Qulity Managment

Quality Management for Organizational Excellence Lecture/Presentation Notes By: Dr. David L. Goetsch and Stanley Davis Based on the book Quality Management for Organizational Excellence (7Th Edition) Presented By; Dr. Rania A. M Shamah Associate Professor of Business Administration 1 One: The Total Quality Approach to Quality Management MAJOR TOPICS †¢ What is Quality? †¢ The Total Quality Approach Defined †¢ Two Views of Quality †¢ Key Elements of Total Quality †¢ Total Quality Pioneers †¢ Keys to Total Quality Success †¢ How is Six Sigma Achieved? †¢ The Future of Quality Management 2One: The Total Quality Approach to Quality Management ? Quality has been defined in a number of ways. ? When viewed from a consumer’s perspective, it means meeting or exceeding customer expectations. ? Quality is a dynamic state associated with products, services, people, processes, and environments that meets or exceeds expectations. ? Total quality is an approach to doing business that attempts to maximize an organization’s competitiveness through the continual improvement of the quality of its ? products, services, people, processes, and environments. 3 The Consequences of Poor Quality Loss of business ? Productivity ? Costs Benefits of Good Quality ? Enhanced reputation for quality ? Ability to command higher prices ? Increased market share ? Greater customer loyalty ? Lower liability costs ? Fewer production or service problems ? Higher profits 4 Responsibility for Quality ? Everyone in the organization has some responsibility for quality, but certain areas of the organization are involved in activities that make them key areas of responsibility. ? Top management ? Design ? Procurement ? Production/operations ? Quality assurance ? Packaging and shipping ? Marketing and sales ?Customer service 5 Costs of Quality ? Failure Costs – costs incurred by defective parts/products or faulty services. †¢ Internal Failure Costs †¢ Costs incurred to fix problems that are detected before the product/service is delivered to the customer. †¢ External Failure Costs †¢ All costs incurred to fix problems that are detected after the product/service is delivered to the customer †¢ Appraisal Costs †¢ Costs of activities designed to ensure quality or uncover defects All TQ training, TQ planning, customer assessment, process control, and quality improvement costs to prevent defects from occurring Prevention Costs †¢ 6 Ethics and Quality ? Substandard work †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Defective products Substandard service Poor designs Shoddy workmanship Substandard parts and materials Having knowledge of this and failing to correct and report it in a timely manner is unethical. 7 Total Quality Management T Q M ? A philosophy that involves everyone in an organization in a continual effort to improve quality and achieve customer satisfaction. ? Total quality is not just on e individual concept. ? It is a number of related concepts pulled together to create a comprehensive approach to doing business. Many people contributed in meaningful ways to the development of the various concepts that are known collectively as total quality TQM Approach 1. Find out what the customer wants 2. Design a product or service that meets or exceeds customer wants 3. Design processes that facilitate doing the job right the first time 4. Keep track of results 5. Extend these concepts throughout the supply chain 8 TQM Elements 1. Continuous improvement 2. Competitive benchmarking 3. Employee empowerment 4. Team approach 5. Decision based on fact, not opinion 6. Knowledge of tools 7.Supplier quality 8. Champion 9. Quality at the source 10. Suppliers are partners in the process 9 Continuous Improvement ? Continuous Improvement †¢ Philosophy that seeks to make never-ending improvements to the process of converting inputs into outputs †¢ Kaizen †¢ Japanese word fo r continuous improvement. Quality at the Source ? The philosophy of making each worker responsible for the quality of his or her work †¢ â€Å"Do it right† and â€Å"If it isn’t right, fix it† 10 The Total Quality Approach Defined Total Quality: What It Is and How It Is Achieved ?Key characteristics of the total quality approach are as follows: strategically based, customer focus, obsession with quality, scientific approach, long-term commitment, teamwork, employee involvement and empowerment, continual process improvement, Each element is explained on slides (12- 14) ? The rationale for total quality can be found in the need to compete in the global marketplace. ? Countries that are competing successfully in the global marketplace are seeing their quality of living improve. ? Those that cannot are seeing theirs decline. 11 The Total Quality Approach DefinedTotal Quality: What It Is and How It Is Achieved Key characteristics of the total quality approach ar e as follows: ? Strategically-based ? Total quality organizations have a comprehensive strategic plan that contains at least the following elements: vision, mission, broad objectives, and activities that must be completed to accomplish the broad objectives. ? The strategic plan for a total quality organization is designed to give it a sustainable competitive advantage in the marketplace. ? Customer Focus ? In a total quality setting, the customer is the driver. This applies to both internal and external customers. ? Obsession with Quality ? This means all personnel at all levels approach all aspects of the job from the perspective of â€Å"How can we do this better? † When an organization is obsessed with quality, good enough is never good enough. 12 The Total Quality Approach Defined Total Quality: What It Is and How It Is Achieved Key characteristics of the total quality approach are as follows: ? Scientific Approach ? While it is true that people skills, involvement, and e mpowerment are important in a total quality setting, they represent only a part of the equation. Another important part of the equation is the use of the scientific approach in structuring work and in decision making and problem solving that relates to the work. ? Long-Term Commitment ? Organizations that implement management innovations after attending short-term seminars often fail in their initial attempt to adopt the total quality approach. ? This is because they approach total quality as just another management innovation rather than as a whole new way of doing business that requires a whole new corporate culture. 13 The Total Quality Approach DefinedTotal Quality: What It Is and How It Is Achieved ? Teamwork ? Internal competition tends to use energy that should be focused on improving quality, and, in turn, external competitiveness. ? Continual Improvement of Systems ? In order to continually improve the quality of products or services: which is a fundamental goal in a total quality setting. ? It is necessary to continually improve systems. ? Continual Process Improvement ? Products are developed and services are delivered by people using processes within environments (systems). To continually improve the quality of products and services-which is a fundamental goal in a total quality setting- it is necessary to continually improve the processes that make up the organization’s systems. 14 Three-Legged Stool of Total Quality Measures ? Statistical process control ? Benchmarking ? Quality tools People ? Quality is built in ? Quality is expected not inspected ? Employees are empowered Processes ? Continual improvement ? â€Å"Good enough† is never good enough 15 Perceived Quality Word of Mouth Personal Needs Expected Quality Past Experience Quality Dimensions ? ? ? ? ? Reliability Responsiveness Assurance Empathy TangiblesQuality Assessment 1. Expectations exceeded ESPS (Unacceptable Quality) 16 Perceived Quality Defining Quality Quality is Sa tisfactory.. Dimensions of Quality †¢ Reliability: The ability to Perform promised service dependably and accurately. †¢ Responsiveness: Willingness to help customers and to provide prompt service. †¢ Assurance: The knowledge and courtesy of employees as well as their ability to convey trust and confidence. †¢ Empathy: The provision of caring , individualized attention to customers. Ability to be approachable. †¢ Tangibles: The appearance of Physical facilities equipment, personnel, and ommunication materials.. 17 Quality Gap Model Customer Perceptions Managing the Evidence Communication GAP 4 Customer Satisfaction GAP 5 Customer Expectations Customer / Marketing Research GAP 1 Understanding the Customer Service Delivery Management Perceptions of Customer Expectations Design GAP 2 Conformance GAP 3 Conformance Service Standards Product Design 18 Customer Satisfaction †¢ All customers want to be satisfied. †¢ Customer loyalty is only due to the lack of a better alternative †¢ Giving customers some extra value will delight them by exceeding their expectations and insure their return 19

Communication †Differences Between Men and Women

Communication – Differences Between Men and Women According to Fiona Sheridan, â€Å"The consequences of differences in linguistic activity between men and women in the workplace are enormous (2007). † Women create feelings of closeness by conversing with their friends or loved ones. They have a tendency to communicate by consensus. This means, they use the information gathered by other women and make a decision based on the wishes of the group. â€Å"Men, on the other hand, seek to establish and maintain status and dominance (Tannen, 1990). †When communication is not effective, it can have severe consequences on an organization. Each gender must decide what it is that they are looking for, decide how they want to receive it, what order they want to receive it, and decide how they want to process it. We must realize that each communication style has certain strengths. â€Å"To have successful working relationships with members of the opposite sex, you also have to know why those differences matter and what to do about them. † (Kelley, 2010, p13) Both men and women can contribute and offer a lot.Margery Weinstein said it best when she said that, â€Å"Each gender is a culture unto itself, one that comes with certain norms and standards that can be misunderstood by those of the opposite sex (Weinstein, 2006, p8). † Below are some differences in the way women and men communicate: Ways Women communicate: 1)Women more likely talk to other women about problems. 2)Women are more relationship oriented. 3)Woman share experiences and ask questions. Ways Men communicate: 1)Men keep problems to themselves. )Status and dominance are important to men. 3)Men give information rather than ask questions. There is definitely an impact in the workplace when there is a difference in communication between men and women. The difference in the communication styles can lead to confusion between the two parties. This can create unnecessary tension betw een the two genders.The key is to realize that either gender can effectively communicate as long as they are equally valid in getting the message relayed to its intended target. Discussion The main topic was whether there was a difference in how men & women communicate and whether it has an impact in the workplace. â€Å"Beyond gender-related communication differences, awareness of gender-related communication barriers may play a key role in the effectiveness of communication (Schneider, 2007). † It would prove beneficial for companies to teach their employees how to have effective communication when gender may be involved.The bulk of my research was done by utilizing information gathered from the internet and ProQuest. Valuable insight was collected on this topic. Many people do believe there are differences in how the two genders communicate. â€Å"If we consider both communication styles and associated values in practice, we will increase chances of all people representin g either style to join the communication process, regardless of their gender (Rawluszko, 2009, p54). † ?

