An Obsession the World Doesn’t Share Essay Example for Free

An Obsession the World Doesn’t Share Essay In his essay, â€Å"An Obsession the World Doesn’t Share†, Roger Cohen describes in detail the way other countries view the actions of the United States Government and President Bush (New York Times, 2004). Mr. Cohen’s main idea throughout the article is how the United States government is reacting, or not reacting, to world issues due to the focus on 9/11/01. The author uses countries such as South Africa, and Brazil to make his point that these countries are facing severe problems and the USA, which has always been seen as a â€Å"helping country† is now focused on terrorism. Supporting viewpoints of his main idea are the fact that in Canada, a recent statue of President Bush was erected in the same form as Iraq’s past leader, Sadaam Hussein. In addition, the author notes the AIDS epidemic in South Africa; and the economic factors in Latin America. Mr. Cohen continues his main idea by making the suggestion that any good the USA government has done (i. e. giving money to support AIDS education), is overshadowed by the fight on terrorism. Mr. Cohen’s point in this article is to inform Americans about how the rest of the world views their country. His central argument seems to be that despite the good our government has done, it is completely overshadowed by our dire need to revenge for 9/11 terrorist attacks. The author uses facts to back up his argument from what seems to be reliable sources, such as the government of these nations, and Ambassadors for these countries. The tone of this article is informative, the author presents his arguments without bias and his personal judgments are few. The author uses a logos appeal, presenting his argument as a logical, reasonable one. Although it does not appear that there are many weaknesses in his argument, some information is excluded, namely that of President Bush’s view, because Bush’s view was not clearly stated, this alone may make the author slightly biased towards the other countries, who are in effect asking for our help. This writer accepts Mr. Cohen’s argument. I believe that all the good the USA may be doing for other countries, IS overshadowed by what seems to be revenge for not only 9/11 but for the Gulf War as well. The fact that our government is intent on punishing Middle Eastern countries, which had little or no involvement in 9/11, speaks volumes about what is important (fighting and not assisting). In this article, the author states, â€Å"The problem is the perception that Bush uses immense power in an egotistical way. (NY Times, 2004) This writer strongly believes this to be the truth as evidenced by the fact that Hussein of Iraq was a main focal point of the terrorism instead of the one who committed the crimes (Bin Laden). As assumed from this article, President Bush is not well-liked by other countries and even Americans are growing tired of Bush’s so-called priorities. In sum, Mr. Cohen has presented an aptly named title of how the world negatively views our government. Unfortunately, most Americans do not differ on this viewpoint.

Determinants Of Infant Mortality Health And Social Care Essay

Determinants Of Infant Mortality Health And Social Care Essay The infant mortality rate of African American newborns within the first year of life is more than twice that of white newborns and higher per 1,000 deaths than any other racial or ethnic group in the United States. Using social ecological model as the theoretical framework, the goal is to understand the causes of racially disparate infant mortality rates. This paper will present health disparities and related social inequities that may underlie these troubling outcomes for childbearing women and infants in the United States. Introduction Infant mortality rates are often used as a measure of a populations general health status, socioeconomic conditions, and availability and access to quality health care. The decrease in the rate of infant death in the United States has been observed for births to both white and black mothers. Although there has been general improvement in infant survival, there has been widened gap in the racial disparity in infant mortality rates. The ten leading causes of infant mortality in the United States are: 1) birth defects: 2) causes related to short gestation or low birth weight (LBW); 3) sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS); 4) maternal complications of pregnancy; 5) complications of placenta, cord, and membranes; 6) accidents; 7) respiratory distress of newborn; 8) bacterial sepsis of newborn; 9) diseases of the circulatory system; and 10) intrauterine hypoxia and birth asphyxia. Infants born to black mothers had the highest IFM due to prematurity and LBW. Additionally, low birth weight and premature infants who survive the first year of life continue to face serious health problems and developmental problems. The social-ecological model has been chosen because it takes in account factors that influence disparate rate among black American infants. Disparities in infant mortality by race and class continue to be a national disgrace. The purpose of this study using the social ecological model will be: (1) discuss individual factors that influence infant mortality and (2) discuss multiple levels of factors that influence infant mortality rate. Methods The literature was searched using the databases of CINAHL, Pub Med (Medline), Eric, PsychInfo, Science Reference Center, and SocioIndex for the years 199-2010. The search terms included social ecological, black women, African American women, parenting, infant mortality, health, social inequalities. Inclusion criteria included a) original research; b) studies published in English; c) peer-reviewed journal; d) articles on black woman and infant mortality; and e) social ecological model. Of the 140 articles identified, only those studies with health, social determinants, black women, social ecological model, African American in the abstracts and full text articles were include (n=39). Social Ecological Model Vulnerable populations are at substantially greater risk of poor physical, mental and social health and have much higher rates of morbidity and mortality. Despite these greater health needs, they also typically face greater barriers to accessing timely and needed care and, even when receiving care, have worse health outcomes than others . The social ecological approach considers the nested arrangement of behavioral and environmental determinants of health. posits that concepts of health promotion require analysis of the health habits and lifestyles of participants, as well as constraints and resources present within participants environments. Secondly, the social ecological approach recognizes the importance of changing interpersonal, organizational, community, and public policy.Finally, the social ecological model has been chosen to analyze personal, community and societal institutions impact on infant mortality. Results Intrapersonal Resources The intrapersonal resources include individual characteristics such as perceived lack of knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, health practices, age, race/ethnicity, income and education and employment status variables effect infant mortality . In order to understand the individual interpersonal characteristics one needs to critically examine the mothers knowledge regarding maternal education and health practices. Social inequities related to educational opportunities and social resources may influence health behaviors or practices that are associated with infant health. Compared with women who receive adequate prenatal care, those who do not seek a reasonable amount of care tend to be young, less educated, single, and/or to have other children . have documented the powerful association between a persons socioeconomic status and mortality. The gap in infant mortality based on mothers years of formal education has also widened significantly over time. Maternal education appears to be an increasingly important predictor of infant survival. Researchers observe that key risk factors for infant mortality, including smoking during pregnancy, delayed or no prenatal care, and lack of health care coverage, vary substantially with socio-economic status and maternal education . Behavioral factors account for about half of premature mortality, and almost all vary by socioeconomic status. The greatest behavioral risk for premature mortality is tobacco use. In 2005, the IFM rate for infants of mothers who smoked was 74 percent higher than the rate for nonsmokers . Those with less education and less income are more likely to smoke. Smoking prevalence reflects likelihood of initiating smoking as well as of quitting, and