Opportunity #6 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Opportunity #6 - Assignment Example This positioning would allow carbon atoms binding together for formation of molecules that may not be easy to construct, with different reactions or circumstances.(Helmenstine, 2010) The reactions, thus made possible by these scientists have opened the gates of science to create complex chemical substances, which may be seen as creation of nature, otherwise. The principals of carbon-based organic chemistry are responsible for the exciting natural phenomenon, which forms the basis of life. This includes, colors in flowers, snake poisoning, among others. Taking cue from nature’s chemistry, human-kind has tried to perform chemical reactions, which use the potential of carbon for providing the basis for creating functional molecules. Such development in chemistry has given mankind new medicines and revolutionary materials, like plastics. For creating such complex reactions, scientists require the ability to join the carbon atoms together. However, carbon being stable, the carbon atoms do not react with each other easily, as their stable nature does not allow them to do so, under normal circumstances. Accordingly, several methods were tried for binding the carbon atoms together, which included techniques that could make carbon more active. The test tube reactions, conducted for this purpose, could develop simpler molecules. However, for creating complex carbon molecules, the scientists’ synthesis processes towards the same, gave several unwanted by-products. Therefore, the winning reactions of the three Nobel Prize winners solved this problem, as palladium-catalyzed cross coupling provided an efficient tool for getting the precise results. The basis of this reaction is the meeting of carbon atoms on a palladium atom, which brings them closer to each other, for starting the required chemical reaction. While palladium-catalyzed cross coupling reactions find extensive use for many industries, their advantages for the electronics industry is the most

Canadian Funding for Highways Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Canadian Funding for Highways - Case Study Example Although this alliance dates back in the history but still it represents a strong case for the betterment of the transport industry. As CTA is a coalition of regional trucking associations it represents an extensive cross-section of the trucking industry. There are about some 4,500 transport vehicles, owned re-operators, and industry suppliers who fall under this alliance. CTA has worked in lobbying on national and international policy, as well as authoritarian and governmental issues that affect trucking. The other industry that has had problems is the railway industry. The freight industry along with the domestic highway vehicles has suffered from the deficit making them incompetent in their respective industry. Regardless of a very old policy on nationwide transportation the federal authority was proficient in completely setting it aside for the cause of reduced spending in the 1990s. This was achievable because the national transportation policy did not correctly identify the role of governments in the provision or administration of transportation infrastructure. As the national decentralization of infrastructure was done during the 1990s and as inter-modal transportation has developed, the financial responsibilities between the public and private sector have become vague. Important transport accountability areas, such as airports or marine ports have been changed to private or non-profit organization. While others have been able to create entirely new economic responsibilities for the local body; for example, the movement from rail to road has augmented the provincial role in goods transportation. Dating back to 1994, the federal curriculum review amplified the financial stress on regional and municipal infrastructure. In the mean time, provinces also decentralized local transport infrastructure to municipal and provincial bodies. This reforming of transportation has produced a hefty infrastructure deficit that needs consideration by all levels of government. Addressing the requirements of transport infrastructure can be managed in a more improved manner if the financial tasks, with suitable revenue streams, can be clearly outlined for all levels of the governing body in national transportation policy and supporting legislation. A major reason for the inability of the national transportation policy is the breach between policy, legislation and execution. A widespread scheme of bridging this gap is the connecting of transportation policy and legislation to a venture approach or program funding. The most memorable example of this is the American model where central funding is coupled for compliance with rules and policies. For instance, highway subsidy eligibility depends on achieving the set environmental standards that replicate national policies. As a fact the Canadian policy is

Classical and Operant Conditioning Essay Example for Free

Classical and Operant Conditioning Essay Behavioural therapies emerged in the 1950s. The main assumption of the behavioural view is that abnormal behaviour is acquired in the same way as normal behaviour, through the principles of Classical and Operant Conditioning. Behavioural therapy is usually targets at specific, well-delineated anxiety disorders such as phobias and compulsions.  One therapy that is used through Classical Conditioning is Systematic Desensitisation. Classical Conditioning is learning that occurs through association. Systematic Desensitisation is used for people with phobias as it de-conditions phobias using relaxation and gradual contact. Individuals might learn that their feared stimulus was not so fearful after all if they could only re-experience the feared stimulus but the anxiety it creates blocks such recovery. This is overcome by introducing the feared stimulus gradually. In this type of behavioural therapy, based on the principle of counter-conditioning, a fearful person imagines a series of progressively more fearsome situations while he or she is deeply relaxed. The responses of relaxation and fear are incompatible, and the fear is eventually dispelled. The use of Systematic Desensitisation was first developed by Wolpe in the 1950s. Systematic Desensitisation enables individuals to overcome their anxieties by learning to relax n the presence of stimuli that once made them unbearably nervous and afraid. Wolpes basic idea was to replace one response (fear) with another (relaxation). This is particularly useful for treating