Econet Wireless International and the African Telecommunications Industry Essay

Activities to be completed in this presentation: Carry out a SWOT analysis for Econet Wireless International, identifying the key issues that Econet needs to address from the results of your analysis. Undertake an industry analysis of the African Telecommunications market using Porter’s Five Force Model. Using a competitor analysis framework of your choice, analyse the Big Five mobile operators in the African market Econet Wireless International is facing or faced challenges in a number of markets it entered. Identify these challenges and the sources of these challenges. What Marketing strategy options should Econet use at it tries to grow its operations (Justify your options) and what should it do to successfully implement these strategies? Introduction The selection of a growth strategy is ultimately determined by the company’s strategic goals, core competencies and strategic assets as well as by its target customers, collaborators and the overall economic, technological, socio cultural, regulatory and physical context. An integrative approach of analysing these factors is essential for the development of a successful growth strategy. Overview Econet Wireless International (hereafter to be referred to as EWI) is a Zimbabwean –owned international telecommunications group. The result of Dr. Strive Masiyiwa’s vision, Econet began in mobile telephone service in July 1998, after years of legal battles. Thus it began leading the change in the telecommunications terrain. Zimbabwe has issued only 3 mobile  telecommunication licenses to EWI, Orascom-owned Telecel and the government-owned NetOne. SWOT Analysis for Econet Wireless International As a result of the internal and external analysis, our SWOT analysis is as follows: Strengths Growth through international expansion. As EWI expands onto 3 continents in 10 countries, they are able to develop global footprint, thus increasing their capital base and securing their company. Innovative product range. They continuously developed product range, they developed into becoming a full-service communications company offering mobile telephony, traditional landline telephony, Internet services, data streaming services, transactions systems and contract services for other operators. For example, in Zimbabwe alone, they have a number of viable product offerings, namely Buddie, Ecocash, EcoFarmer, EcocashSave, Econet Solar, Econet Broadband and BusinessPartna Contract Lines. Their business model enabled them to offer quality products at competitive prices. They collaborated in the form of consortium partnerships and also joint ventures. For example, it was able to penetrate markets such as Nigeria, Kenya, Botswana, New Zealand, Lesotho, Malawi and Burundi. Their joint venture was with Altech in South Africa. The benefit of this partnership firm was listed in the Johannesburg Stock Exchange thus exposing them to a new source of capital. Their mutually formed company, Newco, would have eventually taken over almost all of Econet’s companys, allowing EWI to backward intergrate with a supplier which in terms of future growth, would enable them to develop an even wider product offering. This alliance would have been mutually beneficial, with Econet getting access to technology products, finance and administrative structures while Altech would get the opportunity to diversify riding on EWI’s mobile network. Multi-branding. EWI used it’s name in countries where it had a controlling stake such as in Nigeria, Lesotho, New Zealand, Malawi and Burundi. In countries where it was the minority shareholder, it operated under different names, namely Mascom ( Botswana), Gulfsat Maghreb SA ( Morocco). Their management structure was such that in each country, the operation was headed by a national, who knew the business climate in that country but the financial aspect was headed by an expatriate from head  office thus maintaining effective control and providing support. This encouraged business relations in those nations as the national heading the operation was able to negotiate deals from a knowledgeable point. Weaknesses Limited capital for operations, thus curtailing their growth, especially in New Zealand and Nigeria as the case study says, the consortium partners resisted a higher stake in Econet, believing they did not have the financial means and/ or resources to invest. In addition, Econet did not have enough money to finance the upgrading of its network and it came under government threat of having its licence revoked, thus they had to borrow $75 million Export-Import Bank. Also, in Kenya, their license was cancelled due to failure by the consortium to fully honour the license fee obligations within the given time frame. They failed to provide a service recovery alternative for the suspended Buddie cards in 2002 in Nigeria. The implication here was that they created low switching costs for their subscriber base, boosting the sales of their competitor. Econet gave their competitors an edge over them in Nigeria, as evidenced by the outcome of their decisions to suspend Buddie cards and also, during their subsequent reintroduction. Both times, MTN gained from these moves. In reintroducing the cards, they were not able to support the resulting call volumes. They had not had the foresight to prepare for this possibility as a result of their reintroduction. Network quality problems resulting from failure to support capacity when the Buddie lines were reintroduced. It was a situation of demand outstripping supply. They had also not expected this outcome as a result of reintroducing the previously popular lines. It’s strong dependance on their Zimbabwean operations means they weakened their efforts at expansion due to the unfavourable economic climate. They had raised capital via the Zimbabwe Stock Market but could not use it externally due to stringent government controls on the basis of hard currency remittance limitations. Their failure to capitalise on the license in New Zealand meant a loss on their part. Opportunities Their listing on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange gave them the opportunity to raise more capital. Acquisition of licenses in various countries through consortium partnerships meant they gained a foothold in countries such as  Nigeria, Kenya, Botswana, Morocco, New Zealand, Lesotho, Malawi and Burundi though from a minority position in the consortium. They were able to obtain licenses in various countries. Threats Stringent government controls. Restrictions to remit it’s foreign currencies to finance it’s operations in other countries, e.g. in New Zealand Intense competition, e.g. in New Zealand where the market was duopoly delaying their entry into that market. Low switching costs. In most of their markets, subscribers are multi-networked. As subscribers used a number of networks to maximise on particular network availability and promotions, EWI could not in depend totally on that these subscribers would be faithful. Key Issues Limited capital for operations. They could list on the Stock Exchange to attract investors. They could offer rights issues to existing shareholders, thereby attracting new capital. Network challenges. They need to upgrade their systems. They need to ensure they have enough technological infrastructure, e.g. base stations, to be able to cater for network loads. Collaboration with suppliers. Government regulations and restrictions. They need to form relationships with the host governments. Decision making. Improve their decision approach at corporate level, e.g. their decision to limit the number of days subscribers had access to the network. From the above analysis, the following threats are of high importance and Econet would do well to take notice: Stringent government controls Intense competition Low switching costs Mergers and acquisitions present an attractive and profitable opportunity thus Econet should explore this avenue further. Industry analysis of the â€Å"Big Five† using Porter’s Five Forces model. Threat of new entrants – High because: There are strong barriers to entry in terms of obtaining an operational license due to government restrictions, e.g. Zimbabwe, as shown in the case when Masiyiwa argued the case that the Telecel consortium should be  disqualified as they did not meet tender specifications. Restrictive license fees in terms of costs of getting the license such as in Kenya when EWI had their license cancelled after only two months due to failure to meet their obligation in terms of the license fee. A lot of capital is needed to start the business. It is estimated that $14 billion on average is needed as investment in the mobile phone business. Bargaining power of buyers: High because: Low switching costs such as in Nigeria when Econet opted to suspend the sale of its prepaid Buddie cards for 6 months due to quality problems, resulting in them losing subscribers. The buyer’s power is strong in Burundi because they have a population of 7 million people with only 4 mobile subscribers. Bargaining power of suppliers – High because: The government controlled operator supplier, Nitel, had strong bargaining power, as evidenced by their holding back to supply Econet with transmission links for more than a year and Econet had no option but to wait. There were few suppliers. Industry rivals – High because: Customer base grew rapidly between year 2000 and 2005 Intense competition among players in the mobile industry. Substitutes – Low because: Landlines penetration rates were low, for example, in Chad, the rate was on average one landline per 70 people while the mobile phone users expanded between year 2000 and 2005 from 15.6 million to 135 million. The overall rating is high because rivalry is high, threat of new entrants is high, bargaining power of suppliers is high and bargaining power of buyers is high. Competitor Analysis Competitor Key Strengths Key Weaknesses Perceived Strategies Key Segments Millicom First-mover position Market leader status Cost leadership Multi-branded Wide market coverage within South America Less aggressive business approach Easy to attack Low revenues in the big five Mass-marketing Multi-branding Cost leadership Low population markets International markets MTC Innovator High capital base Strong market coverage Market strength through acquisition An aggressive player High rate of economic growth Narrow product range Multi-branding Full market segmentation High population areas MTN Market coverage Market leader Strong capital base Economies of scale Resource utilisation Wide product range No multi-branding Blue ocean Leveraging existing business Growing new markets through acquisitions Research and development High population areas Niche, e.g. Middle Eastern Orascom Strong capital base through conglomeration Multi branding Cost leadership Wide product range Market leader Multi-branding Removed operations in Africa Market development High population Vodacom Strong revenue base Market leader Adequate resources for expansion Investment opportunities Least internationalised Market growth limitations Taking unnecessary risks Joint venture franchising Forward integration Domestic International Table 2 Company Capital/ Revenue (in billions $) Market Coverage (number of countries) Mobile Subscriber Number (in millions) Millicom 1.4 16 13 MTC 3 20 23 MTN 3 21 32 Orascom 2.1 9 41 Vodacom 3 5 27 From the analysis above, the market leaders are MTC, MTN and Orascom in terms of revenue. Millicom and Vodacom take the role of market challengers. In looking at mobile subscriber, Orascom and MTN are the market leaders followed by Vodacom, MTC and Millicom respectively. In terms of market coverage, MTN leads followed by MTC. Millicom is the market challenger. Orascom and Vodacom are nichers as they focus on specific markets. Challenges Legislation Government controls in the form of price controls, barring establishment of private mobile networks Trading policies License to operate Government regulations – licensing board Intense competition Duopoly in New Zealand Infrastructure problem Network support Lack of foreign currency Government foreign currency regulations in Zimbabwe Changes in exchange rate Economical meltdown in Zimbabwe Lack of capital Delay in listing on stock exchange Poor quality Buddie cards in Nigeria Product development and testing was poor Marketing Strategy Options Ansoff Matrix Market penetration – The organisation tries to grow it’s market share through sales of existing products to the present market, for example Econet Zimbabwe trying to grow its market share from 70% to 80%. They could achieve this through promotions such as offering discounted tariffs. This can be done through ensuring that they have got enough capital to support the reduction of cost on pricing. The company needs to develop budgets to steer ample resources towards promotion and advertising. Product Development – Coming up with new or modified products, for example Ecocash has been modified to include an account, that is, EcocashSave. They need to invest in a Research and Development department, tasked to come up with more innovative products. They also to need to emphasize on Total Quality Management to avoid product recalls, for example, in Nigeria where the cards had quality problems. Market development – The company seeks for and finds new markets in which to expand, for example they go into a totally new market such as penetrating Canada. They can do this through acquisition of licensing in that country.  Before acquiring the license, they would need carry out market research to ensure that that market is attractive and can be profitable for them. They should also ensure that they have enough capital to successfully implement this marketing strategy. In addition, they need to have the right management and organisational structures. Blue ocean The process of identifying an untapped market in an effort to run away from competition. For example, Econet came up with Econet Solar where they tapped into the solar provision market in an effort to ensure that their customers’ phones’ battery life did not affect their network accessibility. In these topsy-survy times where clients have become complicated, the only way to survive in business is through eliminating competition through investing in new technology and/ or Research and Development. As a result, they can realise much in terms of profit. We advise Econet to take the Ansoff matrix strategies because it covers the wide scope of marketing strates or options of growth.

