Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Dbq: the Black Plague

AP European History August 31, 2012 DBQ: The Black Plague From the late medieval era to the enlightenment a series of plagues devastated European society, economy, and social/political structure. Reaction toward the calamity ranged from rational and proactive to irrational, egoistic, and even criminal. Over all, the human devastation revealed a growth over time in government role and the role of the educated class in serving society, while uncovering a persistent criticism of the upper classes and the common people. The plague illiated a growing rational and proactive response, by the state and educated class.In 1512 Erasmus, a Christian humanist who prepared a new edition of the Latin and Greek testament, he was also known for his techniques using humanism to write his texts, proposed a scientific explanation blaming uncleanliness for the plague (Doc 2). The plague was carried around by rats which contributed to the dispersion of the bacillus. The areas that were the most susceptibl e to the plague where those with the most famine. In 1571 Heinrich von Staden, count of the Palestine, observed some of the cardinal consequences of the plague such as roads being guarded so that infected people didn’t move from the infected area (Doc 5).The closing of roads led to a disruption in trade throughout Europe. This had a major impact on economy. Only upper class people were able to afford the expenses required if they got infected. In 1576 Motto of Giovan Filippo, physician who is believed to be the first person to have described chicken pox, concluded that diseased had to be in quarantine, citizens who violated health regulations had to be punished and all infected items had to be burned (Doc 6). Not everyone could afford to pay quarantine and the ones who could pay for it were those who didn’t need it.The people who were the most affected were the peasants and they couldn’t afford it. By the 15th and 16th centuries the educated class started findin g new techniques to treat the diseased. In 1630 Father Dragoni, priest, helped by assisting the needed and providing economic supplies (Doc 9). This auxiliary movement was useful to many and made of him an example to others. In 1647 H. de Rochas, French physician, believed that hanging toads around the patient necks would draw out the poison (Doc 10). Many physicists such as Rochas were trying to find a cure.The plague also brought irrational and egoistic responses by different levels of society. In 1484 a schoolmaster at Deventer, when asked how his school was doing he responded by saying that only 20 of his students were killed (Doc 1). During this period in time only upper class citizens were capable of affording private schools. The rich didn’t have the necessity to go out of their houses. For this reason students wouldn’t go to school anymore and that way less upper class people were getting infected.In 1523 Nicholas Versoris, author, pointed out how rich people c ould fly away of the infected area leaving behind the poor (Doc 3). This type of people didn’t care about the rest, they egoistically thought and worried only about themselves. The people left behind were the most susceptible ones to getting infected. During the 15th and 16th centuries the upper class society was still blinded acknowledging reality. In 1656 Sir John Reresby, traveler, decided to travel to Italy knowing about the plague and religiously trusting his god that he wouldn’t get infected (Doc 12).Many upper class people didn’t care or didn’t take serious the severity of the plague. Most would travel all over Europe without caring if the disease was being expanded by them. In 1624 Lisabetta Centenni, common housewife, proposed that supernatural forces had cures his husband (Doc 7). During this era there were many people that were blinded by the church making them believe in forces out of the human sight and understanding. This kind of reasoning l et to people avoiding medical treatment because of religion. Such reasoning was introduced to the population by the church and its over leading power.In 1635 Nehemiah Wallington, English puritan, gave sight to his egoistic reasoning by listing the way he thought the plaque would take his family and by leaving him at last (Doc 8). In 1720 M. Bertrand, physician at Marseilles, is proposing that the plague has been caused by an angry god rather than natural causes (Doc 16). During this era there were many pagan people left that believed that everything was caused by the gods. This way of reasoning that led many to die praying to a god instead of looking for real remedies. People had really strong beliefs towards pagan gods.To those people the gods were the ones that directed every single part of their life. If some natural disaster occurred this kind of people wouldn’t think irrationally and would say their gods were angry at them. Criminal and social collapse was another major cause of the plagues caused by common people and the educated class. In 1583 Johann Weyer, German physician who was one of the first to be against witch persecution , said that people were getting paid to spread the plague so that the heirs of the dead and diseased obtained their inheritances (Doc 4). Such criminal acts were common and many people died from it.In 1651 Miguel Parets, Barcelona tanner, published that nurses were abundant during the time of the plagues so they would kill their patients in order to get their payment (Doc 11). Criminal levels were rising and people didn’t know who to trust anymore. Most people from the low classes were growing corrupt or with the necessity of having to steal or kill for food. In 1665 Samuel Pepys, English bureaucrat, said that people weren’t buying wigs anymore because they were afraid to get infected (Doc 13). Economy was going down because of the plague. People were afraid to buy and many weren’t even aloud in the roads.In 1722 Daniel Defoe, A Journal of the Plague Year, said that all trade stopped between them and other trading nations of Europe because they were all afraid of getting infected (Doc 14). Trade had officially collapsed for the infected area. No other nation wanted to risk their citizen’s health by buying goods from this area. In 1696 Emperor Leopold commissioned the â€Å"Plague Column† in gratitude for the end of the plague (Doc 15). The image shows a man knelt on the right side illustration praying and looking towards the sky were angels and saints are flying. On the left side of the image is a bible.

Developing a Coordinated School Health Approach to Child Obesity Prevention Essay

