Organizational Theory and “The Heart of Change” Essay

The book The Heart of Change shows the practical side of the theories that are taught in the course textbook. It presents stories of successes and failures based in the application of concepts discussed in Organizational Behavior and Management and in class. Although we talked about several different concepts the ones that are evident in the examples in The Heart Of Change are the more progressive and individual centered approaches. The leadership characteristics that are important to successful change in an organization are those that are espoused in the transformational theory of management. It makes sense that ideals in line with the transformational management theory would be evident in a book about how to bring about positive change in an organization. Discussion A transformational leader essentially is about growth through change, about challenging the status quo, and staff to grow and perform it is about empowerment and all of those things are important in regards to the approach put forth in The Heart Of Change. A key theme in The Heart Of Change is that change is not brought about by statistical analysis or common sense, but it comes after changing the way that people feel about an issue. It is about connecting with the individual and bringing about an emotive response that motivates a change in behavior. And that is in line with one of the focal traits of a transformational leader. They are visionary leaders who focus who create the mission, focus and goals for the organization. Their approach to leadership is centered around the individual. This is important because for a leader to effectively implement change based The Heart Of Change they would have to be aware of they motivational factors of their employees so they know how do best address the intrinsic needs to change the attitudes of employees. The Heart Of Change shows that change does not happen simply by instituting different systems, but that people are the  force that ultimately determines how well an organization adapts change. That also relates to the leadership style of the transformational leader. They focus on the people as the key elements to bring change to an organization. Group Emotional Intelligence is a topic that we discussed in class that is essential to the type of change discussed in The Heart Of Change. The second stage of change is about putting together a team that is able drive the company towards its specific goal in regards to instituting change. There needs to be a strong force pushing the change and keeping the urgency up. It is understandably to much for on person to handle so there needs to be a team of interested, motivated people to act as that driving force. The three ideas of trust, sense of group identity, and group efficacy are essential to group effectiveness. The group that is at the forefront of the change action in an organization needs to exhibit a high EI. Not only because they need to be efficient, but because they are a model for the rest of the organization. This again relates to the character traits of the transformational leadership theory. Being a role model, showing others behaviors to emulate are what transformational leaders do, and this is what the change guiding group does as described in The Heart Of Change. Empowerment is an issue that is imperative to the change process. We touched on the idea of empowerment while exploring power, and politics in the workplace. Empowerment is important in regards to The Heart Of Change, because it is also about ownership. For change to be effective it takes an entire organization to believe in the change process. Through empowerment of the staff in the change process you are creating a sense of ownership for them in the process of change. Once they feel like they are an important part of the process it creates a sense of pride in their part of the process. In the workplace a sense of pride usually leads to a commitment to excellence in working towards the goals of the organization. Again this is a trait of transformational leadership. Transformational leaders encourage their teams and staff to be innovative, creative and encourage them to take risks. Empowerment is a tool, which is used to elicit the abovementioned traits in the staff, and drives the c hange. Organizational socialization is the way values; abilities, expected behaviors, and social knowledge of a organization are shared. It is based on creating an uniformity in mission, beliefs and actions. Socialization, in regards to the organizational change does not seem that it is an important issue in regards to affecting change in an organization. However, it is an integral part in sustaining any positive gains that have come from organizational change. After any sort of change occurs it must be accompanied with a change in the formal and informal socialization procedures to ensure they reflect the new organizational structure and culture. Effective socialization is imperative to ensure the change is long lasting. Updating Standard Operating Procedures for existing staff, as well as orientation procedures should reinforce the new changes for current staff, and introduce them to the new staff. Changing a system in simple. Sustaining a new culture and behavior in the workplace is difficult. People tend to revert to what is comfortable to them. In organizations that are in the process of implementing change is systems or culture, new people to the organization are the easiest to accept and adapt to the new changes. A new active socialization procedure needs to be adopted to address the veterans in the organization. They are the group that will be more apt to fall into old habits. Communication in the workplace is key to change, and is a theme that is throughout The Heart Of Change. Communication is important throughout several different stages of the change process as described in The Heart Of Change. There is a chapter in The Heart Of Change where they concentrate on communication of the vision and goals to the organization as a whole to motivate the members to buy into the vision. However, communication is very important during the first stage of change. In this stage the message communicated is the catalyst that will inspire the rest of organization to want to change. The communication should be tailored to evoke an emotional response, to motivate staff. The message can be we need to change, but the delivery of the message is has much to do its effectiveness. Also communication is important in the socialization aspect of sustaining  change. Within an organization communication comes in different forms. Procedures and rules are in the employee handbook, emails and memos. The culture of a workplace is transmitted through symbols and actions. The latter of the aforementioned communication is difficult and requires more effort to see that it is carried out in a manner that supports the organizational change. If there is a specific message, and vision that is to resonate with people and motivate them, all the actions of the leaders in the in the organization should reflect the message. Conclusion Change is a difficult process for an individual, but for an organization the difficulty grows exponentially. For an organization to change the actions and culture of everybody within the organization must change as well. There are the logistics involved in changing organizational structure. Then there is the task of changing the behavior of the employees as well. That is where the most obstacles will be found. The Heart Of Change offers a variety of experiences to highlight their theory in regards to the steps of successful change. Rooted in their theory are concepts that were discussed in class. Most of concepts that are evident in the change process theory are progressive and reflect ideas indicative of transformational leadership theory. The Heart Of Change has brought the individual concepts together and shown how they can work together to affect successful change in an organization. Reading The Heart Of Change shows how the powerful and effective the ideas that we learned about are, and how they can benefit us as we take leadership positions in our organizations.

Bribe & Ethical

This study will discuss about the concept of organization’s social performance and economic performance. Economic performance deals with an organization’s main objective likes profit, revenue and cost while the social performance of an organization is their responsibilities to the society in relation to various ethical values in business. Ethical values are very important in a business. All ethical questions relate to what is right, just, and fair. â€Å"Terms like â€Å"professional ethics,† â€Å"work ethics,† and â€Å"business ethics† are misnomers.The principles we use in the workplace should be the same principles we use in other areas of our lives – they’re just applied to business situations. † In the present competitive world many organizations focus on their ultimate goal of profit maximization without any consideration of their means to achieving the goals. The impact of globalization creates a lot of opportunities in the business to transcend national boundaries. Many multinational companies have started their operations in other countries. In this backdrop where competition is quite tough, some organizations try to pay bribe for their business existence in the host country.â€Å"MNC bribery takes many forms: direct monetary payoffs to political officials, positions in the enterprise for officials, family members, friends and/or cronies, paid excursions, partnerships, invitations to prestigious universities and scholarships for their children, etc. † Each country has its own culture and moral values. These principles are highly dependant on that particular country’s economic and social situation. â€Å"The major problem of international business ethics is bribery. No single country allows businessmen to offer and government officials to accept bribes for deals.† Bribery is generally considered a reprehensible offence even in countries where it is alleged to be common. This study relates with BIM, a UK based IT consultancy, and its problem for meeting both the economical and social performance. BIM starts their operations in Nigerian city of Lagos. During the initial times their operation was not successful and they failed to meet their target. After an evaluation of the business environment of Lagos BIM’s sales team finds that payment of commission is very a common practice in that area for any business deals.BIM decides to follow the common practice of that area for meeting their target. On the other hand, BIM strictly follows ethical values in their business and their code of ethics would consider these commissions to be bribery and, therefore, not allowed. In this situation, the Branch Director finds himself in a dilemma as on one side he has to meet the goal of their branch, and on the other maintain the organization’s culture. Most of the ethical issues in management are apparently simple. â€Å"Many business managers said that the ir companies strictly uphold the principle against any form of bribery.They would choose to give up commercial contracts if they were asked to pay bribes or â€Å"kickbacks† to secure them. † There is a dichotomous, yes or no choice; which brings in conflict the organization’s economic benefit and their ethical values in business. Ethical decisions are not simple choices between right and wrong. In a case of bribery, it may affect the organization’s value and culture at the same time bribery can also create a bad precedent. â€Å"In developed countries, the moral expectations of the host country are as stringent as our own.With third world host countries, though the moral expectations often more lax, and multinationals are tempted to lower their standards when situations permit. † Bribery is a common practice in all of the third world countries; especially in bureaucracies most of these countries suffer acute problems of bribery in the areas of educ ation, health and other social welfare sector. Many multinational companies exploit these corrupted officials for their business purposes, selling off lesser quality products and violating the government rules and indulging in other unethical activities with the helps of these corrupted officials.†Market power is highly dependent on political relations with the state through a series of complex networks of ‘intermediaries’ who negotiate monetary and other payoffs in exchange for a range of highly profitable concessions. † In this type of business environment an organization can only meet its economical performance by promoting bribery but they will not be able to meet their social performance and they also risk neglecting the social responsibilities.In the context of BIM, the branch director has two options: the first is to pay the commission and make a good market for his product in that area; but this activity can be create a bad social situation. The seco nd option is to stick to the company’s tradition. The corrupted official can get more chances to earn money and they are ready to agree any types of products sales in that area. They are not bothered about the quality and benefit of product. Social responsibility of an organization is to provide quality product to customers and protect the market from illegal business practices. So the branch manager Mr.Thomas Harvey wants to follow his organization’s ethical codes against bribery and try to promote legal method of business promotion other wise he would have decided to pay commission and achieve a good business. It is not the part of BIM’s organization’s culture to pay bribe for business interests and it is not a suitable method for BIM’s long term business policy. Any other organization would be able to pay higher commission rather than BIM’s to penetrate the market. In this type of unethical business environment there is no stable growth, all business dealings would depend on the bribery and other illegal activities.BIM’s business practice is meeting both the economical and social performance their by maintaining their customers’ trust and loyalty in any where in the world with any type of business environment. So in this situation Mr. Thomas Harvey wants to give more priority to the social performance of his organization and therefore avoid unethical business practices. Works Cited What is business ethics? Scribbler’s Ink, copyright  © 2005, all rights reserved. http://www. scribblers-ink. com/business_ethics. html (accessed March 13, 2007).Petras, James. United States. Economic Empire Building: The Centrality of Corruption. http://www. socialistviewpoint. org/janfeb_07/janfeb_07_10. html (accessed March 13, 2007). Global Ethics in Global Economy. Editorial 15th Issue. Hong Kong Ethic Development Center. Ethics in Practice. http://www. icac. org. hk/hkedc/ethics/eip/edc005_e. htm (accessed Mar ch 13, 2007). Fieser, James. Business Ethics. Doing Business in Foreign Countries. http://www. utm. edu/staff/jfieser/vita/research/Busbook. htm (accessed March 13, 2007).

