Hispanic Market Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Hispanic Market - Essay Example Tucson has 35.72% population of Hispanic or Latino. As a group we want to research and learn alternative methods to serve The Hispanic or Latin consumers in not just only Tucson but for Target as whole. In the information given to us in class it states, â€Å"In 2009, U.S. Hispanics purchasing power was $978 billion.† This showed us that the Hispanic consumer has a huge influence on retailers and they need to be able to tailor not only their merchandise but also the way they market themselves in order to gain them as not only customers but also loyal customers. For our topic Miami, Los Angeles, and Chicago are the Hispanic sensitive markets. From statistics we found it stated that in 2010 the Hispanic population made up 16% of the U.S. population. Between 2000 and 2010 the Hispanic population alone increased by 15.3 million. As stated in the information we were given in class â€Å"According to a U.S. Census forecast, Hispanics will compose 30% of the population by 2050.† Currently, Miami has the highest percentage Hispanic population between the three cities that is 65.76%. Los Angeles has 46.53% Hispanic population and Chicago has 28.9% population of Hispanic. From this data, we know that the Hispanic Market has become a big part of the retail marketing. The retailers need to try to focus on the Hispanic market demand and figuring out how to manage these demands efficiently. Each team was assigned a Target â€Å"Buddy† to help better accomplish us getting the information we needed for our project. Our buddy is Michael Lopriore and he works at the Irvington location of Target in Tucson. Due to scheduling conflicts with Michael we had to meet with a different employee of Target to get started on our project. On October 9th we met with Sonny Lopez, the HR manager at the Irvington location. Sonny has also worked with previous classes for this course on this project and he seemed eager to help us with our project. Before Sonny gave

Simplifying Expressions Essay Example for Free

Simplifying Expressions Essay Include in this paper I have demonstrated the following solutions for the three problems listed below. Using th given vocabulary words I have broken down each problem using the proper steps in solving the algebraic expressions. Also shown will be what is important about real numbers and in what way they are useful in using real numbers in solving algebraic expressions. By breaking down the equation you can simplify the equation down to lowest terms. Gathering the like terms in the equation is a step in breaking down the expression correctly. Take the coefficient and multiply it by the variable. The distributive property in the expression is the letters in the expression. When solving a algebraic expression you always remove the parenthesis first. A. )2a(-5 + a) + 4(a + -5) Simplify the terms (-5 * 2a + a * 2a) + 4(a + -5) (-10a + 2a2) + 4(a + -5) -10a + 2a2 + 4(-5 + a)Reorder the terms -10a + 2a2 + (-5 * 4 + a * 4) -10a + 2a2 + (-20 + 4a) -10a + 4a = -6a -20 + -6a + 2a2 Combine the like terms : -20 + -6a + 2a2 a = 5This is the simplified answer  a = {-2, 5} B. ) 2w – 3 + 3(w – 4) – 5(w – 6)The given expression -3 + -12 + 30 + 2w + 3w + -5w The distributive property removes the parentheses. -15 + 30 + 2w + 3w + -5w Combine the like terms 15 + 2w + 3w + -5w = 0Combine the like terms 2w + 3w = 5wCombine like terms again 15 + 5w + -5w 5w + -5w 15 + 0 15 = 0The final answer C. ) 0. 05(0. 3m + 35n) + -0. 8(-0. 09n + -22m) (0. 3m * 0. 05 + 35n * 0. 05) + -0. 8(-0. 09n + -22m) (0. 015m + 1. 75n) + -0. 8(-0. 09n + -22m) 0. 015m + 1. 75n + -0. 8(-22m + -0.09n) Reorder the terms 0. 015m + 1. 75n + (-22m * -0. 8 + -0. 09n * -0. 8) 0. 015m + 1. 75n + (17. 6m + 0. 072n) 0. 015m + 17. 60. 1034345728n m + 1. 75n + 0. 072n The distributive property removes the parentheses 0. 015m + 17. 6m = 17. 615mCombine the like terms 17. 615m + 1. 75n + 0. 072n 1. 75n + 0. 072n = 1. 822nCombine the like terms 17. 615m + 1. 822n 17. 615m + 1. 822n Solving Move all terms containing m to the left, all other terms to the right. Add -1. 822n to each side of the equation. 17.615m + 1. 822n + -1. 822n = 0 + -1. 822n Combine like terms: 1. 822n + -1. 822n = 0. 000 17. 615m + 0. 000 = 0 + -1. 822n 17. 615m = 0 + -1. 822n Remove the zero: 17. 615m = -1. 822n Divide each side by 17. 615. m = -0. 1034345728n Simplifying m = -0. 1034345728n How are the real numbers useful in solving algebraic expressions? The real number line is a graph that is used to represent the set of real numbers. Using real numbers is useful by charting them on the graph helps to solve the algebraic expression.

Essay --

Chapter 3: Method and Methodology 3.1 Methodology This chapter will provide knowledge and understanding of the research process that was carried out, before revealing the results. Methodology is the foundation on which a researcher bases their work. This process is fundamental to the research project as a whole as illustrated in Ryan et al (2002): ‘the process of research is as important as the output’ (p.2). The manner in which research is conducted involves particular techniques. Tomkins and Groves (1983) highlight that the ‘selection of the most appropriate research methodology is dependent on the nature of the phenomenon being researched’ (Ryan et al, 2002, p.35). Methodology is essentially the process through which this research is conducted and consists of two dimensions: ontology and epistemology (Hopper and Powell, 1985, p.431). Burrell and Morgan’s (1979) Classification Matrix for the Analysis of Social Theory is constructed by two separate dimensions that are based upon assumptions of the nature of society and of social science. Within this framework, there are four paradigms; ontology, epistemology, human nature and methodology. For the purpose of this research project, the two paradigms which are of concern are ontology and epistemology. Ontology is concerned with the ‘nature of reality’ (Hopper and Powell, 1985 p.431) and epistemology the ‘nature of knowledge’ (ibid). Together these two elements define methodology. 3.1.1 Ontology Ontology, as described by Hopper and Powell (1985) is concerned with the ‘nature of ‘reality’’ (p.431). This indicates that ontology is ‘the study of existence and in this context is concerned with what we discern to be ‘real’’ (Ryan et al, 2002, p.13). There are two contrasting beliefs on t... ...uestionnaires were distributed to forty participants in total, 20 honours accounting students and twenty people from a range of occupations and professions. Upon analysis of the data, the researcher noted that there were more female respondents in comparison to their male counterparts. There were twenty-four women to sixteen men giving a ratio of 3:2. Most respondents were aged between 18 and 29 although this was to be expected as most students are within this age range. However the range of ages in the other respondent group, were much more varied, ranging from 18 to over 60. The response rate was 100% for the accounting students as the researcher handed them out in person and not via email or electronic survey. This ensured a quicker response time and a higher response rate. The response rate from the other 20 participants was significantly lower, at 63% (20/32).

Bully Essay

Bullying Everyday thousands of teens wake up afraid to go to school because of the fear of being bullied. Bullying is an ongoing problem that affects millions of students negatively on a daily basis. Most people don’t realize how big of an impact bullying has on our society. There are many reason and effects of bullying. Although the reasons people bully others vary, there are many common factors seen in bullying situations. One of the main issues we see in bullies is that they have family issues such as  parents fighting or money issuesChildren who are bullied have many negative effects. But the victims aren’t the only ones who are affected. Bullying also affects those who bully, and those who witness bullying. Kids who are bullied are more likely to experience effects such as  depression and anxiety, Health complaints, and    Decreased academic achievement. Not only are the victims effects negatively affected but so are to bullies themselves. Kids who bully othe rs can also engage in violent and other risky behaviors into adulthood. Bullying can happen anywhere from cities, schools, or at home.Why do young people bully each other? I think bullies can change because they are not born that way. I think that if they are treated better and respected more they can change. Most bullies bully others because they are treated badly or they have been bullied before by peers, family members or in school. I have a friend that used to bully others, but I told him to stop because I know he wouldn’t like to be bullied. I kind of treated him like he treated others so he can feel what it feels like to be bullied.I guess you could say I was bullying him, but it was to help others and himself because he could have done something worst than bullying. It could have led to a bigger thing like him bringing a knife, gun, or a lethal weapon. If you care about someone you should help them change so they won’t end up regretting their whole life. Teacher s see bullying happening in classrooms and on the field, but they still don’t do anything. â€Å"1 in 4 teachers see nothing wrong with bullying and will only intervene 4% percent of the time. â€Å"The most common reason cited for being harassed is a student's appearance or body size. 2 out of 5 teens feel that they are bullied because of the way that they look. † Sanchez 2 Professional have asked students how do they feel and why do they think bullies bully others and that what they answer. Some bullies bully because they don’t feel like they fit in with the others. I think all this can be changed and we could all help out the ones that feel left out. If we were all to help out everyone that feels left out, we would see a better school.I see students that bully others, but no one is brave enough to stand up and say something not even the victim. Some take it to serious and end up hurting someone real badly that they will do something they will regret forever. If teachers were to care a little more and actually see what’s going on around they could prevent all this. I think we could all make a change. work cited http://bullyfree. com/free-resources/facts-about-bullying http://www. dosomething. org/tipsandtools/11-facts-about-school-bullying