psychological problems in which anxiety is the main difficulty for example phobias, shyness etc. The mode of action of Systematic Desensitisation is that in the early days of Systematic Desensitisation, patients would learn to confront their feared situations. They would gradually overcome their fears by learning to relax in the presence of objects or images that would normally arouse anxiety. Today, this is not the case, the therapists ask the subject to imagine the presence of the feared stimulus rather than actually presenting it. Systematic Desensitisation typically involves steps. First, patients are taught how to relax their muscles. Then the therapist and patient construct a hierarchy, the patient gradually works their way up the hierarchy, visualising each anxiety-evoking event while engaging in the completing relaxation responses. Once one step is mastered they move to the next step, continuing up the hierarchy until they have mastered their feared situation. Research has found that Systematic Desensitisation is successful for a range of anxiety disorders e.g. about 75% of patients with phobias responded to this method of therapy (McGrath et al, 1990). However spontaneous recovery (recovery without treatment) from phobias has been found to be as high as 50-60% (McMorran et al, 2001). This shows that Systematic Desensitisation may contribute little to recovery. Systematic Desensitisation has also been used with OCD patients. The technique of exposure and response prevention has an effectiveness of 60-90% of adults with OCD (Albucher et al, 1998) this is where patients are exposed to the objects or situations that trigger obsessions and are then prohibited from engaging in their usual compulsive response. All behavioural therapies have their roots in learning theory, which has its own roots in experiments with non-human animals. Wolpes (1958) initial research was with cats. He created a phobia by placing them in cages and administering repeated electric shocks. He could then reduce their learned anxiety response by placing food near a cage that was similar to the original. The act of eating apparently diminished the anxiety response; the cats could gradually be placed in cages more and more similar to the original cages without symptoms of anxiety. Human anxiety may not always respond in the same way. Systematic Desensitisation did not cure the phobia of one woman treated for a fear of insects (Wolpe 1973). It turned out that her husband, with whom she had not been getting along with was nicknamed after an insect. Her fear was therefore not the result of conditioning but a means of representing her marital problems. Marital counselling was recommended to her, which succeeded where Systematic Desensitisation had failed.  One therapy that is used through Operant Conditioning is Token Economy. Operant Conditioning is making a conscious association with the consequences of a behaviour e.g. behaviour that is rewarded is more likely to be repeated. The use of Token Economy is a behaviour modification procedure in which patients are given tokens for socially positive behaviour, these being withheld when unwanted behaviours are exhibited. The tokens can then be exchanged for desirable items and activities such as sweets. Although Token Economy programmes were widespread in the 1970s, they became largely restricted to wards being prepared for transfer into the community. A particularly widespread use of Token Economy at the time was for changing the negative symptoms of schizophrenia poor motivation, poor attention and social withdrawal (McMonagle and Sultana, 2001). In educational setting, the Token Economy system is an important part of classroom management, where it is used to build up and maintain appropriate classroom performance and behaviour.

Bajaj Auto Limited | Analysis

Bajaj Auto Limited | Analysis The global economy and the market are growing faster than ever. The current business situation is in a state where they need to reshape their ideas constantly. The change has become so inevitable that without it a company couldnt survive in this competitive world. Change is the process of taking a company from current position (state) to a desired or expected position (state) and at the same time dealing with the problems that arise in the process, then change is about the management. (Gill, 2003). Change is something that cannot force upon, it is a gradual process of transformation that can affect the entire structure. Change management is an organized, methodical application of the knowledge, tools, and resources of change that provides organizations with a key development to achieve their business strategy. But change management is not a distinct discipline with rigid and clearly defined boundaries (Burnes, 2004). Organisations may not get their desired outcome if the change management is not effective. With effective management of change we can easily achieve a better turnover, expand the business, reduce cost of sales, maximise profit and even retain the same employee satisfaction. There are two angles in which a change can be viewed one from the management who are implementing it and another form the employees who undergo it. In the past, the affect of change agents on a business organization was very small but as and when the business transactions started to happen on global basis, the agents that could lead into organizational change also increased. The affect of a change can be felt in global way just like the current financial crunch that is happening around world. Brief History of Bajaj Auto Limited The Bajaj Group is one of the top 10 business organisations in India. The Bajaj Group has a wide range of industries such as, Bajaj Auto Ltd, home appliances, lighting, iron and steel, insurance, travel and finance. But the groups main focus is Bajaj Auto which is ranked as the worlds fourth largest two- and three- wheeler manufacturer and is well-known in over a dozen countries in Europe, Latin America, the US and Asia. Jamnalal Bajaj founded Bajaj Auto Ltd in the year 1926, which did mainly import and sell two or three wheelers. In the year 1959, the company secured a license from the government of India to manufacture two and three wheelers. From this license, the company started to grow and in the same year, it went in collaboration with Piaggio to manufacture scooters and marketed under the brand name Vespa. By the end of the 10 year agreement with Piaggio, the company started manufacturing its own scooters under the brand name Chetak which pushed the Indian market to top boom and stayed as market leaders in scooter industry for a long period