Sethu Sethunarayanan

1. Explain in detail what theories and concepts you learned in class are helpful to understand the case. The case discusses an entrepreneur named Sethu Sethunarayanan, who invented and marketed an innovative trap to help poor Irula people (an Indian tribe) catch rats more efficiently. He is the founder of the Center for Development of Disadvantaged People (CDDP) – one of a few recognized non-profit organizations in India. The case is an example how technological innovation and human capital can be used to improve the life for the poor.This rat-trap entrepreneurship was a social entrepreneurship because the inventor used the resources to cater to the needs of poor people. Prior to the innovation of the new trap, Irula villagers needed to use their mouths and their hands to catch the rats directly; their health was severely affected when touching the rats. After talking to a rat-catcher’s wife, Sethu realized that there was a problem and with the instinct of an entreprene ur, he knew that there would be an opportunity for him to solve the problem and improve the lives of Irula people.With the help of a mechanical engineer, Sethu developed a new trap to help people catch rats without contacting directly to the rats and the hot area of the trap. The values created from this innovation were a better health and a better income for rat-catchers. A concept test was implemented to fifteen rat catchers to see whether it worked. This was an important process to determine whether the entrepreneur needed to revise his innovation. After six iterations in eight months, the trap met most of the needs of the rat catchers. Sethu then applied for the grant from the World Bank to commercialize the innovation.It was a good choice of raising fund since social entrepreneurships usually do not attract numerous investors (because the aim is not for profit but for a better life of people). Sethu also planned various processes for the implementation of the project. Firstly, he identified the market which consisted of 1,500 neediest villagers and communicated the benefits of the new trap directly to this segment by visiting their villages. Secondly, Sethu created more values for customers by creating the women’s microcredit funds, which operated like loans and enabled women to afford a trap.These funds helped bring the traps to more villagers. Thirdly, he chose the right people to take care of the production. Since the young and unmarried women were selected to be the workers, the men and the boys were kept for catching the rats. Finally, he already thought of the exit strategy when the demand for the traps decreased. In such a situation, the factory would produce other steel products that were useful for Irula people. 2. What were crucial factors that determined success or failure? The success of the rat trap entrepreneurship was contributed by numerous factors.Firstly, it was due to the human capital: Irula people. Although Irula young women we re illiterate, they were able to produce the traps by themselves after being instructed. Selecting these women to operate the factory was a wise strategy because it made Irula people feel proud of their tribe. These workers might also persuade and instruct their relatives and neighbors to use the traps. As a result, the customer base for the business would be enlarged. Secondly, the technology innovation was also an important factor. It was the simplicity of the trap that made it usable for Irula people, 99% of whom were illiterate.Sethu and the mechanic engineer spent eight months inventing and testing the trap before it met all the needs of the rat catchers. If the trap was more complex, Irula people could not use it and the entrepreneurship would become a failure. Thirdly, the $98,500 grant from the World Bank served as the source for Sethu to implement his business plan. The plan included many costly processes such as health checks and treatments for the beneficiaries, building factory, training employees, and production. Without the fund of the World Bank laying the foundation, Sethu might not be able to start the business.Lastly, Sethu seemed to be the first one who addressed the problem in how Irula people catch rats, so he had the first-mover advantage. In addition, it was not likely that other social entrepreneurs would come and compete with Sethu in the near future. Hence, the Irulas did not have other choices but use Sethu’s new traps if they wanted to change the way to catch rats. 3. What characteristics of the entrepreneur enabled their success? Sethu had many characteristics of an ideal social entrepreneur. Among those characteristics, the thing distinguishing him from others may be his concern for the community.Being inspired by Mahatma Gandhi – the Father of the Nation, Sethu always thought of ways to bring a better life for the poor in India. This is probably the reason why he realized the problem of the old way of catching rats of the Irulas and did not stop thinking of a solution. In addition, Sethu obtained an appropriate education and experience in doing social entrepreneurship. Sethu studied in Gandhi’s school in India, where he was instructed to use Gandhi’s method to improve lives for the poor, solve human conflicts and introduce new ideas.After graduation, he worked for an NGO to accumulate experience before establishing his own NGO in 1998. His education and experience were the foundation for his innovativeness, which contributed to the invention of the rat trap. Finally, the most vital factor leading to the success of the entrepreneurship was Sethu’s risk-taking attitude. What would happen if the trap failed when applying to a large extend even though it was successful in the concept test; or if the Irula refused to use the trap anyway?In such a situation, Sethu would lose all the costs in health checking and treatment for the rat catchers, building the factory, training the e mployees and so on. More importantly, his prestige would be adversely affected since he was awarded the grant from the World Bank but failed to use it effectively. Despite all these risks, he still continued with the business because he believed in his idea and in the Irulas. 4. What were problems encountered by the entrepreneur and how did the entrepreneur deal with the problems? How did the entrepreneur overcome the problems?When implementing the project, Sethu did face some problems. Firstly, it was the resistance from the Irula people. They refused to meet Sethu and CDDP volunteers because they think Sethu and the volunteers were from some politic parties. Knowing that Irula people wanted to involve and did not like free things, Sethu triggered their interest by approaching them personally, explaining the serious health problems with the old trap and asking them whether they wanted to change their lives. The second problem was the selection of the workers for the factories.Becau se the men and the boys needed to catch rats while the wives and the old women were taking cooking roles in families, Sethu chose young, unmarried women to be the workers. He even transferred the ownership of the factory to these women so that they felt more motivated to control the production. The third problem was that Irula people were not be able to afford the trap at $25. CDDP solved this problem by launching the women’s microcredit collectives. In particular, a group of 12-15 women contributed money to form a fund.When a woman wanted to buy a trap but could only afford 50% payment, she received the trap and paid the rest to the microcredit fund. Such a fund made the traps become more affordable for the Irulas. Perhaps the most serious problem was that the business did not bring profit, at least in the recent future. The production cost per unit was $27 ($22 for raw materials and $5 for labor) but the selling price was only $25. To deal with this problem, Sethu used boot strapping as the financing method for the entrepreneurship when he tried to save unnecessary costs. For example, he asked the Irulas to return the trap if they did not use it.In addition, Sethu’s son successfully negotiated with the supplier to lower the material cost (from $28 to $25) and the cost savings was then reinvested in the factory. 5. Given the knowledge and skills you acquired in class, would you have done anything differently and if yes, what? There may be some alternatives to deal with the mentioned problems. Firstly, we can use the power of the influential group to persuade the Irulas to use the trap. By identifying some influential people, for example the tribal chief, in a village and convincing them to use the new trap, we can spread the benefits of the new trap to other villagers faster.It is because the Irula people still live with tribe culture, they will likely to follow what the tribal chief does. Secondly, instead of selling the traps to the Irulas peop le, we can employ them as our employees and pay them salaries. The salaries will have one fixed portion and one variable portion based on the number of rats a person can catch. We will receive money from the farm owners and distribute to the catchers. By employing the Irulas as our employees, we solve the problem that some Irula people wish to use but do not afford the new trap.What is more, when putting them in a company and considering them as our employees, we also help educate them and reduce their illiteracy. 6. What would be the next steps you would take to successfully proceed? To continue the success of the entrepreneurship, firstly, we must find ways to earn money because no business can maintain forever without profit. Initially, the selling price was at $25, which was $3 lower than the production cost. We can continue working with the supplier (the steel maker company, in this case it was Tata Steel) or even change to other suppliers to further reduce the cost.On the othe r hand, we could provide new complementary products/services to earn profits and help offset the losses in the rat-trap product line. Notice that the new trap helped catch rat 95% efficiency and helped doubled or even tripled their incomes, the Irula people would earn more money to spend for their living expenses. For instance, we could provide maintaining services for the traps and charge a certain level of money, depending on the current economic situation of the rat catchers. Or it might also sell hand sanitizers for the Irula people to wash their hands after using the trap.When the Irulas’ income increased, these complementary products were likely to be purchased widely because the Irula people cared more about their health. In addition, we can work with the owners of the farms to increase the payoffs for Irula people. The old method of catching rats is extremely inefficient, affects the plants on the fields and causes pollution. We will approach the farmers explain to th em the efficiency and the benefits of the new trap, and convince them to employ rat catchers who use the new traps. Lastly, a more efficient trap can be produced.The current new trap can only catch one rat at one time, which is very inefficient. We can apply new technology to catch many rats at one time. For example, rats are affected by certain electromagnetic waves. By putting some wave generators at the fields, the rats are hurt and will come out of their burrows. Then the Irulas might catch the rats more easily. Because the costs for such systems might be high, we will need to obtain a certain level of profits before trying the new technology. Furthermore, we can also seek funds from external sources.