Chocolat Book Report Essay

Publishers: First Published in Great Britain in 1999 by Doubleplay, an imprint of Transworld Publishers, Black Swan edition published 2000, Black Swan edition reissued 2007 Chocolat is a 1999 novel by Joanne Harris. It tells the story of Vianne Rocher, a young single mother, who arrives in the French village of Lansquenet-sous-Tannes at the beginning of Lent with her six-year-old daughter, Anouk. Vianne opens a chocolate shop, La Celeste Praline, right opposite the village church, and throughout the traditional season self-denial Lent, proceeds to gently change the lives of the villagers who visit her chocolaterie with a combination of sympathy, determination and a little magic. This scandalizes the parish priest, Francis Reynaud, and his supporters who are convinced Vivian is evil. As tensions run high, the community is increasingly divided, and as Easter approaches, pitting the ritual of the Church against the indulgence of chocolate, Father Reynaud and Vianne Rocher face an inevitable battle I personally really loved the book; Joanne Harris really did a great job in creating an enticing plot with a bunch of strong and unique characters. My favorite is Anouk who although is only six years old brings such life to the book and manages to give a bit of light heartedness to points where the book can become heavy. This is a wonderful tale of family and magic and hope. It is not your typical romance and well worth the time. The book is a full of strong opinions and characters; Ms. Harris manages to capture your attention with her delicious descriptions and fast moving plot. There really is never a boring moment in this book, its fantastic for anyone who loves books that are thought provoking yet still enjoyable and fun. An Important moment in this book is when Vianne decides the hold the Easter Chocolate Festival. At this point in the book you begin to see the rivalry between Vianne and Father Francis Reynaud through the chocolates and the church. Although the rivalry mostly comes from Father Reynaud, Vianne can feel the dislike he has for her. Many of the town’s folk really began to divide at this point. We also began to see Reynaud began to go mad with his obsession for Vianne and the destroying of her chocolates. We see Reynaud change quite considerably throughout the book. Francis Reynaud, like any religious man in a small town, has a big influence on all the people of Lansquenet. He is quit oppressive with his views and tends to carry a very much holier than thou attitude towards his parish. At one point in the book he compares himself to a sheapard and how his flock need him â€Å"Sheep are not the docile, pleasant creatures of the pastoral idyll. Any countryman will tell you that. They are sly, occasionally vicious, and pathologically stupid. The lenient shepherd may find his flock unruly, defiant. I cannot afford to be lenient. † His suspicions begin with the arrival of Vianne and Anouk and his initial strategy is to try and befriend the enemy. He offers her help in repairing the bakery but she refuses politely, emphasizing that she has got it all under control. He hopes that people will realize that she should be evicted on their own in fear of tarnishing his reputation. His plan works at first as concerned mothers begin to forbid their children from spending time with Anouk, as she plants wild ideas in to their heads. Also business is not running very smoothly at the chocolate shop and Reynaud begins to believe that it is just a matter of time before they leave with the changing of the wind. We see him slowly began to grasp for desperation that he is right that Vianne is evil and that he is still better than all his parishioners. He reaches boiling point when madness and rage take over his mind and he breaks into La Celeste Praline the morning before Mass and gobbles down chocolate after over a month of fasting. His reputation is tarnished and respect vanished. He runs away and is never heard of again. Josephine Muscat first appears as a nervous introvert. She is quiet and slumps when she walks. She is gossiped about and pitied throughout Lansquenet, as the fact that her husband physically abuses her is one of the worst kept secrets around. She does not mutter a word about it and her thoughts are so cloudy that even Vianne, with all her power, fails to understand what lies in her head. With time, Josephine begins to talk to Vianne more and begins to spend more time in the chocolate shop. Vianne’s influence and advice eventually result in Josephine leaving her husband Paul and moving in with Vianne in the chocolate’s shop spare room. The more time she spends with Vianne, the more Josephine’s personality blossoms. She now walks with her head held high and has substituted her dark wardrobe for a new, more colorful one. She speaks with an audible, confident voice and can now look people in the eyes. A spark is felt between her and Roux as they indulge in conversation and become closer when she moves to the chocolate shop and he settles in Lansquenet. She even faces Paul one last time on her own. She is transformed from the average, abused housewife to the confident, independent female as the novel develops. Joanne Harris is a very descriptive writer, which you find quite early on in the book. Although she does use quite descriptive writing she does it very well and it transcends into beautiful pieces of writing that are hard to follow â€Å" We came on the wind of the carnival. A warm wind for February, laden with the hot greasy scents of frying pancakes and sausages and powdery-sweet waffles cooked on the to plate right there by the roadside with the confetti sleeting down collars and cuffs and rolling in the gutters like an idiot antidote to winter. Something really interesting about the author is that she mixes French with English. So while most of the book is English, songs, signs or names are still very much French. She also uses her chapters as a way to create a timeline for the book. At the begging of each chapter we receive a date allowing us to process where we are in the year. Joanne Harris is a popular British writer, who has written a total of fourteen books many of which w ere bestsellers. Joanne’s book Chocolat has been adapted into the Oscar nominated movie staring Johnny Depp and Juliette Binoche. She lives with her Husband and daughter in Yorkshire and her hobbies include â€Å" Mooching, lounging, strutting, strumming, priest-baiting and quite subversion. † She can speak both French and English and she was strongly influenced by Grimm’s’ Fairy Tales and the tales of Charles Perrault, as well as local folklore and Norse mythology. The cover for Chocolat I think it is very appropriate and gives you a successful looking into the plot before you even look into the book with the bright colours of Vianne’s clothes to the chocolate Easter eggs. By the time you finish the book you complete understand the symbolism of a woman sitting and holding a nest full of Easter Eggs. I think that this book would be suited to mostly older men and woman but it can defiantly appeal to young adults as well. Personally I think it would get to heavy for younger readers and not all would understand the issues brought up in the book. The book has been made into a movie starring Johnny Depp and Juliette Binoche, standing on its own the movie is absolutely fantastic a wonderful love story. Yet when compared along side the book it fails completely. Not only is the book completely different to the movie with a change of couples and villains but also with the plot line it just lacks the darkness found in the book. There is something captivating about the transition from Vianne’s thoughts to Father Reynaud’s and the slow build up of the plot through it. Also I hate the disregarded for the lesser characters in the movie half of the people in the book aren’t even mentioned in the movie! And although many of them don’t have huge significant roles they still help shape the story.

Comparative analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Comparative analysis - Essay Example This poem is a very deep poem, one has to read it over and over again to understand its hidden meaning. Life is really complicated and we need to understand our aim and to do that we need to sit down and introspect. Many a time we come across situations in life where we have to make difficult choices and these difficult choices also decide our future, this poem is all about choosing the road which is less travelled, it also goes to show the courage of the poet who decides to take a path which is less travelled and there is a possibility of him getting lost but he is brave enough to try something different from others. This is what life is all about, we must be brave enough to trot a path less travelled, it may prove to be a wrong decision or it may prove to be a right decision, it is all about making choices when you are at the crossroads, this is what the poem is all about. At the very end the poet ponders over his choice, his life would have been much different had he taken the oth er road and this is very true. Our life would also be different had we made different decisions and had we taken the road less travelled, life is all about making the right, the most successful people often make the right choices. Thesis Statement: The poem has hidden meaning in it; the literal meaning of the poem is very easy to understand. A traveler reaches a fork in the road and is discombobulated because the road shows the traveler two choices, the traveler after much thinking, chooses the road less travelled by people. The figurative meaning of the poem reflects upon the choices that we make in our lives. We can either choose a road which is very frequently chosen by other people or we can choose to walk on a road which is hardly chosen by other people. After making our choice, we would always have regrets because the road not taken would always force us to think about the endless possibilities. This is what the poem is all about and this poem is really popular, Robert Frost b ecame a household name because of this poem. Literary Devices: Antithesis is quite conspicuous in the poem, the traveler has to make his choice and he soon realizes that he can only choose one path, the traveler wishes he could travel both but soon realizes that this is not plausible. Another literary device in the poem is personification, the road has been personified. â€Å"All sensible people know that roads don't think, and therefore don't want. They can't. But the description of the road wanting wear is an example of personification in this poem. A road actually wanting some as a person would. However: some believe this to be incorrect and believe "wanting wear" is not a personification, but rather older English meaning "lacking". So it would be "Because it was grassy and lacked wear;" (The Road not Taken) The tone of the poem is gloomy, words like â€Å"sorry† and â€Å"sigh† have been used and these words reflect gloom. Verbal irony is also another figure of sp eech in this poem, the speaker knows that when he looks back and recollects, he will have to tell his story with a â€Å"sigh† and he would also have to throw light upon the differences the second road would have made had he chosen it. Conclusion: The road not taken is a poem with a hidden meaning, it tells us how our life presents two choices in front of us, when we make our choice, after a few years we more often than not ponder over the options we would have had, had we chosen to trot on the road not taken. The poem is very tricky and requires immense concentration to