Reporting Practices and Ethics Essay

The four elements of financial management are planning, controlling, organizing and directing, and decision making. These four elements will be defined and explained in this paper. Also emphasized will be the accepted accounting principles and the general financial ethical standards. Examples of ethical standards of conduct and financial reporting practices will be explored and notated in this paper as well. All of these points are important in the accounting practice of health care management to help the organizations run smoothly and to be financially stable. Four Elements of Financial Management Planning lets a health care organization set goals and guidelines to make sure their office is a success and that all accomplishments are met. Controlling is ensuring that all areas within the healthcare organization are following goals and guidelines set and gives the organization the opportunity to prepare for any issues that may arise. Organizing and directing ensures that the health care organization is working to its potential and allows them to work on a day to day basis and fix any issues that may be looming. Lastly, decision making works off all of the other elements (planning, controlling, organizing and directing) by collecting information and making the final decisions on how the financial management will work. General Accepted Accounting Principles â€Å"The common set of accounting principles, standards and procedures that companies use to compile their financial statements. GAAP are a combination of authoritative standards (set by policy boards) and simply the commonly accepted ways of recording and reporting accounting information† (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles , n.d.). Even with GAAP being a set of  standards, there are still companies that will finagle numbers on their financial statements, so their financial statements will have to be scrutinized tremendously. General Financial Ethical Standards â€Å"Ethical standards are determined largely by professional accounting and finance organizations and the Financial Accounting Standards Board. Small-business owners who plan to perform their own accounting services or hire accountants should be aware of accounting principles and general financial ethical standards so they can maintain a positive reputation for their businesses† (Morley, n.d.). Competence is one of the ethical standards that is key for a financial officer to uphold in an organization. Financial managers should follow the GAAP and stay up to date with its guidelines. They should also uphold honesty and integrity. Examples of Ethical Standards of Conduct Ethical standards of conduct is a set of standards that each company sets for themselves. There is no consistent standards of conduct for a business, but they must include, promoting values, trust, good behavior, fairness, and kindness. They are not easily enforceable and are always open to interpretation. For example, men and women should be treated equally or treat the patient with respect. Nightingale Home Healthcare code of ethics are direct and descriptive. Some of their ethical standards of conduct are listed as: â€Å"all business conduct should be well above the minimum standards required by the law, each employee is responsible for the consequences of his or her actions, each employee must be the guardian of Nightingale’s ethics, leaders at Nightingale have extra responsibility of setting an example by their personal performance and an attitude that conveys Nightingales ethical values, our first responsibility is to the patient and patient’s families that we p rovide our services† (Corporate Social Responsibility-Code of Ethics , n.d.). There are numerous points of their code of ethics but they serve a purpose and that purpose to make sure their company is ran efficiently and respectfully. Financial Reporting Practices â€Å"A distinguishing characteristic of high performance organizations is a strong internal control structure-controls that ensure patient care,  compliance with regulations, internal efficiencies, and financial reporting. It is controls on financial reporting that are receiving a great deal of attention under a new law, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. Public companies are now required by law to document controls over financial reporting, in order to fully address exposures and the effectiveness of current controls. Though many healthcare organizations are not directly affected by the law, regulatory agencies could follow suit and require similar compliance. In fact, several states have introduced bills that require nonprofit organizations to adhere to portions of the act. This article provides a guide for organizations desiring to stay ahead of the curve† (Godwin & Mueller, 2005). Significance The significance of these examples are that there are ethics that need to be followed within any organization but in a healthcare organization it is extremely important because you handle patients and to ensure the comfort of these patients, a code of ethics need to be enforced for the organization. It is also important to ensure that financial reporting is done, so all finances stay up to date on a legal manner. It helps to show revenue, liability, and expenses and helps control the business effectively. References Corporate Social Responsibility-Code of Ethics . (n.d.). Retrieved from Nightingale Home Healthcare : http://www.homecareforyou.com/about/code.html Generally Accepted Accounting Principles . (n.d.). Retrieved from Investopedia : http://www.investopedia.com/terms/g/gaap.asp Godwin, N., & Mueller, J. (2005). Fiancial Reporting Practices: A Comprehensive Evaluation. School of Accountancy, Auburn University. Morley, M. (n.d.). Accounting Principles and General Financial Ethical Standards . Retrieved from Small Business Chronicle: http://smallbusiness.chron.com/accounting-principles- general-financial-ethical-standards-36283.html

Linguistics for Elementary Teachers Essay

After reading the first and second chapters, in How Linguistics are Learned, I am interested by what Lightbown and Spada (2006) argued. The authors claimed that â€Å"The development of bilingual or second language learning is of enormous importance† (p. 25). They argued also that acquisition of more than one language in our new global world is rewarding for bilingual individuals socially and economically. The authors stated that most children nowadays are exposed to more than one language during their early childhood and schooling time. Some may learn two languages at the same time ‘simultaneous bilinguals’ while others may learn the other language later ‘sequential bilinguals’. There are situations where children are cut off their family language while they are very young. They may stop speaking their family language. This might represent a reason for concern. Researchers have recently devoted a considerable amount of their time and energy to investigate children’s abilities to learn more than one language at early age. The goal is to help students to learn a second language at early age and facilitate that for teachers and educators. This subject matter is interesting and challenging to me personally because it is connected to my experiences as a teacher and principal of multicultural schools environment with language learning /acquisition and education. My first language is Arabic; English is my second language. I started learning English while I was at Middle school; I was 12 years old. I have been all my life in education. I worked a teacher and principal. I worked in Jordan, Kuwait, Iraq, Canada and the US. I have worked with students from different countries speaking different languages in multicultural schools environment. My current school is Annoor Islamic School (AIS) in Wichita, KS. It is a private school, Pre-K through 8th grade. Students enrolled are 157 from 20 countries and 90 % of them are bilingual or trilingual. Students speak more than five different languages at their homes in addition to English. Due to the fact that our school is an Islamic school all our students are Muslims. AIS provides higher quality of education for students. They learn, in addition to public schools’ curriculum: Al-Quran al-Kareem, Islamic Studies and Arabic Language. Teaching Arabic for the non-native Arabic speaking makes them trilingual. It may look difficult for students, but in reality they want to be able to read Al-Quran. Al-Ksareem. They are highly motivated to learn more about their religion and read Al-Quran Al-Kareem in the Arabic Language. Based on my experience and observations all these years as a teacher and principal, I found that my bilingual students have higher academic results compared to their non-bilingual counterparts. The same conclusion was confirmed by developmental psychologists’ research as Lightbown and Spada (2006) stated. I also found that bilingual students’ skills are transferrable. The skills and knowledge that bilingual students know through their first language are transferrable. They can present these skills knowledge in their new second language easily. At my current school AIS, students startlearning anther language at age 3-4 years old. I found it is important to start young students learning a language other than their own from at an early age. That’s when they pick up a language the fastest. It is important because we need to know more about other nations’ cultures and history to improve world relations.

Marketing Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Marketing Research - Essay Example Moreover, it gives the researchers and designers the ability to open-up innovative, creative, and new outcomes or results but not necessarily the product. The information derived from these designs is helpful in the improvement of the artistic nature of a particular product, and the eventual improved marketability and value. This is because people have preferences of new designs that have not been redundant and common within the marketing spectrum. Within a company, this product value-addition is not only valuable, but also necessary. Exploratory designs encompass a wide range of application. For instance, it may be used in drawing both informal sketching and formal drafting during the process of mechanical design. Notably, there are five hypotheses focused on the types of drawings, their necessity in problem solving and relation, preferable research designs, methodologies of collecting data and selection of a subject. It should help to derive a definitive conclusion selectively putt ing in concern that, the deductions it makes do not necessarily imply a problem solution (Zikmund & Babin 135). This research design, majorly rely on secondary research. This include informal discussions with employees, consumers, competitors and management; data and literature review and more formal approaches like focus groups, projective methods, in-depth interviews, pilot and case studies. It also applies the use of internet in carrying out research (Creswell & Clark 100). This allows for research methods, which are highly interactive in nature. Feeds like RSS, provide updated information, leading search engine results can be sent to researchers by electronic mails through Google alerts and comprehensive search results are obtained over long periods using Google trends. Results from exploratory research provide valuable and penetrating analysis of a particular situation. However, it may not be helpful in decision-making, qualitative nature of explanatory design often fails to an swer questions; ‘how often’ and /or ‘how many’; thus, it is likely to present errors when generalized (Grinnell & Unrau 42). Exploratory research include among others, social exploratory research, which tend to study how people interact within the setting under question and what meanings their actions portray and the issues that concern them (Zikmund & Babin 35). The objective here is to learn and try to find out social phenomena with no definite expectations. Exploratory research is majorly applied at preliminary stages of problems or an issue at hand. Its other feature is applied research in administration, which concerns the necessity of flexibility in handling and dealing with the problem (Muller 57). Moreover, there are data limits and the imperative decision-making. Field research and case studies are also among other research methodologies, which fall under exploratory research designs. Exploratory research helps in gathering preliminary information that is useful in defining a problem and making hypotheses suggestions. Since it involves description, it describes things like the market potentiality for a product or the demographics and consumer attitude. Hypotheses are tested about the cause-effect relationship. This helps in determining which variable might cause a certain behavior (Hague 183). Correct definition of a problem is highly critical in any company.