History 1301

Wooster U. S. HISTORY 1301 – Triad E Review Guide: Exam Two Fall 2011 As stated in the syllabus, your second History exam, covering the second section of the course, will be on October 28. This will be a closed-book test; no books, notes, or electronic devices are to be used during the exam. Blue books will be provided for you to write your answers in; all you’ll need to bring is a couple of pens or pencils to write with. Leave backpacks, books, etc. , either at the front of the room or along the aisles when you come in, being careful to take personal valuables with you to your seat. As there is not a class before us, we will open the room at 9:45 for those of you wanting a little extra time. Students will not be permitted into the room after 10:10. Readings terms – On parts I and II of the exam, you will be responsible for the following terms, names, etc. , from the assigned readings: Lewis and Clark Expedition Black Hawk War Trails of Tears Benjamin Franklin Bache Hinton Rowan Helper Thomas Larkin Nathan Appleton â€Å"war hawks† Denmark Vesey Juan Seguin Tecumseh The Impending Crisis Juan Bautista Alvarado Alexis de Tocqueville David Walker Robert Fulton Prophet’s Town George Fitzhugh Sarah Bagley Part I: Chronologies (20 pts. ) Six of the following topics will appear on the exam. Each topic will then have three persons, events, or trends listed under it. You will then need to place the persons, events, or trends in their proper chronological order. The majority of the subjects for the chronologies will come from the lectures; a few will come from the list of readings terms above. You will be asked to answer four of the six chronology topics. Ratification of the Constitution Political party developments and changes Relations with England â€Å"Assertive diplomacy† following the War of 1812 Bank â€Å"war† Changing systems of production Territorial expansion Relations with Indians War of 1812 â€Å"generations† of slave experiences Nullification Part II: Matching (30 pts. ) There will be ten matching questions, each worth three points. On these, you will need to give the letter which best describes or corresponds with the numbered person or event in question. Six of these will come from the lectures, and four from the list of readings terms above. Part III: In-class essay (50 pts. ) The class will vote to delete one of the following questions. Two of the remaining four questions will appear on the exam. You will be required to answer one of those two. The questions are not designed to be mutually 1 Wooster Fall 2011 exclusive; that is, information used in answering one question might also be used in answering another. Also please remember that you need to include specific evidence and examples, and that you need to use appropriate academic discourse in writing for your audience. As such, remember to: ? be specific and thorough; ? rovide as many examples as you can; ? EXPLAIN the evidence; many of you lost valuable points by not explaining things, and by not telling the reader why they were so important (ask yourself, â€Å"so what? †) ? provide some sort of context; ? use paragraphs (which will help you structure your essay); ? use topic sentences (to help introduce what you will say in that paragraph); ? write at least a brief conclusion. We do not want to trick you. If you have questions, please feel free to ask them in class, to drop by during my office hours, or to ask your seminar leader. . Discuss the constitutional convention at Philadelphia and the process by which the constitution was ratified, making sure to explain the perspectives of Federalists as well as anti-Federalists. Why was James Madison so frustrated with the Confederation? Why was Patrick Henry so fearful of the proposed constitution? How did they attempt to counter the other’s arguments? Use the lectures, the essay on Madison and Henry, and the textbook to write a complete answer. 2. Discuss the views of Alexander Hamilton on the federal government. What things did he believe the government needed to do in order for the nation to succeed? Why? How did he justify his views, in light of the limitations imposed upon the federal government by the constitution? Why did Democratic-Republicans like Benjamin Franklin Bache oppose Hamilton’s efforts? Explain, using the lectures, the essay on Hamilton and Bache, and the Created Equal textbook to write a complete answer. 3. Discuss slavery in the antebellum United States, from an institutional as well as the slaves’ perspective. Make sure and explain both of these perspectives, as well as the criticisms of Hinton Rowan Helper. Use the lectures, the essay on Hinton Rowan Helper and George Fitzhugh, and the Created Equal textbook to write a complete answer. 4. Voter turnout increased from 27% in 1824 (the disputed election between Jackson, Clay, Adams, and Crawford) to 80% in 1840 (Harrison’s triumph). What issues, personalities, political parties, and campaign techniques explain this dramatic change in voter behavior? Use the lectures and the Created Equal textbook to write a complete answer. . Discuss the territorial expansion of the United States during the first half of the nineteenth century, making sure to discuss the Louisiana Purchase, the Transcontinental Treaty, the annexation of Texas, and the acquisition of California and the Southwest from Mexico. How did Americans explain and justify this expansion? How were Tejanos and Californios treated during this process? Explain, making sure to use t he lectures, the essay on Thomas Larkin and Juan Bautista Alvarado, and the Created Equal textbook to write a complete answer. 2

Cloning Essays (1818 words) - Cloning, Molecular Biology

Cloning Essays (1818 words) - Cloning, Molecular Biology Cloning Should we clone humans? Cloning humans has become a possibility that seems easier in today's society than it was twenty years ago. It is a method that involves the production of a group of identical cells or organisms that all derive from a single individual (Grolier 220). It is not known when or how cloning humans really became a possibility, but it is known that there are two possible ways that we can clone humans. The first way involves splitting an embryo into several halves and creating many new individuals from that embryo. The second method of cloning a human involves taking cells from an already existing human being and cloning them, in turn creating other individuals that are identical to that particular person. These are two methods we should think about and ask ourselves if we should clones humans. The overall idea of cloning humans is one that we should accept as a possible reality for the future. Although we cannot clone a human yet, this experiment occurred almost two years ago. Evidence from these experiments got strange reactions from the public. Shannon Brownlee claims, The Vatican condemned the technology of this experiment as being perverse; one German magazine called the research unscupulous (24). This experiment opend the possibilities of cloning to society and, even though it was unseccessful, it led people to ask themselves what they would do if cloning were to happen. Common answers to the puzzling questions about humans and cloning are still trying to be answered today, and scientists and the public are eager to learn all they can about cloning. Many sources state that cloning is just simply an extension of in vitro fertalization. In fact, it is ,and many couples that can not have babies should take this into mind. Cloning embryos is different from the genetic process of in vitro fertilization, but still holds many similarities with it. For example, the process of in vitro fertilization is pretty straightfoward. It involves taking an egg from the woman and taking sperm from the man. The embryo is then formed and implanted into the woman's uterus. The embryo develops normally and is born with unpredictable characteristics of both the man and the woman. The offspring ends up as unique individual and excluding the special case of twins, has no other human bein exactly like it. It uses one embryo that is from the beginning a distinct individual and creates only one human that is basically completely original. Cloning also goes through this same process, but it is unlike in vitro fertilization in that it takes the same type embryo and destroys its originality through duplication. Research on in vitro fertilization helps to improve its techniques and also aids scientists in their search for better ways to clone humans. Barbara Ehrenreich makes a statement that seems to be quite sarcastic in its context, but it describes the way the society's attitude if cloning were to happen, she state, Why not make a few backup copies of the embryo and keep a few in the freezer in case Junior needs a new kidney or cornea (86). I think that if this happens a type of black market for embryo could easily someday develop, who knows. Some people see this on the negative side when it could actually help our society. On the positive side of this issue, however, embryonic cloning could be a valuable tool for the studying of human development, genetically modifying embryos, and investigating new transplant technologies (Hamilton 42). Using cloning to produce offspring for the sake of their organs is an issue that we must also face and question whether or not it is morally right. No one will say that it is okay to kill a human being for the sake of their organs, but many have no objection to cloning thousands of individuals that look alike. Technology seems to take away many of the morals that we have worked so hard to install in society. Most people only seem to want to cater to their own needs and do not bother to consider the consequences that society and the clone may have to face. The issue of in vitro fertilization among embryos only leads the public to fear

The so called war essays

The so called war essays Many ultra conservatives and republicans claim that George W. Bushs administration has been the best this country has seen in years. Since President Clinton and Bush Sr.s administrations did not properly interrogate Saddam Hussein, George W Bush felt it was his duty to dispose of the evil regime of Saddam Hussein. Despite the fact that I do not support the war with Iraq, I do feel the war is Bushs only real mistake. After all, he is the man that brought this country back together after September 11, 2001, which was an admirable accomplishment. Bushs actions against Iraq were unnecessary, and they have left our country in a worse position prior to the invasion of Iraq. One of the many arguments for the invasion of Iraqi was the United States ambition to control Iraqis petroleum resources. The United States extreme need for cheaper oil could have been one Bushs reasons for the Invasion. Since the invasion, however, gas prices have risen dramatically and continue to topple into the two-dollar range. Bushs crusade for cheaper oil has proven to fail, for the dramatic rise in gas prices has continually begun to burn a hole in the American publics wallets. One of the biggest mistakes of the George Bush Senior administration is believed to have been his non-aggression to rid Iraq of Saddam Hussein. George Seniors cause was to stop Husseins aggressive attack against Kuwait, so it was not in our countrys interest to attack Iraq and dispose of Hussein. Our current President is using the weapons of mass destruction cause, to promptly rid Iraq of Hussein and claim revenge for Husseins attempted assassination of his father. This is not a reason to send our country into war, this is a personal expedenture that is costing many American lives. Bushs main reason for the war was that Hussein had been holding weapons of mass destruction, which could have in ...

