Personal Development Essay

I have been employed as care worker with my Company, for the last 4 years. Upon joining the Company, I received an induction, which covered guidance and training, in areas applicable for my role. I also received a job description, which informed me of what I was expected to do within my role. When I first started working here, I had no previous experience as a carer, so I found the induction very informative, to support my role, and responsibilities. It informed me of the organisational policies and procedures, which I had to sign, to say I had read and understood their contents. My induction training also made me aware of the legislation that relates to my role, and the GSCC code of practice, that all social care workers must work to. The General Social Care Council,(GSCC) is the social care workforce regulator in England and their job is to regulate the conduct and training of the care workforce. As a care employee, I am required to abide by the code of practice as defined by the G SCC. see more:explain what reflective practice is This code states that I should: * Protect the rights and promote the interests of service users and carers * Strive to establish and maintain the trust and confidence of service users and carers * Promote the independence of service users while protecting them as far as possible form danger and harm * Respect the rights of service users while seeking to ensure that their behaviour does not harm themselves or other people * Uphold public trust and confidence in social care services * Be accountable for their practice and take responsibility for maintaining and improving their knowledge and skills. During my induction period with the company, I received regular supervision with my line- manager, who assessed my progress, and competence to perform my role. When my induction period ended, my supervision then took/takes place every 3 months. My supervision covers:- * All aspects of my practice * My career development needs * My reflections on training I have attended recently, progress with my NVQ or other qualifications * Information about the policy and procedures in my organisation. * Constructive feedback on my service delivery. My supervision is always held in a confidential setting, between myself and my Manager. My Manager records details of what has been discussed, targets identified, and achievement target dates to be met by me and my Manager. This is my personal development plan, and helps me to record training received, training identified, and knowledge gained. My supervision is my opportunity to discuss issues I am concerned about. Sometimes prior to my supervision, I write down notes on issues I want to raise, so that I do not forget whilst in my supervision. I also receive appraisal (performance review), meetings with my manager, these are usually once a year. This is a review of my performance, summarising what I think I have achieved, and what my manager thinks I have achieved over the last 12 months. I discuss my training record and identify what my Personal Development Plan will be for the next 12 months. I also agree some personal objectives or targets for me to achieve before my next appraisal. Other colleagues I work with may have been asked for their opinions on my work as well. As a care worker I must be accountable for the quality of my work and take responsibility for maintaining and improving my knowledge and skills. This means I identify mandatory training I may need, and refresher courses, to keep my knowledge up to date, and so meet the current care standards. I also receive training from observing more experienced colleagues, who can teach me ‘on the job’ techniques. This is ‘informal’ training, but is most beneficial, along with ‘formal’ training courses I attend. All training helps to improve my service delivery, and enables me to use recommended safe practice in my working role. I can develop my knowledge, skills, and understanding by: * Identifying the knowledge, skills and standards required for my job role. * Reflecting on my practice, and making improvements on previous practice. * Receiving constructive feedback from my manager, and colleagues. * Undertake learning activities that inform my working practice. * Put new skills that I have learned into practice. I attend regular staff meetings, where staff members can discuss service users in a confidential setting. This is good practice as it provides a platform for staff to share their experiences, and gain moral support and advice from colleagues. My employer also provides a counselling service for staff members, due to the ‘pressures’, of the role. I can ask my Manager for this service if I feel work pressures are too much, and my Manager and organisation will support me. If I have a work related problem, I can approach my supervisor, and line manager for support. I feel comfortable in doing this, as I am confident that they will address my issues, and help me to resolve them. I have the opportunity to develop in my role, as my employer arranges regular ‘in-house’, training opportunities. My employer has also encouraged me to undertake my NVQ qualification, and has allowed me ‘paid’ time for study. My employer advertises job vacancies internally, and I have been encouraged to apply for more ‘senior’ positions, for my career progression.

Of Mice And Men Lonliness Essay

Of Mice And Men is a novel written by John Steinbeck during 1937. The novel is based on the lives of two characters ‘George Milton and Lennie Small’. Other characters in this novel are: Candy, Curley, Curley’s wife, Slim, Crooks, Carlson, Whit, The Boss and aunt Clara. In these characters, there are two women however, only one of them is seen in the novel as aunt Clara is introduced dead and the only female we see is Curley’s wife whose name we don’t know throughout the whole novel. We only see her as ‘Curley’s wife’. Due to this, some people think that Of Mice And Men is a depressing novel. In this novel, most of the characters are lonely and are alone. The loneliest person in the novel is Curley’s wife because she is the only female in the novel and so, to reduce the loneliness, she goes to the ranch and flirt with them by asking â€Å"Any you boys seen Curley?† After getting the answer, â€Å"She stood still in the doorway, smiling a little at them†. From this quote we can see that she has come here for something else and not to ask for Curley because she still stood there smiling at them. She knew where Curley was. â€Å"Think I don’t know where they all went? Even Curley†. If she already knew that, why would she come here to ask them? This is due to the loneliness she has to suffer alone because whenever Curley is there, he â€Å"Spends all his time sayin’ what he’s gonna do to guys he don’t like†. From this quote finally, we know that she is lonely, she is the only female and the only one she can talk to is Curley but, he is too busy with his own thing. So, she comes here to flirt with them. Due to loneliness, Curley’s wife get a chance to talk to Lennie and she prepares her meeting with Lennie. â€Å"I’ll talk to you later. I like machines.† This shows that she got a chance to talk to him because we never knew that she likes machine, and by her saying this, we know that immediately that she just wants to only talk to him and she has no likes or dislikes with machines, she just said that out of the blue because when Candy lost his hand while using the machine, we didn’t hear Curley’s wife inspecting about it So this shows that she was telling lies. Her loneliness was the cause of her death. â€Å"She was still, for Lennie had broken her neck.† If she didn’t organise the meeting with him, she would’ve been alive. She not knowing what Lennie can do, held his â€Å"hand and put it on her head†. However, as he is huge as a bear, his fingers are also like bears claws so, his hand got stuck in her hair and not wanting, he killed her by shaking her violently. The death of animals is common in the novel. It starts with Lennie petting the mouse. â€Å"you’ve broke it pettin’ it† Later Candy’s dog started to stink and so no one liked it and Carlson killed it. â€Å"A shot sounded in the distance.† When Candy’s dog died, Slim gave him a puppy and the puppy gets killed by Lennie unknowingly because he can’t control his power as he is described to be â€Å"as strong as a bull†. This makes the novel to be depressing because it isn’t the animals fault to get killed, why do they get killed? What is their fault? The mouses get killed because Lennie like to pet them and the puppy gets killed because Lennie stroked it for fun. This makes the reader feel that the animals got killed without any reason and so, it really makes the reader feel sad. The death of Curley’s Wife, puppy and the mouses are kind of linked together because the cause of their death is Lennie. He likes to pet and stroke the things which he feel nice and he did that the each one of these. Lennie is exceptionally powerful but, he never realises his strength. He thinks that everyone is like him-strong. He predominantly tries to run away from from problems however, he always does something wrong for which he gets into hot water by George. We see many people dreaming about their future but, most of them don’t actually achieve it. Candy’s dream was to have someone with him. He even says that â€Å"I’d make a will an’ leave my share to you guys in case I kick off.† This would make them a real good partnership but, the death of Curley’s wife ruined it because now, he knew that George and Lennie’s friendship is gone so, the dream will be demolished as well. On the other hand, Crooks is the only black person working on the ranch but, he isn’t happy because his only friends are â€Å"books† which isn’t enough. He wants someone with him too. â€Å"If some guy was with me, he could tell me I was asleep, an’ then it would be all right.† This shows that although he has his own room and stuff, he feels lonely. He wants someone to be with him too like others and just because he is black, no one is with him and he doesn’t like it. Crooks and Candy are kind of two sides of a coin because both of them have their position.Crooks has his own room and barn and Candy has two hundred and fifty dollars. Both of them want someone with them who they can talk to. Crooks is the only black person and Candy is the only person with a broken hand. Their dream is same as well. George and Lennie getting apart is also another reason why this novel is depressing. George kills Lennie which was really unexpected. â€Å"The crash of the shot rolled up the hills and rolled down again†. This was when Lennie was killed by George. This was the real sadness in the story. If you imagine two kids brought up together, lived together and worked together and then one of them kills the other, you would hate that person. Lennie was thinking about his rabbits, his dreams were welcoming him and George killed him out of the blue. This made the reader feel as sad as staying in a prison for his whole life. Due to this, three people’s dreams died. Candy won’t live peacefully with someone, Lennie won’t get to tend the rabbits and George wouldn’t have his own crops†¦ As when goodness goes, badness comes, George’s one dream died but the other formed. Near the start of the novel, we find out about George’s dream which was â€Å"I could get along so easy and so nice if I didn’t have you on my tail† is successful. He got rid of him and now, he can work on his own without even taking care of anyone. He can live peacefully forever. In conclusion, I really agree that Of Mice And Men is a depressing novel. I couldn’t even imagine that someone was so close to its dream and couldn’t achieve it just because one of them did something wrong. They were on the edge of achieving their dream suddenly at the eleventh hour, it flies away because Lennie killed Curley’s wife. This teaches us that you should start to get the thing right when you are kid or else you can get into really hot water when you are older. No one get their dreams except the dream which was useless near the end because George never wished that later on when he was thinking about his new dream. Curley’s wife was like the key in the novel. She was the only female and because of her getting lonely all this occurred and so, no one could achieve their dream.