Introduction Obesity is now become an epidemic among school going young adolescence in developed countries. The prevalence rate of childhood obesity is considerably high in developed countries. Similarly, prevalence rate of obesity is increasing in developing countries too (James 2004). It is estimated that there are 250 million adult obese people live worldwide (Seidell 1999). Obesity is associated with many chronic diseases like hypertension, heart diseases, diabetes type 2 and even cause cancer. So, increase prevalence of obesity means increase global burden of chronic diseases which indirectly affects the status of global economy. Obesity caused about 9% of total annual medical expenditure in the US in 1998 (Finkelstein, Fiebelkorn and Wang 2003). According to Ogden et al. (2006), 19% of children aged 6 to 11 years are obese and 18% are overweight in the US. Given the wide array of devastating health, social and economic consequences of obesity, the continuing escalating rates of childhood ob esity, not least among rural dwellers in the USA, is a great public health concern. Consequently, lot of attention has been paid to the need for effective preventions programmes. Of such programmes is â€Å"Winning with Wellness† programme in Appalachia- a rural area in the US. Based on the evaluation report of the programme by Schetzina et al (2009), this paper reviews activities, approach, framework and theories of the programme. ‘Winning with Wellness’ Programme The school-based health programme â€Å"Winning with Wellness† was introduced as a pilot project in an elementary school in rural Appalachia as a way to promote healthy eating and physical activity for elementary school children (Schetzina et al. 2009). The programme was based upon the coordinated school health (CSH) approach that was developed in 1988 (TN Gov 2010). The aim of the pilot programme was to prevent obesity which is a major problem, particularly in rural areas in the US (Schetzina et al. 2009). The programme was supported financially by community collation and it was implemented together with the school based programme in Tennessee (TN Gov 2010). There are eight different components to improve the lifestyle of students and their families: health education; health services; counselling, psychological and social services; nutrition; physical education; school staff wellness; healthy school environment, and student, parents and community involvement (CDC 2008). The s chool authority established indoor and outdoor walking trails to enhance physical activity among students. Teachers received a training to guide the students properly in such physical activity. A proper nutrition service to promote healthy eating among students was installed such that a registered dietician was assigned to develop ‘Go, Slow and Whoa’ programme which categorized the foods according to their nutritional value and advised the school food service coordinator to supply light diets. Teachers were responsible to provide information about the ‘Go, slow and Whoa’ to students to improve their knowledge about nutritional value of the food and this kind of lesson enable a student to identify healthy and unhealthy diet. School administration also encouraged parents to help their children to choose the healthy diet during lunch in school or at home. Besides students, this health promotion intervention also advocated teachers and staffs to lead a healthy life by increasing physical exercise and taking healthy diet. A counselling and psychological service was available to develop personal skill among the students about physical exercise and active lifestyle. This health promotion intervention maintained all kind of ethical issues such as consent were taken from both students and parents to participate into this pilot project (Schetzina et al. 2009). Third and fourth graders participated in the programme, in total 114 children. Model As stated before in the evaluation report by Schetzina et al. (2009) ‘Winning with Wellness’ Programme was based on the Co-ordinated School Health (CSH) model. The latter was based on the traditional three-component model, where a school health program is defined in terms of health instruction, health services, and a healthful environment. This model was expanded and eight essential components were suggested: nutrition services, health education, physical, education, school health services, counselling and psychological services, healthy school environment, health promotion for school staff and participation of community. Diane Allensworth and Lloyd Kolbe first proposed a health promotion model for school health in a professional literature in 1987 which is now known as Coordinated School Health (CSH) model (CDC 2008). This model placed emphasis on creating supportive environments for students by different measures and the new version has been used and adopted in many health prevention programmes (Schetzina et al. 2009). The CSH model is not based upon the Tannahill Model of Health Promotion where health promotion is defined in terms of health education, health protection, and ill-health prevention. Similarly, CSH model is not based upon the Tones Model of Health Promotion which considers empowerment as the main theme of health promotion practice. According to the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion (WHO 1986), health promotion strategies should be adapted to the local needs, although there are similarities with the CSH, this approach was not based upon the Ottawa Charter. The CSH offered a way to change the school and ideas were explored and altern ative solutions and approaches could be examined in the classroom. Teachers understood and examined the realities of children’ circumstances and choices and the understanding provided a change to bring and implement better choices for the children. Approach According to Schetzina et al. (2009), community-based participatory research (CPBR) approach was used in ‘Winning with Wellness’ health promotion programme. CBPR is a collaborative approach and this approach is now seen as an alternative to the traditional research approach (Tandon et al. 2007). In this programme, a collaboration of teachers, health care providers, parents, community members and researchers was established to make the following obesity prevention programme effective and evaluate outcome of the programme precisely (Schetzina et al. 2009). Some researchers suggest that in rural areas, parents and community involvement in an important element in an obesity intervention (Hawley, Beckman and Bishop 2006) because of scarcity of resources for health promotion in rural elementary schools (Nelson et al. 2006). To compensate the shortness of healthcare facilities, it is obviously a good decision to choose CPBR which ensures multiple level of influence from individ ual behaviours to family settings, local community and health care services to decrease rate of overweight and obesity among children (Filbert et al. 2009). The approach of this school health promotion encourages children into taking action, and it brings materials and information into the classroom (Collins et al. 2002). The idea of involving parents, families, and school is described as a way of increasing the commitment and ensuring positive educational and health outcomes (TN Gov 2010). Approaches that use several different strategies and include several different people are more successful than an approach that relies on health information and instruction (Collins et al. 2002). The approach created a new cultural norm where healthy and physical activity was promoted and encouraged. The approach also included many different people and resources. The approach opened up ways for new ideas about how to make health promotion a part of changes in school and improvements in the school environment (Veugelers and Fitzgerald 2005). Furthermore, it lowered the risk for chronic disease in adulthood, and helped to promote healthy behaviour that might lead to life-long habits. This health approach can also reduce absenteeism, reduce classroom behaviour problems, improve performance, and prepare students to be productive members of the community (TN Gov 2008). In addition, the approach supports teacher and staff to improve their health and act as role models for the children. However, such kind of programme requires extensive planning and funding and cannot be considered as a short-term approach (TN Gov 2010). Moreover, the success of a school-based programme relies on the cooperation and positive attitude of several groups of professional, as well as parental involvement in the ‘Winning with Wellness’. Programme was more expensive when compared to health promotion programmes that solely focus on health information and instruction (Schetzina et al. 2009). However, changes are not easy to achieve and there is no simple formula. The approach might need to be adapted and changed to suit the needs of specific commun ities (Summerbell et al. 2005). Though this approach has many advantages, it takes longer to implement in new schools, and preparations are needed in order for the approach to be successful in new areas. Theory A theoretical framework helps an individual to focus and clarify intentions and desires with a certain health promotion approach (Naidoo and Wills 2000). Furthermore, a theoretical framework offers a foundation upon which to explain the approach and the benefits that can be expected from a certain approach. Theory of Planned Behaviour (TBP) was used in this programme (Schetzina et al. 2009). This theory is often used to predict positive health behaviours, and it is based on cognitive processing and level of behaviour change. The TBP is used for assessing factors influencing behavioural motivation and action that may be used to exploring and predicting intention related to diet (Conner et al. 2003). Analysis of factors related to beliefs underlying diet and health choices can be examined, and the model can be used for explaining human behaviour (Ajzen and Fishbein 2005). Three different predictors of health behaviour are used: attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioural control (Nejad, Wertheim and Greenwood 2005). Health behaviours are influenced by the individuals’ personal emotion and affect-laden nature; however, a weakness of the TBP theory is that it does not take emotions into account (Dutta-Bergman 2005). Nevertheless, the TBP can be used to understand p eople’s volitional behaviour, and it can explain the relationship between behavioural intention and actual behaviour. Furthermore, it has improved the predictability of exercises and diet (Baranowski et al. 2003). The theory also takes into account the individual’s social behaviour by considering social norm. Research suggests that this theory is good at explaining intention, and perceived behavioural control (Godin and Kok 1996). Critical analysis of the programme: Traditionally, school-health approaches have focused on knowledge rather than attitudes and skills (Naidoo and Wills 2000). The co-ordinated school health approach challenges the view that pupils will change their behaviour when they have information and knowledge. The CSH works on several different levels in order to promote physical activity and healthy eating (TN Gov 2010). The CSH approach is an ongoing process and the success relies on successful communication between the different groups, professionals, and individuals involved in the programme. A common goal and vision is important and the responsibilities and accountability are shared between the participating groups (Fetro 2005). Even though the groups may support each other, they also function independently. The question is whether a school-based health programmes â€Å"go beyond the intended function of schools† (Miller 2003 p.7). It could be argued that knowledge about health lays the foundation for successful schooling (Miller 2003). However, introducing more programmes into the curriculum is always difficult and schools often have problems to link and include health services and the community in their programmes (Miller 2003). The co-ordinator has the ultimate responsibility for implementing the CSH approach, and it is not recommended that this position is held by the school nurse, unless there is a small school system (TN Gov 2010). A school nurse provides an important link between school, home and the community, and he/she also provides counselling to the pupils. However, the co-ordinator has a wide range of responsibilities: liaison; facilitator; partnership-builder; data collector; report writer; public awareness developer; advocate, information sharer, and overall school system organiser (TN Gov 2010). The co-ordinator develops healthy school teams, and facilitates a system-wide school advisory council. Thus, the responsibility for the successful implementation lies mostly on the co-ordinator. The school nurse is responsible for assessment, planning, and direct care of the children. In addition, the co-ordination between the school and community health care professionals ensures early intervention. The idea is that the health education is implemented into the daily school life, and the education is provided by health educators, teacher, school counsellors, school nurse, dieticians, and community health professionals. During the school years the foundation for lifelong habits are laid, and it is crucial to help children develop healthy habits (Lynagh, Schofield and Sanson-Fisher 1997). An advantage with using school based health approaches is that existing structures and systems are already in place (Miller 2003). Schools have a curriculum into which a health programme can be implemented. Furthermore, using existing structures are cost effective and schools have also been screened for acceptability. Moreover, a school based approach reaches the staff and the people working at school. Teachers and staff may change their own behaviour and become more aware of their eating and exercise habit. School based approaches reach all children in society and the approach can be targeted at specific minority populations. The nutrient programme is developed in the school; consequently, changes can be implemented when the children, teacher and their families are ready and motivated for the change. Policies regarding vending machines, the food and drink children bring to school, can be discussed and evaluated together with the co-ordinator, nurse, and school board (NICE 2006). Advice and care should be non-discriminatory and culturally appropriate, and the character of the CSH approach allows for schools and communities to implement approaches that are adapted to students with disabilities and from ethnic minorities (Naidoo and Wills 2000). Physical education and fitness activities are planned according to the national curriculum (TN Gov 2010). A recent report suggests that more time spent on physical activity does not impair academic attainment (Murray et al. 2007). The CSH approach is flexible in the sense that more physical activity can be added without changing the curriculum, for example, lunch or morning activities (TN Gov 2010). The role of parents and community is to be involved, and school administrator teachers and school health staff actively try to involve the family in the health promotion (TN Gov 2010). The CSH approaches were developed to be a long-term approach where funding was guaranteed (Warwick, Mooney and Oliver 2009). In some cases it may be difficult to receive funding especially since the success of the programme is difficult to evaluate, partly because there are a wide range of programmes and ways to implement the CSH approach (Warwick, Mooney and Oliver 2009). Teachers could be considered as weak link in the programme; however, research suggests that teachers often support programmes (TN Gov 2010). There might be conflicting interest, and teachers who play a vital role in a school-based health promotion programme, may focus on knowledge that can be gained from including health in the curriculum. In contrast, the school nurse may emphasise reducing health risks associated with overweight and obesity (St Leger et al. 2007). Thus, the approach relies on the co-ordinator, head teachers, and the school to identify and agree on the most useful and fruitful outcomes for their programme (Warwick, Mooney and Oliver 2009). There are likely to be variations in programme implementation; every co-ordinator works together with the school and different solutions to reach the goal may be used (Warwick, Mooney and Oliver 2009). Although, a flexible approach has its advantages it can also mean that some schools may integrate concern for health widely across the curriculum, whereas other may choose to focus on specific health issues. As a consequence it is difficult to evaluate the success of the programme. The strength of the approach is that every school has different programmes and services and the solutions and approach are developed to suit a specific school or area. A school can examine their specific needs and resources, although, many programmes are related to the eight components. The full benefit of the CSH approach is perhaps not possible unless you also involve parents (Veugelers and Fitzgerald, 2005). Choices and activities after school influence a child’s chances of becoming obese, and a healthy lifestyle may be difficult for children to change the food and beverage intake at home. Furthermore, if the family is not physically active it may be difficult for children to change the pattern. However, here BMI Index was used as the measurement of obesit y of students. There are several problems related to BMI and some of these could be related to the received result in the programme. There are several limitations with the use of BMI index and the index is sometimes combined with a measurement of the waist circumference. The index does not measure fat itself and it does not take into account the skeletal size, amount of body water or muscle mass (EUPHIX 2009). Moreover, the measurement does not reflect body changes when a person is changing his or her height over time. Thus, the index underestimates the degree of overweight in short children and overestimates overweight in tall children. Considering that the programme involved young children it would have been preferable to use some more measurement to examine any changes in body fat percentage. The location of the fat is important, and the children might have lost fat around the waist and gained in muscle strength, which would have an effect on the body fat percentage (BNET UK 2010 ). Recommendations: There are several advantages with using the CSH model to health promotion. This model provides a wide range of opportunities for children to learn and experience healthy lifestyle choice and activities by concentrating and integrating a wide range of people and resources both inside and outside the classroom (TN Gov 2010). This type of studies needs to be combined with studies exploring what choices children makes after the school day. By limiting the intervention and evaluation of the approach to the school day, it is difficult to first of all evaluate the program, but also to determine the best strategies towards helping children. It is possible the children compensated the healthier choices with an increase in unhealthy behaviours after school. A review of health programmes suggests that the most effective programmes involve parents (O’Dea 1993). Working together with parents to promote healthy food choices at school is not always easy; however, it is vital to include parents and many parents pack their children school lunches (KidsHealth 2010). Furthermore, there are problems linked to promoting physical activity with children walking to and from school as parents are reluctant to let their children walk and play outside after school. Conclusion: Health promotion deals with â€Å"raising the health status of individuals and communities† (Ewles and Simnett 2003 p. 23). However, it is often used to refer to planned activities or programmes (Tones and Tilford 2001). This programme was based on theory of planned behaviour, Co-ordinated School health model, and school-setting approach. The programme provided a way to help children to make healthier lifestyle choices, and the children in the study changed some of their choices related to food. They were also more physically active. The CSH model provided a framework for the school health programme in rural Appalachia and the results suggests that this may be valuable. In addition, the approach provides teacher and children with knowledge that can be used to change the school and ideas can be explored and alternative solutions and approaches can be examined in the classroom. Health promotion in school is one step in the right direction to solving problems related to the growt h of childhood obesity. A broad holistic approach is recommended which encourage physical, social, spiritual, mental, and emotional wellbeing of both children and the staff at school (LTS 2010). N.B.: TN Gov – Tennessee Government CDC – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention REFERENCES: Ajzen I, and Fishbein M (2005) The influence of attitudes on behaviour. In Albarracin D, Johnson B T, Zanna M P (Eds.) The handbook of attitudes pp. 173-222. Mahwah NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Allensworth D D and Kolbe L J (1987) The comprehensive school health program: Exploring an expanded concept. Journal of School Health 57(10): 409–411. Baranowski T, Cullen K W, Nicklas T, Thompson D and Baranowski J (2003) Are Current Health Behavioral Change Models Helpful in Guiding Prevention of Weight Gain Efforts? Obesity Research 11: 23–43. BNET UK (2010) [online] Retrieved 15.07.2010 from: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0846/is_2_24/ai_n6203894/ CDC (2008) Healthy Youth: Coordinated School Health Program [online] Retrieved 14.07.2010 from: http://www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/CSHP Collins J, Robin L, Wooley S, Fenley D, Hunt P, Taylor J, Haber D and Kolbe L (2002) â€Å"Programs-that-work:† CDC’s guide to effective programs that reduce health risk behaviour of youth. Journal of School Health 72(3): 93-99. Conner M, Kirk S F, Cade J E and Barrett J H (2003) Environmental influences: factors influencing a woman’s decision to use dietary supplements. Journal of Nutrition 133(6) 1978S-1982S. ‎Dutta-Bergman M J (2004) Health attitudes, health cognitions, and health behaviors among Internet health information seekers: population-based survey. Journal of Medical Internet Research 6(2):e15 [online] Retrieved 15.07.2010 from: http://www.jmir.org/2004/2/e15/ EUPHIX (2009) Limitations of BMI as a measure of overweight and obesity [online] Retrieved 15.07.2010 from: http://www.euphix.org/object_document/o4852n27195.html Ewles L and Simnett I (2003) Promoting health: A practical guide. London: Baillià ¨re Tindall. Fetro J V (2005) Step by step to health-promoting schools: Program planning guide. Santa Cruz, CA: ETR Associates. Filbert E, Chesser A, Hawley S R and St. Romain T (2009) Community-Based Participatory Research in Developing an Obesity Intervention in a Rural County. Journal of Community Health Nursing, 26:35–43 Finkelstein E A, Fiebelkorn I C and Wang G (2003) National medical spending attributable to overweight and obesity: how much, and who’s paying? Health Affairs Jan-Jun(SupplW3): 219-226. Godin G and Kok G (1996) The theory of planned behaviour: a review of its applications to health-related behaviours. American Journal of Health Promotion 11(2): 87-98. Hawley S R, Beckman H and Bishop T (2006). Development of an obesity prevention and management program for children and adolescents in a rural setting. Journal of Community Health Nursing, 23: 69–80. James P T (2004) Obesity: The Worldwide epidemic. Clinics in Dermatology 22: 276-280 KidsHealth (2010) [online] Retrieved 15.07.2010 from: http://kidshealth.org/parent/nutrition_fit/nutrition/lunch.html LTS. (2010) [online] Retrieved 23.07.2010 from: http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/healthpromotingschools/index.asp Lynagh M, Schofield M J and Sanson-Fisher R W (1997) School health promotion programs over the past decade: a review of the smoking, alcohol and solar protection literature. Health Promotion International, 12: 43-60. Miller G (2003) Ecological approach to school health promotion: Review of literature. [online] Retrieved 23.07.2010 from: http://www.schoolhealthresearch.org/downloads/miller.pdf Murray N G, Low B J, Hollis C, Cross A W and Davis S M (2007) Coordinated school health programs and academic achievement: A systematic review of the literature. Journal of School Health, 77(9): 589-600. Naidoo J and Wills J (2000) Health Promotion: Foundation for Practice. London: Baillià ¨re Tindall. Nelson M C, Gordon-Larsen P, Song Y and Popkin B M (2006) Built and social environments associations with adolescent overweight and activity. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 31:109–117. Nejad L M, Wertheim E H and Greenwood K M (2005) Comparison of health behaviour model and the theory of planned behaviour in the prediction of dieting and fasting behaviour. E-Journal of Applied Psychology 1(1): 63-74 [online] Retrieved 15.07.2010 from: http://ojs.lib.swin.edu.au/index.php/ejap/article/viewFile/7/16 Nicklas T A, Baranowski T, Cullen KW and Berenson G (2001) Eating patterns, dietary quality and obesity. Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 20:599-608 O’Dea J A (1993) School-based health education strategies for the improvement of body image and prevention of eating problems: An overview of safe and successful interventions. Health Education, 105(1): 11–33 Ogden C L, Carroll M D, Curtin L R, McDowell MA, Tabak C J and Flegal K M (2006) Prevalence of overweight and obesity in the United States, 1999-2004. Journal of the American Medical Association 295: 1549-1555. Schetzina K E, Dalton W T, Lowe E F, Azzazy N, VonWerssowetz K , Givens C, Pfortmiller D T and Stern P H (2009) A coordinated school health approach to obesity prevention among Appalachian youth. Family Community Health, 32(3): 271-285 Seidell J C (1998) Obesity: a growing problem. Acta Paediatrica Supplimentum 88(428):46-50. Summerbell C D, Waters E, Edmunds L, Kelly S, Brown T and Campbell K J (2005) Interventions for preventing obesity in children. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 3:1–88. Tandon D, Phillips K, Bordeaux B, Bone L, Brown P B, Cagney K, Gary T, Kim M, Levine D, Price E, Sydnor K D, Stone K and Bass E B (2007) Vision for Progress in Community Health Partnerships. The Johns Hopkins University Press [online] Retrieved 26.07.2010 from: http://www.press.jhu.edu/journals/progress_in_community_health_partnerships/1.1tandon.pdf Tennessee Government (2010) [online] Retrieved 15.07.2010 from: http://www.tennessee.gov/education/schoolhealth/aboutcsh.shtml Tones K and Tilford S (2001) Health promotion – effectiveness, efficiency and equity. Delta Place, Cheltenham: Nelson Thorns Ltd. Veugelers P J and Fitzgerald A L (2005) Effectiveness of school programs in preventing childhood obesity: a multilevel comparison. American Journal of Public Health 95(3): 432–435. Warwick I, Mooney A and Oliver C (2009) National healthy school programmes: Developing the evidence base. London: TCRU. WHO (1986) The Ottawa Charter for health promotion [online] Retrieved 20.04.2010 from: http://www.who.int/healthpromotion/conferences/previous/ottawa/en/

