Urban and Rural Life (Collection) free essay sample

There has always been a sharp distinction between urban and rural living, with each having its particular advantages and disadvantages. From a personal perspective, I am more inclined to live in a small town rather than a big city. To me, it boils down to more peace and quiet; a better environment to live in; and family safety. To begin with, small towns are usually quiet and relatively calm. The pace of life is relaxed and the low number of cars and people makes for a peaceful setting without too much noise. Of course, not all small towns are idyllic in this fashion, and a slow and quiet lifestyle isnt every persons piece of cake. However, I personally enjoy it. As a child I lived in both a small country town and then later a large busy city. I vividly recall how much calmer the small hamlet was, and how relaxed and easy-going it made me and others there feel. We will write a custom essay sample on Urban and Rural Life (Collection) or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Conversely, the city with its traffic and crowds of people seemed constantly busy and noisy. In addition to peace and calm, small town living can usually be associated with a better environment. Apart from the fact that there is less traffic and associated pollution, small towns are mostly located in the countryside and have easy access to rural settings. By way of example, it is usually relatively easy to walk out into fields, forests, valleys or even to rivers and lakes (in their natural settings) when you live in a small rural town. The same cant be said of city living which of course has other appeals like entertainment, nightlife and a broader scope of amenities. If, however, like me you prefer the natural environment close to your doorstep, then small town living will be a more attractive option. Besides tranquility and environmental appeal, I also have to say that small hamlets are better for families and family safety in particular. Small towns have closer-knit communities where everyone knows and generally looks out for each other. I personally live in a very small coastal town these days, and I deliberately moved here because of my wife and two young children. I know they can go to and from school without being in danger from traffic or some of the nastier elements of society that tend to congregate more in big city locations. This is not to say that close-knit safe communities cant be forged in cities, but I think anyone who has lived in both settings knows the safety factor for families is more reliable in smaller community-based townships. To sum up, then, I think I have shown with some conviction that factors like peace and quiet; clean and natural environment; and family safety all amount to better living in small towns. And while I concede that big cities have their own special advantages that cant be matched in a lot of small rural settings, these are the factors that matter most to me.

Fundamentals Of Basketball Defense Essays - Ball Games, Team Sports

Fundamentals Of Basketball Defense Essays - Ball Games, Team Sports Fundamentals Of Basketball Defense No sport moves more quickly or requires as many skills as basketball. Basketball is the most electrifying and most innovative game known to man. The primary objective of the game is to score more points than the opposition by putting a round ball through a circular band, called a rim. On defense, a blocked shot or a steal can lead to a fast break at the other end of the court. On offense, one quick move can result in an easy basket. Good dribbling and passing skill can set up wide-open shots for teammates. But long before players can be become part of the excitement on the court, they must first lean and study the basics. This takes a great deal of practice and attention to detail. The basic skills of dribbling, passing and shooting are essential to the continued improvement of every basketball player at every level. In order for a player or team to become a good offensive player they must have the ball. How do obtain or control the ball you might ask? Learning how to be a solid defe nsive player does this. Consistent winners play good defense, and good defense breeds consistent winning. Fans appreciate and identify with a strong defensive effort, and players respect a strong defensive team. Teams who take pride in, and have patience on defense have far fewer off nights than the team that relies only on offense. Strong team defense builds good team morale. We have seen a good defensive team that wasnt together. Everyone respects a good defensive player especially players. Individual defense can do the following for you: it can give you self-confidence, anyone that wants to pay the price can play good defense. If you are gifted with speed, quickness and basketball sense, you can be a great defensive player. It can build you a reputation of being tough and aggressive. Help you get in the best physical and mental condition. Earn for you the special pride and self-respect you get from playing at both ends. Playing individual defense can also give you the chance to make one of the biggest pl ays in basketball, drawing the offensive foul. The first myth about playing defense is that you have to have speed and quick feet, which is not true. Defense is played with anticipation, or being aware of whats going on around you, good body balance and basic fundamentals. There are certain fundamentals you have to follow. But anyone can play defense. If you are willing to work and watch whats going on around you, then you can become a solid defensive player. Defense is as much a mental as a physical skill. Rather than play reactive defense a player should be encouraged to be proactive. By emphasizing active elements of defense represented as follows by the acronym ATTACK, proactive defense is encouraged. Each letter of the word stands for a must for us to be our best. A Attitude: It all starts with your attitude. The starting point of all defenses is the determination to become an aggressive, intelligent defensive player. Each player must develop and maintain control of his attitude, especially on defense. T Team: Through teamwork a collective effort of five defensive players is greater than five individual players. T Tools: The three basic tools of defense that is the most important to develop are your mind, body and feet. We play basketball with our mind, body, and feet; and foul with our hands. A Anticipation: Use your basketball sense and judgement. Know when to make your move. Eliminate moves that have little or no chance for success. C Concentration: Be alert and ready to play defense at all times. Make the change from offense to defense quickly. Defense before your opponent has the ball, and it will be much easier. Maintain a basketball position. K Killer Instinct: You must be aggressive on defense. It is essential that you force the opponent to react to you. Do not react to the offensive player. Force that player away from those strengths. Ten Cardinal Rules of Defense 1. Transition (Early recognition get the defense set) Quick, organized transition with communication by all five players keys to strong team defense. 2. Pressure

The Relation of Heat to Kinetic Theory of Matter Essay

The Relation of Heat to Kinetic Theory of Matter - Essay Example It means that movement of molecules or atoms becomes more when there is more heat. Molecules or atoms have energy preserved in them. They have potential energy as well as kinetic energy and these energies together form thermal energy. Thermal energy moves from an object having high temperature to an object having low temperature and with this movement (Maxwell, 1871), the movement of molecules or atoms also gets faster. The object having high temperature will have fast moving molecules or atoms. Therefore, it is quite clear that the study of heat is related to the kinetic theory of matter. 2. What is temperature? Heat is a process in which, thermal energy shifts from an object of high temperature to an object of low temperature. Heat is not pre-located in matter. It is created and can be noticed as shifting of thermal energy between objects based on temperature difference between the objects. There can be many examples of heat. When we touch a hot surface, the thermal energy shifts f rom the hot surface to our hand due to which, we feel heat as there is a temperature difference between the hot surface and our hand, which on touching shifts. In this way, we can say that the temperature is the measure of heat energy. With the help of a temperature scale we can estimate the degree of hotness or coldness of the surrounding atmosphere or any object. 3. What is the relationship between heat and temperature? While heat is a form of energy that can be converted to any other form, temperature is only an effect caused by the heat. However, both the quantities heat and temperature are directly proportional to each other. If one quantity rises the other also varies directly, if one lowers the other quantity lowers too. The more the amount of heat the more will be kinetic energy of molecules while temperature is the measure of the degree of motion of particles in a system. 4. What are the various properties of a substance that determine its heat capacity? The most important factor that determines the heat capacity of a substance is the energy state of the molecules of the substance that is the direct measure of the heat capacity of a substance. The difference of the heat capacities of the two substances is due to the difference in the molecular energy state of the two substances (Hagg, 2011). The other factors that determine the heat capacity of the material are the pressure, composition of the substance and the temperature. Pressure makes the molecules to be close to each other that make the molecules to collide in a more repetitively that increase the average kinetic energy of the molecules and changes the energy state of the material. Under pressure the three state of the matter behave differently (Belzer, 2011). Gasses are most influences by the pressure and temperature while solids gave little impact when they are under pressure as the molecules are close enough in the solids. As the temperature of the substance is raised the bond between the mole cules weakens and the matter changes its state, as solids when heated to a certain temperature melts to a liquid form and liquids change to gaseous form when heated to a certain temperature. Composition of the material can change its heat capacity by altering the energy states of the material. 5. What are the var