Marshal and Gordon Case Essay

Outsourcing is the contracting out of an organization’s business activities (functions and processes) to an outside service provider where the provider is responsible to carry out the activity that was currently, or could be, undertaken by the organization. Earlier outsourcing was usually carried out for organization’s non-core activities to save money but now outsourcing is omnipresent. Firms are outsourcing a wide range of activities ranging from research and development to marketing, from production to assembly, distribution to after sales service. Today, even activities like security and public relations are outsourced. Predominantly, there are two kind of outsourcing: With manpower – where the service provider’s employees work inside the premises of the organization. For example, company X has outsourced its security department to company ABC, then ABC’s employees operate at the location of company X. Without manpower – the service provider’s employees do not work inside the organization premises. For example, if company X is an electronics company and has outsourced the after sales services of its products then the service The world longest strike, which lasted nearly a decade has come to end by hospitality workers at the Congress Plaza Hotel in Chicago on the night of 29th may 2013. The strike was started on June 15, 2003 and the striking workers had long called for wage and benefit increases and job security. IRound The World provider’s employees work need not work at the parent organization’s location but will extend services at the customer’s location. Why Outsourcing ï‚ · Save Costs: To save the costs associated with defined benefits for permanent employees in labor-union contracts and as guaranteed by various labour laws in the country like ï‚ · Increased Effectiveness: Companies by outsourcing non-core activities can focus their resources on the management of the core activities leading to enhanced organization effectiveness ï‚ · Access to world class experts: Outsourcing to specialized companies gives organization access to experts and the latest technologies for limited time frame for specific project related work leading to improved quality ï‚ · Increased flexibility: Outsourcing business functions to external service providers, the organization doesn’t need to maintain fixed assets and invest on infrastructure. This gives the organization flexibility to meet changing business needs and respond to the dynamic environment. Laws related to outsourcing Outsourcing, as already discussed, is of two types: Outsourcing with manpower, and outsourcing without manpower. Outsourcing without manpower When outsourcing is done without manpower, it is essentially a contract between two parties and only the Indian Contract Act, 1872 (hereinafter referred to as the ICA) becomes applicable. Both the parties are bound by the ICA and the terms of the contract agreed upon by them. Outsourcing with manpower Outsourcing with manpower is also essentially a contract between two parties and hence ICA becomes applicable. However, because the activities are carried out on the premises of the outsourcing party, the Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act, 1970 (hereinafter referred to as CLRA) also becomes applicable, provided twenty or more workmen are employed as contract labour in the establishment. Thus in a nutshell, we can say that ICA becomes applicable in all cases of outsourcing, whereas, CLRA becomes applicable only in case of outsourcing with manpower, provided that the establishment (outsourcing party) employs or had employed in the preceding twelve months, twenty or more workmen as contract labour. Relation between players   In case of outsourcing without manpower, the only relation providing the service is the second party. The outsourcing organisation has no relation with the employees of the second party. However, in cases of outsourcing with manpower where CLRA becomes applicable, there are three players, vis-à  -vis, Principle Employer, Contractor and Contract Labour. The outsourcing organisation is the Principal Employer, the organization providing the service is the Contractor, while the employees of the Contractor working on the premises of the Principal Employer are the Contract Labours. The Contractor is responsible for the health, welfare and payment of wages of the Contract Labour. It is only when the contractor fails to meet those responsibilities does the Principal Employer become liable. However, the Principal Employer, as per section 20 and 21 of CLRA, can recover the costs incurred for meeting such liability from the Contractor. Employer-Employee Relationship Looking at the present scenario, with outsourcing activities increasing exponentially, it can be said that the employer employee relationship is becoming more of a myth. The contract labour, who carry out the activities in the premises of the Principal Employer, are not the ‘employees’ of the Principal Employer. The Principal Employer does not hire, fire, or control the contract labour. Neither is it directly responsible for their health, welfare and wages. Thus, we can say that there is no direct relationship between Principal Employer and Contract Labour. References: 1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outsourcing 2. Padhi, P.K., Labour and Industrial Laws, Eastern Econo- Pratham, an NGO based out of Mumbai, working for child development announced that it had reported to the police 1,817 cases of children sweating it out in intensive activity in the Mumbai in June, that it spotted during a two-month study. Clearly shows that even the fundamental rights are just on paper.

John Miltons Paradise Lost Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

John Miltons Paradise Lost - Essay Example Milton's view on the first acts of disobedience by Adam and Eve sounds critical and defensive worrying that universal despair and death will appear inadequate and incommensurate with the violation of a single dietary prohibition. This is in line with the concluding two ignored scriptural verses that say: "Anyone who examines this sin carefully will admit, and rightly, that it was a most atrocious offense, and that it broke every part of the law. For what fault is there which man did not commit in committing this sin He was to be condemned both for trusting Satan and for not trusting God; he was faithless, ungrateful, disobedient, greedy, uxorious; she, negligent of her husband's welfare; both of them committed theft, robbery with violence, murder against their children (i.e. the whole human race); each was sacrilegious and deceitful, cunningly aspiring to divinity though thoroughly unworthy of it, proud and arrogant. Correspondingly, Eccles. vii.29 states that "God has made man uprig ht, but they have thought up numerous devices, and in James ii.10 states that "whoever keeps the whole law, and yet offends in one point, is guilty of all. Such verses where referenced by Milton's Paradise Lost saying that Adam and Eve become manifold in sin with their disobedience of one law. The primal act is death's equivalent of the original single cell from which all life is said to have derived, fertilized in a flash of lightning as the earth cooled, leaving traces of itself in all its varied progeny. Milton exploits the Preacher's choice of adam for "man" in the Hebrew text of Ecclesiastes 7:29 as well as his shift from singular to plural in the second clause. This rabbinic interpretation of texts rewrites the verse in an Edenic context and adds Eve as a sinner by means of binary fission. Rashi elucidates and expounds adam in the verse ("God created Adam perfectly upright"), and both Rashi and the earlier Midrash Qoheleth Rabbah explain the use of the plural "they": "when Eve was created from the body of Adam, he became two people" (as cited in Rosenblatt 1994). The concluding verse of the paragraph from James emphasizes the strictly permanent and unbreakable unity of the Pentateuchal law, ultimately a rabbinic idea, although its most famous formulations occur in the letters of Paul, who appropriates and transforms it. Taunting the Jewish Christians, less pious than the Pharisees, who yet refuse to ignore the ceremonial law, Paul insists that if they adopt Jewish law they must perform it all (Sifra, Kedoshim 8b; Sabbath 31a). Paul always views the law's unity negatively, as in Galatians 3:6-14, which attempts to illustrate that the law is impossible to keep in every detail and that only faith can save (Segal 1990). Milton mentions not Paul but rather the noticeably unProtestant and un-Pauline James, whose assumption of the law's unity strengthens his positive declaration that works must go along with faith. The law in Milton's Eden was just, efficacious, and easy to keep. The long list of sins in De doctrina constitutes a complaint against Adam and Eve, not against the law itself, and so Milton appropriately cites James's positive rather than Paul's negative view of the law's unity. The aggregate of

Communication Disorders Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Communication Disorders - Assignment Example So you need to adopt various skills and have knowledge about your profession and the tact of dealing efficiently. There is the need to improve upon the teaching practices by CART providers. It has been seen that most of the services are provided for graduate as well as under graduate levels. Professionals in this area need to cater various informal areas too. The association between student ands professionals should be made strong to gain better outputs. There should be more access for deaf and HH to lab settings etc. "while students can get support for classroom lectures, they find less possibility of access to study groups, lab settings, and other forms of information exchange outside the classroom." It is high time to treat graduates and under graduate students differently considering their level of experience and knowledge. Support for the growth in their careers rather than providing simple academic knowledge will be catered in future as well. More deaf and HH students will be encouraged towards opting different fields as careers as biomedical sciences, researching, vocational courses etc. It can be done by arranging an inventory of role models and speakers as well as deaf or HH scientists to share their scientific pursuits, training history etc. to encourage them. Various colleges offer the courses for learning and improving upon the knowledge imparting skills to deaf and HH people or students as STSN- Speech to Text Services Network, National Verbatim Reporters Association (NVRA), PepNet etc. So, the above mentioned improvements need to be catered upon in future for the benefit and growth of deaf and HH people. Sources: 1. National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. 21 OCT, 2002. 2. Classroom Text Delivery Methods for the Deaf & Hard-of-Hearing.

How far does the murder of King Dunkan affect Lady Macbeth and how is Essay

How far does the murder of King Dunkan affect Lady Macbeth and how is this shown in the play - Essay Example At the end the memories of her bloody hands actually push her to take her own life. Lady Macbeth is unable to overcome the guilt associated with the murder of King Duncan. Macbeth for driven by his wife to commit the crime. Lady Macbeth desperately wants her husband to be Kind and she asks the â€Å"aids of spirits† (I, v) to assist her in her wish for the throne. Lady Macbeth summons the â€Å"sprits that tend on mortal thoughts† to come and fill her with â€Å"direct cruelty† (I, v). She is portrayed as having no moral values and boundaries in fulfilling the prophecy for Macbeth to be a King. She is willing to throw away her moral principles in the name of gaining the titles of queen. King Duncan is invited to Macbeth’s castle and Lady Macbeth has already prepared her malevolent act. After murdering King Duncan Macbeth returns to his wife seeing that her husband is nervous Lady Macbeth says: â€Å""Why, worthy thane, You do unbend your noble strength, to think So brainsickly of things" (II, ii). It is obvious that Macbeth is struggling with his morality and sanity, but not Lady Macbeth. While Macbeth is paralyzed with horror, she is totally in control of herself and comments: â€Å""My hands are of your colour; but I shame / To wear a heart so white" (II, ii). Here Lady Macbeth is more ruthless than her husband. Her hands are also red from King Duncan’s blood, but she does not have while heart – meaning that her heart has blood in it, because she is strong and not a coward. After the murder, Lady Macbeth takes all actions to turn aside the suspicion over her husband and herself. Her words rhyme here, which show her deep thoughtful reactions to what had happened after the murder of King Duncan. Her philosophical reflections about life indicate that she is not as happy as she had believing she would be. She got what she wanted, but then she is still not content. Her second thought addresses her real wishes now after the death of King

Low Cost and Scheduled Airlines Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Low Cost and Scheduled Airlines - Case Study Example The core benefit of this service is that it's a cheaper way to travel and it began in the USA mainly to maintain a low cost structure compared to the competitors. Their main aim is to have the lowest cost structure and they charge for the food ordered during the flight. The actual product includes the packaging, branding, quality, features and design. The low cost airlines are a service so it does not have packaging but branding is essential for any company to instigate brand loyalty and to attract customers. Branding is essential to create high brand equity in the market since the more powerful and valuable a brand is the more will increase the market share. Quality can be an issue in this case because all they provide is a safe flight and food that might not be up to higher standards. When they do not provide passenger services then quality is of question here but people mainly come to them for cheap fares and they are not concerned with the other services. These airlines provide s ingle passenger class only. Finally, the augmented product includes delivery, warranty and after sales services. Low cost airlines deliver at cheap prices without much of services to attract the masses and they do not provide much of the after sales services but the delivery of the product is equal to the expectations of the consumers since they want cheap fares. On the other hand, scheduled airlines are e... e core benefit of this service is the choice of traveling in comfort with innumerable choices to be in luxury and bliss, plus it also allows people to travel on a cheaper price compared to business class and it provides lesser services or choices to travel in luxury. They charge enough on the ticket to provide food and other luxurious services. The actual product is about branding without which these airlines can not survive and make a name in the market. They need high brand equity to achieve a huge market share. They have to maintain good quality to maintain high brand equity. The augmented product is about delivery and after sales services. They deliver according to the customer's expectations and they do give after sales services like car service on landing in the destination. The Price The low cost airlines provide low fares. Their main pricing goal is current profit maximization. In this case they estimate what demand and costs will be at different prices and they choose the best option to attract more customers and earn high profits. But they also aim to achieve market share leadership through lowest costs, lowest prices and highest long-run profits. They have mainly stressed on competition based pricing that is setting prices based on what the competitors charge. The main aim is to have a lower cost structure compared to competitors in order to attract more customers. The scheduled airlines provide expensive fares that range between business class and economy class. These airlines have product quality leadership as their main pricing goal. They charge high prices to cover high performance quality and other costs. These airlines have value-based pricing approach that is setting prices based on the buyer's perceptions of value rather than on seller's cost.