in India. The scooter made a strong brand image among people especially the middle class families who longed to have their own transport which was economical, durable and easy to maintain which was the key factor for their dominancy in market. The cost of motorcycles was 30% high when compared with scooters, so common people prefer it. Another factor for the market dominancy was the restriction for international brands in the Indian market. Hence the company faced no much competition. After the effect of globalisation when international organisation started to enter the Indian market, the competition faced by Bajaj was severe. The international companies had invested a lot in Research and developments and had better features and fuel efficiencies and this started to trouble the Bajas rule over the Indian market. When the price gap between motorcycles and scooters narrowed consumers started to shift to motorcycles because they were more able to travel on a terrain and had much greater ground clearance. When banks started to give loans to own vehicles it was a dream come true for most of the Indians and thus the consumer preference shifted to motorcycles rather than scooters. To conclude the situation created because of the companys lack of interest in RD, the turn over market dominancy and overall market value of the company starts declining constantly. (Source: www.bajajauto.com) Changing Scenario In the early 1990s, the market saw a great recession in the Indian two wheeler sector; overall sales of two-wheelers declined by 15% in 1991 and 8% in 1992. This period also saw a steep rise in fuel prices, which resulted in consumers placing greater emphasis on fuel efficiency when purchasing a new two wheeler. Fuel efficiency of scooters were comparatively less with motorcycles. When banks started financing for buying new vehicles common people shifted to motorcycles which can save a fortune in fuel. Japanese companies like Honda motor co. ltd (Honda), Suzuki and Yamaha started their operations in India through joint ventures with Indian companies like hero Cycles ltd, TVS, Escorts, etc. All these joint ventures were in the motorcycle segment. The foreign firms came with the latest technology and efficient production systems, which dramatically improved the quality of motorcycles available in the Indian market. Soon the foreign companies started introducing more new models with contemporary technology, styling and greater fuel efficiency. Then, the entire Indian market witnessed a change that was not at all foreseen by the company. The consumer preference shifted from scooters to motorcycles, which affected the company drastically in a much big way. This was because the difference in the ratio of youngsters and mature adults. In addition the motorcycles became cheaper, more fuel-efficient and was capable to ride with ease in any terrain. The arch rivals, Hero Honda was the company the Bajaj had to compete, but it was in vain as Bajaj had not once thought of modifying their scooters or thought of bringing new motorcycles into market and ultimately Bajaj had to give up its throne of the largest two wheeler company. The model Bajaj was rolling out of the company was a geared scooter. In the year 2005-06 with the entry of gearless scooters Bajaj lost its dominance over the Indian market to the gearless scooter named Activa from Honda, which was more comfortable for old people as well as women and even men have started to use Activa for their short errands because of its ease of use. Forces of Change Organisational change is triggered by performance falling below expectations or aspiration levels (Nilakant Ramnarayan, 2006) or change is initiated by disconfirmation. Forces of change can be two types: the external and the internal. External Forces Consumer preference In the 1990s, the Indian two wheeler market witnessed a shift in consumer preferences. License Raj The private investment was extensively regulated by the government through licensing. All the important business decisions like the entry of a firm into an industry, capacity expansion, choice of product, capacity mix and the technology were controlled by the government in an attempt to prevent concentration of economic power. This was referred as License Raj. Also there was a change in emission norms. Poor conditions of the road The conditions were really bad at that time. The consumers need a vehicle with strong reliability and fuel efficient. Poor conditions of the transport system The suppliers had a hard time for supplying materials. Also the growth was partly attributed to the inefficient public transport systems in the countrys towns and cities, which led to a greater demand for personal transport. Internal Forces Companys inability to force the market and shift in the trend patterns BAL had been slow in reading the demand pattern and how to cater to the changing consumer tastes and preferences. Company was not interested in RD It was believed that the dramatic shift happened because BAL did not pay sufficient attention to design, research and development and consumer satisfaction. No additional features Motorcycles with better ground clearance, stronger suspensions, and larger wheel bases, performed well on the village roads. Also the fuel economy was an added bonus No other brand of scooters No young and fresh minds in the companys management Change Models The format and the procedure by which a change has been made in a particular scenario is known as the change model. Change models are tools for driving change forces in an organization. Managing the complex process of change mainly involves managing a set of activities, in which each of the activity is crucial for the overall success of change. The change process involves translating the need for change into a desire for change, and deciding who will manage the change and creating a effective workable relationship. Change Model applied in Bajaj Auto Ltd Change Models provided by Kurt Lewin (1951) and V. Nilakant S. Ramnarayan (2006) is one of the prominent change models followed in the present world. The best model suited for the current scenario is the combination of both of these models by above authors. It can be divided into three phases: The first phase involves preparing the people for change with the focus on getting them to let go of what is familiar. The second phase involves taking the steps that actually implement the change. The last phase involves returning the organization to a stable state again based on the new culture. The first stage according to Kurt Lewin, in order to implement a change is Unfreezing and most of the cases it