Compare Destiny in Oedipus Rex( by Sophocles) and The Golden Mean Research Paper

Compare Destiny in Oedipus Rex( by Sophocles) and The Golden Mean (2009 by Annabel Lyon) - Research Paper Example According to Michael Clark, â€Å"By the 1950's, Jung had outlined three types of synchronicity: The meaningful acausal coincidence of a psychological event and an external observable event, both taking place at or around the same time. The meaningful acausal coincidence of a psychological event and an external observable event, the latter taking place outside the individual's range of sensory perception. The meaningful acausal coincidence of an internal psychological event with an external observable event, the latter taking place in the future. ... (jung, 1973) Nevertheless, when analyzing the path of self-development taken by Oedipus, as well as that of Alexander and Aristotle in Lyon’s depiction, the importance of synchronicity can be seen in the way that events draw people together at auspicious times that will determine not only their own fate, but the destiny of millions throughout history. Jung’s discussion of â€Å"meaningful acausality† in its first aspect as described by Clark can be seen in the meeting of Oedipus with his father at the crossroads. This was prophesized before Oedipus’ own birth, and for that reason he was tossed away with pierced ankles and received his name. In this instance, the name of Oedipus both illustrates and hides his actual identity to himself and others. In meeting his father in such an apparently random manner against the conscious will of both parties, the element of synchronicity is clearly evident, even if the meaning will not fully become clear until later. T his meeting of Laius and Oedipus exists as the essential point where the meaning of both their lives will constellate and dissipate together, a time the gods and oracles could see but both were unconscious to personally at the time. As Jung writes, â€Å"Synchronicity suggests that mind and matter, as well as past, present and future exist in a meaningfully connected continuum. It also implies that everyday distinctions concerning self and environment, causality and the belief in linear time are historically specific assumptions rather than absolute truths.† (Clark, 2007) The sphinx in the Oedipus tale can be seen as symbolic of synchronicity and the play of fate in the way that it conjoins aspects of

Unit 6 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Unit 6 - Assignment Example For the sake of customer safety and service, a similar language needs to be in place. The employees need to maintain excellent public relation patterns with the target customers. In doing so, customers feel welcomed and valued. It also promotes the business sales. In another way, a few employees without English knowledge may feel left out and alienated from others who are quick in expressing themselves in English. They may think they are being gossiped in the workplace. Differences in workplace subsides managers institute such changes. The disciplinary action needs to be clear to everyone. The disciplinary policy in workplace ensures that every member sticks to the directives. The employees are hence aware of the repercussions that accompany breaking of the law. Knowledge of the effects of law breaking will deter them from poor acts in the workplace. Therefore, in personal view, measures enforcing English speaking only at the workplace are good if implemented well. They result to good customer care and an improvement in public relation patterns (Ekkens and Winke 270). Ekkens, Kristin, and Paula Winke. â€Å"Evaluating Workplace English Language Programs.† Language Assessment Quarterly 2009 : 265–287. Retrieved from

Murder Of Duncan In Macbeth

Murder Of Duncan In Macbeth Duncans murder, in the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare, was a complete disaster. This deed, performed by Macbeth, but this cannot be totally blamed on him. The three witches are to blame. Their prophecies of Macbeth becoming King sparked ambition in Macbeth, causing him to suffocate himself with the ideas to turn it to reality. Lady Macbeth is also at responsible. Macbeth decides not to go ahead with the plan to kill Duncan, but, she also becomes obsessed with the idea of Macbeth being king and her becoming Queen forces Macbeth into committing the crime. Macbeth played a major role in the murder of Duncan. He, however being in control by others, he was in full control of himself. He knew what he was doing and did it. The three witches in the tragedy Macbeth are presented right at the beginning of the play. They recount to Macbeth three prophesies. That Macbeth will be Thane of Glamis (that he already is), Thane of Cawdor and King All hail Macbeth ,that shalt be King thereafter. Macbeth takes this into account and asks them to tell him more meaning that Macbeth may believe that he will become king. These advices introduce Macbeth to ideas of greatness. When the first prophecy comes true, Macbeth talks aside to Banquo Two truths are told as happy prologues to the swelling act of the imperial theme (1.3.140-141). Macbeth is telling Banquo that so far the witches have told him things that have come true, so it seems to him that this will culminate in him becoming king. In the second visit, the witches reveal to Macbeth three apparitions. The first apparition warned Macbeth about Macduff, Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! Beware Macduff. Beware the thane of Fife. Dismiss me. Enough. The second apparition tol d Macbeth that no man born from a woman will harm him, Be bloody, bold, and resolute. Laugh to scorn the power of man, for none of women born shall harm Macbeth. The third apparition said that Macbeth never be defeated until Birnam Wood marches to fight him at Dunsinane Hill. Be lion-mettled, proud, and take no care who chafes, who frets, or where conspirers are. Macbeth shall never vanquished be until Great Birnam Wood to high Dunsinane Hill Shall come against him. Macbeth does not care anymore about anything expect killing Macduff , because he thinks Birnam woods will never march to fight him , and there is no such thing as a man not born from a women , so , hes all out of harm. Macbeth chooses to kill Macduff because the witches said to watch out for him. If the witches would have never told him to watch out for Macduff he would not have decided to kill him. The play Macbeth is a play about killing and greed. After the witches prophesize his future and becoming king, he decides t o kill to get to the position of king. The witches have control over Macbeth throughout the play. Macbeth follows his conscious in choosing to do wrong. Macbeth fights at times between right and wrong but, because of what the witches have told him he decides to do everything wrong, so he can take a step higher in his journey up the ladder to king. Lady Macbeth plays a major role in influencing her husband to take the path he did. She serves much the same role as the witches do in manipulating Macbeth to murder Duncan, but her influence is more frightening nature. She would always question his manliness to commit the murder, Lady Macbeth desire to see her husband succeed so much, that shed tell him anything to get him to kill Duncan. She worries that Macbeth is too full o the milk of human kindness(1.5.16-17) that he is really too good inside to follow through with killing Duncan. (Ironic, then, that she is the one later who cannot make herself stab Duncan as he reminds her too much of her father.) There is proof that Lady Macbeth understands Macbeths thoughts and feeling are visible in her thoughts. Thou wouldst be great; Art not without ambition, but without the illness should attend it. (1.5.19-21). From the very same speech and small implications from the letter, Macbeth was ambitious enough to want to be the King, but wou ld not think of murdering Duncan. Lady Macbeth knew this, she also knew that she would have to push Macbeth into performing the deed and she starts by telling him Thy letters have transported me beyond this ignorant present and I feel now the future in the present (1.5.62-65). Lady Macbeth explains to Macbeth telling him that she feels that future is almost present. During the play we see that Macbeth just wants to be Thane of Cowdar. However, Lady Macbeth starts to influence him again, but this time she questions his manhood, saying When you durst do it, then you were a man: And to be more then what you were you would be so much more the man. (1.7.55-56). Then after Macbeth is influenced by Lady Macbeth and kills Duncan, Not only she got him to commit the murder, she even knew what to say after he had started thinking about the murder. Lady Macbeths manipulation to Macbeth had affected him, when she would question his manhood and show how much she loves her husband, she would touch his weakness. Thats how she got him to kill Duncan. Lady Macbeth plays a major role in the responsibility of Duncans death. Macbeth was the one who stabbed the king, and he freely admits this during the play. I have done the deed Macbeth relates to his Lady after he completed the objective (2.2.19). Macbeth was never forced to the deed, he did it because he was ambitious. Macbeth, the Thane of Glamis and the Thane of Cawdor, holds the major responsibility for the death of Duncan. He was the one who performed the murder by his own hands. He was ambitious and understood the relation of the foretelling. Finally, Macbeth understood and accepted the plan for the murder of the King. In these three ways, Macbeth bore the leading burden for the death of Duncan. The responsibility of Duncans murder falls on everyones head, the three witches, Lady Macbeth and Macbeth. The witches are responsible because they recounted to Macbeth three prophesies. That led him to kill Duncan and Macduff. When the witches told Macbeth that he is going to become Thane of Cowdar, and that prophecy became true, he started thinking how he could become king. Then in the second visit they warned Macbeth about Macduff. Macbeth was like a ring in the witches hands, whenever they told Macbeth to do something, he would do it. Lady Macbeth also holds the same responsibility as the witches. Lady Macbeth would hit on Macbeths weakness, and attack with her love, and ask him if he was a real man or not. The only way Lady Macbeth could get Macbeth to commit the murder was when she would question is manliness. The only thing that Lady Macbeth wanted was to see her husband successful, either by committing a murder or anything else. Macbeth was responsible for everything as well, Macbeth was never forced to do anything, the witches nor did Lady Macbeth force him to commit any murder. No one is forced to do anything, he should have thought before he did anything. The responsibility of Duncans murder is clear, that all five characters are responsible.

