Problem solving Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Problem solving - Essay Example Smoking is badly affecting the society and steps need to be taken to solve this problem. Before the harmful effects of smoking were understood, the stigma attached to this issue did not exist. With awareness and knowledge it was understood that smoking posed health hazards for the smokers and the non smokers. Passive smoking is destroying the normal functions of the bodies of the non smokers and this is unjust. Smoking in public places can cause non smokers to passively smoke and some asthmatic patients can have a triggered asthmatic attack because of it (National Health Survey 1994). Similarly patients who are already suffering from fatal diseases would be triggered by this tobacco smoke if they are exposed to it highly as reported by the CDC (Washington Post 2004). Every human life in this world is precious and they have the right that they should not be exposed to carcinogens which would affect their health and if this ban on smoking does not take place then these individuals woul d be exposed to the carcinogens of cigarette (U.S Department of Health and Human Services). Smoking is a global issue that needs to be dealt with. In developing countries where literacy rate is low, people are more addicted to smoking and hence their behavior towards their relatives, education, society and future changes.

MBA Information Technology Preventing and Detecting Operational Risk Essay

MBA Information Technology Preventing and Detecting Operational Risk Caused by Employees - Essay Example It has become imperative for the senior management to forcefully implement the appropriate measures to detect and prevent operational risk from employees in their organisations. Most of the measures, including security, need to be followed top down. An employee who sees an upright senior is less likely to engage in fraudulent behaviour. Security Policies and Training. The next step is to develop security policies and provide training to ensure that everyone is aware of, understands them and also follows them in right spirit. The greater the understanding of how security issues directly impact production levels, customer and supplier relationships, revenue streams, and management's liability, the more security will be incorporated into business projects and proposals. Most critical is an Acceptable Use policy (AUP) that informs users of their responsibilities. An AUP serves two main purposes: (1) It helps to prevent misuse of information and computer resources and (2) it reduces exposure to legal liability. Security Procedures and Enforcement. The next step is to implement procedures, training, and enforcement of the AUP. Businesses cannot afford to ignore security risks nor can they afford the infinite cost of perfect security. Security Tools: Hardware and Software. ... Keep in mind that security is an ongoing, multilayered process and not a problem that can be solved with hardware or software tools. Hardware and software security defenses cannot protect against irresponsible business practices. 2. What events triggered the strong measures to prevent and detect internal fraud Name three laws that have antifraud measures. Answer. Fraud Prevention and Detection. Internal audits and internal controls (cover later in the chapter) are critical to the prevention and detection of occupational frauds. Some high-profile examples of occupational fraud that were executed because of the lack of internal audits and controls leading to implementation of strong measures to prevent and detect internal fraud include: NEC. In 2006, NEC had to restate its earnings for five prior years after discovering that a 50-year-old manager/engineer had been fabricating business deals. The bogus deals inflated sales by 36.3 billion yen ($311 million). The false transactions enabled the manager to embezzle tens of millions of yen, which he spent on entertainment. Adelphia. A year after the public learned of the $600 million Enron scandal, the Rigases made Enron's fraud look like penny-change. The SEC uncovered the misappropriation and theft of tens of billions of dollars. In addition to the $2.3 billion the family stole from the company for their personal use, they caused losses investors of more than $60 billion. Global Crossing. Corporate insiders knowingly sold more than $1.5 billion of artificially inflated company stock. In April 2005, the SEC filed a settled action for civil penalties against Global Crossing's former CEO, CFO, and VP of Finance for aiding and abetting the fraud. Each executive agreed to pay a $100,000