Design and critically evaluate an appropriate dissemination strategy Essay

Design and critically evaluate an appropriate dissemination strategy for the research project discussed in Archambault (2012) - Essay Example In order for research to be carried out under this area effectively, the emotions of the children have to be heard from the children themselves. It is by finding out this information from the children that accurate and precise solutions to their problems can be found. Most children of refugees hope that whenever they move to a new place, they will be moving to a better place where they can have their own rooms and the facilities that the Norwegian children enjoy (Archambault, 2012). They keep hoping that they would be moving to a better neighborhood where their friends from school will not be afraid of visiting them. Children are a special category of refugees and they have been ignored or not considered when carrying out research among refugees. They consist of more than a third of all the refugees’ population yet they have never really been studied. Some of the changes that children are required to make are moving to new houses, making new friends, changing schools and changing houses (Archambault, 2012). The parents of the Norwegian refugees have to learn the language first so that they can get jobs and move to where the rest of the citizens live. The frequent moving keeps the hope alive that they will at some point move to the permanent residence. Some of the items they hope to own to consider themselves well off include a washing machine and a decent bathing area. Children in migration are more vulnerable than the rest of the children who do not have to move from one area to another all the time. They are at a risk of getting abused both emotionally and physically. Living in congested areas may make them vulnerable to diseases such as cholera and dysentery. Congestion in the refugee camps makes transmission and outbreaks of diseases very easy. Children are more likely to die from such diseases and therefore they have to be treated with more care. It is necessary that children are taken care of

How Parthian Kingship Evolved and Developed Essay

How Parthian Kingship Evolved and Developed - Essay Example The essay "How Parthian Kingship Evolved and Developed" talks about the royal image of the Parthian kings the study of which has been aided through the study of the coins of the earlier Arsacids in the mid-second century BCE. When it comes to royal identity display, Mithradates used various ways to legitimize their rule through certain identity projection. Dynastic legitimization enabled him to get attached to the former rulers in the Arsacid line. With this regard, Mithridates managed to show that he was rational next in line. Through idolizing his father and not Arsaces I, he was guaranteed of a godly ancestor. Through his usage of the Arsacid name, he managed to position himself in the line of the Parthian empire development. As a result, it gave Mithradates a firm identity as a Parthian, whereas allowing other communication means and culture open. It is viewed that the obverse faced similar way as obverses of the Seleucid faced. The diadem in various cultures had a meaning was adopted by Mithradates connected him with distanced him from the population of the Greek. The symbol of the beard was a vow for victory among the Parthian culture. Parthian coinage transformed from the traditional shape to something meaningful for Seleucid coinage and use of other cultural symbols to appeal to a greater audience. For this to work, certain conditions had to be fulfilled. The cultural elements had to be known by the targeted people and that the occupants of the empire were required to associate with their ruler.

The Drug Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Drug Business - Essay Example It had become so common that drug abuse was observed in majority of the American areas. The United States had become a place where frequent illegal business of drugs was taking place. Therefore, the government of United States decided to control the use of illegal drugs. Hence, it was noticed that in the 20th century, there were several restrictions so as to prohibit the use of illegal drugs among the people. In 1960, United States encountered another enormous problem in the list of most illicit drugs, known as marijuana. Marijuana is enormously dangerous like the other drugs. It was newly introduced and very rapidly become popular and common among the drug addicts. After the people of the United States discovered this marijuana, all the government laws and prohibitions were forgotten and once again United States embarked upon the journey towards excessive drug abuse and addiction in the society. Even the common public, apart from the habitual drug addicts were then being attracted towards illegal drugs. This illegal business of drugs was becoming so popular that the government had to take serious steps towards the growing use of drugs. Hence, the government in the mid of the 20th century decided to take some serious actions against the people who were involved in promoting the drugs and also those who were using illegal drugs. It was quite difficult for the government to control the drugs as it had become extremely common. Yet the government imposed laws for avoiding illegal drugs and did become successful to some extent. Soon illegal drugs started to become popular in even the young children of the United States. They started using it and became addicted to drugs as drugs seemed to be amusing for them. Therefore, it was decided to start awareness campaigns, not just to impose punishments on the usage of drugs, but also make people aware of its harms, especially the children. Awareness campaigns started in schools. People belonging to the awareness

Prospective on corporate strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Prospective on corporate strategy - Essay Example He argues that if these principles are not followed in entirety then a firm would be unable to maintain or enhance its strategic position. The first principle is to develop the ‘right goals’, which means the targets and objectives that are realistic and achievable in real world. For instance, the goals should be defined in a way they could create economic value for customers. This is happened when certain want-satisfying products are developed and marketed that in turn lead to consumer satisfaction / loyalty and relationship building in the long run (Porter, 1996). Profits are viewed by Porter (2001) as a secondary element of strategy because if a firm’s primary aim is profit then it would probably devise wrong policies. The second principle is ‘value proposition’ that refers to promises made by a supplier to its buyers. Indeed, the stronger the value proposition the greater the probability of enhanced strategic positioning. The third principle is â⠂¬Ëœdistinctive value chain’, which means that firms should differentiate their business functions compared to their rivals to support its distinctive value proposition (Hamel & Prahalad, 1990). The fourth principle is to ‘trade off’ certain characteristics during strategy formulation to ensure differentiation. ... Indeed, an organization with weak positioning could not survive, expand and sustain in a challenging, complex and unpredictable 21st century business environment. Task 2 It is worth mentioning that this is a globalized world (an outcome of technological advancements) where competition is intense among business firms due to relatively fewer barriers in entering in corporate arena. Nevertheless, the organizations also enjoy multiple benefits due to these technological innovations because they automate their business process and ensure their virtual presence to enhance their strategic position (inclusive of productivity and efficiency, cost reduction, market reach / share and sales volume). Apparently, it seems as if internet is a very useful tool for any firm (traditional operations) or e-business to attract a large pool of potential customers through web (dot com) presence. However, the first major criticism is that a significantly large number of dot com ventures fail and internet is not extremely beneficial for sales purposes because today it has been used by all entities (Stead et al, 2007). Indeed, every credible small and large business has created a website to facilitate and entice potential consumers towards their products (for example General Motors will not have a genuine advantage on Toyota and Chrysler because every global corporation enjoys online presence). For instance, another criticism is that the online customers are disadvantaged because they could not physically test and validate the products they order online (on web); therefore, they tend to make purchases online mostly from companies that have earned credibility and authenticity in open market and

Radiography Skills Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

Radiography Skills - Essay Example In addition, this distance is important in bringing sharper images and details of the delicate structures of the lungs. While doing the radiographic image of the body chest, an oblique sternum in the LAO position is not preferred. This is because oblique sternum position is only about 15o and opens the body joint at a very close angle to with the image receptor and also projects the sternum onto the right as opposed to left positioning recommended. Oblique sternum positioning of the LOA therefore fails to demonstrate the best axillary portions of the body ribs and instead, an AP oblique projection is preferred (Ramlaul, 2010). While doing abdominal radiography, the filming must include diaphragms as it demonstrates fluid and free air levels. Chest must be included in the acute abdomen examination because it has muscles that are of great radiologic significance. Different chest X-rays imaging are preferred for expiration and inspiration. In particular, for an inspiration, posteroanterior (PA), a form of portable chest x-ray is preferred as it exposes the crowded inspiration organs, while AP form of chest X-ray is commonly used for expiration (Ramlaul,

Small Businesses are Entrepreneurship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Small Businesses are Entrepreneurship - Essay Example The paper presents arguments in favor of this statement and attempts to explore various dimensions of this statement. Discussion To define, â€Å"entrepreneurship is the capacity and willingness to undertake conception, organization, and management of a productive venture with all attendant risks, while seeking profit as a reward† (Hatten, pp. 148-149, 2011). A glance at all other definitions of entrepreneurship will verify the fact that entrepreneurship, entrepreneur of entrepreneurial spirit is seen in line, primarily, with the elements of innovation and risk taking. Without any doubts, large sized companies and organizations create mechanisms and systems to diversify and decrease their risk over the period (Hatten, pp. 148-149, 2011) of time; however, small businesses are the ones that face great deal of uncertainty and ambiguity on a daily basis. Lack of abundant resources, limited funds, threat of competition, limited production capacity, narrow customer base, constraints in terms of conducting marketing research and others are factors that present challenges and risks to small business which are shared by almost all small businesses as well. Almost half of the new ventures and small businesses in UK and US fail in the first year, which is another proof and manifestation of the uncertainty that is faced by the small business and entrepreneurial ventures (Down, pp. 20-21, 2010). One can consider small businesses as examples of entrepreneurship because they share of the element of ‘need of constant innovation† with other entrepreneurial ventures. Important here to note is that this does not necessarily imply that large businesses can survive without innovation but the fact is that large businesses can delay innovation by using the other resources, competitive advantages and competencies at their disposal (Scarborough, Wilson & Zimmerer, pp. 41-42, 2010). When companies grow big, they develop a loyal customer base and develop other mechanis ms to retain customers. Their buyers associate certain level of quality with them and at least, with certain products and services, the buyers face certain switching costs due to which may hold the customers with the company for a longer period (Bridge, O'Neill & Cromie, pp. 263, 2003). Furthermore, when companies grow big, they either outsource the tasks of innovation or create separate departments for the same, and provide them with enough funding to experiment and keep an eye on the changing market trends. In case of both small businesses and entrepreneurs, there are no separate departments for research and development but the owner and the employees themselves must take out the time for coming up with new ideas and testing them thus creating a unique challenge for them (Lee-Ross & Lashley, pp. 52-53, 2011). Not only that constant innovation is a difficult task for small businesses but also at the same time, they need innovation more desperately than large companies do. As mentio ned earlier that large companies with their huge loyal customer base can survive in the market for quite some time since they have other factors to attract their customers; however, in case of small businesses and entrepreneurial ventures, innovation is all that they have to attract and retain their customers (Allen & Meyer, pp. 63-68, 2005). Most small businesses

