Henry Dvid Thoreau Biography (in First Person)

I was born in Concord, Massachusetts on July 12, 1817. My family consisted of my Ma and Pa and three siblings; Helen, John Jr. and Sofia. We lived a very humble life; my father worked in a pencil company while my mother tended to the house and took care of me and my siblings. (Otfinoski pg. 60) My family was really pushing for me to start school at Harvard College but the cost was too expensive for my family. My father owned a small pencil factory and my mother took in boarders to help make ends meet.But, through great sacrifice my family was able to pitch in the money to send me to college, and so I entered the class of 1833 at the age of 16 and graduated in the year 1837. (Otfinoski pg. 60) After graduating Harvard College I went back to Concord to start my own academy with my brother John Jr. and teach the way I felt was right. Together with my brother we taught about 20 students. I believe that the academy would have lasted longer if my brother hadn’t taken ill, the work w as just too much for me to manage on my own. Otfinoski pg. 61-62) Shortly after closing the academy my brother died I was devastated. I walked 40 miles to attend one of Ralph Waldo Emerson’s lectures, soon after I was able to meet the great man. Emerson offered me a job; it was as a caretaker and a handyman in his home I would live there and work while he was away doing his lectures. In our free time we would discuss Transcendentalism, a philosophy for which he was well known. I was inspired by his radical view and ideas, and looked up to him as a mentor and hero. (Otfinoski pg. 2) Feeling it was time to see more of the world I left Emerson’s and headed back to Concord. In March 1845 I headed towards Walden Pond where I built a cabin for myself and stood there for two years. My reasons for going there were to experience life and discover the true account of it. During my time at the Walden Pond I worked tirelessly on the manuscripts that will later become my first two books. (Otfinoski pg. 62-64) In May of 1849 a Boston publisher published my first book, A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers.Although it sold poorly I never gave up. I later wrote about my experience living at the Walden Pond this book was entitled Walden which also wasn’t as popular as I would have hoped but that still didn’t bring me down. (Otfinoski pg. 64-66) Soon, nature being the very thing that I loved became my enemy as I contracted tuberculosis from living in the outdoors with the bad weather and the constant exposure to the graphite dust working in the pencil factory all caught up to me and on May 6, 1862 I died at the age of 45 years old. (Otfinoski pg. 67-69)

Lady Macbeth Essay

Explore how the narrator in ‘The Laborarory’, ‘Porhyria’s lover’ and Lady Macbeth and ‘Macbeth’ express their desire for power and control? Both Shakespeare and Browning are renowned writers from the world of English literature. The audience were forced to explore the choices made by the characters in both Macbeth and a selection of Browning’s poems to find out the different strategies they use to express their power and control. In Act one scene five, Lady Macbeth’s powerful character, having control over her husband is clearly expressed through her decisive language. ‘Thou must do, if thou have it.’ Lady Macbeth uses a forceful tone to convey her view on Macbeth murdering Duncan in order for him to achieve his ultimate goal of taking Duncan’s place. It’s clear on the control and power Lady Macbeth establishes on her husband and is a great contrast to how in the Elizabethan times women were worthl ess and didn’t have any say. Here, Lady Macbeth has reversed her gender role from being a kind loving hostess into a more affirmative, strong minded commander. This will be a rebellious character in the eyes of the society. Moreover Lady Macbeth begins to sharpen her plans but isn’t too sure as she thinks her feminity would become a weakness. She proclaims towards supernatural substances (spirits), which were seemed to be believed in the Victorian era. ‘Unsex me here’. This was a vivid way asking spirits to strip her of feminity weakness. She imagines herself as a vessel which h maybe emitted out and refilled with evilness. Also by risking her chance of having a baby for power shows her urgency toward power and control. This is odd as in the Elizabethan times it was the women’s duty to have children and look after them. Lady Macbeth wanted to get rid of her feminity for power which is quite odd and different to others like the speaker in the Laboratory, where feminity is threatened. Mo reover when she says ‘and take my milk for gall’, its suggesting that she no longer wants to be a female. ‘Gall’ comes from an excess of yellow bile. An imbalance of yellow bile can make one ruthless and insolent. If Lady Macbeth is internally poisoned, it would gain her control over the King. Moreover, Lady Macbeth is portrayed as a very strong character, compared to Shakespeare’s other female protagonists where they are timid and weak. She uses this strength to fulfil her dream of Macbeth becoming the future monarch. This is further demonstrated through the use of alliteration of the letter ‘T’ at the beginning of each sentence in Lady Macbeth’s soliloquy  presenting the fact that Lady Macbeth is organised in a sense that she has planned every detail precisely. Similarly ‘In The Laboratory’, the female speaker uses language which comes across as forceful. ‘Grind away, moisten and mash up thy paste.’ Here we are seeing a female person giving out demands to a professional poison maker. This behaviour can be seen as unconventional, meaning that in the Victorian era women were not supposed to be demanding or forceful towards other individuals especially men. This decision the speaker had made is showing the audience that the speaker is strong-minded yet not too insane over her decisions. The speaker in ‘The Laboratory’ is being enthusiastic and decisive about creating an evil plan which in the audiences mind will come across as intriguing. Normally women of the Victorian era would most likely to be enthusiastic about hosting a dinner party and not preparing to kill a human. Both Lady Macbeth and the speaker in the laboratory wanted to kill but Lady Macbeth doesn’t actually want to fulfil the deed herself. Moreover the speaker in The Laboratory is very unsympathetic towards her victims, as she is very eager to get revenge. ‘the exquisite blue’. This indicates that she wants the potion to be strong so it should be a bright blue so that the revenge will be successful whereas if it is a grim colour then the potion won’t be strong and will look weak and old when it should be powerful. Her keenness for this to be successful is further demonstrated through the use of rhyme scheme, AABB, quickening the pace of the poem. It also indicat es that she is almost cursing the mistress and most of the lines are similar in length showing that she knows exactly what she is doing to acquire power. Also within the poem there are twelve stanzas with the rhyme scheme. This also reinforces the fact of the poem being quickened. Iambic pentameter is also being used due to her passion within her planning for the disgrace. ‘Brand, burn up, bite into its grace.’ This is an example of alliteration in the ‘B’ sound which is very harsh. This language shows her desire to inflict pain on her victims, cause their sufferings and disturb their beauty. On the other hand Lady Macbeth’s soliloquy is written in a logical order showing that she wants to get rid of her feminity slowly and slowly. The speaker in the laboratory similar to Lady Macbeth makes significant references to her religion. ‘empty church, to pray God in, for them! – I am here.’ This gives us an impression that for the speaker, it is more essential to create a potion to kill rather  than pray to God in a holy Church. This phrase can indicate that the speaker has chosen to take a negative route within her life therefore disobeying her religion. ‘for them’. This illustrates that she is referring to both her lover and his mistress; as if she is doing them a favour by praying to God. Her decision to make poison in the laboratory shows her as immoral and rebellious. From this it’s clear that the speaker gives no value to the views of her society as she is seen very disrespectful towards her society’s views on being religious. Similarly Lady Macbeth is shown to be making numerous references to religion which have great influences on her decision makings. â€Å"And pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell† This emphasises on how she wants to hide her evil deeds from heaven and from herself. The actions and words portrayed through both these characters show great personality of the two women. These two dominant females are seen opposing their religion, reversing their role s in the society as well as becoming involved in sinful behaviour to gain either pleasure or status. However Lady Macbeth wanted to kill for her own gain to receive royalty, whereas the speaker in the Lab wanted to kill for revenge. Moreover the laboratory has been written in the style of a dramatic monologue. This form can reveal a lot about the speakers inner thoughts and can create a strong relationship with the audience as well. ‘and Pauline should have just thirty minutes to live.’ This portrays the power and control the speaker has over Pauline’s life and also emphasises on the fact that she now has the choice of killing whoever she likes. As she is the only speaker the audience can only look through her viewpoint. This perhaps can make the audience feel quite uneasy to trust a person who is making a potion as there are no other characters involved within the evil plot. On the contrary, Macbeth, is seen to have less courage and power while standing up against Lady Macbeth, who according to that society should be lower in hierarchy than Macbeth in terms of power and control. Macbeth wants peace of mind and wants the process to end once and for all ‘the be all and the end all.â€⠄¢ Macbeth speaks of an action not a personal thing; he wonders if the action will be all that is required and end all of all that he must go through to be the king. Macbeth would like his deed to be limited. As Macbeth is about to kill Duncan he says ‘it is the bloody business which informs. Thus to mine eyes’. This illustrates that Lady Macbeth has been able to gain full control of her timid husband as  he is been forced to kill. His words show that he is afraid to kill the highly respected king who is believed to be selected by God. Macbeth’s use of alliteration in Act 2 Scene 1 ‘bloody business’ presents the fact that Macbeth knows of this kind of business and hates it but yet is forced in to it. This is very ironic that Macbeth is scared to kill as he has just fought a war which involves mass killing. During Macbeth’s time killing a king was a great sin against God as kings were appointed by God. Also during that era men controlled the women whereas in Macbeth’s situation his wife controlled him. However on the other hand, in Porphyria’s lover the speaker sets positivity about his lover. This can show him as a higher classed person and he has gained a female follower. This makes himself immortal and feels like he is p laying the role of God. Thus going on to killing Porphyria and witnessing ‘God’s silence’. Unlike Macbeth, Porphyria’s lover felt no guilt after he slaughtered his lover as he felt ’no pain felt she’. He may even believe that she enjoyed the pain because he, her lover inflicted it. This implies that he’s an unsympathetic speaker. The language of the speaker in Porphyria’s lover shows how the narrator is ignorant to God ‘And yet God has not spoken.’ This implies the speaker is acting humorous in saying God didn’t speak and thinks it is acceptable to murder a female. ‘has not’ portrays the speakers choice of murder. He is seen as criticising his own faith of not directing him in the correct pathway of not committing evil. In the Victorian era men showed more sexuality towards women and most of the people believed in god. ‘and yet god hasn’t said a word’ this shows although they believed in faith they still sinned. ‘no pain felt she; im quiet sure she felt no pain’ the speaker comforts himself that porphyria felt no pain when he killed her. This may not be true. He does not feel sympathy for the fact that he killed her and in this statement he is justifying his actions. Lady Macbeth and porphyria aren’t similar to the average women in their times -they urge for power; porphyria’s lover is being controlled by porphyria. ‘she put my arm around her waist’ this implies porphyria is commanding and gives her lover no choice about what he wants to do. Similarly Macbeth is in control by a female, and this female being his wife, Lady Macbeth. ‘thou Marshall’st’ me the way that I was going.’ Lady Macbeth and porphyria are both in control. Porphyria’s lover has a simple structure; ABABB. This structure shows the madness in the eyes of porphyria’s lover. It  is laid out in one long stanza as Browning wants to preserve the moment. The structure of Macbeth and Porphyria’s lover are different. Porphyria’s lover’s structure was in one long stanza because he wanted to stop time, whereas Macbeth wanted to commit the scene as soon as possible.