Understanding China and its Society, Business and Economics, Culture Essay

Understanding China and its Society, Business and Economics, Culture and Languages - Essay Example This essay is one of the best examples of comprehensive analysis of the Chinese political and economic systems. It also reviews cultural environment in the country. Despite the global crisis that has hampered business activities among nations, the Republic of China is determined to craft trading partnerships with countries such as Japan, USA, Germany, Hong Kong, and Taiwan among other countries in Asia, Europe and North America. China has expanded its business quest by forging trade agreements with a number of countries in Africa. Such partnerships have boosted its balance of payment. New markets in Africa, Europe and America have created more space for the rapidly growing industries in China to export the finished products to various destinations around the world. Today, the country’s economy has a greater potential to change the future prospects of the continent and world at large. The business culture of the country alongside the goodwill from its huge labor force has been instrumental to propelling the country to greater heights of development. According to the World Bank, China is the second largest economy considering its GDP. The Asian country is rich in culture and language owing to diverse nature of tribes and communities occupying the world’s most populous nation. The government recognizes the ruling party as atheist organization. However, China’s constitution acknowledges freedom of religion to all natives and foreigners. The government only permits people to practice one of the officially recognized religions that include Islam, Taoism, Buddhism, Catholicism, and Protestantism. China’s main religious organizations are Taoism and Buddhism. The people consider Taoism as the folk history considering its long history among societies and ethnic groups in the country. The literacy rate of the country stands at 92.2 percent according to the World Bank report released in 2012 (Chow 2010). Business and Economics China is among few Asian nations with promising economies with large amounts of imports and exports. It is among the fastest growing economies in the continent, which include Japan, South Korea and North Korea (Chow 2010). Despite the global crisis that has hampered business activities among nations, the Republic of China is determined to craft trading partnerships with countries such as Japan, USA, Germany, Hong Kong, and Taiwan among other countries in Asia, Europe and North America. China has expanded its business quest by forging trade agreements with a number of countries in Af rica (Chow 2010). Such partnerships have boosted its balance of payment. New markets in Africa, Europe and America have created more space for the rapidly growing industries in China to export the finished products to various destinations around the world. Apparently, China’s economy has recorded remarkable performance for the last three decades with manufacturing and service industries accounting for the biggest percentage of exports. This has influenced the country’s GDP in positive direction (Chow 2010). Over 500 million Chinese can now afford decent living following various initiative of the government to lift citizens from poverty. Chances are high that China might emerge as the leading economy of the world by 2030 notwithstanding challenges regarding controlling its huge population (Lin 2012). It has the potential to become a modern, creative and high-income society. It is yet to implement strategies that will ensure it achieve its business and economic ambitions . As far as the country’s future prospects in business are concerned, China has the potential to turnaround it technological progresses to achieve greater development (Lin 2012). Apparently, China has a huge human resource base which key to growth and development of industries of various

HR Strategic Linkages Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

HR Strategic Linkages - Assignment Example HR  department allows the business and the employees to be on the same page and it is the medium between them. It supports the business strategy by encouraging employees to work harder and more efficiently. HR works closely with the employees which in turn benefits the organization as a whole.   An important factor for continuous competitive success is how a company manages its human capital. Investments in human capital can result in better organizational performance and increased productivity which can further improve its financial position. Without it, an organization can lose its efficient production capabilities. Secondly, HR can also help an organization to achieve its goals associated with growth and development. It can help by recruiting employees and determining training needs. It can also help by attracting capable employees and by modifying job requirements. Internally, HR can help by analyzing those parts of a organization which need improvement and introduce ways to improve the performance feedback procedures. It can help as a strategic partner by reorganizing the management structure to make efficient use of its resources. Including HR as a strategic business partner enables better decision making. What benefits do you think the employees derive from this arrangement? As a result of this arrangement, employees receive a lot of benefits. To build human capital, HR develops strategies for finding the best talent, enhancing their knowledge and skills through training programs. Employees will begin to have a deeper understanding of how the organization works. The employees will benefit because HR will initially recruit internally so the employees will get the first opportunity to develop new skills and tasks. Task and skill analyses will further highlight the needs of employees. HR will also introduce more recruiting tools and will give all the employees opportunities for professional and personal development. Employees will also benefit as HR wil l provide compensation and bonuses in order to reward people for their hard work and contribution. Improved performance feedback process with also help the employees as managers will get specific training for it. HR will reorganize the management plan and rotate the employees which will further increase their motivation and improve their skills. It will also retain exceptional employees for the company. The HR has the skills and ability to solve employee related issues. The motivation level of all the employees will increase through these measures as they will see that their hard work and contribution is being recognized and rewarded. Employees can also easily take help from HR as they are now strategic partners to their organization. Motivation of all employees can be further increased by giving them health care coverage, daycare, vacation time, bonuses etc. All these rewards together can boost employee performance and hence create a better working environment for all the workers. What do you think are the risks involved (to HR and the organization as a whole) if HR does not make this a priority and instead remains a purely task-oriented? The organization will have to face a lot of negative consequences if HR does not make this a priority and remains task-oriented. HR will only be involved and interested in the day-to-day responsibilities and tasks. They will not be helping the organization in achieving their

Managed Healtcare Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Managed Healtcare - Assignment Example His may lead to misinformation on the various aspects of disease management that require more or urgent attention There have been important changes in the quality of management movement since the 1970s to current day. The evolvement has led to more comprehensive views of diseases management and one that offers an accurate account of what it represents and encompasses. In the past, quality providers felt that making significant improvement in the health status of Americans meant addressing chronic disease for large groups of people, not single patients one at a time. However, the managed care system in this era is more focused on ensuring that each patient gets high quality. The managed care organizations then started looking as patients as individuals and not as a group of individuals suffering from a certain chronic disease that needs to be eliminated. This way, the care system became more patient-centered. This was how the improvement generated to the managed care system that we have in today’s

Expanding Internationally Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Expanding Internationally - Assignment Example Through a related diversification strategy, a company may be able to leverage competence in one market in order to achieve competence and competitiveness in the other markets. Thus, evaluating the list of the company’s products for relatedness among the products yields positive results. The company may employ related diversification using two products; luggage and color televisions. This implies that the other products (writing instruments and miscellaneous plastic and paper tags) fail to qualify as part of related diversification. As outlined in the definition, related diversification calls for a company’s engagement in different products with regard to the existence of a certain level of connection in operations pertaining to the products selected (Griffin and Pustay, 2010; Neelankavil, 2007). Thus, both luggage and color televisions represent a luxury nature of business operations. This implies that both products are geared towards meeting the client needs of comfort and luxury. On the other hand, writing instruments and miscellaneous plastic and paper tags do not contribute significantly to the creation of a luxury and comfort oriented product. This, in turn, disqualifies the employment of both products in a luxury oriented line of business. Therefore, in order to employ a related diversification business strategy, the company has to focus on the production and distribution of both color televisions and luggage solutions to local and international market audiences. In a bid to expand internationally, China and South Africa offer a potential opportunity for the company’s business expansion. This is owed to numerous reasons. For instance, both China and South Africa represent a significant share of the company’s revenues (Kyambalesa, 2004). In addition, both China and South Africa represent one of the most rapidly developing economies in the world and are on course to being significant players in the consumption of certain products in the future. This is owed to the rapid development processes being undertaken in these regions which create numerous job opportunities while increasing cash flow circulation. Thus, the regions represent a rich hub for luxury-oriented businesses such as the businesses undertaken by the company. Therefore, China offers a strategic entry point into the world of technology and color TV production. On the other hand, South Africa provides the company with the most convenient entry point into the African continent. Being a highly developed country, South Africa has the necessary and conducive infrastructure for effective international business relations. Moreover, the existence of a favorable Chinese-African partnership underlines the convenience of this decision as a strategic and international expansion measure for the company. However, the expansion process of the company will rely on a Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) process as the most convenient mode of entry into other markets. As a result, the desired FDI strategy for expansion would be acquisition. This is because an acquisition strategy would provide the company with immediate and direct entry into the desired foreign markets (Griffin and Pustay, 2010; Neelankavil, 2007). Moreover, through an acquisition program, the company would be able to oversee operations of the independent subsidiary companies

Chinas unique demographic evolution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Chinas unique demographic evolution - Essay Example Every nation has experienced demographic change and some still continue to change even today. However, in china, their demographic transition is unique compared to other countries. The demographic transition in china was driven by several factors that played a major role in the demographic process of change. The first factor is the convectional institutional arrangement followed by the unconventional arrangement of the same (Li 126). Additionally, China’s economic development and social change have also played a major role to mark the demographic transition.Factors Influencing Demographic Transition.Every country that has experienced demographic change, experienced some certain common stages of transition. The first stage has characteristics of high birth rate and a high mortality rate, as a result, a low natural growth is marked. The second stage is characterized by a high birth rate and a low mortality rate, which leads to a high natural growth rate. The third stage is a low birth rate and low mortality rate that marks a low natural growth rate. The first stage of demographic transition is marked with low level of life quality and social development. When the mortality level is high, people rely an increased birth rate to maintain their population. This stage did not have much difference between early developed countries and later developing ones. On the other hand, the second stage came with an improvement in life quality and sanitary condition which was as a result of economic development.