What Third World and Developing Countries Means

What Third World and Developing Countries Means The world is divided into those countries that are industrialized, have political and economic stability, and have high levels of human health, and those countries that do not. The way we identify these countries has changed and evolved over the years as we have moved through the Cold War-era and into the modern age; however, it remains that there is no consensus as to how we should classify countries by their development status. First, Second, Third, and Fourth World Countries The designation of Third World countries was created by Alfred Sauvy, a French demographer, in an article that he wrote for the French magazine, LObservateur in 1952, after World War II and during the Cold War-era. The terms First World, Second World, and Third World countries were used to differentiate between democratic countries, communist countries, and those countries that did not align with democratic or communist countries. The terms have since evolved to refer to levels of development, but they have become outdated and are no longer used to distinguish between countries that are considered developed versus those that are considered developing. First World described the NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) countries and their allies, which were democratic, capitalist, and industrialized. The First World included most of North America and Western Europe, Japan, and Australia. Second World described the communist-socialist states. These countries were, like First World countries, industrialized. The Second world included the Soviet Union, Eastern Europe, and China. Third World described those countries that did not align with either the First World or Second World countries after World War II and are generally described as less-developed countries. The Third World included the developing nations of Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Fourth World was coined in the 1970s, referring to the nations of indigenous people that live within a country. These groups often face discrimination and forced assimilation. They are among the poorest in the world. Global North and Global South The terms Global North and Global South divide the world in half both geographically. The Global North contains all countries north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere and the Global South holds all of the countries south of the Equator in the Southern Hemisphere. This classification groups the Global North into the rich northern countries, and the Global South into the poor southern countries. This differentiation is based on the fact that most of developed countries are in the north and most of the developing or underdeveloped countries are in the south. The issue with this classification is that not all countries in the Global North can be called developed, while some of the countries in the Global South can be called developed. In the Global North, some examples of the developing countries include: Haiti, Nepal, Afghanistan, and many of the countries in northern Africa. In the Global South, some examples of the well-developed countries include: Australia, South Africa, and Chile. MDCs and LDCs MDC stands for More Developed Country and LDC stands for Least Developed Country. The terms MDCs and LDCs are most commonly used by geographers. This classification is a broad generalization but it can be useful in grouping countries based on factors including their GDP (Gross Domestic Product) per capita, political and economic stability, and human health, as measured by the Human Development Index (HDI). While there is debate as to at what GDP threshold an LDC becomes and MDC, in general, a country is considered an MDC when it has a GDP per capita of more than US $4000, along with a high HDI ranking and economic stability. Developed and Developing Countries The most commonly used terms to describe and differentiate between countries are developed and developing countries. Developed countries describes the countries with the highest level of development based on similar factors to those used to distinguish between MDCs and LDCs, as well as based on levels of industrialization. These terms are the most frequently used and the most politically correct; however, there is really no actual standard by which we name and group these countries. The implication of the terms developed and developing is that developing countries will attain developed status at some point in the future.

Input and Output Devices Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Input and Output Devices - Research Paper Example It can be called as a text based input device, as it allows the user to enter information in the form of alphabets, numbers and other such familiar characters. In addition to these keys, a keyboard also contains special keys such as enter, space bar, function keys, etc which have a specific function assigned to them intended to make user experience easier (COMPUTER ORGANISATION). The mouse can be referred to as the most commonly used pointing device. Instructions are given to the computer by pointing the mouse pointer to a location on the screen by moving the mouse. Common tasks that can be performed by the mouse include positioning the cursor on the screen, moving an icon, and selecting an object. After the onset of graphical user interfaces (GUIs), the mouse has become an indispensable tool in the computer – human interaction. The joystick is a digital device, comprising of a stick that pivots around its base and moves the graphic cursor on the screen according to the motion of the stick. A button serves as a clickable object on the joystick that can be used to select objects to which the graphic cursor is currently pointing to. Joysticks primarily find use as an input device in video games, training simulators and robotic simulations. A light pen is a light sensitive input device, which functions very much like an ordinary pen. It is used to select objects on the screen directly. These find use in computer graphics, animation, computer drawing and for easy selection of options from a menu. By moving the pen, a corresponding trace or sketch can be recorded on the computer. Handwritten notes can be produced by using this device, which can be recognized using OCR technology and converted into computer text form. An output device is a computer peripheral that receives information to the computer and presents it to the user. Generally the output from the computer is displayed visually. A computer monitor displays

ROLE OF EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION IN MANAGEMENT Essay

ROLE OF EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION IN MANAGEMENT - Essay Example Managerial communication is a form of communication that takes place in any workplace setting, either between managers and employees or between delegations of different companies. Effective managerial communication helps a company in the achievement of goals and objectives. Some of the main benefits of effective managerial communication include timely communication between departments, improved and more efficient business processes, improved decision making, improved level of understanding between managers and employees, and improved working relationships. In this paper, we will discuss the role of effective communication in management. The paper will also include a discussion on the barriers in effective communication and the ways to overcome those barriers. Principles of Effective Business Communication There are some key principles of effective communication that make the process of business communication successful and result-oriented. Those principles include starting the commun ication process in a friendly manner, showing interest in each other, giving sincere appreciation to the other parties involved in communication, overcoming barriers to communication, giving value to the viewpoints of each other, using appropriate body language, and giving instant feedback. The process of communication should take place in a friendly environment. Moreover, there should be clarity in the messages and the tone of communication should be polite so that other people taking part in communication should understand the concerns of each other easily. Another important thing is that all participants should show interest in knowing the viewpoint of each other in order to create a respectful and peaceful environment for communication. The participants should show and give due respect to each other because successful business communications occur only when all parties show interest in each other and value the feedbacks and viewpoints of others. No one should show any kind of at titude or disgrace because it makes other people uncomfortable. Next, there should be no barriers to communication because barriers adversely affect the overall process of communication. Feedback is one of the most important principles of effective managerial or business communication is continuous feedback. Feedback makes the communication process meaningful and effective. All participants of the communication process should provide instant feedback to the viewpoints and concerns of others because it helps the participants gain more confidence and understanding of the issue. Best Practices for Effective Communication Along with the principles of effective communication in management, managers and employees also need to focus on some effective communication practices in order to make the communication process successful. Both managers and employees need to be able to communicate effectively with each other at the workplace because ineffective communication, bad attitude, and persona l and work related conflicts and misunderstandings can affect the communication process and can create many problems for employees, as well as for the company. Convenience, freedom of expression, and timely communication are those elements of communication that play a major role in effective workplace and managerial level communication (Means, 2010, p. 45). Convenience From managerial communication perspective, managers and emp

EXAM QUESTIONS FOR RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS UNIT Essay

EXAM QUESTIONS FOR RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS UNIT - Essay Example Various Methods of Waste Management Waste management deals with reducing waste through sustainable production of goods. This sustainability can be achieved through product design and process design. Production notions need to be changed to reduce waste. There are various methods of waste management, including product life cycle management, dematerialisation and industrial eco-management and through eco-friendly designs and eco-technology. Design phase of a product offers maximum possibility of managing waste. Latest Manufacturing Industry Trend A change in trends has been seen in manufacturing industries for attaining sustainable manufacturing by changing from end-of-pipe solutions to centring on product life-cycles for integrating strategies and systems to achieve environmental sustainability. The trend is increasingly shifting towards closed-loop circular manufacturing systems and for new business models (OECD, 2009). Preference for Environment Management Systems for Waste Control Businesses are going for Environment Management Systems (EMS) – integrated environmental strategies and management systems. Application of EMS ensures that environmental issues such as waste management are looked after through enforcement of programmes to achieve related goals, which are inspected for attaining performance level, rectifying problem areas and reviewing of systems for incessant improvement. Dematerialisation for Waste Management Another trend to control waste is dematerialisation wherein resource intensity of products and processes is cut down. It is the reverse end of the scenario for waste management. It is related to reducing and bettering the standard of the resources used in production of goods and services. Dematerialisation can be achieved through reduction in product size, weight, packaging, by increasing product life and variety of uses. Industrial Ecology for Waste Management Industrial Ecology (IE) can yet be another huge step towards waste control, wherein a firm’s by-products can be used by another firm as raw material, thus, reducing resource use and waste creation for the system overall. It offers a dynamic transformation in waste management from simply reducing waste from a specific function or location, to reducing its production at the bigger scale and level of the system as a whole. Role of the Government To analyse the measures taken by the government to manage waste, the government has released the document on Waste Strategy for England 2007. There has been a UK law promulgated from Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive on the Packaging (Essential Requirements) Regulations 2003, the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 2007. Further, the government has made it legal to take all possible measures to keep waste less hazardous. It is the legal responsibility of all manufacturers, importers, stockists, logistics, disposal and managers of waste under the Duty of Care Regulations. There has been the provision on landfill tax, which is controlled by HM Revenue and Customs and presently charged ?72/tonne (+VAT) for Active waste and ?2.50/tonne (+VAT) for Inactive waste. Evaluation of NEXT Plc on Waste Management Testing Next Plc on the above theoretical frameworks, as per the NEXT CSR Report 2012, the Company has been successful in 10% additional waste recycling relatively the previous year. Overall, it is using 85% capacity of recycling functional waste.

El Alcoholismo, (Una Monografia) Debe de ser es espaol Essay

El Alcoholismo, (Una Monografia) Debe de ser es espaol - Essay Example Desarrollo.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..4 A. El Alcoholismo Y Lo Que Es†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦4 IV. Discusion.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..5 A. Como El Alcoholismo Se Aparece En Los Adolescentes†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦5 B. Causas†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.6 C. Efectos†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.7 D. Demostracion de la hipotesis.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..†¦..7 E. Lista de Referencias†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..9 C. Introduccion I. Problema El alcoholismo, a diferencia del uso de alcohol excesivo o imprudente, ha sido considerado en el pasado un sintoma de estres comunitario o psicologico, o un conducta desajustada. El alcoholismo se ha transformado en una nueva definicion, y tal vez mas precisa, como una enfermedad compleja en si. Los primeros sintomas incluyen ansiedad sobre la disponibilidad de alcohol, que influye intensamente en la preferencia por el paciente de amigos o actividades. El alcohol es cada vez mas el semblante de una droga que modifica el estado de animo, y menos como una parte de la dieta , un habito social o un rito piadoso. Se caracteriza por una vinculacion emocional y a veces organica del alcohol, y produce un dano cerebral avanzado y por ultimo la muerte. Mientras que el alcoholismo afecta principalmente a los adultos, su uso en adolescentes es un desasosiego creciente. Nuestra tarea sera la de tratar este tema mas alla de ser una diversion, se esta convirtiendo en una preocupacion. Cada vez mas ninos se intoxican cuando van a bailar o juntarse con amigos. A su vez, el consumo empieza a la vez de ninos pequenos, y los padres son cada vez mas condescendiente en este sentido. Se debe explorar lo que lleva el alcohol a los adolescentes. II. Hipotesis En este ensayo uno se va a explorar un desarrollo del alcoholismo y lo que es. El hipotesis va a investigar: como el alcoholismo se aparece en los adolescentes; las causas del alcoholismo; y los efectos del alcoholismo. III. Desarrollo A. El Alcoholismo Y Lo Que Es El alcoholismo es una enfermedad grave. Segun a Astovi za (2000) â€Å"El alcoholismo es una enfermedad cronica, progresiva y fatal caracterizada†¦Ã¢â‚¬  por una dependencia emocional y a veces organica del alcohol (parrafo 5). Se trata de un trastorno fundamental y no un sintoma de otras enfermedades o problemas emocionales. La quimica del alcohol afecta a casi todos los tipos de celulas en el cuerpo, incorporando a las que aparecen en el sistema nervioso central. El alcohol domina sus razonamientos, emociones y movimientos. Una vez que el alcohol ha tenido una persona no puede decirse que la victima esta cometiendo un delito moral. En este estado, el alcoholico no puede usar su animo de voluntad, porque ha perdido el poder de decidir si se debe usar alcohol o se abstiene de el. Se debe preguntar segun al articulo, â€Å"?Que es el alcoholismo?† (2011, p. 1) Es la condicion de una persona que tiene una enfermedad, una persona que bebe tanto alcohol cronicamente. Este persona no puede sostener su forma de beber bajo contro l, aunque le aga dano a su salud, su trabajo,su mente y su familia. El alcoholico se caracteriza por la dependencia del alcohol, tanto psicologica fisica como, la

Accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Accounting - Essay Example Moreover, the article describes the purpose of the income tax and even provides links to sites that stipulates the requirements for filing income tax. Several terms such as â€Å"gross income† and â€Å"taxable income â€Å" is also given so that common people can understand these terms. The page on Resources leads to a lot of information of sources where different types of taxation can be found. Sources for Federal Income Tax and State Income Tax are given with various links that can provide primary information on the topic. Even recent state judicial decisions are pointed out in this page as well as links to income tax websites and Federation of Tax Administrators. Unfortunately , the page for case example does not have any content yet. This site is my choice since it is reader-friendly, simple to understand and has a good lay-out. As a researcher, it is important that the website I am looking into has clear instructions and does not contain many tabs that would discourage me from further browsing. The site is very accessible and clearly defines terms that is necessary for researching. More importantly, I chose the site because it provides good links that can supplement my research. Circular 230 clearly applies to tax advisors such as â€Å" attorneys, certified public accountants, enrolled agents, and other persons representing taxpayers before the Internal Revenue Service†.( Par 1.  §Sec.10.0). These are the people who can give advice on the filing of Income Tax . Specifically Sec.10.3 stated that aside from attorneys , certified public accountants, and enrolled agents , there are other individuals that are under the scope of Circular 230. These individuals are: enrolled actuaries, enrolled retirement plan agents, government officers or employees as well as state officers and employees. As for the public servants, they should have not violated 18 U.S.C.  § 203 or 205

Effects ofSarbanes Oxley Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Effects ofSarbanes Oxley - Research Paper Example In 2001, Enron Corporation, a USA energy company situated in Houston, hit its investors immensely when it filed for bankruptcy as a result of major corporate accounting forgeries carried out by its senior management and its auditor. The bankruptcy resulted in an estimated loss of almost $11 billion for its shareholders and the World saw a company with almost $63 billion market capitalization, file for bankruptcy (the largest dissolution in US history at that time) (Sterling, 2002). The major reason of the collapse of Enron Corporation was because of its fabricating and dubious accounting shams. The senior management of Enron was actively involved in recording fake Revenues within its accounting records. The practice carried out at the company saw the senior management of the company record Revenues on the basis of the present value of net future cash flows. This resulted in phony accounting treatment and misleading reports which was needed to match profits and cash in order to satisf y the shareholders. The company saw its stock price of $90 in the year 2000 fall to a meager $1 per share by the end of November 2001 (Rapoport et al, 2009; Sterling, 2002). This huge calamity saw the initiation of several new legislations including the Sarbanes Oxley Act, which was brought into existence in order improve the accuracy and the reliability of the financial statements and to provide a transparent picture to the shareholders (Rapoport et al, 2009). The legislation was passed by the US Congress in 2002 with a special focus of resuscitating investor confidence in corporations and others serving the capital markets. The title of the act clearly states its purpose. According to the title, SOX is â€Å"an act to protect investors by improving the accuracy and reliability of corporate disclosures made pursuant to the securities laws, and for other purposes.† (Golden et al, 2006) The act is named after US Senator Paul Sarbanes and US Representative Michael Oxley. The le gislation was put forwards in order to provide a stringent role towards any unscrupulous act. The act carried severe punitive measures against the wrongdoers and it provided increased powers to both the top management and the auditors. The act also enhanced its oversight role of the board of directors. The Act was introduced to look after several issues such as scrutinizing the Auditors, Directors’ and the top management’s roles. The act helped in reducing the conflict of interest between the shareholders, auditors, directors and the top management. Before its promulgation, auditors were self-regulated and were not answerable to any legislative or accounting body. Following the launch of the act, the Sarbanes Oxley legislation acted as a supervisory body which ensured that transparency was carried out while auditing the financial statements of a company. The Sarbanes Oxley act helped in overcoming the transparency issue. A research carried out by Stefan Arping and Zach arias Sautner concluded that the act helped in improving transparency. The research was carried out over a few US firms that were comparable on the basis of their operations (Arping & Sautner, 2010). The Section 404 of the act has also been under the limelight for quite some time now. The Section 404 requires companies to produce an Internal Control Report reporting over the adequacy of the internal controls and the financial reporting

Accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Accounting - Essay Example Moreover, the article describes the purpose of the income tax and even provides links to sites that stipulates the requirements for filing income tax. Several terms such as â€Å"gross income† and â€Å"taxable income â€Å" is also given so that common people can understand these terms. The page on Resources leads to a lot of information of sources where different types of taxation can be found. Sources for Federal Income Tax and State Income Tax are given with various links that can provide primary information on the topic. Even recent state judicial decisions are pointed out in this page as well as links to income tax websites and Federation of Tax Administrators. Unfortunately , the page for case example does not have any content yet. This site is my choice since it is reader-friendly, simple to understand and has a good lay-out. As a researcher, it is important that the website I am looking into has clear instructions and does not contain many tabs that would discourage me from further browsing. The site is very accessible and clearly defines terms that is necessary for researching. More importantly, I chose the site because it provides good links that can supplement my research. Circular 230 clearly applies to tax advisors such as â€Å" attorneys, certified public accountants, enrolled agents, and other persons representing taxpayers before the Internal Revenue Service†.( Par 1.  §Sec.10.0). These are the people who can give advice on the filing of Income Tax . Specifically Sec.10.3 stated that aside from attorneys , certified public accountants, and enrolled agents , there are other individuals that are under the scope of Circular 230. These individuals are: enrolled actuaries, enrolled retirement plan agents, government officers or employees as well as state officers and employees. As for the public servants, they should have not violated 18 U.S.C.  § 203 or 205

Advocacy of client Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Advocacy of client - Essay Example service not only brings forth representation of the victim, but also offers pieces of advice to the victim as a way of assisting him to help himself (Kirst-Ashman and Hull, 2011). People require advocacy services for various reasons, and in this case, Steve is in dire need of the same for more than one reason. One, he is on the wrong and needs advice on the situation and not to mention he is a minor. Hence, most likely he does not possess a vast background or knowledge about his rights. Indeed, advocates serve more than just being representatives as they also act as negotiators. They act on behalf of the defendants to strike a suitable resolution of the matter. For example, in Steve’s case, the advocates may bargain on his behalf and strike a better deal for the consequences to face for possessing an illegal substance. In this case, it seems that releasing him to pretrial diversion program is the best decision on the table, as he will not face incarceration. Instead, he will be on probation and assigned on a community service to engage and accomplish within a specified time. As a probation officer and with advocacy in place, it is advisable for the officer to make a follow-up of the offender’s history (Menon and Banerjea, 2003). In this case, the officer should thoroughly scrutinize Steve’s past and exposure he has had as he grew up. This is important as from the scenario it is understandable to link Steve’s current situation to his past. Looking at his past, he has had an exposure with a family struggling to stay on his feet at no avail. In addition, the mother was a drug addict, an ignorant individual and a prostitute. On the other hand, the father does not also care of the welfare of his son as portrayed by his ignorant actions when Steve misses school and does not bother to find out how his son’s studies are progressing. In turn, the school takes action on him. Thus, it is crystal clear that Steve’s actions are catapulted by the parents’

Not White Just Right Response Essay Example for Free

Not White Just Right Response Essay After reading â€Å"Not White, Just Right†, an article by Rachel Jones, I could not help but relate to her. In the article, Jones elaborates more on her popular essay, â€Å"What’s Wrong with Black English† while also mentioning others who share in her opinion. I, too, was ridiculed in school for talking too â€Å"white†. In public schools African American students are mocked and shunned by their â€Å"brothers and sisters† for speaking or even behaving in an intelligent manner, as if intelligence is unacceptable in our community. I have been the outcast for that single reason. However those who spoke like third graders in the tenth grade were praised and welcomed in the Black community. To that I have to admit that we have fallen from the times of Dr. King and Fredrick Douglas, when we knew as African Americans that we are just as intelligent as Caucasian men. This is not the future our leaders have fought so hard for. It is infuriating to witness young African Americans not only in public school but in college speaking as if they have no intelligence. I am only a freshman and I cannot count the number of times I’ve heard other freshmen and upperclassmen use grammatically incorrect phrases like, â€Å"what that is† and â€Å"I aint goin nowhere†. Speech like this amongst my African American peers only angered me in high school, now it depresses me. It is depressing to see so many educated African Americans speak as if they had dropped out of high school, just because it is â€Å"cool† and they do not want to talk â€Å"white†. A mentality like that will always keep us as African Americans at the bottom of society. How do we expect to be seen as equally intelligent as Caucasian people if we do not even speak as if we are educated on a higher level? Therefore, in conclusion, I would like to thank Rachel Jones for writing those two texts about young African American lingual. It is about time that someone made it public to the Black community that this speech is NOT conserving our culture; it is keeping us from reaching our goals and becoming successful.