Software Applications and Information Systems

Software Applications and Information Systems A software application and an information system is vital for any company to manage its business. An unbelieveable amount of information and procedures that is made within a company, both the application and system relieves a company of a huge amount of paperwork. By aquiring a software application the accounting, marketing, and human resources department can keep track of many different areas within their department. The information system helps to manage all information coming in and going out. An excellent software application is the Formtran application. This application works in all departments, accounting, human resources, and marketing. This application is known for being the fastest data collector. For accounting the application offers compliance, consistency, and effciency. This provides help with purchase orders, credit memos, invoices, physical inventor forms, fixed asset forms, capital expenditure requests, and check requests (Formtran, 2010). The software provides a system that helps with certification testing, applicant tracking, charitable fund drives, emplyee satisfaction, pre-emplyment testing, time sheets, training, and pay roll forms (Formtran, 2010). The marketing and sales part of the application gives a company easy acess to the data needed. This includes contest enrollments, customer comment cards, award claim forms, expense reports, focus group surveys, product registration, sales call reports, sales force testing, and warranty cards (Fortran, 2010). Information systems help accounting departments by maintaining records that control the movement of funds within the company and produces finanical statements. Information systems for accounting will manage cash flow, loans, securities trading, and check processing. Human resources information systems help with placement, recruitment, compensation, career development, and evaluations of the employees within a company. The different examples is applicant tracking, training and skills, positions, benefits, and personnel record keeping. Marketing and sales use the system for marketing functions and sales support with keeping track of all movement with goods and services between producers and customers. Target points are telemarketing, point-of-sale, order processing, and slaes support. Basically the system for marketing and sales covers the improvement of customer service, maintaining customer data, total and record purchase transactions with the required packing list (Kelly, 2008). Software applications and information systems are a vital part to running a business today. These applications and systems help a company run smoother and more organized. In today’s world most all company’s use computers to run their business. Customers and employees expect to have answers in a reasonable time, and the applications and systems provide everyone with the information in a respectful time frame. The employees of the different departments (accounting, human resources, and marketing) tasks are made easier with the capability of the applications and systems.

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

Home work - Essay Example However, my dad would never miss all the big matches including the World Cup semi-finals and the finals. By then, I thought the other preliminary matchers were not generally worth much because I did not hear many people talk about them. One of my most treasured moments is when my dad bought us a ticket to go for a live match in our city. The tickets were quite rare as the date for the match neared as the fans had already taken a lot of room in the stadium. I focused on every movement in the field and liked the gusto the fans had on our national team. I had a keen interest in football from around the age of four. After about a year, I was struggling to get to bed or do my homework when a football match program was running. I actually tore players’ pictures once I saw them in the post. I would flip the newspaper looking at players’ photos, cut them off and put them all over the walls in my bedroom. I got huge piles of homework and my dad restricted me from watching football matches. To keep on my dream of watching football programs for most match played, I bought my own TV when I was 12 and started wanting to know players from different clubs. In my teenage, I started going to spur games at weekends together with my peers. Ever since then, I mark out all football season and all programs in my memory. At first, I had two clubs whose players interested me most; Tottenham and Inter Milan. I had quite a number of friends who were zealous fans for the clubs. The seasonal results lack of continuous appearance or report over the radio and the newspaper for these teams led most of my friends to opt to support other clubs that participate in the match to the end. Though I have lost most of my friends to Chelsea and Manchester United, I am determined that nothing would happen to me any sooner to change my support for Milan. Looking at the kinds of football fans and their experiences, it is convincing that football should retain a relatively small fan

Mudering Mckinley Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Mudering Mckinley - Essay Example his longtime competitor William Jennings Bryan a year earlier before his death in 1901.His steadfastness in solving the crisis that the united States in the 1893 experienced earned him candidacy in Democrat and populist party in 1896.Strikes, riots, increased taxes and factories, closed. His presidency was so timely that he worked hard to safeguard the worsening situation such in a few weeks time; his achievements were identifiable. During his campaigns, though he did not move around looking for votes but allowed the citizens to visit him in his ohio state, he promised to restore prosperity. Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th president of United States of America became the president after the assassination of William McKinley in 1901. He was experienced in handling public services after serving in public offices as a governor of the New York and secretary of the Navy Department in McKinley’s first administration from his vast experience and rising political career in the New York. He fought for the freedom of Cuba from Spain in 1898 and together with Leonard Wood organized the rough Riders, which was the first U.S Calvary. The aftermath of the war left United States in the acquisition of Spanish empire and the Caribbean. Moreover, the United States gained protectorate over Cuba and gave it overseas possession dominance. Roosevelt was unique in his approach to progressive achievements as a leader. 1 Mckinley managed to win the presidency in March 1897. As promised, the factories were opened, workers returned to work and this earned him credit. Rauchway (2003) believes that in 1898, The United States became an international colonial empire. During the short war with Spain, the president had not wanted colonies; however, the German power would dare and despoil them. The president was so prayerful and at one time he confessed his prayers before he went to sleep. God’s presence was felt and in the next election, with his able running mate, Roosevelt Theodore, who had

IR case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

IR case study - Essay Example Today Australia has shifted from this method to free trade system. The country holds many free trade agreements with many countries such as China, US, Thailand, Singapore, and Chile. China is the largest market for Australia’s exports and also is the largest source of imports for china. In fact this has seen many Chinese companies investing in Australia. The country also has free trade agreements with New Zealand which dates back to 1965. Due to the advanced economy, the country has seen development of service industries such as finance, banking, insurance, tourism, consorting, and entertainment industries. The government provides services such as welfare, health, education, and other business services. Of these services in Australia, finance, insurance, and banking are the best in terms of performance and also the fastest in terms of growth in the country. These service industries are the backbone of the country’s economy. However, in the past decade, mining industry was at the back of the country’s economic growth. Australia is the world’s number one in production of uranium, zinc, lead, brown coal, nickel, and zircon. It also ranks number two in production of silver, copper, and gold. These minerals are in high demand all over the world. China, for example, is the country’s number one destination for iron where it is in high demand. With the shift from protectionism to free market polic ies the country’s industries have grown at a very high rate. Equating industrial disputation according to the official statistics to industrial harmony would be misleading. This would be so because the two are not the direct opposite of the other. The causes of industrial disputes may be avoided and yet we might not have industrial harmony. Industrial disputes arise when there are disputes with the workforce or the representatives

War in Iraq Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

War in Iraq - Essay Example In essence, students are forced to wear uniforms that have two or three colors, for all the years they will be attending the school in question. As a result, their minds clog and rotate around the colors of their uniforms (Brunsma 77). School administrators may have the objective of making students look the same in terms of status while in school through wearing uniforms. However, this is ill conceived because students have diverse physiques, uniforms tend to force some students to be other individuals; it makes them take up a personality that they are not comfortable being (Brunsma 108). When students are given the opportunity of wearing whatever uniform they prefer; they experience freedom. Here, the students’ mind roams freely, in that instead of being limited by the two or three colors in the school uniform, they can wear clothes that are of various colors. In essence, school uniforms create mental prisons in students; their minds atrophy because they lack

Introduction to criminal justice system Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Introduction to criminal justice system - Essay Example nal Justice Act of 2003, Section 148, a Crown court is not to pass a community sentence except as a last resort, if the seriousness of the crime merits it3. The Magistrate Court and Crown Court are both courts of first instance and deal with criminal law offences. All criminal offences initially come to the magistrate Court, however the summary offences are dealt with here while offences that are classed as triable are sent up to the crown Court. Offences fall into two primary categories – summary offences where a defendant may not be entitled to a trial by jury and indictable offences which include serious charges such as murder and manslaughter4. Summary offences dealt with at the Magistrate Court include less serious ones such as traffic offences or failure to pay taxes and will generally include all cases, including triable offences, where the defendant has opted for a summary trial. However, the Crown Court hears those cases involving indictable offences which include the category of serious offences such as rape or murder. Approximately ninety six percent of criminal cases are dealt with summarily at a magistrates Court.â⠂¬ 5 The legal system is essentially an adversarial one and thus expensive; for example studies conducted on divorce have revealed that adversarial litigation costs 66 percent more than mediation.6 In the conventional legal environment, lawyers are trained to adopt an adversarial position in regard to the opposite party and the formal, court based, procedural environment that is laden with codes and rules of conduct. In a criminal trial, one of the most important rights that will accrue to any person accused of a crime is the constitutional right to every aspect of the due process of law that will ensure that his or her guilt is established by proof beyond a reasonable doubt.7 The due process of law is the right accorded to every person alleged to have committed a crime to be treated fairly when involved in a legal action. The notion that