Beyond the arabin poetry Essay Example for Free

Beyond the arabin poetry Essay Beyond the Arabian Poetry In the light of Arabic literature in Muslim Spain, It was one of the greatest lands at that time. Most of people were educated in too many studies, due to the Abd al-Rahman III one of the Umayyad Rulers. Abd al-Rahman III was interested greatly in books and education, which made him to collect a lot of books around the world. Arabic literature’ books were also interested by Abd al-Rahman III, which made a lot of Muslim Spain’s people interested on in and study it as well. Muslims and Jews were inherited in the Arabic literature which made them write stories and poetry. All that had a deep effect on literature scholars and especially Jewish scholars. When they were studying Islamic, Arabic literature they were also studying Islamic literature and the influence of the relationship of Arabic language and Islam. In that vein, many of the Jews converted to Islam by their own, But not all about Jews. And this raises the mind a question that what are the sources and the power of the Arabic literature which make these Jews converting to Islam by their own? And it appears that the larger spiritual vision of Islamic religious traditions and the Ideology of Islamic Arabic poems are involved with that. Therefore the Islamic traditions and the Islamic, Arabic poetry are the source of converting some of the Jews to Islam by their own in Muslim Spain. According to the book the Jews of Islam says â€Å"Islam had its sway over Jewish cultural life too. In literature, and the arts, the Muslim influence on the Jews is enormous.† (Lewis 81) It appears from that Islam affected on Jews through literature and the arts which means by traditions and poetry. In the same note of converting the Jews to Islam, the Islamic literature was very strong, because it was getting through the soul and shapes it. And writing famous poems on the walls of Madden T Al-Zahra, helped Jewish to read poems in the in that time, so one line of any Islamic poem has that huge effect for the reader. But that script was in Arabic, how did the spoken Hebrew, Jewish did read that? What kind of influence that the script has if it has translated to Hebrew? Would it be strong as it is in Arabic?  There were people in Muslim Spain who were in interested in reading Arabic poem translated to Hebrew. And according to book The Dream of the Poem for Peter Cole that it says there is a scholar who was translating poems to Hebrew by comparing meters to their Arabic models. (Cole 333). So this shows that yes by an effort of scholars the influence of Arabic poetry kept as itself, therefore spoken Hebrew Jews got a chance to read the Arabic poems with its influence which helped to make some of them convert to Islam. According to book of Daily life of Jews in the Middle Ages for Norman Roth he says â€Å"While some Jews, indeed, converted to Islam of their own free will in the early medieval period.†(Roth 202) and also Roth said that there are some of Jewish scholars in Muslim Spain Wrote in Arabic poems for them and one of them converted to Islam as Ibrahim Ibn Sahl, as he believe(Roth 165). By reading this book or some quotes of it we will see how the poetry affected these Jews to convert, even if it is not the big motive of converting, but Poetry was the media of the motive of converting these Jews to Islam. In that time Art was greatly considered as poems, due to the Islamic religion and the many of poets in that time, the poems were spread a lot in Muslim Spain, so it was easy for all to read them, and this shows that how the poems were the media of converting the Jews to Islam by their own. Furthermore the Jews were very interested with the Arabic poetry, and most of the Arabic poetry is describing Islam and how it is good for life. According to book of Arabic and Hebrew Love Poems in Al-Andalusia By Shari Lowin which says â€Å"Brann similarly maintains that Jews had primary knowledge of the sacred texts of Islam† (Lowin 40) and this shows that Jews were affected very deeply from the poems to know about Islam which made them to go and read holy texts from the Islamic religion. Moreover the connection of the poetry with science by proving that holy Quran proved a lot of science statements, and that was really convincing to the Jewish to convert to Islam, because the Jewish people believe in the concrete and the logic (Gwynne 160), and when they found that Islam is logical with the earth and it’s science so they will be more attracted to convert to Islam. All that is just from a link from Arabic poetry that talks about science and how Islam in the holy Quran proved it. In the line with that, it proves that  Jews converted to Islam by their own, because they read these sacred texts by their own and without any force from anyone, and this shows how strong was the Islamic literature, it affected the mind and the soul of Jews in Muslim Spain thus makes them convert to Islam. So the source of that is the literature of Islamic poetry and traditions. The poetry in Islam was very nice, great and wonderful and Muslim’s prophet Muhammad said to have enjoyed the poetry (Scheindlin 7), which made Muslims do great efforts to add in the Islamic poetry, which makes a lot of kind of attractive ways to Islam, which made the Jews be Muslims and be satisfied of converting, and this proves that the converting Jews in Muslim Spain to Islam by their own by the poetry. Even though the Jews reacted to most creative way of the brilliant Arab culture as I will show here â€Å"according to Bargebuhr, Hispanic Jews reacted in a most creative way to the influences of the brilliant Arab culture (though without converting to Islam, as the Persians did). (Jayyusi and Marin 515) † So it appears that Jews did not convert to Islam by reading that smart Arabic poems. But in the beginning I said some of Jews converted to Islam. And the same book said that some of Jews did not use the Hebrew language as well in reading the Islamic poems. Moreover they have reacted the Arabic poems not the Islamic one, but when it appears that the Hispanic Jews reacted to the smart Arabic poems it appears not the all Jews converted to Islam, but Some of them, who reacted to the Islamic Arabic Poems. The holy Quran is in Arabic and it has its language, and most of the Arabic in Muslim Spain were influenced in the holy Quran, and how it has the secret way to attract non-Muslim people to it, that are the Holy Quran ways, But the Arabs poets as I said they influenced of that and they started to work with it to attract people to Islam. And how about some of Jews Scholars had been influenced and attracted to the Quran language, and converted to Islam, they will have the power of attracting their previous people the Jews. Therefore the possibilities of converting Jews to Islam were so high because of the many of the Converted Jews scholars to Islam, and the knowing of the Hebrew language, they will be able to know how to attract people to Islam by making good Hebrew poets, that has the attraction ways of Holy Quran. Adding knowledge to the pomes in the Muslim Spain was so great, some of the Poets added a lot of knowledge in his poems, and by clever way the poets were adding attracting language to make the Jews convert to Islam when they were reading knowledge. All that made the Jews convert to Islam by reading the Arabic poetry in Muslim Spain. But did these converted Jews really converted to Islam just by reading the poems? Why if they were converting to Islam just not to pay the (Jyzia) which is a tax that Muslims take it from non-Muslims people? It could be, and this would happen, but not all of Jews who converted to Islam just because of the Jyzia, because the one who converted should not be so poor to not pay a small amount of money as a tax. Moreover a lot of poor Jews in Muslim Spain were able to pay the Jyzia, unless if that Jew is cheap or greedy, he would do that. But another question is in the mind now, which is what kind of poems affected the Jews that range to convert to Islam? We said before that the poets were Arabs from Muslim Spain and Jews scholars too who wrote poems in both languages as well, Moreover the Holy Quran’s Influence which attracted all those to convert to Islam. But the kind of poems are the one which were describing Islam and how it is, and the one which described other religions, and making Islam the best of them. Moreover the poems which describes the Islamic architecture, and the science as well especially the one which discovered by Muslims scientists. However these poems are showing in its form, it talks about architecture or science, how would that help or motive or being a media to convert the Jews to Islam? The questions here is logic and it appears that it has no answer. But the answer is simple, the poets really care to make the readers being pleased reading the poems they wrote, that would not happen they appeared they are trying to let non-Muslims readers to get bored fast, or to leave the poems by thinking it is trying to make them Muslims, so the poets used a hidden way to let the readers not feeling that they added the thing that make them convert, so they added in a hidden way, for example when they want to describe the architecture, they will describe the Mosque in purpose to let the readers to be attracted to the Mosque (Ruggles 171-8) , and also if they want to write about science they write about the Muslims scientists or how Islam explained science in perfect way, all that just by great poems that did not seemed to be like that. As Ibrahim Ibn Sahl did after he converted (Roth 165-9). In the end of this it was a clever idea to make the Islamic poetry strong to be capable to convert people by their own, and also the traditions of Muslims i n Muslim Spain were much educated to make a lot of ways to add the Islamic  sense at the poetry to make the Jews to convert. Moreover the secret way of attracting Non-Muslims to Islam was really strong because it was within the language which is the most playable media to attract people to Islam. Especially the Jews, but how about the Christians did they also converted to Islam by poems in Muslim Spain? If they did so, what was attracting them, to be converted? But are not they were jealous of Muslims who were able to convert Jews by their own, so they did the inquisition and forced people to convert to their religion by force. Or they were scare to be attracted by Muslims and then convert to Islam. And this raises the concept of Muslims verses Christian’s tactics of conversion. And the Muslim’s cultural influence verses Christian’s state violence. Work Cited Cole, Peter. The Dream of the Poem: Hebrew Poetry from Muslim and Christian Spain, 950-1492. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2007. Print. D, F R. Arabic Poetry and Architectural Memory in Al-Andalus. Ars Orientalis. 23 (1993): 171-178. Print. Gwynne, Rosalind W. Logic, Rhetoric and Legal Reasoning in the Quran: Gods Arguments. Hoboken: Taylor and Francis, 2014. Internet resource. Lewis, Bernard. The Jews of Islam. Princeton, N.J: Princeton University Press, 1984. Print. Lowin, Shari L. Arabic and Hebrew Love Poems in Al-Andalus. New York: Routledge, 2014. Print. Roth, Norman. Daily Life of Jews in the Middle Ages. New York: Routledge, 2005. Print. Scheindlin, Raymond P. The Gazelle: Medieval Hebrew Poems on God, Israel, and the Soul. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 1991. Print. Jayyusi, Salma K, and Manuela MariÃŒ n. The Legacy of Muslim Spain. Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1992. Print.

