Saturday, December 28, 2019

Understanding Traits and How They Are Determined

Have you ever wondered why your eyes are just like your mothers? Or why your hair color is similar to your grandfathers? Or why you and your siblings share features? These physical characteristics are known as traits; they are inherited from parents and expressed externally. Key Takeaways: Traits Traits are inherited characteristics from our parents that are expressed externally in our phenotype.For any given trait, one gene variation (allele) is received from the father and one from the mother.The expression of these alleles determines the phenotype, whether dominant or recessive. In biology and genetics, this external expression (or physical characteristics) is called a phenotype. The phenotype is what is visible, while the genotype is the underlying gene combination in our DNA that actually determines what is expressed physically in the phenotype. How Are Traits Determined? Traits are determined by an individuals genotype, the summation of the genes in our DNA. A gene is a portion of a chromosome. A chromosome is composed of DNA and contains the genetic material for an organism. Humans have twenty-three pairs of chromosomes. Twenty-two of the pairs are called autosomes. Autosomes are typically very similar in males and females. The last pair, the twenty-third pair, is the sex chromosome set. Those are very different in males and females. A female has two X chromosomes, while a male has one X and one Y chromosome. How Are Traits Inherited? How are traits passed from one generation to the next? This happens when gametes unite. When an egg is fertilized by a sperm, for each chromosome pair, we receive one chromosome from our father and one from our mother. For a particular trait, we receive what is known as an allele from our father and one allele from our mother. An allele is a different form of a gene. When a given gene controls a characteristic that is expressed in the phenotype, the different forms of a gene show as the different characteristics that are observed in the phenotype. In simple genetics, alleles can be homozygous or heterozygous. Homozygous refers to having two copies of the same allele, while heterozygous refers to having different alleles. Dominant Traits vs. Recessive Traits When alleles are expressed via simple dominant versus recessive traits, the specific alleles inherited determine how the phenotype is expressed. When an individual has two dominant alleles, the phenotype is the dominant trait. Likewise, when an individual has one dominant allele and one recessive allele, the phenotype is still the dominant trait. While dominant and recessive traits may seem straightforward, note that not all traits have this simple inheritance pattern. Other types of genetic inheritance patterns include incomplete dominance, co-dominance, and polygenic inheritance. Due to the complexity of how genes are inherited, specific patterns can be somewhat unpredictable. How Do Recessive Traits Occur? When an individual has two recessive alleles, the phenotype is the recessive trait. For example, lets suppose that there are two versions of a gene, or alleles, that determine whether or not a person can roll their tongue. One allele, the dominant one, is symbolized by a big T. The other allele, the recessive one, is symbolized by a little t. Lets suppose two tongue rollers get married, each of whom is heterozygous (has two different alleles)for the trait. This would be represented as (Tt) for each.   Traits are inherited characteristics that are expressed externally in our phenotype. Copyright Evelyn Bailey When a person inherits one (t) from the father and then one (t) from the mother, the recessive alleles (tt) are inherited and the person can not roll their tongue. As can be seen in the Punnett square above, this would happen approximately twenty-five percent of the time. (Note that this tongue rolling is just for the sake of providing an example of recessive inheritance. Current thinking around tongue rolling indicates the involvement of more than just a single gene, and is not as simple as was once thought). Other Examples of Weird Inherited Traits A longer second toe and attached earlobes are often cited as examples of a weird trait that follows the two dominant/recessive alleles forms of one gene inheritance. Again, however, evidence suggests that both attached earlobe and longer second toe inheritance are quite complex. Sources â€Å"Attached Earlobe: The Myth.†Ã‚  Myths of Human Genetics, udel.edu/~mcdonald/mythearlobe.html.â€Å"Observable Human Characteristics.†Ã‚  Nutrition the Epigenome, learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/basics/observable/.

Friday, December 20, 2019

Nucor - Porters 5 Forces - 2126 Words

NUCOR AT A CROSSROADS CASE ANALYSIS NUCOR’S SUSTAINED PERFORMANCE RECORD PORTER’S 5 FORCES ANALYSIS †¢ Supplier Power: With the eventual exit of integrated steel companies from buying scrap, the options available with suppliers to sell, reduced. Nucor started several small plants that were close to suppliers customers, thereby reducing transportation costs. Also, the sites chosen had inexpensive electricity. Their employee-centric policies resulted in them having lowest attrition levels a steady supply of new employees. Thus the supplier power was moderate-low. †¢ Buyer Power: Although Nucor employed the latest technology competitive prices, with imported steel available, the buyers had more options to choose from.†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ Values / Culture Review: Employee focus was the hallmark of Nucor. They encouraged risk taking, creativity innovation. Their policies didn’t allow for much differentiation between different cadres. Their flat structure had decentralized decision making, they provided employees a sense of belonging / ownership with the organization. The all-cash incentives were regularly doled out were directly performance linked – quality quantity-wise. Their strong employee-bonding started right from the time the plant was constructed, till retirement. They didn’t believe in firing during lean times, would rather cut back on working hours, than fire people. The end result was that they not only had a highly productive, motivated, experienced non-unionized work force, but thei r employee turnover was much below the industry average they had many people willing to work for them. Their high human capital was a clear differentiator advantage over the competition in the steel industry. Thus, Nucor’s approach of controlled growth, focus on technology innovation, high employee productivity coupled with a dedicated workforce, decentralized quick decision making, have resulted in a sustained growth success of Nucor. For sustainability in the future, Nucor will have to continue to focus on technology innovation as it has been its point of differentiation among its competitors. TETRA-THREAT FRAMEWORK FOR SUSTAINABILITY ANALYSIS:Show MoreRelatedNucor Corporation: Market Survey and SWOT Analysis1592 Words   |  6 Pages Nucor Steel Industry Overview Globally, the U. S. steel industry is one of the largest as measured both by production as well as consumption. In 2010, the U.S. was third in global crude steel production with almost 6 percent share (Market Research.com, 2011). Until 2009, Nucor operated in an industry which experienced significant output declines during recent decades. 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By doing this it will save Nucor litigation fees and troubles if something arises in the workplace between the employee and Nucor about job duties, injuries, etc. Recommendation 3: Other than expanding internationally, Nucor shouldRead MoreCase Questions1966 Words   |  8 PagesManagement Strategy Case Questions Case 5: Panera Bread Company 1. What is Panera Bread’s strategy? Which of the four generic competitive strategies discussed in Chapter 3 most closely fit the competitive approach that Panera Bread is taking? What specific kind of competitive advantage is Panera bread trying to achieve? 2. What does a SWOT analysis of Panera Bread reveal about the overall attractiveness of its situation? Does the company have any core competencies or distinctive competenciesRead MoreQuestions1478 Words   |  6 Pages How is competition changing? What factors are driving the changes? 3. What will competition in pharmaceuticals look like in 10 years? 4. What is your assessment of Pfizer’s position in the industry? What are the keys to success in the industry? 5. What recommendations would you make to Kindler? Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. The story of Wal-Mart’s rise to dominance is a standard case on resources and capabilities and how they contribute to sustainable competitive advantage. This case works wellRead MoreEssay on Nucor Corporation Analysis2926 Words   |  12 PagesNucor Corporation: Competing Against Low-Cost Steel Imports Group E Charisse Cohen Valarie Lindsey Teshaunte Lyons Billy Ray Richardson MGT 590: CAPSTONE—COMPETING GLOBALLY Dr. Raman Patel – Professor August 17, 2009 Nucor Corporation: Competing Against Low-Cost Steel Imports Written Analysis Executive Summary This report discusses the challenges that The Nucor Corporation faces during this era of social and economic climate change. Using Porters Five Forces AnalysisRead MorePorters Five Forces Model1809 Words   |  8 Pages3. Please apply Porter’s Five Forces model to the steel industry. propose whether you think the steel industry is attractive industry or not an attractive industry. The first force is competition in the industry and competition between firms in the steel industry is very high. There is intense competition at both the domestic and global level. In order for a firm to be profitable in the steel making industry, production levels need to be high, capacity levels need to be high, and workers haveRead MoreNucor Corporation in 2001: Pursuing Growth in a Troubled Steel Industry1908 Words   |  8 PagesNucor Corporation in 2001: Pursuing Growth in a Troubled Steel Industry Table of Contents Introduction 3 Nucors History 3 Current Strategy and Future Expectation 4 Analysis and evaluation 4 Dominant Economic Characteristics of the Steel Industry Environment 4 Competition analysis in the Steel Industry 5 SWOT Analysis 6 Recommendations 9 Introduction Nucors History Nucor Corporation is the second-largest steel producer in the United States and has had net sales of $4.6Read MoreNucor Competitive Strategy4178 Words   |  17 PagesNUCOR COMPETITIVE STRATEGY ANALYSIS CONTENTS 1. Case Profile 2. Situational Analysis 2.1 General External Environment (PESTLE model) 2.1.1 Political/Legal 2.1.2 Economic 2.1.3 Sociocultural 2.1.4 Technological 2.1.5 Environmental 2.1.6 Demographic 2.1.7 Global 2.1 Industry Analysis (Porter 5 Forces) 2.2.1 Threat of new entrants 2.2.2 Bargaining power of suppliers Read MoreNucor Swot Case Study6937 Words   |  28 Pageswebsite: Nucor Corporation is made up of 17,300 teammates whose goal is to Take Care of Our Customers. We are accomplishing this by being the safest, highest quality, lowest cost, most productive and most profitable steel and steel products company in the world. We are committed to doing this while being cultural and environmental stewards in our communities where we live and work. We are succeeding by working together. Strategic Profile and Case Analysis Purpose Nucor is a leading