Understanding HealthCare Essay Example for Free

Understanding HealthCare Essay Hospitals and other health care institutions, whether voluntary or for-profit, need to be financially solvent to survive growing market pressures. In what ways has this â€Å"bottom line† focus changed the nature of the US health care system? The establishment of health services now depends almost entirely on its profitability. The predominant view of corporate-minded politicians at federal, state and municipal levels is that government does not belong in the health care business and should divest itself of its health care assets. To save themselves the hospitals must cut costs, merge in order to realize greater economies and capture markets and generally begin to function similar to other competitive business entities. The hospital, the final holdout in the total commodification of health care, must now drastically rewrite its traditional mission statement if it is to survive. If present tendencies continue, two developments are likely to occur. First, the hospital will become a thoroughgoing creature of the marketplace. The financial bottom line will displace the clinical base line, wherever it not already done so. Hospital mergers â€Å"downsizing† and â€Å"shrinkages† are likely to accelerate. Hospital staff will continue to be replaced by machines wherever it is economically and technically feasible. The ideal patient will be one who’s got lots of insurance coverage, but isn’t particularly sick. Second, those without insurance coverage will receive less medical care. As private hospitals tighten admissions policies to maximize reimbursements, the poor and uninsured will be caught in a double bind. The cash-strapped public system will close its clinics or restrict access, cut back on services, and be generally less capable of providing quality care. Discussion Week Two Although your textbook states that ambulatory care is the predominant mode of health care delivery in the United States (p. 121), the CDCs National Center for Health Statistics National Health Care Survey revealed a 32% increase in the number of emergency room visits between 1996 and 2006. What factors do you believe contribute to the increase in emergency room visits and what is the impact on health care costs? Support your answer. What good is having health insurance if you can’t find a doctor to see you ? The  Massachusetts Medical Society reported that the average wait time for a new patient looking for a primary care doctor ranged from 36 to 50 days, with almost half of internal medicine physicians closing their doors entirely too new patients. And when you consider that Massachusetts already has the highest concentration of doctors nationwide, wait times will likely be worse in other, less physician-abundant parts of the country, should universal coverage be enacted fe derally. When patients are forced to wait weeks to obtain medical care, they inevitably find their way into the emergency department for treatment that ordinarily can be handled in a doctor’s office. According to a report from the Division of Health Care Finance and Policy, expanded coverage may have contributed to the rise in emergency room visits, as newly insured residents entered the health care system and could not find a primary care doctor or get a last-minute appointment with their physician. David Morales, commissioner of the division, said several national and statewide studies have shown that expanding insurance coverage does not reduce emergency room visits. I’m on record with supporting health reform, and expanding coverage. I simply don’t think it’s acceptable to have tens of millions of Americans without health insurance. But we have to be cognizant of the unintended consequences if primary care continues its disastrous decline. It will take significantly more than what’s included in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to convince medical students to go into the field, and prevent current primary care doctors from leaving. And to those who say physician assistants and nurse practitioners are the answer, they’re not. First, there’s simply not enough of them to meet the demand, and second, the lucrative allure of specialty practice is also drawing mid-levels away from primary care. Unless drastic measures are taken soon, the emergency room will surely be the next domino to fall as more than 30 million newly insured patients are set to further strain our health system. Discussion Week Three Given the increasing longevity of Americans and the costs of providing long-term care, anticipation of the costs should be a major element of every family’s financial planning. Current information suggests however, that very few families or individuals give this consideration. What factors might impede this advance planning? What measures might be effective in raising  awareness among the Americans about this important matter?