Intervention to Reduce Progression of Diabetes

Intervention to Reduce Progression of Diabetes Developing an Intervention to Reduce Progression and the Development of Complications from Diabetes Mellitus in Adults in Glasgow. Introduction Type 2 diabetes is a serious medical condition that is increasingly prevalent in developed countries (International Diabetes Federation, 2013) and the most common variants of the condition are Types I and II. Type I patients have a deficiency in their pancreatic beta cells which leaves them unable to produce insulin. Thus in these individuals, some control over the condition can be achieved using insulin therapy (Schilling, 2007). Type II diabetics, have cells that have become resistant to the effects of insulin resulting in a delayed reduction in blood glucose (Skrha et al., 2010). There are additional types of diabetes; gestational, and a variety of Type III diabetes, however, the overwhelming majority of cases are of Type II with a significant minority of type I cases (Hardt et al., 2008). Complications of Diabetes Regardless of the underlying aetiology, the long-term complications of diabetes are similar. Excess blood glucose is thought to drive increases in oxidative stress both directly and via the derangement of mitochondrial energy pathways (Cade, 2008). Long term macrovascular damage will inevitably increase the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD), and ischaemic heart disease, with diabetics estimated as having a 3 and 5-fold increased risk of CHD mortality for men and women respectively (Loveman et al., 2008). Cerebrovascular disease is also a consequence of the chronic macrovascular damage with similar increases in stroke risk (Naci et al., 2015) Since each organ has its own microvascular supply, chronic hyperglycaemia also results in diffuse and widespread damage to a variety of body organs. As a result, diabetic complications include visual disability due to diabetic retinopathy; the leading cause of blindness in working age adults in the UK (Fowler, 2008; Kempen et al., 2004). In addition, patients suffer end stage renal disease from diabetic nephropathy (Adler et al., 2003), diffuse impairments of autonomic and somatic neural function, including pain perception, due to diabetic neuropathy (Stirban, 2014; Voulgari et al., 2013). Furthermore, the combination of microvascular damage, and reduced pain sensation, usually in the lower limb, results in many patients developing ulceration and necrosis of the inferior surface of the foot, the most common cause of non-traumatic amputations in the UK (Elraiyah et al., 2016). Costs of Diabetes In addition to the significant cost to the individual suffering with diabetes in terms of reduced personal health and quality of life, there are significant financial costs in treating the condition. In 2010-11, the total cost of diabetes to the UK was estimated at  £23.7bn (Hex et al., 2012). This was comprised of  £9.8bn in direct costs related to treating the disease, and  £13.9bn in indirect cost (e.g. lost productivity through absenteeism, early retirement or unemployment, (Hex et al., 2012)). More recently, the direct costs were estimated at  £13.7bn in 2012 (Kanavos et al., 2012). Within these direct costs, only around a quarter is directly spent on treating diabetes its self, and the remaining three quarters is spent on treating the complications following from the disease, (e.g. CHD, retinopathy, liver failure, diabetic foot, neuropathy (Kanavos et al., 2012)). Risk Factors for Diabetes There are a variety of factors that have been identified that places individuals at risk of developing type II diabetes, these include; having a family history of diabetes, obesity assessed using body-mass index, hypertension, visceral adiposity, adverse blood lipids, smoking, and impaired fasting glucose control (Lyssenko et al., 2008). Notably, several of these risk factors, including blood lipids, BMI, hypertension and visceral adiposity, are shared risk factors for CHD, which may in part explain the elevated risk of CHD in diabetics (Haffner et al., 1998). Indeed the clustering of these risk factors has been shown to be predictive of both CHD and diabetes (Haffner et al., 1998) and are collectively referred to as the metabolic syndrome. Moreover, these risk factors, appear to primarily be related to obesity in general, and excessive visceral adiposity in particular (Wozniak et al., 2009). Early work by West and colleagues (1978) demonstrated a strong positive association between rates of obesity and rates of diabetes with a variety of populations. Since then, the epidemiological link between excess body fat and risk of developing type II diabetes in particular has been repeatedly supported. For example, in the Nurses Health Study (Chan et al., 1994) females who had a BMI of greater than 35 kg.m-2 had a risk of diabetes 95 fold higher than those with a BMI of less than 21 kg.m-2 . Epidemiology of Diabetes The incidence and prevalence of diabetes have increased dramatically in the last two decades. Currently, the World Health Organisation estimates that diabetes effects around 9% of the adult global population (International Diabetes Federation, 2013) with variations in prevalence ranging from 26.4% in Kiribati to 1.54% of the population in Manin (International Diabetes Federation, 2013). Overall the UK ranks relatively favourably; in the same data from 2014, the UK had a prevalence of 3.9% (172nd out of 193 countries). Despite this relatively low ranking, the UK, in line with many developed countries, has experienced a rapid growth in the proportion of the population suffering with diabetes. Between 2007 and 2015 the number of patients diagnosed with diabetes increased by 75% from two to three and a half million cases (Diabetes UK, 2015). There are also an estimated half a million undiagnosed individuals at any one time. Indeed, the absence of overt symptoms in the early stages of the disease means that it is not uncommon for patients to have had the disease for several years prior to diagnosis, and confounds attempts to accurately calculate prevalence rates. Scotland has experienced similar increases, with the number of individuals diagnosed with diabetes increasing markedly over the last decade. The Scottish Diabetes survey (2014) demonstrated that the number of individuals with diabetes doubled from approximately 100,000 to 200,000 individuals between 2002 and 2007 despite a stable population of 5 million. Currently estimates for Scotland indicate that there are 276,500 diabetics in Scotland resulting in an overall prevalence that is a third higher than the UK average at 5.2% (NHS Scotland, 2014). Diabetes and Deprivation While the reasons that link indices of deprivation to diabetes are likely multifactorial, they undoubtedly exist. Individuals living in the most deprived areas of the UK are 2.5 times more likely to suffer from diabetes than those in the least deprived areas (Diabetes UK, 2006). Moreover the complications arising from diabetes such as CHD and stroke are more than three times higher in the lowest socio-economic groups and those with lowest educational achievement are twice as likely to have heart disease, retinopathy and poor diabetic control (Diabetes UK, 2006; International Diabetes Federation, 2006). The cause of the increased risk is not clear, however many of the risk factors such as obesity, smoking and physical inactivity, are also higher in those areas with the greatest degree of deprivation (Diabetes UK, 2006; International Diabetes Federation, 2006). From the data outlined above, the development of diabetes is a serious chronic medical condition that can result in early morbidity and mortality and is associated with significant personal and healthcare costs. Despite many of the risk factors for its development being modifiable, it remains a significant and increasing health risk that has a disproportional focus on the areas of greatest deprivation. Given that there is strong evidence that Glasgow has higher rates of both deprivation and type 2 diabetes than the rest of the UK, the aims of this paper are to discuss methods of describing the degree of the problem in Glasgow, as well as identifying, implementing and evaluating initiatives designed to reduce the burden of Type 2 diabetes within that area. Epidemiological Investigation of Diabetes in Glasgow The Centre for Disease Control defines public health research as consisting of four phases, public health tracking, public health research, health intervention programmes, and impact and evaluation (CDC, 2015). Thus before designing and implementing a diabetes focused health initiative, it is necessary to first establish that there is a public health need within Glasgow. This can be undertaken using primary or secondary data sources. Although secondary data sources are repositories of data that have been collected for some purpose other than the investigators main research question, Bailey et al. (2012) suggest that secondary sources also have several advantages. Typically, they are large data sets, and their use is highly cost efficient, as the data collection has already taken place. In terms of this investigation into Diabetes prevalence in Glasgow, there are a number of possible secondary data sources. The most directly relevant data is from the Scottish Diabetes Survey, the most recent data for which covers 2014 (NHS Scotland, 2014). In the most recent report, there is evidence that diabetes is a specific public health concern in Glasgow. For example, while it is not surprising is that Glasgow has the highest number of diabetics, around 22% of Scotlands diabetic population, since it is also the most densely populated region. However, this also translates to the region having the highest age adjusted prevalen ce of diabetes within Scotland at 5.8%. Furthermore the Greater Glasgow and Clyde (GGC) NHS board is criticised as falling behind other NHS health boards within Scotland, in its system of managing and screening its diabetic population in order to limit the progression of the disease. In addition, the Scottish Public Health Observatory (SPHO) provide a number of secondary data sources which may be valuable in triangulating conclusions and include; mortality rates, primary care information from GP practices, the Quality Outcomes Framework (QOF) detailing the performance of GP practices in dealing with key health issues, the Scottish Diet and Nutrition Survey, and the Health Education population survey (Scottish Public Health Observatory, 2015). In addition, both English and Scottish governments produce databases of indices of multiple deprivation (IMD), which can be useful when attempting to standardise the degree of a public health issue by deprivation level. This secondary data should be supported with primary evidence of the population of interest. While there are a number of research designs that could be used to collect primary data on Glasgow residents with diabetes, in this instance a cross-sectional observational design would be most useful. This method has several advantages, it is cost effective, requires only a single group, and each participant is only required to be assessed at a single time-point. This means that it becomes feasible to assess relatively large numbers of people (Bailey Handu, 2012). The limitations of this method are that it represents a single point in time and as a result, cannot be used to determine the sequence of events for a given set of exposures and outcomes. Therefore, it is not possible to infer causality from cross-sectional data. This type of research is most useful for determining prevalence rates for a specific condition (Bailey Handu, 2012).. An ecological study design might also be used, however, in this case, there are wide variations in income levels and deprivation levels within specific postcodes. Thus the possibility for the data to be affected by unknown confounding variables is significant. Similarly a case control study design has some additional control regarding possible confounders, but is again limited in being retrospective in nature and is predominantly used for rare diseases, which type 2 diabetes is not (Greenfield, 2002). Experimental designs such as prospective cohort studies or randomised control trials are the most internally valid designs to attribute causation of a condition to a specific exposure. However, they would not be appropriate in this instance, as they