Automation and Artificial Intelligence

Automation is on an increase across all technologies and fields. This increase has led to the transformation, and the future role people play in Global workforce. The rise of artificial intelligence will result in the need for new skills and roles. Some Skills and roles may disappear and others will evolve. Some industries may need more people and others may need less or none. The balance in human workforce will be impacted hard. Non-availability of required skills & re-skilling will disrupt the workforce in all industries. Organizations and people would need to adjust to this change. While machines need to be built and maintained, artificial intelligence leads to job loss due to the skill gap and jobs eliminated by machines.Impact of Artificial Intelligence on the WorkforceAutomation & Artificial intelligence will result in improvement of productivity and economic growth, but millions of people may need to switch occupation or upgrade themselves to stay in the global workforce. Automation will have a far-reaching impact on the global workforce. By 2030 at a 15% midpoint level of automation adoption, 400 Million workers will be displaced by adoption of automation. According, to a 2-year independent study by the McKinsey Global Institute (Dec 2017). It is estimated that in 60% of the occupation almost one-third of the activities could be automated. A SurveyMonkey poll on AI conducted for USA TODAY also had overtones of concern, with 73% of respondents saying that would prefer if AI was limited in the rollout of newer tech so that it doesn't become a threat to humans. USA Today. (Jan. 2, 2018). Unfortunately, with the pace at which automation and artificial intelligence are growing, 3 to 14% (75 to 375 Million) of the workforce will need to change their occupational category.Historical data on the technology shiftâ€Å"Innovation has generally liberated humans to be more productive,† says Rep. John Delaney.â€Å"Similar to the personal computer in the 1980s, AI will reshape our personal and business lives in such a dramatic manner, most companies today cannot comprehend the full impact,' said Anand Rao, PwC US Data & Analytics Innovation leader. Fear of technology advancement had always been there. From the textile revolution in 1811 with the advent of personal computers in 1980 world leaders and the Global workforce are worried about technological advancement. â€Å"The major challenge of the sixties is to maintain full employment at a time when automation is replacing men.† President Kennedy (1961). Although there had been concerns, every time a technology shift has happened more jobs had been created than lost. When a workforce is shifted from the usual mundane jobs, they have focused on more creative and productive areas, resulting in the advent of the human race. The past may not be an exact reflection of present or future. The advance of automation and artificial intelligence could be far reaching. A robot that could just build is different from a robot that could design and build.Artificial intelligence, Skill Gap & Workforce TransitionTo be successful in an automated world, Man & machine need to work together. One cannot replace the other. This would require new and niche skills with exceptional leadership skills. However, However, â€Å"77% of CEOs say they see the availability of key skills as the biggest business threat.† USA Today. (Jan. 2, 2018). According to an EY poll, 80% of the organization recognize the shortage of required talent to drive Artificial Intelligence adoption as the top challenge. Technology and Innovation along with the on demand human capabilities like leadership, creativity, problem solving, and passion will make organizations thrive in the market. Eventually an automated world is a possibility, however in the process will create major ripples in the workforce. The change would go beyond Man versus Machine and require re-learning and retooling.Impact on societyLarge corporations like Apple, Amazon, and Facebook had refused to comment on Artificial Intelligence. However, they do have people tasked with monitoring Artificial Intelligence. Microsoft had announced that they have created a review board called Aether – AI and Ethics in Engineering and Research. USA Today. (Jan. 2, 2018). Trusting and allowing Artificial Intelligence to control, drive cars and aeroplanes, and automated trading may eventually lead to AI taking control of learning and updating themselves resulting in an uncontrolled growth of machines. A study by McKinsey Global Institute (Dec 2017) suggests countries like China, India, USA and Germany will have more percentage of work activities displaced by automation. A 38 % of automation achievement would throw some western democracies to authoritarian policies to control the civil chaos as suggested by Brookings institution. Calum McClelland (2018). Governments and policy makers should handle this situation carefully.ConclusionEven if we successfully transition, we would lose all jobs to artificial intelligence and automation. Being creative and keeping us educated will give a good chance in this changing world.ReferenceArtificial intelligence: Doomsday scenario – or age of wonder? – USA Today. (Jan. 2, 2018)You can't have a machine age without humans – PwC report – ENP Newswire. (Mar. 1, 2017)AI creates jobs, yet talent crisis remains, according to EY poll – ENP Newswire. (May 1, 2018)Jobs lost, Jobs gained: workforce transitions in a time of automation – McKinsey Global Institute (Dec 2017).

Crest cermony speech or Presentation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Crest cermony - Speech or Presentation Example day, I am a better person in claiming to be a stakeholder in the healthcare industry, thanks to the College of the North Atlantic – Qatar (CAN-Q) which helped me build the career and personality I most desired to have in life. It is for this reason that I find it a singular honour to be chosen to present this year’s CREST Ceremony to welcome you all into the institution. It is important that I first of all congratulate you for making it into CAN-Q and being accepted as students of the School of Health Science. Indeed your admission alone is an exemplification of your readiness to be part of a winning team, which CAN-Q has a trademark of being a champion in. There is a seed of championship in you all and so you should see yourselves as such. As the seed of championship has already been budded in you from the individual schools you are coming from, CAN-Q is going to serve as a very fertile farmland where the budded seed will be nurtured and fostered until it tussles, flowers and yields its fruits to be of profit to all humanity. This will be done with the help and assistance of the enabling learning environment which has been created in the institution for several years, making it part of the core traditions of CAN-Q. Please be assured that at CAN-Q, you will be offered student-centred and technology-rich teaching and learning experience. Indeed if I give all the pleasant comments and acknowledges about CAN-Q, I am not only doing so because protocol demands it. Rather, I am doing it because I am part of a living testimony of educational and professional transformation. I say so because when I first entered this institution, I had very little idea about how a single individual like me could transform the larger society. Little did I know that that potential was right inside me and that I only needed a little eye-opener from this prestige institution of which you have become part to make that ambition a reality. Today, I have a Bachelor with Honour in diagnostic

Various topics in paper included 2 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Various topics in paper included 2 - Assignment Example There are certain ways through which an entrepreneur can come up with a business plan for an already existing businesses or a new venture (Jones & Jayawarna, 2013, p.1). For instance, an entrepreneur can consider using business simulation method to create its appropriate plan. One of the most common business simulations encompasses the SimVenture, which reflects reality and gives an entrepreneur the opportunity of the respective start up and how run own virtual business. SimVenture is commonly rampant among experienced entrepreneurs whereby it has proved to be extremely helpful to thousands of upcoming entrepreneurs (Jones & Jayawarna, 2013, p.148). In the assignment provided, it is evident that the Company mentioned is not successful; hence, using SimVenture to develop a new and appropriate business plan. In order to ensure the success of the Company, the most important issue that should be considered first is having the knowledge about the Finance, Marketing, Operations and HRM sectors of the Company. Through getting all the available information concerning these sections of the Company, then using SimVenture becomes much easier since one can now recognize the origin of the problem and where to put much focus. Looking at the financial sector of the company it is possible to note that there are high possibilities that the company is wasting away some of its finances. This is because, the Company is said to have had a regular sales income after trading for 8 months. This is evidence that the company is not making any considerable profit. Additionally, the Company has operated for the 8 months yet its sole employee still has no office. To mean, resources are not being well managed. Moreover, the Company’s cash that is available in the bank is around  £8,500. Considering the HRM factor, it is evident that the Company has only one employee who has the responsibility of managing the Company’s resources and the

Self-Portraits. Journal. The Renaissance artists Titian, Rembrandt, Essay - 2

Self-Portraits. Journal. The Renaissance artists Titian, Rembrandt, and Durer have each painted - Essay Example Today a dear friend asked me to explain to them why I would want to paint a self-portrait? It struck me dumb. For how could I reveal my selfish motivations behind the brush? True, my talent exceeds those I was educated with, but it hasn’t brought me the burgher status I so deserve (Westermann, 2004, 89). However, the portraits I have been working on lately are being commissioned by more prominent citizens than before (Westermann, 2004, 156) and this certainly reflects kindly upon my public image (Cole, 1983, 27-28). In the end, I only explained to my friend that portraiture interested me as a way to record the likeness and expression of those who hired me to do so (Smith, 2004, 85) and that sketching over 85 self-portraits (Westermann,2004, 4) is merely practice. But truth be told, I am tired of this middle-class morality! I have finished a great tribute to Raphael and Titian! After long studying their compositions I have created Self-Portrait (1640) as way of expressing the desire to emulate my Italian predecessors (Westermann, 2004, 12). It has the muted tonality and modest costume arrangement that is found in Raphael’s work. Also, I have copied the introspective gaze, the luscious folds of fabric and a gentle turn of head, all in alignment with the great Titian (Westermann, 2004, 152). I applied small touches of red to the cheeks and nose to produce a sense of life beneath the off white skin. Highlights of white on the cheekbone, nose and forehead give strength to the three dimensionality of the face. I have portrayed myself with a quiet expression and a simple pose in order to emphasize my facial features. My aim is Cartesian in nature—to produce a direct relationship between the viewer and the portrait (Woods, 2007, 73). My self-portraits have begun to truly represent the outer manifestation of my growing self-awareness