The Process Of Workforce Planning In Supermarkets Business Essay

The Process Of Workforce Planning In Supermarkets Business Essay Work force planning is the process of analysing an  organisations likely future needs for people in terms of numbers,  skills  and locations. It allows the organisation to plan how those needs can be met through  recruitment  and  training. It is vital for a  company  like Tesco to plan ahead. Because the company is growing, Tesco needs to recruit on a regular basis for both the food and non-food parts of the business. Positions become available because: jobs are created as the company opens new stores in the UK and expands internationally vacancies arise as  employees  leave the company when they retire or resign or get  promotion  to other positions within Tesco new types of jobs can be created as the company changes its processes and  technology Tesco uses a  workforce planning  table to establish the likely  demand  for new staff. This considers both managerial and non-managerial positions. In 2008/09, for example, Tesco calculates that to support its business  growth  there will be a demand for around 4,000 new managers. The planning process This planning process runs each year from the last week in February. There are quarterly reviews in May, August and November, so Tesco can adjust staffing levels and recruit where necessary. This allows Tesco sufficient time and  flexibility  to meet its demands for staff and allows the company to meet its  strategic  objectives, for example, to open new stores and maintain  customerHYPERLINK http://www.thetimes100.co.uk/glossaryservice-standards-1285.phpservice standards. Tesco seeks to fill many vacancies from within the company. It recognises the importance of motivating its staff to progress their careers with the company. Tesco practises what it calls talent planning. This encourages people to work their way through and up the organisation. Through an annual  appraisal  scheme, individuals can apply for bigger jobs. Employees identify roles in which they would like to develop their careers with Tesco. Their manager sets out the technical skills,  competencies  and behaviours necessary for these roles, what training this will require and how long it will take the person to be ready to do the job. This helps Tesco to achieve its  business objectives  and employees to achieve their personal and career objectives. Job descriptions and person  specifications An important element in workforce planning is to have clear job descriptions and person specifications. A job description sets out: the title of the job to whom the job holder is responsible for whom the job holder is responsible a simple description of roles and responsibilities A person specification sets out the skills, characteristics and attributes that a person needs to do a particular job. Together, job descriptions and person specifications provide the basis for  job advertisements. They help job applicants and post-holders to know what is expected of them. As they are sent to anyone applying for jobs, they should: contain enough information to attract suitable people act as a checking device to make sure that applicants with the right skills are chosen for interview set the targets and standards for job performance Job descriptions and person specifications show how a job-holder fits into the Tesco business. They help Tesco to recruit the right people. They also provide a  benchmark  for each job in terms of responsibilities and skills. These help managers to assess if staff are carrying out jobs to the appropriate standards. Tescos  organisational structure  has the customer at the top. Tesco needs people with the right  skills  at each level of this structure. There are six work levels within the organisation. This gives a clear structure for managing and controlling the organisation. Each level requires particular skills and behaviours. Work level 1   frontline jobs working directly with customers. Various in-store tasks, such as filling shelves withstock. Requires the ability to work accurately and with enthusiasm and to interact well with others. Work level 2   leading a  team  of  employees  who deal directly with customers. Requires the ability to manage  resources, to set  targets, to manage and motivate others. Work level 3   running an operating unit. Requires  management  skills, including  planning, target setting and reporting. Work level 4   supporting operating units and recommending  strategicchange. Requires good knowledge of the business, the skills to analyse information and to make decisions, and the ability to lead others. Work level 5   responsible for the performance of Tesco as a whole. Requires the ability to lead and direct others, and to make major decisions. Work level 6   creating the purpose,  values  and  goals  for Tesco plc. Responsibility for Tescos performance. Requires a good overview ofretailing, and the ability to build a  vision  for the future and lead the whole organisation. Tesco has a seven-part framework that describes the key skills and behaviours for each job at every level in the company. This helps employees understand whether they have the right knowledge, skills or resources to carry out their roles involves attracting the right  standard  of applicants to apply for vacancies. Tesco advertises jobs in different ways. The process varies depending on the job available. Internal recruitment Tesco first looks at its internal Talent Plan to fill a vacancy. This is a process that lists current  employees  looking for a move, either at the same level or on  promotion. If there are no suitable people in this Talent Plan or developing on the internalmanagement  development  programme, Options, Tesco advertises the post internally on its  intranet  for two weeks. External recruitment For external recruitment, Tesco advertises vacancies via the Tesco website www.tesco-careers.com or through vacancy boards in stores. Applications are made online for managerial positions. The chosen applicants have an interview followed by attendance at an  assessment centre  for the final stage of the  selection  process. People interested in store-based jobs with Tesco can approach stores with their  CV  or register though Jobcentre Plus. The store prepares a waiting list of people applying in this way and calls them in as jobs become available. For harder-to-fill or more specialist jobs, such as bakers and pharmacists, Tesco advertises externally: through its website and offline  media through television and radio by placing advertisements on Google or in magazines such as  The Appointment Journal Tesco will seek the most  cost-effective way of attracting the right applicants. It is expensive to advertise on television and radio, and in some magazines, but sometimes this is necessary to ensure the right type of people get to learn about the vacancies. Tesco makes it easy for applicants to find out about available jobs and has a simple application process. By accessing the  Tesco website, an applicant can find out about local jobs, management posts and head office positions. The website has an online application form for people to submit directly.