Describe your key leadership experiences and evaluate what leadership Personal Statement

Describe your key leadership experiences and evaluate what leadership areas you hope to develop through your MBA experience - Personal Statement Example However, I realized that due to my relative inexperience, I would be facing two immediate problems. First, I had no experience of how to allot shares and at what prices. I approached managers of the firm to know their intentions and discussed with them the different parameters to be followed in the proposed buyout. I than approached a Merger & Acquisition expert to work as our consultant. Through formation of dynamic and multi-dimensional team, I succeeded in defining criteria for allotting shares as well as their prices. Secondly, due to my unknown business characters, I was unaware of how to acquire bank loans to finance the acquisition of shares by the managers. I had to coordinate with the local municipal government to facilitate us through banks and pursue them to provide necessary finance for buyout. I pursued them because my mother grew in reputation because of her contribution to the local society and government. Finally, we were able to sign off the deals with the banks to get bank financing for our managers to get the shares in acquisition. The second occasion when I was able to demonstrate leadership was during 2007 when I was working at IBM's China Development Lab. I served as the project manager for the renovation of the Next Generation TPMS (Translation Planning and Management System), a tool for managing the IBM globalization and localization processes. The previous generation system, developed by a team in Egypt, had failed to deliver what users really needed, which translated into super-low customer satisfaction ratio at 26 percent. My background investigation suggested four important variables which were the main cause of the failure of the system to deliver the results. This included the fact that system was slow, did not cater user requirements, too complicated as well as difficult to use. Building on that information, I thought that an upgraded system should be built around with more of the customer focus rather than technology driven as it should attempt to reflect what actually end users require. During our investigation, some of the users required us to develop a web based application whereas some of the users demanded that the system may be developed as a desktop application therefore we also decided to build a system which serve both the purposes. We begun our work around this idea and succeed in developing a systems which was hybrid of a web application as well as desktop application and which catered most of the needs of our end users. Subsequent testing by most of the users across different countries appreciated our efforts and due to my strong presentation and persuasion they agreed to test the application and provide their feedback on the new system after thoroughly using it. Both of these situations were unique for me however I believe an MBA would have provided me a better understanding of both the situations and I would have been able to address both of these issues with much more details as well as professional maturity. An MBA would also provide me more theoretical as well as practical education regarding the nature of leadership and how it can be effectively used to get things done through others. I also believe that an MBA will make my

Critically Evaluate the Balance Between Industrial, Technological and Essay

Critically Evaluate the Balance Between Industrial, Technological and Societal Shifts Which Have Reshaped the Newspaper Industry - Essay Example that golden era, there would be fewer issues that humanity would have faced and a rat race of getting ahead of one another would have subsided, promptly (Couldry, 2010). Newspapers have to be loved like these used to be in the past. If any semblance of sanity has to be revoked again as far as the newspaper industry is concerned, all out efforts within the related ranks are much required. The glory of the past must be brought back to have a culture which is quickly fading away, for all the wrong reasons. Moving ahead with the debate, the role of the newspapers within the past comprised of just about everything that surrounded humanity and its varied manifestations. This has not changed much with the progression that has thus been made all the way through. Yet somehow or the other, the needs have changed of the people. This has called for bringing in sections which were unheard of in the past and which merit attention in this day and age. By this, what one means is the fact that the ne wspapers of present times are more or less inclusive of sections for technology, children, women, the different professionals like doctors, lawyers, pilots and so on. Also there are sections for varied events and reviews on movies, music albums, sports matches and many more. The sections have advanced with the passage of time yet the overall meaning that is conveyed within these sections has remained more or less the same. This calls for an interesting read, more so because separate sections have largely segmented the population so that they can subscribe individually to a single brand of newspaper. However, since the teenagers do not quite appreciate the possession of a newspaper within their folds, this discussion seems to be a lost cause (Keeble, 2005). A lot has been written and said... This paper approves that the newspaper industry is going down merely due to the fact that people have stopped giving it the attention. The young ones do not have an idea as to how to find time to interact and communicate with one another while the seniors are adapting the technological means in order to grow and develop. The community elders should decide for their own selves whether they would like the younger generation to move on towards newer technological front or should they stick to reading newspapers. They have to be the most significant individuals within such a debate because they have experienced how newspapers have been given the respect in the past and how the trends are changing with the passage of time these days. This essay makes a conclusion that it would be correct to state that newspapers must be given the room to exploit the conditions around them and not be seen as a thing of the past. This is because they have no parallels as far as technological tools are concerned. The luxury that these newspapers bring cannot be compared with any other tool or activity that is employed by the people. Also the role of the elders within any society of the world is a quintessential one because they have to get their point across as to what can be compromised upon and what simply cannot be accepted as a changing trend or the need of the time. These elders must adapt to the technological angles yet they should never give up on the physical copy because it used to be their favorite hobby in the past and the same should continue in the coming days as well. If they give up on newspapers, there is little that the industry can do to sustain its own self in the future.

Evaluate the Future Impact of Media Technologies in Tourism Essay

Evaluate the Future Impact of Media Technologies in Tourism - Essay Example International arrivals rise at a slower rate but in complete terms rose from 394 million in 1988 to 613 million in 1997. Less inclusive figures are obtainable for domestic tourism. In some, such as France, domestic holidays continued to increase; elsewhere (for example, the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia and New Zealand), signs of stagnation or decline were appearing, in part as a consequence of increased outbound tourism. In disparity, domestic tourism was fetching more important in some developing countries as varying values of living destined domestic tour was becoming more reachable to a wider example of society (Chris Cooper, 2001). Countries in Europe and North America are still major sources and others have joined destinations for international tourism but in recent years, especially in Asia and the Pacific. Varying rates of growth have been recorded in these and in other regions of the world, such as Africa and South America. Resorts in some of the latter regions have a relatively long tradition of tourism, such as Bariloche in Argentina. In further places, for instance parts of Africa or a few Pacific islands, tourism is still budding as a figure of expansion. While numbers there may as yet be relatively insignificant on a global scale, they may be of increasing significance locally. As an outcome of these models and procedures, tourism is moreover before now extensively recognized as a key segment of nationwide, regional and local economies in a lot of parts of the world or being aggressively measured or cultivated as an expansion alternative in many others (Jarice Hanson, 1990). The expansion of tourism h as been accompanied by a noteworthy increase in media technology and research activities in this field. Tourism programmes connected to media, centres and subdivisions have developed on sites universal, and tourism conferences have propagated and fresh

BRICS Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

BRICS - Research Paper Example In order to identify the potential buyers in the automotive industry of Russia it is necessary to gain in depth knowledge about consumer behavior and their needs and wants for the products offered in the country's automotive industry. As a whole the dealerships are considered to be the primary buyers within the automotive industry in Russia. However the pull exerted by the end users is also important. The switching costs for the dealerships is very high mainly because of the fact that in most cases the automotive manufacturing companies have an exclusive contractual agreement with the dealerships. In a way the dealers are actually forced to sell the models and brands as preferred by the consumers. All these factors suggest that dealerships are the primary buyers in the market and they should be targeted in an effective manner to become successful in capturing the market in Russia. Next it is important to identify the target consumers and their specific needs and requirements to resul t in increased customer satisfaction. According to a research study conducted by Nielsen (2011), the main factors that are considered by the consumers in Russia while buying a car have been shown in the figure - 1. Figure – 1 The main factors of choice of cars by Russian consumers (in %age) Source: (Autobusiness, 2012) As evident from figure - 1, the most important factor considered by the consumers in Russia while purchasing a car is quality and reliability of the product offered to them. Apart from this other key factors considered while selecting a car includes the car price, fuel consumption, safety, design of the car, total cost of ownership (TCO), comfort levels, roadability and the car capacity. Quality of products, reliability and price are in general important factors considered by consumers of all age groups, and gender. However TCO is preferred to design by men as compared to women who prefer design over TCO. As regards the age differences, consumers in the age gro up of 20 to 30 years are more concerned about the design of the cars and they prefer powerful cars. The middle age group (31 to 40 years) consumers are found to be practical in nature and they prefer cars with increased capacity and of lower prices. Quality and reliability are the major factors concerning consumers in the age group of 41 to 60 years (Autobusiness, 2012). The key factors or measures that should be considered while analyzing the automotive market in Russia includes population growth, new passenger registration, household earnings, pattern of growth of the middle class people, and oil consumption pattern in Russia. This study is designed to research on the possibility of General Motors expanding its business in Russia in the field of luxury cars. It is expected that by the end of 2016, Russia would become the largest automotive market in Europe. The Russian automotive market has experienced an unprecedented growth in sales of luxury cars in the recent years. It has bee n estimated that in the first nine months of 2012, 2.18 million luxury cars has been bought by the Russians as compared to 2.36 million bought by the Germans which is the highest recorded figures in the industry. With respect to the rise in oil prices, the elite class people were benefited the most and there has been a rise in the sales of luxury cars in Russia. This rise in sales of luxur