will be done by the change agent. In this scenario, Rahul Bajaj, the chairperson of the company is the change agent and this stage involves alerting and communicating the problems, performance gap and need for change to the internal customers/employees. It is basically modifying the current situation in order to achieve the proposed change by proper communication and understanding to the restrainers of change which helps to reduce the resistance and it is the best strategy for change. The second stage involves the application of the change model provided by V. Nilakant and S. Ramnarayan. It mainly highlights the importance of leadership in the process of change. The task of appreciating change requires the leader to understand the forces of change and prevailing mindset inside the organisation, where as task of mobilising support require leaders to facilitate the idea of change. In the same model, task of executing change involves creating the right structure and processes in an organisation, which is crucial and very important for the vertical and horizontal communication within the organisation, which ensures that employees are highly focused during the change process. Building Change capability involves empowering employees and making them believe in their own abilities to face new challenges; undertake and complete new tasks. Above all, high emphasises is placed on leadership in the organisation which is the driving force of the above tasks, which also plays a vital role in creating and sustaining change within an organisation. Managed Change, is a data-driven process that guides the project teams, internal change agents and sponsors to follow as they just need to follow guidelines through simple projects or complex initiatives. The third stage is refreezing stage which stabilizes the organisation at a new state of equilibrium. The main point about this stage is that new behaviour must be, to some degree, congruent with the rest of the behaviour, personality and environment of the learner or it will simply lead to a new round of disconfirmation (Schein, 1996). In organisational terms, refreezing often requires changes to organisational culture, norms, policies and practices. (Cummings and Huse, 1989) (Source: Bernard Burnes (2004) Managing Change (Fourth Edition) Prentice Hall) Application of change model in Bajaj Auto Ltd Unfreezing Stage: After dominating the Indian two wheeler market for three decades by the end of 1999 BAL realised the change in consumer preference from scooter to motorcycles with four stroke engines and predictions was that this trend will continue in a higher scale. There was a 41% fall in scooter sale in 2001 which was a real threat for the existence of BAL. Also a new set of emission norms (equivalent to Euro II emission norms) came into effect in 2000 for petrol two stroke engines. As a result, scooters with two-stroke engines fell out of favour. Applying the change model proposed above, Bajaj Autos was losing its market share due to change in consumer preferences, development of new market segments and availability of better products and scooters manufactured by their competitors. In first step, Chairman of company Rahul Bajaj which is change agent as well identified the need for change as suggested by Kurt Lewin, he unfreeze the current situation by making employees aware of problems, performance gap and need for change. Simultaneously, he empowered and provided new leadership roles to younger generation such as Rajiv Bajaj (Managing Director). In an attempt to regain market share, the company increased its production of motorcycles by 67.6% in 2001 even as the production of geared scooters fell by 44%. By 2001, the company was manufacturing as many motorcycles as geared scoters. Moving/Changing Stage: This is the stage where the leadership qualities of a change agent play an important role in success of the change. Change agent in our scenario Rahul Bajaj who is the chair person of the company analysed the present market environment and figure out the importance of change to retain the market share and to bring the company back in the path of success. He figured out the customer demands through surveys and categorised the production in different segments such as executive segment, cruiser segment, premium segment etc. He also introduced youngsters into the company and gave them more authority in order to create innovative ideas which were very important for the competitive market. He also invested a huge amount in RD and also for design. This completely changed the product portfolio of Bajaj Auto Ltd. Within a short time after these changes new version motorcycles launched in every segment such as Boxer and Caliber in executive segment, Eliminator in cruiser segment and Pulser Ave nger and Discover in premium segment which was a huge success in the Indian motorcycles industry. This transformation of Bajaj from scooters to motorcycles created a huge impact on the mind set of the public especially the new generation who were looking for more performance and stylish bikes. The turning point in this change process was the introduction of the product Pulsar and DTSi technology which help them to capture the two wheeler market under their name and to overcome their rival Hero Honda. They also tried to resurrect scooter sales. While sale of geared scooters were falling, the gearless scooter has been growing. The purchasers of gearless scooters were mainly teenagers, women and older people. So they started production of gearless scooters in 2000 under the name Saffire which was a great success with its new technology and design from Tokyo RD a Japanese design firm. They also give great importance to improve the mileage because it was an important specification for choosing a new model in the market. As per the model suggested the change agent was successful in motivating people, engaging people and developing the capabilities in an economical way rather than going for a complete reconstruction of the organisation. They appreciated the change happened in the organisation, build up the change capabilities, mobilise support and execute the change in the right time and right manner. Refreezing Stage: This is the stage where the company returns to a stable state based on the new culture. It mainly deals with changes to organisational culture, norms, policies and practices to cope up with the change for a smooth running of the day to day routine of the organisation. When Bajajs motorcycles were becoming popular the scooter sales were really down because of the competition in market. They analysed the market deeply and made apt changes. Meetings