The Principles Of Personal Leadership - 1263 Words

Sum Q Assignment 1 The principles of personal leadership emphasize that people who read the article should avoid distractions and analyze the article in its entirety. Absorbing the content will challenge the reader to think critically and respond accordingly to the material. Additionally, readers need to grasp the message within the article, so they will gain a better understanding of the content. Furthermore, I believe the article paints a visual picture on how people will celebrate your life when you pass away. Viewing a funeral of myself where I’m listening and watching everybody responses and reactions respectively, would be interesting to observe. As the attendees congregate on my behalf, for the service, I would like for speakers to indicate that I made a positive impact in their lives and influenced them to achieve whatever endeavors they desire. Leaving a legacy for others to follow will keep my memories alive and allow people to remember the principles and standards t hat I lived by. For example, Malcolm X was a civil rights activist and a prominent figure during the 1950’s and 1960’s articulating concepts of race pride. Malcolm X knew he was a dead man walking, yet, he continued to fight for the people by instilling confidence within Harlem community. Even though Malcolm X has been dead for over 50 years, people will never forget his contributions where he left an indelible mark on society. The impact Malcolm X made on society is immeasurable and his legacy willShow MoreRelatedThe Principles Of Personal Leadership1063 Words   |  5 Pagesknowledgeable a certain amount of leadership skills by gaining these elements through my professional experience. I knew that to be a great leader, one must be confident, communicate effectively and be able to solve problems. However after reading this book, I learned that it was not just these elements, but also other elements and approach that can improve my leadership skills now and in the f uture. According to Mark Sasscer, there are â€Å"Ten principles of Personal Leadership† that a leader can abide byRead MoreThe Principles Of Personal Leadership1261 Words   |  6 PagesThe principles of personal leadership emphasize that people who read the article should avoid distractions and analyze the article in its entirety. Absorbing the content will challenge the reader to think critically and respond accordingly to the material. Additionally, readers need to grasp the message within the article, so they will gain a better understanding of the content. Furthermore, I believe the article paints a visual picture on how people will celebrate your life when you pass away. ViewingRead MorePrinciples Of Personal And Organizational Leadership1491 Words   |  6 Pages Leadership Sarah Hickman BUS119: Principles of Personal Organizational Leadership Viki Hurst May 1, 2017 Introduction Globalization and quickly creating innovation demonstrates we are in a time of exceptional rivalry (Shindler, 2015). Appropriate administration is indispensable in these unpredictable situations. Along these lines, this paper tries to build up what being an ethicalRead MoreThe Key Principles Of My Personal Leadership Philosophy1484 Words   |  6 PagesA leadership philosophy is something that is in constant development. According to Dr. Sosic, an individual’s leadership philosophy evolves as new life events influence and change the individual’s view of the world. If a person sees or experiences something in practice, he believes to be in-line with his own values; he should adapt it to his own personal leadership philosophy. Major Jonathan Sawtelle, in his book Resilient Effective Adaptable Leadership talks about how a â€Å"shared purpose must beRead MoreEffective Leadership Ellen Degeneres : Principles Of Personal And Organizational Leadership Essay1184 Words   |  5 Pages Effective Leadership-Ellen DeGeneres Shari Kjos BUS 119-Principles of Personal Organizational Leadership Instructor: Chris Crites November 12, 2016 As human beings the vast majority of us wish we could change the world, whether that be helping humans, animals, the environment, it is helping those that cannot help themselves. However, we also realize to help with these causes it takes money and for the most part a great deal of it. But, some people are fortunate enough andRead MoreThe Principles Centered Leadership By Stephen R. Covey1613 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction Through careful, calculated progression Principle centered Leadership presents a plan that first prepares the leader him or herself, then illustrates how to use that leadership to manage an organization. Author Stephen R. Covey introduces the notion that we as individuals and organizations need to not only survive but also to thrive in the faces of adversity, change and success. Despite their efforts to improve, countless companies continue to fail all the while spending millions ofRead MoreThe Importance Of Ethics And How Ethics Produce Effective Leaders1240 Words   |  5 Pagesimportance of personal ethics in leadership and how ethics produce effective leaders. The importance of understanding ethics, motivation to act as a role model and developing a plan of action for an organization are discussed because of their importance regarding development of good leadership. These key aspects suggest personal ethics positively affect leadership and when made a priority for leaders will produce ethical and effective leadership. With so many definitions of leadership, the questionRead MorePrinciples Of Principle Centered Leadership1054 Words   |  5 PagesPrinciple centered leadership is essential in making an organization a positive environment. Dr. Steven Covey talks about the four levels of principle centered leadership and their key principles in his book, Principle Centered Leadership. In doing so, he broke the concepts down as it relates to each other, and also someone’s professional and personal life. The different levels of principle centered leadership explains how leaders would be following the principles of being a leader, versus one whoRead MoreCharacteristics Of A Principle Centered Leader1342 Words   |  6 PagesAdriana Marisol Gonzalez Dr. Godfrey Leadership and Organizations 04 April 2016 The Characteristics of a Principle-Centered Leader Effective people organize their lives and their relationships based on natural laws and regulations that have been universally accepted. Leadership is the ability to apply these natural laws and regulation to problems, which results in quality, productivity and prolific relationships for everyone. Stephen Covey, the author of the bestselling book The Seven Habits ofRead MoreMy Personal Theory Of Leadership1523 Words   |  7 PagesMy Personal Theory of Leadership As a graduate student approaching her final semester in school, thoughts regarding my leadership abilities in the soon-to-be â€Å"real world† have occupied my mind lately. To further explore and develop my ideas about leadership, I decided to develop my personal leadership theory. So, I asked myself the following questions: What makes a successful leader? How do you recognize a leader when you meet one?, and lastly, what is my theory of leadership? With this last question

Sibling Rivalry And Love Is A Kind Of Animosity Among Two...

Sibling rivalry and love is a kind of animosity among two brothers. It generally starts when two brothers spend more time with each other during their childhood than their parents.Sibling relationship is often influenced and complex by facts such as personality,birth order and parents treatment. In adulthood brothers find their relationship with each other in clashed by unresolved childhood such as guilt, financial success and self esteem. In â€Å" the richest brother â€Å" tibias wolf explore the rivalry and love between two brothers It all started when pete parents showing more affection toward his brother than him.Pete, the older brother financially successful and own a real estate business. He lives with his wife and two children in santa crus.Donald the younger brother is still single. He drifts from location to location and job to job, joining pentecostal community. Lot of time Donald borrow money from his brother without paying back.In story, the main conflict seems to be their sibling rivalry and love between pete and Donald.The rivalry first started from older brother pete. He thinks that his mother showed more devotion toward his brother. The misunderstanding that started from their childhood has been not solved due to the guilt and anger that has become more bug in last couple of year.The sibling rivalry and animosity continue between both brothers as growing because their different opinion on how to live life. On the surface of theShow MoreRelatedCommunication Strategies in Intimate Sibling Relationsh ips3384 Words   |  14 PagesCase Scenario Marie recently graduated high school and in the fall will be leaving to attend a university, her brother, Dan, is younger than her by three years and has just finished his freshman year of high school. Over the course of the summer months Marie has been busy preparing herself for her first semester in college, while her parents have been scrambling to make sure she makes the adjustment smoothly into college. On the other hand, Dan has spent the majority of his summer working at theRead MoreShort Story Chapter 19753 Words   |  40 Pagesdrew close to their curious prey. â€Å"What are you?† The human’s garment fit tightly over his body, the same clothes the marshfolk wore when they came to court. But this suit was different, more vivid, more alive. Janto could not guess the material. Two bands of color overlapped each other in a swirling pattern all over it, the exact shades of the needles and tree trunks. Through a trick of the eye, they shifted back and forth. Though he was only as tall as Janto’s chest, the man’s arm and leg musclesRead More65 Successful Harvard Business School Application Essays 2nd Edition 147256 Words   |  190 Pagesapplicants should strive to do the same. 6 AnonymoUs R. J. OLeary, a retired Marine and three...war veteran who mentored my father, presented the offer: Son, how bout I find you a real job next summer. Fifteen years old, I had just completed two mind... numbing months of employment at a burger shack. I didnt wait for an explanation; I accepted. The Padlock Ranch stretches from the snow...capped Big Horn Mountains in Wyoming to the short-grass prairie of southern Man... tana. I arrived andRead MoreDeveloping Management Skills404131 Words   |  1617 PagesDesign: Jayne Conte Cover Art: Getty Images, Inc. Cover Design: Suzanne Duda Lead Media Project Manager: Denise Vaughn Full-Service Project Management: Sharon Anderson/BookMasters, Inc. Composition: Integra Software Services Printer/Binder: Edwards Brothers Cover Printer: Coral Graphics Text Font: 10/12 Weidemann-Book Credits and acknowledgments borrowed from other sources and reproduced, with permission, in this textbook appear on appropriate page within text. Copyright  © 2011, 2007, 2005, 2002Read MoreExploring Corporate Strategy - Case164366 Words   |  658 PagesThe club’s name, the Ministry of Sound, ironically recalled Palumbo’s father, a former Minister in the Conservative government of the day. Yet within just 10 years, Palumbo built the Ministry of Sound into a music and media empire worth nearly  £150m. Two years later, Palumbo had quit as chief executive and the Ministry of Sound was looking for a new strategic direction. The Ministry of Sound’s start had been difï ¬ cult. Dance music had its origins in ‘acid house’, itself with its roots in the futuristic