Our Practitioner Article :: Essays Papers

Our Practitioner Article There is always some bandwagon that education seems to jump onto. Unfortunately, sometimes when the majority is in support of the same system, there is a loss of objectivity. They are unable to see both the good and the bad because they are anxious to have developed the "perfect" system. You don’t have to be an educator, but simply a citizen who reads the newspaper or watches the news, to realize that the newest bandwagon is high-stakes testing. In fact those who are parents or have some involvement in a child’s life are most likely seeing the change occurring in the school they are involved with. Some people may argue that testing has always been done. So what is different now? The difference is that now testing (in the form of "high-stakes" testing) is leaving dangerous aftereffects. The end result that may come leaves one even more wary. So, what exactly is high-stakes testing? Is there an exact definition? Personally we believe that one may describe what high-stakes testing is. But, it is more important and more effective to emphasize the unfair strategies high-stakes testing utilizes as well as the disturbing effects it is causing. High-stakes testing is an assessment of students, which carries serious consequences for students or educators. If the student passes, they proceed. If they do not pass, they must repeat the level they are currently at. Why do some people think high-stakes testing is the answer? What are the effects of high-stakes testing? Are there alternatives to high-stakes testing? Fortunately, these are some of the questions we have addressed in this article. High-stakes testing has been implemented in order to "raise the bar for all students and add accountability for academic performance" (Tennessee Department of Education). Many states implement the tests so that they can gather information about student achievement over time. Policy makers have good intentions in that they believe that these tests will improve education. The major goal and hope is that setting high standards of achievement will inspire greater effort on the part of students, teachers, and educational administrators (AERA position statement). As stated previously, many policy makers have good intentions when they implement high-stakes testing. We are not pointing fingers at who is bad and who is good. We are simply pointing out the fact that perhaps the policy makers and society as a whole need to reevaluate what we want from our education system.

The Inklings by Humphrey Carpenter Essay -- Lewis Tolkien Charles Will

The Inklings by Humphrey Carpenter C.S. Lewis heard the bells of one of the colleges strike noon as he hurried purposefully along the narrow cobblestone streets of Oxford. He disliked giving the tutorials required of his position of Tutor in English Language and Literature at Magdalen College and usually kept the sessions to the minimum required time. However, this tutorial had given rise to a particularly enjoyable debate, and he never liked to cut off a good hydebate, although he now wished he had. He was late. Lewis hastily acknowledged the barkeep as he ducked into the Eagle and Child, or Bird and Baby as the pub was better known, and hurried towards the sound of his friends’ laughter coming from the back room and to join in the conversation he had been looking forward to all morning. The group was a usual fixture in the pub on Tuesday mornings, and he was swiftly served his drink as ordering was no longer necessary. As he settled back into his chair, listening to the conversation, he surveyed this group of men, collectively known as the Inklings, which had come to mean so much to him over the years. Present today were Lewis’s brother Warnie Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, Charles Williams, and Hugo Dyson. Lewis briefly wondered what the rest of the members (Nevill Coghill, Owen Barfield, R.E. Havard, and Adam Fox) were doing as he began to reminisce. The impact this literary group had on the world, with books like The Screwtape Letters, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and War in Heaven written by brilliant Inklings as evidence, is tremendous. At the same time, no one was more influenced by the Inklings than Lewis himself. Each of the Inklings might have known one or two others before the formation of the group, thr... ...endship, centered around Lewis, which rose above the diversity. The group rose and began to gather hats and coats to ready themselves for the crisp spring afternoon. It had been a good Inklings and had produced some rather stimulating conversation. It occasionally reached such a fevered pitch that some other patrons of the Bird and Baby, not the regulars who regarded the Inklings as somewhat of a fixture, to raise an eyebrow. Lewis once remarked they â€Å"probably think we’re talking bawdy when in fact we’re very likely talking theology† (185). As this diverse group of friends separated to go back to their jobs at various colleges, Lewis smiled to himself. He was already looking forward to Thursday. Work Cited Carpenter, Humphrey. The Inklings: C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, Charles Williams, and their friends. Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock Publishers, 1979.