time consuming, expensive, and typically include far fewer individuals. Thus in order to use this type of study, the cost would be greater than the cost of any proposed intervention. In addition, while such designs are internally valid, they often lack ecological validity. That is, while the exposure and outcome can be linked in the study, at the population level, individuals may experience exposure to several predicating factors, and several protective factors. Thus, it is not always straightforward to transfer the findings from a highly controlled study to individuals (Peat et al., 2008). In order to undertake the cross-sectional survey, would require defining a series of areas (e.g. roads or school catchment areas) within specific post-codes to act as the sample frame. The survey data would be collected on these areas. The main problem with collecting this kind of data is a low response rate (Levin, 2006), and the possibility that individuals may responder or not due to the influence of some other factor introducing some systematic bias into the data. The main protection from this is to maximise the response rates. This is best done using face-to-face interviews with individuals in the sample frame (Levin, 2006). Diabetes Interventions The evidence for the type of behaviours that are useful in limiting the adverse complications of diabetes, have been the subject of several large scale epidemiological studies. In the UK the UK Prospective Diabetes Study (UK Prospective Diabetes Study, 1998) and its 10 year follow up (Holman et al., 2008) evaluated the effect of managing type II diabetes through diet alone, versus aggressive management aimed at restricting blood sugar concentrations. The data from the study indicated that while both the aggressive intervention only lowered blood sugar for one year, this translated into significantly lower rates of complications at the 10-year follow up. In the US, the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT, 1993) and its 10 year follow up (the Epidemiology of Diabetes Interventions and Complications EDIC (Nathan et al., 2005)) also demonstrated that limiting increases in blood sugar, by maintaining concentrations within strict individualised limits, reduced the incidence of c omplications at the 10 year follow up by 57%. Similar reductions in adverse outcomes have also been found when diabetics have measures of blood lipids, blood pressure, nephropathy, retinopathy and diabetic foot complications assessed at regular intervals. It is also noteworthy that the Greater Glasgow and Clyde NHS region regularly performed in the lowest quartile of Scottish NHS authorities for implementing each of these evaluations (Scottish Diabetes Survey 2014). In long-term conditions such as Type 2 diabetes, the most appropriate strategies to control and manage the condition is for patients, to recognise themselves as stakeholders in their own treatment and to take ownership of the critical aspects of their care such as pharmacological treatment, dietary modifications and physical activity recommendations (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, 2015). There have been several interventions that have aimed to use patient education to allow for a greater degree of self-management with a resulting closer control of risk factors for diabetic complications. Most recently Minet et al. (2010) evaluated the efficacy of 47 RCT studies aimed at improving diabetic patient education, and found that there was a significant reduction in the degree of hyperglycaemia experienced by the patients at the 6 and 12 month follow up time points. Similar meta analyses have supported the role of education in reducing the incidence of nephropathy and dia betic foot (Elraiyah et al., 2016; Loveman et al., 2008). Given that the UKPDS (1998) demonstrated that even short term reductions in blood glucose can reduce the numbers of patients who progress to sever complications, and given that the majority of the financial burden in treating type 2 diabetes is related to complications rather than the disease its-self. It seems clear that patient education could significantly improve the prognosis of diabetics as well as reduce the costs of future treatment. Implementing an Intervention in Glasgow Having identified a suitable educational intervention, the next stage is to ensure its faithful and appropriate replication within patients with Diabetes in Glasgow. A limitation of much of the available research is that interventions are predominantly applied in academic settings, and the effectiveness of interventions in community and primary care settings are frequently lower than anticipated from the scientific literature. This is a continuing challenge for implementing evidence-based strategies for public health issues. Kilbourne et al. (2007) recommend the REP framework, which although originally devised for faithful implementations of HIV educational programmes has been evaluated and found to help improve the effectiveness of other public health interventions. In order to use the REP framework for educational programmes aimed at Diabetics in Glasgow, the four stages of the REP framework would be developed. Pre-condition requires the identification of a suitable educational intervention. In this phase it is important that the chosen intervention is both feasible and appropriate for the setting in which it will be used. Pre-implementation requires that all staff involved in the intervention undergo training not only in the interventional educational curriculum, but also in the underpinning theories that shaped the original intervention. Implementation requires the educational programme is rolled out to diabetics within Glasgow, and that feedback is sought from stakeholders including patients undergoing the education. In this way it is possible to modify the intervention to better fit the situation, while still remaining faithful to the initial conceptual design. Finally, maintenance and evaluation requires further feedback regarding the effe ctiveness of the intervention, as well as ongoing support for partners who are delivering or helping ensure the continuation of the intervention. Monitoring an Evaluation For the proposed educational intervention, the evaluation would use the RE-AIM framework. This is the most widely adopted model for evaluation of public health interventions originally proposed by Glasgow and Colleagues (1999). This framework proposes the evaluation of five key elements of the intervention. Reach assess the number of individuals from the target population who received the interventions. Efficacy evaluates the degree to which the education intervention improved patients ability to manage their condition (e.g. better control of blood glucose, maintained or lowered blood pressure). Adoption would focus on the number of patients receiving the educational intervention whose behaviour was altered as a result. Implementation attempts to assess the degree to which the intervention was faithful to the evidence base upon which it was designed or was there pragmatic or other issues that meant the interventions was poorly delivered, or delivered in a manner not originally envisa ged. Maintenance attempts to quantify the degree to which the intervention becomes self-sustaining. This can be at an institutional level, i.e. does the health authority feel the programme is sufficiently successful to continue its development. However, it can also be at the individual level, were patients value the intervention and it becomes part of the persons habitual processes. Conclusion The aim of this paper was to investigate an intervention aimed at reducing the complications of type 2 diabetes in individuals diagnosed with the condition, living in Glasgow. It has established that in order to implement any such strategy, it is necessary to evaluate the degree of the problem using secondary and if required primary sources of data. In addition, any intervention should be evidence based, and attempt to replicate those interventions that have been demonstrated to be successful. This should be attempted in a strategic and structured manner in order to ensure high fidelity conversion from research evidence to intervention. The intervention its-self needs robust evaluation to determine if it was effective, and if not was it because of a failure of the underpinning theories or a failure in delivery. Unless they are well managed, individuals with Type 2 diabetes are at a significant risk of serious and life threatening complications. Educational interventions may be one wa y to provide effective strategies to enable better outcomes and reduced personal and financial costs. References ADLER, A.I., et al., 2003. 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HOLMAN, R.R., et al., 2008. 10-year follow-up of intensive glucose control in type 2 diabetes. New England Journal of Medicine. 359(15), pp. 1577-1589. International Diabetes Federation 2006. Diabetes, deprivation and outcomes in a wealthy world. Diabetes Voice, 51, 37-40. INTERNATIONAL DIABETES FEDERATION. 2013. IDF Diabetes Atlas [Online]. [Viewed 20th March 2016]. Available From:https://www.idf.org/sites/default/files/EN_6E_Atlas_Full_0.pdf: IDF. KANAVOS, P., VAN DEN AARDWEG, S. and SCHURER, W., 2012. Diabetes expenditure, burden of disease and management in 5 EU countries. LSE Health and Social Care. KEMPEN, J.H., et al., 2004. The prevalence of diabetic retinopathy among adults in the United States. Archives of Ophthalmology (Chicago, Ill.: 1960). 122(4), pp. 552-563. KILBOURNE, A.M., et al., 2007. Implementing evidence-based interventions in health care: application of the replicating effective programs framework. Implementation Science. 2(1), pp. 1-10. LOVEMAN, E., FRAMPTON, G.K. and CLEGG, A., 2008. The clinical effectiveness of diabetes education models for Type 2 diabetes: a systematic review. Health Technology Assessment. 12(9), pp. 1-136. LYSSENKO, V., et al., 2008. Clinical risk factors, DNA variants, and the development of type 2 diabetes. New England Journal of Medicine. 359(21), pp. 2220-2232. MINET, L., et al., 2010. Mediating the effect of self-care management intervention in type 2 diabetes: a meta-analysis of 47 randomised controlled trials. Patient Education and Counseling. 80(1), pp. 29-41. NACI, H., et al., 2015. Rethinking the appraisal and approval of drugs for type 2 diabetes. BMJ Open. 351(h5260),. NATHAN, D.M., et al., 2005. Diabetes Control and Complications Trial/Epidemiology of Diabetes Interventions and Complications (DCCT/EDIC) Study Research Group: Intensive diabetes treatment and cardiovascular disease in patients with type 1 diabetes. N Engl J Med. 353 pp. 2643-2653. NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR HEALTH AND CARE EXCELLENCE, N. 2015. Type 2 diabetes in adults: management: NICE guidelines [NG28] [Online]. [Viewed 20th March 2016]. Available From:https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng28: NIHCE. NHS SCOTLAND 2014. Scottish Diabetes Survey 2014. Scottish Diabetes Survery Monitoring Group. PEAT, J., BARTON, B. ELLIOT, E. 2008. Statistics Workbook for Evidence-Based Health Care, Wiley-Blackwell. SCHILLING, J. A. 2007. Diabetes Mellitus: A guide to patient care, Ambler, USA, Lippincott. SCOTTISH PUBLIC HEALTH OBSERVATORY. 2015. Overview of Key data sources [Online]. [Viewed 4th April 2016]. Available From: http://www.scotpho.org.uk/publications/overview-of-key-data-sources/introduction. SKRHA, J., CERIELLO, A. GITT, A. K. 2010. Chapter 6 Microvascular and Macrovascular Complications. In: HALAN, P. (ed.) DIAMAP 1 : Roadmap for Diabetes Research in Europe. http://www.diamap.eu: European Union. STIRBAN, A., 2014. Microvascular dysfunction in the context of diabetic neuropathy. Current Diabetes Reports. 14(11), pp. 1-9. UK PROSPECTIVE DIABETES STUDY (UKPDS) GROUP, 1998. Intensive blood-glucose control with sulphonylureas or insulin compared with conventional treatment and risk of complications in patients with type 2 diabetes (UKPDS 33). The Lancet. 352(9131), pp. 837-853. VOULGARI, C., PAGONI, S., VINIK, A. and POIRIER, P., 2013. Exercise improves cardiac autonomic function in obesity and diabetes. Metabolism. 62(5), pp. 609-621. WEST, K.M., 1978. Epidemiology of diabetes and its vascular lesions. Elsevier. WOZNIAK, S.E., GEE, L.L., WACHTEL, M.S. and FREZZA, E.E., 2009. Adipose tissue: the new endocrine organ? A review article. Digestive Diseases and Sciences. 54(9), pp. 1847-1856.