Chinese film Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Chinese film - Essay Example In the essay, I will be using the film, Comrades: Almost a Love Story (Chan, 1996), in order to illustrate how individuals’ lives or identities are transformed in certain ways in the film for being a fan of the popular star. Using the characters’ Li Xiao Ju and Li Qiao, I will examine how their lives have been transformed for being fans of a certain star in the movie. The film spans over several years that involve Li Xiao, who is a Mainlander moving to Hong Kong in order to get himself a job, and Li Qiao, also a Mainlander moves to Hong Kong and tries to be a successful entrepreneur through the selling of Teresa Teng’s cassette tapes and in search for a better live (Peter, 1996). She also does other odd jobs such as selling flowers and other employments. Li Xiao is assisted by his aunt in getting a job as a delivery man. Li Xiao has moved to Hong Kong in hopes of earning enough money that will enable him to go back home in order to marry his fiancà ©. While Li Xiao seems to be earnest and uncertain in regards to things Li Qiao, on the other hand, is smooth, quick and efficient when setting and following her dream and goals. Their difference in their personal traits is also evident in the type of wage earnings that each assumes when they arrive in Hong Kong. As we will come to find out in the film, theyre different in person trait will because of Li Qiao’s live transformation by the songs of Teresa Teng. Because of how Li Qiao emulates, and her passion for Teresa as she is associated with popular culture makes her be an ambitious and hardworking lady. It is clear that the life of Li Qiao has been transformed in some way for being a fan of a popular star. As an immigrant, she does not have any apparent kin who could help her get a job or an apartment. However, she is able to get herself a job as a counter clerk at

Should private schools be banned Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Should private schools be banned - Essay Example It therefore seems so from these arguments that in today’s world, education has been used to perpetrate inequality and division of social classes based on economic status because of the existence of higher education meant for the rich and wealthy in the society. Those calling for the closure of private schools believe in the fact that the current education systems institutionalises inequality and unfair treatment of education seekers just because they can’t afford the high cost of private institutions. It is interesting to note that out of the total number of school going children about 90% attend public schools while 10% attend private schools (Caldwell, 2008). Those who attend public schools have the potential of better performance as compared to their public counterparts contributing a larger percentage of students who qualify for university education in leading universities such as Cambridge and oxford. This is the highest degree of inequality as it implies that tho se who will eventually qualify for top positions in industry are those who hail from wealthy families who parents were able to sponsor their education on very expensive private institutions. In addition to this fact, the current society is typical of what can be termed as cultural capitalism and social shutting where the wealthy and privileged give their children gigantic advantages whereas the poor ones struggle in poorly managed and funded systems where only the lucky ones strive for excellence. The survival is typically of the law of the jungle where the fit survive and the weak succumb to academic death. It is vital to stress the need for all to give every child... Thi essay approves that it is in the view of this discussion that private schools tends to widen the gap between the haves and the not haves. This is because private schools exist and continues to provide better education than public schools owing to the fact those who educate children in the schools pay huge amounts of money as fees. This may not be possible for middle and low income earners as a result natural selection occurs where rich families get the opportunity to educate their young ones in private schools while the poor do not. In addition, such schools would present conditions for better performance against the state owned schools owing to their ability to employ and motivate qualified teachers, provide basic facilities and sizable classes. This report makes a conclusion that if all private schools were banned, it would give the rich an incentive to fund state owned ones since their children will to be attending alongside children from poor backgrounds. This will be a fairer way to deal with the rising difference between the rich and the poor. On the contrary, some argue that private schools offers impeccable education which may not be possible to access in state owned schools where there is limited access to resources, support persons and facilities. This is a fact that is discredited by failure by the government to fund state owned schools to the level of private schools. Therefore, it is justifiable to say that private schools should be banned. This is because private school is a major impediment to equity and valuable education for all.

The role of using first language (L1) and translation in young Essay - 2

The role of using first language (L1) and translation in young learners’ classes - Essay Example ys: firstly, by means of a small-scale survey of EFL teachers, using a questionnaire; secondly, through on-line interviews with three former teachers; and, finally, by means of classroom observations in three classes. The data was analyzed using both quantitative and qualitative methods. The teachers expressed a range of views, reflecting the diverse views in the research literature. However, most of the participants responding to the questionnaire indicated that they felt that English should be the main language of the classroom. At the same time, these participants and all others (the former teachers and the teachers in the classes observed) acknowledged that occasional use of Arabic (or, where relevant, other first languages), for particular purposes was appropriate. The purposes they cited were: explaining particular vocabulary items or phrases; clarifying classroom procedures (e.g. for particular tasks or activities); giving instructions and making sure that the instructions wer e understood; and, maintaining classroom discipline. These views appear to be guiding classroom practice in the three classes that I observed. The teachers were using the students’ first languages for these purposes. In my concluding chapter, I recommend that, in initial teacher education in Oman, more attention should be given to these communicative functions of translation and first language use, while emphasising the importance of using as much English as possible in EFL teaching in the early years. The most appropriate way to teach English as a Second Language (ESL) or English as a Foreign Language (EFL) is a source of primary scholarly debate. Recently, more attention has been given to the use of translation and the native language (L1) in communicative English Language Teaching (ELT). Most of the theories inform us that young childrens language development is influenced by many factors, including using their first language to explain concepts and express abstract reasoning.

Persuasive Speech Essay Example for Free

Persuasive Speech Essay Do you have a dog? Does anyone have a pit bull? Well I happy to say that I am a proud owner of 2 blue pits. Their names are Diamond and Jack, and I never been more in love with dog. They are just like my babies. At the end of the summer Diamond had her first litter. I was in awe’s because I was like I’m a grandmother now. They are more than a dog, they are family. II. Pit bulls are just like any other dog. It depends on how a pit bull or any other breed of dog is nurtured to determine the characteristics of the dog. Don’t get me wrong I have always been terrified of pit bulls because of all the negative press about pit bulls. I would always hear about a pit bull attacking someone or something. I would watch a show called â€Å"Good dogs gone bad.† I never heard anything positive. If wasn’t for my dad getting Jack 2 years ago I would still have a negative perspective. IV. My rival makes numerous definite opinions about pit bulls. Today I will address the myths about pit bulls and how loving and caring they are. Many rivals will often argue that pit bulls have the highest attacks on people than any other breed of dog. a. This is the biggest reason why there are so many people scared of pit bulls. You rarely read or hear about any other dog attacking someone. When you hear about a pit bull attacking someone the media feed off more about this because pit bulls are considered to be an aggressive dog. b. â€Å"Many people have a difficult time properly identifying a true Pit Bull, so added to the statistics are those dogs that have been misidentified. Considering these factors, the actual number of attacks attributable to American Pit Bull Terriers is considerably lower than represented,† according to the real pit bull. i. Do you think a 4 pound Pomeranian dog would hurt anybody? ii. Stated in the Dog Bite Law, â€Å"The most horrifying example of the lack of breed predictability is the October 2000 death of a 6-week-old baby, which was killed by her familys Pomeranian dog.† a. The American Temperament Test is a test that measures a dog strong avoidance, unprovoked aggression, and panic without recovery. â€Å"American Pit Bull Terriers passed the test at a rate of 85.3%,† according to Pitbulls.org. They have the highest test scores, and they out beat the golden retriever â€Å"family dog† by 7.7%. iii. I identify the justice of my rival’s claim, but I disagree with my rival’s 100 percent about pit bulls having the highest attacks. c. Now you can see how my rival made a mistake because they didn’t evaluate and understood the facts as clearly as they should. My rivalry will argue that pit bulls can’t be loving and caring towards people. a. There are no facts about a pit bull being dangerous or even vicious because of their bloodline. You can’t portray a negative image about a pit bull base upon one incident. b. In the article Pitbulls: Vicious or Victims states, â€Å"Our dogs obviously have a bad name,† she says. But â€Å"they’re just like any other dog; it’s just them being in the wrong hands. †¦ What we think is crucial to changing the image is educating owners on how to be responsible pit bull owners.† Do you think pit bull can save someone life? †Pit bulls get a bad rap sometimes,† Sorrells said. â€Å"But it’s all in how you train them and raise them. He’s a very loving dog,† in the article Pet Pit Bull Drags Women to Safety. I identify my rival’s claim, but I disagree with the idea that pit bulls can’t be caring or loving toward people. c. You can see again how my rival made another error of portraying pit bulls base up on only one side of the factor. Conclusion I. I have addressed the myth about pit bulls and how loving and affectionate they are. II. To determine the characteristics of the dog it depends on how a pit bull or any other breed of dog is nurtured. Honestly there isn’t a difference between a pit bull and any other dog. III. The responsibility of positive or negative actions are in the training not the breed. IV. Blaming the breed is comical.