Analysis of Operation Situation and Competition of UK Insurance Essay

Analysis of Operation Situation and Competition of UK Insurance Industry - Essay Example These companies are Aviva Plc., Prudential Plc. and Royal and Sun Alliance Insurance Group. The first part of the paper includes PEST and Porter Five Forces analysis, while keeping in view the industry trends and environment. In addition to this, analysis of financial performance of the selected three insurance companies in UK has also been performed. This activity has been carried out with the help of ratio analysis; comparison of key financial indicators against closes competitors and industry standards. The next part of the paper consists of strategic analysis of the selected insurance businesses by utilizing Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threat (SWOT) model. The SWOT model is considered to be helpful in determining what are the external factors and future prospects that might have an influence on the direction of the business. Additionally, the model also identifies the role of internal factors of a business that might result in effecting the performance of the busines s on strategic and financial grounds. After presenting these analyses, a discussion based on the findings from analysis has been presented, which provides the ratings for selected companies on the basis of their financial performance and SWOT analysis. The insurance industry has been chosen for this project looking at the importance of this industry in terms of its contribution to the economy of UK. The insurance industry has played a vital a vital role in covering the customers from the risks of investment, health and education, etc. This industry have been satisfied the customers in terms of their requirements of general insurance as well as life insurance. Due to the demand of these products in the market, the industry has registered a strong trend of sales and revenue earnings. According to Global Business Browser (2012), the value of UK insurance market increased by 2.6% to $319.7 billion in 2011, which makes

The Hecksher Ohlin Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Hecksher Ohlin Theory - Essay Example The Hecksher - Ohlin model developed by Eli Hecksher and Bertil Ohlin in the 1920s, explores the possibility of two nations operating at the same level of efficiency, benefiting by trading with each other. The H-O model incorporates a number of realistic characteristics of production that are left out of the simple Ricardo's model. Recall that in the simple Ricardo's model only one factor of production, labor, is needed to produce goods and services (Krugman, 1997). The productivity of labor is assumed to vary across countries, which implies a difference in technology between nations. It was the difference in technology that motivated advantageous international trade in the model (Suranovic, 2003). According to the Hecksher-Ohlin Theory, capital refers to the physical machines and equipment that is used in production. Thus, machine tools, conveyers, trucks, forklifts, computers, office buildings, office supplies, and much more, is considered capital. All productive capital must be owned by someone. In a capitalist economy most of the physical capital is owned by individuals and businesses. In a socialist economy productive capital would be owned by the government. ... This model makes the following assumptions: 1. There are no obstructions to trade i.e. no trade controls, transport costs etc. 2. Both commodity and factor markets are perfectively competitive. 3. There are constant returns to scale. 4. Both the countries have the same technology and hence operate at the same level of efficiency. 5. There are two factors of production - labor and capital. Both are perfectly immobile in inter-country transfers, but perfectly mobile in inter-sector transfers. According to this theory, there are two types of products - labor intensive and capital intensive. Two countries operating at the same level of efficiency can, and do, benefit from trade due to the differences in their factor endowments. The labor-rich country is likely to produce labor-intensive goods, while the country rich in capital is likely to produce capital-intensive goods. The two countries will then trade I these goods and reap the benefits of international trade. The Hecksher-Ohlin model has also got some drawbacks. First and foremost, it assumes that factor endowments remain constant but they can be developed through innovation (Jain, 2000). Second, with many countries imposing minimum wage laws, factor prices may change to an extent, that a labor-rich country may find it cheaper to import labor-intensive goods than to produce them locally. An economist named Wassily Leontief has pointed out that, the exports of United States were more labor-intensive than capital-intensive despite that fact that the United States is a capital-rich country. It is worth emphasizing here a fundamental distinction between the Hecksher-Ohlin model and the Ricardian model. Whereas the Ricardian model assumes that production technologies differ

Drink - Coffee Essay Example for Free

Drink Coffee Essay Zagu Pearl Shake is a food stall business that offers cool flavored drink mixed with dark, spherical, chewy balls made from yam and tapioca called Pearls. Zagu was the first to introduce the â€Å"Pearl Drink† to the Philippine market. The First Zagu store was launched in April 1999. Zagu was pioneered by a young enterprising lady with a degree in Food Science from University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. Now, ZAGU has grown from a tiny kiosk to a current network of over 290 outlets nationwide. Zagu has also gained recognition locally through awards such as the National Choice Awards, and International recognition through our partner in Sydney, Australia. Zagu foods can be found in malls, supermarkets and roadside locations. Behind the success of every Zagu store is their professional management team and dedicated employees committed to putting the customers first and achieving excellence in everything. MISSION To provide the best quality, most innovative and reasonably priced products in the beverage industry. To be the leader in our industry attained by a well-planned expansion through retail outlets and wide product distribution. To continuously generate awareness, interest and desire for our products resulting in frequent / repeat purchases. To establish Zagu as a highly regarded international brand name.. VISION Our Company bears the vision of providing fun, deliciously appetizing, uniquely enchanting Food and beverage products while maintaining our commitment to uncompromised quality At economical rates with the heartening purpose to cater to society’s needs, tastes And preferences; rather than simply convincing our customers to try and like whatever products we Develop. What your will have as an authorized dealer? Instant market Additional source of income Proprietary recipes, ingredients and procedures Discount on purchases Ongoing training and operational support Marketing and advertising support Exclusive product distribution Contemporary design and decor package Assistance with site selection Customized operational system. What are the features of authorized dealership? P270, 000 to 350,000 approximate investment package, and business will be fully operational No franchise fee and no royalty fee Will carry the well-established ZAGU trademark and logo Special discounted price for purchases exclusive for authorized dealers only Continuous marketing support through event participation, sponsorship and other marketing approach High profile national presence No defined territory. Participation in events Zagu standard uniform Service crew training What exactly does ZAGU looks for in a business partner? Dedicated Hard working Competent Customer oriented What is the process involved in the application? It starts with completion of the initial questionnaire then followed by interviews, meeting, payment of deposit, filing-up of application form, submission of requirements, payment of package, signing of agreement, and lastly training. The â€Å"time frame† depends upon the mutual commitment and projected schedule of both parties. Approximately 45-60 days from the date of completion of requirements. To learn the steps in applying for ZAGU authorized dealership and their international business offers, please visit their official website at www. zagushakes. com. To contact ZAGU Foods Corporation – Sales Department, their telephone numbers are (632) 687-0140 / 687-4403 local 113-114.