Management of Human Resources (HRM) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Management of Human Resources (HRM) - Essay Example Without such kind of mechanisms, some managers, as perfect as they are have failed in their functions, especially in initiating internal change of an organization and determining appropriate solutions to the problems existing in the HR domain. Examples arise from the U.S firms moving to operate in China and vice versa, which have resulted either in a failure in their external markets or a success to those that effectively managed change in the human resource (Jackson et al, 2012). A manager like any other human resource is a vital and valuable asset used to enhance organization performance and success. In other words, the organization â€Å"believes in the employee’s element as a strategy to drive innovation, productivity, and sharing price through workforce mobilization towards organization success† (humanresourcesexplained.com, n.d.). The HRM therefore performs various functions to ensuring proper policies and programs are developed and administered, according to the designed plan in mind, to enable effective utilization of the human resource, while steering them for individual development into higher performance and leadership positions in future. In general, HRM is a broad scope â€Å"focused on people in the organizations, and as a designed management system to enable human talents to be used efficiently and effectively in accomplishing organization goals† (vmouonline.in, n.d, p.2). HR functions involve decision making in the scope of their activities (e.g HR planning, selection, development, rewarding, appraisal, and safety among others), such that the objectives intended for the organization are met, and the HR brings up competent managers and leaders to lead the organization in various fields. Ensuring competent managers are in place The recruitment and selection function of the HR is essential to ensure the right personnel fit for an existing position or able to perform certain tasks required in leadership selected fro the benefit of the benefit of the company. In the recruitment process, HRM is responsible for attracting suitable human resources, availing the job description and candidate specification and bringing a job opening to the attention of the targeted individuals (Kyriakidou, n.d). Hence, candidate with management expertise or those satisfied can apply for the job so that organization invest in their human capital, acquire their talents and utilize them in leadership. In selection stage, modern organizations use interviews, references, and in advanced cases with the help of Biodata and Psychometric testing (Braton and Gold, 2007). In the end the HRM can acquire managers and employees with the right skills for the job, one wiling to learn new tasks and capable of adapting to the changing conditions and cultures of the organization. One of the HR function is managing and developing identified talents in organizations. The HR specialist engage in coordinating the new hire orientations, providing train ing, instruction and in house workshops, and conduct needs assessment based on the employees’ identified skill sets (Mayhew, 2013). HR can hence determine potential skills based on the pool of employees they manage and decide to select them for advanced training. Different employees have different capabilities and it is the role of HR to tap into and develop the exceptional talents, whether in leadership

Health care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

Health care - Essay Example 2. There are policies that have been designed for lowering the medical expenditures, due the rising costs that are resulting to projected federal deficits over the few decades. There are expansion difficulties experienced in expansion of the health care insurance. Moreover, the elevated medical expenses are crowding out in private coverage resulting to decreased employment of low wage and secondary earners. Therefore, these issues can object the effort of entrepreneurs to venture into the field of health care. In this case, the health care system is not acting optimally concerning the legal structure, since there are no policies aimed at can facilitate venture of the entrepreneurs. In conclusion, the paper has explored issues related to the venturing of the entrepreneurs into the field of health care systems through innovation, though, there are numerous hindrances identified and the most significant one being lack of the legal structure to support their efforts. Therefore, the health care system presents a compelling opportunity for entrepreneurial spirit, but there is no legal

How employee engagement has been forgotten by many andor remembered by few Essay Example for Free

How employee engagement has been forgotten by many andor remembered by few Essay How employee engagement has been forgotten by many and/or remembered by few Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is believed that any company which unlocks the secrets of engaging their employees is likely to get very high profits. However, this has never been the case. There are always challenges and confusions which leads to misdirection hence the failure of the employee engagement. The main cause of this is the lack of congruity when talking about the definition and also measurement of the employee engagement. Furthermore, there is also lack of clear distinction between employee engagement and other closely related concepts. This paper’s aim is to conduct an in depth analysis on the importance of engaging employees in any activities of a business activity. It will also give recommendations where the importance found from the managers who practice this will be given.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Lack of clear definition is one of the glaring issues that concern the concept of employee engagement. Different categories of individuals ranging academic researchers, corporations, practitioners and many more have extensive variations on how they give meanings. The harnessing of an organization’s member’s selves with aim of making them work their role; in engagement, people always express themselves physically, emotionally and cognitively during their role performance (Kahn, 1990).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   An organization which is always widely associated with employee engagement because of their best-selling book, First, Break all the Rules, The Gallup Organization, have a different definition. They define engaged employee as one who works with passion and feel a profound connection to the company he or she is working for and have a drive innovation to move the organization forward. Employee engagement may also be defined as a process through which an organization aims to increase commitment of its employees as well as continuation to aid in the achievement of superior results. This definition is according to the International Survey Research. This definition however looks at employees’ commitment in three different ways. They may include affective, cognitive, and lastly behavioural which incorporates actions, feelings and thoughts.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The last definition that is taken into consideration by this paper is the process of translating the employees’ potentials into the employee performance as well as business success.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This as a result changes the ways in which employees perform their duty through utilizing the tools found within the armory of internal communication professional (Shaw, 2005).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Before indulging further into the issue of employee engagement, it’s prudent a proper understanding of how employee engagement measurement is done. There are reliable metrics that are used to measure the employee engagement despite the rational and emotional components available. There exists several survey instruments that have been used in measuring the employee engagement. This paper however uses the Q12 survey system which was developed by the Gallup Corporation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Q12 survey involves asking 12 questions which had strong linkages to high performance and measured how well the companies were meeting core requirements for the employees. According to this survey, a high score on the 12 items always reflected the underlying emotional engagement among the employees who took the survey. This engagement leads to improvement in business results, as well as increased levels of productivity, employee retention and profitability (Walker, 2012)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When dealing with employee engagement, there are a number of related concepts which must be put into consideration. The four related areas with the employee engagement include organizational citizenship behaviour, job satisfaction, work engagement and organizational commitment. These four go hand in hand to ensure that proper understanding of the employee engagement as well as its importance.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Organizational citizenship behaviour for a long time has always been referred to as the extra role behaviour. The organizational citizenship behaviour can be defined as the behaviour of an individual which is not explicitly recognized by the formal reward system and in the end promotes the efficient and effective functioning of the organization concerned. Practically, the organizational citizenship behaviour improves efficiency and the effectiveness of an organization by supplying support to transformations, adaptations and innovations within the organization. Studying the organizational citizenship behaviour from a macro perspective, it’s found out that it helps to supply direct support to the organization and the individuals found in the organization. This indirectly supports the organization (Anderson Williams, 1991).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The organizational citizenship behaviour can be divided into many subcategories that gives a common dimension. The sub components includes self-development, organizational loyalty, sportsmanship, helping behaviour, civic virtue, individual initiative and organizational compliance. When a critical review is done on the definitions of the components mentioned above, it’s realized that their definitions is more or less the same as that of employee engagement. The helping behaviour talked about shows or implies an act of voluntary helping others and thus preventing the occurrence of any work related problem. Organizational loyalty on the other hand aims at remaining committed to an individual’s work even during tough situations.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   However, the component which tends to show strong relationship with the employee engagement is the individual initiative. It can be defined as the persistence one puts on a job with extra enthusiasm or it can be said to be volunteering to perform extra responsibilities as well as encouraging others within the same organization to follow suit (Podsakoff et al, 2000).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Job satisfaction, is also another concept related to the employee engagement. A number of scholars have tried to come up with a wholesome definition of job satisfaction. According to Brief and Weiss, 2002, they described it as pleasurable or the positive and emotional state that results from recognizing one’s job or the experience from the job. There existed a number of disagreements whether the initially presumed definition was the exact one. It was found that there were so many shortcomings with the Brief and Weiss definition. This made Weiss to modify the definition. Job satisfaction came to be described as the positive or negative evaluation that a person makes about his or her job situation (Weiss, 2002). From time to time, the definition has always updated so as to include a cognitive component in the measurement of job satisfaction.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Work engagement is the third component related to the employee engagement. Work engagement of employees measured or looked at into different categories. It involves vigor, absorption and dedication. Starting with vigour, it can be described as being fully charged with energy as well as resilience in job even during the days when nothing serious happens. Dedication involves one being proud of their work and getting convinced that whatever activity an individual undertakes is significant. Lastly, absorption as a concept means being carried away work to the extent that one forgets everything in the surrounding (Hallberg, 2005).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Lastly, the fourth concept related to the employee engagement is the organizational commitment. This concept entails the process that is gone through when obtaining the goals of an organization’s multiple constituencies. The goals ranges from a broad organizational goals and their values to a more specific formulation. Organizational commitment may also be defined as the willingness to persist in a course of action as well as the reluctance to change plans while keeping the main goal to stay on course. Both the definitions highlight the fact that people are committed to multiple entities. These multiple entities involve emotional and rational components (Vance, 2005). The emotional concept is defined as the positive feeling towards an entity while thee rational component means the state of being conscious as well as thoughtful in planning and executing actions that fulfill commitments.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Having dealt with that, it’s crucial that factors which keep employee engaged are looked into in details. There are three main vital ingredients that make employee engaged. First is the leadership of any particular business organization. The leaders any an organization must set standards that in terms of dedication and then rubs it off to the rest of the employees. The leaders must be able to make difficult decisions correctly and fairly. Furthermore, they should be competent and show consistency in whatever they do. In areas where this is not displayed by the leaders, the employee always feels looked and upon and as result they are always not engaged in whatever activity they undertake. The employees always talk and so poor leadership may be used as the stepping stone to quit any particular job. Good leadership makes an organization to have a very strong employee engagement hence better results (Taylor, 2014).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Secondly, communication and transparency is also a factor or an ingredient that may make your employee engaged or not. This factor however has been underestimated by many and taken for granted. Senior people in an organization always have a notion that employees concern themselves with earning their wages to a larger extent and care very little for other things (Taylor, 2014). The truth of the matter however is that large majority of employees put a lot of emphasis on whether they are regularly being kept in the loop. It always doesn’t matter to them whether it concerns their own development or big decisions of the organization. What actually matters is that it concerns everyone. Openness and good communication makes the employees to feel highly appreciated and hence part of the organization. They don’t feel detached. This makes the organization a better place to be in.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Lastly, enjoyment is also a key ingredient for engaging employees. The most important aspect of employee engagement is considering the fact that they are human beings. The organization does not run at a loss when they introduce elements of fun in the work place. The fun and enjoyment may range from a number of activities like a dress down party on Fridays, monthly trips, or any other thing that appeals to your employees.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The aim of such enjoyment is to make employees feel like they want to work. This will thus make them stay as long as they want. This is however not the case with many jobs. Not many employees always want to make their employees have fun. This makes people have negative attitude towards such jobs leading to very few people doing such jobs. On many occasions, work does not necessarily have to be done with a serious mood at all times. The only way an employer can make the employees feel engaged it to make them feel as if work is something that should be enjoyed rather than being a chore (Taylor, 2014).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It’s therefore clear that employee engagement can be grouped into two main broad categories or rather approach. There is the philosophical approach and the pragmatic approach. The philosophical approach deals with the management philosophy that are considered when making overall decisions of a human resource. The pragmatic approach on the other hand deals with the dedication programmes for employee engagement. Here, measurement of engagement is done. None of the approaches either is stated to provide a clear winner when trying to achieve an engaged work force (Shaw, 2005).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Having placed more emphasis on the engaged employees, it’s now prudent to talk about the disengaged employees. It’s documented that stress is one of the factors that can dislodge a highly engaged worker from conducting his or her duties without other workers or the organization getting aware of the in depth of the problem. Historically, many organizations have not done an in depth survey on how to deal with stress or other emotional problems.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The former acting manager of the Freddie Mae, David Kellerman, committed suicide due to stress April 22, 2009. His death was attributed to the organizations failure to respond to the signs he was showing. The government seized his company after running at a loss of $108 billion. The work environment was also stressing. As if that was not enough, he always received so much criticism from the media. All these prompted him to commit suicide. This is the worst that happens when employees are not engaged. Recommendations for managers   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   From the readings and research done, the following are some of the recommendations that ought to be considered by managers to ensure a proper way of promoting customer engagement.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The managers should take specific actions or steps to achieve success. While doing this, they must always remember that each and every company is unique and therefore the action they take should be specific to that particular company. The customers should always be provided with as much information as possible to help make them engaged.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The managers should always know the approach that their organization ought to take and why that approach is important. The employees should also be given the approach used by the organization. When this is done, it makes them know why it’s done. This makes them feel part and parcel of the organization and hence promotes the level of employee engagement. Mutual agreement should also be made with the employees. This makes them know what is expected of them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Rechanneling of extensive time and resources should be done by the employers. This always forms the basis of creating a new employee engagement initiative. A company may be working on the already made initiatives. These initiatives may be giving forth good results. Coming up with a whole new initiative might lead to misdirection in a healthy focus which has been in existence for a long time and thus would lower the progress of a company. Engaging in such activities should be avoided at all cost. Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The concept of employee engagement is one that is very wide. The engagement of employees affects different levels of an organization ranging from micro and macro levels. So as to reduce the existing ambiguity when it comes to matters of the employee engagement, a lot more need to be done in this area. Any organization willing to get better results from applying the issue of employee engagement should do so with a lot of caution. Anything done be based on the strengths and weaknesses found, any related concept as well as all the unveiled fields in the issue of employee engagemen References (2006). Gallup Study: Engaged employees inspire company innovation. Gallup Management Journal, retrieved from http://gmj.gallup.com/content/defaut.aspx?ci=24880pg=1. Hagerty, J. Fields, G. (2009). A Fallen Mortgage Titan, Tragedy amid the Turmoil. Wall Street Journal 6- 5-2009 Hallberg, U. (2005). A thesis on fire: Studies of work engagement, type a behaviour and burnout. Department of Psychology, Stockhlom University, ISBN 91-7155-171-9 Podsakoff, P., Mackenzie, S., Paine, J., Bachrach, D. (2000). Organizational citizenship behavours: A critical review of the theoretical and Empirical literature suggestions for future research. Journal of Management, 26, 51, 1-56. Shaw, K. (2005). Employment engagement, how to build a high performance workforce. Journal on Human Resource, 0-9547741-3-2.Taylor, R. (2014). Maximising employee engagement. Journal of Leadership. 23-05, 47474 Walker, S. (2012). Employee engagement and communication research measurement, strategy and action. London: Kogan Page. Williams, L. Anderson, S. (1991). Job satisfaction and organizational commitment as predictors of organizational citizenship and in role behaviours. Journal of Management, 17, 3, 601-617 Source document

