Long Term Health Care

The long term health care problem has been acknowledged by many health care institution and health care organization as difficult to address.   Dennis Robbins admitted that the difficulty lies in obtaining â€Å"accurate and up-to-date guidance† (p. 1), towards addressing conflict, developing policies, and also the many ethical problems that usually come up in health care context. Robbins noted that despite of those vast arrays of health care institutional settings. Many legal cases came up when the patient was no longer confined in these institutions.   Robbins pointed out that there are about 21,000 long term care facilities, 14,000 hospitals, and 38,000 nursing and personal care facilities that caters to these problem of long term health care.   He emphasized that long term care are services provided in institutional settings, yet, he also disclosed that estimates showed that almost â€Å"three quarters of the seventy disabled who receive home care services received that care from family members or volunteer care givers (p.1). However, long term health care institutions are not exclusively the sole provider of a long term health care.   Home care is an alternative; those who need long term treatment may opt to choose considering cost of hospital bills.   However, the problems that need to be solve both by the long term health care and home care is the lack of sufficient â€Å"health care professionals to staff many of these committee in home care and long term care† (Robbins, p. 16). Robbins pointed out that these problems are resulting to a diminished or lacking in post accurate care settings that include quality assurance and risk management committees, attending physicians and related groups.   Thus, long term care facilities are viewed by some as â€Å"necessary evil† (p. 17). Beyond the many legal and ethical issues that surround long term health care, are the problems that deserve to be addressed.   These are: under-funding of the long term health care, high staff turn over, and quality of report card. According to an advisory issued by the committee on ways and means sub-committee on health of the United States House of Representatives â€Å"about nine million adults are receiving home term care assistance, either in community settings or in nursing homes† (p.2).   This report cited that â€Å"nearly sixty percent of these elderly persons receiving long term care assistance and rely wholly on unpaid care givers mainly their immediate families either their spouses or the children; only seven percent of these elderly can afford of paid services. The report further cited of around one hundred thirty five billion dollar on long term care for the elderly through the different agencies that caters to the needs of these groups such as Medicard and Medicare and other private insurance (p. 2).   However, this budget did not include any amount devoted to long term care provided by the informal care givers. In this report, United States law makers are alarmed of the growing numbers of elderly people and booming problems of long term care in the face of diminishing numbers of professional health care givers.   The hearing of the committee was to address the current financing for long term care services and the range of services available in the continuum of care from home as well as community-based services to nursing home care† (p. 2). According to some studies presented in this hearing, there was actually substantial funding for the long term health care.   The Director of Congressional Budget office pointed out a total of over two hundred billion dollar was spent in 2004 equivalent to twenty four thousand dollars per senior with impairment (p. 9).   The problem that they see was not on funding but rather on government rules that hinder public from preparing for their own future.   The statement says, â€Å"Those rules create incentives that discourage people from making their own financial preparation and encourage them to rely on government assistance† (p. 9). The anticipated increase of number of elderly people by two and a half times poses another problem as the number of adult eighty-five and older who uses long term care are likely to increase by five percent in 2050, triple more than the 1.5 percent in 2000.   Thus, the committee on health is encouraging to promote alternative delivery systems such as an â€Å"early intervention and care management in nursing homes and the community as well as greater use of home and community based care† (p. 36).   They saw institutional long term care as costly and in efficient and leads only to poor outcome. Dr. Meghan Gerety of the University of Texas, College of Health and Sciences, testified that the current system is lacking of necessary incentives for promoting â€Å"alternative delivery systems† (p. 36).   Dr. Gerety said, â€Å"Many people have signified their desire for care in the home and community yet, the current financing system has a strong institutional bias (p. 36). Dr. Gerety revealed that of the 83 percent who need long term care, seventy-eight percent of their help come from unpaid sources such as family and friends (p. 37).   The problem therefore of under funding does not necessarily pose problem in such a way that there is sufficient funding being allocated for elderly and those adults with impairments.   What is lacking is a more creative, more practical approach into this part of the society. The next question that needs to look into is the high turn over of staff. Various orientations on nursing home administrations provide training for long term care workers.   Learning modules are easily available and it seems that there are pretty much demands of long term health care workers all over as the number of elderly people are looming and those who are seeking long term care are doubling. As we have seen in the committee report of the Subcommittee on Health by the United States Congress, there is an anticipated increase of numbers of elderly people of about five percent by 2050, as the so-called baby boomer generation is coming to end.   Not only this pose financial burden but it also needs additional long term care personnel.   But according to Douglas A. Singh, despite of efforts to identify the cause of turn over, and despite efforts to prevent the erosion of manpower, â€Å"staff turn over remains one of the most daunting problems of nursing home industry† (Singh, p 468).   Singh noted that the efforts to address the issue have produced only a little success up to this time.   He disclosed that despite of the turnover, there was no attempt to increase staff retention given the fact that turnover is expensive.   Singh identified two major costs related to turnover problem namely the placement cost and the training cost for the new worker (p. 468). Singh identified one of the staff turnover causes is easily burnout among new employees.   He noted that consistent shortages of staff and often picking up of employee to fill the slack is demoralizing and leaves feelings of disillusion powerless and incompetent for the position (p. 471). Another source of turnover of staff is sexual harassment on the part of women health workers.   Jeff Hearn said, there was a very â€Å"high turn over of female care staff in this area.   Hearn noted that management knew about the high staff turnover in this area and which the reason was just to choose not to act on it.   Hearn observed that â€Å"grievances were simply ignored and never got any action; and that management is likely to prefer to replace female care worker than dismisses the officer† (p. 116). The high turnover of staff therefore is not simply related to compensation but rather more personal reasons which the management often chooses to ignore or not act on it.   Solution to this problem according to Douglas A. Singh is to impose an effective Human Resource and Staff Development orientation which would offer learning modules to all personnel, concerning their duties, obligation, rights and accountabilities.   This module also serves as encouragement as they will be oriented of their benefits and other incentives that would keep them stay in their work without fear of harassment or exploitation. The Report Card Florence Kavaler and Allen Spiegel said that â€Å"Health care providers’ helps consumers make informed about a provider refutation through the report card.†Ã‚   But they noted that the report made by a United States Health Plan Employer Data and Information in September 2001 indicates â€Å"declining member satisfaction with the New York Health Plan (p. 105).   They also noted the decline in satisfaction of members with diabetes from 53.7 percent in 1994 to only 49 percent in 2000 (p. 105). This report card is one of the three clusters-smarter markets through report cards.   It seemed that this card offered only limited benefit for the holder as it only provides option for a better choice of a service.   This is probably the reason for the decline of report card use.   As one observer commented, report cards have not the desired effects because consumers are not aware of the quality problems that have been observed in health care.   Therefore, it is not surprising then the decline of the use of this report card. What to do with this card? I would suggest they dissolved it and think of a more relevant initiative that would cater to better health care option. Work Cited Dilulio, John and Nathan, Richard (1994) Making Health Reform Work: The View from the States.   Brookings Institution Press Hearn, Jeff (1989). The Sexuality of Organizations. Sage Publications. Kavaler, Florence and Spiegel, Allen D. (2003) Risk Management in Health Care Institutions: A Strategic Approach.   USA: Jones and Bartlett Publisher, Inc. Long Term Care: Hearing before the Subcommittee on Health of the Committee on Ways and Means.   US House of Representatives One Hundred Ninth Congress (April 19, 2005, Serial 109-46). Diane Publishing Robbins, Dennis A. (1996) Ethical and Legal Issues in Home Health and Long Term Care: Challenges and Solutions. Jones and Bartlett Publishing, Inc. Singh, Douglas A. (2005) Effective Management of Long Term Care Facilities. MA, USA: Jones and Bartlett Publisher, Inc.   