Gun Control Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Gun Control - Research Paper Example When one observes the recent political scenario in America with regard to this issue, one can see that the Democrats stand for the gun control measures and the Republicans oppose it. Many are of the opinion that the issues related with handgun by civilians and students have now become a severe issue and a real threat to the day to day life of the Americans. Even the sniper shootings are capable of providing the civilians sleepless nights. Some of the recent studies have identified that different states of America are in two layers regarding this issue. The sect that protests strongly against the gun control is the gun lobby which has gripped American society like an octopus. NRA (National Rifle Association), the most prominent gun lobby in America, upholds the Second Amendment of the American Constitution that protects individual’s right to use firearms for self defense, in order to hide their secret desires. In addition to this, they also resort to the verdict of the Supreme Court in the year 2001 that protected the right of the individuals to use fire arms. As it is the current state pertaining to the use of guns in America, there arise a notable question concerning the abuse of guns by the criminals, mentally ill persons and children. When people are protected by law with regard to the use of guns, one can certainly say that there is more probability for its abuse. The recent shooting at Chardon High School in Ohio and many other incidents invite one’s attention to the hazard of bearing weapons among the citizens. In the United States, gun related violence among the criminals; mentally ill persons and children show a gradual growth in recent years. Therefore, there should be strong regulations on when and how these weapons are practiced. Analyzing the cause and effects of increasing gun related violence, one can find the fact that gun ownership has become widespread and easier in the United States in recent years. Nowadays gun related deaths an d injuries among the public became a serious trouble in the United States. Existing mandatory laws in the United States permits lawful use of guns for personal defense among the public. Unfortunately, many people use their hand guns illegally and produce harmful effects. Persons who protest the gun control laws strongly argue that there are nominal evidences which prove that gun control reduce the crime rate. Increasing gun related crimes in the United States create relevant challenges against national security and individual freedom. However, an effective law or strict regulation is essential against the use of guns in the hands of criminals, mentally ill persons and children. The issue of gun related violence among the criminals, mentally ill persons and children in the United States Persons from criminal backgrounds often practice guns for their criminal activities and it causes for number of deaths, gun related injuries and heavy violence. Dissimilar from ordinary people, crimin als have the tendency to misuse gun in their daily life. In other words, people who engaged in criminal actions create their own law and social system. Therefore, gun uses among these criminal groups covey a negative message to society. In addition, the increase of gun related violence is a serious issue that reveals the failure of judiciary and legal system in the country. James K. Stewart, Director, National Institute of Justice, rightly observes that â€Å"

Research Paper Prospectus Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Research Paper Prospectus - Essay Example The major economic concepts to be used in this research include the use of IS-LM curve analysis and how the money supply affects different variables in the economy. Further, this research will also focus upon exploring as to how Fed has used different policy tools such as cutting discount rates, increasing liquidity through open market operations as well as other non-traditional tools. The overall expected outcomes of this research may suggest as to whether Fed has been able to exercise different monetary policy tools wisely or not and whether different steps taken have actually resulted into achievement of Fed’s objectives especially during current economic crisis. This book provides comprehensive coverage and explanation of macroeconomic topics including the one on monetary policy and role of Federal Reserve. The book is co-authored by current Federal Reserve Chairman and Nobel Prize Winner, Ben Bernanke. Chapters on money supply and Fed critically discuss the role of Fed, how it performs and how it interacts with the economy. The overall treatment of the topics, specially the role of money supply in IS-LM curve analysis has been well defined. Apart from this, book also focuses on the impact of money supply on the major economic variables such as inflation, growth and unemployment level. This reference is quite good for introductory treatment of important macroeconomics topics. This book offers elementary treatment of different macroeconomic topics. This reference is quite comprehensive however, in discussing different topics of monetary economics at undergraduate level. Further, this book offers a critical insight into the impact of economics on the individual as well as government level choices. As such this reference provides a critical view of how the steps taken by Fed are going to have an effect on the consumers as well as government. This book further discusses

Electronic Media Education Tool Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Electronic Media Education Tool - Essay Example From the discussion it is clear that  the incorporation of electronic media as an education tool is highly influenced by huge health facts and epidemiological conditions that directly hamper the model taken in the basic way of life of the older.  There are established International guidelines on levels of exposure various intensities of microwave frequency EMFs.   For instance, ICNIRP perimeter the power levels of incorporated wireless devices. Hense, wireless device manufacturers always have the baseline recommendable for manufacture of their instruments exceed the guidelines. The guidelines majorly take into account considerable thermal effects, but non-thermal effects have not been convincingly demonstrated.This paper stresses that  the main guidelines on design of the electronic media as an education tool hugely borders on the main instruments. For instance; computer affects, internet and other facilities entailed in enhancing the opposite working of the electronic media as an education system.  Old age refers to a unique stage in life when the human body system is made weak to some extent. The group always have predicament with proper posture while walking or sitting. Disregard to proper sitting positions always results in backaches and pains, spinal injury and elevated fatigues.  Others may have developed other specific problems for defects with hearing, seeing, memory loss and other minor issues.

Education-Benchmark Assessment Essay Example for Free

Education-Benchmark Assessment Essay Several theories explain the concept of Early Childhood Education (ECE). Deiner (2013) describes that all of them share the same opinion that an early childhood educator is extremely essential in the development of a childs intellectual and educational abilities. It is also commonly agreeable among the theories that the early childhood education can have a great impact in the life of an individual since education is progressive, and each stage leads to a higher one. However, there are some contradictions in the theories, which regard to some aspects of ECE. For instance, some studies feel that the intellectual development depends on the genes of the child as acquired from the parents. Other studies hold a different opinion, that the environment plays a great role in ECE. Some assert that both the environment and the biological play a great role in early childhood development. This study is based on the fact that the educator is part of the environment in which the child is subjected to, and all children can learn. The educator has several roles that make them have a great impact on a child. An early childhood educator has the responsibility to ensure that a child gains as much knowledge as possible depending on the level of the child, where the level is to a large extent determined by the age of the child. A child spends most of the waking time with the educator. There are differences presented by the various personalities of children. As a result, each child should be treated differently from the other by the educator. As a result, the educator needs to have sufficient knowledge on how to  understand each child, so that each child gains maximally. The educator defines the environment in which a child lives in school. It is agreeable that children have some common interests. For instance, most studies point out that using objects in educating children in grade three or lower can have on enhancing their knowledge by having them relate to things they frequently use. This means that the environment needs to have various objects and pictorial presentations for more effective learning. There are other considerations that the educator needs to be aware of, such as ensuring that the relationship among students themselves and between the educator and children is supportive to the education to be acquired. An early childhood educator deals with children who might not be much exposed, and they are open to what they are learn. It is clear from this essential role of educators that they should be having some personal characteristics. Grotewell Burton (2008) explains that one of them is that the educator should be role model to the children. In addition, the educator should maintain a healthy lifestyle since children are much vulnerable to communicable illnesses. The use of clear communication is also relevant, not only to convey information to the children, but also because it can affect the childrens communication skills as well. Moreover, the educator needs to work closely with the children, their parents and the fellow educators so that they can learn more about each child. This means that sometimes they are involved in settling conflicts between the children and families. The role as the professional in the teaching and learning of children is achieved through several ways. One of them is by the educators developing and implementing programs that are designed to meet the childrens physical, intellectual, social, emotional, developmental and cultural needs and interests. The programs are basically considerate on a play environment. The programs also consider the age of the children. The educator can improvise some of the equipment that can be needed by the children. Secondly, the role can be attained by building the childrens interpersonal and social skills. Positive self-concept can also be achieved by having the educator  establishing positive guidelines that let the children to feel comfortable, safe and secure. Third, as aforementioned, constant communication with the other stakeholders in ECE, mostly the parents, should be considered. Forth, activities that actively involve the children ensure that the children gain maximally. Such activities could include outdoor play, various play experiences, snacks and meals as well as field trips (Deiner, 2013). The child educator also plays a role as an advocate on behalf of children. The educator is expected to understand children in general. Sometimes, children can be presented by challenges that they cannot easily express verbally to the relevant authorities. This means that they can suffer silently over issues such as domestic violence, bullying and lack of basic commodities. The educator has sufficient knowledge to realize a child who is having some pressing issues. Some children can gain the confidence and trust to open up to the educator, virtues that the educator should possess. The educator could as a result gain information that could not be realized by the parents and other people close to the children. Bhavya (2007) feels that children might not be sure on how to approach these issues. Some may be living in fear of exposing how they feel. However, the educator is in a better position to assist. For instance, the educator can ensure that the bullies in the educational institution are warned against it in the best way possible. The educator can be aware on how they can assist when cases of violence where a child is a direct or indirect victim are presented, such as involving lawful measures as well as talking with the parents and guardians of the children. Children whose parents cannot sufficiently offer basic needs can have their needs sought from other sources. Therefore, the educator represents the children in cases where the child might be unable to express themselves. Educators should work with the mentality that all children can learn. Learning involves various aspects of gaining knowledge, and not exclusive to study of books. It involves interpersonal and communication skills. Children are also expected to learn values that are generally acceptable in the society. Each child consequently needs to learn. In addition, each child has  the capability to learn. Although there can be variances in the capabilities, children are able to continually gain knowledge on the aspects noted. The educator should understand how much each child can contain. Moreover, it is relevant to know exactly what a child needs in order to learn. For instance, some children could require frequent reminders and assignments so that they can understand some concepts (Grotewell Burton, 2008). As the different aspects of learning are concerned, there needs to be various assessments to test the success of each. Apart from the writing and reading skills, tests such as etiquette, posture and arts can be conducted regularly. Although the tests might not be recordable, an educator who clearly understands each of the students can clearly tell whether there is progress in the development of a child. The assessment practices should ensure that the children gain from the basics to the complex contents so that all children can learn (Bhavya, 2007). Technology currently plays a role in the education to young children. Educators are increasingly using technology due to the several benefits it has in enhancing gaining of knowledge among them. There are equipments that have been developed with an aim to create fun as children learn. For instance, counting machines are attractive to the children, and they can enjoy using it. The technologically developed equipments are also safe and easy to use. This means that the children can learn some things on their own after being guided by the educator. Some technology can be used in displaying information that could not be better displayed in any other means. Photos that are presented in screens can be relevant in showing children objects that can help them to learn. Technology also reduces costs in teaching children. For instance, a trip to view some objects in far places can be avoided by having the objects displayed. Therefore, technology is significant in teaching children (Morgan, 2011). The environment is crucial in the teaching and learning among children  between birth and grade three. It affects the emotional, intellectual, psychological and physical aspects of a child. The environment concerns several things, but most importantly the people who interact with the children. The environment should support learning, and it could contain learning inhibiting factors, or can contain motivating ones. If the environment does not support learning, the child cannot concentrate. Children are much likely to put more focus on issues that constantly happen to them. For instance, if they are being physically or emotionally abused, they cannot gain much in the learning process (Morgan, 2011). Children are much motivated by some aspects in the environment. One of them is the availability of ample playing space. Since the children gain a lot when playing, space and equipment provided by the environment can enhance their learning greatly. The environment can also be motivating by just being safe for the children. Therefore, the environment is crucial in the learning of children. References Bhavya, M. S. (2007). _Early childhood education_. Delhi [India: Kalpaz Publications. Deiner, P. L. (2013). _Inclusive early childhood education: Development, resources, practice_. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning. Grotewell, P. G., Burton, Y. R. (2008). _Early childhood education: Issues and developments_. New York: Nova Science Publishers. Morgan, H. (2011). _Early childhood education: History, theory, and practice_. Lanham, Md: Rowman Littlefield.