Work Performance and Employee Well Being Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Work Performance and Employee Well Being - Essay Example Work performance and well-being of an employee have a cause and effect relationship with each other that runs both ways. Well-being is both a cause and effect of good work performance. On one hand, when an employee is psychologically and physically healthy, he/she is able to deliver his/her best at work and thus his/her work performance is enhanced. On the other hand, good performance at work leads to better reputation of the employee in the organization so that the employee feels good while at work. Similarly, good work performance is both a cause and effect of well-being. When an individual shows good performance at work, he/she finds interest in work. This interest helps him/her work hard so that he/she earns the trust and confidence of the employer. As a result of this, the owner appreciates the efforts of the employee by rewarding him/her through increase of wages, additional benefits with wage, and/or a higher position in the workplace. â€Å"People’s experiences at work affect how they feel about themselves, how they interact with their families and friends, how they use their leisure t ime, how anxious they are about the future and so on† (Fairhurst and O’Connor, n.d., p. 2). Any kind of reward increases the level of happiness of the employee and the employee’s overall well-being is enhanced. Work performance of an individual is an outcome of several variables that include but are not limited to the physical and mental health of the employee, the eligibility and competence of the employee in the work, the employee’s qualification and experience in the similar kind of work, and most importantly, the employee’s level of motivation. Of all of these factors, employee’s well-being is the most fundamental factor that affects his/her performance because if an employee does not feel well, he/she might not arrive at the work at the first place. â€Å"Having healthy employees is

The Renaissance Period Essay Example for Free

The Renaissance Period Essay The period in time referred to as the Renaissance started in the late   1300s and existed through the 1500s. The term translates into rebirth, and describes the process of intellectual and cultural change that began in northern Italy and eventually made its way to   countries lying further north. In this era, Christianity began to evolve and branch into different directions, weakening the power of the church and allowing the disciplines of philosophy and science the freedom to take new routes encouraging scientific observation as opposed to blind faith, or   reasoning (Gaardner 197, 202).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   These changes in Christianity, philosophy and science brought about the new ideas of renaissance humanism. When the author says, We speak of renaissance humanism, since now after the Dark Ages in which every aspect of life was seen through divine light, everything once again revolved around man., he is explaining how man has come to see himself in a new light. In the Dark Ages man viewed himself simply as a pitiful servant to God, unworthy of any form of greatness. During the   Renaissance, man saw himself not as a servant to God, but as an integral and more importantly, unique part of God and his greatness.   Man began to believe that God existed everywhere and in everything, including himself, and so man could now celebrate himself and his individual achievements, which became the basis of the new world view (Gaardner 197, 201).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The new world view consists mainly of two things: the way man viewed himself, and the way he viewed his surroundings. As previously stated, man viewed himself in a much higher light than in the previous era. He now also had a new view of nature. Previously, the world had only been looked at as a place of preparation for the hereafter, but now it was looked at as a place to investigate and explore. There was an exciting environment of freedom and exploration. Many people of the time were very aware that they were living in a special, exciting era of intellectual and cultural growth, and they wanted to play an active role in it. This led to huge advancements in all areas from the arts to the sciences, and to the ideal of the Renaissance man, the desire to be knowledgeable in all of these areas (Gaardner 200, 201).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There were three main technological developments that were necessary for the Renaissance   era to come to life. The compass, which made navigation simpler and encouraged the exploration of new lands, accrual of new observations, and information;   firearms, which gave the Europeans military power and made exploring the new lands safer, allowing them to easily overcome any native populations; and most importantly, the printing press, which allowed people greater access to all forms of information, promoting curiosity in the common person and encouraging the desire to know more, to explore, and to ask questions about their surroundings. The printing press also took away the authority of the church as the only source of written knowledge. All three of these developments came together to contribute to the spreading of the new world view over long distances, encouraging the growth of the Renaissance movement and its ideals (Gaardner 198).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The transition from a subsistence economy to a monetary economy also played a large role in the formation of the Renaissance era. The difference between the Renaissance economy and the economy in the Middle Ages was the formation of a large middle class. The formation of the middle class occurred during this time because at the end of the Middle Ages, large cities were fully developed, encouraging the growth of trade and commerce. A monetary economy with banking systems soon followed and the middle class was born, with people having the luxury to be able to buy the things that they needed or wanted. This type of system encouraged people to work harder and smarter, as opposed to feudalism, where working harder would not reap any personal benefits. As the author puts it, This state of affairs rewarded peoples diligence, imagination, and ingenuity.   New demands were made on the individual. This statement reflects the trademarks of individualism, experimentation and exploration that are present in the ideals of the Renaissance era (Gaardner 199).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another way that the printing press contributed to the Renaissance was by allowing the Bible to be translated and printed in different languages. Prior to this, in the Catholic church, only priests and monks read the Bible, because it was only available in Latin. Once it was translated and printed,   an individual could read it for himself, and interpret what it said in his own way. This led to an emphasis on an individuals personal relationship with God, and less of an emphasis on a persons relationship with his spiritual leaders. Eventually, it would lead to the Reformation (Gaardner 212).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The author speaks of a new religiosity that developed during the Renaissance. He is referring to the fact that thoughts on God in his relation to the individual changed dramatically.   Prior to the Renaissance, there was a belief that the priest was the only person who truly had a special relationship with God, so therefore it was entirely necessary for an individual to seek forgiveness from God through the priest. God was the only gateway to paradise, and the priest was the only gateway to God. Once the Renaissance was in progress, with its newly found importance of the individual and the ability of the common person to read and interpret the Bible for himself, people began to feel that it was possible to have their own personal relationship with God with or without the involvement of the church, which is a view that is still extremely popular today. This view was put forth by Martin Luther, one of the important contributors to the Reformation of the church during the Renaissance (Gaardner 212-213).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Many of the new views on religion during the Renaissance were prompted by advancements in science. A new scientific method was developed during the Renaissance, and formed the basis for all of the technological and scientific advances that have been achieved from that point onward. The new method incorporated using your own senses and experiences to observe phenomena during experimentation. Two of the most important scientists of this time, in my opinion, were Galileo Galilei and Isaac Newton (Gaardner 202).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Galiliei formulated the Law of Inertia, which states that a body in motion or at rest remains in that state until an external force causes it to change. Galilei set up a simple experiment to observe what would happen when two forces   acted on an object simultaneously.   Through his observations, he found that despite what was commonly thought, an object that had been propelled into the air would follow a parabola-shaped trajectory.   This would occur due to the forward force of the propulsion of the object, combined with the force of gravity pulling the object down towards the earth (Gaardner 205-208).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Newton used his own observations to formulate the Law of Universal Gravitation, which states that every object attracts every other object with a force that increases in proportion to the size of the objects, and decreases in proportion to the distance between the objects. He used his newly formulated law in conjunction with Galileis previously stated law and observations to explain exactly why the planets traveled in elliptical orbits around the sun. It is the result of two forces acting on an object simultaneously: linear movement from the force applied to the planets during the birth of the solar system, combined with the movement towards the sun due to its gravitational pull. The combination of these two forces, as Galilei previously stated, is what creates the elliptical movement. Newton was able to show that the same laws applied to every heavenly body in the universe, thereby proving that there was not a special set of laws that applied to the heavens, and a separate set of laws for the earth. This caused the people of the time to begin to question exactly what their place was in the universe(Gaardner 209-211).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To this day, we are still making discoveries that lead people to question what their place is in the universe, and if their belief in God is logical or not. Scientists have made and are constantly on the verge of making some huge, definitely stunning advancements, and it inevitably causes people to further question what their place is in respect to the world, the universe and in God. For example, the issues of stem cell research, cloning, and the manipulation of genes are all very controversial at this time, because people are forced to see that man has the ability to create life in a lab, and that he can go on to guide life in almost any direction he may choose, he can play God, as many people say. My own opinion on science is that it is something that must move forward. There is no reason to fear science.   When I analyze each of the topics mentioned above, I can not think of any logical reasons why we should not proceed experimenting with them. They are simply processes that occur naturally already, we are only directing them to proceed in a manner that will be as beneficial to us as possible. As far as what this means for religion, faith will always be what it has always been faith. True faith is unshakeable, as mentioned by Gaardner in respect to Isaac Newtons belief that his findings only supported proof of the existence of   of the great and almighty God (212). Who is to say that all of these magnificent discoveries and the intricacies on which they are based are not guided by the hand of God?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As to the question of our own age that we are living in, I think that in many aspects it is very similar to the Renaissance era. There is definitely a strong belief in the importance of the individual, so much to the point that I think you could say there is a strong trend towards selfishness and indifference. I think this has been reflected especially in the area of the family unit, with the high rates of divorce and single parent homes. People no longer base their life decisions on what will be best for the family unit, but what will make me happy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There is also a similarity in that many people no longer feel the need to involve the church in their relationship with God. While most people still have a strong faith in God, or some form of Creator, church attendance has reached record lows. Some people believe that science has become the new religion, but I think that mankind will always feel the need to believe that he will somehow be allowed to continue on, as death seems much too simple of an ending to the elaborate design of a human being and the world around him.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Despite our many similarities to the Renaissance, I think that our era can be defined as the Age of Technology. I believe this era began with the inventions of the computer and the internet. Like the printing press during the Renaissance, these two developments allow the rapid dissemination of information across vast distances. The discovery of these systems has revolutionized every area of science, allowing   information to be rapidly computed and shared.   I think that we are still in the very infantile stages of the Age of Technology, and we can only wonder what developments will arise by the time a new age begins. Works Cited Gaardner, Jostein.   Sophies World (188-215).