The Media and Today’s Youth Free Essays

The Media and Today’s Youth Today, there is no escape from the flamboyant displays of sex and violence on television, in the movies, and in commercial advertising. When watching the morning news, the television floods with reports of sexual assault and murder. When waiting in line at the grocery store, it is impossible to ignore the headlines accusing wives of cheating and husbands of abuse. We will write a custom essay sample on The Media and Today’s Youth or any similar topic only for you Order Now When driving on the highway, it is difficult to concentrate on the road with audacious billboards with half-naked women around every corner. Similarly, it seems that today’s children are becoming increasingly dependent of modern technology including cell phones, video games, and internet, making the sex and violence seen in the media more accessible than ever. So if a young girl is experimenting with sex before she has even reached puberty, or if a young boy brings a gun to elementary school, this behavior cannot be blamed on characteristics inherited at birth. Rather, it is the unavoidable truth that young people are corrupted by the constant exposure to the provocative media. Children were certainly not born with the aforementioned negative behaviors, therefore it must be a direct effect of the environment. So does this mean that people are born moral and molded into violent, promiscuous creatures? According to the ancient Chinese philosopher Mencius, humans are â€Å"inherently good† and in order to demonstrate the ability of outside forces to molest the natural good nature of humans, he compares the human heart to a barley seed. Though all seeds, like the human heart have the potential to grow just as strong and healthy as the rest, there is always the possibility that external obstacles will inhibit some from succeeding as much as others. Similarly, the philosopher Hsun Tzu explains that the environment that a person grows in will significantly affect the person he or she is soon to become. Although he contrasts the argument of Mencius in his beliefs that humans are born with evil tendencies and are only made good through training and education. Both philosophers, however, agree that training and mentoring is vital to shaping behavior. If a man is surrounded by evil, it is inevitable that he will develop evil characteristics. Therefore, the theories of both Mencius and Tzu contrast the current values of American popular culture. Constant exposure to pop media promoting uninhibited sex is leading to a total loss of conservative values, especially among young girls. Values such as monogamy, loyalty, modesty, and self-respect are crucial to maintaining a decent image of the American Woman. Fashion magazines directed toward young women are bursting with photo-shopped ads for perfume, jewelry, and clothing showing women with little clothing covering their hourglass frames. If kids are exposed to over 250,000 commercial advertisements by the age of 17, then it is impossible to deny that this influences their views on what types of behavior is appropriate. Not only are young girls pressured to keep up with unrealistic body images but also with ridiculous norms of behavior for their age group, including drinking excessively, dressing provocatively, and acting recklessly. Watching a show every week like Jersey Shore which openly glorifies sex and drinking will undoubtedly begin to make young girls believe that such behavior is desirable. A typical episode of this popular show includes an entertaining portrayal of a small group of young Italian adults who are paid to act foolishly. On a typical day, the group of â€Å"guidos† spend time working out, tanning, drinking, and helping out at a beach-side t-shirt shop on the infamous Jersey Shore boardwalk. The end of the show highlights their evening routine including unhealthy amounts of alcohol, minimal clothing, and lots of sexual content. Girls who act inappropriately at a young age were clearly taught how to do so by the poor role models who are paid millions of dollars per year to corrupt American youth. To make matters worse, these ideas seem to be reinforced with displays of sexual innuendo everywhere young people look. The explosion of personal computers within the last 20 years has allowed children to have more access to adult content than ever before. The internet is flooded with websites streaming free pornography and all a child needs is a computer and Google search. While there are some ways that parents can censor what their children view online, most kids are knowledgeable enough about computers to get around any firewalls. Additionally, there is very few children today who do not own a smartphone; a personal device that opens the doors to unlimited searching without censorship. But who needs porn when there is sexting? Today’s young people seem to be increasingly more open to send each other sexually explicit text messages or pictures without true control over where they are sent. The idea of sexting would seem much more scandalous, however, if they were not observing such behavior from their role models on TV, in magazines, or on the internet. Unfortunately, sex in the media is not the only problem. Violent video games are becoming increasingly more realistic and allow people to live vicariously through the animation, causing real-life violence to seem mundane. For example, the game Grand Theft Auto is wildly popular among the youth as it allows players to earn points through stealing cars, mugging pedestrians, assaulting prostitutes, and murdering strangers. This type of game is obviously entertaining, but should not be available for kids at the local videogame provider. To make matters worse, the quickly advancing technology allows for a more life-like picture than ever before. Therefore, the line drawn between fantasy and reality becomes blurry; a dangerous problem when it comes to violent crimes. Kids who are involved in gang violence and vicious crimes had to have learned this behavior from somewhere. While it is a valid point that television and videogames cannot make a person do something they do not want to do, it is undeniable that the media is capable of putting the idea in that person’s head. While adults are able to put violent and sexual content inside of context, children are not mature enough to realize the difference between how people act on entertainment television versus real life. With adult content becoming available to increasingly younger age groups, it appears that there is no limit to how young children are able to access the world of sex and violence. Hsun Tzu reinforces this argument with his statement that â€Å"environment is everything† when it comes to the root of human nature and his belief that values are learned through practice. The corruption of today’s young people is a negative bi-product of the digital revolution and has created colossal problems for the youth of society. But it is your responsibility as the youth of America to take a step back and realize that we need to hold on tight to our morals and values if we want to preserve The American Dream. How to cite The Media and Today’s Youth, Essay examples

Osteogenesis Imperfecta free essay sample

Osteogenesis Imperfecta was a severe, congenital genetic disorder which can cause the human bones to be extremely delicate. This disease is caused by a mutation(whether it be deletion or duplication) in chromosome 17q21, 31-q22, 7q22. 1, which are the chromosomes that help the body produce the proteins to make collagen, which is what makes bones and muscles strong. Because of the body not being able to create collagen, the bones become very brittle and can increase the risk of fracture by a substantial amount. The lifespan of those with Osteogenesis Imperfecta differs due to how severe the disease is. The physical features of those with the OI are short stature, triangular shaped face, breathing problems, some hearing loss, brittle teeth, and bone deformities. Brittle Bone disease is relatively rare, with about 20,000-50,000 US citizens currently living with the disease. Though children with OI generally become stronger and fractures occur less often as they age, in women, it may become active again during and after menopause. There are four types of OI; Type 1 is the most common and least mild, Type 2 is the most severe form of the disease, Type 3 has other physical complications(such as respiratory issues, deafness, etc. ) and the infant is usually born with fractures, and Type 4 is a less severe form of Type 3 but more severe than type 1. Often, cases of OI go undiagnosed, but simple testing can help to diagnose the disorder before worse things can happen. Type of Research There has been much research on OI and its patients and for cures, and not many have been actually discovered. There have been different ways to help with the pain that comes with Osteogenesis Imperfecta. Medical Bisphosphonates could be given to the patient, which help strengthen the bones, but doesn’t fully cure the patient. Patients may only receive the medicine under extensive medical care. Bracing and casting is another alternative to help with the fractures(as well as pain medication for pain). This is usually for fractures but should be worn longer than typical patients because the healing process is longer for OI patients. Another way to strengthen the bones is light exercise. After you get a fracture, swimming or walking can help strengthen the bones(unless the patient is unable to walk because of the severity of the OI). For the more severe cases of Osteogenesis Imperfecta, medical operations may be the only option. Placing rods in curved bones, such as severely deformed limbs may be an option. This also is not an actual cure and more surgeries could result from doing so. This may also be for bones that don’t heal properly or repeated fractures in the same bone. Spinal fusion may also be an option for severe Scoliosis, because braces made for Scoliosis may cause the ribs to become deformed and in turn, causing the Scoliosis to worsen over time. Spinal fusion is the surgery of straightening out the spine and fusing the bones together to stop the Scoliosis from worsening over a long period of time. Though both procedures can help with OI, they DO NOT cure the disease in full. Scientific Investigation Osteogenesis Imperfecta can be tracked and even diagnosed by going through the families medical history. Other tests can be performed, as well, such as simple xrays to show fractures or thin bones which can indicate OI. A DXR scan can also be done to determine bone density, which plays a major role in Osteogenesis Imperfecta. DNA Blood tests are the most accurate to determine whether a child has OI or not. This shows all the genes and can show the actual mutation in the gene. A normal female Karyotype found on Google Images. There have been many legal issues with the rare disease. Many children have been taken away from their parents because of xrays showing the fractures. Without proper testing for the disease, families have been torn apart because of CPS getting involved because of the xrays showing multiple fractures or fractures that healed improperly and blaming it on the parents. The bones in the child with Brittle Bone Disorder are much weaker than those of children without the disease. With this being said, even the strongest bones can be broken fairly easily. Rib fractures, skull fractures, humorous and femur fractures can be mistaken as child neglect. The doctors often overthink the fact that it could actually be OI and directly assume that it could be child abuse. Relevance Osteogenesis Imperfecta is a rare, genetic disorder that not many people know about. It can be life threatening and needs to be treated as soon as they are diagnosed. Undiagnosed patients(children) more often than not, get suspected as child neglect. No family should be torn apart because of a disease that can be tested for with a simple blood test. People need to know that this is a serious disease that has no known cure to this day. If more tests get done on children before the law gets involved, that’s another family that can keep their child from being accused of child abuse. Not only that, but this disease is congenital. You are born with this disease whether you like it or not. It is very serious and needs more reorganization. If more people would learn about Osteogenesis Imperfecta, there could be more research done to find a cure. Though it is rare, every day, more research could always be done. The sooner a cure can be found for this awful disease, the sooner children won’t have to live with OI.