Letter of Motivation

Motivational letter for university admission Search Send a Message T his message will be pushed to the admin's iPhone instantly. Dear Sirs. Madams I am interested to apply f or a Master's Degree Program in {name od the programme} starting in 2013. graduated in 2011, f rom the University of {name od the university}, USA and hold a Bachelors degree in {name od the programme).T he f our year undergraduate program in {name od the programme} f ormed the asis of my perseverance towards achieving an in-depth knowledge in the f ield of -. As a part ot my degree course I studied various subjects relating to diverse aspects ot {specify} which Includes {specify}. During my bachelor studies, I underwent the experience of developing a {specify}. under the supervision of Prof {name} along with my colleague have prepared the {specify}. While submitting the assignment, our lecturer observed {specify} and recommended our product f or {specify}. pon receiving this acknowledgment of my work I would lik e to carry on my penchant f or specify}, as this {methodology, issue} is gaining increasing Importance, in all aspects and is having signif cant impact on almost all industries and all areas of society. T here is an ample scope to prove one's ability, competence and intelligence in this revolutionary and potentially very benef ictal {methodology. issue. theory}. Besides the college academics I was actively involved in the extra-curricular activities.T he driving f orce behind all this was my aim to develop all the f acets of my personality. In this process I could not achieve the grades I wanted to, in the f irst and second ear. But soon I garnered the skill of Judicious allocation of time and energy. I do not f eel that the marks I scored are the sole indicators of my understanding of the subject. A cogent reason to augment my bellet is the t inal year of my studies, where with strong f ocus and hard work, I excelled In my graduation with dlsunctlon.Considering my excellent record, my college of f ered me f or a Job as a lecturer. Also f or the past twenty months I have been working as a {specify}- In {speclfy} department of {specify}. My work has helped me develop a thorough insight Into eturn to the academic world f or f urther growth. It has given me the conf idence to pursue a Master's degree and also kindled a desire to do research. T his career with open prospects has given me constant incentive to improve myself and to gain more knowledge, Today I perceive that lif e f or me has been a process of conscious evolution.An integral part of this growth has been the value system imbibed in me by my parents, teachers and mentors and an immense liking f or science. As I embark upon a new I OF2 stage 0T my IIT e, I Delleve tnat a postgraduate study wlll prov10e a mllestone In my areer along with invaluable experiences that will allow me to become a successf ul, innovative prof essional and assist in accomplishing my goals. Ten years f rom now, I envisage myself as a f ull-f ledged research prof essional in an organization, or a f aculty member at some leading university.My decision to pursue graduate studies in the United Kingdom is underscored by my desire to be a part of the graduate program at your institution. T he pioneering works going on at the -{specify}-department , which include the development of {specify}, perf ectly match with the f ield of my interest. T he interdisciplinary nature of {specify rogramme, field} has convinced me in taking this decision as it is the ideal choice f or an exciting research career. At the same time, I am conf ident of contributing originally to the ongoing work at your department.By working under the guidance of distinguished f aculty, I shall certainly be able to exploit my potential to the f ullest. T he department web site revealed very strong f aculty like Prof . {NAME} involved in extensive research in the area of {specify}. T his has strengthened my resolve to study at University of {NAME}. I am conf ident that the erudite f aculty will make my learning experience extraordinary. If I get the opportunity to be a part of that intellectually stimulating environment, I am sure my talents will be put to optimal use.I am conf ident that overall opportunity to study in Europe will broaden my horizons and give me an opportunity to gain world class education and help me become an excellent world citizen. I would theref ore, f eel obliged to be able to secure admission in your prestigious university with f ull f inancial assistance and pursue my M. S. program. I am sure that I will match all the credentials and will be able to maintain high standards at your university. Letter of Motivation I am interested to apply f or a Master’s Degree Program in {name of the program} starting in 2013. I graduated in 2011, from the University of {name of the University}, USA and hold a Bachelors degree in {name of the program}.The four year undergraduate program in {name of the program} formed the basis of my perseverance towards achieving an in-depth knowledge in the field of –. As a part of my degree course I studied various subjects relating to diverse aspects of {specify} which includes {specify}. During my bachelor studies, I underwent the experience of developing a {specify}. Under the supervision of Prof {name} along with my colleague I have prepared the {specify}.While submitting the assignment, our lecturer observed {specify} and recommended our product f or {specify}-. Upon receiving this acknowledgment of my work I would like to carry on my penchant for {specify}, as this {methodology, issue} is gaining increasing importance, in all aspects and is having signi f icant impact on almost all industries and all areas of society. There is an ample scope to prove one’s ability, competence and intelligence in this revolutionary and potentially very benef icial {methodology, issue, theory}.Besides the college academics I was actively involved in the extra-curricular activities. The driving force behind all this was my aim to develop all the facets of my personality. In this process I could not achieve the grades I wanted to, in the first and second year. But soon I garnered the skill of judicious allocation of time and energy. I do not f eel that the marks I scored are the sole indicators  of my understanding of the subject. A cogent reason to augment my belief is the final year of my studies, where with strong focus and hard work, I excelled in my graduation with distinction. Considering my excellent record, my college offered me for a job as a lecturer.Also f or the past twenty months I have been working as a {specify}- in -{specify} d epartment of {specify}. My work has helped me develop a thorough insight into return to the academic world for further growth. It has given me the confidence to pursue a Master’s degree and also kindled a desire to do research.T his career with open prospects has given me constant incentive to improve myself and to gain more knowledge.Today I perceive that life for me has been a process of conscious evolution. An integral part of this growth has been the value system imbibed in me by my parents, teachers and mentors and an immense liking f or science. As I embark upon a new stage of my life, I believe that a postgraduate study will provide a milestone in my career along with invaluable experiences that will allow me to become a successful, innovative professional and assist in accomplishing my goals. Ten years from now, I envisage myself as a full-fledged research professional in an organization, or a faculty member at some leading university.My decision to pursue graduate st udies in the United Kingdom is underscored by my desire to be a part of the graduate program at your institution. T he pioneering works going on at the -{specify}-department, which include the development of {specify}, perfectly match with the field of my interest. T he interdisciplinary nature of {specify program, field} has convinced me in taking this decision as it is the ideal choice f or an exciting research career. At the same time, I am confident of contributing originally to the ongoing work at your department. By working under the guidance of distinguished faculty, I shall certainly be able to exploit my potential to the fullest.The department web site revealed very strong faculty like Prof . {NAME} involved in extensive research in the area of {specify}. This has  strengthened my resolve to study at University of {NAME}. I am confident that the erudite faculty will make my learning experience extraordinary. If I get the opportunity to be a part of that intellectually sti mulating environment, I am sure my talents will be put to optimal use. I am confident that overall opportunity to study in Europe will broaden my horizons and give me an opportunity to gain world class education and help me become an excellent world citizen. I would therefore, feel obliged to be able to secure admission in your prestigious university with full financial assistance and pursue my M.S. program. I am sure that I will match all the credentials and will be able to maintain high standards at your university.

Philosophy: Dialogue with Socrates Essay

â€Å"Socrates, good day!† exclaimed Person. Socrates is still mesmerized in this realm unbeknownst to him. Dazed and confused, he sees a figure, a person looking right at him. He replied, â€Å"Good day to you to. May I ask you questions about this world? I suppose you are a citizen of this state.† â€Å"I would gladly entertain your queries, but I have questions too, questions that only you can answer,† retorted Person. â€Å"I will bring the truth upon your inquiries, if you allow me the pleasure of asking you one question. I need help in bringing out the truth so that the decision I make would be based on reason.† â€Å"The pleasure is mine,† said Socrates, â€Å"I will help you bring the light of truth into your question, what is it that you ask?† Person then hesitated, but replied eventually, â€Å"Should I submit my school requirement? The teacher asked to write something philosophical, something uhm†¦ something about a dialogue.† â€Å"Then it is an obligation, I suppose, and every obligation must be fulfilled. This is a moral act, pious according to the laws of my state, Athens. One must never disrespect the state, it is immoral.† â€Å"I do not want to submit my paper, it gets in the way of my hobbies and friends, yet at the same time, I do not want to fail my obligations to my school, â€Å" Person said. â€Å"This obligation, to whom is it addressed,† Socrates asked. â€Å"The obligation is for my teacher,† replied Person. â€Å"Why would you not obey your obligation? Did you enter this obligation as an agreement,† inquired Socrates. â€Å"Why, I, ah I entered the obligation as an agreement when I enrolled. I entered it willingly but the teacher gets in the way of my hobbies and friends,† said Person. Socrates asked: â€Å"If the teacher is a hurdle to you, would you then disregard this authority? What is the basis of your rebellion against authority?† And Person replied: â€Å"I would disregard the authorities, but there are consequences, like a failing grade. If I fail, I would either repeat this course, or I would have a hard time applying for a job after I graduate if most of my grades show my disregard for requirements and obligations.† â€Å"Then, following this authority is a virtue?† â€Å"Yes!† exclaimed Person. â€Å"And entering an agreement or obligation willingly is acceptable?† â€Å"Yes,† said Person proudly. â€Å"If the authority gets in the way of your time with friends, does this mean that the authority is immoral?† â€Å"No.† whispered Person. At this point, Socrates is fuming mad. I know that he is a just man. Plato said so, when I conversed with him moments ago. And now I know that Socrates is not only just but also virtuous. He is attached to truth itself. Furiously, he said: â€Å"Then, I would say that you are not virtuous because you dare defy authority that is virtuous! You are also immoral, for defying your obligations that you entered willingly! Why then did you enter this agreement if you are not agreeing with it?† â€Å"Because studying is required to be smart and successful, I want to be successful†¦ and being smart means that you gain wisdom,† Person shyly said. The face of Socrates brightened a bit: â€Å"You are wise in saying that Person,† exclaimed Socrates, â€Å"because the beginning of wisdom is the recognition of your ignorance. However, knowing that you are ignorant but not following the virtuous path towards truth and wisdom only means that you are foolish. Do as you please, do not fulfill the obligations of your agreement, and you will lose your identity as a Person. What difference do you have then from beasts?† â€Å"I am not a beast. And I am not foolish. I will then, submit to my obligations, I will write my paper. So, Socrates, let us move on, what are your questions about this realm?† Person said eventually.

Understanding Of Literary Terms Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Understanding Of Literary Terms - Term Paper Example The way O. Henry describes the apartment where the couple lives and the clothes that they wear are all depictions of poverty. The setting allows the readers to commune with the character’s problem of finding a way to finance the gift for their partner. The setting was relevant in building up the theme of the story because it underscored the fact that even though Jim and Delia were poor, they both have that ardent desire to give the best gift to each other. The setting makes the readers further realize the extent of the sacrifice that both Jim and Delia had to go through just to be able to give the gift that each one yearned so much. Giving up one’s most cherished possession is not easy but if it is done to bring joy to a loved one, the pain of separation from the possession becomes irrelevant. This situation was clearly shown in the story. The generosity of both characters is further magnified as the readers go through the plot of the story. The time frame used by O. He nry is Christmas Eve, another contributing factor to the theme of the narrative. The author could not have chosen a better time for the setting. Unselfish love is the very essence of Christmas which was shown by God in giving His Only Son as the Savior of the world. Gift-giving is also a Christmas tradition which was first demonstrated by the Three Kings on Christmas Eve (Smith, 2009). The Christmas setting indeed highlighted the couple’s role as â€Å"magi† to each other, each one giving the best gift that both could offer. The author uses irony in this classic Christmas story (Play: The Gift of the Magi, 2002). O. Henry describes Jim and Delia in the last paragraph as â€Å"two foolish children† but later on ironically calls them the â€Å"wisest† and the â€Å"magi†. The author presents the main theme of the story in the last paragraph, that of selfless

The Impact of Sea Level Rise Due to Climate Change Research Paper

The Impact of Sea Level Rise Due to Climate Change - Research Paper Example Global climate change has been attributed to natural as well as anthropogenic agents. Climate change is responsible for the rise in sea level in two major ways. To begin with, rising temperature on land causes land ice, to melt. Land ice is melting faster than ever before as a result of increasing temperatures. According to Cazenave1 and Cozannet (2014), as land ice shrinks by melting away, the melt water drains into oceans and seas of the world. Consequently, the sea level rises and water overflow the banks. Also, climate change results into rising level of the sea because of rising temperatures, which cause sea water to expand. As the sea water gets heated up, it expands occupying more space and eventually finds its way out into the land bordering the sea. Thermal expansion of sea water has been responsible for the rise in sea level for the last century since the birth of industrial revolution. The Impacts of Rising Sea Level A significant number of individuals live in coastal areas around the world. In the United States alone, about a third of the country’s population reside in coastal regions. A good number of states bordering the sea have large pieces of low-lying lands, which are very susceptible to rising level of the sea as well as coastal storm surges. The persistent rise in sea level puts the coastal regions at risk in many ways. These include: coastal community flooding causing massive destruction of property and infrastructure, degradation of shoreline from erosion and landslides, increased storm surges and loss of wetlands and estuaries.