Patient Outcomes for Fibromyalgia Treatments

Patient Outcomes for Fibromyalgia Treatments Busch et al. (2011) describes fibromyalgia as chronic condition that exhibits symptoms that include widespread pain, non-recuperative sleep and fatigue. Fibromyalgia can affect anyone of any age but is most prevalent in women aged 50 or older (Traska, Rutledge, Mouttapa, Weiss, Aquino, 2010). Currently, the etiology of fibromyalgia is not understood. Fibromyalgia also has no specific diagnostic tests or cures (Becker, Stuifbergen, Taxis, Beal, Pierini, 2009). Diagnosis is established with guidelines set by the American College of Rheumatology (Gore, Sadosky, Zlateva, Clauw, 2009). Gore, et al. (2009) states that the guidelines stress the incidence of pain and tenderness at least 11 of the 18 defined tender points. Treatment for fibromyalgia, according to Zhao, Sun, Watson, Mitchell, and Swindle (2011), is palliative measures that include pharmacological treatment, behavioral modifications, physical and exercise therapy, and alternative medicines. This literature review is an examination of both pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic treatments for fibromyalgia and the effectiveness of the treatments. The following text will review and analyze several pieces of literature that provide information and statistics regarding the different methods of controlling the symptoms of fibromyalgia. The conclusion of this review will present suggestions and recommendations for enhancing and expanding the current body of research. Literature Review Pharmacologic Treatment Pharmacologic treatment for fibromyalgia includes many classes of medications. Medications include analgesics, antidepressants, anticonvulsants, opioids, and dopamine agonists (Zhao, Sun, Watson, Mitchell, Swindle, 2011). The pathophysiology of fibromyalgia is not well understood, but is believed to be the result of an increase in pain signal transmission of the central nervous system (Gore, et al. 2009). Gore, et al. (2009) focused attention on the medications gabapentin and pregabalin. A commercial database was used to study identifying traits among patients newly prescribed gabapentin and pregabalin that included clinical characteristics, healthcare resource use, and pharmacologic therapy (Gore, et al. 2009). Statistics were limited to those with at least one healthcare encounter during 2006 and 2007 with a diagnosis of fibromyalgia and naive to both gabapentin and pregabalin. The sample was majority female (85%) and greater than 70% over the age of 45 (Gore, et al. 2009). Results indicated that pregabalin users in the cohort study saw statistically significant reduction (p values A systematic literature review of 14 studies revealed a decrease in healthcare access among Latinos in the US as compared to Caucasian Americans (Timmins, 2002). Fifty-five percent of these studies indicated significant negative effects to healthcare access for Latino individuals with LEP (Timmins, 2002). Cancer screenings, mental health evaluations, and reproductive care among Latino populations were substantially lower (Timmins, 2002). The reason for this decline was primarily linked to poor health education and promotion as a result of linguistic barriers (Timmins, 2002). Communication barriers also hindered therapeutic rapport that potentially contributed to decreased access to care (Timmins, 2002). Shi, Lebrun, and Tsai (2009) conducted descriptive and comparative research on a national health survey that involved 29,868 participants. The purpose of this research was to determine the influence of LEP on healthcare access (Shi et al., 2009). Analysis showed that respondents with LEP were more inclined to waive needed medical care and less inclined to have healthcare visits (Shi et al., 2009). In particular, unadjusted analysis showed 58% of respondents with LEP and adjusted analysis revealed 34% of those respondents were more likely to have reduced healthcare visits (Shi et al., 2009). This study revealed multivariable impacts upon healthcare access; however, strategic analysis allowed for variable isolation in order to fully assess the effect of language barriers alone upon healthcare access. In a descriptive study, DuBard and Gizlice (2008) examined responses from 45,076 Hispanics in a randomized national health survey. The study indicated that healthcare access was substantially limited for Hispanics with LEP than Hispanics with English proficiency. The results showed 55% of Hispanics with LEP had no health insurance; whereas, 23% of Hispanics who spoke English were uninsured (DuBard Gizlice, 2008). An additional comparison revealed that 58% of Hispanics with LEP had not obtained a primary doctor, while 29% of English-speaking Hispanics were under primary physician care (DuBard Gizlice, 2008). Hispanics with LEP were also less likely to have annual health visits and preventative services, such as immunization, dental, and screening care (DuBard Gizlice, 2008). These results have implied a prominent influence of language barriers upon access to healthcare. Multivariate analysis disclosed limitations to healthcare access for all Hispanics, but a substantial decrease in access to health services was observed for Hispanics with LEP (DuBard Gizlice, 2008). Safety and Quality of Care In his systematic review, Timmins (2002) reported that 86% of studies indicated a definite negative effect of linguistic barriers upon the quality of care for Hispanics with LEP. In comparison to Hispanics that were proficient in English, one study revealed Hispanics with LEP were significantly (P Masland, Kang, and Ma (2011) conducted a study that assessed medication prescription comprehension in the following five ethnic minority groups: (a) Mexican, (b) Central American, (c) Chinese, (d) Korean, and (e) Vietnamese. Limited English proficiency inhibited communication and understanding of prescriptions in all ethnicities except Vietnamese (Masland et al., 2011). In particular, limited English proficiency in the Mexican, Central American, and Korean groups tripled the chance of misinterpretation and quadrupled the chance for the Chinese group (Masland et al., 2011). Poor communication and unavailability of prescription labels in native languages were associative reasons that inhibited prescription understanding and ultimately compromised client safety (Masland et al., 2011). However, most all ethnicities greatly benefitted from having language concordant physicians (Masland et al., 2011). As a result of physician/patient communication barriers, patients with LEP had an increased probability of undergoing more diagnostic testing (Pares-Avila et al., 2011). Studies reported physicians unnecessarily ordering an array of tests to determine or rule out health problems (Pares-Avila et al., 2011). This action not only potentially contributed to poor patient satisfaction but also promoted delays in care services (Pares-Avila et al., 2011). Health Status and Management According to DuBard and Gizlice (2008), 39% of Hispanics with LEP reported fair or poor health status; whereas, 17% of Hispanics who were English proficient conveyed fair or poor health condition. Timmins (2002) added that negative health status and outcomes could be attributed to language barriers. Misdiagnosing and prescription errors were found in one study to have contributed to negative health outcomes, yet limited English proficiency was not clearly isolated as a specific cause (Timmins 2002). Another study alluded to a casual association between language barriers and negative health outcomes, which potentially promoted declines in health status (Timmins, 2002). Wisnivesky et al. (2009) conducted a cohort study to analyze asthma control and quality of life. Upon comparing English proficiency levels, Wisnivesky et al. (2009) discovered major language barrier impacts. Latinos with LEP had statistically significant (P Fernandez et al. (2010) examined data from the 2005-2006 Diabetes Study of Northern California, a well-designed cohort of insured clients, to determine diabetes management of Hispanic individuals with LEP. Although this study’s multivariate analysis examined other variables that could have contributed to ineffective glycemic control, limited English proficiency was identified as the primary â€Å"independent predictor† (Fernandez et al., 2010, p. 170) of poor glycemic management among US Hispanics. Analysis further revealed statistically significant improvement (P Future Research and Practice Recommendations Literature has confirmed the existence of multivariable elements that compound, exacerbate, and/or lead to healthcare disparities among minority populations. Ongoing research is needed to explore all potential variables, to analyze the impact each variable has upon healthcare, and to discover best methods to improve healthcare for minority groups. A substantial amount of literature has corroborated language barriers as a major source contributing to negative healthcare management; therefore, this appraiser has considered this evidence indicative of poor professional practice that insufficiently bridges language barrier divisions and compromises patient healthcare. Nurses should be proactive in employing interpreter services and finding best practice measures to effectively communicate with patients. Pares-Avila et al. (2011) reported that patients with LEP are often not informed of their legal rights to have interpreters; hence, nurses must be client advocates and inform patients of this entitlement. Furthermore, quality improvement measures and future research should be implemented to continually evaluate interpreter service use and effectiveness. In the US, rapid expansion in language diversity has not mirrored the available diversity among healthcare workers (Pares-Avila et al., 2011). Literature has reflected improvements in healthcare directly related to having language concordant physicians, yet accessibility of language concordant providers has not adequately complemented the increasing number of patients with linguistic diversities. This literature review lacked studies that addressed or assessed the impact of nurse language concordance. However, this appraiser values language agreement between nurse and patient, perceiving it a powerful measure to ensure affective communication and promote health. More research is needed to analyze the effect of language unity between nurses and clients. With a growing diverse nation and competitive work arena, nurses should envision secondary language acquisition as the â€Å"edge† toward professional success and patient satisfaction. References Becker, H., Stuifbergen, A., Taxis, C., Beal, C. C., Pierini, D. M. (2009). The use of goal attainment scaling to facilitate and assess individualized change in a wellness intervention for women with fibromyalgia syndrome.Journal of Holistic Nursing,27, 232-240. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2702.2010.03501 Busch, A. J., Webber, S. C., Brachaniec, M., Bidonde, J., Bello-Haas, V. D., Danyliw, A. D., . . . Schacter, C.L. (2011).Exercise therapy for fibromyalgia.Current Pain Headache Reports, 15, 358-367. Gore, M., Sadosky, A. B., Zlateva, G., Clauw, D. J. (2009).Clinical Characteristics, Pharmacotherapy and Healthcare Resource Use among Patients with Fibromyalgia Newly Prescribed Gabapentin or Pregabalin.Pain Practice,9, 363-374. doi: 10.1111/j.1533-2500.2009.00292 Traska, T. K., Rutledge, D. N., Mouttapa, M., Weiss, J., Aquino, J. (2010). Strategies used for managing symptoms by women with fibromyalgia.Journal of Clinical Nursing,21, 626-635. doi: 10.1177/0898010109339525 Zhao, Y., Sun, P., Watson, P., Mitchell, B., Swindle, R.(2010). Comparison of medication adherence and healthcare costs between duloxetine and pregabalin initiators among patients with fibromyalgia.Pain Practice,11, 204-216.