Social Work Practice and Theory free essay sample

Professional practice requires you to be clear about the ideas that are guiding your thinking and influencing your practice’ (OKO 2008 p. 17). in the light of the above statement, analyse a piece of work that you have undertaken on placement, critically discuss and evaluate a particular aspect of the theoretical base, the rationale for applying this knowledge base to your practice, and to what extent your practice has benefited from this. Professional practice requires you to be clear about the ideas that are guiding you thinking and influencing your practice. In the light of the above statement my essay begins by illustrating the plight of disabled people, and the role of social services. What is also demonstrated is the legislation which developed as a result of the Seebohm Report. This is followed by signifying the value of assessment, and thus begins the starting point of my work with client X who had an inability to cope due to the admission of his mother to hospital. We will write a custom essay sample on Social Work Practice and Theory or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The significance of the NHS and Community Care Act 1990 s. 7 and the FACS ‘Fair Access to Care Services’ are applied; this determines the eligibility of the client/s. The essay then goes on to discuss and evaluate personalisation and the theory attached to this and how I applied this to my practice in the work with client X and in what ways this benefited my practice. Lastly the essay addresses the issue of anti-discriminatory practice and concludes by showing how personalisation is a tool of empowerment for individuals who are part of adult services. Prior to 1970, help for disabled people and their families were only available through the health service (medical social workers) or voluntary organisations. During the 1950’s a few local authorities set up professional social work services which were staffed mainly by medical social workers and in some cases occupational therapists. Previous to the Seebohm Report welfare departments also offered services to disabled people, but the majority did not employ trained social workers, the support which was given was material help and information giving, and provision for residential care. The current role of social service departments emanate from the Seebohm Report which recommended the expansion of services for disabled people. Based on the Seebohm Report thus came the development of the Local Authority Social Services Act 1970, this was followed by the social services departments and the recommendations on disability were incorporated into the additional Act the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970 (Oliver and Sapey, 2006). In the mid 1980’s social services departments were under pressure first from disabled people who were dissatisfied with the lack of autonomy they could achieve through the design of personal care services (Shearer, 1984, cited in, Oliver and Sapey, 2006) and its inequitable distribution (Fielder, 1988, cited in, Oliver and Sapey, 2006) and second from the government who were concerned about the spiralling costs of welfare services for adults(Audit Commission, 1986, cited in, Oliver and Sapey, 2006). This resulted in the Disabled Persons (Services, Consultation and Representation) Act, 1986 this was the attempt to ensure that disabled people had a voice in the assessment of their needs (Oliver and Sapey, 2006). Coulshed and Orme (2006) stress the importance of the process of assessment which they note is core to social work practice. They further note that the organisation and delivery of social work services change and develop in response to political and economic reforms and that the assessment process is the one part of service delivery that depends on the skills, knowledge and values of those who have been educated and trained as social workers. Assessment is a key factor in the work with adult service users this establishes the nature and breadth of issues to be addressed for the individual. This will vary, and may include the availability of appropriate accommodation and access to regular health care; this may also include access to money whether through employment or the benefits system, this can be assistance with personal or domestic tasks, attention to the individual’s recreational and social needs and response to particular circumstances for example bereavement counselling or befriending networks (Davies, 2008). For the purpose of this essay I will make reference to client X who is male and 52 years of age, this client is listed as having a physical disability and is registered blind. A review was required and would include a holistic assessment of the client’s needs there were concerns regarding his ability to cope. Client X is stated on the system as having a physical disability and is registered blind, care is provided daily for personal care and preparation of breakfast. Client X was living with his mother who was his main carer although this was not official. Client X is very attached and dependent on his mother having lived with her all his life this was where the difficulty lay in learning to cope with everyday living as his mother was admitted to hospital due to ill health. In the article by Bradley and Cafferty ‘ Attachment among older adults: Current issues and directions for future research (2001), it has been found that ‘Individuals who tend to view their close relationships as characterized by ambivalence, dependency, or conflict are likely to experience maladjusted grieving following the loss of an attachment figure’ (p. 215). Client X is noted on file as having a drinking problem and this increased as his mother was admitted to hospital. His sister had called the office on several occasions as she was anxious about his physical well-being and the state of the property that he is living in. Having called the office the brother of client X also had concerns of the state of the property and that client X was drinking as he had seen empty bottles of spirits when he had helped client X to clear his room, he also stated that client X was not eating properly. The brother’s request was that client X needed extra help to clear the property and also help to prepare regular meals, the brother also wanted to be part of the review. As this would be not only just a review but an observation of my assessment skills I informed the brother that my supervisor would be present he agreed to this and the appointment date was then set. The starting point for any adult wishing to access social care services is the NHS and Community Care Act 1990’ (Gardener 2011 p. 38). s. 47 this provides all local authorities with a duty to offer an assessment to anyone who appears to have a social care need. This part of the process is carried out to make an initial assessment and more recently Fair Access to Care (FACs) (DoH, 2003c) this is used to determine eligibility and is a national eligibility framework for allocating social care resources fairly (Gardener, 2011). In 2003 the eligibility criteria was introduced this is divided into four categories: critical, substantial, moderate and low. The council in which I am on placement use these four categories and also the twelve domains suggested by the Department of Health, this is endorsed by in Control the twelve domains are: * Physical and mental health and well – being * Eating and drinking: nutritional needs * Keeping yourself safe * Looking after yourself: meeting personal care needs * Day to day/household tasks * Being a part of the community Work and learning * Making decisions and organising my life * Managing my actions and choices * Relationships and roles: Parent, carer or looking after someone else * The help I can get from family and friends ( taken from the councils intranet) These domains assist me to meet the needs of the client X and any other clients that I will assess. During the process of the review I also ask the client about his mother, the client states that when she became ill he was collecting her prescriptions and doing some of the house-hold tasks. During supervision I am told by my P. E that with this assessment that my focus needed to be on the client and not the needs of the mother as she had been allocated a social worker to meet her requirements , this was a learning curve for me and something that I will bear in mind for future assessments. In the application of the eligibility criteria the guidance on this stresses the need to ensure that in applying this it prioritises individual need and that local councils are not neglecting the needs of the wider population. The guidance still allows councils to operate the four categories in addressing eligible needs but also requires the council to consider presenting needs, that may not be as serious and may not meet the criteria but service users may still benefit from some level of support (Gardener 2011). For example the council in which I am on placement do not provide provision for those who have low or moderate needs the client is then signposted to other services that will meet their requirements; this can include prevention services or re-enablement. Client X has substantial needs and therefore met the criteria for extra services. The services which were provided and commissioned to the client were two extra visits per day of 30 minutes this would provide the client with the help to prepare meals so that he would be eating on a regular basis. The client also still has the service that he received previously which was for personal care and help to prepare breakfast. As illustrated previously for many adult services users in England the provisions of the NHS and Community Care Act 1990 are a major feature. This Act, together with its connected guidance and directions provided the framework for service provision for adult service users. The Green Paper, Independence, Well Being and Choice (Department of Health, 2005b, cited in, Davies 2008) and the subsequent White Paper, Our Health, Our Care, Our Say, (Department of Health, 2006a cited in, Davies 2008) this was together with the cross department strategy document Improving the Life Chances of Disabled People (Prime Ministers Strategy Unit et al. , 2005, cited in, Davies, 2008) have set out the agenda for adult social care. This is based on the principle that clients should be able to have greater control over their lives, this is with strategies that deliver personalised rather than uniform services this is referred to as personalisation (Davies, 2008). The origins of personalisation lie in the field of information technology, and are associated with think tank demos and in particular Charles Leadbetter a journalist and writer. Leadbetters writings on personalisation, social work and social care have been extremely influential (Ferguson, 2007). Leadbetter views ‘personalisation as a way out of the impasse within which professional social work finds itself’ (Ferguson, p. 390). One of the major features of personalisation is direct payments, presently services are purchased by councils, and the costs of services are needed in order to allocate an appropriate level of direct payment if that is what the client requests (Mandelstam, 2005). Direct payments came into force on 1 April 1997 this gave the local authority the power to make payments to disabled people between the ages of 18-65(Gardener, 2011). A particular aspect of direct payments is that the client needs to have the mental capacity to be able to purchase their own care. Direct payments are made to clients who are eligible; this is for those who are receiving non-residential community care services. The service to be purchased also has to reasonably meet the need of the client, additionally that he or she consents to payment and they are able to manage this without assistance. The main purpose of direct payments is to give service users greater independence and control over their daily lives (Mandelstam, 2005). The process of personalisation ensures that the service user is placed at the centre of each stage of the process from assessment through to support planning and finally to review. Thus social workers must adopt a person centred approach to their work (Gardener, 2011). With client X, I needed to include him at every stage of the assessment process to meet his present and immediate needs, other needs would met through other services. For example client X was socially isolated, I was advised by my P. E to connect him with the Reablement Officer who works with the visually impaired my P. E contacted him so that a joint visit would be arranged, I would then be able to observe the type of assessment this would consist of. My support plan for this client also included a referral to an association for the blind who offer support and assistance in the form of household tasks, reading correspondence and the provision of curricular activities; I felt that this would be of great importance to this client in order for him to have greater control and independence. Client X also needed assistance with housing as there is a possibility that his mother will not be returning home due to her ill health. This created a dilemma for me as the client professed the wish to stay in the family home and the brother felt that he should have some type of supported accommodation as he feels that client X has some mental health issues, and would be unable to cope. My solution to this was to still apply for housing for the client and to advise him of his rights as well as making the brother aware of the rights of the client to stay in the family home. The above requires that you adopt a person centred planning approach and seek to use what is important to the individual as the focus for developing support and change (Gardener, 2011). Person centred planning was developed initially among service users with physical disabilities and represents a move against the notion of counselling which is associated with medical and tragedy models of disability (Coulshed and Orme 2006). This model of practice is a key method for delivering the personalisation objectives in the Putting People First Programme for social care (DoH, 2008b, cited in, Gardener, 2011). Putting People First recognises that person-centred planning and self directed support are central to delivering personalisation and maximising choice and control. Person-centred planning is a way of discovering what people want the support they need and how they can get it. It is based on evidence based practice that assists people in leading an independent and inclusive life. Person-centred planning is both an empowering philosophy and a set of tools for change, at an individual, a team and an organisational level. It shifts power from professionals to people who use services (DoH, 2007) A statement affirming the role of social work for the delivery of Putting People First in England has been issued by ADASS, the Department of Health, Skills for Care, BASW and the Social Care Association (in conjunction with the Joint University Council Social Work Education Committee, SCIE and the GSCC) It clarifies the vital contribution of social work to personalisation, acknowledging it as an international, value-based profession. The statement sets out the purpose of social work and its distinct contributions, particularly those relating to better outcomes and increased control and independence for people who use services, their carers, families and the wider community (Carr, 2010). Although the term personalisation is relatively recent, it has grown from a number of different ideas and influences. Personalisation originates at least in part as previously noted from social work values. Good social work practice has always involved putting the individual first; values such as respect for the individual- and self determination have long been at the heart of social work In this sense the underlying philosophy of personalisation is familiar (Carr 2010). Respect for the individual can also be evaluated in terms of the kantian philosophy which focuses on the content of morality, explicitly stating how we should treat other people (Banks 2006). Self determination this is regarded as an important principle in social work and can be viewed from the deontological position in that self determination is a right and part of what it means to be human. In the context of social work this is also a utilitarian argument as it adopts a form of practice that promotes the service users belief in their ability to manage their own lives. This approach also enables the service user to cope with more of their own problems and will be a satisfactory outcome for him or /her. For example with the client X with the employment of the values and method of practice used ‘utilitarian’ this helped the client to see that he was a valued individual and that he had the ability to cope with the changes that were happening in his life. On reflection I now acknowledge that client X became more self sufficient and confident in his abilities. The Utilitarian approach is also seen as a much more efficient use of resources than an approach which requires the service user to come to the social worker for assistance over a long period of time (Beckett and Maynard, 2008). Social work and its values can potentially shape the responses to personalisation of the entire health and social care workforce. The values are listed as listening, empowering individuals, recognizing and addressing potential conflict, safeguarding needs and the capacity of individuals, being sensitive to diversity and putting people in control should be central to the way staff and services treat people from the first point of contact (Carr, 2010). Thompson (2001) asserts that social work with disabled people has never achieved priority status and has been marginalised as a minority special interest, often receiving minimal attention on professional qualifying courses. Furthermore it has often been subsumed within medical discourse and distanced from mainstream social work but parallel with health related social work. It has thus been given low status, low levels of funding and little attention in terms of research and professional development. This Thompson (2001) states is discriminatory and symptomatic of the marginalisation and negatively valued position of disabled people and the issues that are related to their well-being . This has become known as disablism a form of systematic discrimination and prejudice against people with disabilities, this produces a milieu of oppression and degradation. It is the social model of disability which underpins the concept of disablism; this is alongside sexism, racism, and ageism. Disablism as well as the above can be seen as a form of discrimination against disabled people based on the stereotypical view that such people are dependent. The provision of care provided to this group is seen as disabling rather than enabling as there is the misguided emphasis on helping people to become more independent through the provision of care (Thompson, 2001). This view is seen as placing power in the hands of professionals, however as illustrated in this essay the utilitarian approach challenges this perception as it gives the individual the belief of their ability to manage their own lives. To conclude personalisation for adult social services is not just about the provision of services but practising in a person centred way. This means working in a way that people who use the services have as much control over their lives as other people. As confirmed in this essay this could be with the use of a person centred plan, usage of direct payments or a personal budget to provide their own support and care and employ their own staff. Additional aspects of personalisation include prevention and early intervention, workers supporting people early enough so that they do not require complex and intensive services. Types of provision may include support and modern equipment to stay at home, services provided in their community such as the support provided for client X, services which shorten their stay in hospital and support provided to keep people well and safe. Lastly and more importantly the support of community networks means that people can be independent from services.