different policies are relevant for those stages of smoking. However, the more educated were more likely to try and quit, and among those who tried to quit with higher incomes were more likely to succeed. This suggest that efforts to encourage quitting need to be geared more strongly to those with less education and that the means of quitting need to be made more accessible to the poor. Breastfeeding has been shown to reduce rates of infant mortality in the United States and worldwide . However, the rates of initiation and maintenance of breastfeeding are less frequent among black women than white and Hispanic women,. Maternal education again is associated with substantial disparities: women with 9th-to 11th grade education are least likely to breastfeed to 6 months, whereas women with college degrees are most likely to do so as well as to report ever breastfeeding with the most recent birth . Infant mortality rates vary with maternal age, with the highest 2005 death rates documented for infants of the youngest mothers those under age 15 (16.4 per 1,000 live birth), and oldest mothers- aged 40 and older (7.9 per 1,000 live births) . Among older mothers, especially those of low social economic status, infant mortality rates may be affected by pregnancy complications related to advanced maternal age, such as gestational diabetes mellitus and hypertensive disorders. Other contributing factors are black womens higher rates of intra-uterine growth restriction, preterm premature rupture of membranes, placenta previa, preterm birth, very preterm birth, cesarean delivery, light vaginal bleeding, and heavy vaginal bleeding compared to the white population . Chronic stress can affect health both directly and indirectly through its effects on health behavior. While people in all walks of life experience stress, lower-SES persons live and work in more stressful environments. Higher IFM among well- educated black women has been attributed to their cumulative experience of chronic stress over the life course, which causes wear and tear on their reproductive health over time. identified a number of factors that contribute to greater stress at lower SES levels, including economic strain, insecure employment, low control at work, and stressful life events. determined that lifelong accumulated experiences of racial discrimination by black American women constitute an independent risk factor of preterm delivery. noted association between black American womens exposure to chronic stress from interpersonal racism and infant, very low birth weight (VLBW). Black American women who were exposed to what they perceived as racial bias and internalized their responses to unfair treatment had a fourfold greater risk of hypertension as well. proposed the classic host (i.e., pregnant women), environment (i.e., chronic social stressors), and agent (i.e., immediate emotional stress or physical stressors) are ongoing stressors as well as social and cultural modifiers of stress may have influence on how particular stressors is experienced or what the physical response to it may be. Researcher have also suggested that being a woman is a characteristic that cannot be neglected in the context of maternal stressors. Being a black woman produces a double effect of racial and gender discrimination and related stress which in turn impacts their health and the outcomes of subsequent pregnancies. Interpersonal Resources Interpersonal resources include culturally relevant social support as well as social norms that may facilitate behavioral capacity and health behavior change . Research has confirmed that loneliness is detrimental to health. Good health is positively correlated with involvement and satisfying relationships with other people. Studies show that married people live longer than unmarried people and that there are lower death rates among those who have lots of social support. A social network not only assists with instrumental assistance such as childcare, finances and housing, but it is a persons major source of emotional support. A personals level of social support is one of the most potent indicators her degree of vulnerability . Broken relationships create lifelong conditions of high stress and low support, which in turn pattern physiological, psychological, and behavioral responses that put the mother at risk for poor nutrition during pregnancy, and her baby at risk for fetal and infant deaths. Black American families are disproportionately affected by broken relationships, which contributes to disparities infant mortality . Infants born to unmarried mothers had higher IMR compared to those born to married mothers in 2002. However, the IMRs are significantly higher for married black American mothers than for unmarried black American mothers. In a report, maternal grandmothers were more frequently nominated than other source of parenting help including spouses, current or former partners, relatives, friends and professionals. Grandmothers have a tremendous influence on a womans lived experiences. Maternal grandmothers tend to improve child survival rates, as do potential sibling helpers at the nest. In this study, researcher suggests that while help from family may be a universal feature of human child-rearing, who helps is dependent on ecological conditions of the family. Fathers can also have a tremendous influence on the health of mothers and their infants. Some fathers focused efforts are under way in the United State, including the USDAs Fathers Supporting Breastfeeding Program, which uses a video, posters, and brochures designed to target Black men. Poor family and social support, negative attitudes of family and friends can pose a barrier to good health practices. , observed that there was an association of single motherhood and negative birth outcomes with single parent household, which occurred more often and longer than married or coupled households. Community and Environmental Resources The community resources and environmental resources may have a significant impact on individual characteristics of the mother, for instance, substandard housing, lack of transportation, and child -care problems can prohibit a mother from attending prenatal classes or obstetrical appointments. A key to reducing infant mortality is to address the barriers that stand between low-income women and adequate prenatal care. Racial and ethnic minorities tend to live in medically underserved areas, and many black American and Hispanic families lack a regular source of care, making do with outpatient clinics and hospital emergency rooms in times of crisis . According to a study by the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research, low-income pregnant women are more likely to seek and be satisfied with prenatal care if they can avoid long waiting time, see providers who explain procedures, and have access to ancillary services, especially substance abuse services and childbirth education. Health pr oviders have also begun to understand the need for culturally competent providers and the availability of medical personnel who speak the patients primary language. Exposure to damaging agents in the environment, including lead, asbestos, carbon dioxide, and industrial waste, varies with socioeconomic status. Those lower on the SES hierarchy are more likely to live and work in worse physical environments. Poorer neighborhoods are disproportionately located near highways, industrial areas, and toxic waste sites, since land there is cheaper and resistance to polluting industries, less visible. Housing quality is also poorer for low-SES families. As a result, compared with high-income families, both children and adults from poor families show a six fold increase in rates of high blood lead levels, while middle-income adults and children show a twofold increase Economic differences do not fully explain the persistent high infant mortality rates of black American women and other minority groups. Several studies in the early 90s examined the effect of racial residential segregation on the health outcomes of Black Americans and a positive association between black-white dissimilarity and black infant mortality rates was shown after controlling for metropolitan area poverty rates. After an initial focus on infant mortality, several authors examined the association between racial segregation and mortality in other age groups. Their general finding indicated that black mortality is positively associated with residential segregation and with residence in predominantly black areas. Current research still indicates racial residential segregation as one of the fundamental cause of racial disparities in health. The physical separation of the races by enforced residence in certain areas is an institutional mechanism of racism that