Essay about Karl Marx and Capitalism - 1157 Words

Bertrand Russell once expressed that â€Å"advocates of capitalism are very apt to appeal to the sacred principles of liberty, which are embodied in one maxim: The fortunate must not be restrained in the exercise of tyranny over the unfortunate† (Russell). Even in a relatively capitalist society, there are always criticism regarding the capitalism and its disregard for â€Å"the unfortunate† and the tyranny the â€Å"fortunate† exert over. The foremost proponent of this antagonism would be Karl Marx, who claimed that capitalism is ultimately hurtling toward its downfall. The basic premise of the capitalism that Marx denied was as thus: in the modern industrialisation inevitably creates a bipartisan system, in which the bourgeoisie, or those who are the†¦show more content†¦This, in turn, would create a dissention from the proletariat and lead to an uprising. Marx actually predicted that the first ones to have revolution would be the more industrialised countries. Marx never addressed the actual capitalism we face today in his Das Kapital. Instead, he proposed a setting of ideal capitalism, in which there are â€Å"no monopolies, no unions, no special advantages for anyone. It is a world in which every commodity sells at exactly its proper price. And that proper price is its value† (Heilbroner). The value is defined as the amount of labour it took to create that certain merchandise. This obviously has a flaw, as if products were traded at its true value there would be no margin of profit. The margin is produced via the discrepancy of the labour value and the value of the actual labour performed; that is, if a labourer needs six hours of labour to survive at the rate of one pound a day, the labourer would actually work for eight hours while being paid for only six hours. This is because a labourer can only ask for what is due by his subsistence; he can only ask for six pounds a day, because that is all he needs to survive. The capitalist , by owning the means of production, can force the terms into ten our eleven hours as opposed to six, whileShow MoreRelatedKarl Marx And Capitalism Essay775 Words   |  4 PagesCapitalism is an economic system in which investment, production, distribution and exchange of wealth is maintained by private individuals. German Philosopher, Karl Marx is capitalism’s most famous critic. Karl Marx was a journalist who wrote many books and articles about capitalism. Marx viewed capitalism as eventually leading into a socialist society. Socialism is an economic system with investment, production, distribution and exchange of wealth. Marx believed that under a capitalist economy,Read MoreKarl Marx And Capitalism Essay1280 Words   |  6 PagesKarl Marx, oh where do I begin, The father of communism wrote many books and presented ideas that were never really brought up in an economical system before. Karl Marx was strictly opposed to Capitalism because he believed that it was an extrem ely unfair and one-sided kind of government. He noted that the rich which he called the bourgeoisie kept getting richer by taking advantage of the classes that weren’t as fortunate as them. Karl used this difference in class to focus on his own ideal economyRead MoreKarl Marx And The Origins Of Capitalism1536 Words   |  7 PagesKarl Marx associates the origins of capitalism mainly to the rising bourgeoisie class stealing massive amounts of land from literally everyone. He uses England as a prime example of this. As he so succinctly puts it: â€Å"The spoliation of the church s property, the fraudulent alienation of the State domains, the robbery of the common lands, the usurpation of feudal and clan property, and its transformation into modern private property under circumstances of reckless terrorism, were just so many idyllicRead MoreKarl Marx And Capitalism Essay1373 Words   |  6 Pageshistorian and revolutionary, Karl Marx, is without a doubt the most influential s ocialist thinker to emerge in the 19th century. Although he was largely ignored by scholars in his own lifetime, his social, economic and political ideas gained rapid acceptance in the socialist movement after his death in 1883. Until quite recently almost half the population of the world lived under regimes that claim to be Marxist. This very success, however, has meant that the original ideas of Marx have often been modifiedRead MoreThe Rise Of Capitalism : Karl Marx2134 Words   |  9 PagesKarl Marx is the first in a series of 19th and 20th century theorists who started the call for an empirical approach to social science. Theorizing about the rise of modernity accompanied by the decline in traditional societies and advocating for a change in the means of production in order to enable social justice. Marx’s theories on modernity reveals his beliefs of modern society as being influenced by the advancement of productive forces of modern industry and the relationships of pr oduction betweenRead MoreKarl Marx and Capitalism Essay880 Words   |  4 PagesKarl Marx, in the Capital, developed his critique of capitalism by analyzing its characteristics and its development throughout history. The critique contains Marx’s most developed economic analysis and philosophical insight. Although it was written in 1850s, its values still serve an important purpose in the globalized world and maintains extremely relevant in the twenty-first century. Karl Marx’s critique of political economy provides a scientific understanding of the history of capitalism.Read MoreKarl Marx View On Capitalism1084 Words   |  5 PagesKarl Marx was a philosopher who was engaged in economic politics, sociology, and radical politics. Marx saw the world as two different entities. He saw it as a scuffle between the bourgeoisie and the proletariats. This is what divided the capitalist society. Marx believed everyone works in some shape, form, and fashion. The bourgeoisie were the individuals that held the capital and the proletariats were the wage-laborers. The social aspect would then come in to play. Marx would then try toRead MoreDefinition Of Capitalism By Karl Marx1155 Words   |  5 Pages Question 6 of 10 What is alienation according to Marx? Karl Marx believed that when you have no connection to the work that you do it alienates you. Alienation is when people become foreigners to the world in which they live. He believed that we should not hate the work that we do, in fact people should take immense pride in what they do. The key to life should be enjoyment and you should have meaning in your life which does not depend on what you posses in material goods. Alienation meant a lossRead MoreKarl Marx And The Rise Of Capitalism1911 Words   |  8 PagesKarl Marx was the first in a series of 19th and 20th century theorists who started the call for an empirical approach to social science. Theorizing about the rise of modernity accompanied by the decline in traditional societies and advocating for a change in the means of production in order to enable social justice. Marx’s theories on modernity reveals his beliefs of modern society as being influenced by the advancement of productive forces of modern industry and the relationships of production betweenRead MoreKarl Marx s Theory Of Capitalism976 Words   |  4 PagesThis is the reality of a capitalist society that was first discussed by Karl Marx in the 19th century. When Karl Marx first penned his shaping works on communism, he assumed that the relationship between workers and capital would always be opposing. While most rejected his overall theories, they did not argue with the basic idea that the interests of workers would always be at odds with those of owners. This is one of Marx s only theories that has proven to be true. As a consequence, over the years

Aging Carefully And Contentedly Is An Absolutely Big...

Aging carefully and contentedly is an absolutely big priority for seniors. Numberless of seniors seek a long-term care (LTC) facility, where they can grow old and be taken good care of. Seniors require a place where they can feel comfortable and feel like they are at home. However, what happens when at least half of the seniors in the United States who are seeking for a LTC facility are LGBT? There are barely LTC facilities where LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) seniors are accepted or supported. Almost all LTC facilities do not feel comfortable having LGBT seniors as residents in their facilities. Most LGBT seniors do not really have family members that could take care of them or accept them. As years and years pass and the LGBT community keep growing, there is a higher need for safe and friendly LTC facilities that accept LGBT seniors in the United States. A few years ago, it was calculated by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF) an amount of 1.5 million senior s who are LGBT in the United States (Tabar 38). As years pass by, the number of LGBT seniors would continue to grow. A small percentage of LGBT seniors have not confessed their sexual preference and hide their true selves. As a result, various LTC facilities already may have LGBT seniors as residents without their knowledge. Many of these seniors who remain quiet about their sexual orientation never get to reveal their true selves because they are afraid. They fear discrimination. LGBT seniorsShow MoreRelatedMarketing Mistakes and Successes175322 Words   |  702 PagesUniversity JOHN WILEY SONS, INC. VICE PRESIDENT PUBLISHER EXECUTIVE EDITOR ASSISTANT EDITOR PRODUCTION MANAGER PRODUCTION ASSISTANT EXECUTIVE MARKETING MANAGER ASSISTANT MARKETING MANAGER MARKETING ASSISTANT DESIGN DIRECTOR SENIOR DESIGNER SENIOR MEDIA EDITOR George Hoffman Lise Johnson Carissa Doshi Dorothy Sinclair Matt Winslow Amy Scholz Carly DeCandia Alana Filipovich Jeof Vita Arthur Medina Allison Morris This book was set in 10/12 New Caledonia by Aptara ®, Inc