Reducing Anxiety among Radiology Patients

Reducing Anxiety among Radiology Patients INTRODUCTION Background of the Study As the technologic complexity of radiologic procedures has grown, the emotional reactions of patients to imaging procedures have become more prominent, and interaction between patients and the staff of diagnostic radiology units has become more important 1. Like the smaller number of patients surveyed by Monics et al 2 after undergoing a variety of radiologic procedures at a teaching hospital, patients in this sample were more concerned with explanations of procedures and results, and with factors affecting their physical comfort, than with the competency of the staff or their own convenience. Patients awaiting therapeutic procedures commonly report anxiety 1, fears about the unknown, pain, possibility of further interventions, complications, destruction of body image, disruption of life plans, loss of control, disability, and loss of life 2. Most of the time, one might assume that diagnostic tests, which typically carry fewer risks than invasive therapeutic procedures, would create less distress. Diagnostic tests, however, inherently harbor uncertainty, which can be a potent stressor and has been linked to poor coping with health-related issues, as well as poor adaptation and recovery 4. Hence, the conduct of this study in this aspect will assess the level of distress in patients awaiting radiological procedure particularly in breast , transvaginal and scrotal ultrasound. The study will also provide effective protocol in the conduct of giving information to patients. Review of Related Literature Waiting room distress can impact patients and radiology resources by taxing â€Å"departmental resources in terms of appointment cancellations, patients’ lack of cooperation, extended room times, increased medication use, prolonged recovery and inability to complete imaging procedures well or at all, with adverse impact on both image quality and reimbursement,† wrote Nicole Flory, PhD, of the department of radiology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical-Harvard Medical School in Boston, and colleagues 5. Attention to patient’s acute distress before and during procedures is important because distress may cause hemodynamic instability, procedural complications, and other adverse events 6. As mentioned by KrantzDS et al 7, stress and anxiety may cause adverse events through elevated levels of blood pressure, heart rate, coronary constriction, and stress hormones. Jangland et al 8 found that, among those patients who complained about care and increased anxiety, the most common complaints were insufà ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ cient information, inadequate respect, and insufà ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ cient empathy. In the study of Nicole Flory, et al 5 they concluded that uncertainty of diagnosis can weigh heavily on the patient, and perceptions of what medical personnel may consider â€Å"minor† do not necessarily reflect the patient’s experience. Training medical personnel in how to communicate with these patients and to assuage their distress promises not only to relieve the patients’ distress but also to positively affect departmental resources. In our literature search, we identified no previous studies of topics related to anxiety reduction prior to radiologic procedure. Also, no particular studies were taken in comparative assessment of psychological distress in conjunction with imaging procedures using the standard verbal explanation against the audio visual presentation. This study therefore will take advantage of the availability of preprocedural surveys from prospective randomize control trials that will be performed in department of radiology with patients at various radiologic procedures using Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Research questions What is the prevalence of anxiety and depression among patients referred for breast, transvaginal and scrotal ultrasound using the adaptive verbal pre-procedural briefing versus with complimentary audio visual presentation? What is the level of anxiety and depression among patients referred for breast, transvaginal and scrotal ultrasound using the adaptive verbal pre-procedural briefing versus with additional audio visual presentation? Is there any differences between anxiety and depression rate in patients undergoing breast, transvaginal and scrotal ultrasound using the adaptive verbal pre-procedural briefing versus with audio visual presentation?   Significance of the study In the current set-up of our department in radiology, at most three residents are assigned to ultrasound section, catering 60 patients per day with resident to patient ratio of 1:30 in an 8 hour-shift. This would only give the resident 8 minutes per patient to do his/her doctor-patient interaction. All patients under fasting, are the most priority causing all other patient to have a waiting time of about an hour or two for her/him to be served, and this where the patients for breast, scrotal and transvaginal falls. These procedures also give more anxiety and distress if not explained well by their respective doctors because of its very intimate approach. With this existing reality, having an audio-visual presentation as an additional tool of information might help alleviate patient’s anxiety and distress. This assessment is a first step in evaluating the adaptive verbal pre-procedural protocol in the radiology department with that of another additional audio-visual presentation, and the results of such an evaluation then can help guide specific interventions toward better outcomes. Objectives General objective This study aims to compare the effectiveness of the additional audio-visual briefing presentation versus the adapted pre-procedural verbal briefing only among patients referred for breast, transvaginal and scrotal ultrasound in Department of Radiological and Imaging Sciences at Southern Philippines Medical Center, Davao City in reducing the level of anxiety/depression using Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) model. Specifically, this study aims to determine the following: a. Demographic and clinical profile of patients who will underwent breast, scrotal, transvaginal ultrasound. b. To compare the effectiveness of adapted verbal pre-procedural briefing against with additional audio-visual presentation in decreasing the anxiety/depression level among patients referred for imaging study. c. To suggest recommendation to policy makers and professionals for adoption of creative ways to control or minimize this phenomena. II. MATERIALS AND METHODS Study Setting: The study will be conducted at the Department of Radiological and Imaging Sciences waiting section at Southern Philippines Medical Center, Davao City. The study will be done over a period of three months (April to June 2014) Study Participants All patients referred to the Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences facility at Southern Philippines Medical Center for breast, transvaginal and scrotal ultrasound, that is qualified to join in the study. Below are the inclusion and the exclusion criteria for patients who are candidates for the study. Inclusion criteria Adult patients (18 – 65 years old) who will give their consent for the study. Understands English language Patients who do not meet any criteria for a mental health disorder using the Global Mental Health Assessment Tool (GMHAT) of the World Health Organization Patient should have mild or moderate levels of anxiety at the start of the trial Ambulatory Conscious Exclusion criteria All patients who will undergo breast, transvaginal and scrotal procedure that will not give their consent for the study and will not meet the inclusion criteria. Baseline Data Collection Consents for the research study will be obtained by the researcher between the ages of approximately 18 and 65 years of age. All consecutive patients who had completed their consent from April to July 2014 will be evaluated for study eligibility by the researcher. All patients who will participate will undergo Global Mental Health Assessment Tool (GMHAT) of the World Health Organization to exclude patients having overt mental disorder and will be advised to seek professional help. A randomized selection of patients will be done wherein they are asked to blindly select which group they will fall by drawing lots. First group will undergo the usual verbal pre-procedural briefing while the second group will receive the additional audio-visual presentation. The researcher will ask consecutive eligible patients to participate in a study in which the level of anxiety and depression will be assessed prior to ultrasound procedure. Both groups will be handed identical stacks of psychological questionnaire: the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale(Appendix 1) under the supervision of the investigator. Patients will be at liberty with regard to the sequence in which they would fill out the questionnaires. Another identical stack of HADS questionnaires will be given to the participants after the end of the intervention still under the supervision of the investigator. Outcome Measures Socio-demographic questionnaires The demographic information includes age, gender, education and occupation. Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale(HADS): The HADS is a screening tool for anxiety and depression in non-psychiatric clinical populations. The scale consists of 14 items (7 each for anxiety and depression). Each item is rated on a four point scale ranging from 0 (not at all) to 3 (very often). Responses are based on the relative frequency of symptoms over the preceding week. Possible scores range from 0 to 21 for each subscale. An analysis of scores on the two subscales supported the differentiation of each mood state into four ranges: ‘mild cases’ (scores 8-10), ‘moderate cases’ (scores 11-15), and ‘severe cases’ (scores 16 or higher). HADS was validated by group of researchers (Ingvar Bjelland, Alv A. Dahl, Tone Tangen Haug, Dag Neckelmann) from Department of Public Health and Primary Health Care, Section for Preventive Medicine and Department of Psychiatry of Norway using Cronbalch’s alpha. In their study, the sensitivity and specificity for HADS of approximately 0.80 were very similar to the sensitivity and specificity achieved by the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ). Hence the review confirmed the assumption that HADS is a questionnaire that performs well in screening for the separate dimensions of anxiety and depression and caseness of anxiety disorders and depression in patients from nonpsychiatric hospital clinics9. Audio Visual Presentation: The video will run for 10 minutes and must answer the following questions of: a. WHAT IS THE PROCEDURE? b. WHY IS THE PROCEDURE NECESSARY? c. HOW IS THE PROCEDURE DONE? d. WHAT ARE THE RISKS AND COMPLICATIONS OF THE PROCEDURE? The video will be in full English language. The video will be validated by a Mass Communication professor by issuing a certificate. The video will be presented to at least 10 randomized selected persons outside the DORIS personnel before the actual test will be done. At the end of the video they must able to answer the above questions. During the actual test, video will be presented in groups through television in a separate room. Data Handling and Analyses The data will be collected directly from the patients by using HADS Scale questionnaires in DORIS at SPMC. Detailed information about the study will be given to each participant using English language and consent to participate will be obtained. Over viewing of the questionnaire will be the first step, prior to data entry; this will be followed by designing an entry model using the computer Statistical Package for Social Science SPSS. The coded questionnaires will be entered into the computer by the researcher. Data cleaning will be done through checking out a random number of the questionnaires and through exploring descriptive statistics frequencies for all variables. All suspected or missed values will be checked by revising the available sheets. The researcher will use Statistical Package for Social Science SPSS to analyze the research questions by using Chi square, ANOVA, and t test to answer the objectives. Also, the researcher used descriptive statistics to explore frequencies of all variables. Statistically significant values are considered at P values is equal or less than 0.05. Sample Size Considerations The sample size that will be used in the study is the total summation of the patients who will undergo breast, transvaginal and scrotal ultrasound who will give their consent and within the inclusion criteria from April to July of 2014.