Wireless technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Wireless technology - Essay Example There is no government regulation (worldwide) controlling use of it. Infrared has immunity to electro-magnetic and RF interference. In addition, Infrared communication is secure and separate infrared installation can be operated in every room in a building without interference. Limitation of it is that infrared signals cannot penetrate solid objects and affected by the light, snow, ice, and fog. The term narrowband microwave refers to the use of a microwave radio frequency band for signal transmission, with relatively narrow bandwidth: just wide enough to accommodate the signal, typically 12.5 kHz or 25 kHz. Because of it works in very short bandwidth, therefore it comes in licensed and unlicensed categories. Unlicensed (ISM) Narrowband microwave works in three bandwidth spectrum (900 MHz, 2.4 GHz, 5.7 GHZ). It can provide a data rate from 1to 20 Mbps. Narrow bandwidth combined with high power results in larger transmission distances that are available from 900 MHz or 2.4 GHz spread spectrum systems, which have lower power levels and wider bandwidths. UHF wireless data communication systems normally transmit in the 430 to 470 MHz frequency range, with rare systems using segments of the 800 MHz range. The lower portion of this band 430-450 MHz is often referenced as unprotected (unlicensed) and 450-470 MHz is referred to as the protected (licensed) band. It has a range of ap proximately 100 meter for indoor and 1 to 2 miles for outdoor. The main advantage of UHF is its range. The disadvantage of these technologies (UHF) is its low throughput. RF license are required for protected bands that are provided by radio authorities in each country who regulate and license specific frequencies to users. (Guide to Wireless LAN Technologies) The most commonly used Wireless technology is spread spectrum that can provide a data rate up to 20 Mbps. Because the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) does not require site licensing for the bands used by

Prison Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Prison Culture - Essay Example The inmate subculture shows the lives of inmates but it varies from one prison institution to another (Schmalleger & Smykla, 2009). Being deviants in society, the inmate subculture is often not in accordance with the values of society and is opposed to institutional rules. What may be regarded as deviant behavior and unacceptable in the free world is encouraged and rewarded inside prison walls (Clemmer, 1940) There are two theories that explain the formation of an inmate subculture (Schmalleger & Smykla, 2009). The first is the deprivation theory which states that the inmate culture is formed in response to the deprivations in prison life. The deprivations experienced by inmates are those of deprivation of liberty, autonomy and security, deprivation from the use of goods and services, and deprivation of heterosexual relationships (Sykes, 1958). The other theory is the importation theory which maintains that the inmates bring with them their subculture from the outside world. There ar e different types of inmate subculture as discussed by Irwin and Cressey (1962).

Do corporations have a social responsibility beyond just obeying the Essay

Do corporations have a social responsibility beyond just obeying the law - Essay Example To understand the basic definition of a corporation, one must understand its main objective. Every corporation, excluding a Club or Non-Profit Corporations, has a sole objective, i.e. making a profit. This is the basic foundation of every business and corporation that is created in the first place. The profit is basically the difference between the revenue that the corporation generated and the cost that it incurs. However, corporations do have to operate according to the law. For example every corporation pays taxes on its ‘sky high’ profits but is that the only thing a corporation should do for the betterment of society? Obeying the law includes several other things including labor rights, minimum wages, working conditions and several consume rights including misleading advertisement. â€Å"If ethics are poor at the top that behavior is copied down through the organization† quoted Mr Robert Noyce, the inventor of the silicon chip (Butler, 2003). Business ethics is one of the terms that many might have heard. Not many businesses run ethically but some businesses are adapting the ethical strategies for giving something back to the society.

Risk Management in supply chain management Essay

Risk Management in supply chain management - Essay Example Some of the salient features that define the organizational attributes in modern times are reduced inventories, effect supplies, staggeringly reduced cycle times, effective transportation mechanisms, further enhanced communication means both outside and inside the organization and factory. These all have been in practice in many organizations and are another name for successful supply chain management. Supply chain management is termed as chain and structure that defines all important elements of the process which contribute towards the output. In other words all the stake holders who have an impact in either way constitute a supply chain. It can be the transportation, can be the personnel, can be the policy, can be the objectives and can various other variables (Mentzer, 2011). The risks so faced can have various severe negative repercussions on the industry. It can lead to a financial loss, it can lead to mistrust, it can further lead to loss of contracts in severe cases, and most importantly could lead to losing the customers who are considered as the pivot towards the success or failure of any organization since their response and liking level of a certain industry can take any industry either way. Supply chain impacts rest of the industry activities in a direct manner. Supply chain risks identification and ultimately elimination and mitigation can result in better working environment, improved productivity, reduced un certainty, and various other factors that are non beneficial towards the organization. The entire risk phenomena can be split into four components which are: The Risk Sources: Supply Chain Itself: Risk mitigation Strategies: Adverse effects of Risks: Supply chain itself Risk Mitigation Strategies These are the four basic units which constitute a total discipline and each of these must be taken into consideration (Juttner, Peck, & Christopher, 2003). The relationship works in a dependent manner, the first is the source of risk, which falls und er the initial phase, and its identification is very vital. This is followed by its adverse affects, and underneath it is the supply chain itself that is faced by the challenges and risks. Finally, the most important factor is the constitution of risk mitigation strategies, which could be prior to the occurrence of event or post event, however risk mitigation strategies are more successful and of more impact if implemented prior to the occurrence. The strategies so made must be able to work in a preemptive manner and should work on the principle of prevention rather than correction. Risks could be either from internal sources, or the external sources, or the organization itself. The last couple of decades saw many events that made all the stakeholders realize that risk management in the field of supply chain has become inevitable and proper actions must be taken to minimize its impact. For this purpose, it has been largely implemented at various organizations of large, medium and sm all sizes, and more emphasis is being laid on its implementation at every level of industry. For this reason, a more systemic and structured approach is in practice internationally which ensures covering all the areas of that are necessary to be addressed. Level of

Video games and Kids Essay Example for Free

Video games and Kids Essay Video games have a positive and negative effect on kids. Video games affect the kids health, for example lead to cardiovascular implication. Also affect their education when affecting their cognition. Others video games effects on kids are when affecting their social and behaviors. Parents need to involve and regulate their children‘s gaming habit. Video games attribute in big portion in kids behavior. Video game affect kids negatively could be a good reason to make a kid violent and make him a killer. According to Anderson, Craig A at â€Å"Violent Video Games and Other Media Violence† he said that video game. Video games affect kids and make theme violent. When the kids consume a lot of violent materiel, he gets confuse between the reality and the fantasy. The kids think that hitting, kicking are allowed in real life. According to Anderson, Craig A, he sees in his essay â€Å"Violent Video Games and Other Media Violence (Part 1)† that the player needs to distinguish between fantasy and real violence. AS result, the player exposes his violence toward his surrounding and become violent. Anderson suggest at the same essay that video games are not only the cause for violence, but others effect as biological, neighborhood and family could attribute in this violence. Video games affect kids’ education and learning. Kids spend more time in playing rather than finishing their school tasks. As consequence, they have a poor grade and low knowledge. According to KIRA BAILEY in his study â€Å"A negative association between video game experience and proactive cognitive control† he said that after the three studies indicate that high levels of video consumption may be associated with a reduction in the efficiency of those processes supporting cognitive control that arise from interactions between anterior cingulated and lateral frontal cortex. Video games affect kids ‘health in too many ways. According to Dorman, Steve M. in his study â€Å"Video and computer games: Effect on children and implications for health education. † First: Cardiovascular Implications is consequence of less activity, because in USA children adopt sedentary lifestyle at early age and they prefer play video games rather than involving in different sport or other physical activities. Video games affect kid’s behavior and social life. According to Messerly, John G, â€Å"How Computer Games Affect CS (and other) Students’ School Performance;† He said: My methodology was simple: I asked students— all computer science majors in an undergraduate program—whether they knew someone whose scholastic or social life had been harmed by computer games. About 90% answered affirmatively, describing students whose fascination chained them to their apartments or dorm rooms for days, weeks, even semesters. Many admitted to having or having had this problem themselves. The effect Is exacerbated by so-called role-playing games like Age of Kings, Dark Age of Camelot, and Ever quest, with addictive power so great some call it Ever-crack. Players create characters and alter egos in cyberspace living out their personal fantasies, usually by adopting the traits they believe they lack in the real world. My informal surveys suggest there is something particularly addictive, if not sinister, about role-playing. (29) Video games have a positive effect on kids. Video games could be a good way to motivate kids. For example, be a good motivate for the kids to finish their duties. Kids could be reward with extra play time, or earn their video games after finishing their tasks. Also a good choice of video games, like challenging games could make kids smart when learning about different subject. Video games could be a good help in kids education. According to Annetta, Leonard A. â€Å"Video Games in Education: Why they should be used and how they are being used. † In her essay, she mentions that the games are not limited in played, but they could be a good explanation for real life. Kids get new information in the virtual world of video games without really knowing that they‘re learning. Anneta , Leonard mentions in her other essay â€Å" Video Games AND Simulation AS Teaching Tools†. She says that the enticement of video games can be used to enhance K-12 education. Also the use of video games could replace a traditional teaching. She gives North Carolina State University (NSCU) as example, because they encourage video games as a supplement to normal instruction. Also she says that virtual-learning environments being introduce to school through (Innovative Gaming Networks In Teacher Education), a synchronous, online graduate course1 and through HI FIVES (Highly Interactive Fun Internet Virtual Environment in Science2. Video games play a big role in health field, strange but true. According to Healthcare Financial Management â€Å"Video Games: Good for your Health†. The games helping in health are: * Games for rehabilitation and therapy which aid balance and mobility in Parkinson’s patients, others used as a â€Å"distraction device† to control pain and stress. * Exergaming which incorporate physical activity, such workout game, or games that make you move to get to the target, for example, kinnect. * Games for major healthcare provider: Insurance companies met to discuss ways to use videogame technology to solve critical healthcare challenges. Additionally, a team of graduate students at Carnegie Mel- Ions Entertainment Technology Center has developed a game called Project ER, designed to lower stress for 60,000 children who visit the EDs of Pittsburgh Medical Centers each year. During a test run, the team gathered considerable research on how to deploy such systems in healthcare settings. * The rise in games for first responders and medical professionals: One new game system allows health professionals to interact with 3-D simulations of emergency healthcare environments. Additionally, an online, multiplayer game trains physicians to communicate more effectively with their patients. Parents need to be aware of the video games danger. And also need to take advantage of the good side of the technology and guide their kids. According to website (media-awareness. ca/english/parent/video games/index. cfm) Amy Phillips says in her essay â€Å"Console video games† that the video games encourages teamwork, increase self-confidence and improve hand and eye coordination, but in negative side the kids could have trouble distinguishing fantasy from reality in the games. According to the website, the parents need to involve and have a concern about video games. Parents of young children should be aware of the following concern: Young children may become more aggressive and fearful if they are exposed to high levels of violence in video games. The violence portrayed in video games usually has no consequences, and is often there for the sake of humor. Parents need to watch what the kids are playing in the computer and video games. Parents need to follow up with video game rating. For example; at 2008 study by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) found that 20% of children under 17 surveyed had bought at least one M-rated game. A study by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that three-quarters of boys in grades seven to twelve had played Grand Theft Auto, an M-rated game. The entertainment industry aggressively markets violent media to young children. In September 2000, the U. S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) released a report that exposed how the media industries actively target young children with violent entertainment meant for adults. According to the FTC, almost every video-game company they investigated regularly marketed violent M-rated games to children. For instance, the E-rated game LittleBigPlanet includes content intended to promote another Sony game, Metal Gear Solid 4, which is rated M. Toys based on action characters from games meant for mature players are often marketed to young children. Halo, an ultra-violent video game rated for players 17 and older, has spawned action figures marketed to children under 8 years old. Other issue is Childrens ideas of what it means to be male and female can be negatively influenced by stereotypes found in media. Video games are designed by males for males, and so generally contain very few female characters. Those females that do appear are often portrayed as victims, while the male characters are the aggressors. The study Video Game Characters and the Socialization of Gender Roles shows that young people hold perceptions of gender roles that mirror how men and women are depicted in video games. Many games popular among youth are either played online or downloaded from sites such as Newgrounds and eBaums World. The ESRB rating system does not cover such games. User-created content is an increasing part of todays games. This means that even if the original game has a rating appropriate for your child, it may be possible to download additional content that is not. Games often have a multiplayer component which allows children to play with other people over the Internet. These multiplayer games usually permit conversation between players which is typically immoderate. Other people see that the video games have a positive side on general and for example using the video games in health and in school.