was designed to protect whites from social interaction with blacks. The degree of residential segregation remains extremely high for most Black Americans in the United States. The authors review evidence that suggests that segregation is a primary cause of racial differences in socioeconomic status (SES) by determining access to education and employment opportunities. SES was determined to remain a fundamental cause of racial differences in health. The US sociological literature suggests that residential segregation along racial/ethnic lines is not primarily a result of the residential preferences of minority groups. National and metropolitan area surveys have shown that, on average, Black Americans and Hispanics would be more willing than Whites to live in relatively integrated neighborhoods. On the other hand, several studies, including audit studies involving experimental designs, have indicated that Black American and Hispanics continue to face discrimination in housing and mortgage markets even after income has been controlled. Discrimination prevents upwardly mobile members of minority groups from becoming more spatially integrated with Whites. Organizational Resources Organizational resources have a strong effect on the individual characteristics of mother. Lack of access, provider availability and geographic distance, quality of care, timeliness, and types of services creates health disparities for minority women. If a client lives 3 hours away from the regional medical center, the client will have an increased burden placed on her because of the lack of resources available in her own community. used the ecological model as a framework for applying social justice concepts to the care of childbearing women and families. They discovered by addressing health disparities exclusively on an individual level ignores the effect of social practices and institutions on the health of childbearing women and infants and serves as a barrier to achieving the goal of social justice. Although there are a number of mechanisms through which socio-economic status influences health, there is a distinctive link between utilization of health care services and health st atus. Prenatal care most often is associated with medical care, in which case it is an important factor in the prevention of poor birth outcomes, particularly prematurity and/or low birth weight and their associated neonatal mortality . Typically, efforts to improve infant health in the United States have focused on timely, appropriate care during pregnancy and delivery. While these services remain the keys to giving babies a good start in life, they do not sufficiently address the maternal health problems that often underlie infant mortality. There is a growing consensus that prevention efforts need to begin well before conception, especially for those mothers at greatest risk for poor pregnancy outcomes. Several months of medical attention cannot overcome many years of disadvantage and poor health. Women, particularly minority women need good care between pregnancies. Good maternal health requires diagnosis and management of chronic disease well before conception. But lack of health insurance keeps women from getting the care needed to maintain their own health and improve their chances for healthy pregnancies. Before pregnancy, women qualify for Medicaid only if they have extremely low incomes- well below the poverty line (68 percent of the Federal poverty line for working women, and under 41 percent for those who do not work). Once they become pregnant, women are held to a less stringent requirement (185 percent). As a result, many low-income women who qualify for Medicaid only after a confirmed pregnancy test often experience delays in enrollment and referral to a provider suggests that disparities in neonatal mortality are primarily determined by not only the birthrate of extremely premature infants but access to specialized obstetrical and pediatric care. This analysis suggests that the epidemiology and social meaning of disparities in infant mortality are intensely dynamic and increasingly reflect the interaction between social forces and technical innovation. interviewed a total of 6, 2999 white, black American, Hispanic and Asian adults, to view their differences in perceptions of health care system. It was determined that bias and cultural competence are not fully explained by such factors as demographics, source of care, and patient-physician communication, but it may partially explain disparities in patient ratings of individual health care provider cultural competence. As such, interventions aimed at improving access to a regular source of care and enhancing patient-physician communication may improve patient ratings of interpersonal bias and cultural competence of physicians; however, such interventions alone are not likely to substantially improve ethnic minority patients perceptions of bias and cultural competence in the health care system as a whole. Moreover, disparities in preterm births have proven very difficult to overcome. In 2005, the preterm-related infant mortality rate was more than three times higher for black mothers than for white mothers . Infants chances of survival often depend on technology and expertise available at local hospitals. Hospitals serving a high proportion of minority patients have higher than expected mortality rates for infants born at very low birth-weights . In 1999, Congress requested in the Institute of Medicine (IOM) report, entitled Unequal Treatment: Confronting Racial and Ethnic Disparities, in Healthcare, assess is the extent of racial and ethnic disparities in healthcare, the study concluded that although myriad sources contribute to these disparities, some evidence suggests that bias, prejudice, and stereotyping on the part of healthcare providers may contribute to differences in care. From the IOM report, assuming that access-related factors- such as insurance status and the ability to pay for care are the same, the possibility that overt or subtle biases or prejudice on the part of healthcare providers might affect the quality of care for minorities; suggests the need for intervention strategies to improve access to quality health care . Discussion The impact of social and environmental factors on the behavior and health of individuals and populations has been understudy for years. Addressing health disparities from an individual, community and organizational level is important to the social health of United States. Nationally, black infants have the worse birth outcomes than any other racial and ethnic group. By exploring the social ecological model a more comprehensive approach to acknowledging how individual challenges, environmental resources, and organizational structures influences the health behaviors of black women. Social inequities may contribute to differences in access to or quality of health care, which leads to less knowledge and skill in promoting personal and family health, thus results in poor health and birth outcomes. To rekindle concern about infant mortality to the level of effective action, public health professionals must refocus the publics attention on assuring that all women are provided adequate education and services to help them avoid unintended pregnancies, that all pregnant women receive services in appropriate facilities, and that the causes of preterm deliveries are discovered. Effective action in these areas would not only improve infant mortality overall; it would also reduce racial and ethnic disparities in infant health . Implications for Research and Practice In summary, prevention of an infant early death is not a health outcome, but rather a surrogate endpoint for optimum fetal, infant, and lifelong health. Racial and socio- economic disparities in rates of preterm birth and infant mortality area among the most widely recognized but, least understood aspects of infant and maternal health in this country. In particular, the persistent black/white differential requires intensive study. At any age, and at any income, education or socioeconomic level, an black American mother is more than twice as likely to lose her infant as a white woman. Given the complexity of the layered intrapersonal, interpersonal, local, and national contexts in which social justice operates, and realizing social justice is a work in progress; we can certainly help move nursing and medicine toward integrating concepts of social justice for the betterment of society, as a whole . Adoption of universal health-care coverage for women and children and providing optimum work policies for women is worthy goals. Additionally, new interventions designed with the social context of friends, family, and neighborhood associates, can be used to improve birth outcomes.

