set maximum stakes, limits and to self-ban. Protection of Underage Gamblers In order to ensure child safety online sites were evaluated for identity verification and exclusion facilities, such as the use of filtering software. The Gambling Review Report (2001) offers guidelines to ensure that identification standards are comparable to those of off-line casinos. It asserts that all players who register to play online should be properly identified before they are permitted to play. Age Verification Most sites studied required a prospective gambler to only complete a registration form in order to play. These sites rely on the player to disclose their correct age and do not verify the accuracy of the information. Underage gamblers can use their parents’ credit cards or even their own to register and set up accounts (Schroeder and Versch, 1998). The Gambling Review Report (2001) recommends that players who register online should be properly identified, before they are permitted to play. All sites displayed an age warning on their homepage. 32 Vegas Red alone stated it had taken steps to ensure that their site did not attract young people and used software that stops the underage from joining. Smeaton and Griffiths (2004) have investigated underage gambling and found poor standards of verification. The concern is that many sites are not employing identity verifications systems to check the age of players and therefore allow underage play. Verification systems work by searching available government and financial databases, to find evidence to support the personal information supplied by the player. For example, credit ratings or inclusion on the electoral roll can verify that the player is of the required age. However such searching again might threaten individual privacy. InterCasino UK |Logo displayed on homepage. Ethics drill down reveals site requires customers to declare that |Low | | |they are of legal age. | | |Coral Casino |Logo linked to statement that the company reserves the right to request proof of age. |Med | |Platinum Play Casino |Logo linked to statement defining the customer as adult and sane as per laws of country of |Med | | |residence. | | |Spin Palace Casino |Logo linked to statement relying on responsible parenting. |Med | |City Club Casino |Terms of Use’ drill down states customer must be adult as per country of residence. |Low | |Roxy Palace Online Casino |Terms & Conditions’ drill down states customer must be of legal age. |Low | |32 Vegas Red |About Us’ drill down leads to ‘Responsible Gaming’ drill down stating it is illegal for anyone |High | | |under 18 to open an account or to play and that they have taken steps to ensure that the website| | | |does not attract young people and our website uses software that stops under 18’s joining (this | | | |could not be verified by the study). Also requests responsible parenting. | | |Victor Chandler |Logo linked to statement defining the customer as adult as per laws of country of residence. |Med | |Crazy Vegas Casino |Logo linked to statement relying on responsible parenting. |Med | |English Harbour |Terms & Conditions’ drill down states customer must be of legal age. |Low | |Casino Tropez |Terms of Use’ drill down states customer must be of legal age. |Low | |Vegas Red Casino |Terms of Use’ drill down states customer must be of legal age. |Low | |Ruby Fortune Casino |Logo linked to statement relying on responsible parenting. |Med | |Eurobet Casino |Logo linked to statement stating the company reserves the right to request proof of age. |Med | |UK Casino Club |Responsible Gaming’ drill down leads to downloadable Children Protection Software and urges |High | | |responsible parenting. | | |Golden Riviera |Terms & Conditions’ drill down states customer must be of legal age. |Low | |William Hill Casino |Responsible Gaming’ drill down leads to statement that the company reserves the right to request|Med | | |proof of age. | | |Hammers Casino |Terms of Use’ drill down states customer must be adult as per country of residence. |Low | |King Solomons Casino |Logo linked to statement defining the customer as adult and sane as per laws of country of |Low | | |residence. | | |www. 888. com |Link leads to statement that it is illegal for anyone under 18 to play and that they have taken |High | | |steps to discourage and track young people (this could not be verified by the study). Website | | | |recommends software supporting responsible parenting. | | Table 2 Age Verification Telephone Betting The Gambling Review Report (2001) states that aspects of online gambling should be more heavily regulated than conventional gambling. However, the Internet’s characteristics make it more difficult to regulate. This study looked for evidence of telephone betting and considered implications of this facility. The three sites that offer the player the facility of telephone betting have a UK High Street presence. It could be argued that the reason why these organisations have added online sites to their operations is to expand opportunities. Using the BCG Matrix, the shops could be considered ‘cash cows,’ well-established with high market share. The new online sites could be ‘stars. ’ The prospect of growth is exciting as are the opportunities (McDonald, 2002). Land-based operators provide an online presence, giving extra services for the player, the anonymity of play compared to their shops, higher levels of usibility, and possibly even more security, simply to grow their businesses, rather than to offer player protection in this feature (Johnson, 1997). Ultimately this criterion failed to help evaluate the concept of responsible on line gambling, given the ‘virtual’ existence of most sites. Technical Support All sites provide ‘24-7’ telephone and technical support, with free numbers, player-to-technician online chatroom and email support. Every channel of communication is available to guarantee full access for a player. This measure is clearly very important to the site operators and customers. The sites are very competent in not losing customers through technical problems and offer very many points of contact. Yet the same form of in house supportive ‘counseling’ service is not offered to problem gamblers. Licenses It is not illegal for British residents to gamble online, nor is it illegal for overseas operators to offer online gambling to British residents. However, the Gambling Act 2005 requires an operator to obtain a licence if they site any piece of equipment, for example a database, presentation device, or determining device in the UK, regardless of whether other devices are outside the country (DCMS, 2005). Gibraltar |Canada |Caribbean |UK |Unknown | |5 |7 |6 |1 |1 |. Table 4 Sources of Licenses As an example the City Club Casino is licensed by the Island of Curacao, but displays US and UK freefone numbers, in prominent positions on their website, which may mislead the player into thinking that the site is American or British. Another disingenuous feature is when ‘UK’ appears.