Thursday, December 12, 2019

A Impact of Delivery Service on Restaurant - MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the A Impact of Delivery Service on Restaurant. Answer: Introduction It is universally acknowledged that in the present market, it is really difficult to start a business with the high level of competition present. In such scenario, the companies try to develop their competitive advantage and always try to be ahead in the competition. As discussed by Chien Lin (2015), restaurant is a highly competitive business and it is important to deliver high quality services to retain the customers. In the present, the technology has intervened the operations of the restaurant and they are using it for multiple purposes ranging for marketing, sales and other operational areas. In the restaurant business, online ordering systems are becoming quite popular. In the present times, every person is squeezed in for time and most of the people are finicky while placing an online order. According to Oliveira, Schneider, de Souza Rodrigues, (2015), the customers of the present are attracted towards online ordering system as it has high visibility of the items offered, pr ice, and simplified navigation for the orders. The online ordering system can be used to create an interactive and up-to-date menu with all the available options which can be used for different purposes. However, the expansion in business with the online food ordering system can increase the wait in time and delay in food to the restaurant. In this regard, the present literature review will present the current knowledge about the impact of technology in increasing the wait-in time for the restaurants. It will also evaluate the impact of wait-in time in the customer satisfaction of the people. Online Ordering Services It is discussed by Kim, Miao, Magnini (2016) that the restaurants can offer online ordering services through variety of channels such as website, mobile application, through multi-restaurant app or through Facebook. The restaurants proactively registers on the online ordering applications as it is associated with increased revenue, enhancement in capacity management, improved productivity, transactional marketing and customer relationship management. It is an established fact that the restaurant experience an increased sales as a result of taking online orders. The customers are also attracted towards online ordering system as it gives them more control and convenience. The major hurdles in the acceptance of online order is that the desire for interaction through online mediums and technology anxiety. The users of online ordering system were generally younger in age, and patronized the restaurant due to several reasons. Another advantage of online ordering system is the accuracy in order taking and receiving. Other than that, convenience and ease of ordering is another feature of the online ordering system which makes it highly convenient for use. However, in the perception of Chou, Wu Huang (2014), the operators structure their online ordering system so that it aligns with the revenue, capacity management, productivity and customer satisfaction. The online ordering system has become popular in the recent years. Most of the restaurant owners use external vendors to design the mobile application. Other than that, an outside vendor is also used for the management of website. The online ordering system can be used by using cash and additional transaction fees or delivery charges. Most of the orders are managed through point-of-sale system, faxes, IP printer and emails. There are also different factors which impact the efficiency of the online ordering system. While developing an online ordering system, the organization must make efforts to reduce the number of employees required for online order taking. The restaurant owners are concerned about the potential impact of the staffing on other parts of the restaurants. The online or dering has a potential impact on the staffing requirements of the organization. The online order taking has little impact on staffing in the front or back of the house; however, it results in decrease in the staff who wait or the customers. It can be critiqued that online order taking result in decrease in the staff for order taking and an increase in the staff for delivery. According to Axelsson, Malmberg Zhang (2015), one of the major challenge in the online ordering is that it can overload the kitchen and increase the burden on the cooks. The online ordering overload the kitchen; however, a few restaurants state that they have a separate production line for the online orders. Another approach to manage the capacity of the kitchen is to use a metering system to manage the number of orders at a single time. The metering system can be used to notify the customers when their orders will be ready. In terms of revenue, it can be stated that online ordering can increase the revenue by increasing the frequency in the orders, and increasing the order volume for the organization. As discussed by Axelsson, Malmberg, Zhang (2015), increase in the online ordering not only increases the number of order, but also, the volume of orders. The restaurants which are using online ordering have identified that there is an increase in bulk orders due to the ease in placing the orders. The group and catering orders increases through online ordering as a large number of people can easily access the restaurant through online orders. As per the discussion of Heo (2016), there are also certain advantages of online ordering as the restaurant can obtain key information and market insights through online ordering. The online ordering can be used to attain key information about the local customers it can be used to develop marketing strategies, promotional campaigns and target promotions. It can be used to develop off-peak demands, identify customer segments and designing loyalty bonus and coupon strategies. Most of the restaurant owners develop online promotional campaigns. It is important to understand that the online promotions work better than traditional promotional campaigns. However, as discussed by Kim, Li Brymer, (2016) there is challenge that online ordering system can reduce the customer satisfaction with service. Online ordering is impersonal and it can overwhelm the employees of the kitchen. However, there are several benefits of online marketing which can increase the satisfaction of the customers with the services. The restaurant can obtain the orders accurately and can deliver it at the homes of customers. However, it is important to restaurants notify the time to the customers beforehand, so that there is no decline of the customer satisfaction through online services. The online ordering services is also important for the restaurants owners as the initial investment in the online services is low; however, the return on investment is comparatively higher. In the views of Chavan, Jadhav, Korade Teli (2015), there are also several other benefits of the online ordering system for the restaurant owners. In the absence of online platforms, the restaurant owners used the telephone for attaining online orders. It made it mandatory for the restaurant owners to tie a person with the online services. Therefore, the most important benefit of the online services is the labor saving as the restaurant owner does not have to keep a labor tied up on the phone. According to Namin (2017), he staff time is not being used to attend the customers, attending phone or maintaining the accounts at the cash register. As a result, the overall impact of the online ordering system is that it reduces the labor requirements in the organization. In addition to the labor saving, the restaurant owners can increase the efficiency of the online orders. It can increase the convenience of the guests, nurture the marketing efforts, eases the order processing of the organi zation and increases the average check-ins at the restaurant. However, there are also significant impacts of online ordering which can reduce the customer satisfaction with the services. The foremost issue are least guest interaction, technical issues and guest errors. Consumer Perception of Online Ordering Services In the views of Kim, Miao Magnini (2016) the consumer perception of online ordering system also impacts the efficiency and the acceptance of online ordering system. A well-designed computer ordering system can provide the customers substantial control over the type and pace of transaction. They can also control the extent of the personal interaction with the restaurant personnel. In most of the cases, an increased level of control can result in high customer satisfaction. It will increase the intent of the customers in using and recommending the services. However, it is important to understand that increase in control is not important for all the customers, especially for those customers who hope for personal contact through the ordering system. Therefore, while designing the application for the online orders, the designer must focus on the extent of control to the customers. Moreover, the customers will be using the application in the absence of an operator; therefore, it must be e asy to use and accessible. It can be discussed that Ramanathan, Di, Ramanathan (2016) another important factor which influence the consumer perception in the online ordering system is the perceived convenience of the consumers. The convenience of the system increases the adaptation rate as well as increase the satisfaction of the customers with the services. The online ordering system can be used to increase the convenience of the employees. Another challenge for the online ordering system is that it increases the technology anxiety and the human interaction of the people. However, Dharmawirya, Oktadiana, Adi (2012) have discussed that the most critical issue in the fast food and restaurant online food service is the problem of consumer waiting time. It is a significant issue and most of the restaurant owners consider the design and satisfaction of the customers. In the present fast lifestyle of the consumers, time has become more and more significant for the consumers. With the diversification of the service quality and consumers have started paying attention to the waiting time in each order. The long waiting time in the fulfillment of the orders can increase the dissatisfaction and complaining of the consumers. Therefore, it is important to minimize the waiting time in the restaurants in the present environment of intense competition. In the perception of Mittal (2016) with the advent of multi-restaurant app, the manner in which the companies communicate with the customers has changed. Different strategies are used to reduce the waiting time with the arrival of these apps. The companies can use app to understand the demand of the customers and the same apps are used to buy the products through online platforms. The mobile applications should be designed in such a manner that they demonstrates the accurate waiting time while receiving orders. The restaurants should manage its order in an efficient manner without the costly method of capacity expansion. In the traditional approach, the restaurant owner tries to reduce the waiting time with table management. It is the approach through which the host assign different tables to the restaurant visitors. It is apparent that the restaurant owner can increase the revenue and the financial outcome by determining the seats of the customers. Efficient table management can increase the revenue by increasing the overall turnover of the organization. Previously, the restaurant owners used to combine tables to increase the flexibility to match the party size and achieve high seating capacity. Efficiency in the table management can reduce the waiting time for the customers (Hwang, 2008). The present conceptual map discusses various factors which impacts the customer satisfaction in restaurants. There are several factors such as food quality, behavior of waiters, food taste and waiting time which impacts the customer satisfaction. The satisfaction of the customers depends on the overall waiting time for which the customers have to wait. With the advent of online order technology, the average waiting time of the customers has increased which has reduced the satisfaction of the customers. Independent variable: Waiting time: The waiting time of the customers have a severe impact on the satisfaction of the customers in a business organization. Dependent variable: Registration on Different websites: The registration on different online websites can increase the traffic on the consumer website. Online Orders: The inflow of online orders can increase the workload on the kitchen of the organization. High table strength: If there is high flow of customers, then the restaurant kitchen will be overloaded. Summary In the present times, the online mediums are commonly used by restaurants to increase their efficiency in different operations. It is commonly used in marketing efforts, service delivery and daily operations of the organization. With the advent of technology, several restaurants develop their own website, mobile application and register on multi-restaurant websites to drive their sales. However, with the increase in the customer demand, the overload on the kitchen also increase. Traditionally, the restaurants used different techniques such as table management to reduce the overhead of the restaurant. It is the best manner to control the overhead on the organization. In the present, the companies can use metering technique to reduce the customer satisfaction with the organization. References Axelsson, L., Malmberg, B., Zhang, Q. (2015). On waiting, work-time and imagined futures: Theorising temporal precariousness among Chinese chefs in Swedens restaurant industry.Geoforum. Axelsson, L., Malmberg, B., Zhang, Q. (2015). On waiting, work-time and imagined futures: Theorising temporal precariousness among Chinese chefs in Swedens restaurant industry.Geoforum. Chavan, V., Jadhav, P., Korade, S., Teli, P. (2015). Implementing Customizable Online Food Ordering System Using Web Based Application.International Journal of Innovative Science, Engineering Technology,2(4). Chien, S. Y., Lin, Y. T. (2015). The effects of the service environment on perceived waiting time and emotions.Human Factors and Ergonomics in Manufacturing Service Industries,25(3), 319-328. Chou, C. K., Wu, P. H., Huang, C. Y. (2014). Service climate, service convenience, service quality and behavioral intentions in chain store restaurants.International Journal of Organizational Innovation (Online),7(1), 161. Dharmawirya, M., Oktadiana, H., Adi, E. (2012). Analysis of expected and actual waiting time in fast food restaurants. Heo, C. Y. (2016). Exploring group-buying platforms for restaurant revenue management.International Journal of Hospitality Management,52, 154-159. Hwang, J (2008). Restaurant Table Management to Reduce Customer Waiting Times. Journal of Foodservice Business Research, 11(4). Kim, S., Miao, L., Magnini, V. P. (2016). Consumers emotional responses and emotion regulation strategies during multistage waiting in restaurants.Journal of Hospitality Tourism Research,40(3), 291-318. Kim, S., Miao, L., Magnini, V. P. (2016). Consumers emotional responses and emotion regulation strategies during multistage waiting in restaurants.Journal of Hospitality Tourism Research,40(3), 291-318. Kim, W. G., Li, J. J., Brymer, R. A. (2016). The impact of social media reviews on restaurant performance: The moderating role of excellence certificate.International Journal of Hospitality Management,55, 41-51. Lee, T. R., Hsu, Y. H., Chain-Yao, C., Hilletofth, P. (2014). Managing the customer waiting problem in fast food restaurants in Taiwan through reengineering of the app ordering process. InTechnology Innovation and Industrial Management (TIIM)(pp. 40-48). Mittal, A. (2016). The Influence Of Waiting Time Satisfaction On Customer Loyalty Towards Multi-Stage Services: Evidence From India.STRATEGII MANAGERIALE, 14. Namin, A. (2017). Revisiting customers' perception of service quality in fast food restaurants.Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services,34, 70-81. Namin, A. (2017). Revisiting customers' perception of service quality in fast food restaurants.Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services,34, 70-81. Oliveira, L. F., Schneider, D., de Souza, J. M., Rodrigues, S. A. (2015, May). Leveraging the crowd collaboration to monitor the waiting time of day-to-day services. InComputer Supported Cooperative Work in Design (CSCWD), 2015 IEEE 19th International Conference on(pp. 109-114). IEEE. Ramanathan, R., Di, Y., Ramanathan, U. (2016). Moderating roles of customer characteristics on the link between service factors and satisfaction in a buffet restaurant.Benchmarking: An International Journal,23(2), 469-486.