Zigbee Networks And Applications Information Technology Essay

Zigbee Networks And Applications Information Technology Essay ZigBee networking has number of applications, these applications are not just limited to home automation, inventory tracking, and healthcare but its applications are taking into account in daily life routine. Home automation is one of the major application areas for ZigBee wireless networking. The typical data rate for home automation application is 10kbps in a typical resident building. The applications of home automations are further explained. Security Systems A security system might have several sensors, including motion detectors, security cameras and glass-break sensors, these devices are required to communicate with the central security centre by either wires or a wireless network. ZigBee-based security systems are simple to install and easy to upgrade Although ZigBee has a low data rate, it has still the capability to transfer images wirelessly with reasonable quality., ZigBee has been used in a wireless camera system which do record the videos of visitor at a Front door and then transmit these recordings to monitor inside the house. Meter-Reading Systems Utility meters are needed to be read on a regular basis so as to generate utility bills. One simple way to do this task is by reading the meter manually at home premises and then enters values into a database. A ZigBee-based automatic meter-reading (AMR) system has the capability to create wireless mesh networks across residential complexes that makes link meters with utilities corporate offices. By using AMR, it provides the opportunity to remotely monitor the residenceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s electric, gas, and water usage. In this way it eliminates the need for a human to visit each residential unit on a monthly basis. Irrigation Systems ZigBee can be used as a part of sensor based irrigation system which is used in efficient water management. Sensors are installed across the landscaping field which can communicate to the irrigation panel. It communicates the soil moisture level at different depth levels to the irrigation panel. The panel controller than tells the watering time based on moisture level, plant type, time of day and the season readings. Light Control Systems One of the classic examples of using ZigBee is Light control in a house or commercial building. In a typical light installation system, it is necessary to install a wire from the light to a switch in order to turn on or off the light. No wired connection between the light and the switch is necessary if the light and switch are equipped with the ZigBee devices. In this way, any switch in the house can be assigned to turn on and off a specific light. A ZigBee-enabled recess light is much expensive compared to a regular recess light, but the installation cost of a ZigBee-enabled light is lower than regular recess light as it requires no extra wiring to a wall switch. Wireless remotes to control the lights is not a new concept in our daily life, By using ZigBee it provides the opportunity to implement this versatile concept on a large scale by ensuring long battery life. Multi zone HVAC Systems The multizone control system have the ability to allow a single heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) unit to have separate temperature zones in a house. Zoning the HVAC system can be very helpful as it saves the energy by controlling the air flow to each room and preventing the cooling or heating to unnecessary areas. ZigBee devices control the motors based on the commands they receive from the main HVAC zone Control panel and temperature sensors. Hotel Guest Room Access ZigBee-based systems can replace the magnetic key card systems which are widely used in hotels in order to access the guest rooms. The traditional room are accessed by plastic cards which have a magnetic strip on their back. The card reader installed on the guest door reads the information that is encoded on to the magnetic strip to allow or deny access to the room. The Installation of this reader to each door requires wiring through the door. A ZigBee- based room access system have a portable ZigBee device that acts as the key and a battery-powered ZigBee device inside the door that locks and unlocks it, the ZigBee based room access system do not require wiring of each door. In this way it reduces the installation cost. Fire Extinguishers Fire extinguishers are required to be checked after every 30 days in order to make sure that all canisters are charged and the filled in pressures are correct. Instead of checking the extinguishers manually, the alternative way is to connect a ZigBee-based monitoring system a sensor is to each fire extinguisher which will monitor its status and it will wirelessly communicate with the coordinator when maintenance is needed. A ZigBee-based monitoring system saves time and labor cost. It also helps to improve fire safety when the fire extinguisher is not working properly by alerting the authority. Remote Control ZigBee have applications that are used in wireless remote controls, game Controllers, a wireless mouse for a personal computer, and many other applications An infrared (IR) conventional remote control communicates with televisions, DVDs, and other entertainment devices through infrared signals. There are limitations of IR remotes. One of the limitation is that IR remotes that provide only one-way communication from the remote to the entertainment device. Also, IR signals do not have the ability to penetrate through the walls and other objects and it therefore require line of sight for its peroration properly. Radio frequency (RF) signals have the ability penetrate through walls and most objects. ZigBee is a suitable replacement technology for IR technology in remote controls as it is low cost and has long battery. ZigBee can be used to create a two way communication between the remote control and the entertainment device. For example, song information or on-screen programming options can be directly fed in to the remote itself, even when the remote control is not in the same room as the entertaining device. Healthcare One of applications of ZigBee in the healthcare industry is to monitor a Patientà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s vital health information remotely. For example a patient is staying at his home but for him it is important that his physician monitor his blood pressure and heart rate regularly continuously. A ZigBee network has the ability to collect the data from various sensors that are connected to the patient. The 802.15.4 standard uses a 128-bit Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) technology in order secure the data flow between ZigBee devices and other networks. A patient wears a ZigBee device that is interfaced with different sensors, such as a blood pressure sensor, which gathers the information from these sensors on a periodic basis. The received information is transmitted to a ZigBee gateway. A ZigBee gateway provides the interface between ZigBee and other types of networks, such as an Internet Protocol (IP) network. The patientà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s gathered information is then transmitted via Internet to a personal computer of a physician or nurse that they use to Monitor the patientà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s health status. This system could help hospitals in order to improve patient care and give some relieve hospital overcrowding by giving them the authority to monitor patients at home.

Essay --

Strategic Marketing – Adidas was born in Germany in 1949, and since then the brand has been synonymous with the sport world. Second only to the Nike, Adidas is a multinational company and it is spread worldwide across the whole planet. The company’s products range is very vast, from the running shoes to the watches, from football shirts and shin pads to bags and hats. The company is currently employing 46,000 people worldwide, operating on more than 46 countries. The Adidas brand is built all around passion for sports excellence and innovative design to help athletes improve their performance. As a market-oriented organisation, Adidas continuously updates and fulfils consumers’ needs in order to meet them with products and services. It is basically this focus on the audience, teamed with product and marketing innovation that plays a key role in the company’s success. Trying to keep up with endlessly changing market, I was thinking to try and launch a new product under this well-known brand name. As Adidas focuses on athletic performances, and other than clothes the firm developed only sport accessories for its customers, I was thinking that it could be a great opportunity for them to specialise in a personal Energy Drink. As the firm always had to chase the leading firm Nike, something should be done in order to gain an advantage over it. The Adidas organic Energy drink (AdiRush) may be a perfect example of something that the German organisation would have more than the American. Energy drinks normally contain large amounts of caffeine and legal ingredients such as Ginseng. Firstly developed in Asia and Europe, then introduced by Red Bull in America. Our idea was to develop an Energy drink made entirely with organic m... ... are very happy with the product we are selling. It has the nice freshness attribute that differentiates us from the rest, but still the performance is well helped by the consumption of the drink. People are also starting to drink our AdiRush also after lunch in order to keep focused and concentrated on what they have to do in the late afternoon. Some customers, mainly women, feel that a 16 Oz mini bottle is sometimes too much to finish , therefore we can start thinking of the next option of having also smaller bottles in order to meet female needs and have a choice of what volume bottle to buy. Still there are problems trying to change customer perception towards energy drinks, mainly because new results of side effects of drinking too much Red Bull are being published, therefore a sceptical feeling is affecting the market.