Icici Bank Is The Second Largest Bank Marketing Essay

Icici Bank Is The Second Largest Bank Marketing Essay In my term paper I had to discuss 7ps of ICICI bank. 7ps means what the marketing mix they used for promoting their products. It is usually a strategies used by icici bank for promoting their products, or we can say that for promoting their sales. As we know ICICI (Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India) is largest private sector bank by market capitalization and second largest overall in term off assets. The growth of the ICICI over the years has proved repeatedly the ability of the institution in adopting new technologies and products. It is through its ability to nourish new products and services that the institution has become a household name in a very short span of time.  ICICI Bank decided to target Indias burgeoning middle class and corporates by offering a high level of customer service and efficiency that rivaled the foreign banks, on a much larger scale, at a lower cost. ICICI offer very services which is very good in comparison to other banks. Credit cards services of ICICI bank are also very good as comparison of other banks. In my term paper I also compare ICICI with HDFC and AXIS bank. INTRODUCTION TO ICICI BANK: ICICI Bank  (Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India) is  Indias largest  private sector  bank  by market capitalisation  and second largest overall in terms of assets. Total assets of Rs. 3,562.28 billion (US$ 77 billion) at December 31, 2009 and profit after tax Rs. 30.19 billion (US$ 648.8 million) for the nine months ended December 31, 2009. The Bank also has a network of 1,700+ branches (as on 31 March, 2010) and about 4,721 ATMs in India and presence in 18 countries, as well as some 24 million customers (at the end of July 2007). ICICI Bank offers a wide range of banking products and financial services to corporate and retail customers through a variety of delivery channels and specialised subsidiaries and affiliates in the areas of investment banking, life and non-life insurance, venture capital and asset management. ICICI Bank is also the largest issuer of credit cards in India. ICICI Bank has got its equity shares listed on the stock exchanges at  Kolkata  and  Vadodara,  Mumbai  and the  National Stock Exchange of India Limited, and its  ADRs  on the  New York Stock Exchange  (NYSE). The Bank is expanding in overseas markets and has the largest international balance sheet among Indian banks. ICICI Bank now has wholly-owned subsidiaries, branches and representatives offices in 18 countries, including an offshore unit in Mumbai. This includes wholly owned subsidiaries in Canada, Russia and the UK, offshore banking units in Bahrain and Singapore, an advisory branch in Dubai, branches in Belgium, Hong Kong and Sri Lanka, and representative offices in Bangladesh, China, Malaysia, Indonesia, South Africa, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates and USA. Overseas, the Bank is targeting the NRI (Non-Resident Indian) population in particular. ICICI reported a 1.15% rise in net profit to Rs. 1,014.21 crore on a 1.29% increase in total income to Rs. 9,712.31 crore in Q2 September 2008 over Q2 September 2007. The banks current and savings account (CASA) ratio increased to 30% in 2008 from 25% in 2007. Sensing an untapped opportunity, ICICI Bank decided to target Indias burgeoning middle class and corporates by offering a high level of customer service and efficiency that rivalled the foreign banks, on a much larger scale, at a lower cost. ICICI has around 27 subsidiaries. Of course, the most prominent and most successful among them is the ICICI bank.ICICI Bank is one of the  Big Four Banks  of India with  State Bank of India,  Axis Bank  and  HDFC Bank. 7 PS OF ICICI BANK PRODUCT MIX 1. DEPOSITS ICICI Bank offers wide variety of Deposit Products to suit our requirements. Coupled with convenience of networked branches/ over 1800 ATMs and facility of E-channels like Internet and Mobile Banking, ICICI Bank brings banking at your doorstep. Savings Account: ICICI Bank offers a power packed Savings Account with a host of convenient features and banking channels to transact through. Senior Citizen Services: The Senior Citizen Services from ICICI Bank has several advantages that are tailored to bring more convenience and enjoyment in your life. Young Stars: Its really important to help children learn the value of finances and money management at an early age. Banking is a serious business, but we make banking a pleasure and at the same time children learn how to manage their personal finances. Fixed Deposits: Safety, Flexibility, Liquidity and Returns!!!! A combination of unbeatable features of the Fixed Deposit from ICICI Bank. Recurring Deposits: Through ICICI Bank Recurring Deposit you can invest small amounts of money every month that ends up with a large saving on maturity. So you enjoy twin advantages- affordability and higher earnings. Roaming Current Account: Only Roaming Current Account from ICICI Bank travels the distance with your business. You can access your accounts at over 500 networked branches across the country. Bank @ Campus: Thanks to [emailprotected], child can now surf the Net and access all the details of his / her account at the click of a mouse! No need to visit the bank branch at all. ICICI Bank Salary Account: is a benefit-rich payroll account for Employers and Employees. As an organization, you can opt for our Salary Accounts to enable easy disbursements of salaries and enjoy numerous other benefits too. 2. INVESTMENTS Along with Deposit products and Loan offerings, ICICI Bank assists you to manage your finances by providing various investment options such as: ICICI Bank Tax Saving Bonds Government of India Bonds Investment in Mutual Funds Initial Public Offers by Corporate Investment in Pure Gold Foreign Exchange Services Senior Citizens Savings Scheme, 2004 3. ANYWHERE BANKING ICICI Bank is the second largest bank in the country. It services a customer base of more than 5 million customer accounts through a multi-channel access network. This includes more than 500 branches and extension counters, over 1800 ATMs, Call Centre and Internet Banking. Thus, one can access the various services ICICI Bank has to offer at anytime, anywhere and from anyplace. 4. LOAN a) Home Loans b) Personal Loans c) Car Loans d) Two Wheeler Loans e) Commercial Vehicle Loans f) Loans against Securities g) Farm Equipment Loans h) Construction Equipment Loans i) Office Equipment Loans j) Medical Equipment Loans 5. CARDS a) Credit Card b) Debit cum ATM Card c) Travel Card d) VBV (VERIFY BY VISA): Verified by Visa (VBV)  is a new service from VISA that lets us shop securely online with our existing Visa  Credit card. Usable only on Verified by Visa sites, this service through a simple checkout process, confirms our identity when we make purchases. e) Master Card Securecode: MasterCard ®Ã‚  SecureCodeà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢Ã‚  is an easy to use, secured online payment service from ICICI Bank that lets you shop securely online with your existing ICICI Bank MasterCard ®Ã‚  Credit Card. This service through a simple checkout process, confirms your identity when you make purchases on the Internet. f) American express card: With ICICI Bank American Express Credit Card just shop online as you normally would and then enter your correct card information and billing address. We would validate the billing address that we provide with our records and authenticate our transaction. Its that simple and helps in safeguarding our online transaction.If we are unsure what is our billing address on record with us, simply call our 24-hour Customer Care numbers given on the back of the card for a quick check. 6. DEMAT SERVICES ICICI Bank Demat Services boasts of an ever-growing customer base of over 7 lacs account holders. In their continuous endeavor to offer best of the class services to our customers we offer the following features: Digitally signed transaction statement by e-mail. Corporate benefit tracking. e-Instruction facility facility to transfer securities 24 hours a day, 7 days a week through Internet Interactive Voice Response (IVR) at a lower cost. Dedicated specially trained customer care executives at their call centre, to handle all queries. 7. MOBILE BANKING With ICICI Bank, banking is no longer what it used to be. ICICI Bank offers Mobile Banking facility to all its Bank, Credit Card and Demat customers. ICICI Bank Mobile Banking enables you to bank while being on the move. 8. NRI SERVICES ONLINE MONEY TRANSFER facility available to NRIs worldwide through www.money2India.com at the click of a button! Benefits: FREE Money transfers into accounts with over 30 banks in India Demand Drafts issued and payable at over 1250 locations in India ONLINE Tracking of the status of your funds SUPERIOR Exchange rates OFFLINE MONEY TRANSFER facility is also available across geographies through our local branches and in association with partner banks/ exchange houses. PRICING MIX The pricing decisions or the decisions related to interest and fee or commission charged by ICICI are found instrumental in motivating or influencing the target market. The RBI and the IBA are concerned with regulations. The rate of interest is regulated by the RBI and other charges are controlled by IBA. The pricing policy of a bank is considered important for raising the number of customers vis-à  -vis the accretion of deposits. Also the quality of service provided has direct relationship with the fees charged. Thus while deciding the price mix customer services rank the top position. The ICICI bank has to frame two- fold strategies. First, the strategy is concerned with interest and fee charged and the second strategy is related to the interest paid. Since both the strategies throw a vice- versa impact, it is important that ICICI bank attempt to establish a correlation between two. It is essential that both the buyers as well as the sellers have feeling of winning. Pricing ICICI Bank Products Starts With Three Basic Questions. 1. What rate does the bank need to meet its financial objectives? The answer is, it depends. Some considerations for loan and deposit pricing are: ROA or ROE objectives Related income taxes Earning assets to total assets Equity-to-asset ratio Cost to service earning assets being funded or deposits funding an earning asset Pricing for the activities and risks associated with the product Rate tiers based on product balances Asset and liability mix Another element to consider in the pricing of earning assets is the risk of loss. Most notably, this is relevant in loan pricing. Many banks assign a risk weighting to individual loans over a certain size or based on loan type and assign a credit risk charge based on those ratings. Customer relationships are difficult to assign a value to in the pricing process. Customers will generally press for some price concessions in consideration of other relationships they have with the bank. Asset and liability mix also impacts pricing results. Generally speaking, banks operating with higher loan-to-asset ratios are able to afford to pay more for deposits. Likewise, banks can afford to be more competitive on certain deposit products if they have fewer maturities in a particular timeframe or less total outstanding balances in a product line. 2. What is the market rate for the core product? Customers have more distribution channels available to them today than at any other point in history. In the past 10 years, the number of bank locations has increased 20%. Of course, there are the mortgage bankers, the Internet, and a host of other financial service providers competing for your customers loan and deposit business. The point is, the competitive marketplace always ensures that if a financial institution is charging too much for loans or paying too little for deposits, its share of the market will likely dwindle as existing and prospective customers find alternative providers. You can do all the math you want to determine required pricing points, but if your pricing is uncompetitive, your market share will shrink. 