Analysis of the Dutch Healthcare System Real Estate

Analysis of the Dutch Healthcare System Real Estate Chapter 2: Hospitals, corporate real estate management and alternative real estate financing structures Healthcare systems across the globe are under continuous reform. Thus, it is important to note that healthcare systems are still evolving. Moreover, in Europe a distinction is made between so-called Bismarck mixed and Beveridge healthcare models. Bismarck systems are based on social insurance, and characterized by a multitude of insurance organizations, who are organizationally independent of public and private healthcare providers. Examples are such as in France, the Netherlands and Germany (Krankenkassen). In Beveridge systems, however, financing and provision are handled within one organizational system and based on taxation. This implies healthcare financing bodies and providers are completely or partially within one organization, such as the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK and Spain (Lameire, et al. 1999; Finfacts, 2007). Throughout history, healthcare systems across the world have evolved from Bismarck into Beveridge systems and vice versa. Usually, such reforms are a bone of contention. A recent example is the highly controversial debate in US politics on reform of the American healthcare system, which is unique in its application of the Private Insurance model (Lameire, et al. 1999). Democrats have long called for a universal health insurance program, which involves the expansion of coverage and restricting the power of insurance companies. Proponents argue that health insurance should be affordable and accessible to all, while opponents (mainly Republicans) fear too large a role of the government and the use of tax money to finance the arguably enormous costs involved. Both parties seem to agree that the power of insurance companies should be restricted by banning underwriting practices that prevent many Americans from obtaining affordable health insurance. However, though U.S. president Obama has praised various aspects of the Dutch social security-based (Bismarck) healthcare system, a similar evolution of the American healthcare system yet has to commence (NY Times, 2009). This section begins with a brief historic overview of the Dutch hospital (or cure) sector, with a focus on its evolution. Second, the interdependencies between healthcare real estate, (strategic) corporate real estate management, and alternative real estate financing structures will be elaborated upon by using corporate real estate management (CREM) theory and comparing various sources from academic literature. These are intertwined since healthcare heavily depends on real estate as a resource in fulfilling its core business activity. By opting for alternative ways to finance real estate, hospitals are able to free up additional capital to support their clinical activities. As the Dutch healthcare system currently is under reform and hospitals become responsible for real estate investments themselves, they are under increasing pressure to consider more cost-efficient options and enhance their competitive position. Alternative real estate financing structures such as public-private partnerships, where hospitals profit from the knowledge and experience of private sector parties through various partnership agreements, could provide a alternative feasible alternative here to more traditional real estate financing structures. For example, hospitals could opt for a sale-lease-back agreement, where hospital real estate is sold to a private party and leased-back to the hospital for an annual fee. By analyzing the above, this theory and literature review will provide the reader with an answer to the following sub-questions: How are Dutch hospitals regulated and financed? How can corporate real estate management add value to hospital real estate? How do alternative real estate financing structures relate to hospital real estate? The Dutch hospital sector The origins of healthcare in the Netherlands can be traced mainly to the activities of voluntary organizations, which often provided healthcare on a charitable base. These organizations used to be run mainly on religious or ideological foundations, resulting in the creation of healthcare facilities with a Protestant, Roman Catholic, Jewish or humanistic foundation (Folter, 2002). The Dutch healthcare tradition reflects the changing relationship between the government and voluntary organizations. Dutch hospitals largely originated from private and often charitable initiatives; virtually all are non-profit and most are still private organizations. However, today they are no longer organized along denominational lines. Though private ownership predominates, the Dutch government heavily regulates the healthcare system. In the postwar era of the 1950s, there was a focus on hospital construction, part of the broader effort to rebuild the country. In 1971, an extensive planning system was undertaken under the Hospital Provision Act (WZV) to regulate hospital capacity, the main motive being that many people felt hospitals were too concentrated in the urban areas and too few were located in other parts of the country (Den Exter, et al. 2004). Planning, regulation and management In the 1960s and 1970s, the expansion of health technology and healthcare resulted in a steep increase in health care costs. The main cause of the cost increase was attributed to the building of new hospitals and healthcare institutions. The Hospital Provision Act (WZV) of 1971 became the Dutch governments most important hospital planning tool, enabling the government to regulate construction of all healthcare institutions. The responsibility for its implementation was allocated to the provincial health authorities. The overarching goal of the WZV was to regulate the supply and promote the efficiency of hospital care. Hospitals were not to be constructed or renovated without successfully passing a declaration and licensing process. Approval of the building project rested on a detailed plan for each hospital service affected in a specific geographic region, which included a description of the existing service capacity, the suggested change of capacity, and a schedule to complete the project. The planning process began with the issuance of an instruction from the Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport to the provincial government. The instruction described the categories of hospital facilities for which plans were to be developed, the geographical region covered, and the deadline to complete this. Provincial governments considered a number of regulations and guidelines in the process. Regulations related to the planning process and guidelines to the content of the plan. Many stakeholders were involved in the formation of regulations, including hospitals, patients and consumer organizations, local authorities, and insurance companies. In the initial stage, the provincial government prepared a draft plan. This plan included: an inventory of existing capacities; an evaluation of the existing situation in terms of shortages and weaknesses; a description of construction, renovation and expansion proposals; and an implementation plan and time schedule. Subsequently, the draft was forwarded to the health minister for approval. The health minister, after counseling the Hospital Provision Board (CBZ), determined whether or not the draft was acceptable. The draft plan formed the foundation for the issuance of so-called acknowledgements, which allowed hospitals to receive reimbursement for services from health insurers. The drawbacks of the initial hospital planning process under the Hospital Provision Act (WZV) were its complexity and lack of flexibility. Therefore, in January 2000, in order to improve the planning process, a new Act, the Special Medical Procedures Act (WBMV), came into existence. The focus of this Act was on quality of care rather than cost containment and aimed at promoting healthcare with maximum quality and minimum risk to patients at affordable cost (Den Exter et al., 2004). Decentralization According to Den Exter et al., in the Netherlands policy traditionally has been prepared and implemented by a massive neocorporate bureaucracy, uniting government agencies, quasi-governmental organizations (the advisory and executive bodies), suppliers and providers in the private sector, and insurance companies. This national body has a significant degree of control over decisions regarding the number and distribution of hospital beds and specialist places, and on investment decisions and management costs in health care. In the 1970s, centralized government coordination and planning became the leading principle in the Dutch healthcare system. However, the 1974 policy paper Structuring health care (Structuurnota Gezondheidszorg), contained proposals for decentralized administration by regional and local authorities (Second Chamber of Parliament, 1974). In 1986, the coalition government departed from the centralized model by undertaking major reforms, especially in the field of social health insurance. The integration of different insurance schemes into one social insurance for all Dutch citizens (with largely income-related contributions) was a bone of contention. The aim was to increase solidarity in healthcare financing. Under these reforms, all insurance companies would function as independent and risk-bearing insurers and compete for insured patients under the same regulations. A central fund (centrale kas) was to provide budgets for all the insurers. A key issue in the reforms was the shift of the insurance risk from the public funding system to the individual insurance plan, justified by the less government, more market trend. The shift of insurance risk involved a policy of transferring regulating competencies from the collective to the private sector, such as providers and insurance companies. In the Netherlands, this policy is called functional decentralization. This has mainly occurred in the cure-sector, which entails acute care and both specialist and general medicine. By means of negotiations and contracts, an increasing number of health insurers and providers have become important determinants in shaping and interpreting healthcare today, while the government and administrative agencies used to assume these roles in the past. This is emphasized by the new role assumed by medical specialists in hospital care. For example, they have acquired an independent coordinating position versus both hospital management and sickness funds (Scholten and van der Grinten, 1998). Hospital budget reforms In the Netherlands, today all hospitals and other healthcare institutions are required to have an overall annual budget. This is in line with the governments cost-containment policy. If the hospital exceeds its budget, there is no possibility of recalculation or compensation. Specialist fees are an exception to this overall hospital budget. Below follows an overview of the budget reforms that have taken place up until 2009. Function-directed budgeting (1988 2000) The old budget system, which was in use since 1988, was a function-directed budget system. The budget was divided in four cost components: location costs, fixed costs, semi-fixed costs, and variable costs. Location costs concern infrastructure, for example buildings and equipment including depreciation and interest. In the old budget system, these investments required approval by the health minister under the Hospital Provision Act (WZV). Second, fixed costs are costs that do not generally vary with the activity volume. For example, the number of people served by a hospital in the region. Thirdly, semi-fixed costs are not affected by the scale of production of a hospital in the short run. These are capacity-based costs, and include the number of beds and specialist units. Finally, variable costs are directly related to the activity volume or the production (production units) of the hospital. Parameters for variable costs include admissions, outpatient visits, nursing days, day care and day treatments (Den Exter et al., 2004). In the old system, the hospital budget was determined as follows: Number of persons in service area (x tariff) + number of licensed hospital beds (x tariff) + number of licensed specialist units (x tariff) + negotiated volumes of production units, for example hospital admissions (x tariff), inpatient days (x tariff), first outpatient contacts (x tariff), day surgery (x tariff) and special treatments (x tariff) Tariffs varied with hospital size, implying larger hospitals were allocated higher tariffs than smaller hospitals. In addition, hospitals were allocated capital expense budgets. For example, rebuilding projects and new hospital construction projects were covered by a 100% mark-up applied for 50 years. This implies payment was guaranteed for 50 years through a mark-up in the day rate. As a result, hospitals were not exposed to financial risk regarding major capital expenses. Further, hospitals received a standardized budget for small investments, such as maintenance. These investments did not require the approval of the health minister. Performance-driven budgeting (2000 2005) Until 2000, hospitals still received the full budget when it produced less inpatient days than estimated under the principle budget=budget. However, this was changed into a performance-driven payment system implying hospitals would get paid less if they would produce less inpatient days than agreed upon with health insurers. The underlying notion of this change was to increase hospital production, in order to put a halt to waiting lists. However, this transition brought a number of new problems along: Hospital budgets were unable to keep up with the increase in demand for hospital care. While patients paid insurance, they were unable to benefit from hospital service directly because of waiting lists. The admissions, inpatient days and day surgery tariffs used to set the budget proved completely artificial, not reflecting true costs. Incentives for efficiency were weak. The budgeting system did not stimulate hospitals to inform insurers and patients about their performance. This is a politically sensitive issue, as hospitals received extra money to combat waiting lists but were reluctant to explain for what goals they used this money. DBC-budgeting and dot (2005 present) Therefore, a new gradual transition is currently taking place to a Diagnosebehandelings-combinatie (Diagnosis Treatment Combination, DBC) financing system. The DBC system has the following implications: a transition to output pricing with defined and priced patient-treatment categories; location costs remain fixed and all other maintenance costs will be integrated into the location cost center of hospital budgets (set by the College Tarieven Gezondheidszorg, CTG, Healthcare Tariffs Council); and hospitals are contracted by sickness funds based on patient-treatment categories. The main notion is that hospitals are reimbursed for the costs they incur resulting from medical treatments. The DBC-A segment tariffs (acute care) remains government regulated (through the NZa, Dutch Healthcare Authority) and concerns acute care, whereas hospitals are largely free to negotiate tariffs with healthcare insurers in the DBC-B-segment (non-acute care) in an effort to promote market forces. Currently , about 34% of the DBCs is allocated to the B-segment; the Dutch Health Ministry aims to increase this proportion to 50-60% by 2011 (Van Poucke, 2009). The DBC system is comparable to the DRG (Diagnosis Related Group) system used abroad. However, there