Walmart Risk Management Free Essays

Options for dealing with risk Walmart’s hiring practices could improve the situation by managing the hiring practices at the manager’s level. Even though the company has a ‘no discrimination’ policy, giving full responsibility to the manager at the local level may promote prejudices that the managers themselves are not aware of . These prejudices might include providing higher salaries to male workers and a tendency to promote men over women. We will write a custom essay sample on Walmart Risk Management or any similar topic only for you Order Now In the wake of the recent developments, Walmart has initiated several steps to win back the support of the women. Women comprise 70% of Walmart’s work force at the floor level. Yet, women only comprise 33% of Walmart’s management. There is no doubt that Walmart has to put policies in place that encourage and promote female employees. We propose the following options for dealing with the issue: 1. The statistics presented at the court hearing have shown that women were paid 80% of wages that men were paid for doing the same job. The difference of pay has to be leveled immediately. Walmart can make no excuses for paying differently for the same job. If the manager at the local level is responsible for hiring and compensation, policies should strictly reinstate the need for equal pay. 2. Walmart need a woman CEO or atleast 50% women on the board of directors and 50% women in the management. Walmart is a company that is comprised mostly of women at the floor level. The customers who shop most at Walmart are also women. The company cannot but take seriously the group that comprises its largest consumer group. In the wake of the recent developments, Walmart has realized that a company is only as good as its last good deed. Walmart has used . In a New York TImes article dated September 14, 2011, Walmart announced that it planned to spend $ 20 billion over the next five years trying to source materials from women owned businesses. The article made headlines under the name â€Å"Walmart to Announce women friendly plans† as the company faced the possibility of being sued by independent plaintiffs after the class action law suit had been dismissed. How to cite Walmart Risk Management, Essay examples