Living With Different Customs, Practices, and Values Essay -- Immigrat

Living With Different Customs, Practices, and Values One of the greatest aspects of people from anywhere in the world is culture. Customs, practices, and values are all apart of culture that identify who we are as a person and where we come from. Being a stranger in a strange land has its basis of showing where you have come from and what your cultural backgrounds are. It is just as important to express the culture from where you have come from as it is to practice the culture to where you have immigrated. It is 1988 and it is time to say to goodbye to all my friends in Russia. The long and awaited day has come for me when I would be immigrating to America. The different customs, the different language, the different practices, and values are amongst the major differences that I was so worried about yet so anxious to experience. Upon my arrival to the United States it was like nothing I have ever seen before. There really wasn’t much of this middle men in education where a student would just do â€Å" average â€Å" in school. It was basically all or nothing. Life was very difficult to come by for most people. Even though some people such as my mom’s parents were both doctors the average starting salary for them would be around $1,500 dollars a year. And most prices were the same as they are in America. However education in Russia even through college was free. However it was very difficult to be accepted to a fine state college. Only the richest people were able to af ford to purchase a car and those people were considered to be the richest of the rich being well of. Going into business was what made many very successful in life however it was very risky. Many times what is known as the Russian Mafia would come into business and d... ...rought up with. Through Randal Bass’s essay, and my own personal experience I have realized that all people are different than others. Especially myself who has immigrated to a foreign country. Each person has his/her own values, customs, practices, and way of life. According to Randal Bass, although language barrier can be a great problem it should never let any one not be able to live their own life. The English language can have several meanings to certain words and people have to work with each other to be able to understand each other. America is all about working hard and striving to achieve. It is a place of freedom and opportunity and that should not be taken away from any person. Works Cited: Bray Randall. â€Å" Borders as Barriers: Otherness and Difference, â€Å" Bordertexts: Cultural Readings for Contemporary Writers. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1999.

A Little Mistake - Original Writing :: Papers

A Little Mistake - Original Writing â€Å"Alex please report to the office, Alex to the office please,† blared over the loudspeaker into the English classroom. â€Å"Ooooooooohhhhhh!!!† the class replied in standard form, implying I must be in trouble. But I was in trouble and I knew it. I walked to the office and waited in a chair for the assistant principal to come and lecture me about how what I did was wrong. However, I wasn’t wrong, at least I didn’t think so. Tick-tock, tick-tock, seconds seemed like hours as I waited for my dreaded sentence. (What would it be? Detention for a week? A month? A year?) From one of the back offices, a big dark shadow moved closer to me. Suddenly, the shadow became Mr. Schuler, standing in front of me. â€Å"Alex, come in my office, please,† he said in his stern tone. Following him into the office, I felt like a midget next to his giant stature and was intimidated from all of the rumors that he was as strict as Miss. Trunchbell from Maltilda with his punishments. Mr. Schuler sat down shuffled through the disciplinary form that had been filed for me. â€Å"It says here that you left class without the teachers permission.† â€Å"Yes, that’s†¦part†¦of†¦what†¦happened,† I stuttered, while trying to hold back the tears from running down my face. It was my first time ever really getting in trouble at school and I feared my parents would kill me, plus sitting across from the beast we referred to as Mr. Schuler was a pretty intimidating situation of its own. â€Å"You know that was wrong, don’t you?† he replied. â€Å"Yeah,† I said, composing myself, â€Å"but there is an explanation for it. You see, I was working on this project and someone thought I was being mean to them, so they ripped up the paper that I had written all my notes on and I started yelling so the sub hollered at me to go to the office and I left the classroom and was going to come to the office