Thursday, December 5, 2019

Capital Discipline and Financial Market Relations †Free Samples

Question: Discuss about the Capital Discipline and Financial Market Relations. Answer: The retail market in UK is sailing into a perfect storm. This is because of recession stricken times when there was fall in profits and cutting jobs. Tesco Multinational Corporation had diversified its operations in terms of geography as well as products or services as it is provided to the customers. The supermarket retail chain in UK operates in 14 countries with more than 4811 stores. The employees who are working under Tesco Multinational Corporation are 4,72,000 (Sparrow, Hird Cooper, 2015). From the above pie-chart, it is quite easy to understand that Tesco Multinational Corporation has the highest market share and that is followed by Sainsbury (2nd position). The other company is Morrison, ASDA and other retailing supermarket chain hat operates in UK. Tesco Multinational Corporation dominates the UK market with a market share of around 30.5%. This company was the first company who had launch self-service system in their stores so that they can avoid long queues as it leads to high waiting time. In addition, the company had even arranged for in-store cameras for security purpose. In order to attain competitive advantage over their competitors, Tesco Multinational Corporation manufactures as well as sells its own labeled products (Rosenbaum-Elliott, Percy Pervan, 2015). Financial and Corporate Performance Tesco Multinational Corporation is one of the international companies that have strong reputation in the retail market where they aim at providing quality products as well as services. The supermarket retail giant seek to deliver the best results by providing highest returns to the shareholders as well as beneficial services to the customers and provide safe work environment for the employees (Peppard Ward, 2016). Ethical conduct means performing activities that is morally correct as well as honorable. In order to maintain valuation reputation and build on success, Tesco Multinational Corporation need to conduct the business in a way that is both legal as well as ethical. The corporate governance policies of Tesco Multinational Corporation believe in maintaining level of commitment by conducting ethical business practices. The company gives proper details about the business that comprises of ethical business behavior as well as defining the responsibilities of all the employee and company executives and representatives (Payne Frow, 2013). In addition to that, there were several governance issues that take place at Tesco Multinational Corporation. It was noted that companys admission had overstated figures at the time of half-year profit by 250 million Euros and there was even problem with the composition of Board of Directors and the company was claimed that they were using inappropriate accounting policies (zman, 2017). Ethics plays an important role for determining the level of success of any business enterprise. For instance, when an organization carry out its business operations by using ethical ways, then the company will increase their reputation in the market and finally have positive impact on the business activities. Ethics should be embedded in strategy adopted by company and at the time of decision-making process. However, Tesco Multinational Corporation is corporate social responsible business as well as had made Corporate Social Responsibility as a major role and properly publishes it in the annual report (Jenkins Williamson, 2015). Strategic options Tesco Multinational Corporation had already expanded in countries like UK, Asia, USA and Europe as we as has 6531 stores in and across the world. The supermarket retail chain still continues to open new markets for increasing their current market share as well as market growth (Hubbard, Rice Galvin, 2014). Diversification- It is important to consider the fact that diversification is the most risky strategy where a particular business enterprise enters and there is no information or facts available and has less experience to it. The risk can be a failure of acceptance of products by the consumers for not making enough of sales. However, Tesco Multinational Corporation had diversified their market by launching various non-food products into new market segments. Tesco Multinational Corporation enjoys long-term success because of which the companies remains focus and has main core vision that remain same at the time of implementing corporate strategy change based in changing scenario. It is because of the competitive global environment, if any business enterprise does not have clear vision, then the company actually has direction and may not be able to sustain in the near future. However, Tesco Multinational Corporation had established business strategies so that they can attain or achieve vision and mission statement stated by the company (Hensmans, Johnson Yip, 2013). The strategic management of Tesco Multinational Corporation is of the opinion that the mission statement, vision statement as well as strategic objectives plays major role towards attainment of success and make use of key performance indicators for measuring the level of performance in an organization. The Key performance that can be used by Tesco Multinational Corporation is the Balanced Scorecard approach as it measures both financial and non-financial aspects. There are four major perspectives of balanced scorecard that are addressed properly and these are customer perspective, business process perspective, learning growth perspective and financial perspective. Currently, Tesco Multinational Corporation follows a strategy that will help in maximizing customer value by using market-orientation strategy. The supermarket retail chain aims at providing quality products at a competitive price based on needs as well as preferences of customers. The above diagram shows the Porters generic strategic options adopted by Tesco Multinational Corporation within the next 5 years of time span. It is recommended to Tesco Multinational Corporation for following the generic strategies that had been proposed by Porter as it will help in gaining competitive advantage within next 5 years time frame. However, Tesco Multinational Corporation already has a reputed background where the company provides best quality products at affordable prices to the customers in order to achieve cost leadership with little efforts as it focus more on own label products sell by reducing production costs. Therefore, clearly defined market segment will help Tesco Multinational Corporation to target differentiated range of product lines to specific markets or positioning of few products on wide range of market segments (Goodman Dingli, 2017). Implementation of final strategy After using suitable criteria, three strategic options are determined and it is needed to select the best one for the company that they will follow in the near future. The three strategic options are criteria for suitability as well as acceptability and feasibility and it is needed to be judged for each of the options (Frynas Mellahi, 2015). Suitability- Here, the suitability criteria explain how the organization environment help in measuring the strategic implications of the business enterprise in a given surroundings. It is mainly used for integrating the strengths as well as weakness for efficient implementation of best strategies. The operational aspects of Tesco Multinational Corporation are continuously updated so that they can cope with the fast-changing environmental dynamics. Therefore, the environment as well as the market oriented operations of Tesco Multinational Corporation provide proper platform for implementing the strategies of cost leadership as well as product development largely. Feasibility- Here, feasibility means the scope of Tesco Multinational Corporation for operating in an environment after application of any of the above-listed strategies that need to be evaluated based on financial viability and time duration for implementing the strategy and other important factors such as internal skills as well as competencies that support the strategy option. However, Tesco Multinational Corporation already has a strong financial background as well as huge capital invested in technology that mainly focus more on product development, imitability or leadership strategies options that make Tesco Multinational Corporation occupy the leading position in and across the world. In order to implement these strategies, it is important for Tesco Multinational Corporation to focus on its core competencies and this is possible if the company start recruiting more skilled professionals. Acceptability- Tesco Multinational Corporation already has high brand recognition in the UK market but the company would not take long to implement the strategies in successful ways. The financials of Tesco Multinational Corporation are expected to increase rapidly after they start implementing the suitable strategic option. However, the cost benefit analysis shows benefit in a case where the company had already had upgraded technology operating in their stores as well as opted market oriented strategies that will retain customer loyalty. Therefore, product development as well as cost leadership would be considered as less risky and less costly venture that should be enforced. Monitoring and control of Future Performance The environmental factors as well as operational efficiencies of Tesco Multinational Corporation show the strategy of cost leadership to be best for creation of strategic fit for the company. In addition, the product development strategy had been discarded as compared to other strategies as the supermarket chain deals in wide variety of products as well as services (Frow et al., 2016). The cost leadership strategy mainly covers wide range of products as well as service that provide a boost to the customer purchase rate. However, the market share of Tesco Multinational Corporation is expected to increase where the company ranks in the third position in terms of revenues as it contributes mainly towards their missions of creating customer value. Reference List Borland, H., Ambrosini, V., Lindgreen, A., Vanhamme, J. (2016). Building theory at the intersection of ecological sustainability and strategic management.Journal of Business Ethics,135(2), 293-307. Frow, P., Payne, A., Wilkinson, I. F., Young, L. C. (2016). CRM and customer management: identifying and confronting dark side behaviours.Dark Side of CRM: Customers, Relationships and Management, 21-38. Frynas, J. G., Mellahi, K. (2015). Global strategic management. Oxford University Press, USA. Goodman, M., Dingli, S. M. (2017).Creativity and Strategic Innovation Management: Directions for Future Value in Changing Times. Taylor Francis. Haleem, F., Jehangir, M. (2017). Strategic Management Practices by Morrison PLC, UK. Analysis, Lessons and Implications.Middle East Journal of Business,12(3). Hensmans, M., Johnson, G., Yip, G. (2013). The Three Successful Strategic Transformers: Developments. InStrategic Transformation(pp. 76-96). Palgrave Macmillan UK. Hubbard, G., Rice, J., Galvin, P. (2014).Strategic management. Pearson Australia. Jenkins, W., Williamson, D. (2015).Strategic management and business analysis. Routledge. MacIntosh, R. and Maclean, D., 2014.Strategic management: Strategists at work. Palgrave Macmillan. zman, M. (2017).Strategic Management of Innovation Networks. Cambridge University Press. Payne, A., Frow, P. (2013).Strategic customer management: Integrating relationship marketing and CRM. Cambridge University Press. Peppard, J., Ward, J. (2016).The strategic management of information systems: Building a digital strategy. John Wiley Sons. Rosenbaum-Elliott, R., Percy, L., Pervan, S. (2015).Strategic brand management. Oxford University Press, USA. Samantara, R., Sharma, N. (2014). Talent Management at Tesco HSCA Case Study.Management and Labour Studies,39(4), 477-485. Sparrow, P., Hird, M., Cooper, C. L. (2015). Strategic Talent Management. InDo We Need HR?(pp. 177-212). Palgrave Macmillan UK. Tesco PLC. (2017).Tesco plc. Retrieved 19 October 2017, from https://www.tescoplc.com Varley, R. (2014).Retail product management: buying and merchandising. Routledge. Wood, S., Coe, N. M., Wrigley, N. (2016). Multi-scalar localization and capability transference: exploring embeddedness in the Asian retail expansion of Tesco.Regional Studies,50(3), 475-495. Wood, S., Wrigley, N., Coe, N. M. (2016). Capital discipline and financial market relations in retail globalization: insights from the case of Tesco plc.Journal of Economic Geography,17(1), 31-57.