Bad Rap :: Music Papers

Bad Rap I can recall the cold weekend in November after I got my drivers license and my strong urge to go to a dance club on a venture to bond with new faces. The only information I knew about this small, local boom-room was the age limit, dress code and the cover price. When I arrived at the club with my 3 high school friends, we were more than astonished by the overly crowded parking lot that looked similar to tailgate parties at a National Football Game. After paying at the door and getting carded for an ID, we passed through the doors that would lead me to a shocking personal experience. The nightclub was composed of 2 luxurious floors, 1 wooden deck, and 1 laser-lighted VIP room. From the very moment I stepped through the entrance, I could feel the bass from the sub woofers punching at my eardrum. Due to the floods of teens on the dance floor, I felt that my mobility was limited and I knew that this could be a serious fire hazard. It felt like the hip-hop DJ never stopped spinning the new hit singles he would pull from his large selection in a nearby cardboard box. As the music blared, the crowds of people on the dance floor continued to form into huddle-like groups on different sides and corners of the room. I figured that these clusters were nothing but circles of close friends but would soon realize that these groups were actually local street gangs from the poor neighborhoods in my town. As the night came to a close, the DJ threw on a couple more hit records to the likes of the audience. One of these records by Lil’ Jon and the Eastside Boys, however, fell under the category of â€Å"Gangsta Rap†. â€Å"Put your Hood Up†, a mere 4 minutes of vulgarity and severe profanity is a song that parents and guardians need to know about. The song starts off with Lil’ Jon howling â€Å"Aye, check this out I need all my real niggas and bitches to look around the muthafuckin' club. If you see a nigga and he throwin' up a set and it aint yo' set or it aint yo' click, I want y’all niggas to tell them niggas like this.