3. What would the bank have to do to sales and operations to make its rates the most competitive in its market? Pricing is a key issue for the associates who sell bank products to your customers. The fact is, lenders want the lowest rates, and people dealing with depositors want to pay the highest rates. You need the right balance of fee income, strategies to reduce operating costs, and a healthy asset and liability mix to change your required pricing. PLACE This component of marketing mix is related to the offering of services. The services are sold through the branches. The 2 important decision making areas are: making available the promised services to the ultimate users and selecting a suitable place for bank branches. The number of branches OF ICICI: 1900 in India and 33 in Mumbai. What attract peoples for choosing ICICI? The selection of a suitable place for the establishment of a branch is significant with the view point of making place accessible. The safety and security provisions a Convenient to both the parties, such as the users and the bankers Infrastructure facility Near to station and located on s. v. road well crowded area. Market coverage PROMOTION MIX Advertising: Television, radio, movies, theatres Print media: hoardings, newspaper, magazines Publicity: road shows, campus visits, sandwich man, Sponsorship Sales promotion: gifts, discount and commission, incentives, etc. Personal selling: Cross-sale (selling at competitors place),personalized service Telemarketing: ICICI one source Call center (mind space) PROCESS Flow of activities: all the major activities of ICICI banks follow RBI guidelines. There has to be adherence to certain rules and principles in the banking operations. The activities have been segregated into various departments accordingly. Standardization: ICICI bank has got standardized procedures got typical transactions. In fact not only all the branches of a single-bank, but all the banks have some standardization in them. This is because of the rules they are subject to. Besides this, each of the banks has its standard forms, documentations etc. Standardization saves a lot of time behind individual transaction. Customization: There are specialty counters at each branch to deal with customers of a particular scheme. Besides this the customers can select their deposit period among the available alternatives. Number of steps: numbers of steps are usually specified and a specific pattern is followed to minimize time taken. Simplicity: in ICICI banks various functions are segregated. Separate counters exist with clear indication. Thus a customer wanting to deposit money goes to deposits counter and does not mingle elsewhere. This makes procedures not only simple but consume less time. Besides instruction boards in national boards in national and regional language help the customers further. Customer involvement: ATM does not involve any bank employees. Besides, during usual bank transactions, there is definite customer involvement at some or the other place because of the money matters and signature requires. PHYSICAL EVIDENCES Physical evidence is the material part of a service. Strictly speaking there are no physical attributes to a service, so a consumer tends to rely on material cues. There are many examples of physical evidence, including some of the following: Internet/web pages Paperwork Brochures Furnishings Business cards The building itself (such as prestigious offices or scenic headquarters) The physical evidences also include signage, reports, punch lines, other tangibles, employees dress code etc. Signage: each and every bank has its logo by which a person can identify the company. Thus such signages are significant for creating visualization and corporate identity. Financial reports: The Companys financial reports are issued to the customers to emphasis or credibility. Tangibles: bank gives pens, writing pads to the internal customers. Even the passbooks, chequebooks, etc reduce the inherent intangibility of services. Punch lines: punch lines or the corporate statement depict the philosophy and attitude of the bank. Banks have influential punch lines to attract the customers. Employees dress code: ICICI bank follows a dress code for their internal customers. This helps the customers to feel the ease and comfort. THE PEOPLE All people directly or indirectly involved in the consumption of banking services are an important part of the extended marketing mix. Knowledge Workers, Employees, Management and other Consumers often add significant value to the total product or service offering. It is the employees of a bank which represent the organisation to its customers. In a bank organization, employees are essentially the contact personnel with customer. Therefore, an employee plays an important role in the marketing operations of a service organisation. To realize its potential in bank marketing, ICICI become conscious in its potential in internal marketing the attraction, development, motivation and retention of qualified employee-customers through need meeting job-products. Internal marketing paves way for external marketing of services. In internal marketing a variety of activities are used internally in an active, marketing like manner and in a coordinated way. The starting point in internal marketing is that the employees are the first internal market for the organization. The basic objective of internal marketing is to develop motivated and customer conscious employees. A service company can be only as good as its people. A service is a performance and it is usually difficult to separate the performance from the people. If the people dont meet customers expectations, then neither does the service. Therefore, investing in people quality in service business means investing in product quality. COMPARISON OF ICICI WITH OTHER BANKS: ICICI bank market capitalization is more then other banks. It has market capitalization is 105,709.63 cr, while HDFC is 91,326.65 cr and AXIS bank is 91,326.65 cr. ICICI has net interest income is 25,706.93 cr, which is higher then other banks. While net interest income of HDFC is 16,172.91 cr and AXIS bank is 11,638.02 cr. Net profit of ICICI bank is 4,024.98 cr, which is again higher then other banks. While net profit of HDFC is 2,948.69 cr and AXIS bank net profit is 2,514.53 cr. Total assets of ICICI bank are 379,300.96 cr, which is higher then other banks. While total assets of HDFC bank is 183,270.78 cr and total assets of AXIS bank is 147,722.06 cr. ICICI banks headquarters in Mumbai is vary huge, then other bank headquarters. In the past two years, the bank has spent Rs 185 crore on advertising and publicity (In comparison, HDFC has spent Rs 100 crore). HDFC Banks retail deposits are about Rs 23,000 crore (Rs 230 billion). Even in home loans, ICICI Bank commands 30 per cent of the market, having eaten into housing finance pioneer, HDFCs share. ICICI Bank has issued 3 million credit cards that is more than twice the number of HDFC Banks credit card users. However, industry observers point out that ICICI Banks effective users for credit cards may not be high. As a result of its perceptive branch strategy, ICICI Bank has acquired more than five million internet, mobile and telephone banking customers, i.e. much greater then HDFC and AXIS bank. ICICI strategy for promotion of financial inclusion: ICICI Bank has taken up specific initiatives to ramp up financial literacy as well as intermediation to the underserved and under banked segments in both rural and urban areas. ICICI Banks financial intermediation models, both through the microfinance institutions and business correspondents have been designed to build a repository of information with regard to financial behaviour of the customers. ICICI Banks Financial Intermediation Models: With focus on low-income segments, ICICI Bank has come up with innovative delivery channels: Microfinance ICICI Bank works closely with MFIs and NGOs to adapt its products to suit consumer needs. Two innovative models have helped achieve scale in serving the low-income household: a) Partnership Model being implemented with NGOs and MFIs: Under this model ICICI Bank forges an alliance with existing MFIs wherein the MFI undertakes the promotional role of identifying, training and promoting the micro-finance clients and the ICICI Bank finances the clients directly on the recommendation of the MFI, so the customer and portfolio resides in the Banks book. b) Securitisation of Portfolios of MFIs: Under this model ICICI Bank buys out portfolios from MFIs. The MFI continues to service the clients and acts as the collection agent. Here again, the MFI shares the credit risk with the Bank. A variant of the securitisation model is on-tap securitisation, wherein the MFI receives an advance purchase consideration to create a portfolio of loans that could then be periodically sold to ICICI Bank. Technology The Bank has been actively looking at technology solutions to scale up the micro finance portfolio. Further, the Bank has been considering adopting a Core Banking System (CBS) for managing the loan portfolio generated under the partnership model. In this regard, the Bank has found an able partner in FINO to provide technology solutions to the micro finance sector. The technology solution comprises of core banking and smart card systems. In light of the technology solutions available through FINO, the Bank has designed a new process for delivering loans under the partnership model. Some of the key aspects where a strong technology platform will add value to the micro finance operations include reduction in transaction cost; better data management and reporting capacities and capability to interface with multiple peripherals, etc. This will also enable enhanced disclosure and transparency in the operations of MFIs, setting a platform for robust securitisation / buyout opportunities to meet the priority sector lending objectives of the regulator. Business Correspondent In line with the RBI guidelines ICICI Bank employs Business Correspondent (BC) model to extend financial services, especially the much-needed savings services to rural customers. In the pilot stage, the transactions by BC are being done with the help of an e-Passbook and an Authentication Device (AD). The e-Passbook can display and store the customer KYC information, customer account details and the transactions in each account. It also has a unique feature of biometric authentication by the way of fingerprints, thereby mitigating the risk related to PIN (Personal Identification Number) in the rural scenario. ADs provide Customer interface with user-friendly menu options, enabling transactions. An authorized operator is enrolled by capturing the fingerprints of all the 10 fingers to mitigate fraud risk, can operate each AD. The transaction is recorded on the AD, which at specific intervals would be uploaded and updated in the Banks system through a normal telephone line, which is a widely available infrastructure even in remote rural areas. Further connectivity through GSM and CDA would also be made possible to ensure that the transaction details are updated in the Banks system at higher frequency. Multiple products ICICI Bank offers a complete suite of products and services to meet the individual financial requirements of customer segments. Savings, investments and insurance products are made available to its rural and agri customer base. The Bank also offers microfinance services to low-income households and crop loans, farm equipment loans, commodity based loans to farmers. Hybrid channels ICICI Bank employs delivery channels backed by technological innovations to achieve scale and outreach in a sustainable manner. The Banks channel architecture includes branch and non-branch channels. Branches act as a business hub providing banking services on the one hand, while facilitating the fulfilment of products that have been sourced by the business facilitators and business correspondents. Non-branch channels are of two types, business facilitators and business correspondents.