Foundations of Psychology Essay -- What Is Psychology, Define Psycholo

When psychology first emerged as a science, the process of explaining the human mind and human behavior began. In this essay we will present a brief synopsis of what psychology is and introduce the reader to the primary biological foundations of psychology that are linked to behavior as well as introducing the reader to the major schools of thought in psychology. In Kowalski and Westen Fifth Edition of Psychology, psychology is define as â€Å"the scientific investigation of mental processes such as; thinking, remembering, feeling, and behavior. Understanding a person requires attention to the individual’s biology, psychological experience, and cultural context.†(Kowalski & Weston, 2009, p. 4). Each component is necessary in formulating who the individual is. As we delve into history, we must be cautious in our analyzation of human behavior and the human mind that we do not contribute our analyzation to a single thought or process as many times it may be a conglomerat ion of events or items that contribute to the overall picture of a person’s psychological process. Furthermore, Kowalski specifies in his writing that â€Å"humans are complex creatures whose psychological experience lies at the intersection of biology and culture.†(Kowalski & Weston, 2009, p. 3). He expounds upon this fact by stating that â€Å"all psychological processes occur through the interaction of cells in the nervous system and all human action occurs in the context of cultural beliefs and values that render it meaningful.† (Kowalski & Weston, 2009, p. 3). The primary biological foundation of psychology is linked to biopsychology. Biopsychology is an extension of psychology that analyzes our brains and the neurotransmitter that are prevalent in our nervous system... ... internalized. Sigmund Freud three elements of id, ego and superego when implemented together explained human behavior even in the most complex form. Psychology has many roles in the greater realm of science, but I will always believe that the most profound role of psychology is to enable humans to have a better understanding of their self and their world. Psychology delves into the deeper levels of the mind and intrigues us with the various theories and observations of our mental and physical capacities and although there are many schools of thought, each school of thought opens our mind to new theories and concepts that stretch our brains to boundaries unlimited! Works Cited Kowalski, R. & Westen, D. (2009). Psychology (5th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. Functional Psychology. (2011). Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Functional_psychology

Dow’s Bid for Rohm and Haas Essay

Dow started as a manufacturer of commercial bleach in 1897, and was founded by Herbert Dow. He merged his company in 1900 with Midland Chemical, which lead to diversification of his portfolio to agricultural and food products. In 1912, Dow started to pay dividends every quarter without any reductions or interruptions. By doing so, they were the only Fortune 200 firm that established these figures. Dow became a major player in the M&a field, since they acquired between 1983 and 2007 95 business, took stakes in 58 firms and divested 166 businesses. In 2006, Dow’s CEO Andrew Liveris announced the ‘Dow of Tomorrow’ strategy, which consisted of two pillars. One was pursuing an asset light approach to its commodity business. In order to do so, he signed a JV agreement with a subsidiary of the Kuwait Petroleum Company, named Petroleum Industries Company. Dow and PIC signed a Memorandum of Understanding, which generated Dow a $7.2 billion after tax revenues. Second, Mr. Liveris wanted to build a high-growth and high-value added performance business. In order to achieve this objective, Dow agreed to purchase Rohm and Haas. This acquisition had the purpose for Dow to become a producer of high-value chemicals and advanced materials. Why does Dow want to buy Rohm and Haas? As mentioned in the introduction, CEO Andrew Liveris announced the ‘Dow of Tomorrow’ strategy. This included becoming a high growth and high-value added producer of specialty chemicals, with less cyclicality. Rohm and Haas fitted the picture perfectly, since they were an advanced material and specialty chemicals company, operating in 27 countries. Besides the interesting company profile description, there were several other reasons  why Dow was interested in the Rohm and Haas company. Most important reason was that the acquisition would make Dow reduce its cyclicality and increase its growth prospects. Expanded product portfolios, increased geographic market, improved market channels and innovative technologies will obtain the expected growth and cost synergies. Forecasts predict additional growth synergies values between $2.0 and $2.6 billion and $0.8 billion costs synergies, including shared services and governance, manufacturing, supply chain and work process improvements. Besides the above-mentioned advantages, Dow and Rohm could be a global leader in specialty chemicals and advanced materials if they combined forces. Also by combining their R&D, the development of new products and innovations could be stimulated. So overall, Rohm and Haas fitted the picture projected by Andrew Liveris perfectly. Rohm and Haas supported Dow’s commitment to maintain their highest standards in pursuing and selecting growth opportunities to satisfy their long-term shareholder values. Was $78 per share a reasonable bid? In order to draw a conclusion of the reasonability of the bid, we need to valuate Rohm and Haas as a firm with and without the synergies created by the acquisition. If this total value exceeds the $78 share price, Dow will pay the price, since it will be beneficial for them. The benefits of the synergies can be calculated by dividing it between the two firms on a multiple or 50/50 basis. The excel file attached to the assignment contained a WACC of 8,5% based on a tax rate of 35%. In our analysis, we also calculated a WACC with a tax rate of 26%, since this was the average tax rate. This leads to a WACC of 8,7%. As a basis, we took 2% growth. Rohm and Haas had at time of the acquisition 195,200,000 shares outstanding. From the balance sheet of Rohm and Haas 2008H1, we took the values of cash and debt (long and short term debt). Both inputs were needed in order to calculate the share price. Below, you can find how we calculated the share price for the situations with and without synergies. The synergies involved consist of two different types, namely growth and cost synergies. Growth synergies include expanded product portfolios, increased geographic reach, improved market channels and innovative technologies. These synergies are expected to create between 2 and 2.6 billion dollars, which gives an average of 2.3 billion. Second, potential cost synergies consist of purchasing synergies, shared services and governance, manufacturing & supply chain improvements and work process optimization. These synergies are expected to generate 0.8 billion dollar. The values of these synergies combined totals a 3.1 billion dollar gross benefit, which is a netted by deducting the 1.3 billion cost of implementation, leaving a value of 1.8 billion dollars. In order to make the most suitable valuation and draw the best conclusion for the reasonability of the share price of $78, we take the original and revised forecast into account. Both cases are also used for the sensitivity analysis to be as specific as possible. Below are the sensitivity analyses of Rohm and Haas for the original forecasts. Based on our assumptions, share price of Rohm and Haas is $55.79 without synergies and $65.01 with synergies. These values differ a little from the share price we found in our valuation analysis, however this is due to rounding and number of decimals difference in WACC and growth percentages. Lowest value without synergies is $47.10 with a growth of 1% and a WACC of 9% and a highest share price of $95.58 with a growth of 3% and a WACC of 7%. If we now look at the original forecast with synergies, we see an increased share price, which is logical, since value is created by the synergy. The share price of Rohm and Haas is $65.01 based on the growth rate of 2% and a WACC of 8.7%. The share price differ between lowest value of $56.32 and highest value of $104.80, based on the same input as with the analysis with no synergies. In both cases, the share price is below $78 so if Dow offers this price in both situations, the will not profit from this acquisition. However, we will still perform the 50/50 and multiples valuation in order to see which is the best in the situation if Dow is obliged to acquire Rohm and Haas. Looking at  case were synergies are created and using the 50/50 method, we get a share price of $55.79 + ($65.01 – $55.79)/2 = $60.4. As we already mentioned, this price does not match the $78. Now using the gross profit of Rohm and Haas as a percentage of the gross profit of both companies combined, we get a multiple of 26.11%. Using