Virgin Media Business Strategy

Virgin Media Business Strategy This report is a study of Virgin Media Inc and the business strategies that define the company. The analysis was an attempt to correlate the theories that define the business strategies of a company and the practical approach taken by Virgin Media in those areas. So we have performed a study of the Marketing Mix of Virgin Media and based on our findings a SWOT Analysis of Virgin Media. From the results of the SWOT analysis we have drawn our conclusions of what Virgin Media has to focus on in the future and predict the path that they should take. Virgin Media: A First Look Virgin Media is a leading name in the communication and entertainment sector providing a â€Å"quad play† of services consisting of broadband, television, mobile and fixed line telephone. The company was founded by Sir Richard Branson and has James Mooney as the company chairperson and Neil Berkett as chief executive officer of the firm. It has established itself as UKs leading media and communication provider and has built its large business through constant innovation, successful diversification and competitive product design using a future proof strong communication network. Virgin Medias three main operating segments Cable Mobile Content The cable segment offers broadband Internet, television and fixed-line telephone services under the Virgin Media brand to residential customers in U.K. In the mobile segment Virgin Mobile has teamed up with T-Mobile by purchasing airtime from T-Mobile and branding it under the Virgin Mobile brand name. The content segment includes eight genre-based entertainment channels, including Virgin1, Living, Bravo, Trouble, Challenge and Challenge Jackpot. The content segment also oversees the companys interest in the UKTV television channels through joint ventures with BBC Worldwide. There is also the Video On Demand services and the website services that provide movies, TV shows and news to the customers. History of Virgin Media In March 2006 NTL and Telewest which were UKs leading cable companies merged together to become the provider of UKs leading triple-play services. Later in July 2006 the merged company acquired Virgin Mobile providing the first quadruple-play offer of TV, internet and fixed and mobile telephony services from a single operator. Finally in February 2007 the combined companies were rebranded and launched as Virgin Media. Virgin Media has rebranded Ntl:Telewest, the companys business Internet Service Provider (ISP), as Virgin Media Business. Virgin Media is the largest privately built network in the UK, with 330 Ethernet PoPs and over 38,000 street cabinets across the country. Virgin Media Inc. Is listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market and the London Stock Exchange (VMED) Track Record Virgin offers ultrafast internet access of up to 50Mb to just over half of all homes in UK. Virgin Media has one of UKs most advanced TV on demand services and was the first TV platform to carry BBC iPlayer.(#CITATION) .It is the second largest provider of pay TV, was the first to launch a high definition TV service and offers a high-specification, HD-ready V+ personal video recorder. It is also one of the largest fixed-line home phone providers in the country. Virgin Media has also announced that it would be launching 100 Meg broadband services by the end of December 2010. â€Å"We are expanding our trials of a 200Mb broadband service and are planning the commercial launch of a 100Mb service later this year. The development of our next generation TV platform is progressing well and we are confident it will provide the UKs most accessible, comprehensive and seamless home entertainment experience. â€Å", Says Neil Burkett CEO of Virgin Media. Virgin medias performance in the stock market has improved over the last year. Its share price fell in the beginning of 2008 but remained stable during the recession period. Stock price have been rising from the fourth quarter after the company announced its successful Q4 results for the year 2009 .This shows that company has gained the trust of the investors. Technology Virgin Media is one of the largest residential broadband providers in the UK using a unique fiber optic cable network. It is the first company in UK to offer Broadband, Telephone, and TV through its fiber optic cable network. The fiber optic cable is made of glass and it delivers vast amounts of information at the speed of light whereas other providers use copper wires to deliver information, which is much slower than optical fibers. The fiber optic network gives the customer all the benefits of next generation telecoms: It helps to reduce costs through voice and data convergence It quickly transfer large volumes of data Helps to centralize and secure your data storage Instantly implement disaster recovery plans Key Facts about Virgin Media Revenue: 3.8 Billion (GBP) Employees: 10939 Marketing Orientation The aim of a Market oriented company is to satisfy the customer needs and requirements and to align their products and services to the demands of the customers. A typical marketing orientation model is shown below. A market oriented company tries to continuously improve customer satisfaction. To deliver superior customer value they pay close attention to service, both before and after sales. The concept of market orientation is built on three pillars of: Customer focus Coordinated marketing Profitability. An organizations capabilities to develop an orientation towards each of these three pillars depend on the internal structure and culture. Virgin Media follows a market orientation strategy in which the company is concerned about the customers requirements and needs. It pays attention to what its customer needs and delivers the information accordingly. Also due to high competition amongst various service providers Virgin Media also follows Sales orientation in which the company pays attention to the s of sales as well. Virgin Media has put together 3 strategic priorities in its â€Å"Manifesto†: Engaging our people Growing our business Fixing the fundamentals Virgin media has created a broad portfolio that can be tailored to enables its marketers to meet customer requirements. Product diversification within a single business allows it to be one step ahead of its competitors. Virgin Media believes in continuously interacting with its customers, either on day-to-day basis or in one of their stores, during a home installation or on the phone with one of Virgin Medias agents. Virgin Media uses a management tool called â€Å"Net Promoter† to monitor and measure the customer feedback. This helps the company to improve their performance by analyzing the feedback and suggestions from its customers. Show below are statistics of Virgin Medias customers and the number of customers added in 2009. Competitive advantage Competitive advantage is termed as â€Å"The achievement of superior performance through differentiation to provide superior customer value or by managing achieve lowest delivered cost† (Jobber, D., (2009), Principles and practice of marketing, 914) UK has become a highly competitive market for the telecom sector. With the government pushing for improved broadband services for everyone (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8012848.stm) Broadband speed offered by service providers has gone from up 14.4 kbps to 50 mbps. There is a cutthroat competition in the broadband sector with more than 20 companies serving 61.4 million population of UK. (http://www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/nugget.asp?id=1352). Due to this intense competition major market players like BT, Virgin media and Sky have almost similar packages offered to their customers while playing to their strengths in different market segments. Sky offers the most number of channels than any other service provider in UK and hence sky subscribers tend to be those who prefer their superior television services whereas Virgin media advertises its superior broadband network and hence its subscribers are normally those who use internet more. BT has more customer base due to its economical packages (Table 1). Services offered 2 Comparison of the basic packages offered by BT, Sky and Virgin Media * Package information taken from * http://allyours.virginmedia.com/?buspart=Portal_HP_topnav_1_1 * http://www.sky.com/shop/bundles-offers/popular-bundles/ * http://www.productsandservices.bt.com/consumerProducts/displayCategory.do?categoryId=CON-BT-BUNDLE-Is_intcid=con_intban_overview_packages_home In HDTV section Sky seems doing far better than Virgin media. They have positioned well in HD TV market. Virgins video on demand service is highly acclaimed by the viewers (750m views in 2009, 50% rise over previous year). Bravo, a pay channel of Virgin media has acquired exclusive rights of the US block buster series Spartacus: Blood and Sand. Despite this Sky added 172,000 customers in the fourth quarter and Virgin media added only 34,200 new subscribers. Due to the uniqueness of services offered by sky Virgin media seems is lagging behind in the race when it comes to TV channels. In order to study the competitive advantage a company has over its competitors, Porter, M. E. (1998) suggested the five forces model. Analysis of Five forces for Virgin Media: Entry barriers: Entry into the telecom industry is primarily determined by the high cost of the fixed assets. There are significant costs to be incurred like the cost of establishing the network, operating costs of the network and associated infrastructural costs. Virgin media has spent billions of pounds just to lay the optic fiber cable network required. Acquiring telecast rights for sporting events, TV shows etc. is also a key entry barrier determinant as the competition for the rights normally increases the price, making it harder for new entrants. BT a significant competitor and running on an aging copper based network is finding it hard to convince its investors to develop infrastructure after incurring current losses in excess of  £7b. The telecom industry is an extremely competitive market where key market players try to make profits through sales volumes and not price. So for an entrant into the market the initial return on investment will be low and market expectations for generating profits in the long run are low as well. The market is also highly competitive and any product or service is immediately replicated by the competitors. For example BT has offered a 40 mbps broadband service to compete directly with Virgin Medias 50 mbps broadband service. There is a significantly high cost for advertisement as the competition is with established brands with significant brand recall. The telecommunication service is a vital and intensely used and hence customers demand high quality of service. Service complaints are investigated by OfCom, UKs independent regulator of the telecommunications industry and hefty fines are placed on service providers for poor service quality. All these factors combined reduce the number of new entrants into the telecommunications sector. Rivalry determinants: Due to the presence of significant market players like SKY and BT, there is intense competition in the telecom industry. Increase reliance on internet has increase customer expectations and dominant market players frequently reduce prices to attract more customers. There is hence a reduction in overall profitability and investments are hence done cautiously. Key market players have strong brand names and hence significant brand loyalty. Competing brands have their unique strengths making it difficult for users to switch networks. Sky network offer premium television content and hence retain its customers even though Virgin Media has a superior high speed internet network. Customers also find it easier to take all the bundled services from a single provider due to advantages like ease of payment and discounts on bundled deals. High switching costs hence make it increasing difficult for Virgin Media to increase its market share. Supplier power: To develop a cost leadership advantage one really needs to control supplier power. This is one big determinant of economies of scale. As there are many competitors in the telecom sector, suppliers tend to demand higher prices for the services in od force the company to provide better deals. The supplier may refuse to work with the company if their demands are not met and provide its services to a competitor. For example Sky charges a high wholesale price to its competitors like Virgin Media to permit them to display their premium offerings like sports. Since Sky has all the associated broadcasting rights and Sports channels are in great demand by the UK consumer, Virgin media and BT have no choice but to pay more for the content. Owing to this fact Sky has become a dominant force in the Television sector as its competitors are not able to match its prices. Threat of substitutes: There are players like Sky and BT in the bundled services market segment and O2, Vodafone Talk-talk etc. in individual service market segment. All of them offer comparatively similar services at very competitive prices. Due to this it is difficult for a new customer to choose a service. The choice may then be made instantaneously and based on current need. For example a sports fan when choosing a new service may immediately go for the Sky network without much consideration to the quality of the other networks. Existing customers may also be tempted to switch networks due to economic or service based needs. Virgin Media could lose an existing customer to BT which offers more economical bundle packages and with the upcoming sports events like the football world cup and London Olympics it could lose customers to the Sky network as well. Also in order to reduce network congestion during peak hours, Virgin Media throttles the network speed and this has irked some of its internet users. If a rival service makes a claim that it does not perform such a speed check on the network, users may switch to the rival network. Buyer power: Every service provider in the telecom sector aims at minimizing its churn rate (rate at which a customer leaves the service).Hence the customer enjoys a greater degree of bargaining power. Service providers tend to offer discounts and cheaper rates to ensure that they do not lose customers. Virgin media may be forced to renegotiate deals with the customers in order to minimise this risk. Five forces analysis though tells us about the microenvironment of the business, it is not enough to gain competitive advantage. A firm can get competitive advantage by developing strategies to create value to customer. Michael Porter suggests that company can either differentiate their product or service by, Differentiating their product offering or Managing lowest delivered cost. Competitive strategy options model Virgin media has adopted a Differentiation leader strategy and utilises this in its advertising campaigns. Virgin Media advertisement campaigns focus on the fact that it is UKs fastest network and that it offers premium content on its Video on demand services. In a survey conducted by Ofcom Virgin media broadband speed was