Platos Apology Essay -- Apology by Plato

Plato's Apology Plato’s Apology is the story of the trial of Socrates, the charges brought against him and his maintaining of his own innocence throughout the process. At the onset of the trial, Socrates appears to challenging the charges, which included corrupting the youth, challenging belief in the gods that were accepted and reveled by the State, and introducing a new religious focus, but also belittles his own significance and suggesting that he will not attempt to disprove that he participated in the actions maintained by the court. In essence, Socrates appears almost self-effacing, and his defense surprises even his accuser, Meletus. But by the end of the Apology, Socrates becomes almost a different person, demonstrating his own value while refusing to beg for forgiveness even to save his own life. This view of Socrates presented by Plato demonstrates the difference between a man accused and a man condemned, and in the end, Socrates has nothing to lose by providing instructi on to the people through his remarks. At the onset of the trial, Socrates recognizes that the primary reason for the accusations are not that he himself did not have value or that he was instructing students in a way that had not happened in the past, but that circumstances surrounding the trial had led to the perception that men like Socrates were challenging the standards of government. Though Socrates suggests that his value for the State was unending through out the process, the fact that his teachings asked the youth to explore their values, their systems of thought, and to question authority was a significant problem for a sometimes wavering State. I think that it was right of Socrates to encourage the youth to think for th... ...h others can begin to understand his wisdom. Socrates suggests that if death is a journey where all must go, then he will simply take that journey, and at the end, spend his time assisting others in examining their lives. Socrates suggests not only that he accepts the outcome, but also that he himself will welcome the chance to do in death what he was condemned for in life. The completion of this sort of â€Å"examination† on the part of the few or the many is not possible. If a person or nation is to grow and move forward the process of self-examination will never be complete. The journey of â€Å"examination† in itself could provide the insight needed to make significant changes in today’s moral and political thinking. I think that Socrates â€Å"examination† leads to a scale of Christian ethical values that the United States and much of the world today is lacking.

Awakening1 Essay examples -- essays papers

Awakening1 THE AWAKENING The contrast between an urban and a tropical setting represents the awakening that the protagonist experiences in Kate Chopin's classic novel, The Awakening. At Grand Isle Edna becomes conscious of her restrictive marriage in a male dominated society. Her awakening originates with her experiences at Grand Isle but fully develops upon her return to the city, where she completes her transformation from her roles as wife and mother to an independent woman. The setting at the beginning of the novel is the Grand Isle, a popular Creole island resort. The reader first sees Edna returning from the beach, with the sea disappearing on the horizon, and the mood of a lazy summer day permeating the scene. This idyllic environment is soon interrupted by her husband Leonce's characteristically stuffy and disapproving reaction to his wife’s activities: "You are burnt beyond recognition". Leonce views his wife as a "valuable piece of personal property which has suffered some damage". Swimming at mid-day, Edna has endangered her respectability in a society where women may be judged by the color of their complexion. Yet Edna does not seem ruffled by society’s expectations or by her husband's callous remark. Instead she focuses on the summer warmth, her companion, Robert Lebrun, and swimming, where she is free both physically and emotionally. Edna’s habit of removing her wedding rings before entering the water underscores and sym bolizes her temporary escape from the ties of matrimony and the bonds of convention. While vacationing at Grand Isle, Edna is surrounded by mother-women "who idolized their children, worshiped their husbands, and esteemed it a holy privilege to efface themselves as individuals and grow wings as ministering angels". Unlike these women, Edna does not wish to submerge her own identity and freedom in her role as a wife and mother. At one point, her husband claims that she is a negligent and irresponsible mother and orders Edna to tend to their sick child, believing this duty to be a "mother's place." Uncharacteristically, Edna appears bewildered and distraught after her husband's outburst. "An indescribable oppression, which seemed to generate in some unfamiliar part of her consciousness, filled her whole being with a vague anguish". She begins to suspect that a deeper relationship is possible between a man and a w... .....got into her blood and into her brain like an intoxicant" (124). As Edna continues to separate herself from the traditional roles of women in her time, Chopin distinguishes the main character from those around her through the use of symbolism. At her dinner party, Edna reigns as the confident, self-assured hostess, described by the author as a jeweled goddess emerging from the sea. "Venus rising from the foam could have presented no more entrancing a spectacle than Mrs. Pontellier, blazing with beauty and diamonds at the head of the board" . Kate Chopin's utilization of the setting in The Awakening is essential to the character development of Edna as she escapes the restrictions of Creole society to become an independent woman. Symbols and images are mirrored and intertwined in the two settings. This repetitive pattern underscores and expands the reader’s understanding of Edna's enlightenment. But in fact, the most dramatic change in the novel occurs during the transition from Grand Isle to New Orleans. In this story, Chopin's use of setting proves to be an effective complement to her vivid imagery throughout the novel, and to the symbolism of renewal and rediscovery.

The Hangman versus The Terrible Things Essay -- essays research papers

During World War II, six million Jews were brutally massacred by Adolph Hitler's Nazi regime. Several authors have written about the actions of bystanders in the Holocaust. In a poem, "The Hangman," and an allegory, The Terrible Things, Maurice Odgen and Eve Bunting described how bystanders could cause problems through their inactions. In the poem "The Hangman," by Maurice Ogden, the poet explained that a person could resolve a situation by showing acts of courage. One day, a hangman came to a town and built a scaffold on the courthouse square. The townspeople asked him which criminal would be hanged and he replied with a mischievous grin and a glint in his eye that it would be the person who will continually make his job easier. When the hangman spotted a foreign person, he chose him to be the first victim. The townsfolk were relieved that they weren't picked to be hanged, and that the gallows frame would be gone the next day. However, after they saw that it was still there, the hangman said that the foreigner was used to determine how strong the hemp was. When a man cri...

Portfolios

Using Portfolios to Assess Professional Competence and Development in Medical Laboratory SciencesAbstractionBackgroundPortfolios have been recommended for the appraisal of professional development. To excite battle and assess professional development during research lab preparation, portfolio appraisal was proposed for the concluding twelvemonth BMLS and DMLT programmes in Kampala International University.Work DoneThe pupils undergoing clinical research lab preparation in learning infirmaries, and engaged in everyday research lab services under supervising of qualified Medical Laboratory Scientists, composed a portfolio detailing their day-to-day experiences, work done, and lessons learned. Their supervisors and facilitators provided day-to-day feedback and endorsed their entries. The portfolios were examined at the terminal of preparation by module staff and external tester through unwritten presentation and interviews. Rating rubric considered quality of presentation, portfolio con tent, presentation of progressive development, and ability to do professional judgement. Students ‘ and assessors ‘ credence of this instrument was determined with questionnaire.Consequences72 % of the pupils and assessors accepted the method. Many pupils reported that it improved committedness to preparation, encouraged contemplation, and allowed for frequent feedback. Many believed that it was a rational appraisal, but it was clip devouring. 88 % of the participants would welcome it as a addendum to the criterion trials.DecisionsThe portfolio appraisal was good accepted, rational, and provided a valid appraisal of pupil battle and patterned advance during professional preparation.Take Home MessageThe inclusion of portfolio appraisal in Medical Laboratory Sciences Education provided valid appraisal of pupils ‘ battle in preparation and professional development over clip.IntroductionThe usage of portfolios in wellness professions instruction has increased dramatica lly over the old ages. The enthusiastic credence of this rule is in portion born out of the of all time turning involvement in results based instruction in all divisions of wellness science.1 The course of study of most wellness scientific disciplines schools now emphasize reliable experiences, promote self way and contemplation in acquisition, and results based appraisal. Portfolios non merely stimulate professional development and brooding acquisition, they besides provide chance for self way, and avenues for feedback from faculty.2, 3 Portfolios have been recommended for the appraisal of professional development in medical education,4 and several studies document their successful usage in appraisal of competency at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.5,6 To excite battle and to measure professional development during clinical research lab preparation, portfolio development and appraisal was proposed for the concluding twelvemonth Bachelor of Medical Laboratory Sciences and the Diploma in Medical Laboratory Technology pupils of the Kampala International University, Uganda in 2008. This article reports the experience of the usage of portfolios to measure professional development in these programmes.MethodsInstitutional blessing for the survey was obtained from the IREC. Eighteen concluding twelvemonth pupils who were undergoing clinical research lab preparation in the instruction infirmaries at the Kampala International University Teaching Hospital Ishaka and the Mulago Hospital in Kampala and take parting in everyday day-to-day research lab work were requested to compose and keep a portfolio consisting inside informations of their day-to-day experiences, work done and lessons learnt during their preparation. Their supervisors and programme facilitators provided day-to-day feedback on their work and endorsed all entries. At the terminal of their clinical research lab preparation, the portfolios were examined by the four module staff and an external tes ter. The pupils were besides required to do a 15 proceedingss presentation based on the portfolio content, and take interview on lessons learned and overall impact of the preparation on their development. A evaluation rubric used for the appraisal considered the quality of pupil ‘s presentation, portfolio content, presentation of pupil ‘s progressive development over clip, and their ability to do professional judgement. Questionnaires were used to find the pupils ‘ and raters ‘ positions on the acceptableness, convenience, and utility of this method of appraisal. The informations were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively.Table 1: Rubric for the appraisal of the pupils ‘ portfoliosStandard met Standard non met 1 Presentation was complete in 15 proceedingss 2 Quality of presentation 3 Student showed progressive development over clip 4 Student reflected on experiences and could do good professional judgement 5 Portfolio content was equal 6 Overall appraisal Base on balls Fail General remarks:ConsequencesThe consequence showed that 70 two per cent ( 72 % ) of the pupils and assessors accepted the method as a valid and effectual agencies of measuring professional competency. Many pupils ( 15 of the 18 ) reported that it improved their committedness to the research lab preparation, and encouraged them to reflect on their day-to-day experiences. Both module and pupils reported that it allowed for frequent feedback and more battle in the programme. Many believed that it was a rational appraisal as it captured development over clip, but it was clip consuming and rather tasking on both pupils and staff. Eighty eight per cent ( 88 % ) were of the position that it should be a addendum and non a replacement for the standard written and practical trials.DiscussionThe development of portfolio as a tool for the appraisal of professional competency and development offers several advantages over the traditional criterion trials which to a big extent are reductionist and do non capture patterned advance over clip. Application of portfolio appraisal in Medical Laboratory Sciences instruction is non widespread and merely few studies are available in literature.7 This survey demonstrated that portfolio development and appraisal is good accepted by both staff and pupils in the medical research lab scientific disciplines programme of the Kampala International University. An of import facet of medical instruction is the matching of assessment methods with larning manner, as assessment thrusts larning. Portfolio appraisal aligns good with competence based instruction whose dogmas include learner centeredness, formative feedback, developmental procedure, contemplation, and multiple types and beginnings of assessment.3 This survey demonstrated this clearly as it promoted pupil /staff battle in the clinical research lab preparation programme, pupils ‘ ownership of their preparation, and reflective acquisition which are some of the advantages highlighte d by similar old studies of the usage of portfolio in other programmes.8, 9 The survey besides showed that many of the survey participants would non welcome this signifier of appraisal as the lone manner of pupil appraisal. Rather it would be a valuable add-on to the traditional methods of appraisal of competency. The restrictions of this survey include the little sample size used for the survey. It is recommended that a larger sample of pupils be included in a more luxuriant survey perchance over a longer study period. To ease the load of appraisal, utilizing structured interview to measure the portfolio as recommended by Burch and Seggie 10 could be helpful.Decision:The usage of portfolios to measure pupils ‘ advancement and professional competency in Medical Laboratory Sciences is a welcome proposition. It should be used to supplement the criterion written and practical trials. Its advantages include stimulation of pupil battle, self way, brooding acquisition, and monitoring of advancement over clip. It is nevertheless seen to be clip devouring for the pupils. Its debut extends the methods of appraisal in Medical Laboratory Sciences.Mentions1. Davis MHhttp: //informahealthcare.com/entityImage/ ? code=200B & A ; zwnj ; , Amin Zhttp: //informahealthcare.com/entityImage/ ? code=200B & A ; zwnj ; , Grande JP, O'Neill AEhttp: //informahealthcare.com/entityImage/ ? code=200B, Pawlina Whttp: //informahealthcare.com/entityImage/ ? code=200B & A ; zwnj ; , Thomas R. et al.Case surveies in outcome-based instruction. Medical Teacher 2007 ; 29 ( 7 ) :717-722 2. Driessen, E. , Van Tartwijk, J. , Overeem, K. , et Al. Conditionss for successful brooding usage of portfolios in undergraduate medical education.Medical Education 2005 ; 39:1230 -1235 3. Carraccio C. Portfolio Assessment: The Key to Learner Centered-Education. Downloaded from: hypertext transfer protocol: //innovationlabs.com/r3p_public/rtr2/downloads/Portfolios % 20R3P % 20Group % 20Plenary.ppt. Accessed 13/01/2010. 4. Friedman Ban David M, Davis M H, Harden R M, Howie P W, Ker J and Pippard M J. AMEE Medical Education Guide No 24: Portfolios as a method of pupil appraisal. Medical Teacher 2001 ; 23 ( 6 ) :535-551 5. McCready T. Portfolios and the appraisal of competency in nursing: A literature reappraisal. International Journal of Nursing Studies 2007 ; 44 ( 1 ) :143-151 6. Izatt S. Educational positions: Portfolios: The following appraisal tool in medical instruction? NeoReviews 2007 ; 8 ( 10 ) : e405 7. Thom & A ; eacute ; G, Hovenberg H, Edgren G. Portfolio as a method for uninterrupted appraisal in an undergraduate wellness instruction programme. Medical Teacher 2006 ; 28 ( 6 ) : e171-e176 8. Lim J L K, Chan N F, Cheong P Y. Experience with portfolio-based acquisition in household medical specialty for maestro of medical specialty grade. Singapore Med J 1998 ; 39 ( 12 ) : 543 – 546 9. Hadfield I, Murdoch G, Smithers J, Vaioleti L, Patterson H. Is a professional portfolio, as a record of continued professional development, the most effectual method to measure a physical therapist ‘s competency? New Zealand Journal of Physiotherapy 2007, 35 ( 2 ) :72-83. 10. Burch VC, Seggie JL. Use of a structured interview to measure portfolio-based acquisition. Medical Education 2008 ; 42 ( 9 ) : 894-900