Essay on the Failure of Language in Malcolm and On the Road

The Failure of Language in Malcolm and On the Road        Ã‚  Ã‚   John Clellon Holmes in his essay "The Philosophy of the Beat Generation" characterized his young contemporaries as deeply spiritual; to him, the very eccentricity of the fifties with their characteristic sexual promiscuity, drug addiction, petty criminality, and heterodox forms of self-expression was an attempt to assert one's individuality in the atmosphere of pervasive conformity of that Golden Age. And judging by the literature of this era from the distance of four decades one might conclude that incessant search for one's true self was, indeed, what this time was all about. The shaping of identity of a young protagonist (or its failure) is the dominant motif of the two outstanding works of the period--James Purdy's Malcolm and Jack Kerouac's On the Road, published in 1959 and 1957 correspondingly; their central characters, Dean Moriarty and Malcolm, severed from the primal source of identity--their fathers, are on a quest to regain the touch with that most fundamenta l aspect of their individuality. Defining oneself in relationship to language is an essential part of this quest. There is a certain magnetism about Malcolm and Dean that wins over hobos, billionaires, chanteuses, and bohemians alike; but whatever the nature of their charm might be, it is not linguistic. Indeed, both Malcolm and Dean are at odds with standard English. Malcolm's verbal innocence makes him a foreigner to any circle he finds himself in; the pattern corruption in the novel, therefore, requires that his mentors introduce him to the vocabulary which stands for yet another aspect of the wickedness they are to "break him in." This is an arduous task, given the extent to which Malcolm is a... ...y appropriated, were the heroes of the generation (Krupat 407). Purdy's novel, on the other hand, denies his Everyman a father, humanity its God, and the world any meaning.       Works cited Adams, Stephen D. James Purdy. London: Vision, 1976. Holmes, John C. "The Philosophy of the Beat Generation." On the Road. Text and Criticism. By Jack Kerouac. Ed. Scott Donaldson. New York: Penguin, 1979. 367-79. Kerouac, Jack. On the road. Ed. Scott Donaldson. New York: Penguin, 1979. Krupat, Arnold. "Dean Moriarty as Saintly Hero." On the Road. Text and Criticism. By Jack Kerouac. Ed. Scott Donaldson. New York: Penguin, 1979. 397-411. Lorch, Thomas M. "Purdy's Malcolm: A Unique Vision of Radical Emptiness." Wisconsin Studies in Contemporary Literature. 6 (1965): 204-13. Purdy, James. Malcolm. London, New York: Serpent's Tail, 1994.      

Identify and Discuss Examples of Good/Bad Practice in the Management of

According to the UK Association of Project Management (APM) quoted in Atkinson (1999), it has produced a UK Body of Knowledge (BoK) which provides a broad definition for project management as: â€Å"The planning, organisation, monitoring and control of all aspects of a project and the motivation of all involved to achieve the project objectives safely and within agreed time, cost and performance criteria.† The planning of the project firstly consists of identifying and clarifying the tasks and necessary resources required for completing the project; the organisation phase or scheduling then allocates how much time is needed to complete each task, and finally the monitoring tracks progress and analyses performance and quality (Spinner, 1997). Time and cost management are both the most commonly used and important project management functions and are strongly linked with the level of success of the project. These are predicted during the planning phase of the latter; time, cost and quality are so closely linked that they form what is called the â€Å"Iron Triangle† (Atkinson, 1999). This assignment will thus first shed light on the Fourth Bridge and Bath Thermae Spa case studies respectively, and will then be structured around three primary skill and managerial elements contained within the Project Management Body of Knowledge. According to Cramb (2008), renovating the bridge located near Edinburgh is a â€Å"never-ending job† due to its length, given that as soon as maintenance crews have finished renovating it, it is time to start again. In 2002, civil engineering company Balfour Beatty signed a maintenance contract of  £10 million per annum for Network Rail till the estimated end of contract in 2009 (Forth Bridges Visitor Centre Trus... ...rison, F. and Lock, D. (2004) Advanced Project Management: A Structured Approach. 4th edition. Aldershot: Gower Publishing Hendrickson, C. and Au, T. (1989) Project Management for Construction: Fundamental Concept for Owners, Engineers, Architects and Builders. 1st edition. New Jersey: Prentice Hall McManus, J. (2010) ‘Keeping projects under cost control’, The Chartered Institute for IT [Online]. Available at: http://www.bcs.org/server.php?show=conWebDoc.5912 (Accessed 01 December 2010) Spinner, M. P. (1997) Project Management: Principles and Practices. London: Prentice Hall International Thermae Bath Spa (2010) Project History. Available at: http://www.thermaebathspa.com/newsandinfo/projecthistory/ (Accessed: 30 November 2010) Wikipedia (2010) Forth Bridge [Online] Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forth_Bridge#Maintenance (Accessed: 24 November 2010)

Market segmentation Essay -- essays research papers

Market Segmentation This document prepared and presented by Business Resource Software, Inc. Market Segmentation The purpose for segmenting a market is to allow your marketing/sales program to focus on the subset of prospects that are "most likely" to purchase your offering. If done properly this will help to insure the highest return for your marketing/sales expenditures. Depending on whether you are selling your offering to individual consumers or a business, there are definite differences in what you will consider when defining market segments. Category of Need The first thing you can establish is a category of need that your offering satisfies. The following classifications may help. For businesses: Strategic - your offering is in some way important to the enterprise mission, objectives and operational oversight. For example, a service that helped evaluate capital investment opportunities would fall into this domain of influence. The purchase decision for this category of offering will be made by the prospect's top level executive management. Operations - your offering affects the general operating policies and procedures. Examples might be, an employee insurance plan or a corporate wide communications system. This purchase decision will be made by the prospect's top level operations management. Functional - your offering deals with a specific function within the enterprise such as data processing, accounting, human resources, plant maintenance, engineering design, manufacturing, inventory control, etc. This is the most likely domain for a product or service, but you must recognize that the other domains may also get involved if the purchase of the product or service becomes a high profile decision. This purchase decision will be made by the prospect's functional management. For the individual consumer: Social Esteem or Pleasure - your offering satisfies a purely emotional need in the consumer. Examples are a mink coat or a diamond ring. There are some products that are on the boundary between this category and the Functional category such as a Rolex watch (a Timex would satisfy the functional requirement and probably keep time just as well). Functional - your offering meets a functional requirement of the consumer such as a broom, breakfast cereal or lawnmower. Segmentation of Needs Then you should establis... ...ularly concerned with keeping employees informed and educated, so educational offerings are not of great interest. Strongly influenced by offerings that most closely deliver the 'end results' desired, even if they are not the most cost effective. Self Helpers - consistently defines/designs solutions to their problems, likes to acquire tools that help in the innovation process. Will usually consider new products/services, but the related concept must have been proven to be effective. Often consider just because they use a certain technology that is relevant to the development program they have underway. Will always want to review competitive offerings, but will usually choose the one offering the most effective 'do it yourself' features. Usually consider themselves technically competent and will expect very effective use of proven technology. Not especially inclined toward technically complex offerings, would rather have user friendly, but thought provoking, offerings. Conversion costs usually not a major concern if offering promises potential for innovation. Usually concerned with keeping employees informed and educated, so educational offerings are of interest.

The Role of a Critical Care Nurse

In the article, Legal Aspects of End of Life Care. author, Nurse Claire M. McGowan, explains that when performing the role of a critical care nurse acting as the advocate for the patient, his/her family, and significant others, it Is essential that the nurse has an understanding of legal implications associated with end of life care. McGowan goes on to provide information on the legal principles involved In end-of-life care, specifically addressing: limitations in treatment, assessing capacity and using surrogate decision makers and medical futility.In order to explain limitations in reatment, McGowan begins by listing what the courts have established as Ilfe sustaining treatments which include: mechanical ventilation, blood transfusions, dialysis, chemotherapy, artificial nutrition, and hydration. Although a competent or incompetent terminally ill patient with advances directives has the right has to refuse these treatments, there are rare cases when the state court may override tha t right: preservation of life, prevention of suicide, protection of third parties such as children, and preserving the Integrity of the medical profession (McGowan, 2011).Next, ccording to McGowan, if a patient is deemed incompetent the patient may be assigned a surrogate to make decisions on their behalf with respect to their advance directives. If a there is no advanced directive or surrogate appointed to the patient then the medical team may determine the plan of care for the patient (McGowan, 2011 Lastly, McGowan addresses medical futility, defined, as such, when treatment is no longer deemed a benefit to the patient. According to McGowan, arriving at this determination and accepting futility Is often stressful, inciting disagreements between the patients/surrogates and medical professionals involved.In order to resolve conflicting Interests, McGowan suggests a variety of methods that can be utilized to improve communication between the two parties including: making attempts to negotiate understanding between parties as to what constitutes futile care before conflict arises, using joint decision making, and using consultants to reach satisfactory resolution of disagreements. If these methods fail to help unite the parties' decision an ethics committee may be utilized to reach a determination, the patient may be transferred to another medical provider within the institution or to another Institution altogether (McGowan, 2011).In my opinion, Nurse McGowan clearly presented how important it is for a critical care nurse to have a working knowledge of the legal aspects of end of life care and how he/she can help to make sure that the patient's rights are respectfully carried out either directly or indirectly during end of life. After reading this article, It was impressed upon me that since the nurse is the main point of contact with the patient, family, and significant others during treatment, It becomes the responsibility of the nurse to help mediate conflict s that may arise during care, in order to protect the patient's best interests.