and sessions were arranged to discuss the unpleasant fact about new competition and flat earnings. So they were forced to phase out several models including the Spirit, the Sunny Spice, the Legend NXT 2 and the Bravo. The Saffire, suffered from several technical problems. Its sales too failed to pick up so they did modifications and was replaced by the Wave in 2005. In 2004, they also upgraded their old model Chetak with a new four stroke, 125cc engine, with a promise of greater comfort, superior performance, and better mileage. In June 2006, the company announced its plans to raise production capacity from 3.5 million units to 5.1 million units a year by 2009, of which the capacity for two-wheelers was to be 4.6 million units. According to their plans, they recently launched a 220cc variant of it popular Pulsar motorcycle. In 2004 Bajaj auto changed their old logo and created a new logo and brand line to renew its new brand identity. This proves that a vision says something that helps clarify the direction in which an organization needs to move (Kotter, 2007). These visions and their accomplishments stabilised the organisation at a new state of equilibrium. Change Agent The person who has the handed the management of the change is known as the change agent. The facilitator who is in-charge of the change in particular section where the change is needed is known as the change agent. (Mc Calman and Paton 1992). Their task also includes circulate information, identify problems, strategy development, monitor the progress and problems and reporting to the management. To introduce a change the change agent must have a vision and direction and the capability to make people to follow their direction and understand their vision. (Clarke, 1994). In this case study, the chair person of Bajaj Auto Limited Mr. Rahul Bajaj is the change agent who proved to have a great compassion towards changes in market conditions. He also proved to be an efficient change agent by handling different difficult situation easily. According to the changes in market conditions he changed the brand names to make them more localised and classified the motorcycles in different sections so they can penetrate the market more easily. His adherent Rajiv Bajaj also played a very important role in this change scenario who had a major role in designing and marketing their icon model Pulsar which help the company to acquire a major share in market. Pulsar was selected as Bike of the year for continuous 4 years and he was selected as the Automotive man of the year 2005 by Auto car Professional, bike India and NDTV India respectively. Timely actions taken by change agent like implementation of changes in policies, production and technology and final stage of in tegration help them to achieve the worlds 4th and Indias 1st largest producer of two and three wheelers. Analysis and Recommendations: In this scenario Bajaj Auto Ltd handled this particular situation incredibly but there were certain instances where they could have done even better. The Indian two wheeler market was dominated by scooters till 1990s and motorcycles came as new favourites. Bajaj was the market leaders till that time later their sales declined because they did not pay attention to design, R D and customer preference. They also didnt give much importance to marketing while the competitors were keen in increasing the sales through advertisements. Rahul Bajaj later admitted that they had been slow in reading the demand pattern and failed to anticipate customer behaviour. They also didnt participate in any social responsibilities and failed to build a trusting relationship with customers, employees and society. But they handled the whole situation sensibly with the proper implementation of change models and the powerful leadership under the change agent Rahul Bajaj. Conclusion This scenario clearly shows that change is a continuous process and a proper identification and implementation of a change results in organisational growth. Success of change depends on choosing the perfect change model with fewer resources and can create maximum outcome. An organisation should anticipate the need for change, utilise the resources effectively to attain this mission and must integrate this effort into the planning process. Change agent also has an important role where the desired result depends on how he manages the particular change. To conclude change is an essential aspect in growth and development and the overall success depends on how we tackle the change effectively. References: Bernard Burnes (2004) Managing Change (Fourth Edition) Prentice Hall Bob Hamlin (2001) Organisational Change and Development (First Edition) Prentice Hall B.L Marquis C.J Huson (2003) Leadership Roles and Management (Fourth Edition) Philadelphia, Lippincott Colin Carnall (2007) Managing Change in Organisations (Fifth Edition) Prentice Hall John Hayes (2007) the Theory and Practice of Change Management (Second Edition) Palgrave Macmillan, New York L. B. Fossum M. G. Crisp (1989) Understanding Organizational Change: Converting Theory to Practice (First Edition) Thomson Crisp Learning R. Woolfe W. Dryden (1996) Handbook of Counselling Psychology (First Edition) Sage Publications T.G Cummings C. G. Worley (2001) Organisation Development and Change (Sixth Edition) South Western College Publishing, Ohio V. Nilakant S. Ramnarayan (2007) Change Management (Second Edition) Sage Publications, India http://www.bajajauto.com/1024/aboutbajaj/awards.asp (Electronically Accessed on November 14th 2008). http://www.domain-b.com/companies/companies_b/bajaj_auto/20060313_invest.html (Electronically Accessed on December 06th 2008). http://www.domain-b.com/companies/companies_b/bajaj_auto/20050201_growth.html (Electronically Accessed on November 24th 2008). http://www.honda2wheelersindia.com/default.asp (Electronically Accessed on December 16th 2008). http://www.india-today.com/btoday/20010916/cover.html (Electronically Accessed on January 04th 2009). http://news.moneycontrol.com/india/news/management/bajajautobajajgroup/howhamarabajajbecamesignindependentindia/market/stocks/article/230375 (Electronically Accessed on November 03rd 2008). http://www.rediff.com/business/2000/jan/18bajaj.htm (Electronically Accessed on November 28th 2008). http://sify.com/finance/fullstory.php?id=14579309 (Electronically Accessed on January 08th 2009). http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/catalyst/2004/08/05/stories/2004080500020100.htm (Electronically Accessed on October 29th 2008). http://www.tribuneindia.com/2002/20020422/biz.htm (Electronically Accessed on December 11th 2008).