Importance and Benefits of Energy Conservation

Importance and Benefits of Energy Conservation Energy is defined as the capacity of a physical system to perform work. In other words, It can be explained as the ability to perform or complete any type of work whether it is physical or mental activity. We can also explain â€Å"energy† which includes physical movements like shifting something from one place to another, warming something or lighting something. Energy exists in numerous forms such as heat, kinetic or mechanical energy, light, potential energy, electrical or many other forms. It can be better described by giving the below mentioned natural example of environment, it shows a chain cycle of converting different forms of energy into heat and power: Oil burns to make heat Heat boils water Water turns to steam Steam pressure turns a turbine Turbine turns an electric generator Generator produces electricity Electricity powers light bulbs Light bulbs give off light and heat We utilize energy in different forms in our daily routine life and cannot think even about to survive without it. We use energy to light our homes and for street lighting as well, to be able to power machineries and equipments in factories, helps to cook our food, for playing music and operating televisions and many more every day regular uses. Energy Conservation: It is the practice of reducing the quantity of energy used. It may be attained through efficient energy use; in this case, energy use is decreased at the same time getting a same outcome as a result, or by reduced consumption of energy services. It is one of the easiest processes to help the globe by means of pollution in addition to make use of natural energy. It may result in increase of financial capital, better environmental results, national security, personal security and human comfort. Individuals and companies are called as direct consumers of energy may need to conserve energy so as to reduce energy expenses and promote economic security. Industrial and business class users may want to increase the efficiency and as a result, it maximizes their benefits as well. Energy conservation is the reduction or removal of unnecessary or unwanted energy use. Importance Of Energy Conservation: Energy conservation plays a significant role of lessening climate change. It helps the replacement of non-renewable resources with renewable energy. Energy conservation is often the most inexpensive solution to energy shortages, and it is more environmentally kind alternative to increased energy production. Since, we have limited quantity of non-renewable energy resources available on earth, it is very important to preserve energy from our current supply or to utilize renewable resources so that it is also available to our future generations. Energy conservation plays a very important role because utilization of non-renewable resources also impacts our environment. Specially, usage of fossil fuels supplies to air and water pollution such as carbon dioxide is produced when oil, coal and gas combust in power stations, heating systems, and engines of car. As we all aware of that carbon dioxide works as a transparent layer in the atmosphere that is part of the cause to the global warming of the earth, or we can also name it as greenhouse effect. Global warming has its own consequences in our atmosphere. It has its deadly effects like spreading of different diseases, warmer waters and more chances of hurricanes, financial costs, polar ice melting, increased chances and intensity of heat waves. Ozone depletion is the reduction of the protection layer of ozone in the uppermost atmosphere by chemical pollution. Ozone layer is the protection line between earth and the ultraviolet rays emitted by the sun. People who have more exposure to UV radiation can have some health problems like DNA damage, skin cancer, aging and other problems related to skin. There could be some possible issues that include a danger to human body health, impact on environment like rising sea levels, and major changes in vegetation growth methods. When coal is burned, it realises sulphur dioxide into the air and therefore, it reacts with water and oxygen in the clouds and forms acid rain. Acid rain kills fish and trees and also damage limestone buildings and statutes. These types of global problems can be resolved. As per the data of United States calculated per year, we found that the average familys energy uses produces over 11,200 pounds of air pollutants. Therefore, every unit of kilowatt of electricity preserved diminishes the natural environment impact of energy use. There are some facts which considerably decrease the utility bills of a family. Following are some points covered in Pollution Prevention (P2) concepts which help you to control energy use and methods to conserve energy:- Altering what you normally use in your daily routine: You should walk or ride a bicycle instead of driving a car and as a result, it emits to roughly 60% of air pollution. At our homes, you should use lights which consume less energy and continue till 10 times more than bright light bulbs. For saving energy in normal daily routine activities like we should air dry our clothes rather than using dryers. We should fit a thermostat which regulates the temperature automatically. Search for that energy appliances which reduce your monthly electricity bills. Changing your activities you do in your everyday practice: You should plant trees close to your window for natural air, so there will be less usage of air conditioners. Recycle items used in household activities such as cans, plastic water bottles, and newspapers. It saves energy and raw material for making the same product. Wash down clothes in filled loads in washing machine and in cold water. Use settings on washing machines, dryers and dishwashers for saving energy. Set the room temperature in thermostat up to 65O F when you are at home and decrease the temperature to 55O F, when you are going to sleep. Lastly, you should improve your housekeeping habits in such a way that saves more energy like turning off lights when you are not present in room or not at home, close your heating vents and doors in rooms which are not utilizing any more, clean your air filters regularly in winters as well as in summers, it will work more powerfully and for long period as well. For making a proper use of energy and conserving it, you should share and communicate these facts and information with others in your family, friends and neighbours. There are many other activities which help people to do with conserving or saving energy. For example, we can take the example of a light bulb we use for lighting our homes; we could also recycle it and can utilize solar energy instead of using electricity during the day. Conserving energy is very important for the reasons that we use most of the energy resources are non-renewable. So as to make proper utilization of these resources, we require finding to begin our search for natural resources. We should use wind power, solar power energy, hydroelectricity, and bio-fuels and as a result that will make our environment healthier and better. (United States Environmental Protection Agency, August 1997) As far as the question of living and non-living factors are concerned, the non living factors like sunlight, temperature, rainfall, water and soil. Both the sunlight and the temperature contribute to the energy consumption. If we could use the sunlight in place of light switches in the home as well as we can open the windows instead of running the air conditioners that can also cuts out a tremendous amount of electricity that we can utilize later on. In case of water, instead of making use of non-renewable source of energy to recycle the used water or overflow, the plants can be way out to using solar powered and wind powered energy instead. For the soil, option to men farming by hand rather than machines. If we would grow our own gardens at home instead of running to the vegetable store for tomatoes or other vegetables, we have many natural resources available to make use of, so that we become always be active and not lazy. As far as it is related to living factors, which also contributes to energy consumption are animals like herbivores, carnivores and omnivores; human beings and marine life. In above all, only human beings are the main contributors. We are using the natural energy available to us and also sometimes damage the environment to some extent. (Basics of Energy Efficient Living: A Beginners Guide to Alternative Energy and Home Energy Savings by Lonnie Wibberding, 2006) Sustainability is a planned method focused by a good business judgement to decrease operating cost and to increase ROI (return on investment). A sustainability strategy is also motivated by an increased customers expectation for â€Å"green† suppliers and enterprise risk management. I have developed some under mentioned sustainability strategies and their solutions that will educate and illustrate the members of our society:- Sustainability Goals: Social Goals Ecological Goals Social Goals: Improve human health and safety: It is designed to develop and put into practice a structure for health which will ultimately enhance personal and organizational health and well-being as well as improve safety and security. Following action plans should be taken into consideration:- Set up measurements and situate targets for promoting health and wellness. Expand and apply an early interference program to support the improvement and go back to work Settle on efficiency of active tools Promote new software and data collection systems Increase current programs and journal articles that support health Ecological Goals: Reduce pollution Conserve resources Reduce pollution: It reduces greenhouse gas releases and develop air quality. It also reduces all forms of water and gets better waste removal procedures. It also make better storm water quality Following under mentioned points should be taken into concerned:- Buy BC Hydrogen green energy certificates Build up a transportation graph to maintain annual average automobile traffic campus Support the purchase of local products or commodities whenever possible To extend new programmes to instruct the society concerning the significance of waste management Create clear principle for waste management and utilize of recycled materials Enlarge programs to decrease the amount of dangerous waste generated Conserve Resources: It diminishes non-renewable energy consumption and reduces water consumption and use of paper. Discover the usage of renewable sources of energy like hydrogen power, micro hydro, ground resources heat pumps, and incorporated photovoltaic knowledge To make sure new building designs, both residential and institutional, think about future change to alternate energy sources To plan new buildings to decrease the usage of water Diminish irrigation requires during landscape plan, and other programmes planned to conserve water To grow and execute campus-wide procedure for exchanging from paper to paper on-line communications for mainly inner operations To increase alternatives for purchasing paper with recycled content (The Sustainability Strategy, May, 2006) We are facing some problems related to power shortage because everyone cannot afford the electricity bills. So, we should plan to do some point urgently to get out of this wasteful style affecting all sectors in our economy. The under mentioned energy conservation measures have been taken by the government to solve our energy problems:- Installation of efficient power plants: For planning efficiency, we should bring havoc in terms of economic issues and environmental pollution. We can find that combined cycle power plant is being installed with inlet cooling to make sure the power plant can function at peak efficiency and peak capacity in summers. Power generation in industrial and commercial sectors is also a source of immense waste. To encourage high efficiency, special incentives should be offered to industries and commercial complexes to encourage efficient utilization. Also, high efficiency installations should be provided gas on a year round basis where load shedding is followed in winter. Efficient steam or hot water production: There are many companies even now operating boilers by making use of our costly gas. All these steam/hot water needs can be effectively formed which means with the similar gas consumption we can produce hundreds of megawatt of power and as a result can meet altogether the steam/hot water requirements. Efficient central air-conditioning:- The government sanctioned many companies to install centralised air-conditioning without making sure of economical utilization. Time is passing out and proper steps should be planned for reasonable power as soon as possible. (Paper Articles on Urgent energy conservation steps needed, January, 2009) References United States Environmental Protection Agency. (August 1997). Energy conservation pollution prevention (P2). Lonnie Wibberding. (2006). Basics of Energy Efficient Living: A Beginners Guide to Alternative Energy and Home Energy Savings . Inspirations and Aspirations: The Sustainability Strategy. (May, 2006). Paper articles on Urgent energy conservation steps needed. (January, 2009).