this 0,2611 multiple, the appropriate share price is $55.79 + (0,2611 * (65.01 – $55.79)) = $58.20 Again, this is below the share price of $78, which makes the outcomes of both methods unfavorable for Dow. Now let us look at the revised forecast. Since this is a post-crisis forecast, predictions were lowered, which lead to a lower overall value. Hence, this will be reflected in our sensitivity analysis by lower share prices. Below are our findings. As already predicted, share prices are lower in the revised forecast due to the crisis adjustments. For the sake of the case, we will also perform a 50/50 and multiples calculation. If we look at the 50/50 share price, we get a share price of $41.38 + ($50.60 – $41.38)/2 = $45.99. The multiples basis will give us a share price of $41.38 + (0,2661 * ($50.60 – $41.38)) = $43.79. Reviewing both forecasts and within these forecasts both with and without synergy, we can conclude that a share price of $78 is not reasonable. This conclusion holds in the case of 50/50 and multiples calculations. Major deals risks and allocation We will pay special attention to Exhibit 4 when examining the major risks and their respective allocations. The first risk comes from the item 1.01 describing the financing of the deal. Dow will issue a fixed amount of $4 billion in convertible preferred stocks to Berkshire, Hathaway and Kuwait Investment Authority. This amount is independent of the current stock price of Dow, meaning that a drop in Dow’s share price would need more shares to pay for the deal, decreasing the relative voting rights of current shareholders. To be even more precise, in paragraph 2.1a it states that no matter what happens Dow has to pay $78 dollar per share at the time of the merger, transferring all the financial  risk to Dow. Furthermore, a large part of the deal is financed with a $13 billion loan, issued by a consortium of 19 banks lead by Citigroup, Merrill Lynch and Morgan Stanley, increasing their leverage ratio and overall risk of the company. These high debt values come with high interest payments, leaving fewer cash to meet its dividend obligations. In a possible economic downturn this problem becomes larger, increasing the probability of not meeting their dividend payments which have not been changed for over 97 years. A further interesting statement is the ticking fee to ensure the deal would close. When the deal is not closed before January 10, 2009, the payment per share will increase with 8% annually, translating to a higher deal price of approximately $3 million more per day until the deal is closed. In addition if the deal is not closed before October 10, 2009, Dow has to pay $750 million termination fee. This will, again, transfer all the risk to Dow if the deal cannot be closed before October 10, 2009. In paragraph 3.1 the Material Adverse Effect clause states that Dow is allowed to withdraw from the transaction if the business, operations or financial conditions of Rohm is hit by a material adverse effect. This seems fair but there is a large set of exceptions made in the clause for which Dow cannot withdraw from the transaction, including the following events: any event which affects the chemical industry, macro economy as a whole, the financial, debt, credit or security market, any decline in Rohm’s stock price or any failure to meet internal or published projections. So, in case of an economic downturn mainly Dow is affected and not Rohm. Roam and Haas are even protected from a decline in their share price. Thus, these statements will, again, transfer almost all the risk to Dow Furthermore, Dow takes on another risk by relying on the joint venture with Kuwait’s PIC to finance $7 billion of the deal. They do not take into account the possibility that this joint venture could fail due to i.e. a downturn in the overall economy. If it fails it leaves a gap of $7 billion in their financing plan, exposing Dow to even more risk. Finally, the overall high price and ticking clauses make it a risky deal when compared to the expected synergies. The probability of achieving all expected synergies is a magnitude smaller than the probability of high costs, which is certain. It leaves Dow exposed to a possibly large loss when the expected synergies are not met in the future. The only risk that Rohm and Haas face is the possible termination of the deal from their side if the deal is i.e. taking too long. They have to pay a $600 million termination fee if the decide to do so. Other than that, considering the mentioned risk allocations from above, the total risk of this deal is mainly resting on the shoulders of Dow Chemical. CEO recommendations To give a complete view of the options that both CEOs had at the time we will first describe the situation they were in.   Shortly after the deal announcement the financial crisis started, causing an overall recession including in the chemical industry. Dow was hit on many fronts: overall share prices dropped with over 50%, a fourth quarter loss of $1.6 billion, quarterly sales decline of 23% and a drop in operating rate to 44% in 2008. Forcing Dow to close off 20 facilities and firing over 5000 employees. Furthermore, after the joint venture deal was closed with KPC’s PIC, the failing oil prices and overall recession caused KPC to terminate the contract by paying a termination fee of $2.5 billion to Dow. This caused a gap in the financial plan for the merger for Dow, decreasing their stock price even further and degrading their rating to BBB. As mentioned before, Dow was not the only one affected by the economic recession. Rohm was facing a poor performance as well, forcing it to fire over 900 employees, freeze spending and a 20% decline in sales. Considering the above, Dow refused to close the deal with Rohm and Haas after approval from the European Commission and U.S. Federal Trade Commission. Arguing that the recent macro-economic developments are material adverse effects, enabling them to terminate the deal. Options and recommendation for Dow’s CEO, Andrew Liveris Considering the situation as described above, Liveris had three different options: continue with the termination of the deal, close the deal for $78 per share or renegotiate with Rohm and Haas to agree on different terms. If Dow continues to terminate the deal it will go to court for the approval by the judge. It needs to win in court otherwise Dow is forced to commit to the deal. Given the statements enclosed in the material adverse effect clause, the chances for Dow to win are pretty slim. If Liveris opts to close the deal for $78 per share he will need a lot of additional cash. Considering the economic situation, and the fact that the joint venture failed, acquiring this amount of additional cash will be very hard. The possibility to acquire more debt through the already existing bridge bank loan from 19 different banks is pretty small considering the low credit rating of BBB. If he does succeed in acquiring more debt he will probably not be able to meet the net-debt-to-total-capitalization restriction in the covenant. This is, according to the first loan of $13 billion, required to be lower than 65% which they will not be able to meet, thus not creating incentives for the banks to lend more money. Considering the above, terminating the deal will not be possible and closing the deal for $78 per share lacks financing. The best option Andrew Liveris thus has is to renegotiate the merger deal and buy some time. He will then be able to look for other sources of financing or renegotiate the already existing bank loan. One possible option could be to sue KPC for terminating the joint venture and claiming the $2.5 billion, which in turn could finance the termination fee. Considering that this will destroy the relationship between these two companies this would not be recommended. Options and recommendation for the CEO of Rohm and Haas, Raj Gupta The situation for Raj Gupta is a bit simpler: either sue Dow for not completing the deal or renegotiate with Dow to postpone the deal. Both having different advantages and disadvantages. The first option is to go to court and continue the case that Dow has to complete the deal or otherwise pay the termination fee. Considering the  exceptions stated in the material adverse effect clause that macro-economic effects and effect on the chemical industry in general are excluded from this clause, Gupta will have a strong case and is likely to prevail in court. Committing Dow to the deal or otherwise paying the termination fee of $750 million. The second option is to renegotiate the deal with Dow. The most important disadvantage considering this option is that it would almost certainly come to a deal which is less favorable for Rohm and Haas when compared to the original deal. Which term should be reconsidered? For example, a lower price per share would decrease the expected value for the shareholders. Shareholders will not vote for such a deal, especially the Haas family who owns 30% of the company and is waiting to exit for $78 a share. The only option, although shareholders will not be