Labor Relations Research Paper

MG420 DL Labor Relations Research Assignment (Arthur Crump) (September 27, 2009) Professor Stroud 1. Define and discuss the term â€Å"collective bargaining. † Include and discuss [showing relevance or applicability] a current web-based news item/magazine article about a real life example of a collective bargaining action. Write a succinct and complete summary on the contents of the article you've provided along with your critical comments about that article. Support your findings with referenced research. (5 points) The Honolulu Advertiser recently published an article which cites on-going contract bargaining negotiations between the University of Hawaii (UH) Professional Assembly (who represents the faculty) and UH (http://www. honoluluadvertiser. com/article/20090918/news07/909180373). Currently, negotiations are at a stale-mate due to UH submitting its final contract offer to the UH Professional Assembly asking for a 5% pay reduction as well as a 10% reduction in the state’s contribution to their health insurance premiums. Due to this final offer issuing an ultimatum stating that the university will be â€Å"unilaterally imposed if not accepted by the union,† may force the union â€Å"to take legal action or strike. † The reasons cited by the university for their terms are despite increased enrollment, they’ve experienced significant budget reductions. This article is a great example of collective bargaining because the faculty is afforded the opportunity to have some efficiency, equity, and voice (Labor Relations, pg. -12) regarding their work terms. Additionally, this article also displays the definition of multilateral bargaining which is negotiating between multiple parties which in this case include: Board of Regents, the UH president, and the State’s Governor (Labor Relations, pg 296) Unfortunately this particular case is affected by the economic element for the bargaining environment due to the reduced budget cuts. (Labor Relations, pg 286) 2. Identify three laws that support collective bargaining. Include and discuss [showing relevance or applicability] a current web-based news item/magazine article about each. Write a succinct and complete summary on the contents of the article you've provided along with your critical comments about that article. Support your findings with referenced research. (30 points) The National Labor Relations Act of 1935, also known as the (Wagner Act), supports collective bargaining by eliminating the disparities in equity between Labor and the Employer, as well as protects labor’s right to unionize should they so desire. This law was initiated due to previous legislation being ruled unconstitutional, and placed more emphasis on law for private sector labor. (Labor Relations, pg 166) The following link: http://stlouis. bizjournals. com/stlouis/stories/2009/08/03/daily52. html cites an article about the Lumiere Place and President Casino of violating labor laws recognizing the employee’s union as their bargaining agent by the regional National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), office in St. Louis. After reviewing this article in its entirety, this case evolved over an issue resulting from a misunderstanding by the employer as to the exclusive representation of the majority of employees, and the employer’s stance appears to stem from this requirement of the Wagner act. Another law designed to support collective bargaining and protect union members’ from corruption from its union leaders is the Landrum-Griffin act. A perfect violation of this law is the City of New York against New York City’s Carpenter’s union. See ad link at: http://www. nytimes. com/2009/08/06/nyregion/06indict. html. The union’s leadership is accused of accepting bribes by allowing contractors to rip off the workers, and in return, the union leadership would overlook these offenses and provide no representation which is totally contradictory to the purpose of union affiliation. The third law which supports collective bargaining is the Railway Labor Act. This law considered a win-win to both the labor and employers. It is considered a win to labor because it allows them to have bargaining rights despite being in an interstate industry which requires the employees to â€Å"work now and grieve later† concept: (http://www. papilot. org/media/rla. asp#What%20is%20the%20Railway%20Labor%20Act). As far as Employers and the Public, Congress implemented this act to protect the employer’s, employees, and the public’s interest since rail was the main transportation of the day, and any disruptions due to strikes would have had an adverse impact on interstate commerce as a whole. Th is law also covers parcel drivers for UPS and FedEx, but an amendment to the law was introduced to amend the law as it is now, to only limit individuals who hold an FAA-certified job. FedEx feels this would have a negative impact on its operations in the event of a strike by removing the work now grieve later concept from its other driver employees, and revert them back to the National Labor Relations Act. (http://www. joc. com/node/409948). 3. List four issues that are potential components of a collective bargaining agreement. Pick any two of the four issues you’ve listed and include and discuss [showing relevance or applicability] a current web-based news item/magazine article about each of those [two] collective bargaining issues in action. Write succinct and complete summaries on the article. Support your findings with referenced research. (18 points) The four issues that primarily make up a bargaining agreement consist of wages, benefits, layoff policies, and grievance procedures. Regarding wages and benefits, the following link refers to an article where an individual incurred an eye injury toward the end of his contract with the cruise line, and simultaneously, the cruise line which he worked for was undergoing a merger with another cruise line. The problem for the employee occurred because while he was out from work and the merger on-going, he felt that he was entitled to wages for the time which he was away due to obtaining surgery (sick leave). Since his contract expired 3 Oct 97, the district court which presided over the case ruled that due to the member’s closely approaching contract expiration date on or about 3 Oct 1997 in relation to the date of injury, he was not entitled to sick pay. Additionally due to the collective bargaining agreement in effect at the time of this member’s injury, the member was entitled to 63 days sick leave with pay under the original agreement. Since there was confusion as to which agreement was in effect due to the merger, this particular case was ruled in favor of the employer, and the employee wages claim for sick leave was denied. Definitely an unfortunate outcome for the employee since he was temporarily incapacitated from seeking additional employment, and hopefully a learning experience to have input with any future employment involving collective bargaining. (http://www. accessmylibrary. com/article-1G1-78635159/royal-caribbean-cruises-properly. html) 4. Describe the process of establishing a bargaining unit. Include and discuss [showing relevance or applicability] two current web-based news item/magazine article about any part of the process of establishing a bargaining unit. Write a succinct and complete summary on the contents of the article you’ve provided along with you critical comments about that article. Support you finding with reference research. (5 points) Establishing a bargaining unit has 8 steps each for both the employer and the union. The eight steps for the union consist of As capitalism continues to globe trot across China’s landscape, China is racing to establish unions in all fortunate 500 companies located there. Their recent accomplishment of setting up workplace unions in supposedly non-union Wal-Mart, led to them wanting to set up unions in at least 80 percent of the aforementioned companies and branches. Their current time-line calls for 10,000 workplaces to have new unions within 100 days. Additionally they are using a pattern bargaining structure from their Wal-mart feat (Labor Relations pg 291), in order to accomplish this enormous task. http://www. clntranslations. org/article/33/the-chinese-trade-unions-big-rush-to-set-up-unions-in-fortune-500-companies Two years after the All China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU) accomplished a breakthrough to set up workplace unions in Wal-Mart stores, on 11 June this year, after holding a meeting in Beijing, it announced that it would immediately launch a campaign to set up unions in at least 80 percent of the Fortune 500 company headquarters and branches. Up until now only some 50 percent of these companies have unions. This means that, including unions in these company’s branches, more than 10,000 workplaces have to have new unions. This ‘100-day focused action’ as the ACFTU calls it, will be in high gear until the end of September. The announcement was made with a sense of urgency and determination. Local unions were also instructed to take legal action against any companies that refuse to accept having a union. 1 It would have been a tall order had this union federation edict been issued in a country where there is freedom of association, especially in a place like the United States where unionization is met with stiff resistance and where labor laws and unionization procedures make setting up workplace unions extremely difficult – if not impossible. But using the establishment of the 100 Wal-Mart trade unions as a template, this is a feasible mission. After initially using the secretive method of setting up unions at about a dozen Wal-Mart stores (see http://www. clntranslations. org/article/4/wal-mart), the ACFTU abandoned this new organizing method and reverted to using the ‘consultative’ method, that includes management in the setting up of the union preparatory committee and the subsequent election process. The new grassroots unionization method used for the first dozen Wal-Mart stores is time consuming and may end up with elected trade union executive committees and chairpersons making demands on the company. The ACFTU has always been using the ‘above-ground’ method which, in their view, has stood the test of time. In light of the ACFTU’s goal to set up more than 10,000 workplace unions within three months, it can be safely predicted that these unions will be heavily dominated by management. To illustrate what these new Fortune 500 trade unions will probably be like, CLNT has chosen to translate a report form the Suzhou Daily, 8 July 2008, which is a transcript of a round-table discussion by 10 workplace trade union staff members from some Fortune 500 companies that have already had trade unions. They talked about their experiences and offered their own opinions on what ideal trade unions chairpersons should be. There was a consensus that the union is to be a channel of communication between workers and management, that the trade union chair should have the ability to use a common language to talk to both parties, that the union is the agent for a win-win situation for the