Absence of Evidence, or Evidence of Absence; A paper on Animal Consciou

Absence of Evidence, or Evidence of Absence? A paper on Animal Consciousness   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Consciousness is a difficult term to grasp; so much so, that many scientists will not even attempt to define the term, much less search for it’s evidence. Most however, do agree that consciousness must include certain aspects; specifically cognition, self-awareness, memory, and abstract thought.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Lesley J. Rogers describes consciousness as, â€Å"related to awareness, intelligence, and complex cognition, as well as language. Consciousness may be manifested in self-awareness, awareness of others, intentional behavior, including intentional communication, deception of others, and in the ability to make mental and symbolic representations (13).†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There is no question that humans carry these attributes, but what about animals? Some philosophers, including Descartes, claimed that while humans are conscious, animals are like machines, with no thought process or sentience. Others claim that animals are very capable of consciousness, and that we just have not had the capabilities to test the aspects of it through the scientific method. As Donald R. Griffin expressed: Conscious thinking may well be a core function of central nervous systems. For conscious animals enjoy the advantage of being able to think about alternative actions and select behavior they believe will get them what they want or help them avoid what they dislike or fear. Of course human consciousness is astronomically more complex and versatile than any conceivable animal thinking, but the basic question addressed†¦is whether the difference is qualitative and absolute, or whether animals are conscious even though the content of their consciousness is undoubtedly limited and very likely quite different of ours. (3)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This paper will look at what evidence there is that may imply that some, if not all, vertebrate animals may have the capacity for conscious thinking. Cognition, for example is something that animals may require in order to adapt to their changing environments so quickly. Cognition is an animal’s ability to make a decision by evaluating or processing current information based on some representation of prior experience (Kamil in Pepperberg 127). Some animal studies, such as Franci... ...th other animals, because we do not share the same forms of communication. We can not ask what other animals are thinking, what they want or feel, or even determine if they have a sense of self. What is known right now is that we do not know, but that is no reason to throw the baby out with the bathwater and assume animal consciousness does not or can not exist. Until further observations or tests can be developed that will start to lead man to a closer understanding of the animal mind, it is important to remember that absence of evidence does not imply evidence of absence. Works Cited Griffin, Donald R. Animal Minds: Beyond Cognition to Consciousness.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, 2001. Patterson, Francine, and Eugene Linden. The Education of Koko. New York,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  NY: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 1981. Pepperberg, Irene. The Alex Studies: Cognitive and Communicative Abilities   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  of Grey Parrots. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1999. Rogers, Lesley J. Minds of Their Own. Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 1998. Wynne, Clive D.L. Animal Cognition. New York, NY: Palgrave, 2001.

A Comparison of The Pardoners Tale and Beowulf :: comparison compare contrast essays

The Importance of The Pardoners Tale and Beowulf Literary history is a history of the major literary traditions, movements, works, and authors of a country, region, etc. (Barber 837). The understanding of literary history allows us insight into the past, a recognition of historical events and tensions written into the works of those who witnessed them. By including societal behaviors, political tensions, and common folklore, historical authors have indirectly provided the reader with a broader and deeper understanding of the literature and the period in which it was written. Besides insight into collective societal culture, literary history has provided future writers with models of poetic device, style and content influencing literary works and building upon past literary ideas. Literary history is a vehicle to understanding the past and plays a major role in its influence on literature up to and including the present day. Knowledge of historical literature gives us insight into the traditions and societal conventions of the time in which the piece was written. One outstanding example comes from Anglo-Saxon times. Beowulf is a literary work which enables a reader to glimpse not only the societal customs but into the savage and seemingly uncontrollable environment of the first century. Literary historian, Raymond Chambers points out that in the fight between Grendel and Beowulf it appears as though Grendel is representative of the degraded form of human life attempting to gain power through violence, in his attempt to overthrow Hrothgar and take control of Heorot he is fatally wounded by Beowulf. Beowulf is a character who exemplifies the collective societal agreement as to the role of a hero and his duty to control a seemingly ungovernable environment (Chambers 46). The Beowulf poet describes Grendel and Beowulf as "Both ..enraged, fury filled, the two who meant to control the hall." (Beowulf 36). The fight for control of the hall could be seen as representative of the struggle between good and evil or perhaps the control of the king over an uncontrollable people. Taking into account Mr. Chambers explanation of Grendel, a reader may also reason that the dragon symbolizes a threat from outside the human realm. One notes that the dragon is not given the humanistic qualities of Grendel, he has no kin and appears to have no mortal thoughts. Due to his lack of humanistic characteristics, the reader may believe that the dragon is less representative of a human threat such as an enemy warrior, etc. A Comparison of The Pardoners Tale and Beowulf :: comparison compare contrast essays The Importance of The Pardoners Tale and Beowulf Literary history is a history of the major literary traditions, movements, works, and authors of a country, region, etc. (Barber 837). The understanding of literary history allows us insight into the past, a recognition of historical events and tensions written into the works of those who witnessed them. By including societal behaviors, political tensions, and common folklore, historical authors have indirectly provided the reader with a broader and deeper understanding of the literature and the period in which it was written. Besides insight into collective societal culture, literary history has provided future writers with models of poetic device, style and content influencing literary works and building upon past literary ideas. Literary history is a vehicle to understanding the past and plays a major role in its influence on literature up to and including the present day. Knowledge of historical literature gives us insight into the traditions and societal conventions of the time in which the piece was written. One outstanding example comes from Anglo-Saxon times. Beowulf is a literary work which enables a reader to glimpse not only the societal customs but into the savage and seemingly uncontrollable environment of the first century. Literary historian, Raymond Chambers points out that in the fight between Grendel and Beowulf it appears as though Grendel is representative of the degraded form of human life attempting to gain power through violence, in his attempt to overthrow Hrothgar and take control of Heorot he is fatally wounded by Beowulf. Beowulf is a character who exemplifies the collective societal agreement as to the role of a hero and his duty to control a seemingly ungovernable environment (Chambers 46). The Beowulf poet describes Grendel and Beowulf as "Both ..enraged, fury filled, the two who meant to control the hall." (Beowulf 36). The fight for control of the hall could be seen as representative of the struggle between good and evil or perhaps the control of the king over an uncontrollable people. Taking into account Mr. Chambers explanation of Grendel, a reader may also reason that the dragon symbolizes a threat from outside the human realm. One notes that the dragon is not given the humanistic qualities of Grendel, he has no kin and appears to have no mortal thoughts. Due to his lack of humanistic characteristics, the reader may believe that the dragon is less representative of a human threat such as an enemy warrior, etc.

Biography of Mother Teresa Essay -- Influential People Biographies Rel

Biography of Mother Teresa Mother Teresa was a wonderful woman and a great influence on the world today. She was born in 1910 in Macedonia with the name Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu. She was born into a family of deeply religious Catholics. Agnes felt she got the calling to work for God at the young age of fourteen. She joined the Loreto order and went to Bengal, India, to start her studies. In 1937, Agnes took her final vows to become a nun and has done much great work in the world since. Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu was born on August 27, 1910 to Nikola and Drana Bojaxhiu in Skopje, Macedonia. Drana and Nikola were Albanian and both were very deeply religious Roman Catholics. Nikola was a popular merchant and a partner to an Italian merchant. He owned several houses and was a member of the Skopje town council. Whenever Agnes’ father would return from a trip, he would always bring his children presents. Also, he promoted his daughters’ education, which was uncommon in that time period. Nikola also was involve d in an underground organization that worked to gain independence for the Albanians from the Ottoman Turks, who ruled Macedonia around the time Agnes was born. Agnes grew up around much fighting. When she was born, there were Albanian protests against the Turkish government. When she was two, she witnessed the First Balkan War. In that war, the Ottomans were defeated, but Macedonia was divided among the conquerors: Bulgaria, Greece, Montenegero, and Serbia. The city of Skopje was distributed to Serbia. Albania received its independence in 1912, but Nikola continued his nationalist work. He joined a movement determined to incorporate Serbia into the Albanian nation. In 1914, when Agnes was only four years old, World War I began. In 1918, her father was killed. Some people believe that he was poisoned by enemies. Many people mourned his death because of his kindness and generosity. Drana Bojaxhiu and the family were left with little money and no means of income. Drana worked hard to p rovide for her family. To get enough money, she became a dressmaker. Even though she had to work extra hard to make ends meet, Drana still found time and money to give to the lonely. When Agnes was young, she used to go on trips with her mother to visit the elderly, sick, and the poor. It is said that their mother’s generosity may have had the greatest influence on Agnes, her sister, an... ...eedy people. I feel that Mother Teresa will live on in the hearts of the people she helped as well as many other people. Mother Teresa had a tremendous effect on our world and I think she deserves much honor and praise for her work. Mother Teresa is a wonderful role-model for anyone. She has literally helped people all over the world. In a world so hateful and dishonest, a person like Mother Teresa is a rare occurrence. Overall, Mother Teresa was a wonderful person who helped the world a great deal Bibliography Bibliography Clucas, Joan Graff. Mother Teresa. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1988. Egan, Eileen. Such a Vision of the Street. New York: Doubleday, 1985. "Mother Teresa." Encarta. 1997-2000. Muggeridge, Malcolm. Something Beautiful for God. New York: Image Books, 1977. Mukherjee, Bharati. "Mother Teresa." Time June 14, 1999: 88-90. Playfoot, Janet N. "My Life for the Poor: Mother Teresa of Calcutta." The Great American Bathroom Book, vol 1. Stevens W. Anderson. Salt Lake City: Compact Classics Inc., 1991. Serrou, Robert. Teresa of Calcutta. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1981. Spink, Kathryn. The Miracle of Love. San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1981. Word Count: 4206