Sustainability of Apple Inc †Background & Sustainability Area

Question: Discuss about the Sustainability of Apple Inc. Answer: Introduction Sustainability is defined as the capability of an assignment to uphold its services, operations, and reimbursement throughout its predictable existence. However as mentioned by Ghisellini et al.,(2014), the concern of sustainability must be seen within political, economic time and changing and social contexts. A project that looks like sustainable now may not be so in the future. The biggest exemplar of such project is Paddy Production of Sri Lanka. It created the foundation of the agricultural economy few years back. However, now it is not profitable at all under the current economic condition of the market. In order to develop sustainable projects, a new aspect of sustainability was introduced which is known as Sustainability Monitoring. Sustainability monitoring which is also called as sustainability evaluation, as soon as a project goes into implementation, comes into play. A lot of people call this evaluation method as a process evaluation and few people call it as a assessment and result-based monitoring. Sustainability monitoring method can help an organization to track problems related to sustainability in initial stages. Besides, it will also provide essential advice for modification which will enhance the prospects of sustainability. In order to monitor sustainability some indicators were developed. According to Singh et al., (2014), Astleithner narrowed down indicators and divided into two parts which are quantitative and qualitative. These two indicators put more emphasis on linkages across dissimilar sectors. However, ecological and financial indicators are still used as sustainability indicators by means of combination. However, as mentioned by Hjorth and Madani (2014), the different indicators for different sustainable dimensions are more suitable to monitor sustainability in an organization. Different indicators for different sustainable dimensions are hereby mentioned in the table below. Indicators Characteristics Economy Rate of unemployment: It will be monitored by the proportion of green jobs in home economy and standard proficient learning years of employees. Economic Growth: It is monitored by growth rate of GDP per annum, growth rate of GNP per annum, Net Export Growth rates (percentage boost of a countrys total exports minus the price of its total imports per annum) and Foreign Direct Investments (Capital/Earning accrued from planned FDIs per year) (Rinne et al., 2013). Environment Green Spaces: It will monitor proportion of potted areas/ waterways/ reservoirs/ parks regarding the entire amount of land area Decrease the amount of Greenhouse gasses and energy efficiency: It will be monitored trough total quantity of GHG emissions per facility, per city and per capita and proportion of total energy inspired in the metropolis that comes from renewable sources (Waas et al., 2014). Quality of Water: It will be measured by the quantity of total amount of water, score or index of water quality and percentage of inhabitants with admittance to sufficient and safe consumption water. Waste management/Recycle management: It will be monitored by recycling rate (proportion abstracted from waste watercourse) and amount of firm waste generated. Social Contribution to the society/community: It is measured by the amount of assistance provided to the local communities and number of programs implemented to help communities in trouble. Education: It is measured by the number of training programs implemented by the management to develop the skills of the employees. Health: It is measured by the steps taken by the management to keep the workplace healthy and safe (Mascarenhas et al., 2014). Besides, in some cases, the quality of healthcare services provided by the organization is also measured to figure out whether the company is maintaining social sustainability or not. Company Background Apple is an American multinational technology organization that was established in the year of 1976 as a computer making company. However, in the past years, this organization has prolonged itself into an intricate corporation that innovates in much more that just computers. Apple broke the conventional barricade in the year of 2001 and invented iPod. This invention helped the organization to become a dominant market leader in music players industry. According to Sloan et al., (2013), Apple has made noteworthy labors in the field of sustainability since 2007. They have effectively detached toxic substances from their products and empowered their facilities with 100% renewable energy. However, as mentioned by Lozano (2015), Apple is still not the leader in provisions of sustainability and has to go a long way to become a sustainable organization. In Newsweeks 2011 Green ranking, three categories were considered which are environmental impact, ecological Management (such as controversi es, certifications, programs, initiatives and policies) and disclosure. Apple was ranked 50th in the U.S rankings of Newsweek. Worldwide Apple was ranked 117th as its green score was 65 out of 100. Apples uppermost score was 71 in environmental administration where it only scored 28 in disclosure (Perrott, 2014). Apple received several criticisms for its lack of coverage and tangible goals while emission lessening. According to Lozano, (2015), there are five phases of Dunphy model which are The sustaining corporation, Efficiency, Non-responsiveness, Strategic Sustainability, Compliance and Rejection. Currently Apple belongs to the fifth phase of dunphy model which is strategic sustainability. Mostly from 2013, Apple has made sustainability as an important part of the companys business policy. Currently Apple is using rational and social capital to establish strategic benefit through determined innovation in products and services. Several communities are positively influenced and assisted by the organization. Number of initiatives is taken into account to help and support communities in different countries. Several programs are instituted to hire best talent to the organization (Benn, 2014). Training and skill development projects are also there to develop high level of competence in individuals and groups. From phase 5 of dunphy model, Apple can elevate itself to Phase 6 which is The Sustaining Corporation. This is the ultimate phase where Apple will have to strongly internalize the philosophy of working for a sustainable world. In order to achieve this stage, Apple management will have to become an active promoter of ecological sustainability values. Besides, it will have to persuade society in general and key participants in the industry (Turcu, 2013). The management is developing and following some environmental initiatives to help keep environment safe and green. However, in order to elevate itself to Phase 6, Apple will have to execute best environmental practices. On the other hand, Apple will also have to use its influence strategies to endorse sustainability policies to the governments. Sustainability Dimensions The three proportions of sustainability are Social, Environmental and Economic. Maintaining social dimensions means developing products that can improve lives of people. In order to become a socially sustainable company, it is also important to assist communities in which we live and work. On the other hand, environmental sustainability demands that companies use possessions astutely, comply with rules and regulations and decrease the adverse impact of the products that are in use. Economic dimension asks an organization to become profitable and to make products that people want. Besides, it is also important to support communities by buying local supplies and services and by paying taxes in proper way. In terms of Social sustainability, Apples biggest achievement is its Global Volunteer Program that was introduced to motivate workers to volunteer in home communities. Besides, Apple has its own learning and enlargement program that is presented across 18 factories where more than 300,000 personnel took a variety of courses (Lal, 2016). Apple launched Apple Supplier EHS Academy, that is an 18-month course that helps to enhance health and safety of the employees right through the world. From various companies, nearly 250 suppliers and 250,000 workers participated in this program (Aagaard Lindgren 2016). On the other hand, software developers at Apple make more money than in any other company in the same industry. Software developers who made iOS apps have made more than $4 billion (Hollander et al., 2016). Software developers for Android app have made less than half a million. In the case of environmental sustainability, Apple has made a great improvement since the announcement of Newsweeks U.S rankings in 2011 where it was ranked 117th. Since 2013, Apples data centers run on 100% renewable power (Kay 2016). Three of the Apples data centers located in North Carolina, Oregon and Nevada gained leadership certification in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) from the U.S Green Building Council. Recently, Apple joined hands with Duke Energy to establish a green energy tariff named as Duke Energys Green Source Rider Program. Through this program, Apple will be able to co-develop nearly six solar PV projects in North Carolina. Besides, from April 2016, Apple is using 100 percent renewable energy for their 463 stores in 14 countries (Hogevold et al., 2016). This renewable energy of Apple is produced by the organization itself by developing its own solar arrays, micro-hydro generation systems and biogas fuel cells. In order to reduce carbon footprint of the faci lities, the organization is discovering ways to reduce emissions from business fleet vehicles. Apple waste management team disposes hazardous waste responsibly. The management of the organization executed regular audits of the transportation, disposal and storage facilities (TSDF), where any kind of hazardous waste are sent to be incinerated, treated and recycled (Schoormann et al., 2016). Only the facilities that are approved by the management are allowed to accept and treat hazardous waste. Apple management is also working hard to minimize their water use. Use of water is monitored within their cooling, landscaping and cleanliness methods and at their production facilities. Then proper procedures are established to reduce it. For example, intelligent irrigation systems are installed that is capable of monitoring weather and deploy water only where needed. From 2015, Apple management has started to collect even more refined data in order to empower their conservation strategy. A team is deployed by Apple that begun to measure the amount of water which is required to manufacture the Apple products (Bocken et al., 2016). After measuring, now the organization is identifying the high, medium and low scarcity areas where water is used in facilities. It will help the company to focus their efforts where they matter most. Sustainability Area For this report, among three dimensions, environmental dimension is selected. Environmental Indicators and monitoring Indicators Methods to analyze Challenges Green Space In order to monitor and analyze this indicator, Apple will have to make sure that its facilities has ample amount of green places such as parks, where employees can enjoy their leisure. Apple facilities are already bigger than any other organization in the same industry. Developing new green area will become quite difficult for the organization in terms of money and free space. Reduce emission of greenhouse gasses/reduce carbon footprint Carbon Footprint software Implementation challenge Water management IWRM (Integrated water resources management) Implementation challenge Waste management Cradle to Cradle/Cradle to Grave Carbon footprint software can be used by Apple in order to monitor carbon footprint and emission of greenhouse gasses. This instrument leverages the information of the Carbon Trust to decrease both the time taken and price of evaluating the carbon footstep. Besides, it is intended in a way that it will fulfill the globally-recognized product carbon footprint standards, GHG Protocol Product Standards and the PAS 2050. It will help develop a framework, which enables primary data to be entered easily and quickly. It will include a huge record of secondary data that is submissive with the PAS2050 and GHG Protocol Standards (Andersson Ohman 2016). A set of calculators are also included in the system that are intended to reduce difficulty and guarantee constancy. Besides, a hotspot calculator is also added to evaluate a top-line footprint very quickly, without needing a comprehensive data-gathering process. The main challenge to use this software for monitoring process would the process o f implementation. Besides, Apple will have to again train its employees to use this software properly. Any mishandling will generate biased and inappropriate data which is extremely harmful for the organization. Sustainable water management can be monitored through IWRM that will challenge traditional and fractional water management systems (Morioka et al., 2016). It will put more emphasis on incorporated approaches with more synchronized decision making transversely sectors and scales. IWRM will help to achieve mostly three objectives which are, Effectiveness to make water resources go as far as probable Equity, in the allotment of water diagonally dissimilar facilities and factories Environmental sustainability, to save water assets base and related ecosystems According to Rajala et al., (2016), IWRM must be viewed as a method rather than a one-shot approach. However, there is nothing like perfect IWRM system. The entire process of IWRM is shown in the figure below. This is an effective process for water management. However, implementation of this method will not be an easy task. Management of Apple will have to spend a lot of money to develop a team to implement this method in the workplaces. Besides, the management will also have to change the entire existing structure of the workplace to properly implement this model which is quite impossible for Apple. Sustainable waste management can be achieved by using Cradle to Grave (C2G) systems or Cradle to Cradle (C2C). Cradle to grave system is known to explain the linear and in one direction flow of resources from underdone resources into waste, that needs removal (Bocken et al., 2016). On the other hand, Cradle to cradle system mostly puts more emphasis on developing industrial systems so that materials flow in a closed loop cycle. It means, waste products can be recycled easily. C2C system deals with the issues by addressing the problems at its source by re-defining the problem. As mentioned by Quigley (2016), the primary three tenets of C2C are use of solar income; waste equals food, and enjoying diversity. C2C also focuses on developing a technical metabolism that is called as a closed loop system where resources travel through cycles of construction, use, revival and remanufacture. There will be minimum amount of challenges for Apple in terms of Waste management. There will be minor issues when the management will implement this process. However, the organization will not have to change its current structure entirely for this new method. These steps and methods can be used by Apple to elevate themselves to the next phase of Dunphy model. However, in order to remain in the phase 6, management of the organization will have to keep using these methods and will have to keep the environment safe and secure. Conclusion In the end, it can be concluded that Apple initially was not famous for its sustainable operations. Its rival organizations ranked better than them. That was the time, when the management of the organization decided to bring change in its operations. Since 2013, the organization has made several successful efforts to improve its sustainability. In this report, the discussion is provided about Apples sustainability in terms of social and environmental. From the discussion it is seen that in both the dimensions that organization is performing extremely well. However, in this report, the complete focus has been given to the environmental sustainability of the organization. Currently, the organization is in the phase 5 of Dunphu model. However, it is possible for them to elevate to the next level. A complete list of indicators is provided in the assignment, though which Apple management can elevate the company into the next stage of sustainability. References Aagaard, A., Lindgren, P. (2016). Understanding and evaluating the levels of sustainability in business models over time and across dimensions.Long Range Planning. Andersson, P. hman, J, (2016). Logics of business education for sustainability.Environmental Education Research,22(4), pp.463-479. Benn, S., Dunphy, D., Griffiths, A. (2014).Organizational change for corporate sustainability. Routledge. Bocken, N. M., Weissbrod, I., Tennant, M. (2016). Business Model Experimentation for Sustainability. InSustainable Design and Manufacturing 2016(pp. 297-306). Springer International Publishing. Ghisellini, P., Zucaro, A., Viglia, S., Ulgiati, S. (2014). Monitoring and evaluating the sustainability of Italian agricultural system. An emergy decomposition analysis.Ecological Modelling,271, 132-148. Hjorth, P., Madani, K. (2014). Sustainability monitoring and assessment: new challenges require new thinking.Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management,140(2), 133-135. Hogevold, N. M., Hgevold, N. M., Svensson, G., Svensson, G. (2016). Framing the development and directions of business sustainability efforts.Corporate Governance,16(4), 709-725. Hollander, R., Amekudzi-Kennedy, A., Bell, S., Benya, F., Davidson, C., Farkos, C., ... Quigley, D. (2016). Network priorities for social sustainability research and education: Memorandum of the Integrated Network on Social Sustainability Research Group.Sustainability: Science, Practice, Policy,12(1), 78-87. Kay, M. J. (2016). Sustainability Integration: A Model for Developing Corporate Responsibility Commitment Through Effective Sustainability Programs, Reporting, and Governance.SGBED wishes to recognize the following sponsors, 10-34. Lal, R. (2016). Globalizing Environmental Sustainability:2015 International Year of Soil Transitioning to 20152024 International Decade of Soil. InClimate Change and Multi-Dimensional Sustainability (pp. 457-466). Springer International Publishing. Lozano, R. (2015). A holistic perspective on corporate sustainability drivers.Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management,22(1), 32-44. Mascarenhas, A., Nunes, L. M., Ramos, T. B. (2014). Exploring the self-assessment of sustainability indicators by different stakeholders.Ecological Indicators,39, 75-83. Morioka, S. N., Evans, S., de Carvalho, M. M. (2016). Sustainable Business Model Innovation: Exploring Evidences in Sustainability Reporting.Procedia CIRP,40, 660-668. Perrott, B. (2014). The sustainable organisation: Blueprint for an integrated model.Journal of Business Strategy,35(3), 26-37. Rajala, R., Westerlund, M., Lampikoski, T. (2016). Environmental sustainability in industrial manufacturing: re-examining the greening of Interface's business model.Journal of Cleaner Production,115, 52-61. Rinne, J., Lyytimki, J., Kautto, P. (2013). From sustainability to well-being: Lessons learned from the use of sustainable development indicators at national and EU level.Ecological indicators,35, 35-42. Schoormann, T., Behrens, D., Kolek, E., Knackstedt, R. (2016, June). Sustainability in Business ModelsA Literature-Review-Based Design-Science-Oriented Research Agenda. InProceedings of the 24th European Conference on Information Systems (ECIS), Istanbul, Turkey. Singh, N. J., Danell, K., Edenius, L., Ericsson, G. (2014). Tackling the motivation to monitor: success and sustainability of a participatory monitoring program.Ecology and Society,19(4), 7. Sloan, K., Klingenberg, B., Rider, C. (2013). Towards sustainability: Examining the drivers and change process within SMEs.Journal of Management and Sustainability,3(2), 19. theapples.net,. (2017).The Apples.The Apples. Retrieved 3 January 2017, from https://www.theapples.net/ Turcu, C. (2013). Re-thinking sustainability indicators: local perspectives of urban sustainability.Journal of Environmental Planning and Management,56(5), 695-719. Waas, T., Hug, J., Block, T., Wright, T., Benitez-Capistros, F., Verbruggen, A. (2014). Sustainability assessment and indicators: Tools in a decision-making strategy for sustainable development.Sustainability,6(9), 5512-5534.