Thursday, November 28, 2019

Aristotle On Theory Of Ideas Essays - Philosophy, Ontology

Aristotle On Theory Of Ideas Aristotle refutes Plato's Theory of Ideas on three basic grounds: that the existence of Ideas contradicts itself by denying the possibility of negations; that his illustrations of Ideas are merely empty metaphors; and that they theory uses impermanent abstractions to create examples of perception. Though the theory is meant to establish concrete standards for the knowledge of reality, Aristotle considers it fraught with inconsistencies and believes that the concept of reality depends upon all forms' correlations to other elements. Ideas, Plato believes, are permanent, self-contained absolutes, which answered to each item of exact knowledge attained through human thought. Also, Ideas are in Plato's view concrete standards by which all human endeavor can be judged, for the hierarchy of all ideas leads to the highest absolute - that of Good. In addition, the theory claims that states of being are contingent upon the mingling of various Forms of existence, that knowledge is objective and thus clearly more real, and that only the processes of nature were valid entities. However, Aristotle attacks this theory on the grounds that Plato's arguments are inconclusive either his assertions are not al all cogent. Aristotle says, or his arguments lead to contradictory conclusions. For example, Aristotle claims that Plato's arguments lead one to conclude that entities (such as anything man-made) and negations of concrete ideas could exist - such as "non-good" in opposition to good. This contradicts Plato's own belief that only natural objects could serve as standards of knowledge. Also, Aristotle refutes Plato's belief that Ideas are perfect entities unto themselves, independent of subjective human experience. Ideas, Aristotle claims, are not abstractions on a proverbial pedestal but mere duplicates of things witnessed in ordinary daily life. The Ideas of things, he says, are not inherent to the objects in particular but created separately and placed apart from the objects themselves. Thus, Aristotle says, Plato's idea that Ideas are perfect entities, intangible to subjective human experience, is meaningless, for all standards are based somewhere in ordinary human activity and perception. Thirdly, Aristotle assails Plato's efforts to find something common to several similar objects at once, a perfect exemplar of the quality those things share. Beauty is a perfect example; Plato considered Beauty both a notion and an ideal, isolated by abstractions and fixed permanently while its representatives fade away. Aristotle claims that abstractions like Beauty cannot be cast as absolutes, independent of temporal human experience; the Idea of Beauty changes with time and individual perceptions and cannot (as Plato felt) exist forever as a concrete standard. Plato and Aristotle reach some agreement, though, on the topic of reality. Plato believes that all reality was derived from his Ideas (which themselves dealt with concrete hierarchy of rational ideas. St. Anselm, though, makes the most dogmatic and logically tortuous case for God's existence, relying not upon explanations of goodness, truth, or rational order of ideas but upon an absurd argument. He claims that everyone has some sense of God, and he claims that for one to deny God's existence is an invalid and contradictory assertion; therefore, God exists. Also, Anselm believes that those capable of understanding God cannot believe that he does not exist - as if the enormity of the idea was so clear than only a fool could not perceive it. His arguments seem the weakest of the four viewpoints here, for they are riddled with dogma and assume that God is a constant - using faith alone. Anselm considers faith paramount to logic or other forms of thought and asks no questions as to what powers the universe or what goodness is - he basically follows the Christian "party line" too closely to be valid. In general, St. Augustine combines Plato's idea of a moral hierarchy with his own rational observations of truth and goodness being embodied in their highest form by God. While Plato wavers on God's superiority, Aristotle views man as god's pawn, and Anselm uses tortuous dogmatic logic, Augustine's arguments seem to make the most sense from not only a Christian point of view but from a moral and rational one as well. The philosophies of Plato, Aristotle, St. Augustine, and St. Anselm on the existence of God all vary on the issue of God's nature; though each thinker takes a different approach to why there is a God, that of St. Augustine seems the most valid because he takes a rational stance and does not dogmatically assume God's existence. Plato's philosophy assumes that God exists as a supremely good being whose goodness is analogous to Plato's concrete concept or

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Serrial Killer essays

Serrial Killer essays The country has been gripped by fear and the serial killer has played right into that fear. The serial killer epitomizes the fear that police officers and the criminal justice cannot protect us. Serial killings account for less than one percent of annual homicides we have in America, yet they somehow touch the lives of almost every America. Serial killers are more common here in America then anywhere else in the world. Even though the likely hood of ever encountering a serial killer is very slim it is the serial killer that brings fear to many people in the Unites States. According to the book a serial killer kills several victims over a period of time. Almost all serial killers are sociopaths. They lack superego or conscience. A serial killer des not care about the humanity of his victims he does not empathize with them, or feel remorseful. Serial killers like the power they have over there victims. Most serials killers are driven sexually to kill. They like the physical contact with there victims. Sociopaths have a character flaw they care about inflicting pain and suffering because as far as they are concerned there victims are unfeeling objects. Killing makes these people feel superior not only to their victims but to the police investigators too. Serial murders have been around for a long time. The furthest it has been dated back to was in the 1400s. Serial murders are the hardest for police investigators to figure out. Most of the regular murders are done by someone who was close to the victim. Serial murders on the other hand are done at random within a group of people. Police call these stranger killings because neither victim, nor the victims family knows the killer. This makes it very hard for police to find the killer. The FBI was able to study many serial killers and have developed a profile to help them catch serial killers. A typical serial killer is a white male that has ...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Egypt and Sumer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Egypt and Sumer - Essay Example The reference to Re (the sun, also spelled Ra) indicates a primitive understanding that both flooding and sun are necessary factors for crop growth and life, which may be why Hymn to Ra proved equally important. Hymn to Ra emphasizes the polytheistic nature of Egyptian society and provides an early account of the origins of humankind, wisdom, and love – attributing them all to Ra, the sun. Overall, both works suggest that early Egyptians were fairly united in their beliefs, collectivistic, had little understanding of natural causes (flooding), anthromorphized important natural phenomena (the sun, the river Nile), were a patriarchal society (important Gods are construed as male), were present-oriented in their desires (food, water, shelter), believed that human action could in some way shape natural events (sacrifices could prevent floods), and on some level, saw or believed in actual interaction between physical and spiritual phenomena (the offering of sacrifices (physical) to the Nile as a God (spiritual)). Hymn to Ra in particular, emphasizes the impermanent nature of death and a mind-body dichotomy –the spirit (but not the body) could return after death, morality/conscience/wisdom were controlled and instilled from outside, and behavior, as opposed to intent and preceding thought was important. In contrast to the Egyptian sources, the Epic of Gilgamesh in particular appears to place greater emphasis on desires of the spirit, nourishment of the soul, morality, and conscience as opposed to the meeting of physical needs. In this way, it is less primitive than the Egyptian sources and considers more of the higher-level complexities of â€Å"humanness† than either of the Egyptian sources (sex, friendship, betrayal). Rather than praying to avoid death, as the Egyptians do in Ode to the Nile and Hymn to Ra, the Epic of Gilgamesh implies that life is defined and made meaningful by the deadline

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Incident at the Construction Company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Incident at the Construction Company - Essay Example A report of the accident was furnished soon after. Because of the injuries he sustained Mohammed requested for a one-week leave. He suffered a mild head injury, plus wounds and bruises to his elbows and legs. He also experienced persistent lightheadedness after the accident. Because he was not able to go to work for the duration of time, he lost an income. The company immediately accepted legal liability and cooperated with OSHA representatives. Mohammed was given $7,000 accident compensation with regard to his occupational injuries and loss of income. Â  Mohammed soon recovered from his injuries and started looking for another work. But because of his specialization and experience, he was not able to make it outside of the construction industry. Another construction company hired him as a fitter. On August 1997 Mohammed was working with other workers at a height of more or less 25-30 feet, tightening top covers of a massive boiler. In order to access the top portion of the boiler, he uses a ladder. Unfortunately, one of the covers had a crack which made it difficult for Mohammed to tighten. Thus, he applied excessive force to tighten the cracked cover. Yet, while he did so, the bottom of the ladder slipped and he fell to the floor. Mohammed sustained back injuries, plus a spinal fracture and wounds to his hips and legs. He was forced to take an indefinite leave to recover but, because of the severity of his injuries and wounds, he was not able to go back to work for the construction company and had to look for a less labor-inten sive occupation. This second occupational accident left Mohammed with permanently limited physical activity and currently necessitates help with tasks he could do independently in the past, like woodwork and farming.