The virginian Essays

The virginian Essays The virginian Essay The virginian Essay The Virginian by Owen Wister is a series of connected vignettes that chronicle events in Wyoming centered on a young man from Virginia, the protagonist. The Virginian proved that he was brave when he pulled the trigger of his rifle so closely by another man. Throughout his work and life, the Virginian demonstrated that his is a diligent man. Through his good deeds to others, he properly displays the characteristic of a dependable person. The Virginian has grown throughout the story to be a brave, diligent in his work, and dependable young man. The Virginian was a strong man; he exhibited the character traits of a brave man. The Virginian clearly showed that he was brave while at a gambling table. One of the gamblers was angry and insulted the Virginian; He quickly drew out his gun and demanded a smile of the man that had insulted him. The Virginian is then told that only cowards are dangerous when they draw their weapons by the dealer. He replies back by saying, I wouldnt worry for a brave man, your life is safe. Cowards always shoot before its necessary. While he was cleaning his rifle, the Virginian speaks to The Easterner than without warning fires a shot close enough to upset the Easterner for the Virginians egligence concerning his rifle handling. Later he points out that if hadnt fired his rifle the snake now lying dead by The Easterner would have caused its own set of problems. The Virginian does not choose to leave town when his reputation is at stake, moreover, He would rather face Trampas and defend his honor than leave town and be viewed as a coward. By these examples of bravery, The Virginian establishes his courage to everyone. Through out his work, the Virginian displayed that he was a diligent man. Several times throughout the book, he is offered the chance to run down his enemy, Trampas, ehind his back, but each time he refuses the temptation. It is made clear that he will not use his official position as foreman to crush any of the lower workers. Even when he had to hang his best friend, he still did so out of Justice for the crimes Steve had committed in his cattle rustling. Even though molly was against him harming Trampas, the Virginian had to perform his duty to the law. The Virginian proved to be a diligent man throughout his examples of his work. By performing good deeds, the Virginian proved that he is a dependable person. As the narrator starts out as a greenhorn under the protection of the Virginian, but n his frequent visits to the region over the course of the years the novel encompasses, he becomes accomplished in his own right in hunting and fishing anyway. The Virginian was one to Judges most trustworthy man that he had on the ranch. The Judge praised his dealings with the potential mutineers on the Virginians job in retrieving cattle. These examples of his good works prove that the Virginian was a dependable person because it shows that he can complete his task. As the story progresses, the Virginian has become braver, dependable, and diligent in both his work and in character. When he is given the chose to either run away or face his doom against Trampas, The Virginian chooses to face him because he does not want to be known as a coward. All through the story, he chose to not attack Trampas from taking care of the narrator from the beginning to the end of the story, he demonstrates that The Virginian is a dependable young man. The Virginian symbolizes the Wests initial resistance to the taming forces of the East and its inevitable surrender. Wister, Owen. The Virginian A horseman of the Plains. Mineola, New York: Dover Publications, Inc. , 2006.

Analysis of a television, online or radio talk show argument Essay

Analysis of a television, online or radio talk show argument - Essay Example The main argument of the pro-group is that the issue of same sex marriage has been tarnished by lies and black propaganda. The opposite camp responds with a religious nuance—God only allowed a marital union between opposite sex, and it is a sin to do otherwise. There are three components of argumentation—the claim, the support, and the warrant. The claim is the argumentation’s component that responds to the issues. A claim can be categorized into three: claims of policy, claims of value, and claims of fact (Phillips & Bostian 239). The claim of policy is a form of claim that stresses the enforcement of a specific policy thinking that the specific policy will be able to resolve a specific issue. In this talk show, the claim of policy is a policy supporting same sex marriage, like that in California. According to the pro-camp, policies guaranteeing the rights of homosexuals are ought to be constitutionally justifiable for they safeguard human equality. On the other hand, the anti-camp believes that such policies will only further undermine the already threatened institution of marriage. The claim of fact is the form of claim that emphasizes that a particular situation has confirmed to have existed, remains existent, or will continue to exist. The claim of the pro-camp is that discrimination against gays and lesbians has existed, still existing, and will continue to exist if the right to marry is denied to them. On the other hand, the claim of value is the form of assertion that is regarded as an effort to show that a specific issue is less favorable or more favorable than the others. The anti-camp claims that it is immoral or a sin to allow same sex marriage. They refer to the Bible or religious teachings to support this claim. The support of both the pro- and anti-camp is strong. The pro-camp uses legal, scientific, and practical evidence, whereas the anti-camp uses religious, cultural, and societal values. Lastly, the warrant

Introduction to services marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Introduction to services marketing - Essay Example Marketing of services has attained greater significance over the years, due to globalization and the increasing competition at a global level (Cunningham, Young, Ulaga & Lee, 2004). The services sector is has grown substantially in the recent years and hence has become an integral part of economy. In order for firms to survive in such a highly competitive industry, marketing of services is inevitable (Lovelock, Wirtz, 2004). In the realm of marketing, innovation holds supreme significance. It is only through innovation that firms can differentiate their products / services in the market and generate value and relevance for their services or products in the eyes of their target market / segments (Kleinknecht, 2000: 169-186). The development of technology fuelled by a simultaneous development in the field of information and technology, has led to a complete transformation with regard to delivery and execution of various services. It has now, completely revolutionized the manner in which services were executed, and hence widened the scope to product and process the services. The opening of various global economies has further expanded the playing field for various firms, thus further intensifying the competition at a global level.... According to Pride and Ferrell (2006) the term customer contact is defined as "the level of interaction between the service provider and the customer necessary to deliver the service" (Pp. 367). High contact services, include such services as observed in: healthcare, real estate, legal issues, hair care, healthcare services etc., while low-contact services include: tax preparation, auto repair, dry cleaning etc. High-contact services entail the presence of the customer at the time of service delivery while there is no such requirement in case of low-contact services. For instance, in hospitality industry, the customer presence is necessary and inevitable to enjoy or avail the services, while in case of low-contact services such as auto-repair, for instance, the customer need not be present while the repair work is in progress (Pride and Ferrell, 2006). In case of high-contact services, the customer is generally required to visit the service site, while there is no such pre-requisite in case of a low-contact service. Instead, access to the service is made available to the customers, via a method called self-service, for instance, as is observed in case of e-card delivery; buying from a kiosk; or via the internet. The contact points are usually held in remote places, and there is no actual physical contact between the service providers and the customers. Thus, in each service transaction the customers have very low contact with the service provider, as compared to that in case of a high-contact service. The service marketing system with regard to high-contact and low-contact services can be better explained with the help of the following diagrams: Figure 1: Service delivery system in a high-contact service Figure 2: Service delivery system in a

Drexler's World Famous Bar-B-Que Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Drexler's World Famous Bar-B-Que - Article Example The ability to utilize windows of opportunity is a vital factor of success. This paper gives a discussion on factors that enhances Drexler’s existence and its impact on the neighboring population. What role do values play in how Drexler's Bar-B-Que interacts with its neighbors and customers? Values are essential in the advancement of any organization and, they are of particular interest to Drexler. The business has specific values for both the business and the surrounding population. The business also has value for family membership and participation. This indicates that Drexler values family ties among its different stakeholders. The different values that Drexler have on its business play vital roles that determine interactions between the business and its environment. The effects or benefits of Drexler’s value have a cumulative effect that has helped to sustain the bar-b-que business at a competitive edge. Firstly, the business has values for its heritage. Its heritag e included unique recipes and value for conservative taste for their products. These values have enabled the business to retain its originality despite the numerous transformations that it has gone through. In addition to the maintenance of originality, the value for heritage enabled Drexler to be identified among its competitors. The value also promoted a sense of uniqueness that made customers to identify themselves with the business. This value ensured that the memory of the business and its bar-b-que remained in customers’ minds despite the numerous times that the business closed down. This value promoted customers service or the value of customers to the business. Unlike other competing businesses, Drexler had value for its customers. Value for its customers is demonstrated through the impeccable services offered to customers who visit the restaurant. In addition to the quality services, customers to the business were treated with high degree of respect and appreciation. Value for customer enabled Drexler to attract and retain dedicated and loyal customers. The ability to attract large number of loyal customer has enabled the business to rise to success. Customer value also enabled Drexler to have continuous and lucrative business in a highly competitive food industry. Drexler value for customers created and maintained a warm relationship between the business and its customers. This guaranteed the business a constant supply of customer despite the various options for bar-b-que. This factor was of particular interest during the numerous occasions that the business had to re-open after a close down. The ability to maintain customers was promoted by the fact that the business had high value for quality products. Drexler invested in producing quality bar-b-que through their highly researched secret recipes. The recipes that were used in the restaurant had been tested and tried throughout the entire duration that the business was in operation. Offering high quality products remained as the sole secrete of the business’ success. The business’ success was also heavily determined by its interaction with the immediate external environment. Drexler maintained a good relationship with its neighborhood that enabled it to create and maintain a competitive business. Unlike other businesses, Drexler also had value for its competitors. This enabled the business managers to learn useful skills from their competitors and methods they could use in order to remain in