Deception Point Page 48

The ax. In her fear, she had entirely forgotten the ice ax attached to the rip cord on her belt. The lightweight aluminum tool was bouncing along beside her leg. She looked up at the payload cable on the balloon. Thick, heavy-duty braided nylon. Reaching down, she fumbled for the bouncing ax. She grasped the handle and pulled it toward her, stretching the elastic rip cord. Still on her side, Rachel struggled to raise her arms over her head, placing the ax's serrated edge against the thick cord. Awkwardly, she began sawing the taut cable. â€Å"Yes!† Tolland yelled, fumbling now for his own ax. Sliding on her side, Rachel was stretched out, her arms above her, sawing at the taut cable. The line was strong, and the individual nylon strands were fraying slowly. Tolland gripped his own ax, twisted, raised his arms over his head, and tried to saw from underneath in the same spot. Their banana blades clicked together as they worked in tandem like lumberjacks. The rope began fraying on both sides now. We're going to do it, Rachel thought. This thing is going to break! Suddenly, the silver bubble of Mylar before them swooped upward as if it had hit an updraft. Rachel realized to her horror that it was simply following the contour of the land. They had arrived. The berms. The wall of white loomed only an instant before they were on it. The blow to Rachel's side as they hit the incline drove the wind from her lungs and wrenched the ax from her hand. Like a tangled water-skier being dragged up over a jump, Rachel felt her body dragged up the face of the berm and launched. She and Tolland were suddenly catapulted in a dizzying upward snarl. The trough between the berms spread out far beneath them, but the frayed payload cable held fast, lifting their accelerated bodies upward, carrying them clear out over the first trough. For an instant, she glimpsed what lay ahead. Two more berms-a short plateau-and then the drop-off to the sea. As if to give a voice to Rachel's own dumbstruck terror, the high-pitched scream of Corky Marlinson cut through the air. Somewhere behind them, he sailed up over the first berm. All three of them went airborne, the balloon clawing upward like a wild animal trying to break its captor's chains. Suddenly, like a gunshot in the night, a sudden snap echoed overhead. The frayed rope gave way, and the tattered end recoiled in Rachel's face. Instantly, they were falling. Somewhere overhead the Mylar balloon billowed out of control†¦ spiraling out to sea. Tangled in carabiners and harnesses, Rachel and Tolland tumbled back toward earth. As the white mound of the second berm rose up toward them, Rachel braced for impact. Barely clearing the top of the second berm, they crashed down the far side, the blow partially cushioned by their suits and the descending contour of the berm. As the world around her turned into a blur of arms and legs and ice, Rachel felt herself rocketing down the incline out onto the central ice trough. Instinctively she spread her arms and legs, trying to slow down before they hit the next berm. She felt them slowing, but only slightly, and it seemed only seconds before she and Tolland were sliding back up an incline. At the top, there was another instant of weightlessness as they cleared the crest. Then, filled with terror, Rachel felt them begin their dead slide down the other side and out onto the final plateau†¦ the last eighty feet of the Milne Glacier. As they skidded toward the cliff, Rachel could feel the drag of Corky on the tether, and she knew they were all slowing down. She knew it was too little too late. The end of the glacier raced toward them, and Rachel let out a helpless scream. Then it happened. The edge of the ice slid out from underneath them. The last thing Rachel remembered was falling. 54 The Westbrooke Place Apartments are located at 2201 N Street NW and promote themselves as one of the few unquestionably correct addresses in Washington. Gabrielle hurried through the gilded revolving door into the marble lobby, where a deafening waterfall reverberated. The doorman at the front desk looked surprised to see her. â€Å"Ms. Ashe? I didn't know you were stopping by tonight.† â€Å"I'm running late.† Gabrielle quickly signed in. The clock overhead read 6:22 P.M. The doorman scratched his head. â€Å"The senator gave me a list, but you weren't-â€Å" â€Å"They always forget the people who help them most.† She gave a harried smile and strode past him toward the elevator. Now the doorman looked uneasy. â€Å"I better call up.† â€Å"Thanks,† Gabrielle said, as she boarded the elevator and headed up. The senator's phone is off the hook. Riding the elevator to the ninth floor, Gabrielle exited and made her way down the elegant hallway. At the end, outside Sexton's doorway, she could see one of his bulky personal safety escorts-glorified bodyguards-sitting in the hall. He looked bored. Gabrielle was surprised to see security on duty, although apparently not as surprised as the guard was to see her. He jumped to his feet as she approached. â€Å"I know,† Gabrielle called out, still halfway down the hall. â€Å"It's a P.E. night. He doesn't want to be disturbed.† The guard nodded emphatically. â€Å"He gave me very strict orders that no visitors-â€Å" â€Å"It's an emergency.† The guard physically blocked the doorway. â€Å"He's in a private meeting.† â€Å"Really?† Gabrielle pulled the red envelope from under her arm. She flashed the White House seal in the man's face. â€Å"I was just in the Oval Office. I need to give the senator this information. Whatever old pals he's schmoozing tonight are going to have to do without him for a few minutes. Now, let me in.† The guard withered slightly at the sight of the White House seal on the envelope. Don't make me open this, Gabrielle thought. â€Å"Leave the folder,† he said. â€Å"I'll take it into him.† â€Å"The hell you will. I have direct orders from the White House to hand-deliver this. If I don't talk to him immediately, we can all start looking for jobs tomorrow morning. Do you understand?† The guard looked deeply conflicted, and Gabrielle sensed the senator had indeed been unusually adamant tonight about having no visitors. She moved in for the kill. Holding the White House envelope directly in his face, Gabrielle lowered her voice to a whisper and uttered the six words all Washington security personnel feared most. â€Å"You do not understand the situation.† Security personnel for politicians never understood the situation, and they hated that fact. They were hired guns, kept in the dark, never sure whether to stand firm in their orders or risk losing their jobs by mule-headedly ignoring some obvious crisis. The guard swallowed hard, eyeing the White House envelope again. â€Å"Okay, but I'm telling the senator you demanded to be let in.† He unlocked the door, and Gabrielle pushed past him before he changed his mind. She entered the apartment and quietly closed the door behind her, relocking it. Now inside the foyer, Gabrielle could hear muffled voices in Sexton's den down the hall-men's voices. Tonight's P.E. was obviously not the private meeting implied by Sexton's earlier call. As Gabrielle moved down the hall toward the den, she passed an open closet where a half dozen expensive men's coats hung inside-distinctive wool and tweed. Several briefcases sat on the floor. Apparently work stayed in the hall tonight. Gabrielle would have walked right past the cases except that one of the briefcases caught her eye. The nameplate bore a distinctive company logo. A bright red rocket. She paused, kneeling down to read it: SPACE AMERICA, INC. Puzzled, she examined the other briefcases. BEAL AEROSPACE. MICROCOSM, INC. ROTARY ROCKET COMPANY. KISTLER AEROSPACE.