Internet: The New Drug of Choice

Internet! The New Drug of Choice It is difficult in these modern times to find anyone who doesn’t use the Internet. I am not speaking of North Americans (but mainly N. Americans), but the rest of the world is quickly catching up. China already has more users than Canada and the US put together. According to Internet World Stats (2012), China has 538 million online frequenters and 82. 5% of the Korean population use the Internet. Korea’s penetration rate is third with England leading the way at 84% and Germany at 83%.Canada doesn’t have a big enough population to make a dent in the number of people using the Internet, but 81% of Canadians do use it, which was a higher penetration percentage than the US at 78. 3%. Currently only 41% of China is using the Internet, once their economy improves and more people get connected, China is likely to take over the Internet. North Americans might need to start learning Chinese to get their daily news. With so many people onli ne I started to wonder; is it safe for us to be using the Internet?Before I delve deeper I wanted to point out that because I am also a frequent Internet user, this question also pertains to me, so I decided that it only made sense to write this report in the first person. When I decided to start researching about if the Internet is safe for us, it seemed to me that the best place to research about the Internet would be online. I typed in web browser â€Å"Is the Internet bad for us? † and â€Å"Does the Internet make us crazy? † I was shocked at the number of results that popped up. It took some sifting through to find what I needed. It seems that the biggest concern about the Internet is â€Å"online addiction†.Some people might think it is the pornography or some of the other content or even the technology itself, but these only factor into the big picture of addiction. After a little research I realized that my true question wasn’t â€Å"is the Inter net bad for us†, but the real questions are â€Å"why is Internet addiction bad? † The Internet is not bad, it has some many advantages over other media and it so very useful in our lives. The Internet and video games help increase choice reaction time, spatial skills, scientific problem solving skills, multitasking abilities and intelligence (Greenfield, Brannon, and Lohr, 1996).The elderly use the Internet to keep their brains stimulated by using it to gain information and keep in contact with family. Actually everyone is doing that, not just the elderly. The Internet is like drinking wine, if not in moderation, it can be harmful for us, but in moderation the Internet can produce a wonderful experience. However, also like wine or any alcohol, the Internet can become an addiction. In fact addiction has become so bad that in China, Taiwan, Japan and South Korea (Cafferty, 2012) treatment centers have been established to help people with online addiction.Near may home in the city of Nagoya, the Futoko Shien Center received 327 individual requests for consultation for online game addiction from the beginning of this year. (Doi, 2012) That is only in one city in one country. China seems to be one of the worst places I have found in my research. It has become so bad that boot camps have developed to help young help rid their problem. Wired. com featured a story in 2010 about a boot camp in China, â€Å"The Qihang camp promised to cure children of so-called Internet addiction, an ailment that has grown into one of China’s most feared public health hazards. (Stewart, 2010) And according to Scientific American online, â€Å"as much as 14 percent of urban youth there—some 24 million kids—fit the bill as Internet addicts, according to the China Youth Internet Association. † (Mosher, 2011) I myself have noticed that I am slowly using the Internet more since I bought a smartphone last year. I would say I am an addict and I defini tely don’t want to counseling, but I am starting to worry. So why do some people think the Internet addiction is a bad thing if it stimulates the brain and creates intelligence and multitasking abilities, Dr.Grohol director on the Mental Health Net, makes a good point â€Å"I don’t see how they can see the Internet as a disorder, but not look at a bookworm who reads 10 hours a day and not say he’s a book addict. † (Brown, 1997) The criticism the Internet receives in not a new phenomenon, Psychologists have been studying the effects of the Internet for almost 20 years. And in the last 20 years Internet use has sky rocketed, meaning effects and studies have increased as well. Psychiatrist Kimberly Young of Saint Bonaventure University in New York State, even designed a self- assessment test in 1998 because of Internet addiction concerns.Numerous studies have linked excessive online use to depression, poor school performance, increased irritability and more impulsiveness to go online. † (Mosher, 2011) One problem is that people are losing sleep because they get lost in the Internet for hours upon hours and turn into zombies as they deprive their brains and bodies of fuel and rest. Recently in the Japanese newspaper, The Daily Yomiuri a report about online addiction stated â€Å"A 19-year-old vocational school student recalled how one morning, he woke up at 6 a. . on a sofa, still clutching his mobile phone. â€Å"Damn it! I was probably asleep for two hours,† he said. Then he leaped up from the sofa and began fiddling with the phone again. Sometimes he was so preoccupied with the games that he forgot to sleep, he said. † (Doi, 2012) One such documented case in Taiwan, a boy ended up in the Asylum after his iPhone usage reached 24 hours a day. (Dokoupil, 2012) At first I thought that that must be a rare case. But more and more cases like this are being uncovered all over the world.Just recently in American news Jason Russell became famous twice; the first time was for his amazing documentary he aired on YouTube called â€Å"Kony 2012† which was one of the most viral movies to hit the web â€Å"clocking more than 70 million views in less than a week. † (Dokoupil, 2012) He then became famous again after having a nervous breakdown and marching through the streets naked and talking to himself rampantly. Before putting the document online Jason was not an excessive user of the Internet, but after his video went viral, he couldn’t get enough of his new found addiction.In the first four days after his successful video premiere he only slept 2 hours, which is a probable cause to his breakdown. I personally have never stayed up that long, but I do feel quite bizarre after being online for 10 hours. I have been warned since I was a child that lack of sleep will deter my performance at school, work and even sports. But of course most of humans don’t spend days at a time online without sleeping. Most normal humans have jobs, although many of our jobs involve the Internet these days, and still manage our daily lives of chores and eating and sleeping.But I wasn’t surprised to find out that most people including myself, I think especially those with smartphones, check their email and social sites more often than we realize. Dr. Larry Rosen, professor and past Chair of Psychology at California State University, surveyed 750 people, a spread of teens and adults and detailed their tech habits, their feelings about those habits, and â€Å"their scores on a series of standard tests of psychiatric disorders. He found that most respondents, with the exception of those over the age of 50, check text messages, email or their social network â€Å"all the time† or â€Å"every 15 minutes. More worryingly, he also found that those who spent more time online had more â€Å"compulsive personality traits. † (Dokoupil, 2012) Without being aware of it, w e above the â€Å"digital divide† are becoming compulsive, needy little onliners. People constantly feel the need to check their Internet for updates on our social sites, email, tweeters and blogs. I myself don’t blog or tweet, which I can say cuts some of my time on the net down to a little more of a sane time. It is amazing how quickly my friends reply to any and all emails and social site updates.It is almost as if the message jumped out of their phone and into their eye while they were driving to work. People have become so connected that the Internet has become a distraction and to some, the most important thing in their lives. The author of â€Å"Is the Internet driving us mad? † in Newsweek magazine claims that regardless of age, most people send or receive about 400 texts a month. The average teenager processes about 3700 texts a month. Also many of these same people, two thirds, sense their phone vibrating in their pockets when in fact it is not.Researc hers call it â€Å"phantom-vibration syndrome. † It is evident that we have become dependent on the Internet that we drool in anticipation waiting for a message or call or any kind of update to fulfill our hourly or for some minutely dose of feeling wanted and or accepted. I myself have felt the â€Å"phantom-vibration† a few times, but I don’t think enough to warrant it as a syndrome. I have been witnessing the dependency for the Internet on an everyday basis as everyone around me; mostly younger people seem to always have a reason to have their smartphone out.At school, older kids are sending messages to each during class time and even when sitting together on their free time. It seems that the Internet provides better conversation than their friends sitting across from them. I cannot say that I am not innocent from this same intervention and have been known to hope online at while waiting for friends to buy their ice cream or something of that nature. We are so dependent on the Internet, not only individually, but also a group. Hurricane Sandy, a terrifying hurricane, hit New York causing more than 150 fatalities.In the November 3rd issue of Newsweek’s online magazine released a feature about the Heroes of the Hurricane. One of the reports was of the â€Å"Heroes† who guarded and protected an Internet hub, considered to be very important to the world, because it is â€Å"one of the fastest connections between world financial centers; it maintains Internet connectivity for en ­tire regions of the country. † (Keller, 2012) I remember about years ago reading reports that the Internet caused depression and loneliness. I think that depression can be triggered by so many things, especially in those who more prone to depressive feelings.As for the loneliness factor, I always believed that the Internet was addictive because it replaced feelings of loneliness because people are more connected to more people. It is true tha t it reduces face-to-face interaction, but it increases interaction with people. Researchers have found that â€Å"internet use was associated with increased well-being and social involvement. † (Kraut, 2002) Because of the Internet I socialize more with people who are not within close distance which makes me feel happier that I can keep in touch with them. I probably have a better relationship with my mother than I did when I lived at home and before smartphones.During the Tohoku earthquakes and Fukushima crisis in 2011 the internet help people all over Japan talk to each other and others from abroad; the whole country might have felt lonely or separated from the rest of the world if it weren’t for the Internet. So what cause these emotional and mental changes in people who absorb themselves with the Internet too much. Besides Internet is just like reading books, watching television and listening to the radio in one package. In recent reports, it has been revealed tha t â€Å"brain scans hint excessive time online is tied to stark physical changes in the brain† (Mosher, 2011).These physical changes caused by the over stimulation of the parts of the brain that deal with attention, multitasking, spatial awareness etc. are extracting from the parts of other parts of the brain. Dave Mosher describes the latest findings in his online report with Scientific America’s online magazine. One set of images focused on gray matter at the brain's wrinkled surface, or cortex, where processing of speech, memory, motor control, emotion, sensory and other information occurs. The researchers discovered several small regions in online addicts' brains shrunk, in some cases as much as a 10 to 20 percent.The affected regions included the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, rostral anterior cingulate cortex, supplementary motor area and parts of the cerebellum. What's more, the longer the addiction's duration, the more pronounced the tissue reduction. The stud y's authors suggest this shrinkage could lead to negative effects, such as reduced inhibition of inappropriate behavior and diminished goal orientation. But imaging neuroscientist Karl Friston of University College London, who helped pioneer the VBM technique, says gray matter shrinkage is not necessarily a bad thing. The effect is quite extreme, but it's not surprising when you think of the brain as a muscle,† says Friston, who was not involved in the study. â€Å"Our brains grow wildly until our early teens, then we start pruning and toning areas to work more efficiently. So these areas may just be relevant to being a good online gamer, and were optimized for that. † Although we can alter our brains through practice like the rest of our body, we still need to have the will power to make these changes. Maybe for many online addicts, the morphing of their intelligence to certain cortex might be rewarding for them.But it is evident that for many of us who need to work an d have face-to-face conversations and have proper behaviour, need to reduce our Internet time. I personally want to keep the â€Å"grey matter† of my brain from shrinking because it is accountable for dealing with speech, memory, motor control, emotion, sensory, and other information. (Dokoupil, 2012) We know that exercise is good for our bodies’; it has been pounded into us since we were little children. Eat healthy food, exercise 3 times a week, stay away from sugars etc. , has been taught to us by media, teachers and parents.Now we need to exercise our brains as well. The Internet is one form of exercising certain parts, but we need to exercise all parts of our body. Think about how ridiculous someone would look if they only spent their time pumping iron to make their only their shoulders really big and barely did any movement to strengthen their legs. That person would look like a balloon with the string tied to the bottom being their legs. Not only would that pers on look silly, but probably would fall over when then tried to walk. That is similar with what is slowly happening to our brains with the more time we spend on the Internet.Internet addiction is causing too much exercise on only one part of our brain and not enough on the other. With more and more reports stressing the problems of Internet addiction, depression, compulsive behaviour, sleep deprivation and lack of memory; it is difficult to ignore the issue. Obviously scorning the Internet is not the solution, since it isn’t the Internet’s fault; it is the lack of control that we humans possess to control our desire for social acceptance, informational and visual stimuli, and the speed of which we can retrieve these desires.I am sure if the Internet was as slow as it was in 1995, this topic would be moot. But now the evidence is clear and people need help, just like there is help for alcoholics and drugoholics. All users of the Internet, there are few that aren’t users; need to use the Internet sparingly or at least with some control. Limit the amount of time spent on the Internet, especially consistent hours, the brain needs a rest. To help the grey matter in our brains it is important to involve ourselves in face-to-face conversation for speech. Exercise is also important as it always has to maintain motor control.Memory is one of the most important issues dealing with grey matter; playing trivia games or not being dependant on the auto phonebook in our phone is a great way to improve memory. Once I am finished this report will go outside and try to not use the Internet for at least the weekend, not even on my smartphone. Internet addiction is a serious issue that hopefully in the future psychologists and the public will get a better at dealing with. References Bercovici. J. , (July 10. 2012) We're All Internet Addicts, And We're All Screwed, Says Newsweek. Forbes Magazine. Retrieved November 10, 2012 from website: http://www. orbes. com/ sites/jeffbercovici/2012/07/10/were-all-internet-addicts-and-were-all-screwed-says-newsweek/ Brown, J. (1997). BS detector: â€Å"Internet addiction† meme gets media high. Communications Study 421: Being Online. Gackenbach, J. (Phd. ). Athabasca University, 2006 (pp. 101). Carlson, B. , (June 5, 2010). Nicholas Carr on the ‘Superficial' Webby Mind. The Atlantic. Retrieved November 10, 2012 from website: http://www. theatlantic. com/entertainment/archive/2010/06/nicholas-carr-on-the-superficial-webby-mind/57610/ Cohill, A. , (December 31, 2004). Is the Internet good or bad for us?Design Nine. Retrieved November 10, 2012 from website: http://www. designnine. com/news/content/internet-good-or-bad-us Doi, H. , (Oct. 17, 2012) Online gaming addictions growing more serious. Daily Yomuiri Online. Retrieved November 10, 2012 from website: http://www. yomiuri. co. jp/dy/national/T121016001977. htm Dokoupil, T. , (July 9, 2012). Is the Web Driving Us Mad? Newsweek Magazine. Retri eved November 10, 2012 from website: http://www. thedailybeast. com/newsweek/2012/07/08/is-the-internet-making-us-crazy-what-the-new-research-says. html Greenfield, P. , Brannon, C. and Lohr, D.