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Online Clinic Management System

I. Company Profile Established in November, 2008, the Villa-Santarromana Dental Clinic provides quality dental services to private clients who prefer dental treatments in a friendly and caring environment. The clinic was managed and owned by Dr. Karen Francia S. Villa. It is located in the city proper of Luna, La Union. They offer services in the field of General Dentistry, Orthodontics, and Cosmetic Dentistry. As for the moment it has a huge amount of clients who comes every day for dental services.We all know that modern clinics are now operating at great pace striving to serve as many patients as possible with the best of their abilities. But as the years rolled by, prescriptions, billing and appointment schedule, is no longer practical. In this study, we hope to develop a web-based application that will minimize all paper works and manual records keeping, therefore allowing doctors and staff ease in keeping track of patients.Reducing patients’ waiting time and increasing t he number of patients served a system that is fully automated, user-friendly, time effective and efficient. II. Problem Definition A. General Problem: The main problem of Villa-Santarromana Dental Clinic is that they have the manual way on recording, tracking, and managing patients request which sometimes lead to slower transaction within the clients. B. Specific Problem: New and regular patient’s records was recorded manually; * Billing statement and its official receipt is done manually; * Tracking regular patients; * Scheduling of services; * Tallying of monthly income. III. Objectives A. General Objective This study was aimed to designed and develop an online clinic management solution that will serve as proposal to help the dentist and staff to save time and resources with the automation of its daily clinic operations.Specifically this study was aimed to: * To computerize record keeping of patients; * To allow dentist retrieve complete patient instantly; * To automate bi lling statement and official receipt; * To automate medical prescription and medical certificates. IV. Project Description Project Goal: The focus of this study is to create an online clinic management system that will greatly improve the efficiency and quality of care in clinical practice. The system covers the profile of the client’s personal information; * The system tracks the records of the regular clients; * The system will have an automated billing statement and official reciepts; * The system will record, update, store, organize, and retrieve patient’s records. * Web-access of the patients is not included; * The system has a secure log-in for dentist and staff; * Managing appointment is also integrated; * Automated medical prescriptions and medical certificates.