Urethral Catheters Essay -- Health, Diseases, Urinary Tract Infection

Urethral catheters are small tubes inserted through the urethra to drain urine. These devices are often linked with high rates of urinary tract infections (UTI) and are frequently used in the older population. This contributes to lengthier hospital stays leading to increased medical costs. In 2008, the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) included catheterassociated bacteriuria (CAB) as one of the preventable hospital-acquired conditions (HAC) that will affect reimbursement if contracted by a patient in the acute and long-term setting. This paper focuses on three best evidence-based practices and nursing strategies to prevent CABs. Background Van Buren is the second largest city in the Fort Smith, Arkansas (AR)-Oklahoma (OK) metropolitan statistical area and is the county seat of Crawford County, AR. The city of Van Buren has numerous subsystems dedicated to the well-being of the community, which includes one medical facility, five medical clinics, three nursing homes, three ambulance services, and the Crawford County Health Department (Yellow Pages, 2010). The medical facility, Summit Medical Center, provides full-service general acute care to approximately 160,000 residents annually in Crawford, Franklin, and Sebastian Counties in AR and Sequoyah County in OK. The facility has 103 beds, has more than 100 nurses on staff, and has over 140 physicians in the medical clinics (Summit Medical Center, 2011). In 2009, the medical facility emergency department (ED) treated 170 residents from nursing homes, 70 of which were hospitalized after examination and treatment in the ED, 58 were treated as â€Å"ED outpatient† visits, and 42 were direct hospitalization visits (Summit Medical Center, 2011). The majority of... ...See Figure I). The decision tree is used as a guide for clinicians in making clinical decisions to either continue or discontinue indwelling urethral catheters. Conclusion Urethral catheterization in the older population should be considered as a last option because it can lead to catheter-associated bacteriuria, bloodstream infection, sepsis and death. It should not be used for staff convenience, or to manage urinary incontinence manageable by other means. CAB is a condition that can be prevented with the application of evidence-based best practice strategies. These include criteria for catheter placement and discontinuation, use of silver-alloy catheters for short-term catheterization, and limiting bladder irrigation. An algorithm for urethral catheter insertion, care and removal is used as a tool to help prevent CABs and achieve better patient outcomes.

Czech Republic :: Czech Europe Essays

Czech Republic We just arrived in the Czech Republic; once part of the Holy Roman Empire and then the Austro-Hungarian monarchy, Czechoslovakia (as it was then known) became an independent nation at the end of World War I. The Czech republic is located North of Hungary, South of Poland, East of Germany, and West of the Ukraine and Russia. The capital of the Czech republic is Prague. The Czech Republicà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s exact position is - longitude, - latitude. Pragueà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s coordinates are longitude by latitude. We arrived in the Czech Republic on and left for on . While in the Czech Republic we visited many unique sights. One of the most impressive was Prague Castle. It is the most popular and most visited sight in the Czech Republic, so it was a must see attraction for us. We also went to The Castle St. Vitus, the Cathedral, (which is a gothic landmark), three courtyards, and many huge & beautiful gardens. We visited another church, St. Nicholas, it had a large green cupola. We wanted to get a feel for the people of the country, so we went to Old Town. Old Town is the working heart of Prague, as it has been since the 10th Century.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many of the buildings we went in had gothic insides and Roman basements. One day we had a picnic on a three hundred and eighteen-meter high hill called Petrin Hill. On top there is actually a network of eight parks. While we were there we stopped at the observatory Petrin Tower. Petrin Tower looks like a small Eiffel Tower and was built in 1891. We climbed the 299 steps for only 25 kc, (which is Czech money). Next we went to Wencelas Square. This square is the center of cultural, financial and everyday life. There are a lot of theaters, shops, store and banks around to use. After our adventure in the square we went to see Josefov, the Old Jewish Quarters. Praguesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ former Jewish ghetto was located in Old Town within the streets of Kaprova, Plouha and Ankozi. During World War II the Nazisà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ under the control of Hitler wiped out this community.