342 – Support Positive Risk Taking For Individuals

Unit 4222-342 Support positive risk taking for individuals (HSC 3066) Outcome 1 Understand the importance of risk taking in everyday life : 1. Explain ways in which risk is an integral part of everyday life For many people risk is an accepted part of everyday life. Every day activities such as catching the bus, travelling on holiday, playing football, setting up home and starting a family all carry some element of risk. Risk plays a part in our health, safety, security, well-being, employment, education, daily activities, using resources and equipment and in community participation.But some adults, for example disabled people or older people, are often discouraged from taking risks. Traditionally they are not encouraged to take risks in areas such as budgeting, planning, employment and daily living skills. This may be either because of their perceived limitations or fear that they or others might be harmed. Everyone has a right to take risks and make decisions about their lives. There is a balance to be found between service user’s participation in everyday activities and your duty of care.Changes in social care and health policy mean that all adults are being actively encouraged to increase their independence by, for example, travelling independently, and by being fully involved in mainstream society through education, work and leisure. It is impossible ever to fully eliminate risk. It is however possible to minimise and prepare for risk by preventative action. To support people to live independently or to travel independently or take part in everyday activities means accepting that there are risks that cannot be avoided but can be minimised and prepared for.2. Explain why individuals may have been discouraged or prevented from taking risks.For disabled people, a move away from a medical model to a social model of disability now means that there is an emphasis on the discrimination and exclusion created by social and cultural barriers. For some services, approaches to risk have in the past been concerned with avoiding potentially harmful situations to service users and staff. People may need to take risks to achieve their aspirations but people who need su pport can be discouraged from taking risks.This may be because of their perceived limitations or because of fear that they or others might be harmed, resulting in criticism or compensation claims. A more positive approach to risk is now being developed, recognising that in addition to potentially negative characteristics, risk taking can have positive benefits for individuals, enabling them to do things which most people take for granted. Risk can be beneficial, balancing necessary levels of protection with preserving reasonable levels of choice and control.A balance has to be achieved between the wishes of those who use services and the common law duty of Care.3. Describe the links between risk-taking and responsibility, empowerment and social inclusion. Personalised care is for everyone, but some people will need more support than others to make choices about how they live their lives. Everyone has the right to personalised care and as much choice and control as possible. As the p ace on personalisation is picked up it is necessary to ensure that this includes the most vulnerable members of our society, including those who may lack capacity.With effective personalisation comes the need to manage risk for people to make decisions as safely as possible. Making risks clear and understood is crucial to empowering service users and carers, recognising people as ‘experts in their own lives’. Risk management does not mean trying to eliminate risk. It means managing risks to maximise people’s choice and control over their lives. True empowerment means that people might make decisions service providers disagree with.If the outcomes are part of the support plan and all risks have been fully discussed and understood, this can lead to real choice and control and a better quality of life for the individual. With support for positive risk taking it can help the individual to:gain self-confidence-achievement, development, new skills and knowledgedevelop skills-goals setting, new activities, supporttake an active part in their community-involvement, participation, inclusionOutcome 2Understand the importance of a positive, person-centred approach to risk assessment . explain the process of developing a positive person-centred approach to risk assessment Every opportunity contains risks – a life without risk, is a life without opportunities, often without quality and without change. Traditional methods of risk assessment are full of charts and scoring systems, but the person, their objectives, dreams and life seem to get forgotten. A person centred approach focus’ on the individuals rights to have the lifestyle that they chose, including the right to make ‘bad' decisions.It is about helping people and those who care about them, think in a positive and productive way in order to achieve the changes they want while keeping the issue of risk in its place. Risk management is finding a balance between â€Å"positive ri sk taking† based on autonomy and independence and a policy of protection for the person and the community based on minimising harm. Bates and Silberman give a list of 7 criteria that any such approach would have to fulfil, these being:Involvement of Service Users and Relatives in Risk Assessment. Positive and Informed Risk Taking.Proportionality.Contextualising Behaviour.Defensible Decision Making.A Learning Culture.Tolerable Risks. .2. explain how to apply the principles and methods of a person-centred approach to each of the different stages of the process of risk assessment Working in a personalised way and developing a positive person-centred approach means accepting there are risks that cannot be avoided but which can be prepared for.Reasonable risk is about striking a balance in empowering people with support needs to make choices ensuring that the person has all the information, tailored to their specific needs, in the appropriate format, to make their best decisions â €Å"Involvement of service users and relatives in risk assessment†: Involving the person concerned and the people that care about them most is one of the most fundamental tenets of any person centred approach.The process uses the ‘Relationship Circle' to help the person and their allies identify key people who could form the persons ‘circle of support'. This group of people is involved from the outset, in the initial gathering of information, in the framing of what the risk under discussion actually is, in thinking that generates ideas and solutions, in evaluating these solutions, in decision making around the risk, in implementing the actions and in the learning that takes place during these actions.Staff must understand what service users and others want, how they view their own risks and what responsibilities each person has in managing risks effectively. The Person Centred Approach meets this by asking for a clear picture of what the person wishes to achieve, why this is important to the person, what success would look like, a history of the risk and uses the ‘doughnut' tool and decision making agreement tools to look at staff roles and responsibilities, and at who will be responsible for different important decisions in relation to the risk. Positive and informed risk taking†: The process is built around a positive view of the person – it seeks to learn what the person's gifts and skills are, what people like and admire about them, as well as investigating what would be necessary to keep them and others safe while taking the risk. The process is based on finding creative solutions rather than simply ruling things out.Bates and Silberman argue here that quality of life should be â€Å"maximised while people and communities are kept as safe as can be reasonably expected within a free society† Thinking around what it would take to keep the person and others safe while taking the risk is a key part of the Positive and Productive Process, as is the use of the ‘Happy/Safe' grid, which looks at how much solutions would make the person happy, by meeting what is important to them, and how much they would keep them and others safe, by meeting what is important for them. One section of the process includes a question â€Å"What does the law say? enabling the process to be informed by the current law, including legislation such as the Human Rights Act. â€Å"Proportionality†: â€Å"The management of the risk must match the gravity of potential harm† Using the person centred thinking tools means flexibility. The more serious the issue, the more people and the more time can be spent considering it in greater detail. Unlike conventional risk assessment, the approach explores the consequences of NOT taking the risk, to the person, to their family, community and services, balancing these against the potential consequences of taking the risk. Contextualising Behaviour†: â€Å"wh y did the person behave in this way? At this time? In this Situation? † Part of the process involves gathering together previous information about the person, including a history of the person's experience of the risk issue from their own perspective, as well as other historical data, gleaned from a variety of sources including learning logs which look at what has worked and what has not worked in particular situations, and communication charts which explore a person's words and behaviours, seeking their meanings and considering what the best response to these messages should be.The ‘4+1 Questions' (What have we tried? what have we learned? What are we pleased about? what are we concerned about? ) help not only to gain an understanding of a person's behaviour in different contexts, but also to build a picture of what has been learned about what is the best support for that person. Defensible Decision Making†: â€Å"there is an explicit and justifiable rationale fo r the risk management decisions† Following the person centred approach generates a clear trail of written records of what has been discussed, the different perspectives, issues and solutions that have been considered, along with any legal issues, such as the human rights act or the mental health act that might affect the risk decision. The paperwork generated during the process provides a clear rationale for why the decisions that emerge during the process have been taken, and why other options have been rejected.The rationale for decision making is also more clearly expounded and recorded than in traditional risk assessment forms in common usage. â€Å"A Learning Culture† The positive and productive approach to risk has a deep emphasis within it on ongoing learning using learning and reflective tools like the learning log, the 4+1 Questions and What's Working/What's not working, and by clearly defining for staff their core duties and their zone of judgement and creativ ity in relation to the risk.If it is part of a serious and concerted attempt by services to change their philosophy and practice in a person centred direction, it can contribute significantly to building a learning culture within organisations. â€Å"Tolerable Risks† A key aspect of the Person Centred Approach is that it uses creative thinking techniques around methods to mitigate the risk and improve quality of life, moving from situations which make the person happy but unsafe, to where they and the community are safer, and from strategies where the person is ‘safe but unhappy', to where they can be happier.Experience of using the process is that it enables participants to take a more balanced and rational approach to risk, finding ways to enable the person to achieve what is important to them while considering what keeps that person and the community safe in a way that makes sense for that individual. 3. explain how a service focused approach to risk assessment would differ from a person centred approach A risk assessment can only identify the probability of harm, assess the impact of it on the individuals, and pose intervention strategies which may diminish the risk or reduce the harm.Assessments cannot prevent risk. Risk is a normal and often beneficial part of everyday life, but while it enables learning and understanding, in the case of potentially destructive consequences it may need to be monitored and restricted. Traditional methods of risk assessment are full of charts and scoring systems, but the person, their objectives, dreams and life seem to get lost somewhere in the pages of tick boxes and statistics. A service focused approach seeks to avoid all risks as far as possible.Staff would be expected to behave and act in a synchronised way with regards risk, not taking into account the individuals wishes. It has no flexibility and is not a responsive approach to meet peoples` changing circumstances. A service centred approach to risk as sessment would be guided by a standard procedure and can compromise individuals rights to make choices and take risks. Often concerns about minimising and attempting to eliminate risks are in the interests of the organisation, but not necessarily in the interests of the person they are attempting to support.A person centred approach seeks to focus on people's rights to have the lifestyle that they chose, including the right to make ‘bad' decisions. Person centred planning, requires that staff have a flexible and responsive approach to meet peoples` changing circumstances, guided by the principles of good planning rather than a standard procedure. Staff need to be constantly problem solving in partnership with the person and their family and friends. Person centred planning seeks to develop a better, shared understanding of the person and her situation.A person centred approach to risk taking will find the balance between what is important to the person, their aspirations and t he supports that they require. 4. identify the consequences for individuals of a service focused approach to risk-assessment. Risk is a normal and often beneficial part of everyday life. Risk taking can have positive benefits for individuals, enabling them to do things which most people take for granted. While risk taking enables learning and understanding, in the case of potentially destructive consequences, it may need to be monitored and restricted.The problem with a service focused approach to risk assessment, is it reduces an individual’s independence and can reduce the positive benefits for the individual. A service focused approach to risk taking tends to have a negative focus on what the individual is not able to do or what they cannot achieve and has a limited outlook on identifying the benefits of positive, person-centred risk assessment. It does not empower the individual or encourage independence.Outcome 3Understand the legal and policy framework underpinning an i ndividual’s right to make decisions and take risks . explain how legislation, national and local policies and guidance provide a framework for decision making which can support an individual to have control over their own lives There are many Legislation and policies which promote the human rights of individuals which support the individual’s right to make their own decisions and to take risks. Some are as follows: The Equality Act 2010 is the law which bans unfair treatment and helps achieve equal opportunities in the workplace and in wider society.The act replaced previous anti-discrimination laws with a single act to make the law simpler and to remove inconsistencies. This makes the law easier for people to understand and comply with. The  act also strengthened protection in some situations. The  act covers nine protected characteristics, which cannot be used as a reason to treat people unfairly. Every person has one or more of the protected characteristics, so the  act protects everyone against unfair treatment. They protected characteristics  are:Age Disabilitygender reassignmentmarriage and civil partnershippregnancy and maternityracereligion or beliefsexsexual orientationHuman Rights Act 1998 – The Human Rights Act means that residents of the United Kingdom will now be able to seek help from the courts if they believe that their human rights have been infringed. It is likely that anyone working within health and social care will be working within the provision of the Human Rights Act, which guarantees the following rights:The Right to life The right to freedom from torture and inhuman or degrading punishmentThe right to freedom from slavery, servitude and forced or compulsory labourThe right to liberty and security of personThe right to a fair and public trial within a reasonable timeThe right to freedom from retrospective criminal law and no punishment without lawThe right to respect for private and family life, home and co rrespondenceThe right to freedom of thought, conscience and religionThe right to freedom of expressionThe right to freedom of assembly and associationThe right to marry and found a familyThe prohibition of discrimination in the enjoyment of convention rightsThe right to peaceful enjoyment of possessions and protection of propertyThe right to access to an educationThe right to free electionsThe right not to be subjected to the death penaltyMental Capacity Act 2005 – The MCA applies to England and Wales. The primary purpose of the MCA is to promote and safeguard decision-making within a legal framework.It does this in two ways:By empowering people to make decisions for themselves wherever possible and by protecting people who lack capacity by providing a flexible framework that places individuals at the heart of the decision making processBy allowing people to plan ahead for a time in the future when they might lack the capacity for any number of reasons Mental Capacity and Dep rivation of Liberty Safeguards 2005.  The safeguards provide a framework for approving the deprivation of liberty for people who lack the capacity to consent to treatment or care in either a hospital or are home that, in their own best interests, can only be provided in circumstances that amount to a deprivation of liberty. The safeguards legislation contains detailed requirements about when and how deprivation of liberty may be authorised. It provides for an assessment process that must be undertaken before deprivation of liberty may be authorised and detailed arrangements for renewing and challenging the authorisation of deprivation of liberty. The Code of Practice contains guidance on the deprivation of liberty safeguards.It is particularly intended to provide guidance for professionals involved in administering and delivering the safeguards, who are under a duty to have regard to the Code. The Code is also intended to provide information for people who are, or could become, su bject to the deprivation of liberty safeguards, and for their families, friends and carers, as well as for anyone who believes that someone is being deprived of their liberty unlawfully. Mental Health Act 2007 – amends the Mental Health Act 1983 and the Mental Capacity Act 2005.It introduces significant changes which include:Introduction of Supervised Community Treatment. This new power replaces supervised discharge with a power to return the patient to hospital, where the person may be forcibly medicated, if the medication regime is not being complied with in the community.Redefining professional roles: broadening the range of mental health professionals who can be responsible for the treatment of patients without their consent.Nearest relative: making it possible for some patients to appoint a civil partner as nearest relative. Definition of mental disorder: introduce a new definition of mental disorder throughout the Act, abolishing previous categoriesCriteria for Involunt ary commitment: introduce a requirement that someone cannot be detained for treatment unless appropriate treatment is available and remove the treatability test.Mental Health Review Tribunal (MHRT): improve patient safeguards by taking an order-making power which will allow the current time limit to be varied and for automatic referral by hospital managers to the MHRT. Introduction of independent mental health advocates (IMHAs) for ‘qualifying patients'.Electroconvulsive Therapy may not be given to a patient who has capacity to refuse consent to it, and may only be given to an incapacitated patient where it does not conflict with any advance directive, decision of a donee or deputy or decision of the Court of Protection. Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 – is in response to the Bichard Inquiry 2005, into the failings around the Ian Huntley case.The SVG act is intended to prevent unsuitable people from working with vulnerable people and to reform current vetting an d barring practices. The act sets out a legal framework for the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) scheme which was to be introduced in 2009 (but is currently under review as a result of the 2010 General Election). Valuing People (Department of Health, 2001) – was the first Government White Paper on learning disabilities in England for 30 years.It stresses the important role that Person Centred Planning can play in helping people with learning difficulties take charge of their own lives. The Guidance (Department of Health, 2002) stressed that Person Centred Planning is not a professional activity done to people; instead people themselves and their friends, families or other allies, must lead it. However, professional services still have an enormous role to play in responding in a more person centred way to people with learning difficulties. For 2009 -10 the key priorities include: to ensure that the Personalisation agenda is embedded within all local authority services and developments for people with learning disabilities and their family carers, and is underpinned by person centred planning. † ‘Valuing People Now', is the ‘refresh' of this white paper in 2009 and is a new three-year strategy for people with learning disabilities (2009), DH and clearly state that good person centred planning should be happening, and will lead to better lives for people.Putting People First – â€Å"A shared vision and commitment to the transformation of Adult Social Care (2007), Department of Health. † In the UK the government policy ‘Putting People First' stated that person centred planning must become mainstream. Putting People First recognises that person-centred planning and self-directed support are central to delivering personalisation and maximising choice and control. In 2010 guidance was issued to help councils use person centred thinking and planning to deliver the personalisation agenda.Putting People First is a pub lic service reform programme, which is co-produced, co-developed and will be co-evaluated. It recognises that to achieve real change, users and carers must participate at every stage. This marks a change in status of people who use services, from ‘consumers’ to ‘co-producers’. set out four areas on which councils and their partners should focus in order to personalise services. These areas are: universal services – transport, leisure, health, education, housing and access to information and advice; * choice and control – shaping services to meet people’s needs, rather than shaping people to fit in with the services on offer; * social capital – care and support that individuals and their carers can get from their local community (friends, family, neighbours or community groups); and * early intervention and prevention – support that is available for people who need help to stay independent for as long as possible, to keep t heir home or garden tidy, or to start taking regular exercise. 2. escribe how a human rights based approach supports an individual to make decisions and take risks. A human rights based approach (HRBA) to risk management means ensuring individuals know their rights and are being supported to participate in making choices and decisions. A human rights based approach to risk assessment balances the human rights of service users, their carers, and members of their communities. This is so risks can be managed more positively. A HRBA looks at risk through a ‘Human Rights’ lens, identifies relevant equality and diversity issues, and maximises service user participation and empowerment.A human rights based approach to risk, means ensuring service users are as involved as they can possibly be in their own risk assessment process. Whether the service user participates fully or contributes to a small aspect of their risk assessment, some involvement will almost always be possible . The ways in which you possibly apply this in your work practice is through things such as advocacy, direct payments, personalised services, person centred planning and support planning. Outcome 4 Be able to support individuals to make decisions about risks 1. upport an individual to recognise potential risk in different areas of their life 2. support the individual to balance choices with their own and others’ health, safety and Wellbeing Positive risk taking is a process which starts with the identification of potential benefit or harm. The desired outcome is to encourage and support people in positive risk taking to achieve personal change or growth. The individuals could face risks in many different areas of their life including, risks relating to their health, their social life and also their finances and it is important to support the individual to recognise those potential risks.The risk assessment looks at four areas of risk; risks to self, risks to others and risks from other and risks to property. Within each area of risk, common risk issues and difficulties (for example self harm, physical aggression, abuse issues) are itemised. It is also important that the individual realises that although they have a right to take risks they also have a responsibility towards themselves and others, including:ColleaguesFamilies or carersFriendsOther professionalsMembers of the publicAdvocatesAnd it is important that whilst maximising their quality of life they also need to maintain their safety, responsibilities to themselves and others for social emotional and physical reasons. Supporting an individual to recognise potential risks whilst balancing the choices with their own and others health, safety and well-being involves:Empowering people to access opportunities and take worthwhile chances.Understanding the person’s perspective of what they will gain from taking risks and understanding what they will lose if they are prevented from taking the ris k. Ensuring the individual understanding the consequences of different actions – An informed choice means that a person has the information and support to think the choice through and to understand what the reasonably expected consequences may be of making that choice.Helping the individual to make decisions based on all the choices available and accurate information – It is important to remember that too much information can be oppressive and individuals have differing needs in relation to how information is presented to them.Being positive about risk taking. Understanding a person’s strengths and finding creative ways for people to be able to do things rather than ruling them out.Knowing what has worked or not in the past and where problems have arisen, understanding whysupporting people who use services to learn from their experiences.ensuring support and advocacy is availablesometimes supporting short term risks for long-term gains.ensuring that services pro vided promote independence not dependenceassuming that people can make their own decisions (in line with the Mental Capacity Act) and supporting people to do so working in partnership with adults who use services, family carers and advocates and recognise their different perspectives and viewsdeveloping an understanding of the responsibilities of each partypromoting trusting working relationships. 3. describe how own values, belief systems and experiences may affect working practice when supporting an individual to take risks Giving people who use services choice and control over the care they receive is important if personalisation is to become a reality.The responsibility for encouraging  risk-taking can make you feel they are being put in a difficult position trying to balance personalisation with your own values and beliefs and also your duty to keep people safe. Because of your own past experiences you may feel that the risks involved, will result in problems, but you should not let this interfere with the individual’s desires. Because you had a bad experience following a course of action does not necessarily mean this will happen to others. An example could be an individual wanting to join a ‘lonely hearts’ club.Your own thought may be negative towards this course of action, possibly because you have personally had a bad experience or possibly because you feel this is not the best way to meet people. Your beliefs and experiences should not cloud the issue. It is important that you feel confident and equipped to support people you are caring for to assess and evaluate their own risks. Advice is readily available when facing difficult cases in the form of risk enablement panels, which can share responsibility for making complex decisions when signing off a person's support plan.The panel would usually involve the individual or any advocates or carers representing them; members of the local safeguarding adults board; the allocated soci al worker; and specialists such as a psychiatrist.4. record all discussions and decisions made relating to supporting the individual to take risks. It is important to ensure that any discussions and decisions made relating to supporting the individual to take risks or concerning risks, are recorded in their support plan. Records will need to be understandable to all the members of the team.The aim of record keeping is to ensure that the right people have the right information to provide the best care for the service user and they also provide a record of what you and the individual have discussed and decided with regards risk taking. The records should also record any incidents which have taken place. The reason for keeping the records are:To show that you have offered the individual choicesTo show that you have agreed the desired outcomesTo show that the individual has given their consent.This is important for two very important reasons: Responsibility – The records will ind icate who is responsible for what parts of the plan, this avoids confusion as everyone is clear of what their responsibilities are (Responsibility (for) can be defined as a set of tasks or functions that an employer, professional body, court of law or some other recognised body can legitimately demand. ) Accountability – means the person is contractually accountable to their employer and also accountable to the law, for any actions or ommissions in their practice and must always be able to justify their decisions.When work is being either distributed or delegated, the individual who carries it out needs to be competent to do so. Competence is an individual’s ability to effectively apply knowledge, understanding, skills and values within a designated scope of practice. (Accountability describes the mechanism by which failure to exercise responsibility may produce sanctions such as warnings, disciplining, suspension, criminal prosecution, or deregistration from professio nal status. It can be called ‘answerability’).Where a professional or organisation makes a decision not to support an individual to pursue a particular decision or course of action, they must be able to explain this and demonstrate that they have thought through and discussed in a balanced and proportional way the potential consequences of refusing to support the risk Where the individual is able to make an informed choice and still wishes to pursue a high risk decision or choice, having a signed risk assessment is one way of showing that they are aware of the risks and are willing to take them.This provides organisations and professionals with a significant degree of protection for their support of the decision should things go wrong.Outcome 5Be able to support individuals to take risks 1. complete a risk assessment with an individual following agreed ways of working Risk assessment is the activity of collecting information through observation, communication and invest igation.It is an ongoing process that involves considerable persistence and skill to assemble and manage relevant information in ways that become meaningful for the users of services (and significant other people) as well as the practitioners involved in delivering services and support. To be effective it needs disabled adults and older people, their families, carers, advocates and practitioners to interact and talk to each other about decisions that have been taken and their appropriateness in the light of experience.Where a risk assessment is needed, a decision then has to be taken about whether or not positive risk-taking is necessary to achieve certain outcomes for the person concerned. It will not always be appropriate to take positive risks but this has to be determined in partnership with the person affected, and their family where appropriate. It is a professional judgement that should not be influenced by an overly cautious approach to risk. At the same time though, positiv e risk-taking is not negligent ignorance of the potential risks – nobody benefits from allowing risks to play their course through to disaster. . communicate the content of the risk assessment to others It is important to communicate and work in a consistent way with all those supporting the individual. Information gathering and sharing is important. It is not just an essential part of risk assessment and management, but also key to identifying a risk in the first place. It is important to communicate the content of the risk assessment to all relevant staff. It will also be important to discuss and explain the risk assessment with the individual’s carer and family.The individual’s goals and targets should be discussed with all concerned, to aid understanding regards the risk assessment and to ensure all those involved are aware of the desired outcomes. However, the use and sharing of information must respect the principles outlined in the Data Protections Act 19 98.3. support the individual to take the risk for which the assessment has been completed Once the support plan has been completed and the risks defined it is important to support the individual to take the risks. This may involve discussing the risk assessment in depth with the individual’s family.The individual’s desired outcomes could conflict with those of carers, especially when the latter placed more emphasis on safety while the individual was prepared to accept a greater level of risk in order to maintain independence. Differences in attitudes to risk had to be tackled through ‘good social work’, to reinforce the individual’s preferences while helping the family to distinguish between unconventional and dangerous behaviours. Another way of supporting the individual to take the risk in the first instance, could involve a trial run.An example could be where the individual wants to make an independent trip in to town using public transport.On th e first trip you could accompany the individual on each step of the journey.On the second trip, you could accompany them to the town and then arrange to meet with them later in the day.On the third trip, you may just accompany them to the bus stop. Gradually you can reduce the amount of support you provide. Another method of support could be to have a contingency plan in case things don’t quite go according to plan.If we look again at the last scenario, what would happen if the individual missed the last bus home? By ensuring they have a pre-arranged telephone number of their next of kin or carer they can make them aware of the problem. Alternatively they may have the telephone number of the local mini cab office who would bring them home as an alternative. It is also important that the individual knows what to do if things do go wrong. You can support them to take risks by ensuring they have clear information and advice about what to do if they have any concerns.For example they should be aware of and be able to recognise and identify abuse or neglect and know where and how they should seek help if necessary. Your support doesn’t end once the risk assessment has been carried out. 4. review and revise the risk assessment with the individual After each risk assessment has been agreed it is important that it is monitored and reviewed in case any revisions are necessary. Risks may change as circumstances change, so they should be reviewed regularly. An assessment is a snapshot, whereas a risk assessment is an ongoing thing.Risk assessments should be reviewed periodically and whenever circumstances change to ensure they remain current. At the time the risk assessment is made it should include the signatures of everyone involved in the assessment and a review date should be identified. It is important to review and revise risk assessments so that the success of the positive risk taking can be assessed and any necessary adjustments can be made. It may be necessary for the individual to have access to further resources to enhance the plan or adaptations could be made to help the individual meet their planned outcomes.When positive risk-taking has a negative consequence, it is necessary to identify what has gone wrong and how the assessment and management of the risk contributed to this. Inevitably if we are supporting individuals to have more choice and control in their lives through positive approaches to managing risk, things are likely to go wrong from time to time. If this happens and the risk taken results in a negative outcome for the individual, there is no doubt that the risk taking process will come under scrutiny and the way in which this process worked to minimise the foreseeable risks will be considered.If the risks taken do not meet the planned outcomes for the individual then they may have to be reviewed and revised. 5. evaluate with the individual how taking the identified risk has contributed to their well-being. W ell-being describes the way we think and feel about ourselves and others, our confidence, and our ability to control things in our life. We all need to protect our wellbeing and this can be done by taking part in physical activity and having opportunities for relaxation and social activities. These can increase our resilience to cope with life's difficulties and ability to enjoy life.You will need to evaluate, with the individual, how taking the identified risks has contributed to their well-being and quality of life. This will involve looking at the positive and the negative consequences and outcomes of their choices. Has taking the risks met the individual’s needs and achieved their desired outcomes. Taking the identified risks should result in the individual feeling empowered and having greater independence, control and a sense of ‘normality’ about their lives. By supporting an individual to take positive risks, it can help them to evaluate alternative courses of action and can build confidence.The experience of failure, as a result of risk taking in a safe environment, can help to build resilience to setbacks and help individual’s to manage risk better in the future.Outcome 6Understand duty of care in relation to supporting positive risk-taking 1. explain how the principle of duty of care can be maintained while supporting individuals to take risks Ultimately, you have a statutory duty of care and a responsibility not to agree to a support plan if there are serious concerns that it will not meet an individual’s needs or if it places an individual in a dangerous situation.Whilst an individual can choose voluntarily to live with a level of risk and is entitled to do so (with the law treating that person as having consented to the risk) the local authority is not obliged to fund it. There is an important distinction between putting people at risk and enabling them to choose to take reasonable risks. Inevitably if we are suppo rting individuals to have more choice and control in their lives through positive risk taking, things may go wrong from time to time.A defensible decision is one where those involved in the risk assessing process:Used reliable assessment methodsActed responsibly in relation to their duty of careWere not negligentAssessed and took steps to manage and minimise foreseeable risksRecorded decisions and subsequently checked they were carried outFollowed policies, procedures and guidanceInvolved the person and other relevant people in the processSupported people to make informed decisionsIdentification of positive and negative risksInvolvement of people who use services and those who are important to them – this includes people who form the individual's informal ‘circle of support', who are involved from the beginning to gather information, define what the risks are from the individual's point of view and to discuss ways to enable and manage these risks.   Positive and infor med risk-taking – this is built on a strengths-based approach to the person and looks at creative ways for people to be able to do things rather than ruling them out. Proportionality – this means that the time and effort spent on managing a risk should match the severity of that risk.The approach should also explore the consequence of not taking the risk in question, such as loss of autonomy or restriction of choice. Contextualising behaviour – this means knowing about the person's history and social environment, their previous experience of risk, what has and has not worked in previous situations.   Defensible decision making – this means recording a clear rationale for all the decisions made and the discussions that led to the decisions, including reference to relevant legislation such as the Mental Capacity Act or the Human Rights Act. A learning culture – this require a commitment to ongoing learning and the use of reflective practice for peo ple working at the frontline. Tolerable risks – this involves negotiating and balancing issues of risk and safety to identify what is acceptable for everyone concerned (the individual and others including the community) on a case by case basis.2. describe what action to take if an individual decides to take an unplanned risk that places him/herself or others in immediate or imminent danger. Imminent danger† refers to any danger or dangerous condition that would not normally take place. If you think an individual is about to take an unplanned risk which will place them or others in immediate or imminent danger it is important to take appropriate corrective and preventative action and stop the activity immediately. An individual who is injuring himself/herself or is threatening physical harm to others may be restrained in an emergency to safeguard the individual and others. Risk assessments should include contingency measures that address risks arising from unplanned even ts.Physical intervention is:  Ã¢â‚¬Å"A method of responding to the challenging behaviour of people with a learning disability and/or autism, which involves some degree of direct physical force. † Physical intervention may be the only course of action. Staff should be equipped with a range of skills to deal with and de-escalate potentially violent situations, as well as a range of restraint techniques that will allow for use of the minimum level of force possible. Physical intervention is only used in response to challenging behaviour and to restrict the movement and mobility of the person concerned.