Monday, July 29, 2019

Annotated Bibliography Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 25

Annotated Bibliography Example [http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/05/opinion/finally-some-optimism-about- obesity.html?_r=0 ] The article compares the responses of the government and related institutions in fighting obesity; with the previous actions taken to reduce smoking in the country. The authors feel that the fight against obesity may be successful like the one of tobacco, which became successful in 2009 when the state raised smoking taxes. The article discusses the effects of the obesity pandemic in the United States where a third of adults suffer from the disease while two thirds are overweight. The article argues that the continued rise in the prevalence of the disease would lead to the swelling of productivity, human, medical, and transport costs in the United States. Heuer, Chelsea A. â€Å" ‘Fattertainment’ – Obesity in the Media.† Obesity Action Coalition. 2015. Web. April 19, 2015. [http://www.obesityaction.org/educational-resources/resource- articles-2/weight-bias/fattertainment-obesity-in-the-media] The article explains how the media has increased awareness obesity by using images, movies, commercials, and programs that ridicule obese people. The author argues that the media’s focus on the disease is caused by the American ideology that people are responsible for everything that happens to them. The author, however, argues that although this is a good strategy, it discourages the obese people from losing excess weight. Kotz, Deborah. â€Å"Cause of obesity epidemic remains elusive.† The Boston Globe. July 13, 2014. Web. April 19, 2015. [http://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/health- wellness/2014/07/13/cause-obesity-epidemic-remains- elusive/EEpcpoWB9Fyi6CDUgCw8RP/story.html ] Kotz’s article compares the findings of various studies that have been conducted in the past to find out the exact cause of obesity. The author argues that the varying findings of these researches indicate that no one has found out the real cause of the disease. This means there

Sunday, July 28, 2019

Business Strategy. (Tesla Motors, Kellogg's Efficiency) Assignment

Business Strategy. (Tesla Motors, Kellogg's Efficiency) - Assignment Example The mission statement focused on achievement of growth by offering better services to customers and actively catering for the needs of its stakeholders. In order to formulate its strategy properly, the firm had to identify the expectations of stakeholders like customers, employees and shareholders. Afterwards, it had to analyse its current performance in regards to service delivery, corporate social responsibility, and profitability. Finally, a company strategy was defined on what the firm needed to have achieved in order to close the performance gap (Ketokivi and Castaà ±er, 2004: 360). In order to achieve its objectives, the company needed a plan, most of which involved strengthening the core competencies and correcting the mistakes the firm had been making in regards to quality service delivery. For instance, Kellogg's is excellent at keeping injury levels among its employees at their lowest levels; therefore, all the firm did was to establish targets to act as benchmarks for its facilities. The facilities used this benchmark in order to be recognized as the safest, and the firm benefitted in the form of increased employee satisfaction, low turnover, higher productivity, revenue and profits, and a competitive edge for the firm over the years (Ketokivi and Castaà ±er, 2004: 360). ... For instance, Kellogg's worked with the supermarket chain in order to capture the market share of customers that seek to obtain all their shopping from one location. Moreover, the firm had responsible corporate social responsibility in its strategic plan to ensure that all its activities are geared towards achieving long-term and short-term goals. For instance, it sponsored community-based events that promote physical activities among customers and members of the public. In addition, all its product packaging has information on the products and the recommended daily intake for various nutrients. By doing so, Kellogg's showed its customers that their welfare comes first, even if it means having them to reduce the amount of products they would otherwise have bought without using the guidelines on the labels (Oliveira-Castro et al., 2008: 454). Analysis of Tesla Motors The firm aims at producing fully electric motor vehicles for use by low and middle-income earners. However, due to the high costs of production, and lack of large-scale production infrastructure to enable large scale production the firm may not achieve its objective. Production of cars is a costly venture, and considering the lack of resources at Tesla, the dream of a fully electric vehicle for family, government and other clients may never be achieved. Contrary to expectation, the management of the firm has a strategic plan in place that aims at achieving this vision by, primarily by driving the firm into mass production to enable it to enjoy the economies of scale of doing business in bulk (Schroder, 2009). Tesla’s strategy is to attract public interest,

Saturday, July 27, 2019

History of Immigration in the US Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

History of Immigration in the US - Essay Example There are negative aspects to having such an ethnically diverse population, such as racism and social class boundaries drawn along racial lines; African Americans, for example, generally earn less than their Caucasian counterparts. The purpose of this paper is to explore how the history of immigration has shaped the United States and how it affects the population. The first immigration can be said to be one of the most important. As previously mentioned, the Western Europeans brought with them African slaves, and it is perhaps partly due to the lingering thought that African Americans are associated with this slave trade that draws one of the most important cultural boundaries. African Americans experience high levels of racism, as evidenced by the presence of ‘Christian’ groups such as the KKK who continue to exist in the U.S. today and work towards ethnically cleansing the country. African Americans earn less and are frequently found in the most deprived areas, suggest ing that there is still a lot of work to be done to counteract this earlier negativity. Another important aspect of this first wave of immigration is the treatment of the Native Americans who were already residing in the area. The white colonists felt that the native groups were in many ways inferior, as well as bringing with them several infectious diseases that were problematic. This led to a large decrease in the number of Native Americans residing in the United States and forceful land-grabbing ensuring that these people could no longer live their traditional lifestyles. Again, Native Americans suffer from racism and economic problems, which could be seen as a result of this earlier cultural boundary drawn by the colonists. In the 19th century, the Western Europeans again began to migrate en-masse to the United States. Two important cultural groups arriving with this wave were the Germans and the Irish, both leaving their home countries because of unfavourable conditions there a nd the promise of the American Dream. The Nativist/Know Nothing movement strongly opposed these immigrations because it was felt that they could disrupt the social balance of the country. Importantly, the Irish immigrants were predominantly Catholic and it was felt that, because they were under the control of the Pope in Rome, there would be an upheaval of the style of Christianity already established in the U.S. The 19th century also saw the passing of the Chinese Exclusion Act, which said that there were only to be a certain number of Chinese immigrants into the country. At first, Chinese immigrants were seen as important to the economy of the United States but after the economic situation improved, they began to be blamed for white unemployment. There was often violence against the Chinese in California because of the passing of this act. This era also saw the mass immigration of Polish Jews attempting to escape the Russian empire and religious persecution, and these people were again generally refused entry after the immigration quota was reached. Racism was, and still is, an important issue for the Chinese and Jewish people, perhaps because of their treatment during this time. In conclusion, it is easy to see how the United States has become such an ethnically diverse country and how these different events have shaped the racial landscape of the country. Many of these immigration events, and those that came after, still have an

Friday, July 26, 2019

Online Education as an Agent of Transformation Article

Online Education as an Agent of Transformation - Article Example At the end, education is still expensive and the same learning materials are being used. The essence of innovation, for instance online education, should be satisfying the diverse needs of the students. In this view, online education has not successfully transformed the education sector. The argument that online education has not been an imperative strategy to transform the education is imperative. According to Lytle (Para. 2) Online learners achieve same scores as those who study on face-face teaching method. The fact that online students have more liberty to access online materials, they are expected to perform better. Indeed, the essence of innovation is to improve the learning process. In my own experience, I felt quite unsatisfied as I took my diploma in education. Online learning did not successfully meet my learning needs and I had to resort to a tutor to obtain clarifications. In this view, online education is necessary strategy but requires to be improved to adequately meet the learner’s

Thursday, July 25, 2019

Current Events and U.S. Diplomacy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 7

Current Events and U.S. Diplomacy - Essay Example As such, he declared that the United States would not send its troops to assist its allies in maintaining peace and stability in their nations. However, he decreed that he would give weapons, as well as, ant other military support to these nations, especially those fighting against communist rule, such as the Peoples Republic of Vietnam. In addition, he ordered a massive number of American troops stationed in foreign countries to return home, whilst strengthening the military power and stability of their governments to enable self-rule after the departure of American troops (Ambrose, 1989). The diplomatic relationship between the United States and the Republic of Vietnam was gross and appalling. The United States and the Vietnamese were at war. In fact, this war claimed over half a million of American troops stationed in Vietnam to maintain peace and establish a stable government. Many of the US soldiers died in military camps as prisoners of war, while numerous other sustained serious physical injuries before they got a reprieve through the call back plan initiated through Nixon’s Doctrines. This angered many citizens against Nixon’s regime. However, the move adopted by President Nixon to pull back American troops from Vietnam, a process termed as Vietnamisation, helped in restoring the public’s trust in his regime. While pulling out the American troops, the president provided the Vietnam government with skills, tools and weaponry, as well as, necessary financial support to set up a strong military squad in their country. This quest was very succe ssful as it enabled the two countries restore cordial relationships, and maintained peace and stability. The president also got local approval from his citizens for his successful efforts of saving numerous American soldiers (Dallek, 2007). The diplomacy rule adopted by President Nixon enabled establishment of peace and harmony within the Southeast Asia. The triple effects of this move also

History resoponse Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

History resoponse - Essay Example Most people believed the idea that humans were capable of destroying themselves. This war as referred by some people was indeed a great war. It affected all the nations of the world, from Europe to Africa. Today its effects are still felt. It was mainly among Britain, Austria, United States, Germany, Russia and France. These nations mobilized masses in other countries to fight against their enemies. There was political reformation in the whole world. The war is believed to have been greatly fueled by religious differences. Most of the political reformation was on religious grounds. Serbia matched with Russia as they shared the same doctrines, Croatia joined forces with Austria. Bosnia supported the Ottoman Empire. The war was catalyzed when Germany declared its support for Austria against the Serbs. This angered Russia and awakened British and French. Treaties were formed and the result was Europe being divided into two blocs. France Britain and Russia came to fight against Germany, Italy and Austria. Diplomacy disappeared and it was all about war. The impact of the war was soon to leave a mark in history. The use of chemical weapons adversely affected the human race. Bombs and poisonous gases killed millions of people and the few who survived developed permanent health problems, both physical and mental. Families were shattered and weeping became the norm in the entire world since all nations were affected and its people were being killed. Some of the bombs had far reaching catastrophes as they affected future generations. Children would be born with various defects. The atomic gases affected lifespan of the human race. Those who had greatly inhaled the gases died at an early age. Freedom of speech and expression was lost. Soldiers could not freely give their opinions on various matters especially those that pertained to war. Civil societies lost their voice and they could demonstrate leave alone striking. This resulted to people living in fear