Monday, November 18, 2019

Comparative Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Comparative Analysis - Essay Example Critical thinking is considered as an important concept in nursing. The role of critical thinking is defined by different authors in different styles. The perspective of critical thinking in nursing plays different roles ranging from diagnoses to analysis of patients’ conditions. This paper aims to analyze two articles relating to this topic. The first article is titled as â€Å"Critical thinking and accuracy of nurses diagnoses†. The second article is â€Å"The theory of critical thinking of nursing†. Although both articles carry useful information it is not justifiable to ignore the distinct perspectives and methodologies used by the authors. The article â€Å"Critical thinking and accuracy of nurses diagnoses† is much lengthy and carries more in-depth analysis, whereas, the article â€Å"The theory of critical thinking of nursing† is not that wordy but contains facts and clearly prove the claims by giving evidences. The article â€Å"Critical thinking and accuracy of nurses diagnoses† is designed in a way to incorporate both empirical and theoretical literature available. The information flows in a way that explains all necessary concepts related to the issue. The article first describes the relationship between critical thinking and diagnostic accuracy. It is evident that nurses are aimed to achieve diagnostic accuracy. Flawed diagnoses may end up creating complex and unavoidable circumstances both for the patients and nursing staff. In order to clarify the problems that may arise as a result of wrong interpretation, the article include a few case studies where wrong interpretation of signs and symptoms created troublesome situations. There are some overlapping symptoms which require a higher level of critical thinking for more accurate diagnoses. This article involves a table to provide examples of those overlapping symptoms. The study further illuminates the concepts of cognitive fluency, flexibility and elaboration. The