Destin Brass Products Co. Essay Example

Destin Brass Products Co. Essay Example Destin Brass Products Co. Essay Destin Brass Products Co. Essay Case Study: Destin Brass Products Co. Hsien-Da Lin 003253093 1. By using activity-based costing method, we can reallocate the overhead costs into three product lines based on four activities, which are numbers of used set up labor hours, percentage of transaction and machine usage, and numbers of machine hours used. Next, we add up the direct material, direct labor and overhead costs of each product line. After that, we divided the results by total production units. We get valve unit cost=$37. 70, pump unit cost=$48. 9, flow controller unit cost=$100. 91. ( see table 1) 2. Standard unit costs and revised unit costs both show that the highest product cost is pump product line. However, our transaction-based analysis shows it should be the flow controllers. We can tell that the unit costs have been badly distorted as a result of using single allocation basis (production-run labor cost). Through activity-based costing, we can be able to more accurately assign overhead costs to each prod uct, which means the result can effectively reflect the actual costs on each product line. 3. The strategies that I would recommend to the company are: a. Cutting the price of pumps to better compete with other suppliers in the market. Comparing the product cost between the new activity-based system and traditional system, we can easily find out that the company has been overestimated the pump cost. Thus, they thought the profit margin should be merely 22%. By reallocating the overhead costs more accurately, we found the profit margin should be doubled to 40%. (Table 2) The number shows that the profit margin of pump is much higher than their estimation. Besides, the competitors in market have been cutting prices to attract more customers and opportunities. We suggest the company should start cutting the pump price to better compete with those pump suppliers in the market. b. Increase the price of flow controllers or give up the product line: First of all, after calculating the actual cost of flow controller by activity-based cost method (see table 2), we realized that Destin Co. has been â€Å"underestimated† the controller cost by $44. 41. The company’s current system made them believe the product has 42% gross margin when the actual margin is -4%. The company has been losing money in this product line without knowing the fact. They claimed that they once raised the price by 12. 5% with no apparent effect on demand. This reveals two possibilities: 1. There is still room for the company to raise their price to earn more profit. By setting the new price $155. 25, they can reach 35% profit margin. 2. The price was too low for other competitors to enter the market because Dustin, Co. has been miscalculated the cost. Under this circumstance, if they should also consider getting out of the market to stop losing money. Conclusion: By adapting the new pricing strategies, the company can earn $696,338. 85 gross profit comparing to the $541,092. 00 when using the traditional price setting. (See table 3). However, if the flow controller market demand decreases significantly after raising the prices, they can quit the market immediately to avoid losing money on this product line. 4. The net income will not change, because the activity-transaction-based system only provides different individual cost. The total cost of good sold and sales will be the same under the two methods. Table 1 Table 2 Table 3