Business Practices Faced By Richard Branson Commerce Essay

Business Practices Faced By Richard Branson Commerce Essay This is where it all began, Richard Branson, best known for his Virgin Group is of over 400 companies. Born in July 18, 1950; destined to become one of the best known British entrepreneurs. Beginning at the age of 16 with his first successful business venture; publishing Student magazine, beginning his string of successes. Richard Branson is now the 212th richest person in the world. Estimated a net worth of approximately 4 Billion a dollars; honoured for his degree of Doctor of Technology, knighted for his services to entrepreneurship, becoming on the greatest British citizen and most influential people in the world by BBC and Time Magazine. Being an adventurer Branson is, he never hesitates to take risks and experiment with new ventures, now one of the most recognized brands in the world. The Company Philosophy Try new things, branch out, and when you cant find success with one venture, you simply move on to the next Sir Richard Bransons philosophy above simply puts Virgin Group into prospective. The Virgin group was founded by Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson in 1970; started one of his many entrepreneurial ventures at the age of 16, when he started a magazine titled Student in 1968. Later in 1970, Richard launched a mail order record company called Virgin, which was also a success, and soon after a chain of Virgin record stores followed. In 1973, Branson entered into the music recording business and went on to sign artists such as the Rolling Stones. However, that did not satisfy Bransons entrepreneurial quest and he was looking for opportunities to diversify his business. Hence, in 1984 he ventured into the airline industry with Virgin Atlantic, which went on to become the second largest airline in Britain. The Virgin group then continued to expand with the launch of Virgin Publishing, Virgin Radio, Virgin Cola, Virgin Direct and Virgin Rail. Nevertheless, the Virgin Group was not always free of failures. One major setback for Virgin was the acquisition of Virgin Records by EMI in 1992. The other road bumps for Virgin were duds like Virgin Cola, Virgin Vodka, Virgin Cinemas, Virgin Cars and Virgin Cosmetics that were not very successful ventures sign of a true entrepreneur. But that does not mean that Virgin gives quantity more priority over quality. Every business venture is carefully calculated and analyzed keeping in mind the market demand, customer needs and innovation of products and services. Today, Virgin group is a leading branded venture capital organization and consists of more than 300 companies worldwide with products and services ranging from music, telecommunications, beverages, airlines, media and finance. The growth strategy of Virgin Group is based on the concept of licensing and franchising the Virgin brand name and being involved in the establishment of the ventures from scratch rather than acquiring and buying out existing businesses. The Virgin Brand is ever expanding and diversifying and Branson always encourages innovation and the wide range of products and services offered under the Virgin brand name exemplifies that. In the future years the strategic plan of Virgin is to launch two more ventures: Virgin Fuel (Cheaper, more efficient eco-friendly fuel), Virgin Galactic (Suborbital Space flights; which are set to revolutionize the business world). Brief Timeline 1970 With the success of Virgin Records, Virgin Group was founded, a catalyst for this creation. 1999 Virgin Atlantic was developed, a British train service. 2002 Virgin entered the mobile phone business, Virgin Mobile, opening similar mobile ventures in Britain, Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong and South Korea. 2004 The independent charitable arm of the Virgin Group was established as Virgin Unite. 2005 Virgin Comics launched. 2006 Virgin Holidays established with a very econ friendly view by using all its profits in research and development of sustainable sources of energy. 2008 Virgin Radio rebranded. 2009 Virgin Group launches Digital Help Company in New York and in the UK. 2010 Unveiling of Virgin Gaming, an online destination for competitive console gamers. 2011+ Virgin Fuel Virgin Galactic Sectors that Virgin Group diversifies into: The Virgin group has been diversifying for a long time now. The company is occupied in different types of sectors and currently has around 240 or even more corporations. Richard Branson also ventured into the wildest sectors-Virgin Space Port. The diagram below lists the various sectors that the Virgin Group is diversified into: C:UsersalwardiDesktopVMS.jpg Why we chose this particular business over others? Virgin Megastores are known worldwide about its products and services. Every time you pass by the store you are curious much to know if they have any new products. At times you get surprised by seeing some movies and music albums that are yet to be released in America. Virgin mega store is a place where you can go for everything that involves entertainment. It has a sense of youth in the store; that awakens the young sprit. As for the staff are mostly youngsters. Virgin gives them the opportunity and flexibility to cope between work and studies. This gives a good reflection about Virgin brand. There products varies from educational to entertainment. It used to be only entertainment but after diversification; it serves all ages. When you approach any Virgin employee and ask them about any specific product they would be very confident and explain everything. In addition; other information that concerns the past and current status of the products. Advantages and Disadvantages of such a Business Each and every business has its own advantages and disadvantages. Each and every department has its own ways. Thus, every department differs. In general these are the advantages and disadvantages: Advantages Virgin Megastores Bahrain have a no competition with other brands. As its the only one in the country that sells everything that you require from a pencil to a laptop. There is nothing like virgin in Bahrain; when you enter searching for something you can easily find it. When you compare the Middle East and United States of America there is a major difference. Over there are other companies and stores that offer the same type of business but the middle east Virgin Megastores is one of a kind; and the first. Disadvantages However, the use of internet these days has increased significantly; and copying of the original music and movies too. As Virgin Megastores has a wide range of music CDs and movies; the sales are reduced due to piracy; illegally downloading materials from the internet. So consumer view why should I buy something that I can get easily free. Thus, causing a major loss to Companies like virgin. To add on, Virgin Megastores are diversified into many departments example: music, movies, books, etc. This causes some complications; that your focus is not only on one thing but several things at the same time. Leadership Leadership can be defined as the art of influencing other people to achieve the companys goals and objectives in a way to make it more consistent and cohesive. (Hubpages, 2010) Leading people in the right path processes leadership in order to accomplish a common goal. Leadership ensures that the organization works successfully in accomplishing its desired goals. Good managers are characterized by their leadership skills and experience for the aim in getting high performed and well organized company. They are the backbone of the company to maximize their productivity at the same time create harmony between employees which results to better outcome and efficiency. Only leaders have the ability to encourage their employees to work efficiently toward achieving the companys best interest. (WIR,2010) Types of leadership Leadership style is the method and approach used by leaders to achieve objectives, provide direction and motivates people when working with others. It is the manner in which leaders interact with their subordinates. Given below are the different ways leadership styles have been defined: Transactional Leaders: this type of leadership involves a process of exchange between the leader and the follower (subordinate). The leader tends to obtain compliance on one hand by offering incentive on performance and on the other hand, by offering threats or punishment for bad performance and non-compliance. Transformational leaders: this type of leadership style is more visionary and inspirational in approach. The leaders here have a tendency to provoke intense emotion and communicate a clear and acceptable vision and goals with which the subordinates can easily identify. Autocratic leaders: here, the leaders are the decision makers and have total authority. This type of leadership style is used for employees that require close supervision to perform certain tasks. (Lewin, Lippitt White, 1939) Democratic leaders: this type of leader always listens to his teams ideas and analysis them, but he/she will make the final decision. Here the team players contribute to the final decision making and therefore, employee satisfaction increases. (Lewin, Lippitt White, 1939) Laissez-faire leader: this type of leadership provides no continuous supervision, as the employees are highly experienced and do not require much supervision. Leadership at Virgin:- The person who made Virgin Group an outstanding business empire by changing and diversifying the business from a magazine to a range of companies at the present time is one of the worlds most effective leader and risk taker Mr. Richard Branson. This effective leader now owns 360 companies worldwide, which operate, now in eight different sectors, from music to transportation, media, travel, etc. (AUV, 2010). There are many effective methods used by Mr. Richard Branson in conditions of leading his employees. Mr Richard Branson has all the features every good leader as he adopts his own personal style of management. He maintained a very good relationship with the media, as he was known for his charisma. His leadership power motivated