found to be highest in all the service providers. Traffic on Broadband Network affect Speeds In order to create differentiated or lowest cost position it is important to understand the value chain of a company. Value chain analysis provides a holistic view of the company. It provides a framework for understanding the nature and location of the skills and resources that provide a basis for competitive advantage. Activities of a company are grouped into two Primary activities that generate a profit margin for the company Support activities that facilitate the primary activities The goal of a company is to ensure that the primary activities are performed efficiently so that the costs incurred from the primary activities and support activities remain lower than the price paid by the customer for the service provided, thereby granting a profit margin to the company. Virgin Medias Value chain: An analysis. Inbound Logistics: Virgin media has tie ups with BBC, ITV and Television show broadcaster to deliver their content on its network. Having settled their disputes with Sky network regarding television content Virgin media now has a tie up agreement with Sky network for their premium television content like Sky sports, Sky one etc. However the wholesale broadcaster fee of Sky Network is high causing a significant increase in costs for Virgin media. But Virgin media does not have to depend on a third party service provider for network and related logistics because it has its own superior network and in house facilities for network management. Hence it has a significant reduction in network costs. Operations and Service: Company is rated for its internet speed and its VOD service. This indicates that they have good operations throughout the UK. Their Web support chat window appears as soon as a net user starts browsing website. The response to queries was quick and informative when tried online. BT also has similar service however it was less prompt than Virgin media. They also have their support through social networking sites like Twitter and Face book. Virgin gives all options to pay bills. Outbound logistics: Virgin media gives installation and maintenance service to all its customers. Customer can opt for e bill or a normal hard copy. When order for new connection is placed it is completed within 7 working days. Any new subscription to any of their service is completed on the same day. Because Sky is a dish network, customers are required to take permission from the societies which can cause annoyance to the customers. This gives competitive advantage as Virgin service can be obtained through BT cable. Marketing and sales: Company is strongly advertising on internet and television. They are using social networking sites aggressively for their advertising. They have completely understood the need of the segment they are targeting and marketing their broadband speed as their customer winning strategy. Company also believes that calling the customers may spoil the image of company hence they have strict rules for calling customers. Procurement: Virgin has established a code of conduct for its suppliers. Best part is that company focuses on environment and labor issues when purchasing decisions are made. Technology development: With fibre technology Virgin media become UKs second largest telecom service provider company. They are unique in the market. Company is testing 100mbps broadband speed and will be operational by 2011. They are also trialing 200 mbps broadband. Company also have technologies to support web based learning and automated hospital care; with which they are ambitious to capture the market. Human resource management: Virgin media recently axed 2200 jobs due to economic slowdown. This will have a profound effect on its image in the employees. Company seems emphasizing more on employment cuts for cost effectiveness which will affect the morale of the employees. For cutting costs Virgin Media has outsourced some of its operations like billing and front end calling. This will benefit them in reduce expenses and increase efficiency. http://www.computing.co.uk/computing/news/2205297/virgin-signs-network-contract Firm infrastructure: Virgin media is operating in telecom market with its giant network. They have 186,000 km nationwide fibre-optic network worth  £13 billion. They also have 157 telephone switches. Their infrastructure can support 70,000 calls/minute. 35% of the UKs broadband traffic is handled by Virgin media. This works as an entry barrier for new entrants in the telecom market. Suggestions: With sound technology and infrastructure virgin media has lot of opportunities to spread its network in the rural areas. Company can improve its internal customer relationship and boost the morale of the employees. There is higher scope of improving the logistics in terms of new connections being completed within 48 hours and compete Sky network. They can also improve their billing system by offering payment through set top box. Virgin Medias Marketing Mix: An Analysis Marketing Mix: Marketing Mix is defined as â€Å"The tactical tools that marketers use to implement their strategies† (Kotler 2008: 202). The four basic factors that we analyse the marketing mix on are Product Price Place Promotion For a successful marketing strategy, one needs to come at the equilibrium of above four tools. Product â€Å"A product is anything that is capable of satisfying customer needs†, (Jobber,D 5th edition :326 ). Virgin media has four main products in its portfolio. Television Broadband Landline Mobile Virgin Medias product portfolio is built up of intangible products making the post purchase services offered to the customers like customer services, help lines and value added content an important aspect of the Augmented Virgin Media Product. Virgin Media distinguish its product from other competitors like Sky and BT by using special feature like optic fibre cable and forms a total product. The core product can be differentiated in many ways Customers can be reached by applying following marketing mix:- Functionality: Virgin medias network is fibre optic network that provided support for high bandwidth and is unique in comparison to its competitors like BT and Sky who are still dependent on Copper based data transfer networks. This has helped Virgin media to gain customers attention as customer focus is now on high speed internet. Brand: â€Å"A brand is created by augmenting a core product with values that makes the product unique and distinguishes it from the competitors†(Jobber 2007: 334). â€Å"To achieve high sales, you need a powerful Brand Name behind it , which ultimately retains their customers through† brand loyalty(Jobber 2007: 334). Having an established brand name normally puts a business in a secure position in the competitive market as customers tend to focus on perceived brand value through the strong brand name. This enables retention of even the price conscious customers due to the loyalty created with the brand. Virgin media has Customer Based Brand Equity which is defined as â€Å"The differential effect that brand knowledge has on customer response to the marketing of the product† (Jobber 2007: 332). The Virgin Group started by Sir Richard Branson has a significant market presence in various sectors due to a varied range of products like Virgin Records, Virgin Airlines. This provides a positive impact in the market as a first time customer will associate Virgin Media with the brand values and market value of the Virgin Group. Managing the Product Mix Positioning and Repositioning: Positioning â€Å"A products position is the way the product is defined by consumers on important attributes the place the product occupies in the minds relative to the competitive products.† Virgin media operates in three segments in the B2C segment. Cable segment Data Content Mobile Segment In the cable segment Virgin media occupies the position of a Market leader because of its future proof fibre optic cable network that has won it the â€Å"Fastest home broadband Award â€Å"for their 50 MB broadband services. Due to its superior network Virgin Media is able to differentially position themselves against their competitors like BT and SKY In the Data Content Segment. Virgin media occupies the position of a market In the mobile segment Virgin media is playing catch up to most other providers like O2 and 3 Mobile services. It currently has an agreement with T Mobile for use of its airtime under the brand of Virgin Media. Repositioning In Feb 2010 Virgin Media rebranded NTL/Telewest as Virgin Media Business. The rebranding came as Virgin media stepped up its effort to capture market share from BT which is the dominant operator in the B2B market segment. By rebranding the name the Virgin Media family is able to use the Virgin Brand name and improve its marketing capability. As Richard Branson has quoted â€Å"Good progress with network development leaves Virgin Media Business well positioned to expand its offer out to smaller corporates.† http://www.telecomseurope.net/content/virgin-media-branson-means-business Market Positioning Of Virgin Media: Ansoff Matrix analysis â€Å"The emphasis on product portfolio analysis is managing an existing set of products in such a way as to maximize their strengths. But companies also need to look to new products and markets for future growth. A useful way of looking at growth opportunities is the Ansoff Matrix.† Existing Market: Existing Product: The Market Penetration Strategy is used when a company attempts to capture market share by launching its own version of an existing product. Focus then is placed on aggressive advertising and promotions Virgin Media had applied this strategy to capture market share from BT when it launched its broadband services. It emphasised on advertisement campaigns and cheaper package deals to capture customers from Sky. Existing Market: New Product: The Product development strategy is used when a company attempts to launch a new product in an established market catering to its existing customer base. Virgin Media has proposed to launch its 100 mbps broadband service as an upgraded product to its customers to improve on its existing portfolio offerings New Market: Existing Product: The Market development strategy is used when a company attempts to target a new market with an existing product. Virgin media launched its broadband services with a fixed focus on home customers. Utilising its existing network and operational services it has re-launched its B2C arm as Virgin Media Business in order to capture market share from BT. New Market: New Product: The Diversification strategy where a company launches new products in new markets where it had no market presence at all. While Virgin Media was a diversification strategy of Virgin group there is no product or strategy currently utilised by Virgin Media to justify this approach. The intense competitive nature of the business also makes it riskier for the company to attempt such diversification at this point of time. Stages of PLC for Virgin Media: Product development: When an established company enters in the market with new product with new design and development, the sales are zero. Virgin media has not disclosed any information about a product in this stage and typically this information would be secret as the telecommunication industry is highly competitive. Introduction: When a new product is introduced in an established market, the profit would be very less and the cost of introduction of the product would be very high , also it will lead to a small growth in sales. Virgin Media has launched its 100 mbps Broadband service as test service in Coventry on a test basis. Growth: When the new product is accepted in the market company starts making the profit , this period of acceptance and the profit would fall into ‘Growth of the PLC graph. Virgin medias VOD services fall in the Growth sector as it has recorded a 50 % growth in 2009. Maturity: When the product captures the majority of its market customers, slowdown the sales growth. There is decline in the Profit level because of increasing marketing costs in order to remain competitive. Virgin Media 20Mb Broadband being second popular choice has reached its maturity stage and there is a slow growth in the number of new customers. Hence Virgin Media has launched its 100 mbps broadband service in order to return the broadband segment into the growth. Decline Stage: When a product performs poorly and there is a reduction in sales it is known as the decline stage. Currently in our assessment Virgin Media does not have any product that is in the decline stage. BCG Matrix of Virgin Media The BCG Growth- Share Matrix is designed by leading management consultancy Boston consulting Group (BCG) which allows drawing the portfolio in 2X2 diagram and thus analysing the product. The BCG matrix gives guidelines for setting strategic objectives on the cash flow and categorized as. Stars: Build sales/ Market shares Problem children: Build selectively Cash Cows: Hold sales or/and market shares Dogs : Harvest or focus on defendable niche After analysing Virgin Media products the portfolio of the product can be drawn as follows 50MB Broadband,VOD Broadband+Landline+Mobile+TV Mobile Services 50Mb Broadband is a STAR because that has been awarded the fastest Home broadband .Virgin Media being the first Quad play player in the market they got positive response from their customers, thats why TV, Broadband , landline and mobile Services as a bundle falls in CASH COW. Mobile Services has got fierce competition in the market thats why virgin Mobile Services falls in DOG sector. Promotion â€Å"Promotion means activities that communicate the merits of the products and persuade the target customers to buy it†. (Armstrong and Kotler 2009: 84) Promotions help to influence customers purchase behavior. Promotion also keeps people informed and educated about the product. Advertising plays an important role in Virgin Medias Marketing Strategy. Virgin Media uses different means to educate and inform the customers about their products like television, pamphlets distribution, hoardings, internet, direct marketing and newspapers. Elements of Promotion: Direct Marketing: In Direct Marketing there is a direct communication with individual or group consumers either by internet, mail, email, fax, telephone etc. Direct marketing is useful to communicate directly with the potential buyers avoiding any intermediaries. Virgin Media does their direct marketing through call centers, sales representative, internet or distributing the pamphlets. Advertising: â€Å"Any paid form of non-personal communication of ideas or products in the prime media.† (Jobber D. and Fahy J. Foundation of Marketing 2nd Edition 2006:225). Virgin Media follows the product oriented advertiser strategy. This strategy involves highlighting the product features, services, price through various advertising channels such as television, internet, magazines, e-marketing etc. Virgin Media advertisements have been controversial due to the nature of their claims.A campaign Truth Lies and Broadband was subject of an ASA (Advertising Standards Authority) inquiry due to the complaints from its competito