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

War on Drugs in Colombia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

War on Drugs in Colombia - Essay Example Colombia became the source country and the main supplier of cocaine to the world markets in the nineties. Almost 80% of the cocaine used in America came from Colombia. This illegal narcotic trade yielded billion of dollars as revenue, most of which was used to fund armed groups which were involved in drug production as well as trafficking. For the past fifty years or so, Colombia has been a very unstable country. In the 1960s it was the two Marxist guerilla outfits the National Liberation Army (ELN) and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) that were creating instability. In the 1970s it was drug trafficking that became a big problem for Colombia. Drug cartels almost controlled the country then. In the 1990s the right-wing paramilitaries were formed mainly consisting of drug traffickers and landowners. The main paramilitary group was the United Self Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC). The conflict in Colombia began even before large-scale production of cocaine began. The conflict was clearly a result of the unequal distribution of wealth and resources and the fact that people could get away with the abuse of human rights. The guerrilla forces vilated human rights and the wealthy in turn formed paramilitary forces to protect their power. The paramilitary forces dominated the drug trade, and the guerrillas have used money from the drug trade to finance their activities. â€Å"The War on Drugs† is the name given to the action taken by the United States and the participating countries to stop the supply of drugs to the United States and also to lessen the demand for drugs among the people.

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

How does financial crisis affect currency Research Paper

How does financial crisis affect currency - Research Paper Example The levels of blame on the causes of the disaster were assigned partly to financial institutions, consumers, credit agencies, government housing policies, and regulators. The most proximate cause, however, was the rise in subprime lending (Blinder, 2013). It was difficult to understand how the collapse of the sub-prime mortgage threatened to collapse the US financial system and the economy. The governments had to inject trillions of taxpayers’ dollars into the financial systems and still, especially in the US, people lost their homes, savings and jobs. The collapse of the housing bubble was the spark that ignited the chain of events that eventually brought the fall of the 2008 crisis. The collapse was fueled by easy and available credit, low interest rates, toxic mortgages, and scant regulations. This means that there were trillions of dollars embedded in the risky mortgages throughout the system. As the mortgage related securities got sold to the investors around the world, packaged and repackaged, there was a lot of money embedded in the risky business. Markets and financial institutions that had been exposed to these mortgages and that had borrowed heavily against them suffered losses worth billions of dollars in the mortgages, as well as their related securities. The losses were magnified by synthetic securities and other derivatives not only in the US, but also around the globe. Through this, the trading ground was brought to a halt and the stock market plummeted, plunging the economy into a deep recession. The effects of the financial crisis were universal mainly due to the financial markets being globalized, as well as the existence of technology, which transformed the speed, efficiency and complexity of financial transactions and instruments. Many great economies reported the worst market declines after the twin towers’ crisis of September 11th,

Monday, July 22, 2019

The Treaty of Versailles Essay Example for Free

The Treaty of Versailles Essay a. What restrictions were placed on Germany’s armed forces by the treaty of Versailles? (4 marks) -Conscription banned -Not allowed an air force or submarines -Only allowed 6 battleships -Only allowed 100,000 men in the army b. Explain why Clemenceau wanted to treat Germany so harshly (6 marks) -During the First World War, two thirds of men in the French army had been killed or injured. Not only this but their industry, land and population were all in decline while Germany’s was increasing. They felt they had to stop this and make Germany pay for the suffering they had caused France. -France felt threatened by Germany and wanted to do something that would cripple and weaken Germany to stop them attacking France. The French saw the Treaty of Versailles as an opportunity to do this and wanted to ensure it was harsh enough to stop Germany. -Clemenceau particularly wanted to treat Germany harshly because of the pressure he was under from the French people. They were feeling the full after effects of World War 1 and wanted to make Germany feel the same way. c. How far were the terms of the Treaty justified? Explain your answer. (10 marks) The Treaty of Versailles is justified because Germany treated other countries, especially Russia, very harshly during the war and they had to feel how the other countries felt and suffer the consequences the war brought. -Not only was the Treaty justified, but it could have been made a lot worse. Many countries were angry about the war and some felt that the Treaty simply didn’t punish and cripple Germany in a way that would stop them from starting another war. They wanted an even harsher treaty. -However, the Treaty of Versailles cannot be justified, as the huge  £6.6 billion worth of reparations that was forced upon German left their economy in shambles. This led to the Ruhr Crisis in 1923, hyperinflation and food shortage in Germany. It showed that the victors had very little sympathy towards Germany and simply wanted them to suffer. Not only did the Treaty leave Germany in a terrible economic situation, but the fact that they were left out of all discussions about the terms of the Treaty and that they weren’t invited to join the League of Nations, simply angered Germany and made them want revenge. -The Treaty of Versailles not only made Germany suffer, but made them accept full blame and responsibility for the war. This is not fair as Germany only played a part in starting the war. Many other countries cause a lot of damage and Germany alone cannot be held entirely responsible. In conclusion, the Treaty of Versailles cannot be justified as it simply made the situation worse, angering Germany and leaving them wanting revenge. Yes, Germany had to be punished but not to such the extent as crippling their economy and leaving them almost powerless.

Sunday, July 21, 2019

English Literature Essays Shakespeares Much Ado About Nothing

English Literature Essays Shakespeares Much Ado About Nothing Explore the different types of love presented in Shakespeares Much Ado About Nothing, considering how our views of love differ from those of an Elizabethan audience. Refer to at least two extracts in your answer. Love is a common theme in Shakespeares comedies, with the action of the play often following a similar pattern: love is declared, is challenged in some way and is finally reasserted in the act of marriage. Much Ado About Nothing is no exception and presents this plot structure through the pairings of Claudio and Hero, and Benedick and Beatrice. These couples illustrate two different types of love, and their portrayed experiences are revealing of Elizabethan attitudes and beliefs regarding love. Claudio and Hero provide us with an example of a swiftly progressing love which culminates in marriage little more than a few weeks after they have first met. For an Elizabethan audience the concept of love at first sight would have been widely regarded as a valid possibility in life. The speed with which the two young characters move from strangers to husband and wife allows Shakespeare to present the courting process within the society of nobility. Such a rapid progression is commented on by Claudio as he explains his newfound love I would have salvd it with a longer treatise (I.i.289). However, it seems that once the first pangs of love occur, the action moves onto the next stage in the process. There are many rules and regulations when it comes to expressing love for another. This can be seen in Claudios consequent actions; rather than approach Hero himself, it is preferable for his friend to woo her on his behalf, in the words of Don Pedro, I will break with her and with her fa ther (I.i.283). In todays society the procedure of asking permission from the father of a prospective wife is often seen as old-fashioned and is nowhere near as common a practice as in Shakespeares day. Through speech an Elizabethan nobleman would be expected to demonstrate intelligence and wit with the impression of spontaneity. In the same way, when attracting a woman he would be expected to impress with lavish and clever language. Much importance is placed on the language of love expected from a suitor within the play. Shakespeares narration reflects the qualities of such language by switching from prose to iambic pentameter, a rhythmical form more fitting for descriptions of love. Don Pedro reminds Claudio of the power of a lovers words as they discuss his intentions towards Hero, Thou wilt be like a lover presently, / And tire the hearer with a book of words (I.i.280-1). As a young, inexperienced man, Claudio clearly needs the help of his friend and is naturally grateful to have gained an ally in his endeavours. Don Pedros role in the relationship of Claudio and Hero brings attention to the importance placed on the intervention of a third person. Again, this is a practice not p articularly common in modern society, at least not with any successful results. Benedick and Beatrices relationship differs from that of Claudio and Hero in the history the two have between them. There is a reference to a previous courtship in which Beatrice feels she was treated badly. This history between them results in the portrayal of a more mature relationship and a love that is formed through similarities in characters and mutual beliefs. Before the two characters fall in love they share the attitude of adversity towards the idea of marriage and falling in love, Beatrice claims that she would rather hear my dog bark at a crow than a man swear he loves me'(I.i.107-108). As a result they are constantly rebuked and made fun of for holding such a low opinion of marriage. The reaction of other characters towards the two cynics suggests that marriage is the ultimate symbol of love and should be the goal to which all aspire to, a belief that is reinforced when Benedick and Beatrice are eventually proved wrong and succumb to the powers of love themselves. In Shak espeares time marriage would have been the only way for women to better themselves financially and socially. Men would also have gained status by marrying and thus providing heirs to any property and wealth. With this in mind, there seems less emphasis on the love aspect of marriage than the idealistic impressions of marriage in the play would have us believe. To return to the relation of Shakespeares portrayal of love to a modern society, marriage as a representation of love no longer has such significance, with equal respect given to single and married individuals. The power of Cupid is frequently referred to in relation to both couples. This power is often transferred to a third party that intervenes to aid the progression of love. Don Pedro is at the forefront of this matchmaking when he decides to bring together Benedick and Beatrice, If we can do this, Cupid is no longer an archer; his glory shall be ours, for we are the only love-gods (II.i.355-357). By tricking each character with lies about the other, they are manipulated into falling in love. Far from the natural concept of falling in love uncontrollably, Don Pedro and Hero command the feelings of Benedick and Beatrice through created scenarios. It is the power of calculated words that actually take effect, as noted by Hero as she discusses the plot with Ursula, Of this matter / Is Cupids crafty arrow made, / That only wounds by hearsay (III.i.21-23). This level of secrecy seems characteristic of court society at the time, a level of intervention which ultimately helps or hinders. The reactions and descriptions of people in love within the play suggest a darker side of love, often characterised by physical symptoms. For example, Hero collapses at the very thought of being accused of infidelity. Also, Don Pedro and Hero both refer to the supposed noticeable difference in appearance of their lovesick friends. On proposing not to tell Beatrice of Benedicks love for her, she concludes that he will consume away in sighs, waste inwardly (III.i.78). Strangely, Benedick and Beatrice seem drawn to the idea of the other suffering from the pain of an unrequited love. The image of Benedick wasting away clearly has a powerful impression on Beatrice who almost immediately falls in love with him. Having overheard talk of Benedicks anguish (as well as his excellent qualities as a gentleman and soldier) she begins to think of marriage, To bind our loves up in a holy band (III.i.114). She also mentions the taming of her wild heart (III.i.112) as a result of Benedicks love, a ph rase that brings to mind the later play of The Taming of the Shrew. In both plays, it seems that the love of a man is able to tame an outspoken shrewish character, a belief that many in an Elizabethan audience would have shared. Much Ado About Nothing presents us with two pairings of lover that demonstrate two different experiences of love, both governed by societal codes of conduct that no longer have significance in modern society. In contrast, Claudio and Hero show a speedy, formal process of courting, while Benedick and Beatrice represent a more drawn out, resisting relationship. While both couplings suffer the consequences of intervention of others, the latter marry purely as a result of meddling friends. It seems that love in the play is concerned more with superficial appearances and falsely created scenarios than actual feelings. Views of love in the play clearly differ from modern day opinion, but this is not to say that we cannot relate to the play because we are not part of an Elizabethan audience; our codes of conduct in dating and matchmaking have merely evolved to suit todays society. Bibliography The Norton Shakespeare, Stephen Greenblatt (Oxford University Press, 1997) Extracts I.i.271-302 III.i.72-116