his employees as he supported them by financial incentives. Apart from the financial incentives given to his employees, he has his own way of motivating his employees by sharing with them stories of how he succeeded in life and shares his enthusiasm to help others by establishing various non-profit organizations in order to support young entrepreneurs. His introduction of new green technologies in the business was one of his major investments towards the safety and health of the environment; made his leadership strategies different from others (VSD.2010) Richard Branson follows both the democratic as well as the Laissez-faire leadership style, as his employees are involved in decision making indicating the decentralization technique used by him allowing his employees to participate in leadership. Applying his supportive leadership style where he loom his employees to become friendly and caring. His employees are allowed to have an open communication with the top-level management without any restrictions. (Hill. McShane, 2008) Richard Branson leadership approach has resulted to a significant achievement for the virgin group. Branson had been demonstrated conceivably enhanced than any other investor for the past thirty years worldwide. (BAG, 2010) Strategies of the Virgin Group: Virgin group played a very important role in Mr. Richard Bransons life; it not only transformed the company, but also transformed himself as known now to be a person who is willing to take risk at any time and a daring man. According to him, no was never the right answer now was it a solution. With the help of the strategies he had adopted, every opportunity, which came knocking on his door, was accepted. Not all of the strategies used by Mr Branson to diversify the company were successful; the strategies had their pros and cons. below are few strategies that are applied in virgin group in general regardless to the various sectors they are diversified into: Since the word NO is one of Bransons favorite words, the company uses Risk Management as their core strategy to capture any idea. Risk management is the method used by the company to manage and control risks and threats that comes to their way. The philosophy used by the virgin group is by separating the risks into various segments so that if any loss occurs, the whole group will not go down at once. At any crises point, this approach guarantees the company that only a tiny proportion of the company is affected. The virgin group also applied the Unrelated Diversification strategy. As seen today, Mr. Branson has expanded his company, diversified it and also invested money in different sectors yet, still uses the same brand name. He moved from sectors like Virgin Airlines to Virgin travel and tourism, Virgin Media and Virgin Cola. There are about 200 companies carrying the Brand name virgin. (VGA, 2010) Virgin stores are known for their lenient administration towards their employees. Decentralization is one of the strategies used by the company. Here the decision-making authority is transferred to the subordinates. Virgin group is a semi formal organization and work together as a big happy family. Here, the staff are empowered with many rights and responsibilities and are considered the strength of the company. Flow of information is very flexible and smooth so as the management (Pravab, 2010) Corporate social responsibility, a new strategy applied to the virgin group that emerges them to move towards social responsibility and to invest money towards a safe and healthy environment for the costumers. The Virgin Green fund project was created and invested into various sectors such as resource efficiency and renewable energy. (VSD, 2010) Employee motivation What is motivation? Motivation is the combination of forces that moves individuals to take certain actions and avoid others in pursuit of individual objectives. Motivation is the reason or reasons for getting involved in certain behaviour, especially human behaviour. There are many theories of motivation but to concentrate more on Virgin Megastores; they follow McGregors Assumptions which are divided into two groups Theory X and Theory Y. The two groups are completely different from each other. As for Virgin Megastores they go with Theory Y which is a really positive way to interact with employees. A short definition of Theory Y is that; Managerial assumption that employees enjoy meaningful work, are naturally committed to certain goals, are capable of creativity, and seek out responsibility under the right conditions. The assumptions behind theory Y emphasize growth and self-direction. Theory Y oriented managers seek to motivate employees through intrinsic rewards. As for Theory X; managerial assumption that employees are irresponsible, are unambitious, and dislike work and that mangers must use force, control, or threats to motivate them. The assumptions behind Theory X emphasize authority. The evidence that proofs that Virgin Megastores follow Theory Y; is that when you enter the store you can see one of the staff members heading towards you and asking you if you need any assistance. Mangers at Virgin motivate them psychologically; by different means. They give them the freedom to dress up in their own way as if they were going to a mall with friends and not in formal suites. In addition, all of virgin Megastores employees are in their 20s and are youth. The mangers have asked them to be themselves when coming to virgin full of youth sprit that catches customer attention. Competitions between employees are also done so that they love their work more and have more personal achievements. If any complications happen they highlight the mistakes personally to the employee and show them the correct way on t overcome these problems. What type of Company is Virgin Mega Store? It is a Private limited business. What is the difference between a limited and unlimited business? Limited company: A limited company can be defined as a business that has been registered in such a manner to ensure its owners to have limited liability. The owners would lose the value of their investment if company declares bankruptcy (farlex financial dictionary, 2010) http://financial-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Limited+Company Unlimited company An unlimited company is company; were the liabilities of the shareholders are not limited. The owners have unlimited obligations to meet any insufficiency in the assets of the company in the event of any bankruptcy. (Wikipedia, 2011) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unlimited_company Public company A public company is a company that had issued securities all through an offering and which is traded in an open market. (webfinance, 2010) http://www.investorwords.com/3932/public_company.html Private limited Private limited company is a company whose shares cannot be traded in the stock market. It can only pass to another person with the shareholders agreement. (Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English) MARKETING STRATEGY Theory A marketing strategy can be defined in financial terms as the process of allowing an organization to concentrate its limited resources on the major opportunities to increase sales and attain sustainable development and competitive advantage. The main concept of marketing strategy is consumer satisfaction. It serves as the foundation of the marketing plan. (Wikipedia, 2001-2006) . It is most effective when it becomes an integral part of the corporate strategy; as it clearly defines how the organization will successfully engage costumers, prospects and competitors in the marketing field. The key component of the marketing strategy is to keep a line with the companys overarching mission statements. Marketing strategies in virgin group: After a research done on Virgin group, Bahrain; the sales manager of virgin megastore, Mr. Kevin Koswette stated that virgin group as known now has diversified into various sectors and have around 240 companies. It is very difficult for the company to pay attention to its marketing strategies, as each sector is different from the other. The companies pay the virgin group to market their products; for example: Yamaha musical instruments are sold in virgin megastores as well as Arsenal sports club items. The marketing strategy of each product/service differs from the other as they are from various sectors that the company is diversifies into. For example: marketing strategy for Virgin music cannot be applied to the marketing strategy of virgin airlines. Recommendations: We have noticed that Virgin group involves its employees into their decision making which leads to decentralization of authority in the organization; in our opinion, high decentralization may also lead to loss of authority in the company and may also result to confidential leakage. The leniency in the workforce allows employees to dress up informally as they have the freedom to style their hair inappropriately that may influence youngsters who consider them as role models. Also it may not be acceptable socially in the community. We also noticed in our research about the company, that Mr. Richard Branson- the leader behind this company is a man with great charisma and loves the media exposure. In our opinion, the media exposure can cause negative impacts like scandals and false information about his personal life as well as the company. The flexibility in the workforce, friendly relationship and kindness of the leader- Mr Branson with his employees may result to dishonesty in the workforce; and employees might take advantage of this leniency in terms of achieving their objective. Findings of the project To get information about all the required details we had an interview with Mr. Kevin Koswatte, who is the Manager at Virgin Megastores Bahrain. Here are the questions: Questions In your opinion; what are the advantages and disadvantages of this type of business? What type of leadership style do you follow? What are the techniques used to motivate your staff? Is it limited or unlimited? Private or Public? Can you explain to us the marketing strategies followed by the company? Is it effective or not?