What Is the ACT Kaplan ACT Low Cost Test Prep Program

What Is the ACT Kaplan ACT Low Cost Test Prep Program SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips The ACT has just announced its first official partnership with a test prep company: Kaplan. This may be big news for students who are planning to take the ACT - in cooperation with Kaplan, ACT, Inc. will be providing a low-cost (or even free) test prep program calledACT ® Kaplan Online Prep Live. There isn’t a ton of information just yet about the quality of the new test prep platform - students won’t be able to access it for a while - but we do know what the program should include and what it should cost. Free streaming courses are airing live in advance of the program launch - you can read more about what these courses are like towards the end of the post. Read more to find out what this new test prep partnership will mean for you! The ACT/Kaplan Partnership The ACT and the SAT are in perpetual competition for student test-takers. Last year, the College Boardannounced a partnership with Khan Academy to provide free test prep - it’s no surprise that ACT, Inc.has followed suit with a similar move:formally partnering up with Kaplan to offeran online prep programat no cost to low-income students and a â€Å"significantly lower cost† than other prep programs for all other students. Although the partnership was just announced, the test prep program won’t be available until Fall 2016 (so it won’t be of much help to students who are taking the ACT this summer). The program is offering a few free classes before the official launch date, however - check out the ACT streaming events page, and keep reading for more info. Program Costs This test prep program will be free of charge for low-income students. To qualify, students need to register for the ACT with a fee waiver (read our complete guide to ACT fee waivers for more information). Access to the platform should come to less than $200 for students who don’t qualify for the fee waiver. What Will the Program Include? The price for this test prep program seems pretty reasonable, but more important than the price is what you’ll get for your money. First, the program includes access to live classes taught by Kaplan instructors. Students should be able to interact with these instructors through the course platform, although it’s unclear how much individual feedback each student will receive (it’s likely that many students will be watching each live class - there’s no way one instructor could respond, in real time, to questions from hundreds of students). Students will also have access to recorded classes if they’re unable to watch live - this affords some flexibility. These courses will be available on computers, tablets, and phones, so you can watch them on the go. The ACT/Kaplan haven’t publicized a list of class topics, but they currently have a few free courses on the calendar - I imagine that the new prep program’s courses will be similar in scope. Here’s the free course schedule: Understanding Your ACT Scores and What to Do Next (April 30, 2016 @2pm EDT) Introduction to Stem Concepts (May 11, 2016 @7pm EDT) Introduction to ELA Concepts (May 22, 2016 @2pm EDT) The program will also include access to a social platform including teachers and peers. This social media platform is supposed to facilitate a community for discussion, encouragement, and support. Whatthe Program Will Not Include Based on the program’s press release, there are a few key things not provided by this test prep program. First, as an online version of an ACT prep course, this prep program does not provide personalized or customized instruction to students (aside from any feedback provided via live course instruction). Instead, I predict that it will serve as an introduction to core concept areas, test strategies, and logistical concerns. Second, although instructors will use official ACT questions as examples when they teach thelive courses, it doesn’t seem that students will have access to any additional official practice materials. The ACT does release some official practice materials for free - these are available to everyone -but other official prep materials must be purchased. The Bottom Line What’s included with this program is definitely subject to change, but for now (at least based on the official press release), here’s what students seem to get for their money: Access to live (or on-demand, if you can’t watch live) courses on ACT content and logistics topics. Opportunities for interactions with teachers during live classes. Access to a social media platform with peers and instructors. No extra practice materials or personalized instruction. However, keep in mind that we have only very preliminary informationright now. A lot of details could change before the program's official release this fall. Online Prep Live: Free Streaming Events To get a taste for what the paid Online Prep program will be like, I watched the program's firstfree streaming class: Understanding Your ACT Scores and What to Do Next. It aired on Saturday, April 30. Course Overview This live, online course(presumably similar to what the actual Online Prep Live classes will be like) was easily accessible via this announcement page. This course addressed: What the info on your ACT score report means and how you can use it ACT College and Career Readiness Standards (both what they are and why they matter) ACT next steps, including deciding whether or not to retake the test and improving your scores Exploring future college and career options Pros I was impressed with howeasy it was to access this course, as well as how clearly the information was communicated. The instructor (Boris) was engaging and knowledgeable, which is a big plus. Although students weren't able to chat directly with the instructor, he noted at the beginning of the course that a "team of ACT experts" were online to answer student questions throughout the live session. Borisnoted particular student comments or questions throughout the live event, so he seemed generally plugged in to student concerns. In addressing student questions, the instructor referredto real-life data which helped back up his claims.He wanted to answer, for example, whether retaking the ACT would make students look bad to admissions officers. In responding, he pointed out that many students retake the test, and the majority of them (57%) end up with a higher score the second time around. Finally, I appreciated that anyone who's interested caneither watch the recorded event on-demand and access a full transcript of the course at any time. Cons First, this hour-long prep course was nowhere near an hour long. If you reference the event recording, you'll notice that the first and last sections are ads for the paid ACT Online Prep Live program, NOT course instruction footage. This meant that Boris was actually teaching for about 36 minutes in total. Second, the coursedidn't always providehelpful, concrete instructions or resources when addressing student concerns. In discussing some free tools that are available to help students raise scores, for example, Boris notes that you should take a list of your weak test skills to a guidance counselor for more help. Although it's greatto know where you should work to improve, students may have benefitedfrom references to helpful test prep materials. Next, the instructor spent some time encouraging viewers to participate in the chat platformwith prompts like "tell me if you empathize with these struggles!" Some viewers may really appreciate how this approach fosters a sense of community among viewers, but I felt it wasted time that could have been spent reviewing other material. These free streaming courses won't be helpful for everyone (especially students who already know the ins and outs of the test), but I encourage you to check out the transcript or recordingbefore deciding whether they're right for you. How the ACT/Kaplan Partnership Will Affect Student Test Prep Since this is the first time the ACT has officially partnered with any test prep company, the new online prepprogram is bound to make waves. It hasn’t officially launched, so no one can be completely sure of the program’s strengths and weaknesses. Based on what the program offers (and what it doesn’t), however, I can speculate as to the program’s benefits and drawbacks. The important stuff:what does this program have to do with how you study for the ACT? Here’s how I think students may benefit (or not) from this new partnership: Potential Advantages The ACT Kaplan Online Prep Live program is a step in the right direction when it comes to providing reasonably-priced and flexible prep to busy students. Here are the program's biggest perks: Official ACT Material Whenever you're studying for any sort of standardized test, it's best to get your hands on official test prep material. ACT questions are written in a very specific style and format (something that's difficult for unofficial test prep sources to emulate).In order to do well on the test, it's important to familiarize yourself with itsunique style. Test-makers are usually pretty careful with how much official material they release for practice. Since this Live Prep Program is endorsed by the ACT, you can be sure that instructors will only refer to official sample questions as they teach. Ease of Access Whenyou sign up for your standard ACT course, it means committing to attending classes at certain times and dates.If you're dealing with a packed schedule and/or limited transportation options, an in-person ACT course may not work for you. The ACT Live Prep program makes it easy to watch classes at times that are convenient for you - all you need is internet access. You can choose to watch classes live or on-demand, which is helpful if you're working around other commitments. Even the best ACT course won't help you if you can't find the time to attend - an online program should make things a lot easier for the average student. Price Point One of the major barriers to accessing quality ACT prep is the cost. Kaplan is one of the biggest names in test prep - before this partnership announcement, the company's least expensive ACT course was priced at $299, whereas its more intensive courses start at $749. This is simply out of reach for many students and their families. This Live Prep program is reasonably priced when compared to many other test prep programs (especially if students qualify for ACT fee waivers, in which case they can sign up for free). A lower price point means greater access to ACT prep, which is always a good thing. Social Media Support When they sign up for the Live Prep course, students also gain accessto a social media platform with other peers and instructors. Some students may study just fine independently, but others may find it helpful to interact with peers in an effort to maintain good study practices. Potential Drawbacks Like I mentioned earlier, it's difficult to say for certain what we can expect from theACT Kaplan Online Prep Live program. Based on the itsdescription, however, there are some important weaknesses in the prep program's approach. No Extra Practice Material Like I noted earlier, there's no mention of extra material provided to students for independent study. If you want to practice any content or strategy that was discussed in a particular class, you'll likely have to find your own practice questions or tests. No Customization This is a weakness that you'll find with any test prep course. Instructors are there to teach an entire class, not individual students - as such, you may find certain lessons less helpful than others (for example, a lesson that goes over content you're already very familiar with).Conversely, there won't be opportunities for you to get extra help with concepts youstruggle with. To study most effectively and most efficiently, you'll want to spend the most time on things that are difficult for you. Because every student is different, every student's ideal study plan will be different. This is something that the ACT Kaplan Online Prep Live program can't accommodate. Most group classes take a "one size fits all" approach out of necessity. Limited Interaction With Instructors The program description states that students will be able to ask questions of instructors during live classes. Although this is an interesting idea, I don't see how it would work in practice -each live course will likely have hundreds of students (or even more) watching at one time. There's no way that an instructor could personally respond to questions from so many students. I expect that select questions (e.g. questions that would apply to the greatest number of students) will be answered during live questions. Hearing teachers respond to others' inquiries may be helpful, but I wouldn't go into a class expecting to have my own personal questions answered. Reliance on Social Media Support You may be wondering why I have this in the "potential drawbacks" section. A big problem that I have with the social media support platform is that the prep program is preemptivelydirecting students therefor answers to test-related questions. This is problematic because most of the people on this platform aren't going to be ACT instructors - they're going to be other students. Although it's possible to get reliable help from savvy students, it's also possible to get very misguided (and simply incorrect) advice. The social media platform is likely to be an awesome resources for thosewho are looking for a test prep community,but students who turn to it for test prep help should take advice with a grain of salt. Overview Versus In-Depth Course Material The Live Prep course has yet to release the full rangeof topics that they'll cover with their classes. They may very well introduce classes that address higher-level content and strategy concerns, but based on their list of free streaming classes, I doubt that will be the case.Students who are already familiar with ACT logistics, strategy, and content won't benefit from classes that primarily address the basics. Should You Use the New Prep Plan? Now that you have all the available information on theACT Kaplan Online Prep Live program, you might be wondering if you should sign up. I can't tell you whether you should definitely buy the program, but I think some students would benefit from it more than others. Consider Signing Up If ... You qualify for an ACT fee waiver.If you qualify for a waiver, the program is free. There's no harm in signing up, even if you don't end up finding it that helpful. You don't know much about the ACT and you would benefit from an overview course.Based on the free streaming events the program is offering in advance of its actual launch, it looks like the courses will address important introductory concepts (e.g. "Understanding Your ACT Scores and What to Do Next"). If the ACT basics are new to you, this program may be a good fit. It's difficult for you to committo any in-person ACT prep programs. This ACT/Kaplan program makes it easy for students to watch courses anywhere, anytime. If you require more flexibility from an ACT prep program, you might want to check this one out. Consider Passing on the Course If ... You're a relatively high-scorer and need in-depth ACT review. If this is the case, I doubt the course will teach you anything you don't already know. Spend your time more effectively by perfecting your scores. You're planning on taking the ACT this summer, fall, or early winter. The program doesn't launch until Fall 2016, so if you're taking the ACT before then (or soon thereafter), you won't have enough time to benefit from the online courses. You have the resources (and motivation) to participate in a program that provides customized feedback. You'll be able to prep more effectively if you can get real feedback on your strengths and weaknesses. Courses like this one are a good place to start, but if you want more guidance and support, I'd encourage you to look into other options. What's Next? Want more information on other ACT prep options? Read about whether online prep (and online tutoring) is right for you, and learn more about the differences between in-person and online ACT courses. Maybe you've considered getting an ACT tutor, but you also want the flexibility of online prep. Learn more about the difference between online and in-person tutoring. Want to improve your ACT score by 4+ points? Download our free guide to the top 5 strategies you need in your prep to improve your ACT score dramatically.