The War Of Nerves History Essay

The War Of Nerves History Essay The Cold War was a war that began after WWII between the United States and USSR. It was called the Cold War because this was a war of nerves. fought without using any type of artillery. This whole war was fought completely with words. [No, it was also fought in little countries] It was way to dangerous for both The USSR which was Russia [Russia was one segment of the USSR] to fight with the United States so they fought they basically pulled strings and fought using other countries. The United States helped [What about Korea?] South Vietnam as well as Afghanistan while Russia helped supply North Vietnam. That in a sense is how it evolved from the countries talking to war. These things coming forth lead to the Truman Doctrine being born. This doctrine clearly stated that the US would lend aid to all countries and free people who were willing to take a stand against the Soviet Union. Truman recognized that the growing of communism would be very to not just the US but other countries such as Greece who were already involved in civil wars would easily fall into communism with the promise of financial and military backing. Following the decree the US sent 400 million and the Union of NATO would then be formed. It then became known as a form of containment because the US used it to stall the spread of communism. Not only did it stall the Communists it helped the US expand their security as well as their influence. This tatic would prove to be very helpful and slow down the expansion in Korea, China, and Vietnam. NATO is beginning to step in and take affect as well. NATO is the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. It provided military defenses and began to allow some trade which the Soviet Union did not want. Many people believe it was the best defensive plan for slowing down and eventually somewhat controlling communism. Countries aligned and the Us sent troops to help over sea being clear to not try to envoke the the already angry soviet union. Therefore NATO had a really big affect in the Cold War. Upon slowing down the Soviet Union the US established the Marshall Plan. It helped rebuild the economic foundation for the countries in Europe. Even though the US was involved in war with the USSR they offered them the same kind of help but they chose to decline it seeing it as a slap in the face or rather a taunt. George Marshall put the plan together and it was his idea to offer it to the USSR. It helped in the Industrial and Agricultural production in the countries. To many people it was believed to be a very important part of the recovery of those countries that needed it. The Marshall Plan also allowed some form of trade between the countries. It still remains a key reason to ending the war. The US basically ran a close hand over the Cold War. They over seen just about everything and pretty much won the war without having to take up arms. They won the war using strategy and carefully placed plans and power of the dollar. We became the most influential and powerful nation as far as political and militarily. We did it militarily even though we did not have to fight at all. The US basically did not want the Soviet Union to become window to foreign trade like they wanted to become. They basically controlled the war while the Soviet Union tried to find ways around the US continuously running into road blocks such as the Marshall Plan and the Truman doctrine. There were many events that took place in the Cold War. The Berlin blockade was a major event. Stalin did this so that the people in West berlin could not receive food, supplies and anything else they might need. This then brought about another major even the airlift in which the US, Britain, France, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia air lifted good to west Berlin. Another event was the cancellation of the radio in Europe. But the last of the major events was the Berlin crisis. It kept the immigrants from coming in and getting out. Many people refereed to it as a Brain Drain to the younger people and generation. This just brought on more drama such as with the missles that almost brought in nuclear warfare. The Cold War lasted a very long time. From (1947- to 1991). It all started fall apart in 1989. The soviet Union was beginning to lose its power. Many believe the loss in power truly started when the Moscow Pact began to fall thorugh and major leaders and authority figures began to abandon the Union. The final blow to the Soviet Union began when the Berlin Wall came down that showed they had no more power and the people were taking back their freedom and their lifeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s. In conclusion this whole war really could have been avoided if they would have just stopped trying to control the people of Eastern Europe. With Stalin in power in the USSR there was no way it could have been avoided. Unless you are William Faulkner, this essay should have been divided into paragraph. Where are your sources for this information?