Disaster Relief

Preparing for Disaster Materialization of Disaster Disasters can strike at anytime, and for the most part, happen without warning. That is why is has become vital for health care organizations to prepare in advance for disasters. The most common type of disasters are natural (tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, etc. ). Since natural disasters have always been around, health care professionals have been aware of their capabilities and possible damage they can wreck upon society. For example, Hurricane Katrina completely wiped out the city of New Orleans on August 29, 2005, leaving the city helpless.Not only did the tragedy claim the lives of thousands of Americans, it also led to power failures, water and fuel shortages, flooding, and communication breakdowns. While American health care organizations have had emergency plans for natural disasters, they could not fathom a hurricane of that magnitude. Another type of disaster that has become more of a focal point over the past decade is chemical or hazardous materials disaster. Whether these disasters are intentional (terrorist attacks) or unintentional (chemical spills or nuclear meltdowns), they are just as serious and need to be prepared for just like natural disasters.The terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, and the more recent tsunami that stuck Japan on March 11, 2011 and destroyed nuclear plants releasing radiation into the environment, are two examples of intentional and unintentional disasters, respectively. Nature and Scope Large scale emergencies are a threat to any health care entity, regardless of location, size, or scope. No health care organization can predict the nature of a future emergency, nor can it predict the date of its arrival. However, health care providers can plan by following six major areas of emergency response.These six areas of emergency preparedness were set forth by The Joint Commission (TJC), formerly the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), an United States-based not-for-profit organization that accredits over 19,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States. The six areas of emergency management are as follows: open lines of communication, availability of resources and assets, safety and security of the patients, staff responsibilities, uninterrupted function of its utilities, and patient clinical and support activities.All of these areas must be taken into consideration when preparing for disaster. Disasters can happen at any time and place. Not all disasters happen outside of a health care organization. â€Å"The hazards to which a hospital is susceptible include fire, utility failure, armed intruder, and hazmat release (occurring within the facility); and hurricane, earthquake, landslide, external fire, flood, tornado, other severe storm, external hazmat release, and civil disturbance† (Sternberg, 2003).These type of disasters are termed â€Å"internal disasters†, and are just as dif ficult for health care organizations to prepare for as off-site (external) disasters. Impact and Importance on American Health Care It is absolutely crucial for healthcare organizations to have emergency plans put in place and ensures that its employees know what their role is in case of a full scale disaster. Emergency plans have to be continually changed and updated to meet Federal, state, and local laws and statutes.Along with developing a emergency plan, health care organizations must routinely practice and execute their emergency plan to help better prepare its employees for a disaster. The better prepared the organizations employees are, the potential for higher survival rate of the disaster’s victims. In the event that a disaster strikes, health care organizations must run post-emergency assessments of the facility’s performance during the crisis and make the necessary improvements to help better serve its patients in the case of a similar disaster.Continual str ides must be made with regards to preparing for disaster for health care providers, because disaster can strike at any moment. It is so important for government agencies, emergency personnel, and heath care organizations to band together to help create plans that will save lives and produce the best possible outcome. The most difficult aspect of disasters is that they are completely unpredictable, but with health care organizations continual persistence of staying ahead of the curve and developing emergency plans, American lives will be saved.Bibliography Ford, Lauren. (2008). Preparing a hospital and community for disaster. Retrieved September 17, 2011 from http://bama. ua. edu/~joshua/archive/may08/Hospital%20Preparedness%20-%20Lauren%20Ford. doc. Graham, Jaclyn. (2007, June). Approved: revisions to emergency management standards for critical access hospitals, hospitals, and long term care. The Joint Commission Perspectives, 27, 1-10. Sternberg, E. (2003). Planning for resilience in hospital internal disaster. Prehospital Disaster Medicine, 18(4):291–300.