Westjet Case Anaysis Essay Example

Westjet Case Anaysis Essay Jet Airlines is a Calgary-based discount airline founded in 1996. Starting with only three aircrafts in 1996, the company is now â€Å"Canada’s leading high-value low-fare airline. † The management of WestJet Airlines assumes that the success of the business is anchored in the culture of the corporation and the welcoming service provided to its customers. Beddoe, the president and the CEO of WestJet, is proud of the airlines performance and the customer service it offers. He believes that the corporate culture was the key to success and the company’s attainment. WestJet’s culture is very entertaining, hassle-free, unperturbed, and relaxed. The ratings of the customer satisfaction are higher than those of the other airlines. Top management trusts and values its employees. It is assumed that having content, cheerful personnel results in a first-rate customer service. WestJet is a company that is managed â€Å"from the bottom up. † As Beddoe states, â€Å"We set some standards and expectations, but don’t interfere in how our people do their jobs. Due to the fact that the employees and the management work as a crew, WestJet management saves money on hiring additional human resources. There is no need for supervisors because the employees supervise themselves and work together towards the organization’s goal. The corporation culture is what led WestJet to their â€Å"victory. † With the success, the company came to a decision about expanding its market. With the development strategy, the risk of the culture of the company being vanished draws closer. This is the foremost problem that WestJet might face. We will write a custom essay sample on Westjet Case Anaysis specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Westjet Case Anaysis specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Westjet Case Anaysis specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer In view of the fact that culture is what made the company successful, with it being misplaced, it would be hard for WestJet to accomplish their purpose – customer satisfaction. The involvement culture of WestJet helped it in achieving high employee performance, increasing revenue, and escalating customer service satisfaction. WestJet’s culture is based on trust and respect among all employees. Everyone is treated equally, without exceptions, regardless of the function they perform in the company. The work atmosphere is fun and enjoyable. The culture is the source of the management and the workers happiness, contentment, and what is most important the guests satisfaction. Nevertheless, what brought success to the company, may become a threat when it does not meet the employee needs. With a greater expansion, the management of WestJet would have to hire significantly more people in order to operate the company efficiently and effectively. Some people, like the example of Steve Smith, may be used to different managing style and might find it difficult or impossible to adapt to a new culture. Given that the culture is a main source of WestJet’s success, the weakening of the employees’ performance would benefit other airlines competing with WestJet. Fast expansion indicates less time for new workers to adjust to the corporation values and beliefs. This creates a problem. In order to improve the situation, WestJet would have to get to the bottom of it and implement a reasonable solution. Top management would have to decide whether it should expand the airline or not. One of the alternatives could be offering instruction and coaching the newly hired personnel. Beddoe asserts that their culture is new and hiring people who have no past experience with the airline industry is the preeminent option. While being unfamiliar with what to expect, it is easier for a prospective employee to adapt to the corporate culture and become an efficient member of the workforce. WestJet Airlines already provide coaching to their employees so they would become aware of the consequences of decisions they make. Furthermore, when precedents take place, supplementary training was supplied. Therefore, in order to sustain the corporate culture, while expand the industry, it is important that WestJet Airlines continues making additional training and coaching available to their newly hired staff members. A drawback of this alternative might be the waste of the organization’s time and money. The potential employees may seem to perfectly fit the culture of the company but then after being hired they might decide that this is not the kind of job they want to perform. This would be a sunk cost to WestJet. In addition to that, WestJet Airlines could implement a hiring process through which they could verify if a particular individual is well suited for a specific job. WestJet already endows with a special employment process using practical job previews, job simulations, and behavioral interviews for which the prospective employees cannot prepare due to the fact that such interviews test whether the person is presentable and what characteristics of his or her behavior would benefit and satisfy the needs of the company. While hiring more people needed for a fast growing industry, it is recommended that WestJet pays additional attention to the process of employing. Defining whether an individual is a perfect fit for the company determines the future success of the corporation. This option however has a drawback; during a job simulation people might act different than while performing their job due to additional stress and pressure that arises in demanding situations that come with performing specific job duties. Another alternative would be stopping or slowing the expansion down. Keeping the same size of the company would prevent the culture from being petered out. Nonetheless, different problems might arise, such as higher competition. Other airlines that base their success on various aspects other than culture grow constantly gaining a higher market share. Expansion would bring them higher profits that would allow the airlines offer their customers unbeatable ticket prices, loyalty programs, and other numerous deals. Moreover, without implementing the expansion plan, WestJet would not be able to gain higher revenues. Therefore, the corporation would remain in the same position it is now while losing the market share. With time, the WestJet’s guests might switch to their competitors who would offer them better deals and wider travel destination selection. Taking into consideration the alternatives I proposed, the one that would benefit WestJet the most would be offering coaching and training to new employees. It is a great opportunity for both the company and the employees to have a â€Å"fresh start. † No previous experience, no particular habits and tendencies would make it possible for the new staff members to adjust to the corporate culture faster and easier. Obtaining the most qualified individuals with special mannerism and attributes that meet the required criteria for a position at WestJet should be an imperative part of the hiring process. Picking the right employees would guarantee the WestJet’s culture to continue. The employees and the top management would be happy and that would provide a superior communication process. Great communication process means no missed opportunities, faster and efficient issue solving procedure, and leading the company effectively towards its main goal – customer satisfaction. All things considered, WestJet is a very successful company that has a potential to keep growing yet bigger and enhancing its accomplishment. In order to reach to company’s objective, they need to sustain the most important factor leading to its success – happy employees and happy guests. This can only be achieved if the business protracts its corporate culture. With the purpose of doing so, it is recommended that WestJet implements the training and coaching strategy when hiring new staff members and makes sure that the individuals the hire fit the company’s beliefs and values. As soon as they reach that goal, the process of expansion should not have any effect on the success of the company.