Friday, November 15, 2019

Outpatient Treatment for Mental Health in New York

Outpatient Treatment for Mental Health in New York Michael Woodworth   For many individuals in the United States, mental and behavioral illness is something they must deal with on a daily basis. For many of those, the depression, anxiety, and feeling of powerlessness has become the norm due to a lack of treatment options. As the number of affected individuals grows, outpatient clinics are becoming the treatment of choice for many Americans and in New York this trend also holds true. With the third highest population in the United States, New York is home to over one million individuals suffering from mental illness. According to the 2015 census, the number of individuals suffering from mental illness had reached an all-time high of 900,000 adults and 528,000 adolescents (Friedman, Woods, LaPorte, 2016, p. 4). Despite the alarming increase in numbers, less than 20% of those affected by mental illness receive adequate, if any treatment at all (Friedman, Woods, LaPorte, 2016, p. 4). Although this may be partly due to the individual choosing not to receive care, I believe there is a direct correlation between the policies and procedures New York has put in place that govern the access, cost, and quality of mental health care. The New York State Office of Mental Health currently has over 50 categories of policies and procedures that govern treatment options, approved providers, medication, and criteria patients must meet to be treated, just to name a few (Office of Mental Health, 2017). As a result, many individuals choose to self-medicate or simply ignore their symptom rather than deal with the bureaucracy that surrounds behavioral health as well as the negative stigma associated with anyone receiving the treatment. Of the 20% of individuals receiving mental health services in New York, nearly 71% are through outpatient treatment services. Outpatient treatment exist as a way of providing access to individuals who are suffering from disorders that may not require intensive inpatient treatment. They are capable of treating disorders such as depression, anxiety, grief, phobias, trauma, and so forth. Overview on Outpatient Care Systems Outpatient care can provide a wide variety of services to individuals seeking assistance with their mental and behavioral health. These services include, but are not limited to: individual counseling, group therapy, acupuncture, massage therapy, DBT, art therapy, interventions, couples and family therapy, and alcohol and drug detox. These services are based on severity and need and are often delivered by peer advocates, licensed counselors, nurse practitioners, case managers, clinical psychologists, psychiatrists, and medical doctors. New York State offers two main avenues of treatment to those seeking outpatient care; these are the hospital systems and the health programs available within the community. For many people in New York, there are only two ways into these outpatient programs. The first being through a referral from a qualified healthcare professional (QHP). This can include a primary care physician, clinician, psychologist, nurse practitioner, among others (Friedman, Woods, LaPorte, 2009). The second is through court mandated supervision and treatment, and with one in 52 adults in New York on probation or parole, this accounts for many outpatient treatment referrals. The question now becomes, with such incredible services available why are only 20% able to get them? The answer lies within the policies. Although the policies do provide expectations and restrictions regarding cost and quality, the majority of outpatient policies focus on access. These policies not only determine who is eligible to receive services, but also what services are covered by Medicaid and other insurance. So lets take a look at just how these policies hinder so many New Yorkers from receiving adequate services. Hospital Systems With the hospital system, as with any business, accessibility comes down to resources; and in many hospitals the resources are limited. As a result, outpatient care is reserved for those that will not only benefit from it the most, but also those who will bring the hospital the most profit. Most of the individuals in New York who are receiving mental health treatment are covered by Medicaid. Those covered by Medicaid are by definition poor, and despite the need for the treatment are unable to pay the out of pocket expenses associated with it (Garfield, 2016). This fact has had significant influence on the policy makers to establish a list of criteria that must be met in order for Medicaid to pay for the total treatment. In addition, they developed a list of reasons that a hospital can deny mental health services to patients. Unfortunately in New York, many of the hospitals have a board of directors that have little to no medical experience. Instead they are comprised of wealthy and powerful business professionals from within the community. For example, one prominent hospital in Upstate New York has a board of directors that consists of several CEOs and presidents of companies that have direct ties to the local congressmen and assemblymen. One of the members of the board is actually a longtime friend of the current Governor of New York. These ties to politicians along with a lack of medical knowledge often result in policies and decisions being made for the sole purpose of profit rather than care and in turn make access much more difficult. Community Based Services The second healthcare system is that of community based resources. This is where the bulk of outpatient mental health treatment occurs. Many of these resources are non-profit organizations that rely heavily on funding from the state. Accessibility to these resources are governed by the overall state budget and is solely based on where the money needs to be allocated that year. As a result, many community resources are limited in the number of patients they can treat due to the limited annual funds available. Much like the hospitals, this causes the community resources to deny service to many individuals that need treatment. In general, these services are delivered in three ways and are typically based on the severity of the need. Hospitals offer outpatient mental health counseling for individuals who may require a higher level of intensity. Hospitals often utilize psychiatrists who have the ability to recommend and prescribe psychotropic medications for those suffering from severe mental disorders such as schizophrenia. The second option for patients is a privately or publically run outpatient clinic. These facilities usually employ licensed clinicians who are supervised by a clinical psychologist. Although they can offer the same level of counseling services as the hospital, they are not equipped to prescribe or monitor medications. These facilities are primarily used to focus on the less intensive mental health disorders such as depression, anxiety, PTSD, and addiction. The third option is counseling and guidance through a religious leader. Although this option can provide assistance with minor mental health issues, it is seldom covered under insurance. This is due to the fact that in most cases, the religious leader does not possess the required education or credentials to be recognized by the state as a legitimate form of mental health treatment. However, as a result many religious leaders choose to pursue degrees in mental health so they can better serve their congregation. Barriers to Care New York has several different levels of care which include intensive outpatient treatment, outpatient treatment, step down treatment, continuing day treatment, and assertive community treatment (Friedman, Woods, LaPorte, 2009, p. 12). Each of which is a step within the continuum of care provided by New York State Office of Mental Health. Generally speaking, these steps are effective when utilized appropriately by the patient and followed through with by the provider. Unfortunately the greatest barrier falls in the follow through of both the patient and the provider. With over 380,000 adults and 575,000 adolescents in New York suffering from severe and persistent mental illness (Friedman, Woods, LaPorte, 2009, p. 12), it is easy for a patient to fall through the cracks of the system. Many providers have limited time and resources to track down a patient that missed an appointment, or just check in on a regular basis to see if they are alright. As a result, many patients will feel unsupported and stop treatment all together. As previously stated, outpatient is usually reserved for those with a professional referral and as such the access can at times seem quite limited. In the clinics that I have worked in, a patient could arrive only after a referral had been received. After they have arrived, they would undergo several interviews and assessments to determine if they would benefit from the treatments the clinic offered. If they would, then they could begin treatment. If however they were thought to not benefit, they would be referred to another clinic or to the local hospital for further consideration. In New York, the need for mental health services are far greater than the resources available and therefore every clinic and outpatient service does seem to have an extensive waitlist for services. I was a case manager for a supportive living program working with veterans suffering from mental health disorders as well as addiction and chronic homelessness. My program was a 12 month intensive treatment program and had 24 beds/apartments available. At any given time, the waitlist for this program had well over 50 individuals listed on it. Outpatient access is a serious concern in New York and so far has left much to be desired. For many individuals who require outpatient mental health services, access comes with three major barriers: Finding a clinic, getting approval from Medicaid and insurance, and physically getting to the clinic. Far too often these barriers hinder individuals from receiving adequate, if any services they so desperately need. With the constant change to Medicaid waiver services and insurance, it is difficult for clinics to accept every patient in need. With private insurance, managed care, and straight Medicaid placing strict eligibility and billing restrictions on the clinics, it is amazing that they are able to stay open at all. These regulations are causing the clinics to become more business focused instead of focusing on the real reason they exist. As a result of the clinics focusing more on the business, they are more inclined to accept patients that they can profit from the most. This ultimately tends to sway more towards those with private insurance as they are more likely to get approval for ongoing treatment. This leaves the majority of individuals suffering from mental health disorders to fend for themselves. As with any treatment, a referral is required to receive treatment in an outpatient setting. Attempting to get this referral poses the second struggle to accessibility. Many of those suffering from these disorders do not have a primary physician and are likely to go to free clinics if they seek assistance at all. As a result, many individuals are simply prescribed medications like Zoloft by the attending physician and told that they have a cookie cutter diagnosis of depression or anxiety. On average, it takes nearly six months of trial and error in medication before a referral is given and accepted by insurance or Medicaid. In far too many situations, the individual has given up on treatment before reaching the six months. Getting to a clinic often poses a barrier to those in a low income bracket. These individuals are unable to purchase transportation on their own and rely heavily on others or public transportation to maintain mobility. This requires them to find clinics that are on bus or subway line if they live in the city, or friends and family if they live in a more rural location. This causes unnecessary instability in treatment due to the patients inability to commit to a treatment schedule. For the more than 30 million adults in the United States that require but do not receive mental health services, 45 percent claim that the cost is the biggest deterrent. The average outpatient service can cost between $100 and $5,000 based on the service and the credentials of the provider (Babakian, 2013). In New York City the average rates for outpatient services are as follows: $80 $120 for a 45-55 minute standard counseling session (Babakian, 2013). $200 $300 for a 45 minute session with a psychologist or psychiatrist (Babakian, 2013). $60 $100 for group sessions facilitated by a licensed provider (Babakian, 2013). $300 $ 460 for individual art, music, and/or recreation therapy sessions with a licensed provider (Babakian, 2013). As with any healthcare service these can be paid for using self-pay, private insurance, and government insurance such as Medicaid and Medicare. Unfortunately due to the restrictions imposed by the mental health policies in New York, many individuals are forced to pay a significant amount out of pocket. As a result, many outpatient providers offer patients sliding scale charges which can be 30 percent lower than standard fees, payment plans with and without interest, and in some situations income based fees (Babakian, 2013). Although outpatient treatment is covered by most insurance, it is seldom covered in full. This causes many patients to stop treatment as a result of an inability to pay the deductible or co-pay. At this time, New York does not offer any additional assistance with co-pays or medical bills for individuals receiving outpatient services. However, if the patient were to be admitted to an inpatient clinic as a result of a mental hygiene arrest or emergency room visit, it would be covered in full by many insurance providers including Medicaid. This creates a situation that is counterproductive in that we do not offer treatment as an early intervention but rather offer it after the individual has reached a breaking point. In order to get an insiders opinion of the current barriers within outpatient care, I was able to interview Megan Cortese, LCAT. Ms. Cortese is a licensed art therapist and senior clinician in a very prominent outpatient clinic in Rochester, NY. During the interview I simply asked her what she sees as a barrier to her current and future clients. When asked what she would want to change about the overall way mental health services are provided, she had the following to say. The current system of mental health services has two major flaws; funding and accountability. Ms. Cortese stated that due to budgetary restrictions, lack of government funding, and overall economy struggles the quality of care is becoming lower. She stated that the clinical staff are underpaid and told to meet with as many clients as possible in a day. She stated that this causes many clinicians to burn out and therefore provide a subpar level of treatment. Ms. Cortese also stated that the lack of accountability from patients on Medicaid is ridiculous. She stated that when a patient on Medicaid does not show to an appointment that there are no penalties to the patient such as the cancelation fee that those of us with private insurance would have. Ms. Cortese stated that this causes patients to continuously miss appointments and therefore miss out on beneficial treatments. Quality of Care As for quality of care, New York does seem to excel at regulating the providers and clinics. The New York State Justice Center monitors, regulates, investigates, and enforces all policies regarding the fair treatment of individuals under care. As a result, every clinic is held to the same standards and accountability in regards to the treatment of patients. Although this is beneficial in providing adequate and proper treatment to all those involved in outpatient clinics, it is only effective if the patients are able to receive services. Policy and Influence So now that we have reviewed how these polices can hinder treatment, we must next understand not only how the policies come to be, but also who has the power to influence them. Health policy in todays modern world poses several complex legal, ethical, and social questions and as such require qualified individuals to write, approve, and integrate them into the current healthcare systems. As with the nation as a whole, New York relies heavily on Government officials to accomplish this objective while simultaneously respect and protect the rights of patients. As a result, several highly diverse and complicated groups are tasked with the oversight of these policies. Healthcare policies in New York are developed through the three branches of government; the judiciary, legislature, and executive branches. The judiciary branch is responsible for overseeing new policies to ensure that they do not violate any human rights as well meet all legal and financial guidelines. The legislature reserves the right to conduct hearings in an attempt to gather sufficient data from all parties involved with the policy. This ultimately provides additional checks and balances to ensure the legality and effectiveness of the proposed policy. The executive branch, or Governors office retains the power to sign the new proposed policy into law after it has made it through the checks and balances from the judicial and legislative branch (Gostin, 1995). Now despite a significant set of checks and balances within New York, policies are not always reviewed as they should be. Far too often members of the three government branches are influenced by outside factors and groups. As previously mentioned, outpatient treatment in New York has many governing bodies; which along with providers, insurance companies, and several special interest groups all have a way of influencing the current policies. Each of these groups have a significant impact on the access, cost, and quality of care that patients receive while participating in outpatient services. The real question is who has the power and are they using it to benefit the patient or are they simply looking out for their bottom line. So lets start from the bottom of the hierarchy and work our way up. At the bottom of the outpatient ladder are the small and seldom heard from special interest groups. In New York these are groups such as; NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness), NMHA (National Mental Health Association), as well as smaller support groups located throughout the state. The main focus of these groups is to educate the public, influence change and improvement, and advocate for the patients. Many of these groups rely heavily on petitions and public outcry to influence change and policy at the higher levels of the state government. Even though these groups do not carry the influence of some other groups, with a mass of concerned voters behind them, they are usually quite effective. Sitting on the next rung of the ladder are the providers who influence treatment and policy by acting as a deciding factor as to what if any treatment is recommended. The providers are in essence the frontline of the outpatient world. The providers conduct the assessments that provide the information to choose the most beneficial treatment option. The providers are able to influence policy by simply choosing a course of action. If the majority of providers choose the same treatment for a particular diagnosis, then it is likely that the governing bodies will consider that to be the go-to treatment. Once this is the case, it is very likely that policies will be rewritten to reflect this treatment as the acceptable one. Sitting on the next rung is the insurance companies. The insurance companies have significant influence over policy simply because they pay for it. Insurance controls who gets treatment, where they get treatment, and what quality of treatment they can receive. This is of course all based on what tier level the patients insurance plan is on. Ultimately, the insurance company has the ability to approve or deny treatments simply based on the overall cost and as a result many patients are unable to access necessary treatments and medications. Now, at the top of the ladder is the state agencies such as Department of Health (DOH), Office of Mental Health (OMH), State Legislature, and the Governor. It is implied that these people have the ultimate influence over access, cost, and quality of outpatient mental health treatment. Policy recommendations are delivered from the DOH and OMH to the legislature who then agrees and passes them along to the Governor, or disagrees and sends them back to the agencies for revision. Once in the hands of the Governor, the policy is either approved or denied. As most healthcare in New York is Medicaid funded, the Governor has significant influence over who gets treatment and what treatments are offered simply by approving the state budget. If the Governor approves a policy that allows more access to treatment, he must also approve an increase in taxes to maintain funding. However, if the Governor does not pass a policy for increased care, they may lose ratings and therefore votes. As a result, it is a very complex balancing act when influencing health care policy. Although the aforementioned groups seem to have the most influence over health care in New York, I stumbled across a group of individuals that seem to have influence over the Governor himself. The United Healthcare Workers Union (1199SEIU) is a union of pharmacists, nurses, and physicians located throughout the nation. The influential power of this group is astounding. In 2009, the full power of this organization was felt by then Governor David Paterson. With a severe surge in Medicaid costs in New York, Governor Paterson proposed $3.5 billion in cuts to the Medicaid program. The Governor proposed shifting monies away from inpatient hospitals and into outpatient clinics which were significantly less expensive (Eide DiSalvo, 2015). This would have resulted in a 2% loss in revenue for the inpatient hospitals annually. Medicaid is the primary source of funding for the inpatient hospitals which employ a majority of 1199SEIU members. The union responded to the Governors proposal with a serious ad blitz which cost over $1 million per week. After a month of adds belittling the Governor, Paterson retreated and instead approved tax increases and cuts to other programs (Eide DiSalvo, 2015). As a result of the serious influence by the 1199SEIU, the overall quality, access, and cost of care suffered. In an act that simply secured their own interests, the patients suffered. Overall, the diverse and effective variety of outpatient treatments available in New York is quite impressive and could provide much needed assistance to many individuals. However, the lack of accessibility and increasing out of pocket costs create significant barriers to those individuals who need the treatment the most. In order for New York to effectively serve those needing mental health treatment, it is necessary for the policymakers to begin thinking in terms of care rather than profit. References Babakian, G. (2013, December 17). How Much Does Mental Health Care Cost? Retrieved from Clear Health Costs: https://clearhealthcosts.com/blog/2013/12/how-much-does-mental-health-care-cost-part-1-series/ Cortese, M. (2017, January 29). Outpatient Barriers. (M. Woodworth, Interviewer) Garfield, R. (2016, October 19). The Coverage Gap: Uninsured Poor Adults in States that Do Not Expand Medicaid. Retrieved from Kaiser Family Foundation: http://kff.org/uninsured/issue-brief/the-coverage-gap-uninsured-poor-adults-in-states-that-do-not-expand-medicaid/ Lawrence Gostin, J. L. (1995). The formulation of health policy by the three branches of government. Retrieved from The National Academies of Sciences Engineering Medicine: https://www.nap.edu/read/4771/chapter/17 Michael B. Friedman, G. W. (2009). New York States Mental Health System. New York: Mental Health Association of New York City. Office of Mental Health. (2017, January 1). OMH Official Policy Manual. Retrieved from Office of Mental Health: https://www.omh.ny.gov/omhweb/policymanual/contents.htm Stephen Eide, D. D. (2015). The Union That Rules New York. The City Journal.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

textile in turkey :: essays research papers

Certain goods can be imported only through specialized customs offices. Customs formalities for textile fabrics are carried out by Bursa and Halkali Specialized Customs Directorates. Exceptional circumstances for importation of these products through other Directorates are defined in the legislation establishing such specialized customs Directorates. An importer only needs a tax number to import all but restricted items, e.g., firearms, hazardous materials, etc., which can be imported only by authorized establishments, or for which the approval of the Directorate General of Security is required. Agricultural imports, though, often do require import licenses and control certificates. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs issues certificates. Turkish documentation procedures require a commercial invoice, a certificate of origin and a bill of lading or airway bill to accompany all commercial shipments. Import licenses and phytosanitary certificates are necessary for food and agricultural commodity imports. Commercial Invoice--The commercial invoice must be submitted in triplicate, including the original copy; and must contain a complete description of the goods and all required payment terms. The original must be endorsed by the exporter as follows: "We hereby certify that this is the first and original copy of our invoice, the only one issued by our firm for the goods herein mentioned." The Turkish Embassy or Consulate in the United States must certify the document. At least one copy of the invoice should accompany the goods, and the original should be sent to the importer through the correspondent bank. Certificate of Origin--The certificate of origin is to be prepared in duplicate. No corrections are permitted on this document, which is to be prepared in English by a local chamber of commerce. The Turkish Embassy or Consulate in the United States must certify the certificate of origin. One copy of the document must be surrendered to the customs authorities at the time of importation.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Economics of Climate Change released in 2007 insists