Textile Industry Trends in the Global Economy Essay -- Economics Techn

Textile Industry Trends in the Global Economy I. Executive Summary The objective of this paper is to examine how the development of a textile industry contributes to economic growth in the global economy. Because textile manufacturing is a labor-intensive industry, developing countries are able to utilize their labor surplus to enter the market and begin the process of building an industrial economy. Emerging economies then look outward to develop an export strategy based on their comparative advantage in labor costs. Textile production and consumption is an increasingly global affair as production continues to shift to developing countries. Developing countries have seen an explosion in the growth of their textile exports, and for many countries textiles are a significant portion of their total exports. In response to increasing competition from low-value imports from developing countries, industry leaders in developed countries have made significant capital investments in order to increase productivity and move into advanced market sectors. There are several trade agreements in place that impact world textile trade. The African Growth and Opportunities Act, Andean Trade Preference Act, and Trade Promotion Act are each designed to liberalize textile trade and provide equal market access to both developing and developed countries. Despite the potential economic and social benefits, the effectiveness of these trade policies is limited by special interest politics in the developed world. The presence of a political economy in developed countries can affect both the formation of and the adherence to international trade agreements; industry leaders can still appeal to the World Trade Organization or their Trade... ... as Kenya Plans More EPZs.† East African 22 April 2002. 10 October 2002 Tomkin, Robert. Trade Promotion Authority: CQ House Action Report. July 26, 2002. â€Å"Trade with Sub-Saharan Africa† Export America. December 2001. U.S. Congress, Office of Technology Assessment, The U.S. Textile and Apparel Industry: A Revolution in Progress–Special Report, OTA-TET-332 (Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, April 1987). Yang, Yongzheng. â€Å"China’s Textile and Clothing Exports: Changing International Comparative Advantage and its Policy Implications.† Asia Pacific Press, 1999. http://ncdsnet.anu.edu.au/ [link no longer working]

Child Abuse Can be Reduced by Educating Parents Essay -- Violence Agai

Parenting is not instinctive. If it were, everyone who had a child would be a good parent. Consequently, child abuse is a rising phenomenon in our society. Though no single factor has been identified as the cause of child maltreatment, it appears to be influenced by parents' histories, psychological resources, and economic status. Parenting must be learned. While this is often done through experience, education courses for individuals prior to their becoming parents, and close evaluation of questionable homes could enhance parents' knowledge and the childrens' well being. A large number of abusive parents have histories of physical and emotional abuse inflicted upon them during their childhood. Thus, they were deprived of parents who taught them how to be good parents. In describing how she felt when she realized her children were being abused, Jean states: "All of a sudden I could feel all the {old} anger back and {I was} wishing that someone would have protected me when I was little"(Janko 18). Child abuse scenarios that seem tragic to others are ordinary to parents from abusive backgrounds, and often overlooked. The absence of "good" parents is detrimental to a child's learning how to fulfill parental roles. The children think their environment is normal, correct, and acceptable, and grow to emulate that lifestyle. Sometimes abuse does not stem from a lack of knowledge, but rather from a psychological disorder. The majority of abusive parents "represent a range of personality and emotional disorders"(Justice 77). An authoritarian personality is characteristic of abusive parents, as well as "drug or alcohol dependency, neurosis, mental deficiency, and/or emotional immaturity"(Justice 77). Mothers make up ... ...e discredible, teachers and other childcare workers should be trained to recognize symptoms of abuse immediately, and be required to report them. I think that we need to take our role as citizens so seriously that we value the lives of other citizens. Our Judicial system should be such that endangered children are promptly removed from their environment, as they are presently left in the situation until abuse can be proven. As a nation, children are our most valuable resource. Therefore, in attempts to better our future, we must protect the children. The problem seems to stem from a lack of child rearing skills on behalf of the parents, and a lack in the desire to be parents. Though it cannot be completely subsided, I feel that the situation can be deferred through child education courses, and close evaluation of parents bordering the "unfit" category.

Air conditioner

Tout Air-condition and ventilation Based on the new facilities of meeting room and exhibition hall, we would need to design air-condition and ventilation system too. Firstly, great air quality and circulation is the most important part of the venue ventilation system. In contrast, poor air quality and circulation will easily let people sleepy. Also, indoor temperature should be maintained between 24-ICC according the government standard. So, should have independent, adjustable temperature system to controls for the ambient temperature of the number of people.For meeting rooms, an optimum condition of 50+5% is generally used for design purpose. And the exhibition hall should need strict control of relative humidity is critical because it will be works of art and delicate objects. In view of this, we would choice unitary equipment of meeting room. The system is a central air conditioning system in the form of air conditioning load. It is lower cost packaged, simplicity of installation and individual control unitary equipment.Because it uses a concentrated form of air conditioning dad, so relative to the air conditioning load distributed processing distributed air-conditioning system, which has energy-efficient, comfortable, convenient adjustment capacity, low noise, vibration and other prominent advantages. Suitable for meeting room's about room temperature ICC and 60% to 80% humidity standard of requires fresh air. Also, if the interior noise, such as noise of the air conditioner is too large, it will greatly affect the performance of the audio system, difficult to hear speech of chairman.As the same time, we would choice central station systems of exhibition hall. The system is host by the microcomputer to control central air conditioner each interval, its can automation to load operation according to the actual and to simplify air conditioning facilities management. Also without taking the device layer, can reducing utilities and construction investment to eas ily with the house renovation. And, it is running by water source heat pump, no combustion process to avoid the sewage, effectively saving energy and operating costs and it general service life more than over system, about of 15-25 years.Acoustic and sound control In addition to, design the air condition and ventilation also need to design acoustic and sound control equipment too. When designing this equipment, will need considerations influence various aspects of the venues such as the layout, volume, ceiling construction and other equipment requirements. According to the technical requirements of acoustics of meeting rooms have some reverberation time requirements. In general, the reverberation time is too short will let the sound boring; mixing time is too long will let sounds confusing.Therefore, different meeting rooms has its best reverberation mime, right reverberation time can beautify spokesman's voice and to cover the noise, increase the effectiveness of the session. Also, to ensure sound insulation and sound absorption, the room should with carpeted floors, ceilings and insulation blankets are equipped within four walls, double glazed windows should be used and set the double door for sound system. These sound control method also suitable of exhibition hall. But exhibition hall's area lager than meeting room and often held different event, so it will be need installed control rooms of the hall to control sound.In control room, the temperature must be maintained at around 1 8-ICC and keep cool and dry environment to protect the equipment would not be affect by humidity. Because of this, it also need sufficient space to separate ventilation and for maintenance. And the room's space should be usually mm wide x 2. Mm deep (10 x 8 Ft) suitable to accommodate a sound-mixer console with VA equipment. In concussion, the room should locate at the rear of the venue to provide sound control. So need adequate space to operate the master control, equipment and w ork table also.

Exercise Addiction Essay

Exercise is important for the overall health and wellbeing of all people. People engage in physical activity for a variety of reasons. For some, being healthy is their only reason for exercising; for others, it may be to build more muscle, or gain endurance. â€Å"Exercise involves planned, structured, repetitive bodily movement done to improve or maintain physical fitness. † Exercise should always be beneficial; however excessive exercise can lead to harmful outcomes, and in come cases exercise can become an addiction. Exercise addiction has many of the same characteristics seen drug addiction such as: tolerance withdrawal, lack of control, intention effects, time, reduction in other activities, and continuance. Researchers have developed conceptually sound diagnostic criteria for exercise dependence, but have yet to determine a suitably convincing mechanism for its onset. In order to determine what type of interventions would be effective for treating or overcoming exercise addiction, researchers must first have an understanding of what causes the addiction. Understanding what psychological and physiological mechanisms are present in exercise addiction can help researchers to develop an intervention that will address all factors that nurture the addiction. The purpose of this study is to examine existing literature on the underlying mechanisms that could be responsible for the onset of exercise addiction in individuals in order to determine what types of intervention are needed to effectively treat exercise addiction. The study will include interviews to assess exercise addiction. Theoretical background In 1977, psychiatrist George L.  Engel released an article, The Need for a New Medical Model: A Challenge for Biomedicine, in which he proposed the Biopsychosocial Model, or BPSM. 1 â€Å"The Biopsychosocial Model is a method of understanding health and illness through biological, psychological, and social factors. † 2 Prior to Engel’s model, the Medical Model was the primary approach to medicine. The Medical Model focused on finding a single specific cause of illness to cure the disease, not the person as a whole. In The Need for a New Medical Model, Engel outlined weaknesses of the Medical Model. Engel addressed the Medical Model as a reductionist approach to medicine. 3 The Medical Model suggested that all diseases could be reduced to a single underlying â€Å"measurable biological variable† and treated without consideration of the other factors that may be related to the onset of the disease or illness. 1 (p 319) According to Engel: †¦a medical model must also take into account the patient, the social context in which he lives, and the complementary system devised by society to deal with the disruptive effects of illness, that is, the physician role and the health care system. This requires the Biopsychosocial model. (p324) According to the Medical Model, health can be equated to an absence of disease. Engel argued that the biological factors found in the medical model are not sufficient to provide a full understanding of disease. The Medical Model neglected to take into consideration individuals who feel well and are diagnosed with a disease, as well as individuals who are free of disease but feel sick. Engel proposed, â€Å"a biopsychosocial model which includes the patient as well as the illness would encompass both circumstances. † 1(p324) The BPSM explains disease through biological, psychological, and social factors. The BPSM can be understood by examining the components of the model. 4 The biological component â€Å"plays a key role is the BPSM. † 2 This component of the BPSM explains disease in relation to physiological causes such as pathogens or disorder in the functioning of the individual’s body. 5 A plausible biological mechanism of exercise addiction is the beta-endorphin hypothesis. â€Å"Aerobic exercise is known to stimulate the release of beta endorphin and other endogenous opioid peptides that appear to exert analgesic effects and may also produce addictive behaviors. Endorphins can block stress and create feeling of euphoria in an individual. Individuals who exercise excessively will be more receptive to endorphins and could potentially develop a tolerance for the hormone. Once the individual has developed a tolerance for the beta-endorphins, he or she will need to exercise longer and harder to achieve the same effects as before tolerance. This leads to the individual engaging in addictive behaviors that can also be explained as psychological process. 7 The psychological component of the BPSM explains disease as a manifestation of the individual’s thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. â€Å"Psychological dependence causes an individual to feel they need a substance to feel good. † 2 Negative thinking, low self-esteem, personality disorder such as perfectionism, etc. , could cause the addictive behavior. For example, an individual who does not cope well with stress may form a behavioral habit of exercise in order to feel good; they are addicted to exercise because of its mood-boosting biological effects. â€Å"In a philosophical sense, the biopsychosocial model states that the workings of the body can affect the mind, and the workings of the mind can affect the body.   However, biological and psychological factors alone are still not sufficient to completely explain exercise addiction in individuals. 2 The sociological component of the BPSM explains how social factors such as culture or socioeconomic status can be an underlying cause of illness. The behavior of an individual can be closely related to the culture and peer groups to which they belong. An individual may become addicted to exercise because of pressures of social norms. For example, an individual may have developed an addiction to exercise as a result of peer pressures to be thin. Significance of Proposed Research  The biopsychosocial model can be used to conceptualize exercise addiction. It is important to study the BPSM because further research is needed to determine the etiology and effective treatment for exercise addiction. To successfully treat or overcome an addiction, the individual must address each component that contributes to the overall behavior. The significance of this study will be to improve understanding of exercise addiction using the biopsychosocial model, determine the types of intervention needed to treat exercise addiction, and develop, as well as, test a multicomponent clinical strategy for treating the addiction. Proposed Methods The study will involve the evaluation of the biopsychosocial model in relation to exercise addiction. The targeted population for this study includes the following: individuals who are physically active and individuals who are classified as addicted to exercise. In order to ensure an efficient sample will be chosen, the target population will consist of 100 individuals. The sampling technique that will be used is a survey type of research, the Exercise Addiction Inventory. The EAI will include questions such as â€Å"When I exercise do I feel guilty† and â€Å"Is exercise the most important thing of my life? † (8) From this research, a sample from the target population will be selected. The sample will include 10 males and 10 females who are classified as addictive exercisers, as well as 10 males and 10 females who are non-addictive exercisers. Individuals who are classified as addicted to exercise will be submitted and additional questionnaire that will identify whether the individual has evidence of physiological dependence or no physiological dependence. Conclusion Exercise addiction is a disorder that has many underlying and contributing factors. Previous research did not provide sound information on the mechanisms of exercise dependence. The biopsychosocial model approach to addiction can be used to formulate an intervention for individuals who are diagnosed with exercise addiction. In order to treat an exercise addiction all components of the individual and the disease should be addressed.