Santiago as Code Hero in Hemingways The Old Man and The Sea Essay

Santiago as Code Hero in Hemingway's The Old Man and The Sea "The Old Man and the Sea" is a heroic tale of man's strength pitted against forces he cannot control. It is a story about an old Cuban fisherman and his three-day battle with a giant Marlin. Through the use of three prominent themes; friendship, bravery, and Christianity; the "Old Man and the Sea" strives to teach important life lessons to the reader while also epitomizing Santiago, the old fisherman, as a Hemingway code hero. The relationship between Santiago and the boy is introduced early in the story. They are unlikely companions; one is old and the other young, yet they share an insuperable amount of respect and loyalty for each other. Santiago does not treat Manolin as a young boy but rather as an equal. Age is not a factor in their relationship. Manolin does not even act as a young boy; he is mature and sensitive to Santiago's feelings. He even offers to disobey his parents and accompany Santiago on his fishing trips. Santiago is viewed as an outcast in his village because he has not caught any fish for more than eighty-four days and is therefore "unlucky". Nonetheless Manolin is loyal to Santiago and even when his parents forbid him he wants to help his friend. Their conversations are comfortable, like that of two friends who have known each other for a long time. When they speak it is usually about baseball or fishing, the two things they have most in common. Their favorite team is the Yankees and Santiago never loses faith in them even when the star player, Joe DiMaggio is injured with a heel spur. In this way Santiago not only teaches Manolin about fishing but also about important characteristics such as faith. In the story Santiago's bravery is uns... ...e does allow Christianity to be a more dominant theme than the other but instead makes it more symbolic than intentional. He does not smother the relationship between the old man and the young boy but instead separates them for a large part of the story. Finally, he does not make Santiago's bravery a central them by highlighting his weaknesses. In the end the old mans perseverance and faith pay off. He finally gains the respect of the village and succeeds in teaching Manolin the lessons of faith and bravery. In Ernest Hemingway's "The Old Man and the Sea", one will find many examples in which the main character, Santiago, surpasses many hardships while being courageous, brave, and being a friend. Each of these: courage, bravery, and friendship, are qualities in a Hemingway code hero. Hemingway, Ernest. "The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1999.

Migraine Headaches and Monosodium Glutamate Essay -- Health Medicine P

Migraine Headaches and Monosodium Glutamate For a countless number of years now, my sister has experienced excruciating migraine headaches; ones that keep her out of school too much during the year. She has seen different doctors and they have all tried to figure out what the cause is, but so far, it is yet to be done. I started looking around and saw that MSG has been know to trigger migraine headaches, and it occurred that this could be a possibility in my sister’s case. Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) is a salt added to foods to enhance flavor. This additive helps to bring out natural flavors that make foods taste their best. MSG is made from starch, corn sugar, or molasses from sugar cane or sugar beets and is produced by a natural fermentation process that has been used over time to make foods like beer, vinegar, and yogurt. (http://ificinfo.health.org/brochure/msg.htm) MSG and Head Pain Because MSG is a flavor enhancer for foods, many competitors in the food industry use lower quality foods and just add it in because of its cheap price. This allows the manufacturer to have a large gain in the economy. There is a large investment in MSG that leads food giants and glutamate manufacturers to get together to finance â€Å"medical research studies† to prove the safety of the additive to the consumer. Obviously, the research done in these studies funded by the manufacturer will â€Å"prove the safety† of MSG. The FDA’s Advisory Board consists of food industry reps as opposed to an unbiased group. It would only seem natural that the board accepts these research studies. When doctors look at these reports, they see that they are industry funded and don’t take into consideration that MSG could be causin... ...estigating this topic was to find the role, if any, that MSG played in the instigation of migraine headaches. In researching, however, I was presented with more information, finding out that MSG is known to cause more than just headaches, as shown in this study. Before looking into studies done on the topic of MSG’s effects on migraines, I deduced that there could possibly be a link between the two, however, this study gives much stronger evidence that MSG is troublesome more to some people than to others. Bibliography Diamond, S., Prager, J., & Freitag, F.G. (1986). Diet and headache. Is there a link? Postgrad Med, 279-86 Drouin, M.A., Herbert, M., Karsh, J., Mao, Y., & Yang, W.H. (1997). The monosodium glutamate complex: assessment in a double blind, placebo-controlled, randomized study Journal of Allergy Clinical Immunology, 757-62

Marianne Boruchs Year in Hawaii :: Marianne Boruch Year Hawaii Essays

Marianne Boruch's Year in Hawaii In her poem, â€Å"Year In Hawaii,† Marianne Boruch effectively portrays the feeling of an endless, motionless setting. This lyric poem attempts to transcend time by working with timelessness. The key lines to the poem take place at the very beginning, â€Å"The ocean takes so long/to think about.† Immediately the reader is met with mixed sensations of timelessness as well as restlessness. There’s a dreamy, sluggish feel to her wording. Using the ocean is perfect for evoking this, as looking out at the water, â€Å"Distance stops; one sees the endless line/of something.† So much empty space rolling out and out until it meets the sky. Boruch goes on to make her stance even clearer, â€Å"I was a toad/there, a river thing that got lost.† She places herself as a small, tiny creature that has no grasp of how big its surroundings are. After setting the mood in this tropical haven, Boruch makes a point to explain, â€Å"I never had a vision/about the place. I never thought: this/is the beginning of the world.† Boruch lets the reader know this is not a dream world, this is not something that can be conjured up in the mind and cradled whenever desired. Her time in Hawaii is something that she could have never imagined. This helps the flow of the poem, as she then depicts how easily pleased humans are. â€Å"You’ve seen/the postcards. People buy them thinking/everything worthwhile comes/through a camera lens, and they put them/in a pocket or down the dark throat/of a mailbox someone later opens/with a key.† Finding themselves in this unimaginable tropical island, humans try to capture the unexplainable on a piece of paper and bring it home to their safe comforts. Going back to the running theme of restlessness, Boruch portrays the human desire to be able to see the beauty of this landscape and the resulting unawareness of how unattainable it is. Amazed, they get there and think it is a material thing, believing that a simple postcard will do justice to their paradise. Even though she seems to be depicting a ‘paradise’ mind, Boruch immediately switches over to an ‘everyday’ mind. She describes the natives, â€Å"wanting just to live there, thank you,/going off to work and coming back, normal/things.† It’s as though the natives bring the poem back into time again, while the tourists had been stuck in timelessness.