are a number of differences: DRGs are coded at the beginning of the treatment, while DBCs are coded afterwards. A patient can be coded in more than one DBC. In the DBC system the coding is not done by special personnel but by a medical specialist. The physician salary is included in the DBC, giving physicians an incentive for upcoding. In the DBC system, more flexibility is granted to parties that negotiate at the local level on production, number of treatments, and number of specialists. Furthermore, efforts are being made to integrate the fee-for-service system for specialists and the hospital budget system into a single integrated budget (Den Exter 2004). However, since the system is still in early development, the effects of DBC financing on hospitals are still ambiguous. As a result, improvements have been proposed which will be implemented as of January 1 2011 under the DOT (DBCs Op weg naar Transparantie, DBCs on the road to Transparency). This implies that the 100,000 DBC products will be sized down to only 3,000 in order to increase transparency for the patient, healthcare practitioners and healthcare insurers (DBC Onderhoud, 2009). Real estate investment reforms Until 2008, the Dutch healthcare system applied a publicly supported healthcare real estate budget system. However, since 2008, Dutch healthcare institutions have become financially responsible for the return and risks of their real estate investments (see Chapter 5: Real estate investments). Moreover, the Dutch healthcare system is changing toward a regulated market system with increased competition between healthcare providers. According to Van der Zwart et al. (2009), these developments are likely to change the way healthcare institutions will manage and finance their real estate, the location choices they make and the building typology they choose. Furthermore, real estate is becoming an increasingly strategic fifth source of profitability and overall performance, similar to capital, human resources, information and technology (see figure 2.1). For hospitals, considering and using real estate as a strategic production asset can reap added value, as will be explained in section 2.2.2. Financing hospital real estate: from supply-driven to regulated market forces As health insurers now negotiate quality and quantity agreements with hospitals and patients are broadening their horizons, the importance of an integrated approach to the product hospital care. Hospitals should be able to use their real estate as a distinguishing element in attracting customers (the patient). As a result, real estate is being transformed into a strategic resource for hospitals as well and hospital executives are paying growing attention to real estate management, including location management (what to do where), business plans (do investments yield positive returns) and real estate asset valuation. Building plans are based on functional clustering: hospitals divide new buildings into hotels (patient rooms), hot floors (operating rooms), offices (simple treatments, patient consults), and industrial plants (medical support/facilitating functions). As hospitals are no longer required to own their real estate assets, some are seeking partners willing to take over some o f their real estate management (Windhorst 2006). The Dutch government used to be in charge of allocating the budget of healthcare real estate investment, but is moving toward a regulated market system to keep healthcare affordable in the future. This deregulation gives healthcare institutions the opportunity to make their own decisions, translating into more individual responsibility and a higher risk exposure of investments. The government no longer guarantees financial support for real estate investments, and thus real estate investments have to be financed by the production and delivery of healthcare services. As a result, the need for competitive advantage will also increase (Van der Zwart, et al., 2009). The Dutch government used to apply a strict approval system in the former real estate budget system in order to regulate the capacity and costs of hospital health care. All initiatives to build, renovate or demolish a hospital building were evaluated in terms of their fit with a regulated overall capacity per service area, square meter guidelines per hospital bed and per function, and a maximum standard of costs per square meter (Van der Zwart, et al., 2009: 2). The initiatives were approved by the Minister of Health, Welfare and Sports, who was advised by the Netherlands Board for Healthcare Institutions. The real estate capital costs (depreciation, rent, maintenance costs and so on) were guaranteed by the government. The healthcare providers real estate budget was independent of the production of healthcare services. According to Van der Zwart et al., hospitals did not bear any responsibility for the risks of their real estate investments in the old system. Furthermore, they were not responsible for the running costs and a possible deficit if production decreased. As a result, hospitals attempted to obtain the maximum amount of square meters and were not encouraged to be either cost efficient or cost effective. In March 2005, the Dutch Minister of Health, Welfare and Sports announced the modification of this real estate budget system and the introduction of a healthcare system with regulated market forces (Hoogervorst, 2005). The main goal is to keep healthcare affordable by stimulating competition and, as a result, reduce healthcare costs. This deregulation provides healthcare institutions with more flexibility in the briefing, design and management of hospital buildings and real estate investments. Similar to the old system, private not-for-profit initiatives are still the main force behind the capacity of hospitals, but in the new system hospitals are themselves responsible for the return on real estate investment and the effects of real estate decisions on utility value, investment costs and running costs. Since January 2008, hospitals have to finance real estate investments and capital costs from their product and service revenues. This implies a switch from a centrally steered real estate budget system with governmental ex ante testing of building plans and investment proposals into a performance driven and regulated finance system on the output (Van der Zwart, 2009: 3). To ensure a smooth transition, there is a transition phase until 2012 with a standardized and maximized budget for capital costs per m ². This trend will have a strong effect on the briefing, design and management of hospital real estate (Van der Voordt, 2009). Hospitals will get new opportunities while experiencing higher risks at the same time and hospitals will have to aim more at competitive advantage. Furthermore, partnerships with private partners will be more common. According to Fritzsche et al. (2005) and van Hasselt (2005), this transition has a number of implications, as illustrated in table 2.1 and figure 2.1. Moreover, organizational changes (e.g. mergers and network organizations), demographic changes (ageing of the population, multicultural diversity), technological developments (e.g. new medical equipment, new installation techniques), fluctuations in the economy and changing views on healthcare and the responsibility of government, healthcare organizations, market players and healthcare consumers play their role, too (Van der Voort, 2009: 2). As a result of mergers and the growth in hospital functions, hospitals are likely to grow even larger than before. Van der Voordt argues that all these changes affect the healthcare real estate stock and cause a need for new health care real estate management strategies. Christensen et al. (2000) warn for the entrenched and change-averse nature of healthcare systems. They argue governments and institutions should be more open to business models that may seem to threaten the status quo at first, but will eventually enhance the quality of healthcare for the end-user: the patient. New institutions with disruptive business models adapted to new technologies and markets should replace entrenched and old-fashioned institutions. Thus, they conclude that government and healthcare sector leaders should help insurers, regulators, hospitals and health professionals to facilitate disruption instead of preventing it. Current challenges The practical implications for hospitals of the current transition to a new healthcare system in terms of capital financing and real estate investments will be further explained in chapter 4 and 5. First, the following section will elaborate on the theoretical foundations of corporate real estate management. Corporate real estate management In order to make well considered decisions with regard to new building projects, rebuilding projects and the sale of real estate property, a deep knowledge of the real estate property and the many related internal and external developments is required. For example, what actions need to be taken in order to eliminate or reduce discrepancies between demand and supply? And how effectively does real estate support the main business processes? Corporate Real Estate Management is one of the disciplines that addresses such questions. The key issue at stake here is to align the supply (e.g. locations, properties) with the requirements related to the primary process (demand) and the strategic goals of the organization. The overall aim is to create maximum added value for the organization while ensuring a maximum contribution to total organizational performance (Van der Voort, 2009). Increasingly, (corporate) real estate is becoming a substantial resource for firms and other institutions. For example, firms are looking at real estate to provide both stability and capital growth to their portfolios. It thus presents an attractive return compared to the volatility in equity prices (DTZ, 2006). Already in the early 1990s, researchers began to call attention to the largely unrecognized importance of corporate real estate to many businesses. They pointed at the substantial balance sheet value of real estate and the large proportion of operating expenses resulting from real estate services (Roulac, 2001). For example, Veale (1989) concluded corporate space costs account for 10% to 20% of operating expenses or nearly 50% of net operating income. In their paper, Rediscover your Companys Real Estate, Zeckhauser and Silverman (1983) estimate corporate real estate accounts for 25 to 40 % of the total assets of the average firm. Many firms underestimate the intrinsic value of their real estate portfolio, even though the magnitude of costs related to owning properties are second only to payroll costs (Veale, 1989). Zeckhauser and Silvermans survey results mention 7 important steps a firm can take to make more efficient use of its real estate assets. For example, firms should manage real estate responsibly and set achievable goals in order to generate profits from its real estate assets or limit costs. Furthermore, a firms choice of real estate activities other than managing property depends on the nature of the business it operates in and the historical record of its real estate portfolio. This implies that firms that more heavily depend on real estate for their business activities might be more actively involved with their proper ty management. Zeckhauser and Silverman conclude that every firm should review and adjust its real estate policies to reconcile operating objectives with real estate values and opportunities, and evaluate the intrinsic value of its property. Though the return on real estate is generally lower than the return on the core business activity, real estate may provide other forms of added value, such as efficiency and effectiveness of the activities in the firm. Kaplan and Nortons (1992) balanced score card approach describes the performance of a corporation as being defined by a combination of financial, internal business, customer, and innovation and learning perspectives. In addition to the financial value of real estate, unique characteristics such as the design of a building transform real estate into an asset that can be difficult to imitate, substitute, or trade. Furthermore, the physical image of a building may function as a marketing tool, attracting attention to a firms services. Thus, when buildings reflect the business purpose and promote important work relationships they can contribute significantly to corporate strategy and serve to distinguish a firm from its competitors (Krumm de Vries, 2003). Strategic corporate real estate management Roulac (2001), with his Aligning corporation real property with corporate strategy-model, links real estate strategies with sources of competitive advantage. A corporate business strategy addresses key elements such as customers, employees and processes. A corporate property strategy affects employee satisfaction, production factor economics, (realized and foregone) business opportunities, risk management decisions and other effects on business value. Thus, it is crucial in enhancing or inhibiting the companys expression of its core competency and the extent to which it can realize its core capabilities to their full potential (Roulac, 2001). The existing scientific research in this field has resulted in the conclusion that it is generally more advantageous for firms to rent, rather than own the real estate they use, enabling them to free up capital to invest in the things they are good at (Brounen and Eichholtz, 2003). The shares of firms who sell their real estate typically outperform the average and firms with large corporate real estate holdings are typically associated with relatively low performance. However, within the field of real estate finance, little research has been conducted on the effects of alternative real estate financing structures on the performance of non-profit organizations, such as hospitals. Though Eichholtz and Kok (2007) examined the performance effects of alternative real estate financing on the American senior healthcare sector, little is known about the performance of hospitals owned and/or operated through alternative real estate financing structures such as, for example, public private partnerships (PPPs). In 1993, real estate expert Michael Joroff (1993) expressed the need for a move in real estate management from a purely operational approach to a more strategic one, including a strong emphasis on the role of real estate in achieving corporate goals. According to Joroff, this requires a switch from a day-to-day focus on building management (manager) and controlling accommodation costs (controller) towards standardized real estate utilization (trader), adapting real estate assets to the market (entrepreneur), and eventually ensuring strategic real estate decisions contribute to corporate goals (strategist). See figure 2.2 below. An organization often finds itself in a combination of different stages. According to Fritzsche (2005) hospitals still need to make the move to the upper stages. Thus, when hospitals make a transformation to more business-like entities, they will find themselves in the entrepreneur or strategist stage. However, it is debatable whether hospitals should be located in the final stage, as hospitals in essence are non-profit foundations and do not have the same goals and core-business activities as business organizations. This is where the classical debate regarding public versus private provision of a public good (healthcare) enters the arena; this will be discussed further in section 2.3. The added values of real estate According to De Jonge (2002), several ways