Advertisements: How Do They Persuade Us Essay

Advertisements are part and parcel of our lives. Perhaps, they are one of the most decisive and, at the same time, imperceptible factors moulding and channelling our â€Å"purchasing habits,† so to speak. On the face of it, advertisements promote products and services; they create demand by dint of inducing and increasing consumption. Yet, the ways in which they convey their messages have a profound effect on all aspects of our lives: our happiness, our culture, family and interpersonal relations, business, stereotypes, wealth and status, individuality, and so forth. According to Leiss et al. (1990: 1), advertising is ‘a â€Å"privileged form of discourse†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢, in that it can attract our attention, insinuating itself into our thought processes and carving out a niche in our lives. As we shall see, advertisements succeed in selling us a lot more than merely products; in fact, they contrive to reconstruct our relations to things and other people—in short, they interfere with our sense of identity, they equate us with things, and manipulate us. Williamson’s observation succinctly encapsulates their power: ‘Advertisements are selling us something else besides consumer goods: in providing us with a structure in which we, and those goods, are interchangeable, they are selling us ourselves’ (Williamson, 1978: 13). In the present study we are concerned with how advertisements, or rather ‘ad men’, to quote Packard (1957), persuade us to buy their products, and exploit our â€Å"hidden† needs—both processes taking place beneath our level of awareness. See more:  First Poem for You Essay In searching for more effective ways of persuading people to buy goods, a great many merchandisers or ‘probers’ (Packard, 1957) turned to psychologists in order to gain insights into the deepest recesses of the psyche and the factors that motivate people, and then to capitalise on their expectations and fears. Equipped with this knowledge, ad men nowadays exert a remarkable influence on people’s habits and conceptualisation of the world and themselves in relation to values—values which are, in great measure, determined by the marketplace. Packard (1957: 14), perhaps one of the most vehement critics of â€Å"the hidden persuaders† who have ensnared us by appealing to our unconscious or subconscious needs, eloquently captures the â€Å"state of the art†: The symbol manipulators and their research advisers have developed their depth view of us by sitting at the feet of psychiatrists and social scientists (particularly psychologists and sociologists) who have been hiring themselves out as ‘practical’ consultants or setting up their own research firms. These ‘motivation analysts’ have definitely become our shamans who, ‘having helped to inspire the fear of the devil [in us], [they offer] redemption’ (Bolinger, 1980: 2) by means of the products they sell. They are not only interested in moving their merchandise off the shelves; they are actually seeking out powerful communicative cues, ‘a discourse through and about objects’ (Leiss et al. , 1990), which will weld together people, products, and cultural models. In view of this, ‘we no longer buy oranges, we buy vitality. We do not buy just an auto, we buy prestige’ (Packard, 1957: 15). The sale of ‘self-images’ (ibid. ) is now the norm. Advertisements barely focus on products alone; it is the prospective buyers that they make â€Å"overtures† to—which is mirrored in the language used and in such features as the colours in the ad, its layout, and so on (we will consider some of these aspects in due course). As Ewen (1976, cited in Leiss et al. 1990: 23) notes, advertisers have effected a ‘self-conscious change in the psychic economy’ by inundating the marketplace with suggestions that consumers should buy goods in order to enter realms of experience previously unfamiliar to them. Gradually then, advertising has become a ‘highly organized and professional system of magical inducements and satisfactions’ (Williams, 1980 [1962], cited in Leiss et al. , 1990: 25) which can sell us emotional security, reassurance of wealth, ego-gratification, creative outlets, love objects, a sense of power and roots, and immortality (see Packard, 1957: 66-74 for further details). Many people would, at this juncture, hasten to defend advertising on the grounds that the consumer is a rational decision maker who avails herself of technology; advertising cannot create new needs but can only help increase or speed up consumption (Schudson, 1984, cited in Leiss et al. , 1990: 36); and without the help of advertising, consumers would have limited information about the products circulating around them. What they lose sight of, though, is the fact that ‘[w]e never relate to goods only for their plain utility; there is always a ymbolic aspect to our interactions with them’ (Leiss et al. , 1990: 45). Now that we have briefly outlined the â€Å"state of the art,† we move on to the actual study of advertisements and the ways in which they persuade us. There are many approaches to this end, but we will draw upon two: semiology, or the study of signs, and content analysis. Semiology, on the one hand, is concerned with the emergence and â€Å"movement† of meaning within the text and between the text and the world surrounding it. Content analysis, on the other, focuses on the surface meaning of an ad, detecting similarities and differences. Indisputably, the growing predominance of visuals in ads has resulted in a kind of ambiguity of meaning, which renders the interpretation of the message more complex and challenging. Earlier advertisements explicitly stated the message by describing the product and adducing arguments in its favour. In the 1920s, however, visuals were more frequently used, and these two, text and visual, became complementary. Still, in the 1960s, the text shifted away from describing the visual toward a more elaborate and mystic form, whereby it functioned as a â€Å"key† to the visual (Leiss et al. 1990: 199). Against this background of radical changes in the form and content of advertisements, the abovementioned approaches, semiology and content analysis, offer us an insight into the structures of ads and help throw light on the subtle elements, expectations and assumptions, with which they are imbued. Roland Barthes (1973, cited in Leiss et al. , 1990: 200-201), following Ferdinand De Saussure’s tradition, divides a sign into two components: the signifier and the signified. The signifier is the material object; the signified is its abstract meaning. Let us illustrate this with Barthe’s own example: Roses signify passion or love. If we analyse their â€Å"meaning,† we have three elements: the signifier—the roses; the signified—passion or love; and the sign—the â€Å"passionified roses† as a whole. Of course, there is nothing inherently â€Å"passionate† or â€Å"amorous† about roses; they are viewed as such within the context of western culture. In another culture, roses could signify something different, even the opposite of passion or love. Thus, any interpretation of advertisements from a semiotic perspective is bound up with cultural norms and values which may be at odds with those operating in different cultures or different systems of meaning. After all, the power of advertisements lies in, and appropriates, these very norms and values, with a view to reconstituting reality, while â€Å"tinging† it with an arcane suggestiveness and elusiveness. Drawing upon several advertisements, we will endeavour to probe into the ‘probers’’ minds, weaving the two approaches together. More specifically, we will focus on the rhetorical devices employed (e. . , metaphors, metonymy, jingles, etc. ), as well as the ways in which the text and the visual element prevail upon us to react, i. e. , to buy the product (e. g. , their proclivity for creating a problem, only to consign it to the â€Å"omnipotence† of the product, their spatial arrangement, etc. ). Unfortunately, an in-depth analysis is outside the remit of this study. Let us consider the following ad: A black Ford Zetec covers two pages in the magazine, while the text reads: â€Å"When the lorry in front loses its load, most drivers would find themselves losing control. Not if you’re driving the new 2. 0 litre Ford Focus Zetec ESP. One of the first cars in its class available with an Electronic Stability Program. ESP constantly assesses the angle you are steering against information received from sensors on the behaviour and direction of the car. By reducing engine power and braking individual wheels it helps you to maintain control and stability, allowing you to stay on track. It’s almost like it knows what to do before you do. So sit back, enjoy the ride and expect more. † And the motto just above the car is: â€Å"just steer. This common, albeit â€Å"catchy,† ad addresses the prospective buyer directly through the use of the pronoun you. What is more, the strategy it employs is that of creating a problem—or rather setting a scene familiar to many a driver (â€Å"When the lorry in front loses its load, most drivers would find themselves losing control. †) Only in the first sentence is there any mention of â€Å"most drivers†Ã¢â‚¬â€apparently in order to juxtapose them to you, the prospective buyer. â€Å"You† are not like â€Å"most drivers† because â€Å"you† are driving â€Å"the new 2. 0 litre Ford Focus Zetec ESP. Another device employed in the ad is the use of personification, as in â€Å"ESP constantly assesses†¦it helps you†¦It’s almost like it knows†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The new Ford Focus is more of a jinee in a bottle waiting for you to rub it than merely a car. All â€Å"you† have to do is â€Å"sit back, enjoy the ride and expect more,† revelling in the security its omnipotence affords. Finally, the pun in â€Å"just steer,† referring to the actual steering of the vehicle and, only obliquely, to the idiom â€Å"to steer clear of,† consciously or unconsciously, dares us to pop into the car and drive, reminding us of our inability to resist the temptation vs. he omnipotence of the vehicle. As Williamson observes, ‘puns perform the correlating function seen in all ads, but in a way that begs to be deciphered†¦condensation draws together both the denoted and connoted meanings of the ad, therefore making a deterministic connection between them’ (Williamson, 1978: 87). Yet, not all ads are so straightforward and direct. Let us examine the following ad (found in Williamson, 1978: 25). The ad shows Catherine Deneuve’s face and a Chanel No 5 bottle. There is no text linking these two; they are simply juxtaposed. But are they really linked, in the first place? One could say that they are supposed to be linked, in terms of an assumption that they are inextricably related. This link, though, is arbitrary, drawing upon our knowledge of a glamorous world of films and magazines, which Deneuve has come to be associated with. Thus, in juxtaposing her face, which signifies beauty and glamour, with Chanel No 5, there is a â€Å"latent† transference of meaning from Deneuve’s face to the product, and back again. Not only is her face rendered an object that is summoned to â€Å"argue† in favour of the product, but it also depends on that product for the beauty and glamour ascribed to it. Here, the use of language is irrelevant, as the ad appropriates the relationship obtaining between signifier (Catherine Deneuve) and signified (glamour and beauty). In other ads, the visual, not only complements, but virtually transcends, the text, to convey a meaning which is not always easy to decipher. Consider the Gordon’s Gin ad, where there are two different photographs of a famous actor of the 1950s, the second one being obviously altered to the point where the actor is barely recognisable. On the left side of the first photo, there is a text in italics, reading: Gordon’s is made with the pick of the Tuscan Juniper. On the right side of the second photo, the text written in a regular typeface reads: â€Å"Other gins are made with what’s left. † Finally, at the bottom of the page, there is a Gordon’s Special Dry London Gin bottle in the middle of the sentence: â€Å"If you’re not drinking (bottle of Gin) what are you drinking? † Apparently, the significance of the ad resides in assumptions and values outside its ‘grammar’ (Williamson, 1978). First of all, the juxtaposition of the two photographs appropriates the general belief that a good photograph means good quality, which then invites the reader to make the connection between he quality of the first photograph with that of the product through the association of the text in italics with the first picture, and the regular text with the second. Furthermore, the thin typeface (i. e. , italics) stands in stark contrast to the regular text, as it is associated with glamour and prestige and arouses â€Å"elegant† feelings. So, the last sentence â€Å"If you’re not drinking (bottle of Gin) what are you drinking? † could easily be rephrased as: â€Å"If you’re not one of those who prefer our gin, then who are you? Once again, the product is â€Å"put on a pedestal,† while tinkering with our desire for approval, that is, suggesting to us that we will find our identity only if we indulge in it. In addition, the use of the calligram, i. e. , the picture of the bottle, instead of the words naming it, establishes the product as something that has a substance all its own, which is beyond words. As Williamson (1978: 91) has noted, the calligram playfully seeks to erase the oldest oppositions of our alphabetical civilisation: to show and to name; to figure and to speak; to reproduce and articulate; to look and to read†¦[It is a] double trap, an inevitable snare.