Grapes of Wrath and Migration Experience Essay

The novel, â€Å"The Grapes of Wrath† by John Steinbeck, takes you on a chronicle of one family’s migration, from Oklahoma to California as a result of exodus. The family is forced to migrate west in search of a livelihood during the great depression of the 1930’s. The structure of the chapters in this book alternate between narrating the journey of the Joad family with descriptions of the westward movement of migrant farmers in the 1930s as they flee drought and industry. Steinbeck, a native of California, draws from first hand experiences to guide the reader not only along the journey of one family in particular, the Joad’s but, to also expose the desperate conditions of migrant farming-families faced during the great depression in America. The Joad family was a part of a migration of people called â€Å"okies† which were farmers from the southwest that migrated westward in search of opportunity. The Okies were farmers whose topsoil blew away due to dust storms and were forced to migrate along Route 66 to California in search of work. The Okies were resented for migrating in large numbers to areas in the West where work was already hard to find and the sudden multitude of workers caused wages to be lowered. The Joad’s reside in Oklahoma, referred to as the â€Å"Dust Bowl† of the U. S . because of its lack of rain. The Joads’ were sharecroppers evicted from their homes because they failed to pay the bank their loan payments to the Shawnee Land and Cattle Company. The entire area was being evicted by the land owners, forcing sharecroppers’ to leave all that they have ever know and cared for behind in search of a sustained life elsewhere. The novel opens up by introducing the main characters and painting a picture of a dried up withering Oklahoma farming region. Released from an Oklahoma state prison after serving four years of a manslaughter conviction, Tom Joad makes his way back to his family’s farm amid the desolation of the Dust Bowl. He meets Jim Casy, a former preacher and the man who baptized Tom as a child. Tom gives the old preacher a drink from his flask of liquor, and Casy tells Tom how he decided to stop preaching. He admits that he had a habit of taking girls â€Å"out in the grass† after prayer meetings and tells Tom that he was conflicted for some time, not knowing how to reconcile his sexual appetite with his responsibility for these young women’s souls. Eventually, however, he came to the decision that â€Å"there ain’t no sin and there ain’t no virtue. There’s just stuff people do. It’s all part of the same thing. † No longer convinced that human pleasures run counter to a divine plan, Casy believes that the human spirit is the Holy Spirit. Jim accompanies Tom to his family’s farm; when they find it deserted, fronted by withered crops, they find Muley in that house. Muley is an old family friend that stayed behinde while his family leaves for California to tend to his rightful land. He explains haltingly that a large company has bought all the land in the area and evicted the tenant farmers in order to cut labor costs. The three men proceed forward traveling to Tom’s Uncle John’s house, where they find the Joads preparing for a long trip to California in search of work. The entire family has gone to work picking cotton in hopes of earning enough money to buy a car and make the journey to California. Large California landowners have poster announcement for employment throughout western Oklahoma, and Ma and Pa Joad have decided to move their family their; evicted from their farm by the bank that owned it, they feel as though they have no choice. Once Tom has been reunited with his family, in the following chapters, the narrator assumes the voice of generic tenant farmers, expressing what their possessions and memories of their homes mean to them. The farmers are forced to pawn most of their belongings, both to raise money for the trip and simply because they cannot take them on the road. Steinbeck makes it apparent during this section of the novel that he believes that the economic system makes everyone a victim—rich and poor, privileged and disenfranchised. All are caught â€Å"in something larger than themselves. † This is used to give reference to the bigger picture of society and how situations dictate undesired behavior. In a sense it was a way of taking some hatred off the people hired to kick people off their lands because these people too lost their livelihood. When the time comes to leave, Muley Graves bids the family good-bye, but Grampa suddenly wants to stay. He claims that he aims to live off the land like Muley and continues to protest loudly until the Joads lace his coffee with sleeping medicine. Once the old man is asleep, the family loads him onto the truck and begins the long journey west. When the families leave the farms, the land if left vacant, and is worked by people with no connection to the land. This is used to drive home a theme of man and his relationship to the land as a symbol of ownership. Such a separation between work and life causes men to lose wonder for their work and for the land. As the Joads make their way down highway 66, it is described as being backed-up and filled with broken down poor farmers getting ripped off by auto repair shops selling parts. Steinbeck suggests that the hardships the families face stem from more than harsh weather conditions or simple misfortune. Human beings, acting with calculated greed, are responsible for much of their sorrow. Such selfishness separates people from one another, disabling the kind of unity and brotherhood that Casy deems holy. It creates an ugly animosity that pits man against man, as is clear in Chapter 12, when a gas station attendant suggests that California is becoming overcrowded with migrants†. Steinbeck uses Pa Joad to embody the desire to be connected with the land, this is displayed by his willingness to stay back from his family to tend and live off his native soils. Conversely Jim Casy represents the focus of the family and it’s the most important aspect is to stay together. Ma Joad also represents the glu holding the family together and the backbone of the family unit. The family reaches Oklahoma City, while here they suffer the loss of their dog, and Grandpa Joad, and are forced to give them informal funerals due to a lack of money. After suffering such a major loss, the family picks up new passenger the Wilson’s a family they met broke- down on the side of the road. A few days down the road the family gets told by a car salesman that implications of open jobs in California are false. This brings a large sense of worry among the family because there survival depends on the opportunities waiting in California. At this point of the novel the many amilies traveling along the road have come together as one family creating a sense of comfort and belonging. The people have created rules and enforcement of law; this is a drastic change in identity and life. They are no longer farmers but migrant men. The family reaches California, marking a major shift in the journey. Once in California, the family is warned by Ma that the family is falling apart, as a result of the passing Grandma and the separation from the Wilson’s. Coming after two sets of dire warnings from ruined migrant workers, Granma’s death bodes especially ill for the Joads. They now seem fated to live out the cautionary tales of the men they have met in Chapters 16 and 18, who now seem like predictors of the future. Before the Joads even set foot on its soil, California proves to be a land of vicious hostility rather than of opportunity. The unwelcoming attitudes of the police officers and border guards seem to testify to the harsh reception that awaits the family. Once in California the family is forced to move north by authority, which do not take a liking for the okies. The family reaches a camp where they stay for a little while. This camp was a squatter settlement of okies with no food or work to speak of. This is an unsettling feeling for the Joads and a sense of anguish settles over the family. A man come into the came looking for people to work, but he does not have the proper papers and will not disclose the wages to the workers. This creates skepticism by for the okies and a scuffle breaks out. Which results in Jim Casy taking the blame for Tom knocking out a police officer. The men take Jim Casy away and the Joads flee in search of safety and work. The family finds work in a peach orchard where they get paid 5 cents a basket. That evening, Al goes looking for girls, and Tom, curious about the trouble on the roadside, goes to investigate. Guards turn him away at the orchard gate, but Tom sneaks under the gate and starts down the road. He comes upon a tent and discovers that one of the men inside is Jim Casy. Jim tells Tom about his experience in prison and reports that he now works to organize the migrant farmers. He explains that the owner of the peach orchards cut wages to two-and-a-half cents a box, so the men went on strike. Now the owner has hired a new group of men in hopes of breaking the strike. Casy predicts that by tomorrow, even the strike-breakers will be making only two-and-a-half cents per box. Tom and Casy see flashlight beams, and two policemen approach them, recognizing Casy as the workers’ leader and referring to him as a communist. As Casy protests that the men are only helping to starve children, one of them crushes his skull with a pick handle. Tom flies into a rage and wields the pick handle on Casy’s murderer, killing him before receiving a blow to his own head. He manages to run away and makes it back to his family. In the morning, when they discover his wounds and hear his story, Tom offers to leave so as not to bring any trouble to them. Ma, however, insists that he stay. They leave the peach farm and head off to find work picking cotton. Tom hides in a culvert close to the plantation—his crushed nose and bruised face would bring suspicion upon him—and the family sneaks food to him. Word gets out that Tom is a murder and is forced to leave his family. Before he leave he has a hear to heart with his mother, he speaks of Jim Casy and his way of spirituality for the greater good. As Tom leaves his family to fight for social justice, he completes the transformation that began several chapters earlier. Initially lacking the patience and energy to consider the future at all, he marches off to lead the struggle toward making that future a kinder and gentler one. The Joads are left to work on the farm but, then there is a six day flood that wipes away the families cars and settlement. This forces the family to set off on foot for higher ground. Al decides to stay with the Wainwrights and Agnes. Traveling on foot, the remaining Joads spot a barn and head toward it. There, they find a dying man and small boy. The boy tells them that his father has not eaten for six days, having given all available food to his son. The man’s health has deteriorated to such an extent that he cannot digest solid food; he needs soup or milk. Ma looks to Rose of Sharon, and the girl at once understands her unstated thoughts. Rose of Sharon asks everyone to leave the barn and, once alone, she approaches the starving man. Despite his protests, she holds him close and suckles him. This is the closing of the book, which for me is an amazing ending. It was symbol of family and the fight for the greater good of the common people. Analysis In the Grapes of Wrath, we are taken along side a family of okies, who are forced to migrate west. Through this journey we can use the insights of the suffering the migrants went though to better understand the immigrant experience. Throughout history outsiders have driven people off their native land. They fall victim to the physical and environmental forces that drive them off the land. Immigrants or in this case migrant workers are labeled as trash and are used as capital gain and cheap labor. This is due a lack of options and the people are forced to work for unfair pay and to be treated unjust. The Dust bowl was an ecological and human disaster in the Southwestern Great Plains regions of the United States in the 1930’s. The areas affected were Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, and Colorado. The poor handling of the land and years of drought caused this great disaster (Jones â€Å"History†). During this time the â€Å"Okies†Ã¢â‚¬â€œa name given to the migrants that traveled from Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, or anywhere in the Southwest or the northern plains to California–encountered many hardships. These hardships are brilliantly shown in John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath. Scholars agree, â€Å"The most important fact about the dust storms was not scientific but human: their tragic effect upon people seeking livelihood on the stricken Midwestern farms† (French 4). Steinbeck believed society was inhumane to the Okies and through his novel we can account for how the Okies were treated. By looking at Steinbeck’s own personal background and information from historical commentaries we are better able to grasp his reasoning for writing the novel because he understood what it was like to grow up as a farmer, and an outsider. More importantly, however, we are able to share in his compassion for the Okies. To fully understand Steinbeck’s reasoning for writing the novel it is important to look at his family and where he grew up. John Ernst Steinbeck was born on February 27, 1902, in Salinas California. His parents were middle-class people who played many roles in the community and cultural life. His father worked as a manager of a flourmill, and his mother taught in a one-room rural school (Swisher 13). Steinbeck’s compassion for the Okies is clearly seen in passages like, this: â€Å"The Okies are resourceful, and intelligent Americans who have gone through the hell of the drought, have seen their lands wither and die and the topsoil blow away: and this, to a man who has owned his land, is a curious and terrible pain† (French 56). The encounters Steinbeck had with the Okies inspired him to write The Grapes of Wrath (Swisher 20). The Okies were not only exposed to greed but also to the terrible feeling of an empty, deprived stomach. Steinbeck remarks, â€Å"And in the South he [a homeless, hungry man] saw the golden oranges hanging on trees, the little golden oranges on the dark green trees; and guards with shotguns patrolling the lines so a man might not pick an orange for a thin child, oranges to be dumped if the price was low† (318). In conclusion Steinbeck wants his readers to feel the pain of the Okies. They were discriminated against because of a circumstance (The Dust bowl) they had no control over. Steinbeck can relate to this inhumane treatment because he too had suffered teasing and hatred based solely on his physical characteristics. Nature handed the Okies and Steinbeck a bad hand and he wanted society to grasp the reality of human unkindness. Steinbeck writes, † If you [land owners] could separate causes (hunger in a stomach, hunger in a single soul, hunger for joy and security) from results (growing labor unity, striking at new taxes, widening government), if you could know that Paine, Marx, Jefferson, Lenin, were results, not causes, you might survive. But that you can not know. For the quality of owning freezes you forever into I, and cuts you off forever from the we† (Steinbeck 206). So we can use Steinbeck’s life experiences and historical references to use the Joads journey west to better understand the immigrant experience.