Digital Image Analysis Of Yell :: essays research papers

Digital Image Analysis of Yellowstone National Park Introduction Remote sensing refers to the tele-observational surveying and mapping of physical, urban and environmental features. Remote Sensing is also a composite of many other subjects such as aerial photography, radar surveying, thermal surveying, weather forecasting and photogrammetry. It has now become quite common practice to use remotely sensed data to take inventory, monitor and develop effective management practices of our natural resources. Objective It is the purpose of this paper to further enhance the understanding of remotely sensed data in such a way that we may assist the human brain in the extraction and interpretation of this data through digital image analysis data manipulation techniques, such as rectification, enhancement and classification. The application of conventional and non-conventional image enhancement /classification procedures will be applied to an area of The Old Faithful section of the North Fork forest fire within Yellowstone National Park as it existed on September 8, 1988. They will also be applied to Nile Delta region of Egypt. Conventional technology in the context of this paper refers to imagery that is uni-dimensional, that is, it has only one spectral band available for analysis. The term non-conventional will refer to imagery that has multi bands available for manipulation and analysis. Methods of enhancement utilized in the multi-band portion of this project include: - colour and histogram image enhancement - normalization and image algebra enhancement - filtering image enhancement - band transformations (eigen pictures) image enhancement - coventional methods of enhancement Methods of classification utilized in this project include: - signature training ( sampling) - supervised classification, PPD, Mindis, Maximumlikliehood - unsupervised classification, histogram equalization, clustering Methods of enhancement used in uni-scene portion of this project include: - histogram equalization uni-band - filtering image enhancement Data Acqisition Data acquisition refers to the data by means of information gathering about the scale selection of the remote sensing formats and the target identification of the surveyed and mapped resources. In this analysis we have acquired Landsat Thematic Mapper data which consists of seven spectral bands and covers a 512x512 picture element area. The Landsat ground resolution or pixel size is 30x30 metres which translates to an area coverage of 235.93 square kilometres of ground coverage, which is a subset region of the Yellowstone National Park. The Nile Delta region is located in nothern Egypt and the data acquired was originally acquired for delta topgraphy. The data is Landsat MSS with one available band and covers a 580x640 picture element area. The Landsat MSS ground resolution is 80x80 metres which translates to an area coverage 2211.

The Internet May Harm a Child’s Physical Well Being and Mental Health :: Technology Computers Children

Internet May Harm a Child’s Physical Well Being and Mental Health While online exploration opens a world of possibilities for children, expanding their horizons and exposing them to different cultures and ways of life, they can also be exposed to many dangers exploring the information highway. If not used properly, the Internet may be severely damaging to the mental and physical health of children. There are many different hazards on the Internet. Chatting on the Internet, which enables people as well as children to communicate, without revealing their true identity, is probably THE most dangerous area on the Internet. By engaging in chat, you open yourself up to all sorts of exploitation, and personal harm. Chatting brings people closer, which may not always be a good thing. Offensive dialogue and adult conversation during chat also influences children to use inappropriate language at home as well as in school. Because of the interactive nature of chatting, it is most likely activity online through which children may be harmed. Too much time online limits a child's well-rounded development by taking the place of friends, schoolwork, sports and other activities. While on the Internet, it is probable that one will get carried away and lose track of time. Since being on the Internet is so time consuming, it is possible for anyone to get addicted. Any parent that values his child’s mental and physical well being should avoid this. Easy access to sites promoting hatred, violence, drugs, cults, and other things not appropriate for children, is another great hazard of the Internet. Besides offering opportunities and access to unsavory activities, these sites also, quite often present misleading and inaccurate information. In most cases, parents cannot censor what their children read online, what sites they visit, what kind of people they chat with, or the things they purchase. Accessing the Internet means accessing violent material, by means of reading and watching. Basically, a parent does not have control over what their child does. There are no restrictions on marketing products such as alcohol, tobacco, and arms to children- Marketing deceptively collects personal information from kids in order to sell products to them or their parents. Requests for personal information for contests and surveys that are used in unauthorized ways often may occur. By submitting personal information in order to purchase goods or services through the Internet, we are exposing ourselves to hackers. Hackers illegally obtain private files stored on computers.

3d Printing Technology Essay

Legitimate Concerns Facing 3D Printing Technology Executive Summary This research journal article discusses how 3D Printing technology may effect federal firearms regulations. The focus of the article is that, due to the development of 3D Printing technology, individuals, even people without technical expertise, now have the ability to use the new technology to produce guns at home much more easily than they ever have before. This behavior might bring great harm to society. However, if a comprehensive prohibition on using 3D Printers to manufacture personal weapons were implemented, it might defy the 2008 District of Columbia v. Heller Supreme Court decision. In fact, the increasing popularity of 3D Printing means lawmakers must decide soon whether or not to allow 3D Printing of weapons. 3D Printing either should only be allowed to produce things that cannot be used as lethal weapons. Or, secondly, it can be used to produce a physical, working gun. The second option might achieve advances in 3D printing technology and promote the development of firearms design. However, developments in 3D Printing technology are creating concerns that not only legitimate consumers but also criminals are able to â€Å"print† firearms at home. If the law doesn’t allow individuals to use 3D printers to manufacturer personal weapons like handguns, it might be illegal according to the Second Amendment of the Constitution, a provision which protects the right of individuals to possess firearms under the law. Specifically, under the 2nd Amendment individuals may have the right to create their own firearms for self-defense, and the right to the manufacture firearms technology and materials. Analysis and Critique In fact, 3D Printing technology is not brand new. This technology has been undergoing development for more than a decade. The reason it became more popular recently is because of decreasing usage costs, so more and more individuals have the opportunity to own 3D Printers for personal use. In my analysis and critique of this journal article, I will focus on three different areas: how well does it deliver information to the reader, how the product will evolve in the future, and what is my opinion of concern about 3D Printing technology relate to firearms production after reading this journal article. First of all, this article is well organized and divided into four parts. The first part introduces what 3D Printing is, and how it is possible to produce firearms using the technology. The second part explains why the sale and production of firearms are limited under federal regulations, and provides an overall outlook of the firearm industry. Part three includes explanations of how 3D printers may change firearms production. Finally, Part four describes the constitutional right to bear arms, and it also analyzes the extent to which Heller’s case may limit prohibitions on 3D Printing. Moreover, this article provides other critical information to explain key points. It is a very valuable introduction for a reader without a background in the subject who might not be very familiar with the IT industry or with the relevant legislation. Based on the data and supporting details provided by the author, readers will have a basic idea of the fundamental issues concerning the intersect ion of 3D Printing and weaponry. As a result, it relates the technology to big concerns about public security, and the author gives great examples of the various legal arguments on the topic. Therefore, I think this article is a valuable qualitative article that can expand people’s knowledge on the subject. Secondly, besides concerns about guns, there are no other disadvantages to the improvement of 3D Printing, which will make the operating cost of the technology increasingly cheap. Jensen-Haxel explains how 3D Printing actually works in his article: The process begins with a digital 3D model created using Computer Added Design (â€Å"CAD†) software. The software automatically slices the model into a stack of thin horizontal cross-sections about 0.1mm in height. The, 3D printer then builds the physical model by depositing material layer by layer. At the same time, 3D Printers are getting smaller and smaller, which will make it easier for consumers to have their own machines at home. This changes the old production model. Nowadays, people are allowed to produce whatever they want using a 3D Printer, all they need are the required data and materials. In fact, because of the development of the Internet, it is easier than ever for people to find these resources online. Evans states that: The quickest way to get started with 3D printing is simply to find models online that others have already created and shared on the Internet. The online 3D printing community is growing all the time, so more and more things are being shared every day. Therefore, the limitations of self-production have shifted from hardware difficulties to software or materials issues. The technology is becoming simpler to use, but it might harm light manufacturing industries because some designers may be able to use their own 3D Printers to produce a sample instead of finding established producers that use traditional manufacturing methods. Because of these improvements, the potential for 3D Printing is bright, but the light manufacturing industry might be negatively affected by it. Finally, the author argues that the rapid improvement of 3D Printing and the increasing convenience for individuals to produce things with it is both a major concern and a tremendous possibility. Should individuals receive the right to do whatever they want with 3D Printing technology, even the ability to â€Å"print† firearms? The topic of gun safety has become especially relevant since the school shooting in Newton, Connecticut last year. More and more people are arguing about if the government should make some changes to firearms regulation. Jensen-Haxel wrote in his article that: â€Å"As the power of production passes from industry to consumer, many areas of the law may be caught unprepared.† (P.448) Concerns about the rate of technological progress outpacing regulations are not limited to 3D Printing. Because of the relentless improvements to technology, more and more challenges will occur as regulators try to manage new technology. The fact is, in most cases, laws only change after a new problem occurs, which means that new products will often exist in a legal gray area before rules can be changed. How the government deals with this issue might be a big concern in the following decades. To sum up, this article first introduces 3D Printing technology, and gives an example how 3D Printing has been used to â€Å"print† a firearm. As a result, the author relates this new technology to a regulatory concern. Within his argument, he provides lots of legal information, and then tries to point out a fact that some gray areas exist because regulation usually develops slower than a new technology can. Back to this article, is seems like the future of 3D Printing technology in unclear until the government resolves the legal issues concerning manufacturing weapons with this technology. Reference Evans, B. (2012). Practical 3D printers: the science and art of 3D printing. New York: Apress. Jensen-Haxel, Peter (2012). 3D Printers, Obsolete Firearm Supply Controls, and the Right to Build Self-Defense Weapons Under Heller. Golden Gate University Law Review; May2012, Vol. 42 Issue 3, p447-496, 50p