Medtronic External and Internal Analysis Essay

Medtronic Inc. can easily be compared to le Concorde, a turbojet supersonic passenger airliner first flown in 1976. This jet was more than twice as fast as any other airliner ever created, flying at speeds of up to 1,350 mph. The capability to fly at more than twice the speed of a regular airliner equates to twice the flights and premium prices for this astonishing service. The resulting profitability of le Concorde is what puts this machine at the top of its class. In 1957, Medtronic founder Earl Bakken created Medtronic’s Pacemaker, the first wearable device to treat abnormally slow heart rates. The Pacemaker is now the staple product of Medtronic and can be compared to le Concorde for its innovation, efficacy, and profitability. This is just one example of Medtronic’s ability to use its innovation to transform the treatment of chronic disease worldwide. The firm has been a leader in the Medical Device Manufacturing industry for over two decades, developing and manufacturing innovative medical devices to treat more than seven million patients each year. Its products include pacemakers, defibrillators, heart valves, and stents, among others. Medtronic’s drive for excellence is best summed up by its corporate mission, â€Å"To contribute to human welfare by application of biomedical engineering in the research, design, manufacture, and sale of instruments or appliances that alleviate pain, restore health, and extend life† (Medtronic. com). To achieve its goals and maintain success, Medtronic must constantly monitor and evaluate its external environment and the forces in it that could affect the company. The Medical Device Manufacturing industry is exposed to numerous forces and trends that can generate opportunities for firms to exploit as well as threats for firms to avoid. Of note are the effects of rivalry, buyers, regulation, and globalization trends. The Medical Device Manufacturing industry, as a whole, has grown at an annual rate of 18. 9% since 2005, contributing to a high level of industry attractiveness (ibisworld. com). Medtronic is the clear leader with 17. 2% market share. Its closest rivals, Boston Scientific and St. Jude Medical, have market shares of 2. 8% and 4. 8%, respectively (ibisworld. com). Recently, the industry has seen a dramatic increase in consolidation as larger firms have cquired smaller operations in an effort to diversify their portfolios and gain market share. This shrinkage has resulted in greater industry concentration, increasing the rivalry among these key players. Focusing on a more narrow analysis of the Cardiovascular Device segment reveals a similar, more intensified, environment for rivals. Compared to the overall industry, this specific segment has recently witnessed much lower growth rates because the market is saturated with products that have little differentiation and limited innovation possibilities. For this reason, merger & acquisition activity is especially prominent among top firms seeking to create strategic competitiveness. They have identified the threat of rivals and are looking to gain additional resources and capabilities through diversification. The role of buyers is very unique in this industry. While individual patients are the ultimate consumers of medical devices, firms often focus on healthcare providers when selling products. This is because patients in the market have low brand recognition of the devices they use. Instead, they rely on their hospitals and physicians to recommend products for treatment. It is important for manufacturers to understand this distinction since it is these physicians and other providers that have the greatest brand loyalty. That said, individual patients still drive demand for products, and their satisfaction remains the ultimate goal. One key demographic trend of buyers is the aging U. S. population. As life expectancies continue to rise, and the baby boomer generation ages into their late sixties and seventies, this expanding age group will create a great opportunity for medical device manufacturers. For example, elderly patients experience a higher occurrence of health issues compared to the aggregate market, driving demand for medical devices upward. In fact, 40% of all patients diagnosed with heart disease or arthritis are 65 or older (ibisworld. com). The Medical Device Manufacturing industry is also subject to tight regulations, both domestically and internationally. For example, a new device may require a four-year trial before it appears on the market so that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) can test its long-term effects. Products in Europe, meanwhile, undergo a different regulatory process; products are often introduced in Europe two to four years before they are available for patients in the U. S. Furthermore, compliance with these regulations requires firms to devote significant additional resources, often detracting from investments such as Research and Development. Along with these initial requirements, devices are constantly monitored for defects, which can result in product recalls that damage brand reputation and hurt profits. Globalization trends will certainly continue to have a strong impact on the industry, creating both opportunities and threats. Research shows that exports account for 21. 6% of industry revenue with an expected 2010 growth rate of 3. 9% (ibisworld. com). By developing these export markets, firms can work to maximize capacity utilization as they expand their distribution channels to reach more customers and generate more revenue. This is especially true of developing economies, in which 80% of chronic-disease-related deaths occur. Large portions of these markets are greatly underserved and demand is not being met. In addition, by diversifying into different geographic markets abroad, firms are able to mitigate the risks associated with being too dependent on the domestic market. The emergence of globalization also introduces several threats that firms must be aware of. For one, the competitive landscape changes as companies establish operations sites in foreign countries. When this happens, the demand in export markets declines since customers can purchase devices locally. Exporting firms must then reevaluate their international strategies and consider establishing similar operations of their own. Another threat globalization brings is that of increased competition. Manufacturers constantly fight to expand their geographic reach and to gain control of underserved markets. Given the effects of strong forces and emerging trends in the Medical Device Manufacturing industry, firms should strive to possess a key group of success factors in order to gain strategic competitiveness. The first factor is employees; they must be highly skilled and knowledgeable since the devices they design and produce are very complex. Second, economies of scale allow firms to improve profitability by reducing variable costs in manufacturing, which, in turn, lowers prices for customers. Third, as previously mentioned, the importance of global positioning cannot be understated. In order to compete in the industry, firms must make a global presence, expanding geographic scope and penetrating underserved markets. Finally, access to the latest innovations is imperative. To acquire new technologies, firms must invest considerable resources into Research and Development. Not only must they develop new technologies, but they must also look for ways to continuously improve existing products through high levels of innovation. This understanding of the industry environment is essential when considering a firm’s internal strategies. At the business-level, Medtronic possesses a number of strengths and competencies that are used to create a competitive advantage and contribute to the overall performance of the company. In particular, its research and development efforts along with its superior human resources drive the firm’s differentiation strategy in the Cardiac Rhythm Disease Management (CRDM) unit (see appendix for more strengths). This sector remains the firm’s most profitable product market, accounting for $5. 268 billion of Medtronic’s $15. 817 billion total net sales in 2010 (Medtronic). As a percentage of those sales, Research and Development expenses equated to 9. 23%, a total of $1. 46 billion. Moreover, this expense has seen a Compound Annual Growth Rate of 8. % in the last 5 years, indicating Medtronic’s continued confidence in its ability to create value through the investment in research and development. The innovation fostered by research and development in CRDM has allowed Medtronic to create many new products; the complex nature of these products makes them rare and costly to imitate. They often even trump and replace the existing technology in the mar ket, making them highly valuable and unsubstitutable. These key innovations, therefore, give Medtronic a significant competitive advantage in research and development. For example, the CRDM unit recently introduced a new leadless pacemaker. Once implanted into the heart via catheter, the penny-sized device permanently latches into the flesh with tiny claws. Doctors can then wirelessly monitor and control the pacemaker. Medtronic’s demonstration of reduced size and wire elimination will create a new standard for such devices in the industry, making current, bulky pacemakers obsolete, and giving Medtronic a sustainable competitive advantage. Medtronic’s 40,000 employees also play a key role in the success of CRDM and of the company as a whole. They are the source of one of Medtronic’s most valuable intangible assets: knowledge. With a thorough understanding of human physiology and a breadth of technical skills, employees are a driving force behind the company’s groundbreaking innovations. They generate ideas and implement processes that create new or improved products or therapies. These advancements require that employees are well trained and possess a high degree of knowledge about the products or therapies they develop. In addition to the actual production of products, employees extend their knowledge to customers. By educating healthcare providers and users about the devices, employees ensure that patients safely receive the full benefits of Medtronic’s products. One way Medtronic optimizes its human resources is through collaboration blogs and internal grants. The company’s Quest program awards project grants that encourage employees to test their own ideas for product innovation. Nearly 25% of these projects eventually become a product or some part of a therapy. For example, employee Brain Lee had an idea to create an effective diagnostic tool for patients who suffered from unexplained fainting. With funding from the Quest program, Lee modified a pacemaker by adding self-contained electrodes. The device could be implanted just below the skin, recording electrocardiogram (ECG) signals in an endless loop. Much more effective than existing external tools, Lee’s device received additional funding, leading to successful clinical trials, and, eventually, a commercial release. This is just one example of how Medtronic’s strong workforce creates a core competency for the firm, one that is unmatched by its rivals. Furthermore, the innovations developed by employees and through research and development efforts can often be protected with patents, generating competencies that are not only distinctive, but also sustainable. At the corporate level, Medtronic is very well positioned. The firm outperforms its rivals in terms of market share with 17. 2%, compared to Boston Scientific and St. Jude Medical, which hold 2. 8% and 4. 8% market share, respectively. Since 2007, Medtronic has experienced an 8. 75% compound annual growth rate. While lower than St. Jude’s growth rate of 12. 3% in the period, it is noticeably higher than that of Boston Scientific’s, 6. 84% (See appendix for further financial comparisons). Medtronic’s corporate-level strategy defines which businesses it will be in as well as how it will integrate those businesses to grow and deliver value to stakeholders. The firm currently operates in seven business units: CRDM, Spinal, CardioVascular, Neuromodulation, Diab etes, Surgical Technologies, and Physio-Control, all of which are largely related. Because of Medtronic’s strong war chest, it has been able to focus its growth strategy around acquisitions. Since 2009, the firm has purchased nine companies, including ATS Medical Inc. and CoreValv Inc. , requiring a significant cash investment. In fact, Medtronic spent $370 million when it bought heart valve maker ATS Medical. The firm’s acquisition strategy specifically targets two types of purchases: those that will add immediate revenue to existing businesses, and those that add to Medtronic’s technology portfolio by providing expertise the company does not have. Of late, the firm has been focusing on the former, targeting smaller companies that lack the resources to complete clinical trials and gain FDA approval. Chad Cornell, vice president of corporate development at Medtronic, notes, â€Å"Size is obviously a factor, but it’s not what we start with. † Instead the question is â€Å"how can we add value? That’s the key lens† (Lee). Medtronic’s international strategy is best characterized as a global strategy whereby it develops devices in the United States to be distributed across country markets. To support this strategy, it uses a worldwide product divisional structure. Medtronic has recently changed its strategy, implementing a Global Realignment Initiative in 2008. The goal of the initiative is to reorganize the firm’s resources to focus on areas that add the most value and have the most attractive growth opportunities. Prior to 2008, the company had segmented its global market into the United States market and international markets. Under this new strategy, Medtronic will focus around developed markets and emerging markets, using its resources and capabilities to effectively meet each segment’s unique needs. Developed markets include regions such as the United States and Europe where trained healthcare professionals are familiar with current devices, and new, innovative products are readily accepted. Medtronic relies on its strong innovation capabilities and Research and Development investments to meet the demands of this segment. For example, patients with pacemakers are often denied potentially life-saving MRI scans due to possible pacing interference. Medtronic used its superior innovation and product knowledge to address the concern, manufacturing the world’s first pacemaker that is compatible and safe to use with MRI systems. Introduced in Europe in 2008, this innovative device provides a much-needed solution to millions of people who will now be able to receive the full benefit of a safe MRI scan. Emerging markets, meanwhile, include regions such as China, Brazil, Africa, and the Middle East, where access to care is often limited, and physicians may be unfamiliar with certain medical devices and hesitant to accept new products. In this segment, Medtronic depends on its employees and its reliable, high-quality products. Using these strengths, it focuses on training and educating healthcare providers so that products and treatment are much more accessible to underserved patients. At present, Medtronic operates in more than 120 countries, with more than 16,000 employees in communities outside the United States (Medtronic. om). These employees provide immense value to the company by using their extensive knowledge and skills to educate and collaborate with physicians around the world. Currently, 41% of total revenues are realized outside of the United. Medtronic plans to continue its geographic diversity strategy, aiming to become a â€Å"truly boundaryless organization† an d maintain its commitment to â€Å"making a sustained, global impact in the fight against chronic disease† (Medtronic). In order to keep its world-class status, Medtronic executes various tactics at each of its organizational levels in order to protect its strategic competitiveness. For example, the company uses a frontal assault on its biggest competitor, Boston Scientific. By using revenues created from CRDM, they have the capability to invest large investments into research and development in ways that Boston Scientific cannot. In doing so, they maintain continuous development and improvement of innovative products. Another tactic that Medtronic uses is the pre-emptive strike, identifying and evaluating a valuable opportunity and seizing it before a rival does so. This increases sales, differentiates Medtronic from competitors such as Boston Scientific, and helps foster innovation. Based on the analysis of Medtronic’s external environment and internal strategies, it is clear that the firm is a leader in the Medical Device Manufacturing Industry. However, there are also some key problems and issues the firm should address. Medtronic has had litigation issues over the past few years with recalls in various different product offerings as well as patent and licensing disputes. As noted on the 2010 annual report their litigation charges amounted to nets of, $374 million in 2010, $714 million in 2009, and $366 million in 2008 (36-37). This has been an industry wide issue as seen by Boston Scientifics 2009 litigations charges amounting to $2. 022 billion, $334 million in 2008 and $365 million in 2007 (Boston Scientific Annual Report pg. 69). With these industry wide litigation issues, the FDA is currently creating new standard procedures for testing products and time required to introduce them into the market, which creates a separate challenge in dealing with the new health care reform. In a recent interview with Brian Johnson from Massdevice. om, the CEO of Medtronic, Bill Hawkins outlines the challenges ahead with the new health care reform. â€Å"The new medical device tax will cost us $150 to $200 million per year when introduced in 2013. In 2010 we spent $1. 5 billion on R&D and this tax will directly affect that budget for us which hurts our innovation, or possibly investments in emerging markets†. Cleary the health care reform will be one of the toughest challenges ahead for Medtronic and the rest of the medical device industry.