Problems of the Credit Rating Agencies

Problems of the Credit Rating Agencies Introduction On July 18th, 2007, while referring to adjustable rate mortgages (ARM) (also known as subprime mortgages) bonds, an executive of the Fitchs residential mortgage group said We continue to be confident that AAA ratings reflect the high credit quality of those bonds. Since then, between 2008 and 2009, 140 US banks declared bankruptcy while the International Monetary Fund now estimates world banks global losses due to loans and credit derivatives to approximate $4.1 trillion. If the subprime crisis has been the crisis of credit, it has also been the crisis of credit rating. Credit Rating Agencies (CRAs) (namely the tree major ones: Fitch Ratings, Moodys Investors Service and Standard Poors) have been under a lot of criticism in the recent credit crisis. Indeed, not only have CRAs been accused of making errors of judgment in rating structured debt securities, but also of operating a biased business model in an oligopolistic market. As a matter of fact, bond issuers, government regulators and investors have now lost their blind faith in credit ratings and therefore feel the compelling need to change, reorganize and restructure the CRA current business model and industry. Even though CRAs cannot be considered the sole responsible agent for the credit crisis, they have encountered great irregularities and problems: How can they be fixed? What solutions should be implemented to prevent the next credit crisis from happening? How has the credit and CRA crisis affected the leveraged finance industry? To tackle this question, we will first analyze what criticisms credit rating agencies have been subject to and what problems have been identified in the recent years. By evaluating different solutions and suggesting necessary changes, we will then examine how the credit rating business model and market structure could be improved. Finally, as it directly relates to the credit market and CRAs, we will study the impact of the crisis on the leveraged finance industry, with a special focus on leverage buyouts, buyout debt financing and structured finance. Section 1: Current problems of the Credit Rating Agencies business model Though many other players, such as lenders, borrowers, regulators, issuers, and macro factors, can be associated with and blamed for the current credit crunch, Credit Rating Agencies (CRAs) have been accused of being the main actors behind the malfunctioning and mispricing of the credit markets. Not only have CRAs been blamed for misrating complex structured debt products[1] and other subprime mortgage related products, but also of operating a biased business model in an oligopolistic market. In this first section, we will summarize these three main accusations and analyze in detail the validity of each argument. Solid and pertinent recommendations can only be made if the true problems have been identified. By analysing Moodys financial statements, we can observe that between 2002 and 2006, Moodys profits nearly tripled because of the growth of structured products, accounting for more than 40% of its total revenues in 2006, and the higher margins charged for these products.   Given the revenues generated, one would expect that CRAs did control the rating of these products. Now, after the default rate on adjustable rate mortgages (ARMs) reached its peak during the crisis and collateralized debt obligations (CDOs) became worthless, CRAs defended themselves by explaining how sophisticated these products were and how hard it was to rate them. This leads us to question, did CRAs rate products they did not understand? Before the mortgage market collapse, analysts like John Paulson expressed incredulity at what appeared to be a complete mispricing of the structured debt products and began predicting that the market would crash: For me it was so obvious that these securities were completely mispriced and we were living in a casino. I think the other players that were involved in the business got caught up in the exuberance, [] in the competition to increase their underwriting volumes, [] to increase their fees. They were very focused on annual earnings, quarterly earnings and annual bonus pools and with the amount of the liquidity, everyone got caught up in what became a massive credit bubble. (Distressed Volatility 2009) Mark Zandi, an economist at Moodys, noted in a report on U.S. Macro Outlook published in May 2006, that household debt was at a record and a fifth of such debt was classified as subprime. Unfortunately, the economic forecasting division is separate from the ratings division of the corporation. But how could CRAs not foresee the crisis and the flaws of their valuation models? The model used to rate structured products has been criticized for two reasons. First, Moodys rating model for assessing CDOs is a statistical model reliant on historical patterns of default. The main assumption behind this model is that past data would remain relevant, even during a period in which the mortgage industry (and its related products) was undergoing drastic change. Second, the use of this model revealed a large failure of common sense (Lowenstein, Triple-A failure 2008)by rating agencies as very complex securities shouldnt have been rated as plain vanilla bonds, for which the model was designed. CRAs were checking their statistical model, but not the underlying assets. As a consequence, Moodys noted in April 2007 that the model was first introduced in 2002. Since then, the mortgage market has evolved considerably with the introduction of many new products and an expansion of risks associated with them (Mason 2007) and thus revised the model it used to evaluate subprime mortgages. Similarly, in a response letter to Roger Lowensteins Triple-A failure article, Vickie Tillman, Executive Vice President of SPs Rating Services claims that her companys rating model includes both historical data and informed assumptions to assess credit quality. This adjusted model doesnt seem to solve the accuracy problem. Deven Sharma, president of SP, admits [] historical data we used and the assumptions we made significantly underestimated the severity of what has actually occurred (Sharma 2008) Even though one can acknowledge the greater complexity of CDOs and the difficulty of accurately assessing the risk profile of these products, the CRAs defence doesnt seem justifiable given the source of wealth these structure products represents to them. One would expect that CRAs would only provide a service they understood. There is still plenty of room for improvement in their models. Research led by Skreta and Veldkamp (Skreta and Veldkamp 2009) suggests that the complexity of any given asset hasnt increased but rather that the more complex types of assets became more prevalent. Indeed, when combined with the phenomenon of rating shopping, where issuers shop from one CRA to another to pick the best rating possible, asset complexity can lead to rating inflation and biased judgment. As a consequence, failure to address potential sources of bias inherent in the business model of the ratings industry could generate future problems. This discussion leads us to the conflict of interest inherent in the issuer-pay model, the second main accusation in our analysis. The conflict of interest between CRAs and bond issuers has been identified as the main problem because it drives the entire CRA business model. This conflict of interest between rating agencies and the bond issuers from whom they receive fees undermines the CRAs ability to give an unbiased assessment of credit risk. There are two types of potential conflicts of interest inherent in the issuer-pay model that may arise from the activities of the CRAs. The first is that rating agencies may be enticed to give better ratings in order to continue receiving service fees. Since CRAs revenues come from issuers, this conflict can lead to an agency problem. The second potential conflict relates to the consulting services CRAs provide to help the issuer to better design products to meet their models different thresholds. In both cases, CRAs run the risk of the issuer going to a different rating agency, which leads to the phenomenon of ratings shopping. Up until the 1970s, the investor-pay business model of credit rating agencies was straightforward: investors bought a subscription to receive ratings. It was during the 1970s that the business model evolved into an issuer-initiated ratings system where the issuers of securities began paying to be rated. Free riding by investors, leading to a reduction in profits for credit rating firms, was the main reason for this transition. As White (White 2002)observes, this shift also coincided with the rise in popularity of the photocopying machine. Although the issuer-pay business model has been around for more than forty years now, concern over ratings bias only recently emerged. Indeed, the conflict of interest, amplified by the rise of complex structured financial products, calls into question the objectivity of ratings that are critical to the efficiency of the market. (Levitt, Conflicts and the Credit Crunch 2007) In response to these accusations, CRA executives have maintained that the issuer pay model is not contradictory to the efficiency of their business model. It seems that a firm cannot support both issuers and investors simultaneously. In fact, the Report of the Staff to the Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs during the Enron case[2] cited empirical evidence: The conflict appears to be particularly acute for large important issues such as [] Enron []. In these cases investors desperately need guidance from credit rating firms, but often do not get it because of pressure from issuers, [] and in some cases, SEC officials. (Egan and Jones 2010) However, CRA executives have also asserted that CRAs have nothing to benefit from adjusting their ratings to their clients needs because they have a reputation to uphold. In June 2007, SP claimed that reputation is more important than revenues (Becker and Milbourn 2009) thus asserting that maintaining a good reputation had been a sufficiently strong motivating factor for CRAs to keep their high levels of efficiency and objectivity. In reference to this assertion we can ask ourselves: is reputation a sufficient motivating factor to maintain discipline among rating agencies? As a matter of fact, research led by Mathis, McAndrews and Rochet (Mathis, McAndrews and Rochet, Rating the Raters: Are Reputation Concerns Powerful Enough to Discipline Rating Agencies? 2009)has suggested that this argument is only valid when a large fraction of the CRA revenues comes from other sources than the rating of complex products. When the reputation of a CRA is good enough, and rating complex products become a large source of revenues (more than 40% of Moodys revenues), the CRA will become too lax and inflate its ratings. This mechanism builds on a three-step reputation cycle, ultimately resulting in crises of confidence where a single default provokes a complete loss of reputation by the CRA. First, the CRA tries to build and improve its reputation and gain investors trust by being very strict. Then, once a positive reputation has been gained, the CRA issues more ratings and takes advantage of its reputation. This is when CRAs become more lax and the risk of default incre ases.   Ultimately, when default occurs, there is a crisis of confidence: the opportunistic CRA is detected and its reputation is very negatively affected. This reputation cycle, which is also a confidence cycle, explains why opportunistic CRA are hard to spot and why ratings biases only recently emerged as a concern in response to inquiries from Vailiki Sketra (Sketra and Veldkamp 2009).[3] To exemplify this concept of reputation cycle, scholars find that CRAs are more likely to understate credit risk in booms than in recessions (Bolton, Freixa and Shapiro, The Credit Ratings Game 2009). Moreover, reputation seems greatly affected by competition, as it will reduce the effectiveness of the reputational mechanism for two main reasons.   First, reputation is only valuable if there are future producer rents. As a result, the incentive for maintaining a good reputation is reduced by competition. Second, from a microeconomical approach, if the demand elasticity facing individual sellers is higher in a competitive market, the temptation to either reduce prices or otherwise attract business may be stronger which undermines the quality of output. Therefore, the conflict of interest is not solved by reputation concerns. The second aspect of the conflict of interest relates to the collaboration between CRAs and issuers when designing a debt security. Lewis Ranieri, a pioneer in the mortgage bonds market, once said The whole creation of mortgage securities was involved with a rating (Norberg 2009). As a consequence, starting in the 1990s, CRAs started to offer consulting and advisory services to issuers to improve their ratings; a process that involves extended consultations between the agency and its client. The collaborative process that ensues is as follows: issuers propose a rating structure on a pool of debt. Then, the CRA will usually request a cushion of extra capital, known as an enhancement, to meet the necessary conditions for a specific rating. This practice can be dangerous because it is the CRAs responsibility to ensure that the cushion is big enough to safeguard the product, but issuers will try to minimize this extra capitalization in order to maximize their profit margin. Inside the CR As, consultants and raters were meant to be strictly separated by a Chinese wall'[4]. Regardless, CRAs (namely Moodys) began providing unsolicited ratings and offering consultancy services to improve them. Mr. Arthur Levitt, a former chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, pointed out in a recent article in the Wall Street journal that the conflicts of interest arising from such activities are the central problems with CRAs: [Credit rating agencies] are playing both coach and referee in the debt game. They rate companies and issuers that pay them for that service. And, in the case of structured financial instruments, which make it possible to securitize all those subprime mortgages, they help issuers construct these products to obtain the highest possible rating. These conflicts are hard to spot because transparency among these agencies is murky at best, and currently it is difficult to hold these agencies accountable for any wrongdoing (Levitt, Conflicts and the Credit Crunch 2007) The agencies are aware of the conflicts that are inherent to their business model but they claim that they are doing their best as to avoid them. In a letter to Roger Lowensteins Triple-A failure article, Vickie Tillman, Executive Vice President of SPs Rating Services defends her companys business models and practices: At Standard Poors, we recognize the business model we use may raise potential conflicts of interest. Thats why we have always had rigorous policies in place to manage conflicts, and why we currently are implementing additional measures to further strengthen the independence and quality of our ratings opinions. [] the role ratings firms play in the market [] is to provide independent assessments of the creditworthiness of bonds.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In order to make up for these practices, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued a release in February 2007 proposing rules which would identify the issue of unsolicited credit ratings (those not issuer-initiated), as unfair, coercive, or abusive, and thus would prohibit Nationally Recognized Statistical Rating Organizations (NRSROs) from releasing unsolicited credit ratings.   