Reyes Surname Meaning and Origin

Reyes Surname Meaning and Origin The surname Reyes was often bestowed as a nickname for a man who carried himself in a regal, or kingly, fashion, from the Old French  rey, meaning king. It could also have applied to one who plays the part of a king in a pageant (such pageants were popular in the 13th century) or someone who works in the kings house. Another possible origin is as a topographical surname for someone who  lived at a rea, a piece of hard ground within a marsh.   Reyes is the 19th most popular Hispanic surname and the 81st most popular surname in the United States. Reis is the Portuguese spelling of this surname. Also similar in origin to the German Reich, Dutch Rijk, and English ​King. Surname Origin:  Spanish Alternate Surname Spellings:  REYEZ, REIES, REIS   Famous People with the Surname Reyes Lucila J. Sarsines Reyes - Peruvian performerTurgut  Reis -  Ottoman admiral and privateerJohann Philipp Reis - German scientist and inventorRafael Reyes - former president of ColombiaDennys Reyes - Mexican professional baseball pitcher; former MLB pitcher Where Do People With the Reyes Surname Live? The surname distribution data at  Forebears  ranks Reyes as the 226th most common surname in the world, identifying it as most prevalent in Mexico and with the highest density in the Northern Mariana Islands. The Reyes surname is the 6th most common surname in the Dominican Republic, 7th in the Northern Mariana Islands, and 9th in Belize and Honduras. The Reis surname is most prevalent in Brazil, where it ranks 40th, and borne by the highest percentage of individuals based on population in Portugal, where it ranks 33rd. Within Spain, Reyes is found most commonly in the southwestern regions of Andalucia and Extremadura,  according to  WorldNames PublicProfiler.  Ã‚   Genealogy Resources for the Surname Reyes 100 Most Common U.S. Surnames Their MeaningsSmith, Johnson, Williams, Jones, Brown... Are you one of the millions of Americans sporting one of these top 100 common last names from the 2000 census? 100 Most Common Spanish SurnamesHave you ever wondered about your Spanish last name and how it came to be? This article describes common Spanish naming patterns and explores the meaning and origins of 100 common Spanish surnames. How to Research Hispanic HeritageLearn how to get started researching  your Hispanic ancestors, including the basics of family tree research and country-specific organizations, genealogical records, and resources for Spain, Latin America, Mexico, Brazil, the Caribbean and other Spanish speaking countries. Reyes Family Crest - Its Not What You ThinkContrary to what you may hear, there is no such thing as a Reyes family crest or coat of arms for the Reyes surname.  Coats of arms are granted to individuals, not families, and may rightfully be used only by the uninterrupted male-line descendants of the person to whom the coat of arms was originally granted.   REYES Family Genealogy ForumSearch this popular genealogy forum for the Reyes surname to find others who might be researching your ancestors, or post your own Reyes query. FamilySearch - REYES GenealogyAccess over 10 million free historical records and lineage-linked family trees posted for the Reyes surname and its variations on this free genealogy website hosted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. REYES Surname Family Mailing ListsRootsWeb hosts several free mailing lists for researchers of the Reyes surname. DistantCousin.com - REYES Genealogy Family HistoryExplore free databases and genealogy links for the last name Reyes. The Reyes Genealogy and Family Tree PageBrowse family trees and links to genealogical and historical records for individuals with the last name Reyes from the website of Genealogy Today. Sources: Cottle, Basil.  Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967.Dorward, David.  Scottish Surnames. Collins Celtic (Pocket edition), 1998.Fucilla, Joseph.  Our Italian Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 2003.Hanks, Patrick and Flavia Hodges.  A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989.Hanks, Patrick.  Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003.Reaney, P.H.  A Dictionary of English Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1997.Smith, Elsdon C.  American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997.

Types of Criminal Practice Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Types of Criminal Practice - Term Paper Example Violent crime includes robbery, homicide, serial violent crime, assault, and rape. It is named violent as it is conducted by the use of arms, weapons, and force. Some of them have profit as a motive while others involve revenge or fulfillment of a psychological drive. Another commonality to violent crimes is that they include various events and have the potential to leave physical evidence. (Peterson, 1994, p. 89) However, the leftovers of physical evidence are not necessary. Â   Â   Â   Â  Violent crimes may result in lengthy investigations if the assailant is unknown. The investigative process includes gathering, evaluating, and analyzing data and arriving at additional leads or hypothetical conclusions regarding the assailant. Evidentiary documents beyond the crime scene may also be gathered to provide background information on the victim or the alleged perpetrator. These, when analyzed, can provide insights into the persons involved in the crime which may speed the investigative process. Â   Â   Â   Â   Violent crime investigation is often the responsibility of the major crimes section of a police or prosecutor’s office. Investigators or detectives from municipal to federal agencies may be involved in the investigation of violent crime. Violent crime is not limited to be prosecuted at the municipal or county level because of the factors that it upholds can cause the case to be assigned to a multi-jurisdictional task force. Among them is the location of the crime, the potential of the crime to be part of a series of similar crimes committed by the same perpetrators, or the crime’s connection to offenses prosecutable in a different jurisdiction or at a different level of government. Â   Â   Â   Â   Â  Detectives or investigators assigned to violent crime units respond to specific reports of crime which are generated by the victim or witnesses and may be lodged through a patrol officer who has gathered data from the scene of the crime or has made the location of the crime secure while awaiting the arrival of investigators and physical evidence technicians.

Character Analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Character Analysis - Assignment Example The first words spoken by the girl of his dream was also about ‘Araby’, giving the reader the assumption that it will be a mythological place that he can escape from reality and his harsh environment. The story of ‘Araby’ highlights the contradiction between reality and illusion through illustration of the transformation of innocence to the path of realization and disillusionment as a phenomenon that occurs in a child’s boyhood. The protagonist of the story is the matured boy who had once been the innocent boy depicted in the story. The story opens with the lines â€Å"North Richmond Street, being blind, was a quiet street except at the hour when the Christian Brothers' School set the boys free†. Paradoxically, even though they were free from school, even their play did not give them the desired pleasure, for it was an equally dull world, where not even play brought any stimulant for the children. All these descriptions of dullness actually cre ate the backdrop against which the boy takes resort to an imagination larger than life and hence encounters a surprising disillusionment. In â€Å"Araby†, the author focuses on character rather than on plot to expose the ironical evidences present in self-deception. On one hand, "Araby" is a story of a boy’s search for excellence or his dream. The search is in vain but gives way to an inner self-realization and an initial step into manhood. From another facet, the story encompasses a grown up man's experience. While the boy's first hand experience relates to his meet with the first love it is also a portrayal of an unrelenting problem of human life – the incongruity between what one wishes to be or have and what destiny actually has in store for us. This opposition experienced by the boy sets up the theatrical background of a story of first love as narrated by the author who has used some consequential symbolic metaphors and irony to reveal the meaning of the st ory. Symbolic images portray the boy as a lonely individual who is aware of the bleakness of the surroundings – the dullness that he rejects silently to find solace in his world of fantasy. During the first reading, the story might seem to be about the love story or first crush of a young boy who craves to gain the attention of the girl, ‘Mangan’s sister’ whom he adores in his mind - â€Å"Her dress swung as she moved her body, and the soft rope of her hair tossed from side to side† (Joyce, 539). The boy simply cannot get her out of her mind – â€Å"At night in my bedroom and by day in the classroom her image came between me and the page I strove to read.† After the time when the girl speaks to him asking him to visit ‘Araby’, it is as if â€Å"The syllables of the word ‘Araby’ were called to me through the silence in which my soul luxuriated and cast an Eastern enchantment over me† (Joyce, 540). The bo y has now grown up into a man who is already aware of the reality and talks about his childhood innocence that led him to find a strange solace in fantasizing to describe which he says, â€Å"soul luxuriated†. The idea of casting an enchantment somewhat prepares the contrast image that is eventually revealed in the end to make the boy realize the truth about the world where he lived. The presence of the girl’

Mental Health Practice Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 10750 words

Mental Health Practice Development - Essay Example Within the healthcare practice, critical reflection has been highlighted as a significant and important skill in helping to achieve the necessary standards of professionalism among nurses and midwives (NMC, 2004).   It has also become an important approach in increasing the coverage of continuing health education, work-based learning, as well as life-long education (NMC, 2004).   Due to the increased focus on professional practice as well as education, it has become important to evaluate the reflective practice based on more practical applications, in this case, within the mental health setting.   Dewey (1933) from the very start has identified how reflection is a specialised thinking exercise.   It is an act which can come about due to doubt and hesitation relating to a situation or phenomenon.   Such a situation can also trigger inquiry and problem resolution.   Reflective practice veers individuals away from routine actions, instead, prompting more reflective and thoug htful action.   Such conceptualization begins with experience, highlighting how individuals and practitioners learn by doing and also by practice (Dewey, 1933).   In this case, problems are thought out first, hypotheses are formulated and errors are resolved and prevented with the use of plan actions, as well as the testing out of ideas.   It utilises two themes based on the modules completed, with a focus on change management and clinical leadership. The Gibbs reflective model will be used for this critical reflection (Fook and Gardner, 2007). This reflective cycle is useful in making an individual evaluate all the phases on an experience or activity. In this case, the stages of Description, Feelings, Evaluation, Analysis, Conclusion, and Action Plan shall be used as part of this model. This model has been chosen over other models because it includes more detailed elements of the reflective process (Fook and Gardner, 2007). Such details would help me present how I was able to improve my leadership ability through the modules I have gone through. This critical reflective piece demonstrates the application of different theory models of leadership and change. This reflection would also be critical about my actions and decisions in the process of completing this MSc course. An assessment of this experience, with its challenges is a necessary