Corruption and Neoliberalism in the Philippines Essay

Despite this year’s onslaught of devastating earthquakes, factional rebel sieges, and most recently, record breaking typhoons, the Philippines is doing surprisingly well for itself. In fact, The Economist Intelligence Unit reports that though the wreckage caused by last weeks Supertyphoon Haiyan will likely slow GDP somewhat, economic damage will not be significant, the Eastern Visayas region accounting for only two per cent of the countrys GDP. Economically, at least, the Philippines has had good year: the first half of 2013 saw GDP growth at 7. 3 percent, the highest growth rate in Asia; it saw seen record foreign direct investment levels; moved itself from low-income to middle-income country in the World Bank country database; and for the first time, became a creditor rather than debtor to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) (Desierto, The Economist). Nevertheless, the poverty rate remains at 27. percent with little movement in the past five years, unemployment is at seven percent, and underemployment continues to hover around twenty percent (The Economist Intelligence Unit). Despite record growth levels in the Philippines, large numbers of Filipinos still struggle to find employment and meet their basic needs. Foreign Policy and Fund for Peace have named the Philippines as one of their top 60 failed states in the 2013 Failed States Report. Ranking 59 out of 178 countries, the Philippines scored a slightly improved but critical 82. 8 (â€Å"Failed States†). Five of its worst scores occurred in: security apparatus, including issues like riots and fatalities from rebel activity; factionalized elites, including power struggles and flawed elections; group grievance, including iolence between groups; state legitimacy, including corruption, level of government effectiveness, and illicit economies; and demographic pressures, including population growth, natural disasters, and disease (â€Å"The Indicators†). The aftermath of recent disasters and rebel conflict are likely to raise these rates for the coming report, bringing the Philippines closer to the brink of failure. Why, in the midst of unprecedented economic growth, is the country faring so poorly in terms of development indicators like poverty and political stability? Mainstream development discourse assures that rapid economic growth leads to evelopment and poverty reduction, but this has yet to be the case for Filipinos. In a previous paper I discuss the issue of the accuracy, reliability, and focus of poverty measurements and the development discourse itself, but there are larger factors at play as well. In this paper, I discuss how the history of corruption and neoliberalism, two contested but highly influential issues, have negatively impacted development as a whole in the Philippines and perpetuated the poverty of its population. According to a recent poll by the online periodical The Philippine Star, an verwhelming majority of the Filipino online public viewed corruption as the single largest cause of poverty in the Philippines. Revisiting Transparency International’s statistics in the Corruption Perceptions Index, Filipinos scored their country a 34 on a scale of 0-100, with O being highly corrupt and 100 being very clean (2012). Personal experience recalls an overt general mistrust in government officials having the people’s interests at heart, and a series of news reports detailing impeachments and scandals related to graft and corruption within both government and ongovernmental organizations from 2010 to 2012. Despite being an independent democracy since the late 1940s (the Marcos regime’s dictatorial break notwithstanding), the Philippines has suffered corrupt government officials in almost every presidency, most notably those of Marcos, Estrada and Arroyo (The Economist Intelligence Unit). According to Dr. Diane Desierto in an op-ed calling out to current President Benigno Aquino, corruption has strained the Philippine economy for decades, and the unrecoverable public funds lost to corruption at the cost of national investment is a national outrage. Most recently in the news is the Pork Barrel Scandal, where President Aquino and the ombudsmen have charged 3 senators, 2 former lawmakers, and a businesswoman for misusing over $200 million in state funds (Hookway). Pork Barrel is a state allocation of funds set aside for senators to use on development projects of their choice, of which the president says the accused used for fabricated project proposals to take personal kickbacks. Public protests against the scandal have been massive, and the people are calling for not only the eradication of the Pork Barrel fund itself, but of the president’s own spending fund as well. President Aquino faces the dilemma of upholding his strict anticorruption agenda, appealing to the public, and maintaining support of powerful lawmakers and congressmen (Hookway). James Hookway argues that Aquinds decision on the scandal will heavily determine foreign investor confidence in the Philippines, influencing the path of the countrys development. Indeed most development professionals agree that corruption and bad governance are inversely related to the development of a country. The worst indicators in the Philippine Failed States Report outwardly suggest governance issues re a threat to the state and a major cause of internal violence and conflict. Good governance has been the recent focus of many World Bank projects, the group stating that, â€Å"a capable and accountable state creates opportunities for poor people, provides better services, and improves development outcomes† (qtd. in Bello, â€Å"Is Corruption the Cause? â€Å"). Jeffrey Sachs names governance failures as a top factor in a countrys economic stagnation and decline; and William Easterly argues that bad governments, not a poverty trap, are sole culprits in the economic decline of a country (Sachs 57; Easterly 43). Easterlys stance on corruption is tough: continuing to provide aid to countries with corrupt governments is inefficient, as most countries with bad governments fare significantly worse even with aid than do countries with good governments (42). In the Philippines, all signs in mainstream discourse point to corruption as the major reason for continuing poverty despite high economic growth. Yet there is a small but growing number of people arguing otherwise. According to activists like Walden Bello, while corruption is detrimental to the trust and moral bonds of a democracy, it is not the principal cause of poverty. Between 1990 and 000, he argues, the Philippines and China reported the same levels of corruption; yet China grew by 10. 3 percent, while the Philippines grew by only 3. 3 percent (â€Å"Is Corruption the Cause? â€Å"). It is not corruption, he says, but the negative effects of neoliberal adjustment policies that have maintained poverty levels at the rate they are today (Bello). As Peet and Hartwick explain, neoliberalism was the economic response to Keynesian economics and the failures of Import Substitution Industrialization (IS’) that took hold of development discourse in the 1970s with the rise of the Reagan and Thatcher administrations. Influenced by Hayek’s theories, neoliberalism favored free markets and minimal government involvement outside of controlling interest rates and money supply (Peet 78-83). In response to the economic crises brought on by ISI in the 70s and 80s, developed nations and international organizations (10s) came up with the Washington Consensus, a list of policy reforms and conditions for debtor countries to the IMF to follow in order to receive loans. Reforms included fiscal discipline, decreased public expenditures, tax reform, low interest rates, trade liberalization and deregulation, privatization of public goods, and an increase in oreign direct investment (FDI) (Peet 84). According to Walden Bello, neoliberalism has become a hegemony of economic paradigm, especially in the Philippines. After the forced exile of Ferdinand Marcos and Corazon Aquinds rise to power, Bello says the country was more than primed for neoliberal structural adjustment policies when it turned to the World Bank during an economic crisis in the 80s (â€Å"Neoliberalism†). A number of factors led the Philippines to strongly adhere to neoliberal policies. One, technocrats close to former President Aquino were highly influenced by Reagan, Thatcher, and the free-market economic paradigm. Two, the University of the Philippines School of Economics published its anti-Marcos White Paper on the Philippine Economy, capturing the popular mood of the time that Marcos was proof that the state had become subject to ‘crony capitalism’ and was an inefficient source of development progress. Three, international events like the collapse of European socialism, the successful revitalization of U. S. and British economies, and the rise of newly industrialized Asian countries (though Bello argues these countries’ successes bore more from protectionism than neoliberalism) inspired the Philippine elites and middle class, who had the most influence over olicy discourse (â€Å"Neoliberalism†). With ISI and Keynesian economics shrouded by bad memories of the Marcos regime, and the Communist partys preoccupation with the anti-fascist struggle, Bello states there were no credible alternatives for the country but neoliberalism. In the 90s the Ramos administration kicked structural adjustment into high gear, being one of the few administrations in the region to fully adhere to IMF conditions. Focal to Philippine adjustment was massive tariff liberalization and deregulation to increase FDI and speculative investment, as well as a furious signing of multilateral ariff agreements with the WTO, ASEAN, the IMF, and the United Nations (Bello). The economy grew 4 percent during Ramos’ presidency, until the Asian Crisis hit the Philippines in 1997. Suddenly, $4 6 billion in speculative investments tlew out ot the country, triggering a downward slide into economic recession and stagnation. With the WTO Agreement in Agriculture, the Philippines went from a food net exporter to a net importer (particularly in rice, a main staple of the local agriculture sector), sparking a crisis of food insecurity and a loss of Job security in the agricultural industry. The Philippines also saw its local textile and manufacturing industries fail: â€Å"by the early years of this decade, the countrys textile industry had shrunk from 200 to less than 10 firms† (Bello, â€Å"Neoliberalism†). Loss of local industry was supposed to be bolstered by consumer welfare and increased spending as foreign investment brought diverse and stable employment; but this has not been the case for the Philippines; rather unemployment and underemployment rates have remained at a consistent high. Despite this and recent protests against globalization in the country, neoliberalism emains the central focus of economic policy in the Philippines (Bello). Ligaya Lindio McGovern also feels neoliberal policies and unequal globalization have been detrimental to the welfare of the Philippines, not only from a macroeconomic standpoint, but from a micropolitical level as well. According to McGovern, neoliberal policies implemented in the Philippines have only proven to benefit foreign actors and investors, perpetuating poverty in the country and detrimentally affecting the welfare of women and youth in particular (2). Food insecurity due to restricted agricultural access in world markets and an increased ependency on imports (coupled with fixed high prices to maximize profits) hurts women as they are mainly responsible for the nutritional welfare of the family. Privatization of water and social services puts foreign control over formerly local businesses, limiting the poor’s access to health care and clean water. Foreign influence over industry has led to the contractualization of labor, meaning short- term, low pay work that puts workers in a weak bargaining position. This has led to a massive loss of Jobs, setting preconditions for migration as Filipinos (mostly female domestic workers) go abroad to find work. This has subsequently led to an increased vulnerability in Filipino women for exploitation, downward mobility, and loneliness, and has been a root cause of the rise of human trafficking that has plagued the Philippines in recent years (McGovern 5-14). Ligaya argues that it is neoliberalism and the one-sided distribution of globalization-not corruption-that has led to a rise in militant groups such as GABRIELA, Migrante International, and the New People’s Army, all of whom fght against foreign and American imperialism through economic policy (McGovern 21). In recent years, the ideas of Bello and McGovern have taken hold, particularly hrough development economists like Easterly. While lamenting bad governments as a source of gross inefficiency in foreign aid appropriation, Easterly also speaks strongly against the macroeconomic, universally applicable solutions to poverty offered up by neoliberal policies. He argues such policies are too big and too utopian; with too much distance between principals at the top and implementers at the bottom to provide proper feedback and accountability, too much collective responsibility to create incentive, and too many large, nonspecific tasks bogging down change agents on the field to be effective (14-18). What, then, in light of both arguments as either corruption or neoliberalism as the major source ot poverty and inequali i the Philippines to do to resolve its gap between economic and social development? For Bello, the administration must rid itself of the neoliberal hegemonic stronghold and adopt alternative economic policies that focus on local empowerment of the people and permanent national employment. â€Å"Getting over neoliberalism,† he says, involves â€Å"†¦ getting beyond the worship of numbers that often acts as a shroud to the real, beyond the scientism that masks itself as a science† (Bello, â€Å"Neoliberalism†). McGovern advocates a similar, though more drastic route: a new Philippine state altogether that creates national alternatives to the neoliberal agenda (21). Like Stiglitz argues in his book, McGovern feels that true globalization has never been experienced, as powerful, industrialized countries controlling the flow of goods maintain protectionist policies in their own states while pushing for liberalization that benefits them in poorer countries (3; Stiglitz 62-101). In order for globalization to function, protectionist policies must also be advocated in industrializing countries, if not to the extent that ISI brought them in other regions. Proponents of free trade and economic development, on the other hand, argue that the Philippines must maintain its rapid GDP growth, continue to improve speculative investment climate, implement a broader tax base, and increase foreign ownership of its economic sectors (Elkan). In other words, institutions like the IMF continue to push neoliberal policy as an effective means for development. Increasing speculative investment and foreign direct investment means combatting corruption and bad governance for most proponents of the dominant discourse; the corruption scandals that have haunted the Philippines for decades have been a indrance to a thriving economy and led to increased political violence, and must be dealt with in order to see a reduction of poverty in the country. Ultimately, though, it is difficult to see how focusing on either one factor will lead to any real improvement in social welfare without also addressing the other; the two are both too entrenched in Philippine government. These are not dichotomous factors, rather they are deeply intertwined and coexistent in influencing poverty and social instability. Personal experience lends insight into instances where both corruption and neoliberal effects on society were clear. With a stipend affording me middle-class status in my neighborhood, I still could not afford to buy rice from the local farmers, and could barely afford the only slightly cheaper imported rice. During election time, the Congresswoman led a mass campaign to expand the main highway, only to abandon the project post-elections, leaving the road broken and difficult to traverse. Viewing development as a multifaceted and interconnected process comprising both macro and micropolitical elements, resolutions to development issues must also be viewed as such (Sen). Poverty reduction and development in the Philippines must nvolve both the eradication of rampant corruption and alternative options for neoliberal policies, which have largely failed the country outside of real GDP. Additionally, the government must focus its efforts on the needs of its people, rather than its own personal agenda, according to Desierto. In light of the recent typhoon and previous natural disasters, she says, â€Å"not a single administration has ever committed to making an integrated natural disaster prevention, remediation, and reconstruction system our countrys highest national security priority’ (â€Å"Corruption, Climate, and Congress†). Every administration nas promised he eradication ot corruption, though. Thus, it seems that the administration has allowed foreign institutions and its own political agenda to distract itself from the true needs of its people, which lie at the core of development. The key to poverty reduction then, in the context of the Philippines, is the increased and direct participation of Filipinos in decision-making for future economic and social policies.