Even though the SEC intervention seemed necessary, it didnt change the industrys business model: by 2007, the mortgage boom had already reached its peak. Regardless of the criticism surrounding the relationship between issuers and rating agencies, the fact of the matter is that they were simply bringing bonds to market based on market demand, which clearly indicates a crisis of the issuer-based model. CRAs misbehaviour has played a central role in the current subprime mortgage crisis. As such, the governments and regulatory bodies should take steps forward to correct the current business model. We shall therefore investigate alternatives to this model in Section 2 of this paper. This conflict of interest leads us to ask, who finally owns the ratings? The evidence regarding whether rating agencies bend to the issuers will is mixed. A paper written by contract-theory scholars, Faure-Grimaud, Peyrache and Quesada (Faure-Grimaud, Peyrache and Quesada 2007) investigates this issue by looking at corporate governance ratings in a market with truthful CRAs and rational investors. They show that at equilibrium, in a monopoly, a CRA will fully disclose information but that issuers may prefer to suppress their ratings if they are too noisy because full disclosure is impossible even when firms have the possibility for ownership (i.e., the right to disclose the rating). Additionally, they find that competition between rating agencies can result in less information disclosure since CRAs make zero profit and fully disclose information on firms that have values higher than the CRAs marginal observation cost. In fact, the current business model seems to favour the banks in their quest to receive better ratings. Dr. Joseph Mason compared default rates for corporate bonds to equally BAA-rated CDOs before the bubble burst and found that the CDOs defaulted more than ten times as often (Mason 2007). While, as we discussed earlier, it may be true that CDOs are much more complex securities than plain-vanilla bonds, another interpretation of the data is that CRAs were much more lax when dealing with a Wall Street securitizer as client. But who can blame them? While it is true that on the traditional side of the business (unsophisticated bond rating) CRAs have a large variety of clients (virtually every corporation and municipality that issues public debt), this is not the case in structured finance. On the contrary, the panel of clients is much smaller and the fees are much bigger. The only issue is that the client pays only if the CRA delivers the desired rating. If they do not, the client can e ither adjust the numbers or take another chance with a competitor, a process known as ratings shopping. Brian Clarkson, former president and CEO of Moodys Investors Service acknowledged, There is a lot of rating shopping that goes on. What the market doesnt know is whos seen certain transactions but wasnt hired to rate those deals (Bolton, Freixa and Shapiro, The Credit Ratings Game 2009). In fact, an important feature of the credit ratings market microstructure is the capacity for a security issuer to choose which ratings to purchase. During this process, a structured debt product is issued and the issuer typically proposes a structure to a CRA. The issuer then asks for a shadow rating, which remains private between the CRA and the issuer, unless the issuer pays to make the rating official. Such choices can reflect both explicit and implicit shopping for desired credit reviews and induce a selection effect in the rating process. Selection highlights the relation between the decision about whether to rely on unsolicited ratings and the potential for ratings shopping, illustrating how different types of potential conflicts of interest in the credit rating process could interact. Indeed, shopping for ratings is a practice at the heart of the different conflicts of interest we mentioned above, as it partly invalidates the reputation argument because there seems to be a trade-off between reputation concerns and the risk for ratings shopping. It also encourages CRAs to strengthen their ties and relationship with issuers, most notably by offering a wider range of services. In an interesting paper, Skreta and Veldkamp (Sketra and Veldkamp 2009) examine cherry-picking in ratings, especially for securitization, by issuers who shop for the highest ratings in order to obtain the hi ghest price when selling to naive or little-informed investors. They highlight the influence of risk aversion in motivating the purchase of multiple ratings. Indeed, because investors are risk-averse, they will try to invest in the best-rated securities for an expected yield without having to asses the risk of every security they may be interested in, and thus rely heavily on ratings. The more ratings they have for a security, the more likely they will be to invest in it. Skreta and Veldkamp (Sketra and Veldkamp 2009) conclude that when combined with asset complexity, rating shopping can lead to rating inflation and thus biased judgment. To support that evidence, Kurt Schacht, managing director of the CFA Institute Centre explained that CRA executives [] were concerned about the hype and insinuation that CRAs easily inflate their ratings in response to pressure from issuers and issuers, implicating the integrity of their process and ratings. In exploring that topic, we were very surprised by the results of our member poll where some 211 of the 1,956 respondents said they have indeed witnessed a CRA change ratings in response to external pressures (CFA Institute 2008). As a consequence, not only does ratings shopping enhance ratings distortion, but it also corrupts the entire rating process by giving issuers an incentive to trick their clients into buying overrated securities. A third and final issue to investigate is the lack of competition in the credit-rating industry.   According to The Economist (The Economist 2007), Moodys and Standard Poors dominated the industry by controlling about 80% of the total market in 2007. The third-place competitor, Fitch, had only about 15% of the total share that same year. The current form of these institutions received legal status when the SEC introduced the notion-barrier of the NRSROs in 1975. The rest of the market is divided among only a few other institutions that have received legal status.   While alluding to the dominance of Moodys and Standard Poors in the credit market, the U.S. Department of Justice has referred to the credit-rating industry as a partner duopoly (Laing 2007). As noted by Jonathan R. Laing, a partner duopoly differs from an oligopoly because the partners in the duopoly do no face fierce competition against each other because ones good fortune in winning a piece of business is typicall y followed by the others receiving the same deal at the same lush fee level (Laing 2007).This duopoly has proven quite profitable, as Moodys operating margin is typically around 50% (if not more) better than Microsoft, Accenture, Intel, Nike or Coca-Cola. In fact, according to Congressman Henry Waxmans statement during the Congressional hearings in October 2008, Moodys had the highest profit margin of any company of the SP 500 index for five years in a row. An important complaint arising from this situation is that the lack of competition permits the main players to shirk, engaging in less effort and research that if they were true active competition (Coffee 2006). It may therefore seem that a free market would ensure competition among its CRAs guaranteeing a higher quality and lower price of the ratings. For that reason, competition from new agencies might create a healthy diversity of opinion, leading to more accurate assessments of debt issuers default probabilities Many scholars have analyzed whether this industry structure contributes to the efficiency of the global credit market. We shall investigate in further detail what seems to be the optimal market structure in the next section by examining the solutions and changes necessary to combating the various issues we have so far considered. Other scholars recognize that the existing duopoly may present risks to the market, especially since the two-rating norm is still in full force. Furthermore, since the CRA business model is reputational-driven business, new competitors may face very high barriers to entry. The CRA industry could therefore not allow for more participants. On the other hand, some scholars suggest that the SECs role in both creating and perpetuating this duopoly by which establishing the status and necessary requirements to become a NRSROs, and an official registry. Since competition can both be seen as a problem and as a solution to the CRA industry and business model, we shall now examine the different initiatives that can be undertaken to improve the overall model and functioning of the credit rating market. Section 2: Solutions to fix the identified problems The subprime crisis has brought to light the poor performance of CRAs in rating structured financial products and reminded investors of CRAs past poor performance in predicting the East Asian crisis and the collapse of Enron[5]. Either directly by regulations, or by market force, there are strong signals that the credit rating business is about to change. The main accusations we previously addressed and the perception that CRAs contributed to the financial crisis led to various investigations and calls for reform. In this section, after briefly presenting CRAs reaction to criticism, we will first analyze the different alternatives suggested by scholars and experts to the current business model and the overall industry structure. We will then study the different reforms and regulatory recommendation that have been suggested to the current business model that would improve CRAs effectiveness and enhance the overall market efficiency. Finally, once these changes examined, from a regulat ory standpoint, we will observe the measures recently adopted by both the European Union and the US government (and regulating agencies), determine how the approaches differ and how necessary regulation is. CRAs reaction to accusations CRAs have responded to the allegations with cries of innocence.   If some rating firms claimed that they did nothing wrong and have indicated that they will cooperate openly in any investigation that comes their way, others   did acknowledge some mistakes and have announced the intention to reform their practices.   For example, spokespersons for Moodys, Standard Poors and Fitch have claimed that their organizations will demand more data and more verification and will subject their analysts to more outside checks (Lowenstein, Triple-A failure 2008) However, some may say that CRAs might have implemented these changes simply to avoid further criticism and regulatory intervention.   Indeed, as Lowenstein claims, none of this [] will remove the conflict of interest in the issuer-pays model .   We shall further analyze the case for self regulation in our analysis. In their effort to defend themselves, the CRAs have sought to minimize their role and influence within the financial industry.   According to a spokesperson for Moodys: We perform a very significant but extremely limited role in the credit markets. We issue reasoned, forward-looking opinions about credit risk. [] Our opinions are objective and not tied to any recommendations to buy and sell (Benner and Lashinsky 2007) The consensus of these critics is that the agencies dropped the ball by issuing investment-grade ratings on securities backed by subprime mortgages they should have known were shaky (Benner and Lashinsky 2007) Rather than accept responsibility for their own lack of diligence, the major CRAs have sought to lay the blame on the mortgage holders who turned out to be deadbeats, many of whom lied to obtain their loans (Lowenstein 2008).   Of course, it must be noted that other groups and individuals share the responsibility for the global financial downturn.   As Laing says in regard to CRAs, they were just one link in a subprime production line that stretched from sleazy storefront mortgage brokers, corrupt appraisers and avaricious originators to fee-crazed securitizers and, yes, mendacious borrowers (Laing 2007).   Nonetheless, as Laing further notes, CRAs must be seen as key enablers in the problems development.   i) New agency industry structure and business model Proposals have been made to improve the credit-rating system and thereby reduce the problems we identified. First, it seems that CRA need more independence. As Laing suggests it, many of the changes implemented in the auditing industry with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act could be similarly carried out. (Even though one may discuss whether this Act has improved capital markets transparency or not, one must note it has enforced the implementation of internal control, due diligence and transparency procedures in firms)For instance ratings agency employees should be prohibited from accepting any favors (whether it is money of gifts) from their clients and the leading analyst should rotate from a client to another with a certain frequency and should wait at least one year before joining their clients firm (an issuer or investment bank in this case) Laing also suggests that the 2003 SEC proposal, which prohibits the linkage of analyst compensation with new business development, could be reenacted. First, CRAs should be more transparent in two distinctive ways. The global credit market needs greater transparency about CRAs overall rating model: rating assumptions, methodologies, but also the fee structures, and past performance. To be more transparent CRAs should follow stricter disclosure requirements (as mentioned in the Rating Agency Act in 2006). Professor Charles W. Calomiris (Calomiris 2009) suggests that, more disclosure could also be required for publicly traded companies with rated debt when filling in debt-offering documents Particularly, in order to prompt CRAs to reduce or eliminate their conflicts of interest, they should disclose any structuring service or consulting-related activity (and the fees related to such practices) provided to a company in connection with the rating of fixed-income securities Second, there is a strong need, expressed by both scholars and analysts, for a clear distinction between the rating of structured products and traditional debt products and thus different rating symbols could be used so as to avoid confusion. The issue is, not all AAA-rated securities are created equally. As demonstrated in the current credit crisis and as proven by Drexel University finance professor Joseph Mason, CDOs receiving a Baa rating from Moodys were more than ten times as likely to default as similarly rated corporate bonds (Mason 2007). As a matter of fact, despite the identical symbols, structured products typically do not have the same risk profile as traditional corporate bonds. By nature, whereas corporate default can be estimated by very few factors (namely the level of leverage of the firm and its capacity to generate stable cash flows from operations), default on structured debt is dependent on hundreds or thousands of individual defaults [e.g., an underlying mortga ge pool] that are estimated given some distribution. They are not the same analysis so they should not be the same ratings. (CFA Institute 2008) A different rating scale according to the risk profile of the products could be used as to not mislead investors into buying misrated securities. As an alternative, Professor Coffee at Columbia University suggests the SEC could define a maximum default rate for different class of ratings, so that if a CRAs ratings were to exceed SEC parameters, it would loose their NRSRO status. (Coffee 2006) Building on this, the entire rating nomenclature could be changed and ratings could be expressed quantitatively as to avoid grade inflation in CRAs opinions. Indeed, in contrast to numerical estimates (of the probability of default (PD) and loss given default (LGD)),which do have objective and quantifiable meanings, letter grades leave more room for sub