There is overwhelming evidence that global warming is actually occurring and is no longer just an academic concern. The Stern Review: the Economics of Climate Change released in 2007 insists that there is still time to make an impact and change the effects of global warming. Failure to do so would result in â€Å"climate change (that) will affect the basic elements of life for people around the world – access to water, food production, health, and the environment. Hundreds of millions of people could suffer hunger, water shortages and costal floodings as the world warms† (â€Å"The Stern Review†).Fossil fuels are the number one contributor to carbon dioxide emissions in the United States alone. The use of fossil fuels for transportation contributes to a host of environmental problems, from urban ozone to global warming. Carbon dioxide makes up about 85 percent of the United States' total anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases that lead to global warming. Met hane, nitrous oxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, halocarbons, per fluorocarbons, and other gases make up the remaining 15 percent. More than 98 percent of U. S. carbon dioxide emissions are caused by the combustion of fossil fuels for energy consumption (Rubin, 1998).There are many alternatives energy sources that could slow the process of global warming. Alternative energy is energy that is renewable or is not harmful the environment, such as wind, water, or geothermal powered energy. Reviewing several sources of alternative energy including alternative fuel for vehicles, solar energy, and geothermal energy and evaluating their impact on the public and viewing public opinion of alternative energy will help us have a better understanding of the concept of alternative energy and how we can benefit from using it.The effects of global warming are being felt worldwide. â€Å"Global warming and the melting of polar ice cover is predicted to raise ocean levels worldwide, directly im pacting on island nations who plead most strongly for restraint of fossil fuel consumption by industrialized nations† (Mayer). Some alternative fuel methods have been tried and found to be very successful. â€Å"Another strategy for reducing fossil fuel emissions from vehicles is to shift to alternate fueled vehicles. Various choices include electric, natural gas, methane, and fuel cell vehicles† (Mayer).In the United States there are some environmentally conscious states have started to support energy efficient vehicles. â€Å"The federal government has provided some limited support for the development of alternate fueled vehicles, while California has mandated that companies selling vehicles there market a certain percentage of zero emission vehicles, or ZEVs†(Mayer). Solar energy is an alternative energy method that has been in practice for many years. â€Å"On June 20, 1979, President Jimmy Carter dedicated the solar hot water heating system newly installed in the West Wing of the White House†(Laird, 2001, p.1). Solar energy is obtained through solar panels that take the light from the sun and convert into energy, such as electricity. Solar power has proven to be a great source of energy and many people in the United States and Europe are switching to solar power, both for moral reasons and cash incentives from governments. In the United States, the citizens of California are taking it upon themselves to invest in alternative sources of energy. They have concentrated their investments in solar power but have also experimented with wind, water, and geothermal power.Californians find solar power advantageous not only because of its insurance against blackouts and skyrocketing electricity fees but also because it produces no pollution. As the government gives consumers cash incentives, such as tax breaks when they use these alternative sources of energy, local power companies are able to use alternative sources for energy production (Woloski, 2006). Solar energy is a cost effective and product way to utilize natural energy. Geothermal energy is the energy that is held within the core of the earth. â€Å"Geothermal energy is released naturally in geysers and volcanoes† (â€Å"Energy, Sources Of,† 2004).Geothermal energy is an effect way to heat homes or businesses because â€Å"Even where there are not naturally occurring geothermal aquifers, heat can be usefully extracted from the ground† (Derektaylor, 2000, p. 57). â€Å"In California, some of the state's electricity is generated by the geothermal plant complex known as the Geysers, which has been in production since 1960, and in Iceland, which is geologically very active, roughly 70% of the homes are heated by geothermal energy†(â€Å"Energy, Sources Of,† 2004). Although using alternative energy is a great concept and idea there are some negative consequences to using alternative energy.Alternative energy is often difficult to obtain and very costly to initiate (Woloski, 2006). For the change to occur governments and citizens will have first have to invest a great deal of money in the initial set up of alternative energy. This can be very costly both for the people and the government. â€Å"Why are so few environmentally conscious customers signing up, despite the positive outlook? New research suggests that consumers simply do not trust their utilities' green credentials†(Bloemers, Magnomi & Peters, 2001, p. 15).People are uneasy trying new things such as alternative energy, especially if it is costly in comparative to other available energy sources. There are also harmful effects on the environment by using some types of alternative energy. For example â€Å"geothermal energy sources have minimal environmental impacts that while limited, include air pollution and noise. Photovoltaic solar energy systems exhibit limited negative environmental impacts because they necessitate manufacture of ph otovoltaic cells, use of large land areas, and a negative aesthetic impact†(Ferrey, 2003).And then of course â€Å"Biomass energy facilities, depending on the fuel source, emit a variety of criteria air pollutants resulting from the combustion of organic materials†(Ferrey, 2003). The energy consumption of the people of the United States is of great concern to the world’s environmental health. The United States Congress is well aware of their countries contributions to global warming. In 2002 the Senate passed legislation that â€Å"would raise average fuel efficiency standards to 36 mpg by 2015, a standard that would classify minivans and SUV’s as passenger vehicles rather than light trucks† (Mayer).In less than ten years the classification will have an effect on the people on the United States. This amount of time is crucial when we consider the state of ozone layer and the steady increase of global warming. Becoming aware of the staggering usage o f gasoline may help sway some Americans to switch to alternative methods of transportation; with the creation of the KYOTO treaty the hope was the all nations of the world could work together and make the right choice and consciously choose to support the health of the environment, the very source that sustains us.To make changes we need to specifically â€Å"explore the complex interactions and mutual influences of philosophy, evolutionary biology, ethics–conceptual enterprises all–and our primary interactions and encounters with humans and nature in everyday life†(Donnelley). By switching to hybrid vehicles or alternative energy vehicles, making sure all vehicles on the road pass emissions tests, and discontinue driving oversized vehicles that take more fossil fuel and because more emissions to be released Americans can contribute to slowing global warming†¦ There are people all over the world who have taken measures to switch to alternative energy. "Green energy would seem to have a rosy future. Technological advances have helped to lower the cost of renewable power sources such as wind turbine generators, solar cells, small hydroelectric plants, and geothermal energy†(Bloemers, Magnomi & Peters, 2001, p. 15). Growing trends of alternative energy are popping up all over the world. In response to these suggestive trends, European utilities such as Eastern Group and Powergen, in the United Kingdom, and RWE and EON, in Germany, now offer green energy to distributors or direct to interested consumers.Typically, the utility commits itself to produce with, or to buy from, renewable sources all of the energy that it sells through green contracts. Customers thus know that they are paying for green production even if they are not directly connected to the source. Price premiums, often depending on the source, range from 2 percent to more than 30 percent above the utilities' normal tariffs. Yet in the United Kingdom and Germany, f or example, less than 1 percent of electricity customers have chosen the green option.(Bloemers, Magnomi & Peters, 2001, p. 15) In the United States â€Å"Consumers in several states have the option of selecting their choice of generation companies. Although the contract path of electricity does not remotely match the actual electron path from generators to consumers, it is possible to â€Å"select† alternate generation technologies such as biomass, solar, or wind. (Allenby & Unger, 2001, p. 22) In California, the Sacramento Municipal Utility District runs a solar power program and â€Å"has enjoyed exceptional popularity.This program equips the roofs of houses with solar cells that essentially turn these homes into â€Å"mini power-plants† by converting sunlight into electricity. The system does have several disadvantages, such as the high expenses of building a solar power station and the unreliable nature of sunlight† (Woloski, 2006). Some speculate that â⠂¬Å"American conservatives tend not to take global warming seriously and fail to see why those who do find the U. S. unwillingness to tax energy infuriating. This perhaps more than any other act cemented in the mind of many Europeans the image of George Bush as a self-serving unilateralist† (Fukuyama 143).Although the environment has not been a factor regularly addressed by the Bush administration there are huge American corporations, such as â€Å"Boeing, IBM, John Hancock and Whirlpool — (who) have publicly endorsed the notion that climate change is real by joining a business council organized by the Pew Center on Global Climate Change†(Lynch). The Pew Center is an international organization that brings together business leaders, scientists, policy makers and other experts to address controversial issues (â€Å"Working together because†).The idea behind this thinking can in fact be construed as a financial investment. â€Å"A clear sign that climate con cerns have moved into the financial mainstream is the growing activism of institutional shareholders. Over the past few years, investors have become increasingly worried about insufficient disclosure about the risks companies face from global warming. Under existing regulations, publicly traded companies are required to disclose to investors any information that could have a â€Å"material† impact on their financial results.There are no additional requirements governing climate-change issues. A changing climate threatens companies throughout the economy with costs from future regulations, the physical effects of a changing landscape, even the danger of massive lawsuits†(Lynch). Although the reasons for supporting the fight against global warming by American corporations are may be financially based, these corporations are large enough that collectively they can make a huge impact and ideally smaller companies will follow in their footsteps.Using alternative energy is a growing trend, however, â€Å"alternative sources of energy are more expensive than traditional energy production; after all, traditional energy production is so popular because such methods currently allow the least amount of fuel to produce the most energy at the cheapest prices. It is for this reason that the industry of alternative energy sources has not yet boomed† (Woloski, 2006). With the state of global warming increasing at a danger rate all people should make an effort to use less fossil fuel and create less pollution by switching to alternative energy sources.Many people have the view that one person can not make a difference, this is not true. a fine balance needs to be found between human beings and nature. â€Å"Humans and nature† problems press in upon us from all sides. We are all becoming–or should be becoming–more cognizant of global warming; ecologically unsustainable cities and agricultural practices; the overuse of antibiotics in our health care systems and on our factory farms; the global crash of ocean fisheries; a human population and use of natural resources that is squeezing out other forms of life; the pollution and degradation of our air, soil, and water† (Donnelley).Now all of these points need to be taken into consideration and changed as a whole, but the first step is for all people of the world, to accept their responsibility to the environment and create a process that will improve the way they effect global warming, even if it begins with only one small change. References Allenby, B. , & Unger, D. (2001). Information Technology Impacts on the U. S. Energy Demand Profile. In E-Vision 2000: Key Issues That Will Shape Our Energy Future: Analyses and Papers Prepared for the E-Vision 2000 Conference (pp. 7-27). Santa Monica, CA: Rand. Retrieved April 4, 2007, from Questia database: http://www.questia. com/PM. qst? a=o&d=106437389 Bloemers, R. , Magnomi, F. , & Peters, M. (2001). Paying a Green Pre mium. 15. Retrieved April 4, 2007, from Questia database: http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=o&d=5001037408 Donnelley, Astrakhan. â€Å"Natural Responsibilities: Philosophy, Biology, and Ethics in Ernst Mayr and Hans Jonas. † The Hastings Center Report 32. 4 (2002): 36+ Energy, Sources Of. (2004). In The Columbia Encyclopedia (6th ed. ). New York: Columbia University Press. Retrieved April 4, 2007, from Questia database: http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=o&d=101242747 Derektaylor. (2000). Chapter 4 Renewable Energy in Housing.In Sustainable Housing: Principles & Practice (pp. 50-59). London: E & FN Spon. Retrieved April 4, 2007, from Questia database: http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=o&d=109201075 Ender, R. L. & Kim, J. C. (Eds. ). (1987). Energy Resources Development: Politics and Policies. New York: Quorum Books. Retrieved April 4, 2007, from Questia database: http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=o&d=27459699 Ferrey, S. (2003). Nothing but Net: Renewable Energy and the Environment, MidAmerican Legal Fictions, and Supremacy Doctrine. Duke Environmental Law & Policy Forum, 14(1), 1+. Retrieved April 4, 2007, from Questia database: http://www.questia. com/PM. qst? a=o&d=5005792298 Fukuyama, Francis. â€Å"8 Does â€Å"the West† Still Exist?. † Beyond Paradise and Power: Europe, America, and the Future of a Troubled Partnership. Ed. Tod Lindenberg. New York: Routledge, 2004. 137-161. Jordan, Stuart. â€Å"The Global Warming Crisis. † The Humanist Nov. -Dec. 2005: 23+. Questia. 29 Mar. 2007 . Johansen, Bruce E. The Global Warming Desk Reference. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2002. Lackner, Klaus S. , and Jeffrey D. Sachs. â€Å"A Robust Strategy for Sustainable Energy. † Brookings Papers on Economic Activity (2005): 215+.Laird, F. N. (2001). Solar Energy, Technology Policy, and Institutional Values. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. Retrieved April 4, 2007, from Questia database: http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=o&d=105099570 Mayer, Donald O. â€Å"Corporate Governance in the Cause of Peace: An Environmental Perspective. † Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law 35. 2 (2002): 585+. Questia. 29 Mar. 2007 . Rubin, J. (1998). Shifting Gears: To Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions, the United States Faces Some Tough Choices. Forum for Applied Research and Public Policy, 13(4), 98+.Retrieved April 4, 2007, from Questia database: http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=o&d=5001398516 Stern Review-Summary. HM Treasury. 2007. 1-4. 29 Mar. 2007 . Woloski, A. (2006). Fuel of the Future: A Global Push toward New Energy. Harvard International Review, 27(4), 40+. Retrieved April 4, 2007, from Questia database: http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=o&d=5014475018 â€Å"Working Together Because Climate Change is Serious Business. † Pew Center on Global Climate Change. Pew Center on Global Climate Change. 29 Mar. 2007 .