The anesthesia technician & technologist’s manual: All you need to know for study and reference Essay

Improvements of Anesthesia Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   From nineteenth century, there have been important and continuous improvements in the field of medicine in United States, particularly in discovery of microorganisms as the root cause of disease and anesthesia. The improvements have been of great importance in facilitating effective, convenient, and safest methods of treatment. The paper below discusses anesthesia improvements, and importance of its improvement in treatment. Improvements of anesthesia   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The direct use of volatile anesthetics and intense cold were the most important steps in anesthesia in nineteenth century. The steps were used in surgical sites during treatment of traumatic injuries. This was possible by bringing down local temperature of body tissues by the application of salt and ice during the surgeon. However, to estimate the cold projection was extremely complex when using salt and ice. This gave rise to new techniques such as topical application of Dutch oil and vaporization of ether and ethylene chloride by fumigation and spraying. Since then, there was continuous discovery of more anesthetic liquids such as amyl hydrate and vaginal Dutch. Having improved the anesthetic liquids, there was a major challenge in obstruction of sprays used. As a result, there came need to improve the jet, which was possible by designing different systems of nozzles. Almost to the end of the century, some medical practitioners recommend ed the improvements best for surgeon but many individual called for alternative approach, especially in minor surgery (Walter, 2014).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   All the way from 19th century to transition into the twentieth century, there have been many improvements of anesthesia care (Woodworth, 2012). For instance, the common practice discussed above changed by introduction of cocaine around 1884.Later in 1934, the sodium Pentothal was introduced for intravenous anesthetic administration. Despite its many challenges associated with its negative side effects when administered to some patients, it remained the most effective until 1977 when Dr.Brian Kay introduced muscle relaxants and rubber endotracheal tubes. In 1980s, pulse oximetry and end tidal CO2 were introduced that facilitated EKG monitoring. Use of the improvement in medical practice today   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Some of above discussed improvements are still used across the United States. For instance, the improvement of EKG monitoring makes it possible to manage neuromuscular blockade .In addition, the use of muscle relaxants and rubber endotracheal tubes makes it easy for anesthesiologists to monitor the condition of the patient .The monitoring of the patients’ condition primarily involves checking of blood pressure as well as pulse rate. Being able to process EEG measurement, end tidal CO2 and pulse oximetry have made it possible to quantify the depth of anesthesia. The monitoring incorporated with some of discussed advances has led into the best anesthetic practice by improving patient’s safety.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Indisputably, there is significant from the use of advances though some of the anesthetic practices used today for surgery have changed tremendously. Unfortunately, while bringing the changes in transformation of anesthesia surgery, the dramatic change in body knowledge and skills developed from the improvements has resulted to inseparable and complex medical disciplines. Future developments in anesthesia   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Aside from the above important improvements discussed such as introduction of pulse oximeter in aesthesia practices in United States today, there are many cases of mortality and morbidity in anesthesia. It is therefore obvious that the discoveries are not the â€Å"end of the road† but the push to new heights .However, with improved, optimal, and creative anesthetic management evident in United States ,there is hope of continued improvement to develop most safer and effective anesthesia practices while cutting down the pressure from medical economics. This will only be possible if anesthesiologists rise to the challenge. References Walter. (2014). In Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/482821/puerperal-fever Woodworth, G., & Kirsch, J. (2012).  The anesthesia technician & technologist’s manual: All you need to know for study and reference. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Source document