Negotiation and Conflict Management Final Report Essay

â€Å"It’s time to go to the next level of my career,† I told myself a few months ago. Life and life experiences have put me in the right place at the right time to make my daydream a reality. As a natural born citizen of another country and as a newly-married person, I have a unique perspective as well as a set of obstacles and opportunities on the road ahead as I pursue my Executive MBA while being in transition. GOALS My current short-term goal professionally is to find a job that not only fulfills my current ambition of being technical leader but also a management leader in the IT world, where as my long-term goal is to start my own business (Repurposing and creatively painting old leather products into house decor) along with my life-partner in the next 3-4 years. My personal goal is to again relive my artistic side, paint and be creative and get my spouse involved in the artistic world that I like. I am at a juncture of my career where in both my personal goal of working with my life-partner coincides with my ambition of starting up a new business and apply whatever knowledge I gathered during class. My goal as far as EMBA classes is to actually be able to not only learn Finance and Accounting but actually try to master it is as much as possible because when my goal of opening up my business becomes a reality, I want to make sure I have command over that. NEGOTIATIONS In my previous company, I had the opportunity to be a part of some important negotiations which helped me as well as the project understand the various aspects that we had predominantly neglected at the start of some of these negotiation. One such negotiation was when a rival vendor was trying to sell their new software to our client which they claimed would be doing the same kind of work that we were doing for past few years. When the time came to negotiate the new contract for our project, the clients asked us to come up with a plan as to why they should consider our software v/s the rival vendor’s proposed software. When I tried to analyze the whole negotiation process that we went with the end clients and even though we managed to extend the contract, there were a lot of issues that were not par with the 3D negotiation which are as follows: We didn’t set up the right negotiation  as the right party and right interests were not set up. We never considered the No-De al option. Never paid attention to the six basic interpersonal skills that are essential for negotiation. My short term goal of being a technical as well as managerial leader in IT would require me to be a part of similar negotiations that I mentioned above. Right from extending contracts, to getting funding for maintenance and development of software, getting more business from different set of end clients which might be interested in similar software. Here are some of the important factors that needs to be considered while making these kind of negotiations. My long-term goal of opening my own business with my spouse is something that would require a lot of negotiations that needs to be done be it with the bankers or venture capitalists who might be interested in funding it, real-estate people who might be interested in selling or renting their property and the end clients/customers who would be interested in buying my end products. These are the three key area of people that I have to get involved with in-order to start my business successfully. While dealing with the Bankers/VC, one thing that we need to keep in mind is that we might have issues with one of them, so we need to keep more options and try to find the right new parties who might be interested (right players). With the Real-Estate people, you need to address the Twin tasks, namely, Learn about the true ZOPA and Shape your counterpart’s ZOPA perceptions to your advantage. New customers are more interested in creating and claiming value like discounted cash flows, creating relationships, reputation and being fair. We need to think long term for creating and claiming value as none of the parties should feel that they have been exploited or dealt with unfairly as the reputation would be at stake. All conflict management processes i.e. consensual negotiations, are based on information sharing and learning. In the process of sharing information, a party seeks to alter the knowledge, attitudes, preferences and strategies of its opponents. There are some conflict s that I might have to overcome during my business negotiations that can be summed up as: APPRAISAL As a successful negotiator the six basic interpersonal skills are utmost important but initially when I started negotiating in my previous company, I never paid real attention to some of those skills. The contract extension negotiation example above was finally approved but we had a lot of things that were not correct and that almost cost us the deal. Here are some of the key aspects of that deal: a) My company had this contract for past 9 years without any competition and hence I never expected a rival vendor to just come up with another proposal with the end client. b) I never really dealt with the topic of creating and claiming value as part of the negotiation. c) Had an incomplete/blurry information on the rival vendor and their product hence before proposing the deal, we never dug deep to rectify it. d) Never pressed on the issue of Your Interests / Their Interests. As this was a contract that was being extended every single year, this thing never came to my mind. The reason we got the extension on the contract was due to some of equally compelling strength that as a negotiator we had and they were as follows: a) Our ability to make sure the end clients understand their No-Deal option. Even though we weren’t aware that it was called the No-Deal option, we certainly went that route when we presented our merits in front of them and made sure they understood what they were losing in-case the contract was not extended. b) Even though we didn’t do our homework on the rival contractor, we made sure that we had all our facts and data right once we were in front on the clients. The data showed all the current savings that we were providing to the end clients and this was a major factor that earned us the good point. My Strengths Reasoning The quality and extent of my preparation The better you understand your interests (why you want what you want); and the better you understand the interests of other parties (why they want what they want), the greater the chance you will be able to reach an elegant solution which leaves the parties feeling as if each has achieved the major portion of their goals People walk away thinking they would be pleased to  negotiate again with me A negotiator’s relative strength can be measured by whether people walk away thinking they would be pleased to negotiate again with him/her. If people leave a negotiation with you thinking they never want to see you again, then you are a poor negotiator Good communication to other parties so they understand my top priority A negotiator needs to understand that different issues should be treated as having different priorities in different negotiations. Sometimes the relationship is most important; other times creativity is the measure of how well one negotiates; and it is always true that good communication is a fundamental measure of a negotiator’s strength. A good negotiator makes her/his points clearly understood by other parties. A better negotiator makes understanding other parties her/his top priority. In Moms.com case study, I was Terry Schiller and as my role was to sell the program, I made sure that for my preparation for the case, whether finding the right balance between the no. of re-runs v/s the licensing rate and making sure that this balance would give me as well as other party the max value. I had already calculated this before the negotiation started so that I knew what value would affect me as well as the other party. In Viking Investments case study, I was the person that run Viking investments and even though bankruptcy was the option for the other party, I not only made sure that it won’t happen but provided the other party with 3 different options and gave her the choice to choose which ever suited her bill. I believe in maintaining relationships and making sure that the other party feels the same way, hence when the other party walks away after the negotiation, they would want to do more business with me going forward. In Biopharm-Seltek case study, I repres ented Biopharm and my main goal was to make sure that the other party understood that I was not only interested in their company but was not interested in buying their patent. My Weakness Reasoning Dealing with negative emotions from the other side of the table Are my standards of fairness being violated? Is the common bias operating about my being cooperative and fair while the other party is hostile and competitive?  What rule or assumption that I hold is being violated by the other’s behavior? Controlling your emotions — commanding reasonable authority, managing your temper, etc. Has something been raised that questions what I tell myself I am or hope to be, such as Am I competent? Am I fair? Am I a good person? Knowing when to step away from the negotiation table — and being able to really do it No negotiator wants to enter into a poor agreement. But similarly, every negotiator should want to walk away from an unsatisfactory agreement towards a clearly defined, satisfactory BATNA In Viking Investments case study, there were times I couldn’t control my emotion because as per my own belief I was trying to go all the way out to help the other side not file for bankruptcy but in the middle I thought that I was fighting the battle alone. I was emotionally drained out to make the other understand the consequence of bankruptcy and helping them more than I should as a result of which I questioned my own self whether I am competent enough. This to me is a sign of weakness because I let my emotion take over the negotiation process. In Biopharm-Seltek case study, I was overwhelmed by the negative emotion from the other side as they were not ready to part away with the company without me buying the patent. It was their major walk away reason for them which I was not able to understand as they were being very hostile without being reasonable. I saw a very different take on this which was against my own personality and it was something I couldn’t overcome and need to work upon that. I still have a hard time to understand that you should never accept a proposal that is worse than your BATNA. Hence I couldn’t understand when to step away in case it didn’t work out. In the Moms.com, I didn’t get the proposal that I prepared so confidently before the negotiation started and I couldn’t find the courage to walk away from the table even though I knew the value created was not as much as what I had initially proposed. PLAN Here are the negotiation skills that I plan on improving and dealing with short term as well as my long term goals: 1. Do your research. Clarify your own objectives and make sure you understand what your opposite number wants from the deal. For example, by doing some basic research into a potential supplier, you can work out how valuable your custom is to them. 2. Plan your strategy in writing and decide what approach you will adopt before beginning negotiations. Be clear about the type of deal you want, set clear goals and work out where you will draw the line and walk away from the deal. 3. Ask questions and listen closely to answers. Asking questions will help you understand what your opposite number wants to achieve. You may be able to get them to reveal how flexible they are on certain issues. 4. Decide what is negotiable. Before you start to negotiate, draw up a list of factors that are most important to you. Decide what you are (and aren’t) prepared to compromise on. Key factors might include price, payment terms, volume or delivery dates. The key is to establish your preferred outcome, but remain realistic, because if you’re not prepared to compromise some negotiations won’t last long. 5. Don’t reveal your negotiating position and avoid making unnecessary concessions. If you have to make concessions – look for reciprocation. Concessions should only be made to help you get the things you value. You should also avoid appearing too keen to do a deal. Consider what offer the other party in the negotiations is likely to make and how you’ll respond. 6. Select the best team. Once you’ve decided on your strategy it is essential that you get your negotiating team right. Make sure it has skills in all the required areas and, where necessary, use a specialist to negotiate in areas outside your expertise 7. Drawing up a contract. Once all the points have been negotiated and a deal has been agreed, it’s best t o get a written contract drawn up and signed by both parties. While verbal contracts are legally binding – they are difficult to prove in court. 8. Choose the right time and place for negotiation. Ideally select a time and place where you are not under pressure to close the deal. My plan of being successful in negotiations Mapping the parties I would like to start with private talks with various individual parties  (bankers, customers, etc.) before bringing everyone together for public negotiations, or it may be better to immediately begin negotiation with all stakeholders. When developing the process, it is important to consider the role of third parties, special procedures and specific negotiation systems. This will likely require an understanding of the cultural norms and individual personalities of the parties involved. Further important considerations relevant to the process include how the process is to be determined and how it could be modified. The set up essentially ensures that the scope, sequence and process of a negotiation is consistent with my desired outcome for the negotiation. I need to ensure that the right parties have been involved, in the right sequence, to deal with the right issues that engage the right set of interests, at the right table or tables, at the right time, under the right expectations , facing the right consequences of walking away if there is no deal.