amused in the least, is to delay the due date of the deal, preserving the harmony between the companies. Even if Gupta will win in court, the possibility that the deal will go through considering the financing problems of Dow is still small. Rohm and Haas will in this case only receive the termination fee of $750 million. Gupta obviously wants the deal to go through and so do the shareholders of Rohm and Haas, enabling them to exit the company and receiving a high premium while doing so. Terminating the deal will negatively affect both companies and their shareholders. Therefore it would be better for Gupta to facilitate any possibility that the deal will go through, even implying a possible decrease in price per share. Our recommendation thus is to renegotiate the deal, making sure that it succeeds. The premium for the shareholders might be lower but both companies can benefit from the acquired synergies and shareholders can still opt to exit. Resolving the legal dispute Considering the above, it would have been in the best interest of both companies to renegotiate the deal. However, Rohm and Haas decided to continue their trail against Dow Chemicals. The judge will therefore make a decision based upon the facts presented to him. Based on the facts alone, the most likely option for me, William B. Chandler  the Third, Chancellor in the Delaware Court of Chancery, is to enforce the merger contract between the two parties. In particular, the specifics of the Material Adverse Effect clause in paragraph 3.1 state that the MAE clause does not include the following events: â€Å"any event which affects the chemical industry, macro economy as a whole, the financial, debt, credit or security market, any decline in Rohm’s stock price or any failure to meet internal or published projections.† To be more specific; the argument according to Dow that the recent material developments have created unacceptable uncertainties on the funding and economics of the combined enterprise, justifying the termination of the deal, is overruled by the ‘specific performance’ clause in paragraph 3.1. Therefore, the ‘specific performance’ clause, as requested by Rohm and agreed upon by Dow, is binding and hereby enforced. The merger will be executed as planned. Dow will have several different options to solve the financing issue, cutting dividends, renegotiating debt and other means to generate cash could be used. If the deal is not closed before January 10, 2009, as stated in the contract, Dow will pay a ticking fee of 8% per annum. Dow should have been more careful drawing up the contract as it is signed and before me today. Since the possibility of an economic downfall is especially stated in the deal clause, I will make no exception and hereby conclude that the Dow will meet all deal requirements as stated in the contract. Every penny has to sides, if you risk it, you could lose it. Thank you. *slams the hammer*

Technology and Management Functions

The diversely changing business environment has called upon strong models of technological outfit which address the core competencies with which organizations thrive on. Generally, the competitive advantage of the modern organization has only been possible pursuit to the advancement in the technological growth which has consequently helped to streamline the core organizational functions with their goals and objectives. Principally, technology has been of importance in aligning the core management functions towards a resting point of productive layout which gives such an organization adequate stepping stones towards which they can explore the proactive business opportunities within the highly competitive business environment.My organization has indeed rested upon strong technological proximities as a tool for organizational governance based on adequacy in approach of the basic core management functions. This is to imply that, technology has been used as a good source of organizational competence with which my company leverages on, providing it with a long lasting solution for competitive advantage. The technological component within my organization therefore has been a compound of various technological outfits which have been described as inherent in the modern business world in providing functionality, systems design, management and operational ability for the various activities and processes within the organization.Technological has not only been inherent subject to the use and employment of machines and tools, but also the use of intangible technologies and process that help to provide a continuous co-ordination of the day to day organizational activities within the organization as well as with the external stakeholders of the company (Dibrell, Craig, 2008). Various strategic and managerial issues have thus arisen from the same technological development. This has been leveled from the fact that technological development within the organization provide candid grounds with which the management can spearhead various managerial process aimed at strengthening the core management functions as well as other strategic ideologies that arise as a   result of development in technology.Conceptually, technology has continued to play wide range of importance in our organization, bringing into a close realization the core management functions with the expected strategic models of the company. Just to mention, the four management functions which are organizing, controlling, planning and leading, have all been subject to various technological implications. Adequacy in the functionality of the four has been provided by the interactive phenomenon between each and at least a specific technological component, which help in information dissemination and coordination across all the organizational components.An important facet of technology within my organization has been that of information technology, with which classically wide array of communication fram ework across the different organizational components has been necessitated (Lee, Tseng, 2009). Development and investment in business technology within my organization, that runs from simple mobile phone technology, to other information exchange and core production technological tools has been perhaps the building block of our current state of competence in the business environment that uses various operational advantages to address its needs within its approach.Business technology has been the corner stone with which my organization continues to embrace a widely classified competitive advantage from its operational symmetry classified with various advantages. Of importance also has been the investment in digital technology with which the organization uses to channel most of its activities and process through. The step towards management in business technology has thus helped my organization in unifying management and growth in technology towards a center stage of optimal decision m aking and attempt to build a long lasting spirit of the entrepreneurial motive.The quest for technology within my organization has rested on multiple of provisions which include software development, solution in communicating networking, maintenance in computer hardware, technical support systems and the diverse development in the productive technology of the organization. Reliance in computing and other computer related technological components have helped in giving a motive of strong reliance with which my organization can achieve its broad productive mission.By and large, technology has by far helped to address the organizational needs not only by providing an arms length with which the various management functions can continuously integrate with each other, but also from the managerial perspective of comparative advantages it provides to the organization. Just to mention, advancement and investment in technology has provided various statutory benefits and implications for the or ganization.One, technology has been the basic tool with which my organization can undertake its processes and activities in a fast and speedy manner. This has also been doubled with high quality and quantity in output thus meeting the organizational objectives of competitive advantages (Dibrell, Craig, 2008). The use of computer and other technological devices for organizational production has been helpful in providing grounds with which activities can be done in fast and speedy manner. Deliveries and consignments have been able to be provided within their prescribed time frames.Technology has also been a cornerstone for which efficiency can be increased in all organizational undertakings. Efficiency in this perspective has been an importance hallmark with which logistic models that provide competitive advantage for the organization can be enhanced. My organization has thus been able to change and respond instantaneously to various business demands and expectations which foster opti mal executions of their activities. Bias to informational technology for example, data can be stored in various formats which can be explored in a fast and efficient manner to bring about the need for corporate efficiency.Of importance also is the need for multi-tasking with which my organization has been able to embrace adequately subject to the investment in various technological provisions.   