The role of process modeling for Knowledge Management Essay

The role of process modeling for Knowledge Management - Essay Example he other accomplishments of the human mind today, rest on a wide foundation of previous knowledge that were â€Å"managed† or organized so it could be shared, studied further, and improved. This four-part paper explains and connects the key concepts in these initial considerations. The first three parts discuss how knowledge is managed and how it is transmitted. The fourth part is a simple case study that illustrates how these three esoteric concepts are put together to come up with useful products. The world is full of what are called â€Å"processes1†, which could be defined as a set of activities, events, or mechanisms expressed as a sequence of steps that must be performed to achieve some goal. Some processes are natural, such as the weather; others are human, such as writing an essay like this one. Anyone who wants to understand the process needs only to look at the sequence of steps or interrelated events. If the process is useful, the set of activities, their sequences, and the goal or goals achieved must be represented in a way that it could be learned by others. This representation is what is referred to as the Process Model. Examples of process models are: (1) the equation that show the behavior of a gas in an enclosed space; (2) a simple sketch by a soccer coach showing how the team will mount an offensive; and, (3) a flowchart that maps a complex piece of software. All these models represent a simple or complex process in ways that others can understand. This is why modeling the process is useful, because by describing, representing, and simulating the process, it would be easier to explain how it works, behaves, and reacts, what it’s characteristics are, where it comes from, and where it can go. Process modeling is applicable to all phenomena, from simple ones like tying a knot to complex ones such as sending people to Mars. Models are simplified abstractions of reality representing or describing its most important driving elements and

The Relationship between Revenue Management and Pricing Strategies in Research Paper

The Relationship between Revenue Management and Pricing Strategies in Airline Industries - Research Paper Example This essay discusses that Revenue Management (RM) falls under the dynamic pricing models. There are several terms used to describe revenue management. The most common on is yield management, or a combination of several terms such as Price and Revenue Management (PRM), or Perishable asset revenue management (PARM). It normally describes a pricing method where the cost of buying the product or service changes over time to take advantage of the variation in consumer willingness to pay a certain price for the product. Depending on the industry, the prices either increase or decrease with time. In the electronics market for instance, the price of a product is normally higher during the launch compared to the prices charged after some time. In the airline industry, prices typically increase towards the scheduled time of the flight. Pricing strategy refers to the framework that a producer uses to set the prices for a particular product. Pricing strategy is very crucial because it affects th e potential for success of a product. The most basic pricing model is unit cost pricing model, which assigns the price of an item based on the cost of production and the expected margin. Pricing is not normally a straightforward affair because forces of supply and demand affect it. The price of an item tends to be closer to what the market is willing to pay for than the simple arithmetic of cost of production and margin. Dynamic pricing models tend to seek to maximize revenue based on the prevailing demand. In some cases, dynamic pricing actually disregards the cost of production. ... In some cases, dynamic pricing actually disregards the cost of production. In the case of the airline industry, unit cost is an unstable way of organizing pricing because of the large upfront cost Revenue management is the most dominant pricing model in the airline industry because of its potential to boost profitability in that particular industry. It came about after the liberalization of the industry in the late seventies. Airline executives found themselves in a tight spot because of increasing competition in the fledgling industry. They sought to find ways of increasing the profitability of the airlines in the industry based on their existing carrying capacity. However, the airline industry is not the only industry that uses yield management. The hotel industry also uses it and other industries such as printing firms, bus companies, car hire firms and private lodges also use it to maximize revenue against a backdrop of fixed capacity and highly perishable products (Koenig & Meis sner 2011). The goal of this paper is to investigate the relationship between revenue management and pricing within the airline industry. In the first part, the discussion will seek to examine the important issues surrounding revenue management, followed by an analysis of how those factors affect pricing strategy in the second part. Literature Review The Concept of Revenue Management There is a wide variety of terms, concepts, and approaches to the study of revenue management. Some scholars use all the related terms interchangeable stressing the greater meaning of time sensitive pricing. Older researchers used yield management and revenue management to mean the same thing (Boella 2000; Bieger & Agosti 2005). Recent