Women’s Role in China Essay example -- Women Feminism Chinese Culture

Women’s Role in China "The emotional, sexual, and psychological stereotyping of females begins when the doctor says: 'It's a girl.'" -Shirley Chislom- Women have had changing roles in every society for centuries. Depending on the country, some women have had a harder time achieving equality. One of these countries is China. These women have faced such obstacles as foot binding to concubines. Until the twentieth century women were not considered equals in their society. Many cruel things were done to women in ancient china that are considered unfathomable in other countries. According to Confucius women weren’t equal to men because they were unworthy or incapable of literary education. This was as much as he mentioned women because it was such a natural idea to him that there was no need to mention it, as other early Chinese writers and theorists thought. Women were only considered property and had to obey their brothers and fathers no matter what. Fathers also despised their daughters to the point where instead of being named they were considered daughter number one and daughter number two, etc. Once the woman was married instead of being property to her brother and father, she was now property to her husband and mother in law, whom also despised the girl. It was also common for a husband to have three or four wives. If a woman’s husband were to die she was unable to remarry, sometimes causing women to commit suicide due to no fo od or income. If a woman were to remarry then her skin was peeled of her bones until she died. Another cruel act that was practiced in ancient china against women was foot binding. This tradition started around 1000 when an Emperor believed his concubines small feet were beautiful. This process began when a girl was between three and eleven. â€Å"Her toes were turned under her feet and pressed against the bottom of her foot. The arches were then broken as the foot was pulled straight with the leg, a long narrow cotton bandage would then be tightly wound around the foot from the toes to the ankle to hold to toes in place† (W., Jacob 1). The bandages would then be tightened everyday. This would cause the foot to be around 3 inches long, called lily feet, and sometimes making the toes fall off for lack of blood flow to them. A girl would be considered unacceptable if her feet were ugly and would not be considered f... ...ing it â€Å"voluntarily† so that they can bring the abortion to the countryside. Due to this the ration in China is 118 males to 100 females because there are half a million female abortions a year. Since there are so few females teenage girls are sold for prostitution and $500 mail order brides since the late 1980s. This has also made the literacy rate of women fall, more than 70% of school dropouts are girls. Because of these dropouts more than 70% of China’s semiliterate or illiterate people are women. In conclusion, the role of women in china has made a drastic change from being concubines to being mayors in major cities. Equality was something that took a long time to achieve but through all the hard work they have eventually overcome many obstacles but there are still many more that they need to work on. Perhaps women will always be looked down upon because that is how it started and that is the origin of many people’s thoughts but achieving the status that they have today is a great success. Although the changes came at a later time than that of the west, equality in China took a shorter amount of time. All in all, Chinese women have had great success in their reforms.

9/11 Informative Speech

SAMPLE SPEECH OUTLINE INTRODUCTION Attention Getter: How many of you still remember September 11, 2001? Connect/Relate with the Audience: Many of us were around the age of 9 or 10 when these attacks occurred and didn't have a clue of what was going on. We just knew it wasn't normal. Thesis: The World Trade Center attacks were part of a strategic plan of a terrorist group al-Qaeda. And I will be mapping out the attacks as they unfolded. Preview of Main Points: Four planes were hijacked, each intended for different targets.According to the New York Times, the flights that were hijacked included AA Flight 11, UA Flight 175, AA Flight 77, and UA Flight 93. (Schmemann A1) Transition to Body: These attacks have proven that evil still exists in this world but even after such a loss, our nation still stands strong. BODY (2-5 MAIN POINTS) I. First Main Point: American Airlines flight 11 was the first plane to hit. a. First Sub-point: Intended flight was from Boston, Massachusetts to Los Angel es, California. (Schmemann A1) i. Also read: Informative Essay About AfricaSupport : It carried 87 passengers plus the hijackers. ii. Support : Three people were injured and 1 was killed when the hijacking took place. b. Second Sub-point: Flight 11 hit the WTC north building at approximately 8:46 AM. iii. Support : Many believed this crash was not on purpose but was because of the jet failing. iv. Support: At 10:28 AM the building collapsed due to structural failure. c. Transition: None of us didn't expect three more planes headed for destruction. II. Second Main Point: United Airlines Flight 175 was the second plane to be hijacked. . First Sub-point: This planes intended path was also from Boston, Massachusetts to Los Angeles, California. (Schmemann A1) v. Support : This flight carried 60 passengers plus the few hijackers onboard. vi. Support : Fifteen minutes after Flight 11 collided with the North tower, Flight 175 crashed into the South tower at 9:01 AM. (Wood 1) e. Second Sub-point: This impact was the one many of us saw on live TV. vii. Support : This flight came crashed into the South tower at almost 600 miles per hour. viii.Support: It caused the south tower to collapse before the north tower at approximately 9:59 AM. (Wood 1) f. Transition: The other two planes which were intended for a crash landing were not bound for New York. One successfully reached its target, while another was stopped in its tracks. III. Third Main Point: According to The final two planes which were American Airlines flight 77 and United Airlines flight 93 were all headed to the Washington D. C. area. g. First Sub-point: According to James Harris, Author, Flight 77 was intended to collide into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. x. Support : The flight carried 59 people plus the hijackers. x. Support : Impact was determined at approximately 9:37 AM. (Harris 189) h. Second Sub-point: Flight 93 carried a significant story behind its hijacking. xi. Support : Evan Thomas states that It departed from Newark, New Jers ey and planned to land in San Francisco. The hijackers intended to crash the plane in the final target of their scheme which was the White House. xii. Support: When the passengers onboard knew of the three hijackings.They teamed up in an effort to regain control of the plane and attempt to bring it to safety. xiii. Support: After fighting their way into the flight deck, the few passengers attempted to grab hold of the steering column. However, with the struggle between them and the hijackers, the airplane crash landed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. xiv. Support: All onboard the plane were instantly killed, however those onboard are considered heroes for their effort in not only defending themselves, but the country. (Evans 54) CONCLUSIONSummary of Main Points: That Tuesday on September 11, 2001. The nation had suffered a severe loss totaling around 3000 deaths in this attack. Three out of the 4 planes made it to their intended targets. But United 93 veered the hijackers into an ope n field. I consider not only those involved with the rescue, but those who were killed as heroes. Clincher: These attacks did cause pain and sorrow. And has placed something unforgettable in our minds. However, we as a nation have come together and become stronger as a whole. Works Cited Evans, Thomas. The Real Story Of Flight 93. † Newsweek 138. 23 (2001): 54. Academic Search Premier. Web. 30 Sept. 2012. Harris, James. â€Å"September 11, 2001, Airliner Crash Into The Pentagon. † Journal Of Performance Of Constructed Facilities 19. 3 (2005): 189-196. Academic Search Premier. Web. 29 Sept. 2012. Schmemann, Serge. â€Å"U. S. ATTACKED; President Vows to Exact Punishment for ‘Evil'. † New York Times 12 Sept. 2001, Late ed. : A1. Print. Wood, Daniel. â€Å"The Nation Reels. † Christian Science Monitor 12 Sept. 2001: 1. Academic Search Premier. Web. 30 Sept. 2012.