Choosing between mischel and rotters explaining personality

Choosing between mischel and rotters explaining personality Both Julian Rotter and Walter Mischel proposed the social cognitive approach to personality. Known as social cognitive theorists, Mischel and Rotter suggested that conscious thoughts and emotions determine the difference between people and guide the way they behave (Mischel, 2004). The social cognitive approach is not based on the description of an individuals personality rather than on the principles of human learning. Thus, they believe that our personality is formed through the learning processes such as observation and interaction with the family and others in social situations. From an interactionist point of view, peoples interaction with their environment predicts their behavior. Rotter suggested that changes in personality can occur at any time but the basic unity that it has prevents it from changing as a result of minor experiences. Rotter talked about the law of effect, as such, he believed that the way people act is a determinant of an anticipated goal. According to Rotter, four variables predict human behavior: behavior potential, expectancy, reinforcement value, and the psychological situation. Behaviour potential is the first component of Rotters theory. Behaviour potential refers to the possibility of engaging in a specific act in a particular situation. A person has a choice of behaviour to acquire in a given time and place. The second variable is Expectancy which refers to the a persons expectancy that a given behaviour will lead to a reinforce. Expectancy can either be General or specific. A specific expectancy is the belief that a particular behaviour at a certain time and place will lead to an outcome. General expectancies are the beliefs that anything a person is doing will make a difference. Rotter believed that the combination of the specific and general expectancies lead to reinforcement. The effort a person devote to achieve his goal will be determined by the total expectancy. The third variable is the reinforcement value. Reinforcement value is Rotters conception of motivation. The thing a person wants to attain has high reinforcement value. The constancy of expectancies and situational variables when there is preference of reinforcement shape behaviour. According to Rotter the perception of people known as the internal reinforcement influences behaviour. The fourth variable considered by Rotter is the psychological situation which is in his prediction formula. He believed that peoples interaction with their environment result in their way of behaving. He suggested that different people will interpret the same environment differently. Moreover, Mischels cognitive affective theory does suggest that individuals behaviour is characterized by the beliefs that they learn, expectancies and feelings but along with that he claimed that these particular characteristics make them different from other people. He termed these characteristics as cognitive person variables which shows the dimensions of the difference between people differ (Mischel, 2004, 569). Mischel named some important cognitive person variables that affect a person when adapting to an environment (Shoda and Mischel, 2006) : Encoding strategies are a persons belief about his environment and other people. Unlike the social learning theory, people make use of their cognitive processes to form personal constructs from the external stimuli. The way people encode an event is different which shows their individual differences in personal constructs. Also, Mischel suggested that stimulus can be altered by how people interpret experiences and to what they attend selectively. Expectancies refer to the persons belief of his capacity and what the person expects from his previous behaviour. Affects refer to feelings and emotions. Affective responses emphasize on a persons behaviour is determined by the interaction of peoples cognitive processes with a specific situation. The affective responses are not separable from cognitions and they influence other cognitive-affective units. Goals and values are what the person want to achieve and believe in. Competencies and self-regulatory plans refer to the persons capacity in terms of his thoughts and actions, his ability to engage in goal directed behaviour. As people do not attend to all stimuli in the environment, they selectively create the world in which they live. Also, the self regulatory plans make people to plan and maintain their behaviours. According to Mischel, these cognitive variables as well as the features of the situation have to be identified to predict a persons behaviour in a given situation. Hence, the interaction of the person and situation lead to behaviour. Mischel suggested that only if a person come upon a specific behaviour, then his behaviour will reflect the characteristics he has learned in that particular situation (Kammrath, Mendoza-Denton and Mischel, 2005). Rotters social cognitive theory was based on the locus of control whereas Mischels cognitive affective theory was based on situation versus person variables. Mischels theory was an extension of Rotters social cognitive approach. Just like Rotter believed that peoples reaction to environmental forces are more determined by cognitive factors than immediate reinforcements, Mischel claimed that behaviour is determined by both situation variables (environmental factors: rewards and punishments) and person variables (internal personal factors). The two person variables : expectancies and subjective values in Mischels theory have the same meaning as in Rotters model. As an extension of Rotters social cognitive theory, Mischel added other person variables like competencies, encoding strategies and self regulatory systems and plans. Mischel strongly believed that the interaction of both environmental and personal factors develops behaviour. He claimed that we have to take into account what we know about a particular person and the present situation to predict the latters behaviour. Furthermore, he laid emphasis on how emotions and person variables interacted. He argued that negative emotions like depression affects peoples interpretation of their experiences and expectancies they hold about the future (Mischel and Shoda, 1995, p.498). Also, Mischel suggested that emotion variables just like cognition depend on how people interpret and label their experiences. The cognitive-affective personality system proposed the consistency paradox which refer to the variability across situations and stability in a persons behaviour. Mischel believed that variations in the behaviour pattern is neither caused by random error nor the situation alone. He rather believed that these variations in behaviour patterns predict behaviour that mirror stable patterns of variation within a person. Mischel and Shoda (1995) devised the Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦then framework which they believe can conceptualise the variations in behaviour. The relationship of the ifà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦then in this framework is as such: If A, then X; but if B, then Y. A and B are taken as situations in which the individual is in and X and Y are the ways people behave as a result of the situations they are facing. For example if Mark is provoked by his wife (situation A), then he will react with aggression (X). if changes and so, then also changes. In the first situation If Mark is being provoked by his wife (situation A), he will react aggressively (X). In a second situation (B), if Mark is being provoked by his boss then he will obey with submission (reaction Y). In these two situations we can see that Marks behavior is inconsistent, but Mischel and Shoda believed that being provoked by two different persons is not the same stimulus. Instead, they suggested that Marks behavior reflects a stable behavior pattern. Thus this framework claimed that the way people react to situations depend on cognitions( for example : perceptions, illusions) and affective (for example feelings) related with them. Mischel and Shoda (1995) proposed a second example where two persons are qualified as irritable but their irritability is caused differently. In the example he said that 2 persons are irritable: Person 1 likes to be the center of attention and likes interaction with others. Thus, Person 1 gets irritable when no one pays attention to him/her. Person 2 likes to be alone and gets irritable when people start to relate their lives. In addition to, there are two situations: Situation A reflects no interaction among people (e.g. Business meeting), It is just a boring situation. In situation B, such interactions are mostly frequent (e.g. parties). Therefore, based on ifà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Then Framework, Person 1 will feel irritated in situation A and not B, whereas Person 2 will feel irritated in situation B and not A. The Ifà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦then framework is based on the Behavioral Signature of Personality. The Behavioural Signature of Personality is the variation in an individuals behaviour in specific situations. In the example of Mark; his Behavioral Signature of Personality is his consistent manner to vary his behavior across situations; that is he will not react aggressively in all situations (Feist, 2004). M ischel took traits into consideration and contend that some basic traits are persistent over time. Mischel himself argued that the idea of consistency of personality across situations is not right. Mischel and Peake (1982) examined the consistency of conscientiousness and friendliness in college students. The result was that students responded inconsistently across situations. Mischels social cognitive theory maintains that peoples behavior is specific to the context of the situation. For example, somebody can be honest at work but can cheat on taxes. This approach does not predict depends that behavior will be consistent across situations. Behavior depends mainly on the consequences of the actions (such as rewards). However, according to Mischel, consistency can occur when the same behavior is reinforced in a variety of situations or if a person is unable to discriminate among situations. For Mischel traits can be useful as they provide summaries of multiple behavioral observation s and as such have descriptive usefulness. Traits affect behavior differently in different situations under certain conditions. For example, the trait of aggression will be apparent only under circumstances like when a person feels frustrated or angry. People with the trait aggressiveness act differently from those who are low in this trait. Moreover, Mischels theory considers the prior experiences in life. The prior experience play a role in situational context. Thoughts and emotions activated by a particular situation are the results of prior experiences with the particular situations. Therefore, situational variables as well as experiences play a role in the occurrence of any behavior. Rotter, on the other hand, attaches great importance to needs of people, as needs indicate the direction of behavior. Mischel talks goals only. Whereas Rotters theory speaks of goals when the focus is on the environment and speaks of needs when the focus is on the person. Rotter and Hochriech (1975) listed six categories of needs: recognition-status, protection-dependency, love and affection and physical comfort. In my own view, Mischels theory is better off than that of Rotters. Mischel even took into consideration the personality traits which he believed account for little of the variance in human behaviour. His aim was to replace traits like sociability or dominance into traits of his own invention. His theory was closely based on the social learning theory of Rotter but he combined the social learning theory with the knowledge about mental processes from cognitive psychology. Mischel with the help of his student, Shoda issued an updated version of his original theory. His new version had five variables instead of four and the new variable was affects, feelings or emotions. The addition of the new variable was due to the research made in 1995 which found that social information and processing and coping behaviour was influenced by affects and emotions (Mischel and Shoda, 1995, p.252). Another aspect which Mischel included in the new version of the theory was the description of personality as a cognitive-affective system. According to his new theory, he claimed that the importance in the five cognitive social learning person variables lie in their simultaneous interaction. Therefore, personality is a stable system that mediates how the individual processes, chooses and constructs social information and produces social behaviours (Mischel and Shoda, 1995). The cognitive affective personality system further claims that a persons behaviour will change based on a particular situation but in a meaningful manner. Mischel and Shoda (1995, 1998, 1999) even devised a framework and suggested that variations in behaviour can be predicted from it and he took into consideration the consistency paradox in explaining peoples behaviour. Moreover, Mischel places his cognitive theory against the traditional trait theory. As such, he argued that his theoretical cognitive person variables are superior to the traits as they express scientific rather than understanding. Unlike Rotter, Mischel and his colleagues believed in the importance of moving from a theoretical perspective of personality out of conceptualizations like irritability to a more scientific conceptualizations like encoding competency. Mischels theory is an advance over the trait approach as well. His person variables focus on the psychological processes in shaping behaviour rather than on the behaviours itself. Another advantage of Mischels theory is that individual differences in behaviour become conceptualized as patterns not as average levels.