Health In Society Unequally Distributed Health And Social Care Essay

This essay will concentrate on the inequalities that exist around Cardiovascular Disease, specifically that of Coronary Heart Disease. Harmonizing to the British Heart Foundation ( 2010 ) incidences of decease attributed to Coronary Heart Disease are far more likely to happen within the lower socio-economic category. The British Heart Foundation ( 2010 ) besides report that those populating in the most disadvantaged countries of Wales, have a fifty-percent more opportunity of deceasing from CHD than those populating in the least disadvantaged countries. Furthermore, they claim that persons who undertake manual and unskilled employment have a 10 per centum more opportunity of enduring from Coronary Heart Disease than those employed in managerial places, despite those persons populating in the same country ( ibid ) . First, a brief definition of CHD will be offered in order to help apprehension of how this disease develops, and how unhealthy behaviors can lend to its oncoming. Second, an account of a wellness inequality will be given. Then, assorted studies that have been published in relation to wellness inequalities will be examined in order to offer an account for this inequality. This will include analyzing assorted facets of the lives of persons that are placed in the lower socio-economic category in an effort to explicate behavior that is harmful to wellness. Finally, the function of the Multi Disciplinary squad and the nurse will be discussed, this will include authorities schemes for societal policy, in order to place countries of enterprises to better cases of decease from CHD. CHD is a term used to depict the effects of impaired or absent coronary blood flow to the myocardium, by and large caused by fatty plaques known as atheroma developing within the interior liner of the coronary arterias ( Porth 2004 ) . NHS Choices ( 2009a ) province that cases of CHD are far more likely to happen if an single fumes, is corpulent or has a diet that has a high content of concentrated fat. The National Office of Statistics ( 2008 ) reported that in 2007 there were 2951 deceases under the age of 75 in Wales straight linked with CVD, and that 1662 of these were due to CHD The wellness of the state has shown marked betterment throughout the old ages. Harmonizing to the House of Commons ( 2008 ) the life anticipation in 1948 for work forces was 66.4 old ages and 71.2 old ages for adult females. In 2000 they had risen to 75.6 old ages and 80.3 old ages severally. However, despite these betterments, wellness inequalities still exist amongst specific groups within society ( ibid ) .According to the World Health Organisation ( WHO 2010 ) a wellness inequality constitutes a pronounced difference in the distribution of wellness between changing societal groups. These societal groups can run from societal category, age, gender, ethnicity, disablement, geographics gender or linguistic communication ( ibid ) . Historically, those included in the lower ranks of employment and hence placed in the lower socio-economic category, are far more likely to endure sick wellness and higher morbidity rates than those at the top of the societal graduated table ( WHO 2010 ) . Harmonizing to Black ( 1980 ) poorness has ever been a major factor in high mortality rates amongst the lower socio-economic categories, peculiarly in cases of famishment, infection and respiratory unwellness. However, Black acknowledged that the nexus between poorness and circulatory disease was less straightforward ( ibid ) . In an effort to mensurate the extent of these inequalities, during 1977 the Labour authorities commissioned The Working Group on inequalities chaired by Sir Douglas Black to measure the deductions of wellness and societal policy, and to garner information about differences in wellness position amongst changing societal categories ( Townsend and Davidson 1992 ) . The findings were presented to the Secretary of State of the new Conservative authorities in April 1980 ( ibid ) . Black ( 1980 ) concluded that despite the general betterment in wellness across Britain, marked differences in the wellness between those in societal category I and those in societal category V have remained, and in some cases increased. Black ( 1980 ) suggested that one of the grounds for this could be due to the displacement in occupational position across the UK. He explained that those undertaking traditional semi-skilled or unskilled employment tended to be older than those from the mean work force. However, Townsend and Davidson ( 1990 ) argue that despite the age disparity between societal categories, the likeliness of an single death before the age of retirement in societal category IV is dual that of those in societal category I. Furthermore, they go on to state that mortality is a characteristic of category across the life span and non merely during old age, with persons from the lower categories enduring higher morbidity rates during childhood, adolescence and maturity ( ibid ) . A follow on from the Black Report was commissioned in 1986 by the Health Education Council before its death in 1987, and was updated in 1992 ( Whitehead 1992 ) . The Health Divide published grounds which revealed serious inequalities in wellness had continued throughout the 1980 ‘s and into the 1990 ‘s ( ibid ) . During the 1990 ‘s the work of Sir Douglas Black was acknowledged and built on in a study by Sir Donald Acheson, who was invited by the Secretary of State for Health to place a scope of countries for future policy development in order to cut down wellness inequalities ( DOH 1998 ) . Black ( 1980 ) suggested that the high proportion of incidences of certain diseases, including that of circulative disease in the lower socio-economic categories could be attributed to the complete indulgence of merchandises that are harmful to the organic structure, and non to want and poorness. Black ( 1980 ) specifically highlighted the significance of the ingestion of baccy merchandises in the aetiology of diseases such as circulative disease. He questioned the impression that the usage of baccy merchandises is a strictly voluntary pre-occupation by and large undertaken by the irresponsible and highlighted the fact that the authorities makes huge sums of money out of its production and sale. However, Black besides acknowledged that the usage of baccy merchandises could non be blamed for the cause of sick wellness, but suggested that it should be viewed as a secondary phenomenon caused by underlying characteristics of society. He raised concerns for the hereafter, admiting that although pre-conceptions sing the usage of baccy were altering, this alteration had finally taken topographic point within the higher socio-economic categories, and would go on to make so, doing the wellness spread to turn even wider. Acheson ( DOH 1998 ) found, that as Black had predicted there was a clear societal category gradient in both work forces and adult females sing the ingestion of baccy merchandises. He found that 12 % per centum of professional work forces and 11 % of professional adult females were reported to be tobacco users, compared with 41 % of unskilled work forces and 36 % of unskilled adult females go oning to smoke. Furthermore, those in the higher socio-economic category who professed to smoking consumed fewer coffin nails than their opposite numbers in the lower socio-economic category ( ibid ) . Acheson ( DOH 1998 ) besides found that those in the lower categories had lower surcease rates than tobacco users in the higher categories. Similarly, the category gradient had widened in regard of deceases from CHD ( see appendix 1 ) . Acheson concluded that smoke is a clear component in mortality differences between societal categories, doing deceases from assorted malignant neoplastic diseases, respiratory unwellnesss and CHD ( ibid ) . The Wanless Report ‘Securing Good Health for the Population ‘ was published in 2004, and besides highlighted smoke as a major cause of high mortality rates under the age of 70 in the lower socio-economic category ( Wanless 2004 ) . Wanless called for smoke to be banned in public topographic points, particularly within the workplace, faulting inactive smoke for cases of malignant neoplastic disease ‘s and bosom disease amongst both tobacco users and non tobacco users ( ibid ) . Harmonizing to Acheson ( DOH 1998 ) the wider socio-economic factors of an person ‘s life style should be taken into consideration when explicating wellness inequalities. Marmot ( 2010 ) concurs, saying than unhealthy behaviors entirely, can non be responsible for the serious wellness inequalities that exist in today ‘s society. As a consequence, Acheson ( DOH 1998 ) implemented a socio-economic theoretical account of wellness, which examined an person ‘s exposure to inequalities from before birth and throughout the full life span. Acheson ( DOH 1998 ) acknowledged that an person ‘s age, sex and constitutional position did so impact their wellness, as did their personal wonts such as smoke and hapless diet. However, Acheson argued that wider influences such as friends, household, community, instruction, lodging, work environment and entree to wellness attention besides had a bearing on an person ‘s wellness position ( ibid ) . Therefore, in order to understand the relationship between low socio-economic category and CHD, it is necessary to look into the psychological and societal influences that are experienced by persons within this group. Harmonizing to Acheson ( DOH 1998 ) unemployment rates amongst unskilled workers are four times higher than those from professional groups. Acheson goes on to state that employment is a major constituent in an person ‘s position within society ; it determines their income, societal standing and their ability to take part within society. Furthermore Acheson states that being unemployed can hold damaging effects in both physical and mental wellness, being linked to a sedentary life style and increased ingestion of baccy and intoxicant ( ibid ) . However, the nexus between unemployment and sick wellness is hard to turn out, as it is non clear whether the ground for the unemployment is due to ill wellness that is already present, or whether being unemployed is the cause of the sick wellness ( Schurring et al 2007 ) . Acheson besides suggests that those persons who are in employment tend to be engaged in work that is low paid, insecure and of hapless quality and that offers little, or no chance of publicity ( DOH 1998 ) . Johnson ( 2004 ) argue that those from the lower categories constantly experience high degrees of physiological emphasis, and low degrees of control in the workplace, coupled with low wagess in footings of occupation security, publicity chances, money and regard. However, Stansfield and Marmot ( 2002 ) point out that despite grounds to propose that psychological emphasis at work can be a conducive factor in cases of CHD, it is besides of import non to undervalue the consequence of other nerve-racking constituents of an person ‘s life that are non work related. Persons that are unemployed or have low paid occupations constantly face poorness and adversity. They are more likely to brood in unsuitable lodging, that is frequently moist, overcrowded and in an country that has hapless entree to comfortss ( Acheson DOH 1998 ) . Harmonizing to Siegrist and Marmot ( 2006 ) those from the lower socio-economic category tend to populate in vicinities that experience high degrees of offense, and physical impairment. Skogan ( 1990 ) concurs, saying that persons that reside in these countries have, non themselves, chosen to make so ; hence, they have no existent motive to keep their belongingss or that of their vicinity. This in bend discourages commercial investing in the country, doing it to drop further into want ( ibid ) . Due to miss of fundss these persons are less likely to have any signifier of private conveyance ( DOH 1998 ) . This can hold a direct impact on entree to low-cost food markets, health care, and employment chances. WHO ( 2010 ) suggest that hapless lodging and location non merely do physical wellness jobs but that they are besides a direct cause of emphasis, depression and associated psychological unwellnesss. Harmonizing to Stansfield and Marmot ( 2002 ) nerve-racking life conditions, including those of employment and lodging have marked associations with coffin nail smoke. They go on to province that the prevalence of coffin nail smoke is closely linked with the experience and direction of emphasis. Many people use smoking as a self-medication to assist them get by with the emphasis they experience in their mundane lives ( ibid ) . However, harmonizing to Parrott ( 1999 ) , baccy ingestion is in fact a cause of emphasis, and non the emphasis stand-in that many tobacco users believe it to be. NHS Choices ( 2009b ) agree, saying that tobacco user ‘s may experience a diminution in emphasis degrees once they have smoked a coffin nail, nevertheless this lone occurs because they have satisfied their craving for nicotine. Once the nicotine has worn of the person will one time once more experience stressed ( ibid ) . Harmonizing to Stansfield and Marmot ( 2002 ) both emphasis and baccy ingestion are both clear markers in morbidity rates for CHD, and could take some manner to explicating high cases of this disease within the lower socio-economic category. In an effort to undertake emphasis caused by work, the authorities introduced the ‘Fairness at Work Act ‘ in 1999 ( House of Commons 1999 ) . This measure was introduced in order to guarantee that employees have specific rights at work, including occupation security ( ibid ) . Harmonizing to Acheson ( DOH 1998 ) , employment jurisprudence in the United Kingdom is highly under regulated, compared to that of other industrialized states. Assorted policies sing lodging have been introduced since the Acheson Report, the most recent in Wales being ‘Improving Lifes and Communities ( Welsh Assembly Government 2010 ) . This policy aims to supply Wales with more societal lodging, and to give prospective renters more pick with respects to the countries in which they live. It pledges to better the criterion of lodging offered, to better the visual aspect and feel of communities, and to supply persons shacking in the country entree to services and installations ( ibid ) In a command to undertake happenings of diseases, including that of CHD, the authorities announced a 10 twelvemonth committedness through a white paper, Salvaging Lifes: Our Healthier Nation ( DOH 1999 ) . To run into this committedness the National Service Framework for Coronary Heart Disease was implemented and included 12 criterions to better wellness and prevent disease ( DOH 2008 ) . These rules are reflected in public wellness policy in Wales through the debut of a policy papers â€Å" Tackling Heart Disease in Wales: Implementing Through Evidence ( Welsh Assembly Government 2001 ) . As portion of the 10 twelvemonth program, they advised that local marks should be implemented in order to forestall, and cut down the ingestion of baccy merchandises. It was advised that the sale of illegal coffin nails and baccy should be closely monitored and reduced, that media coverage and national runs should be encouraged and that smoking surcease services should be implemented at local degree. In peculiar, mention was made to cut downing smoke in those on low incomes, with peculiar attending being made to pregnant adult females and their spouses ( ibid ) . The authorities pledged that by the twelvemonth 2010 deceases attributed to CHD would be reduced in the under seventy-fives by 40 % . This mark was in fact met five old ages early, with deceases rates falling by 44 % ( DOH 2008 ) In order to cut down disease caused by smoke, and to protect non tobacco users from passively inhaling baccy, a smoke prohibition was initiated on 1st July 2007 ( BBC News 2007 ) . This policy prohibits smoking in any public topographic point, including saloons, eating houses and topographic points of work. Since the smoke prohibition, research carried out by the Department of Health claim that cases of Myocardial Infarctions have reduced by 10 per centum ( Times Online 2009 ) . However, curates and anti-smoking groups think the authorities should travel farther, and are naming for smoking to be banned in autos, in order to protect kids from 2nd manus fume ( ibid ) . Despite the smoke prohibition some persons continue to smoke, harmonizing to Nice ( 2008 ) the multi disciplinary squad has a cardinal function to play in encouraging and authorising these persons to give up. Harmonizing to the Royal College of Nursing ( 2004 ) wellness publicity is the duty of every nurse. The NMC Code of Professional Conduct ( 2009 ) concur, saying that nurses are personally accountable for safeguarding and advancing the involvements of all patients and clients, irrespective of age, gender and societal fortunes. Harmonizing to Youdan and Queally ( 2005 ) nurses have a cardinal function to play in encouraging patient ‘s to give up smoke, they are ideally placed, and should enter the smoke position of all in and out patient ‘s, and where appropriate offer advice and smoke surcease options. In 2008, the National Institute for Clinical Excellence, acknowledged that smoke is a major contributory factor in the wellness spread that exists between the higher and lower socio-economic categories ( Nice 2008 ) . As a consequence, NICE published its first elaborate counsel on smoking surcease ( ibid ) . Harmonizing to these guidelines all persons that come into contact with a wellness professional should be questioned on their smoke position ( ibid ) . Harmonizing to Thomas ( 2007 ) brief oppugning on the topic of smoke has become the foundation of national smoke surcease policy. Nice ( 2008 ) besides stipulate that wellness professionals should utilize as many avenues as possible to make tobacco users, saying that links between birthrate clinics, ante-natal groups, station natal assignments, tooth doctors, infirmaries and GP surgeries should be made in order to aim as many person ‘s as possible. If an single professes to smoke, the wellness professional should offer suited advice and nicotine replacing therapy ; this should be given in concurrence with continued support and a referral to the local NHS Stop Smoking Service ( Nice 2008 ) . Behavioral guidance should besides be offered where appropriate ; this can take topographic point on a one to one footing or in group Sessionss ( ibid ) . Nice ( 2008 ) acknowledges that an person ‘s societal fortunes can be hard to change in the short term ; nevertheless, they believe that behaviour alteration on an single degree is more accomplishable. Evidence has shown that category is a cardinal determiner of wellness. Those in the lower socio-economic category suffer higher degrees of CHD than those in the higher socio-economic category. It has besides been shown that they consume more tobacco merchandises and are more susceptible to emphasize. As antecedently discussed, emphasis and baccy ingestion are both clear markers in cases of CHD, therefore policy aimed at cut downing the emphasis related facets of these persons lives demands to be addressed. Similarly, the ingestion of baccy by this group besides needs to understood. This fact has been recognised by the authorities, who have introduced societal policies related to employment, lodging and smoke in an effort to cut down mortality rates within the lower categories from diseases such as CHD. Nurses and the multi disciplinary squad besides have a portion to play, peculiarly within the community. It is the duty of every wellness professional to oppugn an person with respects to their smoke position, by making so, advice, support and encouragement can be offered, in a command to alter the person ‘s attitude towards this wellness damaging behavior.Mentions:BBC News ( 2007 ) Smoking Ban Takes Effect. ( online ) . Available at: hypertext transfer protocol: //news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6258034.stm ( Accessed 16 April 2010 ) . Black ( 1980 ) The Black Report: Inequalities and Health.Socialist Health Association. ( online ) . Available at: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.sochealth.co.uk/Black/blackintro.htm ( accessed 15 March 2010 ) British Heart Foundation ( 2010 ) UK Coronary Heart Disease Statistics. Department of Health. ( online ) . Available at: www.bhf.org.uk/plugins/PublicationsSearchResults/idoc.ashx? †¦ 1 ( Accessed 25 April 2010 ) . DOH ( 1998 ) Independent Inquiry into Inequalities in Health Report. Chair Sir Donald Acheson. London: The Stationary Office. DOH ( 1999 ) Salvaging Lifes: Our Healthier Nation. ( online ) . Available at: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_4118614 ( Accessed 19 April 2010 ) . DOH ( 2008 ) The Coronary Heart Disease National Service Framework: Building on Excellence keeping Progress. ( online ) . Available at: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/documents/digitalasset/dh_096556.pdf ) . ( Accessed 9 April 2010 ) . House of Commons ( 2008 ) Health Committee Third Report – Health Inequalities 2008-2009. Health Committee Publications. ( Online ) . Available at: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200809/cmselect/cmhealth/286/28602.htm ( Accessed 4 March 2010 ) . House of Commons ( 1999 ) Fairness at Work. House of Commons Library. ( online ) . Available at: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.parliament.uk/commons/lib/research/rp98/rp98-099.pdf ( Accessed 16 April 2010 ) . Johnson ( 2004 ) Work Stressors and Social Class. ( online. ) Available at: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.workhealth.org/risk/johnson % 20article.html ( Accessed 20 April 2010 ) . Marmot ( 2010 ) Fair Society, Healthy Lives. ( online ) . Available at: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.ucl.ac.uk/gheg/marmotreview/Documents/finalreport/FairSocietyHealthyLivesChapter2 ( Accessed 17 March 2010 ) . NHS Choices ( 2009a ) Coronary Heart Disease. ( Online ) . Available at: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Coronary-heart-disease/Pages/Causes.aspx ( Accessed 26 February 2010 ) . NHS Choices ( 2009b ) Does Smoking Help Stress. ( online ) . Available at: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/1114.aspx? CategoryID=53 & A ; SubCategoryID=531 ( Accessed 20 April 2010 ) . 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