Friday, November 8, 2019

Hard Determinism

Hard Determinism Hard determinism is a philosophical position that consists of two main claims: Determinism is true.Free will is an illusion. The distinction between â€Å"hard determinism† and â€Å"soft determinism† was first made by the American philosopher William James (1842-1910). Both positions insist on the truth of determinism: that is, they both assert that every event, including every human action, is the necessary result of prior causes operating according to the laws of nature. But whereas soft determinists claim that this is compatible with our having free will, hard determinists deny this. While soft determinism is a form of compatibilism, hard determinism is a form of incompatibilism. Arguments for hard determinism Why would anyone want to deny that human beings have free will? The main argument is simple. Ever since the scientific revolution, led by the discoveries of people like Copernicus, Galileo, Kepler, and Newton, science has largely presupposed that we live in a deterministic universe. The principle of sufficient reason asserts that every event has a complete explanation. We may not know what that explanation is, but we assume that everything that happens can be explained. Moreover, the explanation will consist of identifying the relevant causes and laws of nature that brought about the event in question. To say that every event is determined by prior causes and the operation of laws of nature means that it was bound to happen, given those prior conditions. If we could rewind the universe to a few seconds before the event and play the sequence through again, we’d get the same result. Lightning would strike in exactly the same spot; the car would break down at exactly the same time; the goalkeeper would save the penalty in exactly the same way; you would choose exactly the same item from the restaurant’s menu. The course of events is predetermined and therefore, at least in principle, predictable. One of the best-known statements of this doctrine was given by the French scientist Pierre-Simon Laplace (11749-1827).   He wrote: We may regard the present state of the universe as the effect of its past and the cause of its future. An intellect which at a certain moment would know all forces that set nature in motion, and all positions of all items of which nature is composed, if this intellect were also vast enough to submit these data to analysis, it would embrace in a single formula the movements of the greatest bodies of the universe and those of the tiniest atom; for such an intellect nothing would be uncertain and the future just like the past would be present before its eyes. Science cannot really prove that determinism is true. After all, we often do encounter events for which we don’t have an explanation. But when this happens, we don’t assume that we are witnessing an uncaused event; rather, we just assume that we haven’t discovered the cause yet. But the remarkable success of science, and especially its predictive power, is a powerful reason for supposing that determinism is true. For with one notable exception–quantum mechanics (about which see below) the history of modern science has been a history of the success of deterministic thinking as we have succeeded in making increasingly accurate predictions about everything, from what we see in the sky to how our bodies react to particular chemical substances. Hard determinists look at this record of successful prediction and conclude that the assumption it rests on–every event is causally determined–is well-established and allows for no exceptions. That means that human decisions and actions are as predetermined as any other event. So the common belief that we enjoy a special sort of autonomy, or self-determination, because we can exercise a mysterious power we call â€Å"free will,† is an illusion. An understandable illusion, perhaps, since it makes us feel that we are importantly different from the rest of nature; but an illusion all the same. What about quantum mechanics? Determinism as an all-encompassing view of things received a severe blow in the 1920s with the development of quantum mechanics, a branch of physics dealing with the behavior of subatomic particles. According to the widely accepted model proposed by Werner Heisenberg and Niels Bohr, the subatomic world contains some indeterminacy.   For instance, sometimes an electron jumps from one orbit around its atom’s nucleus to another orbit, and this is understood to be an event without a cause.   Similarly, atoms will sometimes emit radioactive particles, but this, too, is viewed as an event without a cause. Consequently, such events cannot be predicted. We can say that there is, say, a 90% probability that something will happen, meaning that nine times out of ten, a specific set of conditions will produce that happening. But the reason we can’t be more precise is not because we are lacking a relevant piece of information; it is just that a degree of indeterminacy is built i nto nature. The discovery of quantum indeterminacy was one of the most surprising discoveries in the history of science, and it has never been universally accepted.   Einstein, for one, could not countenance it, and still today there are physicists who believe that the indeterminacy is only apparent, that eventually a new model will be developed which reinstates a thoroughly deterministic point of view.   At present, though, quantum indeterminacy is generally accepted for much the same sort of reason that determinism is accepted outside quantum mechanics: the science that presupposes it is phenomenally successful. Quantum mechanics may have dented the prestige of determinism as a universal doctrine, but that doesn’t mean it has salvaged the idea of free will. There are still plenty of hard determinists around. This is because when it comes to macro objects like human beings and human brains, and with macro events such as human actions, the effects of quantum indeterminacy is thought to be negligible to non-existent. All that is needed to rule out free will in this realm   is what is sometimes called â€Å"near determinism.† This is what it sounds like–the view that determinism holds throughout most of nature.   Yes, there may be some subatomic indeterminacy. But what is merely probabilistic at the subatomic level still translates into deterministic necessity when we are talking about the behavior of larger objects. What about the feeling that we have free will? For most people, the strongest objection to hard determinism has always been the fact that when we choose to act in a certain way, it feels as if our choice is free: that is, it feels as if we are in control and exercising a power of self-determination. This is true whether we are making life-altering choices such as deciding to get married, or trivial choices such as opting for apple pie rather than cheesecake. How strong is this objection?   It is certainly convincing to many people. Samuel Johnson probably spoke for many when he said, â€Å"We know our will is free, and there’s an end to it!†Ã‚   But the history of philosophy and science contains many examples of claims that seem obviously true to common sense but turn out to be false. After all, it feels as if the earth is still while the sun moves around it; it seems as if material objects are dense and solid when in fact they consist mainly of empty space. So the appeal to subjective impressions, to how things feel is problematic. On the other hand, one could argue that the case of free will is different from these other examples of common sense being wrong. We can accommodate the scientific truth about the solar system or the nature of material objects fairly easily. But it’s hard to imagine living a normal life without believing that you are responsible for your actions. The idea that we are responsible for what we do underlies our willingness to praise and blame, reward and punish, take pride in what we do or feel remorse. Our whole moral belief system and our legal system seem to rest on this idea of individual responsibility. This points to a further problem with hard determinism. If every event is causally determined by forces beyond our control, then this must include the event of the determinist concluding that determinism is true. But this admission seems to undermine the whole idea of arriving at our beliefs through a process of rational reflection. It also seems to render pointless the whole business of debating issues like free will and determinism, since it is already predetermined who will hold what view. Someone making this objection doesn’t have to deny that all our thought processes have correlated physical processes going on in the brain. But there is still something odd about treating one’s beliefs as the necessary effect of these brain processes rather than as the result of reflection. On these grounds, some critics view hard determinism as self-refuting. Related links Soft determinism Indeterminism and free will Fatalism