The Black Plague :: essays research papers

The Black Plague Then The people of the Crimea were dying from a plague. Believing it was a foreign disease brought to their shores by Italian merchants, the people of the East got back at the Italians by exposing them to the corpses of the victims. Ships arrived from Caffa at the port of Messina, Sicily. A few dying men clung to the oars; the rest lay dead on the decks. Ships carrying the good the Italians wanted now came with the plague. Turned away from Messina, ships traveled on to Genoa and other European ports, making the disease spread to the heart of Europe. The plague came ashore with the surviving sailors and the goods stored in the ship. Florence was the first of the cities of Europe to feel the full force of the epidemic. When it was over between 45,000 and 65,000 Florentines were dead of the plague. People traveled to the countryside to escape what was happing in the cities and the plague traveled with them. People wrote to family members telling them of the spread of the plague and what to expect. Many people fled the cities only to find that the Black Death was already there. In three years time, the plague spread throughout Europe and killed so many people they had no place to bury the people who had died. People blamed the plague on ethnic groups and those people suffered from persecution. Others blamed the plague on foul winds from the east or from earthquakes. In London, when the plague reached there, it killed fifty percent of the people there and the people that remained healthy or survived the Black Death were sure that it was the end of the world. The Black Plague Now We know now that the Black Death is called the Bubonic Plague and is caused by the bacteria Yersinia Pestis . This Bacteria was transmitted by fleas that bit infected rats and then bit humans.