Test Bank for Cost Management Essay

Answers 1. A.Competence, confidentiality, integrity, and relevance. – Given 2. B. Competence, confidentiality, integrity, and credibility. 3. C. Competence, confidentiality, independence, and objectivity. 4. D. Competence, accuracy, integrity, and independence. According to the IMA Code of Ethics, what should a management accountant do if a significant ethical situation can’t be resolved? Mark – Incorrect Answers 1. A.The accountant should confront the guilty party and demand the unethical action be stopped. 2. B. The accountant should try to rationalize and understand the position of the other party. 3. C. The accountant should say nothing about the matter until he or she has retired. 4. D. The accountant should first discuss the matter with the immediate supervisor. The strategy map is a tool that is used Mark – Incorrect Answers 1. A.as one of the key aspects of the contemporary management environment 2. B. to enhance the sustainability of the organization 3. C. to link the perspectives of the balanced scorecard 4. D. to organize the critical success factors of a company 5. E. to implement strategy Which of the following is the primary user of management accounting information regarding business units? Mark – Incorrect Answers 1. A. Company management. 2. B. Investors. 3. C. Creditors. 4. D. Industry and governmental organizations. When managers produce value for the customer, their orientation consists of all the following except: Mark – Incorrect Answers 1. A.Quality and Service. 2. B. Timeliness of delivery. 3. C. The ability to respond to the customer`s desire for specific features. 4. D. State of the art manufacturing facilities. If a firm decided to reevaluate and reorganize the way it did business, in hopes of creating competitive advantage, by changing or decreasing jobs, the company would be using which of the following management technique? Mark – Incorrect Answers 1. A.The value chain. 2. B. Business intelligence. 3. C. Business process improvement. 4. D. Product reevaluation. 5. E. Life cycle costing. Which of the following is not considered part of the Institute of Management Accountants’ definition of management accounting? Mark – Incorrect Answers 1. A.Partnering in management decision making. 2. B. Devising planning and performance management systems. 3. C. Gathering, summarizing, analyzing, and providing information. 4. D. Providing expertise in financial reporting and control. 5. E. Assisting management in the formulation and implementation of an organization`s strategy. The difference between wholesalers and retailers is: Mark – Incorrect Answers 1. A.Wholesalers are merchandisers that sell directly to customers whereas retailers are merchandisers that sell to other merchandisers. 2. B. Wholesalers are merchandisers that sell to other merchandisers whereas retailers are merchandisers that sell directly to consumers. 3. C. Wholesalers are merchandisers that sell directly to the government whereas retailers are merchandisers that sell to other merchandisers. 4. D. Wholesalers are merchandisers that sell directly to customers whereas retailers are merchandisers that sell directly to the government. 5. E. There is no difference between wholesalers and retailers. Cost management has moved from a traditional role of product costing and operational control to a broader strategic focus, which places an emphasis on: Mark – Incorrect Answers 1. A.Competitive pricing. 2. B. Domestic marketing. 3. C. Short-term thinking. 4. D. Strategic thinking. 5. E. Independent judgment. Target costing: Mark – Incorrect Answers 1. A.Determines cost based on an expected market demand for the product. 2. B. Determines cost based on a budget. 3. C. Determines cost based on standard cost. 4. D. Determines cost based upon market price and desired profit. Cost management information typically is the responsibility of the: Mark – Incorrect Answers 1. A.Chief Financial Officer. 2. B. Controller. 3. C. Treasurer. 4. D. Chief Information Officer. A practical example of when the theory of constraints would not be an appropriate management technique to use would be: Mark – Incorrect Answers 1. A.Long lines at checkout stands. 2. B. Busy signals on Internet server sites. 3. C. One critical production process provides 60 parts/min. output, compared with a company-wide output of 90 parts/min. 4. D. Balanced, fast flow of product through the plant. A company’s management accountant is trying to improve the way costs are allocated within the company. Currently, several corporate expenses are grouped together and labeled â€Å"overhead.† If the accountant wanted to use activity-based costing (ABC) to help solve the problem, what should she do? Mark – Incorrect Answers 1. A. She should try to map the departments` costs to their cost objects, and then charge each department based on those cost relationships. 2. B. She should research how the company`s competitors are allocating their costs, and then implement one of those strategies. 3. C. She should look for bottlenecks within the production process, and try to eliminate them, thus reducing costs. 4. D. She should examine the firm`s value chain and apply target costing before adopting ABC. Which of the following is not a contemporary management technique used by the management accountant to respond to the changing business environment? Mark – Incorrect Answers 1. A.Enterprise risk management 2. B. Lean manufacturing 3. C. Life cycle costing 4. D. Enterprise sustainability Corporate management is required to identify and solve problems from a cross-functional view. Instead of viewing a problem as related to a specific business function, management solves these problems by combining skills from different functions simultaneously. This approach is called: Mark – Incorrect Answers 1. A.Inclusive approach. 