The Hilton Hotel And Resorts | Marketing Mix

The Hilton Hotel And Resorts | Marketing Mix According to Philip Kotler marketing strategies are the combinations of all important marketing goals into a comprehensive plans, it should be from marketing research and its centre of attention should be right marketing mix to achieve maximum profit and sustainability for the organisation. Hilton Hotel and resorts is a Hospitality industry founded by Conard Hilton in 1919 in Cisco, Texas (U.S) and has 540 hotels worldwide. Its first brand was opened in Business travel and leisure travel are the two marketing emphasis the company is focusing on. Hilton Hotel and Resorts are mostly located in city centres, near airports etc for the easy access for the customers. This assignment is on Hilton Hotel (HHonours) near Heathrow Airport; with in Heathrow area it has three branches. Easy access from all terminals Heathrow central and terminal 5. It has partnership with different airlines and car rental companies. It just 6 minutes walk away from T4 and 10 minutes away by courtesy shuttle bus from T5. Hilton London Heathrow Airport hotel Exterior (http://www3.hilton.com/en/hotels/united-kingdom/hilton-london-heathrow-airport-LHRAPTW/index.html) Marketing: Marketing in Hospitality industry is one of the main elements to increase profits and success of the business and it is playing very important role in hospitality. It helps the organisation to get success through understand their customers, what they want, their needs; priorities and demand from the organisation and what are their expectation level from customer service point of view, leisure and infrastructure etc. It is really easy these days through internet. The organisation can also put surveys on internet, blogs, websites, social media, etc. For example Hilton hotel is available on face book where anyone can like, comment and post their views and also customers can check their updates, offers etc. http://xzamcorp.com/quality-blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Facebook-Hilton-Hotels-Resorts.jpg (https://www.facebook.com/hilton) Marketing Mix Marketing mix is a mixture of four fundamentals product, price, place and promotion. That actions used to satisfy the wants of an organisations target market and at the same time achieve its marketing objectives. (Stanton) 1994. http://www.marketingteacher.com/image/content/mmix.gif Product- this feature of marketing mix is including planning, developing and producing the right category of products and services in the market by an organisation. In short words what is the quality of the product, size of the product? How is it looks like, design of the product, value of the product, about packaging, testing and range etc? Product of Hilton Price- To fix a right price of product is a most difficult task. Price of the product should be reasonable and affordable so organisation can sell their product easily and successfully in the market. There are lots of steps between set the right price for example: determination of unit price of the product, pricing policies and strategies, discounts, credits, cost, terms of delivery, payment, competitive price credit policy etc. Price of Hilton hotel Place- It is called distribution channels, storage and warehousing, coverage channel, inventory management, selection channel, distribution logistics etc. Management of organisation is responsible to choose and deal with distribution channels so customers can get the product at right place at right time. They should develop physical distribution. Wholesalers and retailers are most important channels which are used for physical distribution of goods. Place for Hilton hotel Promotion- the fourth p is promotion it does include determination about direct marketing, sales promotion, advertisements, publicity, exhibitions, public relations activity etc. Most important tools are advertisements and sales promotion which are used to promote the sale of products of organisations. Promotional activities are free distribution of sample of product, contests etc. These types of tools are expressive which does help to beat the competition in the market to organisation. Advertisements are used to communicate and pass the information to customers and consumers about the features of product through television, internet, newspapers and magazines, radio, billboards, banners and posters etc. Limitations Doing advertisements or promotion is expensive tool but there is lots of advertisements on the television and internet so people can get fed up thats why mostly people ignore the advertisements on television they just skip the channels when the advertisements comes in front of them. Some people do not read the advertisements on newspapers and magazines. Promotion about Hilton Branding- branding is a unique name and identity of the company. It is a procedure of mark and stamp to the product with identify look, design and logo etc. So customers and consumers can get idea about the features of product from the name, look, logo, mark and design. Brand name or design should be attractive, which can attract to the customers. From brand name customers can recognise the product. When they give a symbol or name to the product organisation should always keep in mind there is lots of competitor in the market. Brand should be like that which is no one can copy it easily. Customer loyalty- it is about to encourage the customer, attract towards brand, buy the product often and in extra amount. It is about satisfaction level of customers, confidence, and their needs and wants. Organisation should build relationship with customers using e-market via email, messaging on mobile phones, so customers can stay keep in touch with them. Organisation should give points to the customers on loyalty cards. They should show to customers to care for them what are their choices and what they do not want. Network and customer relationships marketing strategies- Marketing take place in public relationship. For an organisation should have good and strong relation with society to fight the competition in the market. They should build strong network into the market with stakeholders. Now a days every organisation have customer care department to sort out the problems of customers and they have call centres as well as they have online customer care facility via internet so customers can call them or email them regarding their problems. In an organisation network and customer relationship is how does effective staff deals with customers and employers with employees. Hilton Hotel company appreciates the value of its staff and uses internal marketing to retain them and make them feel valued. At the Hilton organisation management realises that the companys team member added value and quality to the business. In fact it is the people working for the organisation that makes the Hilton hotels corporation such an international success. A hotel is an actual physical product, but a lot of the experience of visiting a hotel relates to the service offered by its staff to the customers. At Hilton hotel organisation management realises that staff treat customers with about same degree of respect as they themselves are treated by their employers. If staff are not treated and valued well they in turn will not respect or treat customers very well. Obviously this is very bad for an organisation..The Hilton hotel corporation invests a lot of time and money in its staff. It takes training and staff development very seriously. It involves staff in all aspects of it s marketing plans and strategy so that everyone knows what is going on and how they make contribution. Organisation gives rewards to its staff for effort with awards and promotion. It includes its staff by allowing them access to extranet which is also share with its business partners. Management offers a comprehensive befits packages to its staff, including: medical, dental and vision care coverage, life accident and disability insurance, the Hilton stock purchase plan, the flexible work arrangement. Other benefits including vacation and holiday pay plus and special privileges when staff stays at Hilton hotels. At the Hilton group management really try to retain good staff and do everything possible to make working for the Hilton hotel organisation rewarding and satisfying experience. Marketing communication activities and strategies-marketing communication is a way which is used by an organisation to change the behaviour of stakeholders towards product. They present to product into the market in such way, people can get information about the product from designing, promotion, exhibitions, advertisements, newspapers, magazines, mobile phone marketing etc. Marketing communication can be develop by direct marketing and indirect marketing. Personal selling, sales promotion, advertising, public relations these are all marketing communication. Those all tools are used for communication about product, which tells to public about the features of product. Organisation use marketing communication to achieve the market objectives and target sales. Communication is messages between one person to other person and in marketing it is between seller and buyer. E-marketing- e-marketing is an internet marketing, which is also called as an online marketing, web-marketing. Now a days every organisation use electronic technology for advertisements to gain the objectives. Technology plays a vital role for an organisation such computer based technology. Organisation create their websites, they send information about products online. Internet offers unique opportunities for organisation and customers to communicate with each others. It is a good way to build relationship with each other. Companies do promotion by direct email, advertisements on internet, by text messaging on mobile phones as well. People can know about the organisations and their manufactured goods to visit on their websites through internet. Organisation can do advertisements through social media for example: face book, twitter etc. On other hand some people do not trust on online information. These types of people prefer to go to the organisation personally so they can get information about the product from someone face to face. Guerrilla marketing activities and strategies- this type of strategy is a weapon for marketers and it is not very expensive it is low cost strategy. Guerrilla marketing is a unusual methods of promotion. This type of marketing does not focus on sales just focus profits, on primary success. It does expect highest results from minimum resources. But sometimes these methods of marketing represent the false image of brand, which is not good to get success for an organisation and survive for long time in the future. Viral marketing- it is blog marketing, forum marketing, email marketing and article marketing. This type of marketing is passed from one person to another person for example messengers are used for viral marketing. Social media is the best way for viral marketing. Public relationship strategies:-Public relation strategies are one of the promotional Mix (advertisement, personal selling, sales promotion, corporate image and Exhibition). According to Bill bernbach:- People cant believe you if they dont know what you are saying and they cant know what you are saying if they dont listen to you, and they wont listen to you if youre not interesting. Any news, planning, presentation, job advertisement etc organisation wants to give to public and any feedback organisation want from public different media such as speaker opportunities (conferences, seminars, public forums), trade show support (press appointments, private demos), public launch, magazines, newspaper, (articles, report), TV, internet, PR blogs (such as face book, twitter, online Pr) etc. Public relationship is a relationship of sharing information relation to organisation not only between organisation and customers; it is also with employees, staff, consumers, general public, competitors etc. Public relation plays a vital role and its essential to make public aware and up-to-date about new policies, procedures, jobs, vacancies etc. Marketing and marketing communication theory Conceptual frameworks Recommend marketing and customer loyalty strategies that would secure and/or enhance the organisation competitive advantage.