An Analysis Of Business And Financial Performance Of Tesco Finance Essay

An Analysis Of Business And Financial Performance Of Tesco Finance Essay INTRODUCTION 1.1Topic Chosen This research and analysis report is about The business and financial performance of Tesco plc over a three year period from an investors point of view. The analysis will be carried out by looking at the key ratios, past trend and other important aspects with an aim to serve the current and prospective future investors in making investment decision. Quantative analysis which is based on financial aspects cannot give always the true picture so this analysis is also look at the non financial measures. J Sainsbury, one of the close competitor in UK has been chosen to compare with the Tesco plc to make the analysis more meaningful. Reason for the topic chosen As I am interested in analysing Business and financial performance in my previous studies so I have chosen this topic 8. This report will give me an opportunity to enhance my knowledge and chance to test my analytical skill. The reason for choosing Tesco for this research and analysis project is because I am always interested in retail sector and one of the most successful company in retail sector is Tesco in UK .Tesco currently hold more than 30% market share in UK with leading in supermarket (Douglas Hamilton, www.heraldscotland.com 15th Sep. 2010). Tesco is one of the fastest growing successful supermarket despite of many rivalry in same sector. Due to the fact of closest competitor J Sainsbury which is the third largest supermarket with market share around 16%, is chosen to compare the Business and Financial performance of Tesco. Tesco which used to be a food retail market is now expanding its territory of business from food retailer to various products under one roof such as furniture, electronic, mobile, financial services etc. The another expansion of Tesco will be the Tesco Bank (http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/40d7a0dc-c5af-11df-ab48-00144feab49a.html). Sir Terry Lee Promise to build the peoples bank by capitalising on public disillusionment with traditional lender (http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/40d7a0dc-c5af-11df-ab48-00144feab49a.html). Another reason that attract me toward Tesco which used to be the UKs supermarket once is now expanding around more than 13 countries around the world (UK, USA, China, India, South Korea, Japan, Including other Asian countries and some European countries). Tesco is opening its store making suitable to where it open just like its open in Indian as cash and carry in joint venture with Tata group the Indian largest business group (http://www.tescoplc.com/plc/ir/rns/rnsitem?id=1218521062nRnsL1207Bt=popup_rns August 12, 2008). As we know USA is one of the challe nging market for UKs supermarket Tesco admitted that they go wrong on early market research and they may makes big changes in stores (The Sunday Times, February 22, 2009). As Tesco sets its three challenging long term targets towards community: to become a zero-carbon business by 2050; to reduce the carbon impact of the products in supply chain by 30% by 2010; and to help the customers halve their own carbon footprint by 2020; in which they are making good progress. Tesco opens the worlds first zero-carbon supermarket in Ramsey, Cambridgeshire in 2010 (http://www.tescoplc.com/plc/about_us/tesco_story/). Tesco is growing consistently outside UK as well. Tesco chairman David Reid told in annual report 2010 about its growth in South Korea and china Our acquisition in South Korea is performing well and delivering excellent results, weve opened our first three Tesco Lifespace shopping malls in China and we have made good progress building the infrastructure and developing new products f or Tesco Bank. This gives us idea that how Tesco is going to tackle in abroad. Tesco is one of the successful and adaptable business with different products in any area around the world. The diversity and complexity of the business attract me to analysis the business and financial position of Tesco. 1.3 Aims Objectives The aim of the report is to research and analysis the business and financial position of Tesco from the investor point of view. As we know investors are risks adverse so investors want to know risks and return of the investment to make decision. For this investors are always want to know not only the financial data but also the companys strategic plans, market in which they operate and the trend in the outside world. Therefore Ive made the comparison between same industry businesses which give reasonable recommendation the best investment decision. Therefore the report objectives are: To analyses past and current position of Tesco To compares 3 years performance with J Sainsbury To analyses the reason for diversified market To analyses the long term financial sustaintibility of both companies. To analyses the short term liquidity stability of both companies To analyses the market shares of both companies. To analyses the strategic plan and the factors which benefits and detriment the companies from external and internal using SWOT analysis. RATIO ANALYSIS The following financial key ratios analysis has been performed during the research project: which formulae are in the appendix: Growth Analysis: Sales revenue growth Profitability: Gross profit margin Net profit margin Asset activity ratio Return on capital employed Stability ratio Gearing ratio Interest cover ratio Liquidity ratio: Current ratio Quick ratio Investors Ratio: Earning /share Dividend /share Price / Earnings Ratio Efficiency Measures: Net asset turnover Return on total assets The some non-financial analysis of Tesco is also performed. Such as: SWOT analysis Strategic analysis 2. INFORMATION GATHERING 2.1 Sources Used and Reason Annual accounts of Tesco and Sainsbury: Financial statements is the main source that help me to calculate financial ratios and analysis the trend of past three years which help to find out the financial conditions, changes and improvements over the three years from 2007-2010. For comparison annual accounts of both companies data are used from their website. Annual report of Tesco and Sainsbury: Annual report of both companies is the source of financial statement which enables to calculate different financial ratios and analysis the trend of past three years for the period 2007-2010 which help us to understand the financial conditions trends, improvements and changes over periods. For comparison annual report of both companies are used which are available from their website.   Newspaper and Journal: Newspaper and Journal are significant sources which provide information regarding share price, market conditions, competitors activities, market surveys etc. The article provides shareholders the most recent analytical and other information so makes them easy to make investment decision. Financial newspapers just like Financial Times, The Sunday Times, Guardian, City AM, Metro, Evening Standard are helpful for the research. Text Book: The ACCAs text books F7 (Financial Reporting), F9 (Financial Management), P2 (Corporate Reporting), P3 (Business Analysis) and other business analysed text books are used to gather source of information which help to give ideas about ratio calculations and analyse the business performance using different method such as SWOT, strategic analysis. They also give theoretical knowledge to do financial and non-financial interpretation of the company.    Interim Report: The interim report provides the current news and seasonality information on business performance of the company. The reports are reviewed by the external auditor as the requirement of London Stock Exchange because they are unaudited report. They are easily available on companys website for download. ACCA Student account magazine: The monthly published Student Accountant by the ACCA which help us in understanding the knowledge, research and analysed the report through different articles published specially on Technical Section.   Oxford Brookes Universitys research and analysis project guidelines: The Oxford Brookes link on ACCA website is very useful through the research project which gives guidelines about writing report such as format, content, and many others. Store visit: During the research, store visit gives me ideas about the current and future plans of both companies to meet their objectives such as price cut by introducing buy one get one free or half price scheme. 2.2 Methods used to collect information Library visit: The library research involves collecting data through secondary resources such as newspapers, books, press reports etc. I also visited the City Business Library for collecting financial data of both companies over past three years. City Business Library provides online resource collection centre such as Financial Analysis Made Easy (FAME) which contain the information about listed companies in UK and Ireland. I used FAME to get the detail information over three years of Tesco Plc and J Sainsbury Plc. That provides information about annual account, key ratios, market share and trends over past years. Website research: The officially release data such as financial statement, recent business strategy, press releases and interim results of both companies were directly obtained through the companies websites i.e.  www.tescocorporate.com  and  www.j-sainsbury.co.uk  . For the independent data and information the following websites were helpful which provides relevant latest news and information about both companies. The websites are: www.bbc.co.uk www.londonstockexchange.com www.ft.com www.guardian.co.uk www.telegraph.co.uk www.heraldscotland.com www.timesonline.co.uk www.google.co.uk 2.3 Limitation to information: The ratio calculated is based on past data so do not give clear view about company future performance. The ratio calculation is based on companies annual account. Company prepares its account to show they are in good position (may use creative accounting), to attract more investors. So it may not be the best way to make investment decision. The secondary source of data does not provide the sufficient information about the company as a whole which just help for surface performance analysis. 3. ANALYSIS AND PRESENTATION Overview Tesco plc was established with the name Tesco by Jack Cohen in 1919 which became floating company in 1947 with share price of 25p.But now Tesco is one of the largest supermarkets based on national and international market. Tesco has a well-established and consistent strategy for growth, which has allowed it to strengthen its core UK business and drive expansion into new markets. The rationale for the strategy is to broaden the scope of the business to enable it to deliver strong sustainable long-term growth by following the customer into large expanding markets at home such as financial services, non-food and telecoms and new markets abroad, initially in Central Europe and USA , and now also in the Asian countries such as India, China (www.tesco.co.uk). J. Sainsbury is a leading UK based food retailer with interest in financial services. The group is listed on London stock exchange and its headquartered in Holborn, London. It has been the market leader for much of 20th century in UK and in 1995 Tesco took its place and in 2003 it was pushed to third place by Asda. We now analysis the performance of Tesco comparing with Sainsbury below: 3.1 GROWTH ANALYSIS 3.1.1 SALES REVENUE GROWTH Tesco Tescos revenue have been increasing 4.54% compare with year 2009 ( £54,327m) to year 2010 ( £56,910m). But in 2009 ( £54,326), the growth is 12% as compared to 2008 ( £47,298). This is due to the develop market in previous year in early 2007 help the Tesco to generate more revenue in 2009 and 2010. In 2010, the world suffers from the recession due to that the growth is not so much. The sales in international market are up by 8.8% to  £19.4 billion (2010) as compared to 17.69 billion (2009). The sale in core UK is up by 4.2% in 2010. (http://ar2010.tescoplc.com/~/media/Files/T/Tesco-Annual-Report-2009/Attachments/pdf/Full-Review.pdf). The increase in revenue was due to the increase in sales of healthy foods products and non-food products which grows almost twice as fast as the rest of the business. Tesco one of the largest online seller supermarket in the world generates  £136millions profit from online sales (http://www.nma.co.uk/news/tesco-reports-%C2%A3136m-profit-from- online-sales/3012439.article ). Sainsbury Sainsburys revenue have also been in increasing trend with  £19,964 m during 2010, an increase of 4% over 2009( £18,911) and increase of 11% over 2008( £17,837) which is overall less than Tescos revenue growth. This is due to tough competition between competitors like Tesco, ASDA, and Morrison and the global recession. 3.1.2 PROFITABILITY MEASURES (i) Gross profit margin Tesco The gross profit margin has been increasing gradually over three years from 2008-2010 from 7.67% to 8.1%. The gross profit in 2008 is  £3,630m which increase in 2009 to  £4,218m with (7.76%-7.67%) only 0.09% growths than previous year and in 2010 further increase to  £4,607m which is (8.1%-7.76%) is 0.34% increase than previous year. The increase was due to the high sales, good productivity and good control in the cost of sales expenses. Sainsbury The gross profit margin of Sainsbury has been decreased from 5.62% in 2008 to 5.48% in 2009 even there was little increase in sales due to high cost of sales expenses. In year 2010 the gross profit margin further decrease to 5.42% was due to there is no control over cost of sales expenses. Even the sales revenue seems little bit more they may be due to price inflation but not the increase in sales. The gross profit margin of both companies is mostly affected by global economic recession but Tesco is doing quite well. Sainsbury find itself in difficult probably due to high competition with other high street supermarket like Asda, Morrison, and Somerfield. (ii) Net Profit Margin Tesco For the three years period Tesco is doing very good net profit margin is as compared to that of Sainsbury but there is decrease of profit from 2008 to 2010. There is high decrease in profit margin in 2009 mainly due to administration expenses and absorption of initial operating loss in Tesco direct and also due to the unseasonal weather in summer. There is also some impact of establishing of US store. But later in 2010 its going through little increase in profit margin which shows Tesco is in recovery stage. Sainsbury The net profit margin of Sainsbury has decreased little bit to 2.46% in 2009 as compared to the 2008. But in the 2010 the net profit margin has been very good with the increase of (3.67%-2.46%) 1.21% which was mainly due to the increased finance income from the bank deposit and return from pension scheme and good control over expenses. 