No Promises in the Wind

Irene Hunt is a prominent American writer who wrote primarily for children's and young adult audience. The remarkable feature of her style of writing is a presence of historical details which help to create a unique atmosphere of her works. Hunt represents a historical fiction genre. I. Hunt was born in Illinois in 1907, in the family of Sarah and Franklin Hunt (Biography: Hunt Irena, n. d. ). When her father died, she was a seven-year old girl. The family moved to a farm where she spent the rest of her childhood.Her grandfather’s tails about the Civil war period had a great influence on a child’s imagination and, probably, influenced her style of writing. In 1939, I. Hunt graduated the University of Illinois, and in 1946, she received her Master degree in the University of Minnesota, and continued her study at the University of Colorado (Biography: Hunt Irena, n. d. ). For 15 years, Hunt worked as a teacher of French and English in a public school, and then in the Univ ersity of South Dakota where she taught psychology. In 1965, Hunt decided to come back to Illinois where she has spent most of her life.Irene Hunt received many awards including American Notable Book Award and a Newbery Medal. The most interesting fact is that Hunt published her first book in 1964 only, when she was about 57 years old. The first book called â€Å"Across Five Aprils†. The other two books are â€Å"Up a Road Slowly† and â€Å"No Promises in the Wind†. Hunt has a unique style that appeals to children and adults. To convey a message of the stories, Hunt appeals to emotions of readers and their imagination using specific techniques and different stylistics devices (metaphors, comparison, etc).It is possible to say that Hunt is a keen observer of people, historical and war events which is manifested in her style. The most important is that she feels what children need supposing that even â€Å"the troubled child will often receive the message in a go od book that he cannot accept from an adult† (Biography: Hunt Irena, n. d. ). In the book â€Å"No Promises in the Wind†, Hunt depicts the period of the Great Depression and struggle of population to survive. The main characters of the book, Joey and Josh, are two brothers who leave their home in Chicago looking for better life.The narrator, Josh, tells that: â€Å"the year 1932 was not good one in which to be fifteen years old and in close quarters with a hopeless father† (Hunt, p. 4). Feels that his father does not love him and understanding that there is no enough food for the whole family, he starts his journey with his friend Howie and little brother Joey. Great love to music is the main thing which joins Howie and Josh. Two friends decided Howie could play his banjo to earn for leaving, while Josh is looking for a job.During their journey, they are faced with casualties of life suffering form the lost of their friend, Howie. The most impressive thing in the story is their struggle for existence and food. Hunt depicts that a hunger was the most terrible thing for people during recession. In this novel, she portrays the futility of sufferings of people who are still alive, but know that hunger is â€Å"around the corner†. The message of this story is that fight is senseless bringing only grief and constant tension. Then, the brothers meet a man, Lonnie, who helps them to find a job and earn for leaving.Suddenly, Josh becomes sick, and someone who found Lonnie’ address in his pocket brought Josh to Lonnie. For a long time, they cannot find Joey, and when Joey appears the brothers decide to back home. The story appeals to me very much depicting very interesting and discrepant historical period. I like the characters of the story who are courageous enough to escape from home and start new life. In spite of all the negative life lessons two brothers understand what it is to be an individual, because it is the only way for them to survive during Depression.At the end of the story, Hunt creates a strict ethical code which functions as the defense against the overwhelming chaos of economic instability. This book is very impressive depicting real life situations and struggle for survival. Hunt depicts growing-up of the boys during the depression period and described events which caused their maturing. References 1. â€Å"Biography: Hunt Irena†. Educational Paperback Association. (N. d). Available at: http://www. edupaperback. org/showauth. cfm? authid=82 2. Hunt, I. (2002). No Promises in the Wind. Berkley.