2. B. Integrative approach. 3. C. Intra-function approach. 4. D. Multilateral approach. Strategic management can be defined as the development of a sustainable: Mark – Incorrect Answers 1. A.Chain of command. 2. B. Competitive position. 3. C. Cash flow. 4. D. Business entity. 5. E. Company image. Which of the following does not represent a main focus of cost management information? Mark – Incorrect Answers 1. A.Strategic management. 2. B. Performance measurement. 3. C. Planning and decision making. 4. D. Preparation of financial statements. 5. E. Internal auditing and control. In keeping with the current trend of increased strategic planning, how have management accountants changed their use of life-cycle costing? Mark – Incorrect Answers 1. A.They have now shifted their focus from R&D costs to marketing and promotion costs. 2. B. They have turned from a sole focus on manufacturing costs to a much wider outlook, taking into account costs from the entire product lifecycle. 3. C. They stopped looking at the entire life-cycle, and now focus their attention on product design costs. 4. D. Accountants don`t use life-cycle costing, that task is left for the operations manager. Which of the following professional certificates is considered to be the most relevant for dealing with cost management issues? Mark – Incorrect Answers 1. A.The CPA, which is monitored differently for each state in the U.S. 2. B. The CMA, which is administered through the Institute of Management Accountants. 3. C. The CFA, since its program focuses on the broadest range of topics and responsibilities for financial analysis. 4. D. The CPA, CMA, and CFA are viewed as equally relevant, since all three require an exam, as well as specific background and experience requirements. In a local factory, employees are rewarded for finding new and better ways of changing the way they work. This company is motivating its employees to use what management technique? Mark – Incorrect Answers 1. A.Benchmarking. 2. B. Activity-Based Costing. 3. C. Theory of Constraints. 4. D. Continuous Improvement. 5. E. Total Quality Management. All of the following are examples of total quality management practices except: Mark – Incorrect Answers 1. A.Redesign of a product to reduce its parts by 50 percent. 2. B. Reduction in the movement required in a manufacturing job. 3. C. Separating the sales and services functions. 4. D. Raising raw material quality standards. 5. E. Cross-training assembly line workers to cover sick leave absences. Which of the following aspects of the contemporary business environment involves using statistical methods such as regression or correlation analysis to predict consumer behavior, to measure customer satisfaction, or to develop models for setting prices, among other uses? Mark – Incorrect Answers 1. A. Business Intelligence 2. B. Target Costing 3. C. Life Cycle Costing 4. D. Benchmarking 5. E. Business Process Improvement Management accounting information plays a critical role in all of the following management functions except: Mark – Incorrect Answers 1. A.Profit planning. 2. B. Executive compensation. 3. C. Planning and decision making. 4. D. Hiring a new CFO. 5. E. Preparing financial statements for the SEC. The five steps for strategic decision making include all of the following except: Mark – Incorrect Answers 1. A.Identify the alternative actions 2. B. Gather, summarize, and report accounting information 3. C. Determine the strategic issues surrounding the problem 4. D. Choose and implement the desired alternative 5. E. Provide an ongoing evaluation of the effectiveness of implementation A local area consulting firm is trying to increase the long-term strategic focus of its company reports. Therefore, the firm has decided to use the balanced scorecard. What type of new information that the company currently doesn’t use in its financial reports, should the company include? Mark – Incorrect Answers 1. A. Non-financial information, including customer satisfaction, innovation, etc. 2. B. Additional financial information, such as profitability measures and market value. 3. C. Product life cycle information. 4. D. Supplemental accounting reports. Which of the following is not a major change in the business environment that has affected the way many companies think about conducting business? Mark – Incorrect Answers 1. A.An increased focus on the customer, especially their opinions about functionality and quality. 2. B. A growing emphasis on globalization – new markets for products and new competitors. 3. C. A larger number of companies are starting to use advanced information technologies, such as business intelligence. 4. D. The development of improved cost management methods. Which of the following aspects of a company would not be considered a critical success factor, for a company that competes on differentiation? Mark – Incorrect Answers 1. A.Cutting edge research and development. 2. B. Excellent customer service. 3. C. Award-winning product quality. 4. D. Continually beating competitors to the market with new, innovative products. 5. E. High level of production efficiency. Target costing determines the desired cost for a product upon the basis of a given competitive price such that the product will: Mark – Incorrect Answers 1. A.Earn at least a small profit. 2. B. Earn a desired profit. 3. C. Earn the maximum profit. 4. D. Break even. 5. E. Sell the highest volume. 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