Genetics Engineering :: essays research papers

Genetics Engineering   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hollywood has been showing it to us for years. Frankenstein, The Six Million Dollar Man, Jurassic Park, etc.; the list goes on. All these movies show man's instinct to create. This fiction of playing God in recent years is becoming a reality.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1952, deoxyribonucleic acid was discovered(Dewitt, 1994). The spiral staircase molecule, DNA. DNA is the building block of life. This block holds the code for every aspect of any life on the planet Earth. DNA decides whether one life will be a plant or rhinoceros. DNA also carries the information that tells how smart, creative, bossy, shy, athletic, or any other description you can think of. The secret code of DNA would prove to be invaluable. This is the reason the Human Genome Project has been started. Scientist around the world are using super computers to crack the code. This 15 year project is predicted to end by the year 2005(Dewitt, 1994). That is only 10 years from now. What does that mean to the average Joe?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Well, today we already live with genetically engineered items. The FDA has approved bioengineered tomatoes that ripen without rotting(Dewitt, 1994). Entire herds of cattle are now being injected with a growth hormone(BST) so that they will produce more milk than ordinary cattle(Dewitt, 1994). Also drought resistance grass that needs no moving.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Scientists will soon be able to collect DNA from endangered species. This DNA could be used to clone more condors, bald eagle, mountain gorillas, and many other animals. Totally extinct animals may be recreated as well, i.e. Jurassic Park. Imagine having your own dodo bird or pet triceratops.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many types of diseases will be cured. Just take out the gene that giving you the problem. Pure panacea. As soon as a baby is born his or hers parents will know everything about him or her. If they will be artistic. Will she get breast cancer? Will he be tall or short? Is he a genius. Ten years from 2005, these questions won't even have to be asked. Made to order babies.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Made to order babies?!? Is this where we are headed? It's only a matter of time before a president's hair clippings are swept up at a barbershop and then used to detect what diseases he has or is susceptible to. The rich may one day be able to obtain â€Å"immortality† by cloning themselves. I couldn't picture three Donald Trumps all thinking the same.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There is even a darker side to this. Governments may decide to create super soldiers. Killing machines with top physical and mental prowess. This was the dream of Adolf Hitler himself.

A Reading of ?Those Winter Sundays? Essays -- essays research papers

A Reading of â€Å"Those Winter Sundays† In Robert Hayden’s poem â€Å"Those Winter Sundays† a relationship between the speaker and the speaker’s father is expressed in short but descriptive detail, revealing a kind of love that had gone unnoticed for so long. Throughout the poem, Hayden’s use of connotative diction keeps the poem short and sweet yet packed with significant meaning. The evocative sound patterns play just as great a role setting the harsh and reflective tone of the poem. Together, these devices are used to effectively deliver the poem. The speaker seems now to be a grown man, though it is not distinguished in the poem, remembering the distant relationship he had with his father as an adolescent. He would wake every morning to the warmth of a fire despite the biting cold which lay beyond the house windows and doors. The speaker took for granted the heat that he was provided, not acknowledging the effort that went into giving this simple expression of love. Now looking back, he seems to regret not being thankful for his father’s actions and being so blind and ignorant to the love that was right in front of him. From the very first words of the poem, the connotative diction gives the reader an idea of the direction in which the poem in going. â€Å"Sundays too my father got up early† (line 1), where the poem begins, expresses the fathers hard-working nature. The fact that he gets out of bed every day of the work-week and Sundays too, shows that his job as a father and provider...