Overcoming Multimedia Addiction Essay

Some of the students nowadays are struggling to stay awake while the rest of the world is asleep just to read their friends’ posts and comments and status on Facebook. They even spend most of their time staring at the big screens of their personal computers just to play online games like DOTA and Counterstrike. Some also spend their money just to buy the latest mobile phones, mp3 players, and other techno gadgets out there. However, they must keep in mind that everything has its own limits. Otherwise, it can become a cause of concern and in extreme cases, addiction. Multimedia addiction can cause destruction and violence to students. Multimedia is simply defined as multi tasking of applications in a single device or gadget. This includes graphics, animation, pictures, videos, and other applications which can be opened simultaneously or consecutively. Smart phone, laptop, iPod, television, and mp4 player are some of many multimedia gadgets that are ‘in’ especially to students because of its amazing features. Consider the television. Whether it is a box, slim, or flat screen, it has become almost like another member of the household. It sits in the living room, in the kitchen, or even in the terrace of your house. It bombards us with all kinds of information about almost anything under the sun. It informs us on what laundry soap to use; what toothpaste to brush our teeth with, or which candidate to vote in the 2013 election. It brings us local news and news from around the world. And of course, it entertains us with sports, music, movies, telenovelas, lifestyle segments and variety programs. Cellular phones, on the other hand, are used for communication purposes. But because of technological advancements, new applications like built- in cameras are added to them. That’s why many people patronize it so much. Laptops are made for easy handling. Unlike personal computers, you can now bring it anywhere because of its small size. Almost every student today has his or her own laptops. The dependence on multimedia gadgets extend to students who became the primary beneficiaries of these gadgets. Tech- net survey said that 42 % of students are using mobile phones, 36 % are using laptop, 15 % are using play station, and 7 % are using mp3 players (â€Å"2012 Most Addicting Gadgets†, www. Technet.com). The use of multimedia gadgets can be constructive and destructive to students (Despabiladeras 15). Many of them consider the use of these gadgets constructive when they help them in their studies. Today, the internet is the major source of knowledge and information. In just one click, they can now find the answers to their assignments. They also use software like Microsoft office and the like for their project presentation. Many schools now use computer oriented techniques for teaching. The traditional way of teaching like writing too many lessons in a manila paper is already replaced by powerpoint presentations which are indeed favorable for the students. They no longer copy too many notes because there are handouts already prepared for them. Multimedia also gives information about the latest happenings and discoveries around the world. The use of social media sites like Facebook allows them to socialize with other people. Some also say that playing online games like DOTA and Counte rstrike have positive effects on them because they relieve stress from the hectic schedule of their schooling. In contrary, students say that multimedia gadgets can be destructive too. Problems begin when students became addicted to these gadgets to the point of discarding other activities which can truly affect their balance and studies (www. Gadgetforums.com). Because of these gadgets, they now prefer playing games that reading books. In most schools, use of cellular phones is banned but many of the students still carry them. They push their parents to buy them the latest mobile phone or other gizmos because their peers use it. The effect of this addiction is that they can no longer resist themselves from taking calls and accessing Facebook and other social networking sites during school hours. â€Å"The use of gadgets can be destructive when it makes your personality bad like when you become wild because of video games†, Bryan Capus said ( Despabiladeras 15). They forgot to budget their time because most of their time are consumed by these gadgets. The overuse of these also affects their health. Too much exposure to these gadgets can cause diseases like brain tumor and cancer caused by radiation (â€Å" Radiation From Gadgets†, www. Healthcare.com). They are prone to sickness because they no longer engaged in outdoor activities. It is alarming to know that 47 % of students nowadays are addicted to computers and other multimedia gadgets ( Despabiladeras 16.). Their parents have a big role in overcoming their children’s addiction. For example, most of the students are advised or told by their parents to limit their internet surfing time until 8:30 p.m. or 9:00 p.m. or but not to reach 10:00 p.m. as they have classes the next day ( Clifford 72). Some also advice their children to engage in other recreational activities like playing basketball or playing the guitar instead of watching T.V. or sitting all day in front of their PCs. One parent posted the following on gadgetforums.com: In today’s high- tech and modern world, we are all connected with each other through the miracle of working inventions and innovations like PC, tablets, smart phones, gaming, internet and so much more. And I think we feel that we won’t have a normal day without getting hooked to any one of these devices. The problem begins to rise when our children became addicted to these gadgets to the point of discarding other activities which can truly affect their balance and health. To avoid this, I try to ensure my son has balance in this area. Playing team sports has helped, that’s one thing in his like that doesn’t require gadget. Sports is one of the best ways to add moving activities to a child’s routine with the aim of creating a certain balance between studying and playing. We could not really avoid our children to get into gadgets as this is the wave of the future with the introduction of tablets which can he fully integrate with schools in the near fu ture ( www.gadgetforums.com). According to gadgetforums.com, there are eight ways to overcome gadget addiction. First, limit the amount of time you spent on any type of gadget. Second, learn to balance and manage your time. Make a time table on when to use your gadget. Third, spend most of your time in your studies. This will give you higher grades in return. Fourth, read books rather than playing games. Surfing the internet for recent news and discoveries will help too. Fifth, spend your free time with your family and friends. Go to an outing of family reunion that doesn’t require gadgets. Sixth, socialize with your true friends, not your ‘virtual’ friends. Your Facebook friends will never help you if you have a problem. Seventh, avoid buying newly released gadgets if you still have one that is still working. And the last is self discipline. It is interesting to know the opinions of students on multimedia gadget addiction; whether it is constructive or destructive for them and what their parents do in influencing their media habits. To prevent this addiction, students should analyze their gadget preferences and see what’s good of bad in it for them. They must set in mind that multimedia gadgets is there to help them, not to enslave them.