3.1.3 Assets activity ratio (i) Return on capital employed (ROCE) Tesco Tescos return on capital employed (ROCE) has better than Sainsbury over three years. But while looking at Tesco only there is huge decreased of ROCE over three years from 14.08% in 2008 to 10.58% in 2010. That is due to the investment in new stores and new market development in order to gain. In 2009 to 2010 the ROCE is slightly increased which seems Tesco will again increased its performance. Sainsbury Sainsburys ROCE has been increased in the three years period time from 6.03% in 2008 to 9.09% in 2010. The increased was mainly due to effective cost control and also due to the increase net profit margin. 3.1.4. Stability Ratios (i) Gearing Ratio Gearing ratio measures the stability of the company for the long term. In simple, its the measure of long term debt as a percentage of equity. The company is more risky as the gearing increases because highly geared company have to pay the high interest on loans and also they dont have the ability to borrow more for any investment opportunity. Tesco Tescos gearing ratio was 149.14% in 2009 which is much more than 2008 which is only 87.06% which was due to the increased in borrowing for investment in international stores. But in 2010 Tesco has repaid its some of its debt so there is decrease in gearing. Sainsbury Sainsburys gearing ratio was also increased to 66.09% in 2009 from 44.54% in 2008 due to increased in debt and also decreased in shareholder fund. But in 2010 Sainsburys gearing slightly decrease to 63.81% because of repayment of its some debts and constant growth in shareholder fund. (ii) Interest Cover Ratio (ICR) The interest cover ratio calculates the number of times the profit before interest and tax can cover the interest (finance) costs. The company with higher interest cover is better, because there is lower financial risk. Tesco The interest cover ratio of Tesco is better than Sainsbury but while looking at its own previous year Tesco interest cover ratio is decreasing from 12.21times in 2008 to 6.49 times in 2010. This is due to high borrowing for investment plan and low profit increase. Tesco is still in better position to cover its finance cost and will be in best position when the todays investment starts to generate profit. Sainsbury Sainsbury is doing well in interest cover even there was little decrease in 2009 to 4.15 time from 4.63 in 2008 because there is decrease in profit. But in 2010 Sainsbury interest cover ratio increased 1.80 times than 2009 to 5.95 times because of increased in profit and also decrease in borrowing interest. 3.1.5 Liquidity Ratios (i) Current Ratio The current ratio gives an indication of company ability to meet its short term obligation with its working capital and continue trading. The higher the current ratio, the better the company position because there is sufficient liquid to cope with short term financial obligation. The standard current ratio should be 2:1.This rule does not fit for supermarket because as the supermarket do not want to hold high stock to avoid wastage and holding cost. Secondly there are negligible trade debtor but high trade creditors to whom they delay payment. Tesco Tescos current ratio has been increasing from 0.61 times in 2008 to 0.78 times in 2009 because of increase in stock level. But the current ratio in2010 is decrease as compared to 2009 to 0.73 times because of increase in trade creditors, short term loans, overdraft etc. The current ratio of Tesco is far below the standard rate of 2:1 because supermarket like Tesco does not want to hold more stock and nil debtors. Sainsbury Sainsbury current ratio was decrease in 2009 to 0.54 times from 0.66 times in 2008 because of low stock level and increase in short term loans. But Sainsbury again return to 0.66 times current ratio in 2010 because of increase in stock level and repayment of short term loans. (ii) Quick Ratio Quick ratio is also called acid ratio because it eliminate the stocks from the current asset and calculate the companys ability to pay off short term liability with its liquid assets. Ideally the standard ratio should be 1:1. Tesco Tescos quick ratio is increase in 2009 to 0.63 times from 0.38 times in 2008. And again fall to 0.56 times in 2010. This is much lower than average. This shows that Tesco cant able to cover its current liability with its current asset without stocks. But the nature of current asset and current liabilities in Tescos does not seem to have any liquidity problems. Sainsbury Sainsburys quick ratio is almost same over three years with slightly decrease in 2009 to 0.3 times from 0.4 times in 2008. But in 2010 again return to 0.4 times which is much lower than average rate. The consistency of ratios shows that there is no liquidity problems in Sainsbury. 3.1.6. Investor Ratios (i) Basic Earnings per Share (EPS) EPS ratio indicates the returns per shares from the investors point. Tesco Tescos EPS has been increasing gradually over three years from 26.95p in 2008 to 27.14p in 2009 and 29.33p in 2010. This is because of high profit. Sainsbury The EPS of Sainsbury is not seems so smooth as there is decrease in 2009 to 16.6p from 19.1 in 2008. But in 2010 there is nearly double increase to 32.1p. This shows the volatility in the relation to the shareholders. (ii) Dividend per Share (DPS) Tesco Tescos dividend per share has been increased to from 10.90p per share in 2008 to 11.96p in 2009 and 13.5p in 2010 which means Tesco is doing well to its shareholders. The main reason behind the increase in dividend per share is due to increase in net profit mainly from the national and international market sales growth. Sainsbury Sainsbury is also doing quite well in dividend per share which has been increase from 12.0p per share in 2008 to 13.2p in 2009 and 14.2p per share in 2010. From investor point of view Sainsbury is doing better than Tesco in dividend per share. As we know dividend per share were made internal from the company so they may contain false information to attract investors thats why investor should not concern on it. iii) Share price 1source: tescoplc.com Figure 1 share price movement of Tesco and Sainsbury Tesco share price is better than its rival Sainsbury over 3 years times. As we see from the figure Tesco share price on 26/2/2008 was 409.25p where as Sainsbury was only 368.50p on the same day. But the next year the both companies share price decrease due to the economy fall. In 27/2/2009 Tesco share price was only 338.20p where as Sainsbury has 321.75p. In 26/2/2010 Tesco is doing better in share price with increase to 422.40p with further increase in later in the year but the share price of Sainsbury fall down to 322.30p on the same day. Overall analysis As we see the trend of movement of share price of both companies it in decreasing trend with fluctuating economic condition. The decreasing trend is mostly due to the economic recession all over the world. From the starting of 2009, while there was a little bit start of recovery in world economy recession the share price of both companies are in increasing trend till now. But comparing the two companies it seems Tesco share price increase more rapidly as compare to Sainsbury because of the good performance of Tesco and the market strategy. iv) Price / Earnings (P/E) Ratio Price / Earnings ratio shows how much the investors are willing to pay per pound of earnings for a share. The high P/E indicates investors are expecting higher earnings growth in future. . Tesco The P/E has fall from 15.18 times in 2008 to 12.46 times in 2009 because of economic crisis but due to recovery in economy and good performance of Tesco, the price earnings ratio again goes up to 14.40 times in 2010. As compared to Sainsbury Tesco performance on last two years wasnot so good but in 2010 Tesco is doing quite well than Sainsbury. Sainsbury The P/E ratio of Sainsbury has risen a little bit in 2009 to 19.38 times as compare to 19.29 times in 2008. But in 2010 the P/E ratio fall dramatically to 10.40 times even there is going economy recovery in the world. The fall in P/E ratio seems not good for the company from the investor point of view as investor always willing higher earnings. 3.1.7 EFFICIENCY MEASURE i) Net asset turnover (NAT) The net asset turnover ratio represents the amount of revenue generated by the company as a result of its asset on hand. It measures how efficiently the company is operating. Tesco The net asset turnover of Tesco is decreasing over three years period from 2.38 times in 2008 to 1.94 times in 2009 due to massive investment in assets. Then there is a little bit decrease in net asset to 1.90 times which means the efficiency of asset is not quite good enough to generate the cash. Sainsbury Sainsburys NAT was quite good as compare to Tesco. There was also slightly increase in NAT from 2.54 times in 2008 to 2.66 times in 2009. But in 2010 again decrease to 2.48 times. The decrease in NAT may be due to saving investment in asset to cope with future economy crisis. ii) Return on total assets This ratio measures  a companys earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) against  its total net assets. The ratio is considered an indicator of how effectively a company is using its assets to generate earnings before contractual obligations must be paid. Tesco Return on total asset in Tesco has decreased to 6.49 times in 2009 from 9.29 times in 2008 because of more investment in fixed and current asset. But this ratio was increase to 6.90 times in 2010. Sainsbury Sainsbury Return on total asset was decrease in 2009 to 4.64 times from 4.98 times in 2008. But in 2010 its increase significantly to 6.75 times which seem far better as compare to previous year which is mainly due to increase in earning. 3.2. NON FINANCIAL ANALYSIS (i)SWOT Analysis: SWOT Analysis is the simplest of positioning company internal analysis by strength and weakness also external analysis by opportunities and threats. After the analysis the company should build the strength, fix their weakness as they are internal factor and they should exploit opportunities and minimize threats to be successful. As we know opportunities and strength should match, then only the company able to exploit their opportunities. We are now looking at Tescos SWOT analysis: Strengths: Diversified Business: Tesco which used to be the food super store now spreading in other product market sectors such as clothing, mobile, petrol, finance etc makes it easy to cope with any kind of risks. This is strength because the risk of one market sector fails to gain sufficient revenue is spread among other sector to cover that loss. Global market: Tesco operates in more than 12 countries apart from UK with strong performance and good reputation which means Tesco should not depend on any specific territory to success. Brand name: Tesco brand name with slogan Every little help enables to launch their own different product with best quality that is in affordable price. The brand helps Tesco to attract new customer as well as keep the existing customer. Online sales: Tesco is the supermarket which is doing very good in online sales with tesco.com which avoids the investment in physical stores and for customer it avoids to visit crowded store and the fear of unavailability of product in store. Club card: Tesco offer its customer their own club card so they hold their customer to their store and also record the customers information about their most shopping and make that product availability. Stores: Tesco which got strong market share more than 31% is opening its stores looking the need of that area. Such as in business centre it open small Tesco Express and in residential area there are Tesco Extra, Metro, Superstore etc. So the competitors are unable to beat Tesco. Corporate social Responsibility: Tesco is not only making money itself also help the community through different charity programme such as Cancer Research UKs race in 2009. It also helps to protect the environment through encouraging customer to reduce use of plastic bag and also going to be zero carbon business by 2050. WEAKNESS Too much diversification: Tesco is diversifying in different market sector which makes it difficult to focus on particular sector. So Customer may not get the quality product or service which harms their reputation and may loss their potential customer. Lack of global Business knowledge: Tesco entered to global market without proper studies over there which makes them hard to face the competition such as in first year they face in US store Fresh and Easy. OPPORTUNITY. Expand on non-food market: Tesco which used to supply only food product is now has lots of opportunity in non-food product such as clothing, electronic, finance etc. Tesco has opportunity of generating lots of revenue through good customer service, smooth supply of non-food product. Knowledge utilization: Tesco which is now one of the international giant supermarket, there are lots of opportunities of using its global business knowledge and experience in expanding its global market in more countries and place which help them to generate more revenue. Strategic alliance: Tesco which is providing lots of service in one roof has opportunity to expand through alliance. So that the specialization company helps to provide better quality service and assist in promoting sales. THREAT Weakening Economy: Economic condition play the vital role in the performance of the company. It not only hits the one sector but also damage the whole industries. In recent year due to global recession every company facing difficult to survive due to decrease in purchasing power of customer. So it is necessary for Tesco to make certain strategy to tackle that problems. Competitors: There is always the biggest threat of existing and new competitors as the market is so attractive. The existing competitor such as Sainsbury, Asda, Morrison etc increasing their market shares so Tesco should always look for new strategies to cope that threats. Global management: Tesco is operating more than 12 countries which make them harder to manage the company because of different culture and rules. There is also different economic condition so need the certain knowledge and experience to cope with that threats. (ii) Strategic Analysis Tesco is setting its strategy to motivate towards the progress of the company by focusing on its customer as well as society. Before there were only four strategies which only focus on company performance but now they add one more strategy towards the community which is also on their corporate social responsibility. So now Tescos strategies can be analyzed under five main heading: a)To be successful in international retailer: Tesco is operating more than 12 countries and the experience of more than ten years in overseas; Tesco is making some of its strategy by the knowledge gain over there such as: Be flexible Act local Maintain focus Use multi-format Develop capability and Build brand. b) To grow core at UK business: Tesco group business is significant within the UK with over 2,200 stores and more than 70% of group profit from UK business. Tesco is dominating UK market share with approximately double than its rival. Tesco has four main type of store to fulfill the need of customer such as Express, Metro, Superstore, and Extra. They also in trail of new format of