Philosophy 101 Study Guide

* Socrates: Philosopher who believed in an absolute right or wrong; asked students pointed questions to make them use their reason, later became Socratic Method. Charged with introducing strange gods and corrupting the young, he committed suicide. * Rhetoric: Saying things in a convincing matter * Skepticism: The idea that nothing can ever be known for certain. * Sophists: A wise and informed person, critical of traditional mythology, rejected â€Å"fruitless† philosophical speculations.A member of a school of ancient Greek professional philosophers who were expert in and taught the skills of rhetoric, argument, and debate, but were criticized for specious reasoning. * Socratic Irony: Feign Ignorance, or pretend to be dumber than really are to expose the weaknesses of people's thinking * â€Å"One thing only I know, and that is that I know nothing† * â€Å"He knows what good is will do good† * Plato (428-347 B. C. Athens, Greece): Student of Socrates. Established ‘The Academy'. Wrote Dialogues. He was a Dualist. * Two parts to a human: Body ; Soul Plato regarded the body and soul as separate entities * A person may crave or have an appetite for something, yet resist the craving with willpower. A correctly operating soul requires the highest part, reason, to control the lowest part, appetite, with assistance from the will. * Plato believed that though the body dies and disintegrates, the soul continues to live forever. After the death of the body, the soul migrates to what Plato called the realm of the pure forms. There, it exists without a body, contemplating the forms.After a time, the soul is reincarnated in another body and returns to the world. But the reincarnated soul retains a dim recollection of the realm of forms and yearns for it * Theory of ideas/forms: the reality behind the material world, which contains the eternal and immutable â€Å"patterns† behind the various phenomena, we come across in nature. * Plato believ ed that everything tangible in nature flows. There are no substances that do not dissolve, and so everything is made of a timeless â€Å"mold† or â€Å"form† that is eternal and immutable. * Eternal: Lasting or existing orever; without end or beginning. * Immutable: Unable to be changed * Form (Ideas): A form is an abstract property or quality. Take any property of an object; separate it from that object and consider it by itself, and you are contemplating a form. For example, if you separate the roundness of a basketball from its color, its weight, etc. and consider just roundness by itself, you are thinking of the from of roundness. * The forms are transcendent. This means that they do not exist in space and time. A material object, a basketball, exists at a particular place at a particular time.A form, roundness, does not exist at any place or time. * Pure – the forms only exemplify one property. Material objects are impure; they combine a number of propertie s such as blackness, circularity, and hardness into one object. * Archetypes – The forms are archetypes; that is, they are perfect examples of the property that they exemplify. The forms are the perfect models upon which all material objects are based. The form of redness, for example, is red, and all red objects are simply imperfect * Ultimately Real – The forms are the ultimately real entities, not material objects.All material objects are copies or images of some collection of forms; their reality comes only from the forms. * Causes – The forms are the causes of all things. * They provide the explanation of why any thing is the way it is * They are the source or origin of the being of all things * Systematically Interconnected – The forms comprise a system leading down from the form of the Good moving from more general to more particular, from more objective to more subjective.This systematic structure is reflected in the structure of the dialectic pro cess by which we come to knowledge of the forms. * Realm of Forms (World of Ideas): The world that we perceive through the mind, using our concepts, seems to be permanent and unchanging. Humans have access to the realm of forms through the mind, through reason, given Plato's theory of the subdivisions of the human soul. This gives them access to an unchanging world, invulnerable to the pains and changes of the material world.By detaching ourselves from the material world and our bodies and developing our ability to concern ourselves with the forms, we find a value which is not open to change or disintegration. * Realm of the Illusory (World of the Senses): The world we perceive through the senses seems to be always changing. It seems that all the objects we perceive with the senses are simply images or experiences in our mind. They are only subjective points of views on the real objects. For example, the world appears radically differently to a color blind person than it does to us. The objects that we perceive as colored, then, must not be the real objects, but just our experience of these objects that is determined by my particular subjective point of view and perceptual apparatus. * True Knowledge * He believed that as result of the constant change within the material world we could never really have true knowledge. * Eros: Greek god of love; son of Aphrodite; often shown blindfolded * Rationalism: the belief that human reason is the primary source of our knowledge of the world * Three parts of the Soul Reason (Intellect) * In the Head * Provide Wisdom * Where our individual/ unique talents lie * If reason functions excellently (arete) then we are wise to that extent * If we exercise wisdom to the extent then that part of the soul is excellent * Responsible for love of learning, spirited, & animated * Passion [Appetite/Desire] * From Greek word â€Å"Pathe† meaning the irrational movements of the soul * In gut * Provides temperance If passion function s excellently then we are temperate * If we exercise temperance to the extent then that part of the soul is excellent * Responsible for Desire * Thymos * Means Spirit/Will * In Heart * Provides Courage * Can help reason master passion * If we exercise courage to the extent then that part of the soul is excellent * Responsible for anger * Views on Women: Plato believed that women had a right, or you might even call it a role to play in society. Their role was to be a significant part of society, different from men, but still play a part.Plato believed that women were necessary for society to run smoothly. * Women were not equals of men * Women lacked strength * Women are naturally maternal * In Plato’s time it was unheard of to view women as more than a piece of property. * Dualist: a sharp division between the reality of thought and extended reality. * Aristotle (384-322 B. C; Macedonia, Athens): Pupil of Plato's. Believed Plato's world of ideas did not exist but that the ete rnal idea was really a concept- the idea of a horse that we have after seeing many of them. Learn know through the senses. â€Å"20 questions†. Causes * What type of material it is made of? * Wood * What type of thing it is? * Table * What caused it to come into being? * How it was built; the task needed to be done to create the table * Purpose or Final Cause (Telos): The purpose, end, aim, or goal of something. The final cause is the cause why a thing exists. * Meant to be a dinner table or desk * Views on Women: Viewed them as â€Å"unfinished men†. * Golden Mean: One cannot be too much of one thing or too less, need to be balanced * Empiricism: Derive all knowledge from what the senses tell us.There are no innate ideas and cannot prove the existence of God, eternity or substance * Hellenism: The period of time and the Greek-dominated culture that prevailed in the three Hellenistic Kingdoms of Macedonia, Syria, and Egypt. The diffusion of Greek Culture throughout the Mediterranean world after the conquest of Alexander the Great. * The Cynics: True happiness doesn't come from external advantages, like power/good health. Once you have true happiness, it can't be lost. Their own/others health shouldn't disturb them. * The Stoics * Stoicism was founded by a man named Zeno, who lived from 335-263 BC. He used to lecture not in a classroom but outside, on the porch of a public building * The word for porch in Greek is STOA, and so people called his students Stoics * People should try to reach inner peacefulness * Moderate in everything * Be happy with what they had. This would lead to a happy life * The best indication of an individual's philosophy was not what a person said but how he behaved * Destructive emotions resulted from errors in judgment * Sage: person of â€Å"moral and intellectual perfection† * Would not suffer from such emotions The Epicureans: They believed pleasure is the greatest good, but to attain pleasure was to live modest ly, gain knowledge of the workings of the world, and limit to one's desires. * Neo-Platonism: Belief of two poles on Earth, one end is the dive light called the One (God). Other end is absolute darkness, no existence, the absence of light. * Syncretism: The combining of different beliefs, often while melding practices of various schools of thought. * Mysticism: One with God, merging with him. â€Å"I am God. † or â€Å"I am You. † * Two Cultures The Indo-Europeans: Related languages of Europe, India, and Iran, which are believed to have descended from a common tongue spoken roughly in the third millennium B. C. by an agricultural peoples originating in SE Europe * The Semites: A member of any of the peoples who speak or spoke a Semitic language, including in particular the Jews and Arabs- mostly Middle Easterners, they saw history as an on going line, world will end on judgment day * The Middle Ages: Period of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century * St. Augustine: Latin-speaking philosopher and theologian who lived in the Roman Africa Province. Influence of the Arabs: The Arabic-Latin translation movements in the Middle Ages, which paralleled that from Greek into Latin, led to the transformation of almost all philosophical disciplines in the medieval Latin world. * St. Thomas Aquinas: Tried to make Aristotle’s philosophy compatible with Christianity. Believed Christendom and philosophy were the same thing. Used bible as a source of reason. Created a synthesis between faith and knowledge. Said there are natural theological truths—truths that can be reached through both Christian faith and innate reason.Tried to prove god's existence of Aristotle’s philosophy. Everything has a formal cause. God has revealed himself to mankind through both reason and the bible. * The Renaissance: period of European history at the close of the Middle Ages and the rise of the modern world; a cultural rebirth from the 14th throu gh the middle of the 17th centuries * Reformation: religious movement of 16th century that began as an attempt to reform the Roman Catholic Church and resulted in the creation of Protestant churches * Three Major Discoveries: The compass, Firearms, and printing press. The Baroque: Historic period from about 1600 until 1750 when the baroque style of art, architecture, and music flourished in Europe * Carpe Diem: Seize the day. * Memento Mori: â€Å"Remember your mortality†- meaning ‘Remember, you will die'. * Idealism: the philosophical theory that ideas are the only reality. * Materialism: the belief of material things (atoms and the void). All real things derive from concrete substances. Determinism: Laplace (french mathematician) said that everything that happens is predetermined- contradicting the belief of free will and suggests that the outcome of everything is written in the stars * Descartes: French philosopher and mathematician; developed dualistic theory of min d and matter. Father of modern Philosophy. * His main concern was what we can know – certain knowledge * â€Å"Je pense donc je suis†: â€Å"I think, therefore I am† * â€Å"Cogito ergo sum†: â€Å"I think, therefore I am† said by Rene Descartes. * Two Forms of Reality: Thought & Extention Agnostic: Unsure/Undecided/Needs more information. Unable to say categorically whether or not the gods/God exists; brought about by Sophist Protagoras * Atheist: Does not believe in God. * Spinoza: Baruch Spinoza-Jewish-Dutch rationalist (one of the great rationalists in 17th century); opposed Descartes' mind-body dualism; he laid groundwork for Enlightenment. Also wrote the book of Ethics * Historico-Critical Interpretation of the Bible: Spinoza applied the scientific method to the reading of Scripture, and this became what is now known as the â€Å"historical-critical method. His view was that religious conflict in Europe was a result of differing interpretati on on key biblical passages. He developed this method of reading Scripture in order to bring about universal agreement on its meaning. * Pantheist: God is infinite, he is present in everything. * Universal Law of Nature: the laws and rules of nature, according to which all things happen, and change from one form to another, are always and everywhere the same.So the way of understanding the nature of anything, of whatever kind, must also be the same, * One Substance: The claim that there is one and only one substance. This substance he identifies as God. * â€Å"Substance†: Does not need the conception of any other thing in order to be conceived * substance is its own cause * that it is infinite * that it is the only substance; for if there were two substances, they would limit each other and cease to be independent * Monist: reduces nature and the condition of all things to one single substance. Inner-Cause: Humans come to understand that their struggle follows by necessity f rom the struggle of Nature, and that it has an inner link with other parts of the environment through a common inner cause, Nature. * Determinist: Laplace (french mathematician) said that everything that happens is predetermined- contradicting the belief of free will and suggests that the outcome of everything is written in the stars * Free Will: Doctrine that conduct of the individual is the result of personal choice. not divine forces of fate) * Locke: English empiricist philosopher who believed that all knowledge is derived from sensory experience. * Empiricism: Derive all knowledge from what the senses tell us- came from Aristotle. There are no innate ideas and cannot prove the existence of God, eternity or substance) * Two questions about ideas? * Where do we get all of these ideas which are the content of our knowedge? * Whether things in the world fit our ideas, and not whether our ideas correspond to the nature of things in the world * Tabula Rasa: Clean slate. Primary Quali ties: Extension, weight, senses reproduce them objectively. * Secondary Qualities: Color, smell; reproduce the things that are inherent in the things themselves. * Natural Rights: Locke's political philosophy is his theory of natural rights privileges or claims to which an individual was entitled * Hume (1711-1776; English): Scottish philosopher whose sceptical philosophy restricted human knowledge to that which can be perceived by the senses. He was an Empiricist. * Two types of Perception * Impression: how we experience the world Ideas: what we recall of our impressions * Faith v. Knowledge: Knowledge is divided into three Categories * Knowledge * Belief * Faith (this is of lower grade than belief and knowledge) * Laws of Nature or Cause & Effect: Emphasized that the expectation of one thing following another does not lie in the things themselves, but in our mind. Sophist Teaching compared to Socrates Teachings: Sophist's desired money in return for teaching young men various thin gs about political and social life, such as rhetoric. ? Socrates was a philosopher, whom spent his days wandering around the gym and the agora, talking to people. He developed a following of young Greeks, such as Plato and Xenephon. Socrates did not charge for his teachings. He also made a habit of proving just how little Sophist's actually knew. Many people did believe Socrates was a Sophist and this is a reasonable claim, because Sophist were know to be knowledgeable people that taught the same skills Socrates was.Although Socrates would not consider himself a Sophist and would be known to talk down about them about how little they actually knew. Plato’s Myth of the Cave: A few people were sitting underground in a cave, facing the wall. They cannot turn around, and all they have ever seen are shadows of objects projected onto the wall. One manages to turn around, and he sees the actual items that he has only ever seen shadows of. It is completely dazzling. Plato is trying t o demonstrate the relationship of the material world and the world of ideas.Compared to the world of ideas, the material world is dreary. When Aristotle disagreed with Plato’s Theory of Forms; What did Aristotle offer up as an alternative explanation for Reality? Aristotle argued that the theory of forms is seriously flawed: it is not supported by good arguments; it requires a form for each thing; and it is too mathematical. Worst of all, on Aristotle's view, the theory of forms cannot adequately explain the occurrence of change. By identifying the thing with its essence, the theory cannot account for the generation of new substances.Aristotle was the first philosopher to formalize the subject of Metaphysics. As Aristotle explains, Metaphysics is the study of the One Substance (and its Properties) which exists and causes / connects all things, and is therefore the necessary foundation for all human knowledge. Aristotle was correct to realize that One Substance must have Prope rties that cause matter's interconnected activity and motion. Hellenistic Period in Mediterranean World (300 BCE 0 400 BCE): Common themes that pervaded multiple cultures at this time? The time between the death of King Alexander the Great and the emergence of Ancient Greece * the term Hellenistic to define the period when Greek culture spread in the non-Greek world after Alexander’s conquest * The Greek language being established as the official language of the Hellenistic world * The art and literature of the era were transformed accordingly to more Greek styles * The Greek were the majority over the Mediterranean world, but they often outnumbered by natives in the land; sometime there would be little interaction in some places between the Greek and the natives * The development of the Alexander Romance (mainly in Egypt) owes much to Greek theater as well as other styles of story. * The spread of Greek culture throughout the Near East and Asia owed much to the development o f cities. * The identification of local gods with similar Greek deities facilitated the building of Greek-style temples, and the Greek culture in the cities also meant that buildings. How is Christianity a blending between the Indo-European & Semitic World views? The Greeks and Romans are a part of Indo-European culture, while the Jews belong to Semitic culture. He describes how Indo-European culture was characterized by a belief in many gods—pantheism.Similar ideas popped up in many different Indo-European languages, and were expressed by words that resembled each other greatly. The Semites, on the other hand, are characterized by monotheism, the belief in one god. Judaism, Islam, and Christianity are all Semitic religions. But Christianity complicates things, because it spread throughout Indo-European cultures and incorporated many features of those cultures. Semitic religions believe in one like Christianity, but also Indo-European culture believes in a messiah just like J esus in the Christianity religion; so technically both cultures played a part in shaping Christianity. What is Descartes first movement of what is referred to as modern philosophy?What was his main â€Å"project† & what type of conclusions did he arrive at? Descartes is often regarded as the first thinker to emphasize the use of reason to develop the Natural Sciences. It can be said his main goal was to find out truth to God's existence then human existence, as these were the main two subjects. Descartes was the first philosopher in a long time to attempt to bring all knowledge into a coherent philosophy. His concerns were with certain knowledge—that which we can know for sure—and the mind/body relationship. Because philosophers believed in a mechanistic view of nature, it was critical to figure out how the mind's thoughts became translated into actions of the body.Descartes doubted everything that was not certain and then realized that the very fact of his doub ting meant he must be thinking. From there, he decided that the existence of God is also certain, and went on to define the world in terms of thought and matter, which he called extension. The mind and body interact, but the goal is to get the mind to operate solely according to reason. What did Spinoza propose as a way for understanding the world? How does this compare to Descartes conclusions? How are they similar? How are they different? He rejected Descartes's dualism and believed that thought and extensions are simply two of God's features that we can perceive. He had a deterministic view of the world, believing that God controlled all through natural laws.Spinoza felt that only God was truly free but that people could attain happiness through seeing things â€Å"from the perspective of eternity. † They are similar, because they both believe in God, but they are very different from Descartes relying mostly on reason, and Spinoza thinking that God controls everything thro ugh Natural Laws. Hume’s ideas on morality & the source of morality: David Hume, an 18th century philosopher, stated that morality is based on sentiments rather than reason. He concluded this after he developed his â€Å"theory† of knowledge which stated that everything we could know was observable by the senses — he was a naturalistic philosopher. He then looked at situations in which he thought that there was an obvious â€Å"wrong† and he