Biomedical and Biopsychosocial models of care Essay

Competing views of the human body as either a biological phenomena or a complex microcosm borne of its environment, have provided the basis for the development of two different models of care: the biomedical model, and the recovery-based psychosocial model. The model of care adopted by care providers heavily influences the nature of the treatment given, and the trajectory of a patient’s journey through illness, to wellness. Historically, the biomedical model of care has been the foundation of Western medicine, and has remained largely unchallenged as the dominant model of care used in the delivery of psychiatric treatment. It is practiced with a focus on disease, pathology, and ‘cure’. The emergence of the biopsychosocial model (Engel, 1977) and psychosocial rehabilitation has provided the mental health arena with an effective alternative to the biomedical model. With an approach that is person-centred and recovery focused, it aligns with contemporary attitudes about mental disorders having their origins and impacts in a social context. This paper will critically analyse and compare the benefits and limitations of both models of care, through an exploration of three key areas: (i) empowerment/disempowerment of the patient, (ii) implications for nursing practice, and (iii) outcomes. In psychiatry, the biomedical model emphasises a pharmacological approach to treatment, and supposes that mental disorders are brain diseases caused solely, or by a combination of chemical imbalances, genetic anomalies, defects in brain structure, or neurotransmitter dysregulation (Deacon, 2013). This supposition makes up one side of a Descartian divide that exists between biological psychiatry and a biopsychosocial approach to mental health care. Engel (1977) viewed the biomedical model as ‘reductionist’, and posited that it neglected the social, psychological and behavioural dimensions of illness. He proposed a biopsychosocial model that takes into account ‘the patient, the social context in which he lives, and the complementary system devised by society to deal with the disruptive effects of illness’ (p. 131). It is within this biopsychosocial framework, that  recovery-focused psychosocial rehabilitation takes place (Cnaan, Blankertz, Messinger & Gardner, 1988; King, Lloyd & Meehan, 2007). Less objective than the biomedical model, psychosocial rehabilitation focuses on the subjective experience of recovery and wellness, that is, the presence of signs and symptoms may not necessarily align with the individual’s sense of self and wellness. (i) Empowerment/disempowerment of the patient A persistent criticism of the biomedical model is the assertion that the patient is disempowered. Firstly, the nature of the doctor-patient relationship suggests that the patient is a passive recipient of treatment; the patient is reduced to a diagnosis, and offered diagnosis-specific treatment options. The role of personal choice exists, however in a limited capacity. Secondly, the ideology underpinning the biomedical model assumes disease to be a deviation from the biological norm, with illness understood in terms of causation and remediation (Deacon, 2013; Shah & Mountain, 2007; Engel, 1977). This perspective assumes the existence of some underlying pathological cause for symptoms and behaviour, and focuses on objective indicators of recovery (King et al., 2007). The implications of this perspective are that the patient cannot, from his own resources, do anything to ameliorate his illness, and to affect any change in his behaviour, he must adhere to diagnosis-specific treatment se t out by the psychiatrist. It is argued that the ways in which a patient can be disempowered by a psychiatric diagnosis (stigma, forced hospitalisation, long-term pharmacotherapy etc.) far outweigh any benefits they might receive (Callard, Bracken, David & Sartorius, 2013). Comparatively, recovery within the framework of psychosocial rehabilitation is widely considered to be empowering for consumers of mental health services (Shah & Mountain, 2007; Callard et al., 2013). Two key principles of psychosocial rehabilitation are an emphasis on a social rather than medical model of care, and on the patient’s strengths rather than pathologies (King et al., 2007). Similar to the doctor-patient relationship of the biomedical model, there exists a relationship between patients,  caregivers and clinicians in the psychosocial framework. The emphasis however is on the formation of a therapeutic alliance (King et al., 2007) in which recovery is owned by the patient, with professionals and services facilitating this ownership (Mountain & Shah, 2008). The aim of psychosocial rehabilitation is for the patient to have self-determination over their illness and health, and a fulfilled sense of self despite the possible continuation of symptoms (Barber, 2012). This is in stark contrast to the biomedical model in which illness is managed by the practitioner, and health is hallmarked by the absence of symptoms and disease (Wade & Halligan, 2004). The psychosocial perspective must also be considered in terms of its potential limitations. By placing an emphasis on self-determination and self-management of mental illness and wellbeing, there runs a parallel risk of instilling a sense of responsibility or blame within the patient when less than desirable health outcomes occur. This is of particular relevance in mental health settings, where poor health outcomes are unfortunately, likely (Deacon, 2013). In the biomedical model, the psychiatrist would offer some small consolation to the patient in the form of shouldering the bulk of the responsibility. With regard to empowerment of the patient, this notion of ‘care’ versus ‘cure’ suggests that the biomedical model of care and psychosocial rehabilitation are two competing models of care that are divorced from one another. They are not, however, mutually exclusive, and it is worth noting that contemporary definitions of the biomedical model at least attempt to consider the incorporation of recovery-based treatment approaches (Barber, 2012; Mountain & Shah, 2008; Wade & Halligan, 2004). It has been suggested that modern day doctor-patient relationships are far more aligned with the nature of the psychosocial therapeutic alliance, founded on engagement and the recognition of skills and knowledge of each partner (Mountain & Shah, 2008). Specifically in a mental health setting, it might be argued that the biomedical model parts ways with psychosocial rehabilitation by use of compulsion (Mountain & Shah, 2008). The intent behind much of today’s mental health legislation is guided by the ideologies of the biomedical model. This  results in patients with a psychiatric diagnosis being frequently disempowered, by having their right to self-determination overridden by legal powers of compulsion (Thomas, Bracken & Timimi, 2012). Despite a shift towards self-determination by the biomedical model, mental health patients may be forced to accept treatment against their wishes. In opposition to this, the psychosocial framework favours a community-based, ‘case-managed’ style of care (King et al., 2007), which seeks to empower the patient and maintain independence. (i) Implications for nursing practice The medical model is a useful framework to assist the psychiatrist in the identification of disorders and diseases. However, scientists have identified neither a biological cause nor a reliable biomarker for any mental disorder (Deacon, 2013), and arguably, most mental disorders have their origin and impact in a social context (McAllister & Moyle, 2008). Therefore, the validity of the biomedical model as a nursing model of care in mental health settings must be questioned. The all-encompassing nature of the care delivery required by a psychosocial framework may, at times, appear to be at odds with more ‘traditional’ concepts of nursing. It is understood that the biomedical model is the model on which many nurses base their practice. It is also the model that has long dominated the field of psychiatry (Stickley & Timmons, 2007), despite a plethora of literature espousing the importance of the interpersonal domain and psychosocial factors. Findings from a study by Carlyle, Crowe & Deering (2012) showed that mental health nurses working in an inpatient setting described the role of mental health services, the role of the nurse and nursing interventions in terms of supporting a medical model of care. This was despite recognition amongst the nurses that they used a psychodynamic framework for understanding the aetiology of mental distress, as being a result of interpersonal factors. The problems with the use of the biomedical model in mental health nursing are varied. The overriding goal of the biomedical model is cure, and  therefore nurses that base their practice on it must also aim for this outcome. This is obviously troublesome for a speciality that treats disorders that may not have a definable cause, and typically have poor outcomes (Deacon, 2013). Regarding ‘care’ versus ‘cure’, the challenge for nurses working in mental health settings where their practice is underpinned by the medical model, is the inability to achieve the outcome of care that they believe to be appropriate, that is, a cure (Pearson, Vaughan & FitzGerald, 2005). In terms of the provision of nursing care, the biomedical model’s focus on disease and the objective categorisation of people by disease can serve to depersonalise patients and so too, the nursing care provided to them (Pearson et al., 2005). It may well be argued that the biomedical model devalues the role of the nurse, because the humanistic side to care is diminished in favour of a medical diagnosis and cure. Overall, the ideals of mental health nursing practice are constrained by the biomedical model (McAllister & Moyle, 2008), however, nurses feel comfortable using this model to explain their practice, in the absence of a defined alternative. Psychosocial rehabilitation as an alternative to the biomedical model not only has positive implications for consumers of mental health services but also to the nurses who provide their care (Stickley & Timmons, 2007). Indeed, a wealth of literature supports a shift from the medical model to a recovery-based, psychosocial approach (Engel, 1977; Barber, 2012; Caldwell, Sclafani, Swarbrick & Piren, 2010; Mountain & Shah, 2008). In contrast to the biomedical model, the nurse-patient therapeutic alliance is at the core of the psychosocial framework (King et al., 2007). In this way, the role of the nurse moves away from being task-focused, to actively developing, coordinating and implementing strategies to facilitate the recovery process (Caldwell et al., 2010). Additionally, this model of care strongly aligns with nursing perceptions of their role as care providers, their beliefs regarding the aetiology of mental disorders, and their attitudes towards best practice (McAllister & Moyle, 2 008; Carlyle et al., 2012). (i) Outcomes Generally, the biomedical model has been associated with vast improvements in medical care throughout the 20th century. Despite its persistent dominance of both policy and practice, the biomedical model in regards to the delivery of mental health care is characterised by a lack of clinical innovation and poor outcomes (Deacon, 2013). It does, however, have its redeeming qualities. The primary strength of the biomedical model is its core knowledge base derived from objective scientific experiment, its intuitive appeal, and relevance to many disease-based illnesses (Pearson et al., 2005; Wade & Halligan, 2004). Evidence-based medicine allows the psychiatrist to access objective evidence about the safety and effectiveness of their interventions (Thomas et al., 2012). Shah & Mountain (2007) argue that the model’s rigorous methods used to gather evidence that have resulted in numerous effective psychopharmacological treatments, cannot be translated in helping to identify which spec ific elements of psychosocial treatments are effective. This assertion is evidenced by a study documenting the efficacy of a psychosocial rehabilitation programme (Chowdur, Dhariti, Kalyanasundaram, & Suryanarayana, 2011) in patients with severe and persisting mental illness. The study showed significant improvement for all participants across a range of parameters used to measure levels of functioning. However, the results did not reveal the specific effects of various components of the rehabilitation programme, making it difficult to isolate each component and to study its effect. Regardless, the overall benefits of psychosocial rehabilitation should not be ignored simply due to study limitations. Despite the biomedical model’s rigorous study methods and evidence-based core, tangible signs of progress are few and far between. Indeed, the biomedical approach has failed to elucidate the very biological basis of mental disorder, and also failed to reduce stigma (Deacon, 2013; Schomerus et al., 2012). Kvaale, Haslam & Gottdiener (2013) determined that biogenetic explanations for psychological illnesses increase ‘prognostic pessimism’ and perceptions of dangerousness, and do little to reduce stigma. This conclusion has obvious implications in a society where the layperson’s, and in fact, nursing student’s understanding of mental illness is a biogenetic, ‘medicalised’ one (Kvaale et al., 2013; Stickley & Timmons, 2007). In  contrast, psychosocial rehabilitation programmes may have the effect of reducing stigma. As previously discussed, psychosocial rehabilitation is underpinned by an ideology that seeks to empower the patient. Research has shown that empowerment and self-stigma are opposite poles on a continuum (Rà ¼sch, Angermeyer & Corrigan, 2005). By enhancing the patient’s sense of self, insight, societal roles, and basic self-care functions (King et al., 2007), psychosocial rehabilitation programmes have the ability to reduce the negative effects of stigma. In a study particular to patients with schizophrenia (Koukia & Madianos, 2005), caregivers and relatives reported lower levels of objective and subjective burden when the patient was engaged in a psychosocial rehabilitation programme. In their exploration into the validity of evidence-based medicine in psychiatry, Thomas et al. (2012) differentiate between specific factors (e.g. pharmacological interventions targeting specific neurotransmitter imbalances), and non-specific factors (e.g. contexts, values, meanings and relationships). They determined that non-specific factors are far more important in relation to positive outcomes, which would support a psychosocial approach. In recent years, public opinion and policy has become more aligned with the recovery model, evidenced by the wealth of literature echoing Engel’s (1977) proposition of a ‘new medical model’ founded on a biopsychosocial approach. Recently, the Australian Government Department of Health acknowledged the positive outcomes associated with a recovery-based model, and released the National framework for recovery-oriented mental health services (2013). Despite their ideological differences, psychosocial rehabilitation need not be viewed as the antithesis to the biomedical model, with literature suggesting a degree of compatibility between the two that is becoming more apparent in the modern delivery of mental health care (Barber, 2012; Mountain & Shah, 2008; Shah & Mountain, 2007). Conclusion Recent years have seen significant changes in the perceptions of mental illness, and the provision of mental health services that are available. The  move towards community-based care, psychosocial rehabilitation programmes, and empowerment of the patient through self-determination has been accompanied by a growth in research, and positive outcomes for mental health consumers. Despite this progress, modern mental health care is still largely dominated by the biomedical model. Whilst contemporary interpretations of the psychiatric biomedical model recognise the value of social and psychological factors, they appear to do so in a way that relegates those factors to an order below that of biological factors. This occurs in the absence of any definable biological causes for mental disorders (Deacon, 2013). A contemporary model is required in modern mental health services. Indeed, Barber (2012) suggests that recovery should be thought of as the ‘new medical model for psychiatry. Psychosocial rehabilitation is associated with improved objective and subjective patient outcomes, and emphasises the role of the nurse. As observed by Engel (1977), the dogmatism of biomedicine inadvertently results in the frustration of patients who believe their genuine health needs are being inadequately met. 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