Saturday, July 20, 2019

Internet Applications In Business :: essays research papers fc

The Benefits of Businesses that use the Internet Almost all national retail organizations today have an Internet site where anyone can place an order. Most are even able to accept credit card payment for instant processing of your order. In fact, there are some companies that accept orders solely from the Internet. Office Depot has gone one step further than the competition; they have included perks for their contract customers also. Specifically, they have linked the Web-site to their ES9000 mainframe enabling customers to get their own specific contract pricing. The closest any competitors have come is storing a customer’s shipping information. The result was $67 Million in sales last year. That doesn’t come close to an Internet only retailer like Amazon.com, but it is a phenomenal success for Depot’s first year in the Internet market. Increased sales revenue is not the only benefit that this marketing plan has reaped. A new level of efficiency has also been reached. The leading benefit that has created such efficiency is the number of customer orders that Depot does not have to: 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Take up more of a salesperson’s time on the phone. 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Take up an order-entry clerk. 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Waste time trying to understand precisely what the customer needs. (The customer can browse though our entire catalog of merchandise) Instead, the company’s time can be spent on more important customer service issues. A salesperson can get out in the field to meet one-on-one with their customers. Order-entry clerks can spend more time making sure they key exactly what the customer wants. That covers the benefits to the company, but how about the customer. Are they benefiting as well? Customer feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. This is mainly true because Internet ordering is an additional service, not a replacement of service. Some customers in the past would complain that they couldn’t speak to a Real Person when they needed to most. Now when they need to place an order, there is no need to speak to someone unless more clarification is required, and when it is, there are more Real People available to speak with. Company Email Though some people think that the Email account that their company supplies them is private and confidential, it is actually neither. Most companies explain their Email policy in great detail, but one would have to look for it in their Employee Manual on their own. One of the main reasons why companies do this is to protect themselves legally.

Friday, July 19, 2019

The Application of Information Technology Systems Essay -- Essays Pap

The application of Information Technology Systems As the application of IT systems is the usage of said systems, it is hard to define how this may be either morally or ethically wrong. The Internet could be considered to be morally dangerous, as a young child could easily stumble across pornography. However, the Internet makes the sharing of information easier for society as a whole, particularly in organisations and gives the individual access to this information. Another aspect of IT systems that could be considered to be morally wrong is the theory of ‘Big Brother’, as so much information, from shopping preferences (loyalty cards) to your address (driving licence number) is held on computers – giving fast and easy access to personal data. The data protection Act is designed to protect individual privacy, so only the people that need to can access your data. But how do you decide who has access to your data? On a police database, records of criminal convictions are stored, to people have the right to know that a criminal is moving into their neighbourhood or does the individual have the right to keep that information private? A worker may feel that the application of IT systems in the workplace may have more lasting benefits. For example opening a file on a word processor and correcting a mistake in comparison with producing the same work on a typewriter and having to redo it, will likely give more of a sense of satisfaction. An individual may feel the lasting benef...