For, example, the use of computer and other computer related tools has enabled various persons at different levels of managerial components to perform different tasks at the same time. Multi-tasking within my organization has been one of the important attributes which help to provide optimal resource functionality.Additionally, technology within my organization has been perhaps the most important sediments and a path towards which cost precept can be internalized. The use of a wide framework of technology both in the computing, information technology and the productive process has been imp ortant in safeguarding the cost intercept of the organization (Lee, Tseng, 2009). Both information technology management and business process management have leveraged their axes on the importance of technology as a quest with which the organization can meet its productive layout without much difficult.Summarily therefore, business technology within my organization has thus been used as the core tool for improving communication as well as maximizing the efficiency component within the work place. The company has continuously used structural components of information technology as the main tool with which it can achieve classically various advantages in its productive framework.   It has seldom been able to align its strategic goals and objectives with its various managerial functions. A realized relationship has been achieved between the four levels of management subject to the use of technology as the core model with which it can address its wide array of its activities.Reference Dibrell, C. & Craig, J. (2008). â€Å"Fueling Innovation through Information Technology in SMEs† Journal of Small Business Management, Vol.46, pp.67-79Lee, Y. & Tseng, H. (2009). â€Å"Exploring the Relationship between Information technology Adoption and Business Process Reengineering† Journal of Management and Organization, Vol.15, pp.1-18 Technology and management functions IntroductionAny hospital, whether public or private, requires a clear and comprehensive system of management that will enhance the quality of all organizational initiatives. As with any other type of organization, a hospital must be able to handle tactical and strategic issues, and to guarantee smooth operation and continuity of all business processes. At the age of technological advancement, technology determines the quality, speed, and cost-effectiveness of organizational decision-making. That is why the development and implementation of integrated IT frameworks is the key to a better quality of all planning, organizing, directing, and controlling processes that take place within a highly complicated clinical environment.PlanningPlanning is â€Å"unending course of action† (Buzzle, 2008). The hospital I used to work at was trying to enhance the quality of all planning processes by using an Executive Integrated System (EIS), where budgeting tasks were reasonably combined with other key management functions. The hospital had successfully launched an effective software system, to provide managers with objective financial information and to eliminate wasteful paper-based operations.The system made it possible to track and manage medical order supplies, to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of all medical services, and to address spend management issues. Fully automated reports contained brief critical information with regard to costs and productivity indices for a given period of time. The previous information system had failed to deliver information in a usable form; very often, the needed information had been delivered too late. The newly launched EIS was efficient in a sense that it provided real-time information and maintained flexible approaches to planning (Keegan & Baldwin, 1992). Any changes in financial or strategic management data were immediately reflected and delivered to the hospital’s management, with the latter being able to timely respo nd to the emerging issues.OrganizingObjectively, â€Å"management must organize all its resources well before in hand to put into practice the course of action to decide that has been planned in the base function† (Buzzle, 2008). In hospital, organizing is probably the most complex and the most responsible management mission, which requires using a well-developed system of software solutions and maintaining reasonable combination of electronic and manual organizing procedures. The use of wireless communication systems has become the critical factor leading the hospital to total care quality standards.The introduction of bar coding for all medication items, the use of laptop computers at the bedside, and a new advanced paging system were aimed at providing employees with a better understanding of their responsibilities and tasks. However, despite the visible effectiveness of all these organizing solutions, hospital’s personnel were largely unprepared to using advanced t echnologies in the workplace, and only with time, all administration and business organization processes have been harmonized to serve the needs of patients. By using the new wireless system of communication, the hospital’s management has finally achieved the five major goals of the organizing process, including the effective division of labor, staff positioning, reasonable departmentalization, delegation, and equalizing the power.DirectingAlthough organizing is the most responsible of all management functions, it loses its relevance, if organizations cannot direct and motivate their employees. Our hospital had initially been trying to change the traditional vision of health care management, and to make the directing function of management â€Å"more technological†. It should be noted, that a hospital usually resembles a kind of a virtual team, where team members are scattered across different physical locations but need to maintain continuous intrapersonal relationshi ps. At our hospital, voice conferences were used as the means of synchronous communication between different hospital departments.Voice conferencing was chosen as the communication tool, which did not distract employees from their direct functions, but could be used to ensure that all of them understood the hospital’s strategic goals. Emails and written documentation were used to enhance the quality of virtual communication with employees and between employees and the senior hospital’s management. Unfortunately, technology could not resolve all directing issues; very often, employees needed face-to-face consultations to establish credibility of their organizational efforts. However, with time voice conferences have substantially changed the quality of employee relations at workplace, providing management with an effective real-time tool for directing and motivating medical personnel.ControllingControlling is the last out of four functions of management, which â€Å"in cludes establishing performance standards which are of course based on the company’s objectives† (Buzzle, 2008). In case of the hospital, controlling was used to evaluate employee performance by means of several automated performance appraisal systems in the workplace. As a result of technologies implementation, the time allowed for the completion of performance evaluation forms was dramatically reduced; the hospital’s management was given an opportunity to manage workflows and to track the progress of the performance evaluation process.Although the majority of medical personnel needed time to learn additional technical skills, the system has significantly improved the quality of all business processes within the controlling area. Technology has proved to be an excellent tool of developing cohesive relationships between employees, as well as between employees and the senior management, and has finally created a technologically enhanced management environment acro ss all hospital departments.ConclusionThe use of reliable technological solutions is the key to developing and implementing an effective management system in a highly complicated hospital setting. With the use of budgeting solutions, automated organizing techniques, voice conferences and performance appraisal strategies, a hospital is likely to turn into a technologically advanced, and as a result, a highly organized system of employee interrelationships, which in turn substantially improve the quality of medical services delivered by the hospital to all groups of patients.ReferencesBuzzle. (2008). Management concepts – the four functions of management. Buzzle.com.Retrieved January 16, 2009 from http://www.buzzle.com/articles/management-concepts-the-four-functions-of-management.htmlKeegan, A.J. & Baldwin, B. (1992). EIS: a better way to view hospital trends – executiveinformation systems. Healthcare Financial Management. Retrieved January 16, 2009 from http://findartic les.com/p/articles/mi_m3257/is_n11_v46/ai_14176789/pg_3?tag=artBody;col1