Maternal Mortality Situations, Policies and Programs

Maternal Mortality Situations, Policies and Programs Scenario Differences Maternal mortality is responsible for over 514,000 women’s lives every year. Almost all of these lives can be saved in case an affordable, high quality obstetrics care is made available 24 hours a day, every week.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Maternal Mortality: Situations, Policies and Programs specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Most of these deaths are as a result of hemorrhages, sepsis (infection), eclampsia, obstructed labor, and unsafe abortion (Lobis, Fry Paxton 204). There are also other indirect causes of deaths which included anemia, malaria and even HIV. For this reason, there is the need to have a system that can address these issues. There are basic EmOC facilities that perform critical services to clients without the need for operations. They offer intra venous antibiotics, IV and IM oxytoxis, anticonvulsants, assisted delivery, cleaning of retained products and removal of t he placenta (Lobis et al 204). The recommendations of the UN and World Health Organization are that there should be at least four basic facilities for 500,000 people and at least one comprehensive Emergency Obstetric care (EmOC) for the same population size. The comprehensive EmOC is a facility that needs an operating theatre and this is basically done in major district hospitals (Lobis et al 204). EmOC is described as a set of health services that are lifesaving and needs to be available in health facilities to react to emergencies that come about during pregnancy, time of delivery an even at the period of postpartum (Nirupam Yuster 79).. The situation in Palmatia is almost similar to that in my home country, the United States. However, this seems to have very little facilities for the population in question. There are process indicators that are used for assessing the EmOC, especially the maternal mortality. These indicators are critical for planning and there needs to be actions taken to enable reduction of maternal deaths (Lobis et al 204). Palmatia in scenario 3 is a good choice as it highlights the situation that can be compared to the position in the United States. The process indicators as set by the United States are that;Advertising Looking for essay on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Availability of EmOC show that there are 3003 comprehensive EmOC facilities and that the basic EmOC form 92.2% (Nirupam Yuster 79). The United States has a population of over 291 million inhabitants and according to the UN standards the country is doing better as it has over 3000 basic facilities against the required 2259. It should also have at least over 568 comprehensive emergency obstetric services. That number is far much higher than the recommended number (Lobis et al 205). On the other hand, the Palmatia statistics basic care for the emergency case of delivery for a population of 950,000 people. This is above the recommended four facilities for 500,000 people. There are three comprehensive EmOC facilities for the 950,000 people which are a greater progress against the recommended one facility for 500,000 people (Nirupam and Yuster 79). On strict investigation, research has shown that the United States does not meet the required standards or number of facilities that can be categorized as basic EmOC. This is because according to the above functions. Many of the so called basics EmOC facilities do not actually offer all of the six services identified above. Most of the birth centers handle the normal maternal services like normal deliveries and most of the complications that need specialized services are usually referred to major hospitals (Bailey and Paxton 300). By reconfiguring the statistics of basic and emergency EmOC centers, the US has at least 10% more maternal care facilities than the recommendations by the UN. Whereas, the US has enough EmOC facil ities in general, the position is so different at the state level (Bailey and Paxton 300). It’s estimated that about thirty one percent of these individual states including the District of Columbia do not meet the required minimum number of the EmOC facilities as recommended by the UN standards.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Maternal Mortality: Situations, Policies and Programs specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More However, there are cases of very larger hospitals that serve even more women that two smaller obstetrics centers (Bailey Paxton 300). It is expected that 92.2 percent of the births in the US are expected to be in the EmOC facilities while the rest only take place in freestanding birth centers, in doctors’ offices and also at home (Lobis et al 206). The meet need for the emergency obstetric care unlike Palmatia which is at 65%, the US has about 98.8%, almost every woman are expected to suffer s ome form of complication in obstetrics. The most common type of complication that is usually treated includes obstructed labor, prolonged pains and excessive bleeding. It’s also estimated that about 21 women have caesarian section and this is beyond the usually range of 5 to 15 % of the expected deliveries (Bailey and Paxton 301). The deaths as a result of direct obstetric complication are about 0.06% in the facilities. This is at least lower than the acceptable mortalities of 1% as recommended by the UN guidelines. The common cause of the deaths is chiefly in puerperium and then followed by complicated conditions of eclampsia (Nirupam and Yuster 83). The United Nations indicators are used for examining the availability, usability and the quality of the emergency obstetrics services in developing nations where maternal deaths are very high. Studies have shown that the counties that have less coverage of the emergency obstetrics services also have very poor maternal care (Niru pam and Yuster 83). However for Palmatia in scenario three of module two and home country, the US, this situation is better addressed as the EmOC facilities are above the recommended number by the UN. Access to emergency services is excellent in the US and a greater Majority of women give birth in well equipped hospitals where they receive the best obstetrics treatment (Nirupam and Yuster 843). However, getting the statistics on the real people who can access the EmOC could be very hard. For instance, women living in the rural areas could find access limited. Insurance can also affect access though it is should not (Bailey and Paxton 302).Advertising Looking for essay on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Another critical data is the conservative delivery culture that has developed in America is the increasing cesarean section delivery. Several groups have expressed their concern for this. Palmatia has about 12% while the US has 21%. This difference can be attributed to cultural difference. Policies that could Hinder EmOC If the EmOC can be able to reduce deaths due to pregnancy complications and delivery at a substantial amount, then women that need prompt medical access due to the complications need to be able to access EmOC (Bailey and Paxton 303). In order to reduce the maternal deaths in this manner, the US government placed much emphasis on the implementation of care for women so that they can access the best quality of EmOC (Bailey and Paxton 305). This includes upgrading health facilities to offer basic care and also the comprehensive obstetric care. Renovations and maintenance of the facilities and also supplying equipment is greatly supported. The government also offer trai ning to practitioners on how to manage complicated cases of maternal conditions (Callaghan and Berg 132). However despite the efforts of government to have the best services, there are some policies that are hindering access to EmOC. Considering that there is greater understanding of the need for preventing maternal mortality, it’s critical to address the policies that hinder this access (Callaghan and Berg 132). There are some health policies that are a barrier to the access and they include the following: Obstetrics done only by obstetricians: only the postgraduate obstetricians are allowed carry out the caesarean section or some abdominal surgical processes. Basic doctors are not usually allowed to do offer such services even in emergency cases. In the states where the EmOC does not meet the recommend numbers, it is very hard to offer these services when much the population is very high (Callaghan and Berg 135). Anesthesia conducted only by Anesthetists: there are few ane sthetists in some states especially those that do not meet UN standards of EmOC. This therefore means that the populations in such areas will only have about 1 to 5 qualified practitioners in anesthesia. The anesthesia policy that nurses cannot be anesthetists and only doctors are allowed, though lately there is some training for the nurses to become nurse anesthetists (Callaghan and Berg 135). This has brought fears on the quality of care that can be accessed. At some point, there can be doctors and surgeons but no qualified anesthetist hence major surgeries will have to be referred to other higher level hospitals (Callaghan and Berg 136). Giving anesthesia has very restrictive policy just for the sake of safety of the patient. Recognition of Specialist: some US individual states have some criteria of acknowledging medical experts (Nirupam and Yuster 82). Some require that the medical practitioners have to have worked for at least 5 to 10 years to be recognized as specialists in va rious fields. Due to such regulations, doctors with qualifications as specialists can only work in some district hospitals but not to offer specialist services (Callaghan Berg 137). Access to Blood: anemia is a very common symptom in pregnant women and about 52% of the women suffer anemia. From the statistics about maternal deaths, it has been found that anemia was responsible for about 14 – 24% mortalities while excessive bleeding is responsible for 16 – 26%. Access to blood becomes a problem because of the blood banking mistakes. There is also a problem of screening the blood and the government has in place utopian regulations to license blood banks (Callaghan and Berg 138). Though this was done to safeguard the interests of the public, screening for hepatitis or HIV has been already addressed well enough. It has been stated in the US that the reason why such polices exists is mainly because of the fact that the policy makers are in most cases nontechnical people, h ence cannot address the matters of emergency care in a proper manner as it happens in real practice (Callaghan and Berg 138). Design of Effective Programs There are currently set programs that are devoted to taking care of the emergency situations on obstetrics. The community is expected to be in an state of preparedness so that they can provide better EmOC (Nirupam and Yuster 85). There are an increasing number of these types of programs founded on the three Delays Model. The three delays model is a construct that helps to explain the way the social factors bring about maternal mortalities. This helps in policy making and to target the resources and intervention and stoppage maternal deaths (Nirupam and Yuster 87). In some cases, mothers who die during child delivery are said to have gone through the following delays; Delayed decision on seeking care (UNFPA 9) Delayed access to adequate care (UNFPA 9) Delayed receipt of care at the healthcare facilities Deciding to seek for medic al care when one is experiencing an complicated obstetric problem can be delayed and this has been a very big problem in offering obstetric services (UNFPA 9). There are several reasons why this takes place, including fear of the expenses, fear of the healthcare facilities process, poor decision making ability, and late realization of the problem (UNFPA 9). The government should set polices that communicate to the people concerning the need to seek assistance early enough in case they observe some unusually symptoms. The cost should be subsidized for obstetrics. Delay to reach the facility: after a decision is made, reaching the births center or hospital can be a problem. Transport is usually a factor due to traffic of lack of ambulance to fetch patients (UNFPA 10). Some communities have tried to deal with this including organizing prepaid transport or community transport to healthcare facilities. The policies makers should design a system to have ambulance services on call to help fetch patient and offer first aid assistance before specialist can do their job (UNFPA 10). Delay to get proper services: this is considered the most tragic incidence of maternal deaths incidences. In most cases, women will wait for long hours for specialist services because of staff problems and issues, prepayment policies or hardships in finding blood, proper equipment or a surgical theater (UNFPA 10). In designing a better system of care, this is the easiest huddle to deal with since most of the social, cultural and economical obstacles have been faced and done with (UNFPA 10). Therefore equipping heath facilities is of major importance and designing polices to address the first two delays would make no sense if the medical facilities are not adequately equipped. Bailey, Partrick, and Paxton, Arnold. Program Note: Using UN Process Indicators To Assess Needs In Emergency Obstetric Services. Int J Gynecol Obstet, 2.76(2002): 299- 305. Callaghan, Martin and Berg, Jerrad. Maternal M ortality Surveillance In The United States: Moving Into The Twenty-First Century. JAMWA, 57.3(2002): 131- 5. Lobis, Smith, Fry, Dendan and Paxton, Arnold. Program Note: Applying the UN Process Indicators for Emergency Obstetric Care to the United States. International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics, 88(2005): 203 207. Nirupam, Sikhlar and Yuster, Ashvin. Emergency obstetric care: Measuring availability and monitoring progress. In: International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics, 50. 2(1995): 79- 88. UNFPA. Maternal Mortality Update 2002: A Focus on Emergency Obstetric Care, 2002: 23 -36.