Employee Motivation Essay

Abstract. Employee motivation is the psychological feature that arouses an employee to behave in a certain manner for accomplishing certain organizational goals. Individuals differ in motivation along three parameters viz. self-esteem, need for achievement, and intrinsic motivation. There has been a growing emphasis on employee’s needs rather than just organizational needs, and recognition of the strategic value of employees being developed to their best potential. Organizations have become increasingly aware that the effective development of their employees’ skills and knowledge has benefits for the whole organization. Performance appraisal can be a crucial factor in the setting of career goals and the perception of job satisfaction leading to increased motivation and productivity. The paper examines employee motivation at the workplace. What is Motivation? Motivation is based on emotions. It is the search for positive emotional experiences and the avoidance of negative emotional experiences. Motivation is involved in the performance of all learned responses. It is a behavior that will not occur unless it is triggered. In general, psychologists question whether motivation is a primary or secondary influence on behavior. For example, is the behavior stemmed from personality, emotion perception, and memory or if motivation stems from concepts that are unique. Each year, billions of dollars are spent on motivation courses by large companies. The course involves training in motivation, meetings to boost motivation, incentives to strengthen motivation, meetings to analyze problems in the workplace motivation, tools to measure motivation mission statements, etc. These training sessions also include how to cope with problems in recruitment, productivity and retention, problems of commitment to teams and corporate agendas. Motivation is extremely important to success and to reach personal and business goals that one has set. Ethics Employees must learn to work together towards common goals. Employees must have an understanding of the organization as a whole and how they fit into the organization. They will most likely need training to acquire the knowledge needed for organizational understanding. Once an understanding of the organization and their role in it has been established, the employee with act on the goals set forth. Management must show the employee the need for their being there and for their output and input. The top to bottom role should be fair and there must be a clear code of corporate ethics. There must be communication between all levels, top to bottom, bottom to top. No employee should be left out. Management should ensure that their employees feel secure and they can be trusted and are equals among their peers. Performance should be viewed as a learning experience, not a horrific experience. Appraisals The annual performance review is one of the most feared and fearful processes that leaves employees angry and depressed as opposed to motivated to perform better. Companies have started to look at the appraisal as a more developmental approach to performance evaluation, instead of making the employee feel more insecure about their job performance. By using this technique, it would emphasize on giving employees the skills they need to perform effectively. The goal of a plan such as this would be to achieve goals that have been set by the company and be appraised on how many of those goals they have reached. Goals should be clear and sufficient to motivate employees into action. Business performance will improve by using an effective appraisal system. By defining clear objectives, the employees will be able to focus on the specified task and company goals. Appraisals help the employees feel that their good work is recognized and that they are valued. It also provides an opportunity to discuss concerns and weaknesses that the employee may have and suggestions may be made to find a solution to the problem. Motivation Techniques In order to motivate employees, they must know what is expected of them. Employees must have a clear understanding of challenges and realistic goals that they must meet. Employees that are encouraged to healthy competition ensure that the criteria for successes are clear and do not encourage resentment or low morale. Tough approaches, like firing staff that are not working to their full potential, can motivate other employees to do work better and strive for those goals that have been set. There is no perfect way to motivate staff. Some psychologists hold that financial bonuses or perks will be enough to motivate employees to give their best effort. Competition between employees is also commonly used as a motivation strategy at times. However, the keys to effective employees are motivation strategies that provide a range of incentives that appeal to the different personalities of the employees. While one individual may be driven by money, another may find job satisfaction or creative opportunities more powerful factors. Some company employee motivation techniques suggest that most employees respond to the same incentives. Money is most commonly used to improve motivation, staff retention and ambition. Everyone is different and has their own view about what is important to their life. For this reason, there are steps that can be used to motivate employees by doing things that they value and mean doing the right thing. They are as follows: Find the right job for the right person Empower Employees Co-operation vs. Competition Involve employees in company development When staff feel secure and nurtured in their work environment they perform  better. These steps help employees feel secure in their environment: Praise and recognition of the employee’s successes as much as you constructively criticize them. Let employees be aware of their job security. Be a Leader to staff. Create a comfortable working environment. Treat employees fairly. Mangers are responsible for overseeing employees who are engaged in work or learning tasks. Managers must be aware that some employees participate more out of interest in the task than others are. Others gain their satisfaction principally out the way in which their performance on the task leads to rewards like pay or status. But typically there is a mixture of motives for which a range of different incentives is relevant. Most employees will find at least some satisfaction in simply doing the work. The balance of these intrinsic and extrinsic sources of satisfaction varies from one person to another and between different situations. Some people indeed are highly motivated by both intrinsic interest and extrinsic rewards. Extrinsic and intrinsic motivation Most employees understand intrinsic satisfaction or intrinsic motivation, when an activity is satisfying or pleasurable in and of itself. These activities are things employees like and want to do. For most people, intrinsically enjoyable activities are things like eating, resting, laughing, playing games, winning, creating, seeing and hearing beautiful things and people, and so on. To do these things people do not need to be paid, applauded, cheered, thanked, respected, or anything. They do them for the good feelings that are automatically and naturally received from the activity. Intrinsic rewards also involve pleasurable internal feelings or  thoughts, like feeling proud or having a sense of mastery following studying hard and succeeding in a class. Many, maybe most, activities are not intrinsically satisfying enough to get most of people to do them consistently, so extrinsic motivation needs to be applied in the form of rewards, incentives, or as a way to avoid some unpleasant condition. There are many activities that are intrinsically satisfying to some people but not to other people. This diversity suggests that past experiences can have a powerful influence on determining what is intrinsically satisfying to an individual. In many activities, intrinsically satisfying aspects combine with extrinsic pay offs. For example, employees and people in general, intrinsically enjoy conversing and, at the same time, they get attention, praise, support and useful information. In this case where intrinsic and extrinsic motivations are mixed, one might suppose that over a period of time the accompanying extrinsic reinforcements gradually increase our intrinsic enjoyment of the activity and perhaps vice versa. Extrinsic Motivation Extrinsic Motivation comes from without, such as money, titles, honors, trophies or a date. Extrinsic motivation has been found to destroy intrinsic motivation. Presently there is a movement to eliminate extrinsic motivation from schools, hospitals, and government. Extrinsic Motivation can be based on the phrase, â€Å"Do this, and get this.† Methods of Extrinsic Motivation are sometimes controversial. Some argue that employees view their work as a form of punishment and the paycheck is their reward. Extrinsic rewards tend to focus attention more narrowly and to shorten time perspectives, which may result in more efficient production of predefined or standardized products. Job satisfaction and long term commitment to a task may also be affected. Management first thinks about rewarding employees with money as an effective reward. Unfortunately, money will not always motivate employees to perform better or stay with the company longer. Not everyone thinks money makes the  world go round. Intrinsic Motivation Intrinsic motivation is the satisfaction in which the rewards come from carrying out an activity rather from a result of the activity. Employees that are intrinsically motivated tend to be more aware of a wide range of phenomena, while giving careful attention to complexities, inconsistencies, novel events and unexpected possibilities. They need time and freedom to make choices, to gather and process information, and have an appreciation of well finished and integrated products, all of which may lead to a greater depth of learning and more creative output. Intrinsic Motivation is the outcome of a work situation that employees enjoy. It comes from inside of the employee. Employees feel that they are in charge and that they have the opportunity to acquire new skills and abilities to match a different challenge. Employees also feel that they are a part of a successful team. When rewards, such as praise, are based on performance standards that imply one is doing well and performing competently, then the intrinsic interest increases. People like to be told they are doing well. Intrinsic Motivation is an emotional preference that gives pleasure and enjoyment. It stems from a strong emotional interest in an activity. It can be classified as a sense of freedom. Theories. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Abraham Maslow is considered as the father of Humanistic Psychology. Humanistic Psychology incorporates both Behavioral and Psychoanalytical Psychology. Maslow, although he studied both types of Psychology, he rejected the idea that human behavior is controlled by only internal and external factor. Maslow, instead, based his Motivation Theory on the basis that â€Å"man’s behavior is controlled by both internal and external factors.† (pp. ) He also emphasized that humans have the ability to make choices and  exercise free will. Maslow collected data for his theories by studying individuals with an outstanding presence. His studies led him to believe that certain people have needs which are unchanging and genetic. Some needs are more basic than others are and others are more powerful than others are. As these needs are satisfied, new needs are created and other needs emerge. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is as follows: Basic Needs: Physiological; The need for sleep and rest, food, drink, shelter, sex, and oxygen. Safety; The need to be safe from harm. The need for a predictable world with consistency. The need for fairness, routine, and a sense of stability and security. Growth Needs Love and Belonging: The need for love and affectionate relationships, belonging to a group, and caring. Esteem (two components): Self-respect: The desire for confidence, competence, adequacy, achievement, and mastery. Respect of others: The desire for acceptance, recognition, reputation, appreciation, status, and prestige. Understanding and Knowledge: The needs to satisfy curiosity, explore, discover, find solutions, look for relationships and meaning, and seek intellectual challenges. Aesthetics: The need for beauty in surroundings. Self-actualization: The need for growth, development and utilization of potential, becoming all that one can be; self-fulfillment. McGregor’s X and Y Theories Two theories of human behavior at work were developed by Douglas McGregor. Theory X and Theory Y. McGregor did not indicate that workers would be type X or type Y. He saw the two types as extremes, with various possible behaviors in between. Theory X workers would be described an individuals who dislike work and avoid work when possible. They also lack ambition and do not like responsibility and prefer to be followers instead of leaders. These individuals also have a desire for feeling secure. Theory Y workers are individuals that could be characterized as individuals who did not dislike work and are considered responsible. These workers consider work as play or a rest time. For Theory Y workers, management would need to challenge the individual and create a working environment where they can show and develop their creativity. With Theory X, receiving rewards motivates the individuals. Keller’s ARCS Theory of Motivation John M. Keller designed four conditions for an employee to be motivated. Attention, relevance, confidence, and satisfaction (ARCS) are these conditions that when an employee uses them, they will become more motivated to do their tasks and reach goals set by themselves or others. Keller suggests that ARCS must happen in sequence. By following the ARCS order, it will keep the employee interested in the topic. If it were to lose its sequential order, then interest will be lost and motivation would not take  place. This motivation theory argues that events that fulfill personal needs or goals will enhance performance and effort put forth by the employee. Each of Keller’s conditions build upon the next condition. The management should keep these conditions in mind when designing goals and assigning tasks. The Conditions set by Keller are as follows: Attention: The first and single most important aspect of the ARCS model. It is gaining and keeping the employees attention. Keller’s strategies for attention include sensory stimuli, question provocation, and variability. Relevance: Attention and motivation will not be maintained unless the employee believes the training is relevant. The training program should answer the critical question, â€Å"What’s in it for me?† Benefits should be clearly stated. For a sales training program, the benefit might be to help representatives increase their sales and personal commissions. For a safety-training program, the benefit might be to reduce the number of workers getting hurt. For a software-training program, the benefit to users could be to make them more productive or reduce their frustration with an application. Confidence: The confidence aspect is required so that the employee feels that they should put a good faith effort into the organization. If they think they are incapable of achieving the objectives or that it will take too much time or effort, their motivation will decrease. In technology-based training programs, employees should be given estimates of the time required to complete the task or a measure of their progress through the program. Satisfaction: The last is Satisfaction. The employee must obtain some type of satisfaction or reward for achieving the goal or finishing a task. This can be in the form of praise from a supervisor, a raise, or a promotion. If managers are to use this Theory of Motivation, they must address adequate  examples and/or choices for their employees to be available to complete the task or reach a goal. Some employees may be active learners and enjoy experimentation. Some employees may be reflective learners and are more in tune with observing and lectures. These styles must be taken into consideration in order for the employee to feel motivated and be able to help the organization. There are currently thousands of articles on employee motivation research that has evolved from the early work of Maslow, Keller and McGregor. The application of these theories into new communication situations, like the Internet, will be an important contribution for generations to come. Benefits of Motivation Employees It is important that employees are motivated to work hard and increase productivity. Yet some workers are not reaching their full potential. Managers need to be proactive and start or improve existing motivation programs. Employees are aware of what their employers are or aren’t doing to recognize their efforts. The time it takes to set up a program is minimal, program administration is easy and efficient with automated program tracking and reporting. The end result is a program tailored specifically to the needs of the company. To develop a successful motivation program that benefits a company the following suggestions may be helpful: Specific goals that provide a strong sense of motivation and are expected to be obtained. Equity for all participants. Employees perceiving inequity may lower productivity. High perceived value so the participant becomes emotionally involved in obtaining the goal. Employee involvement during the development of the program and timely feedback to employees continuing throughout the program. Employee motivation is the responsibility of the company and its managers. The company must create a workplace that is full of culture and high achievers in order for the business to improve. Recognition, appreciation and rewards are crucial to employee motivation. A pat on the back or a mention of thanks can literally move mountains. Productivity rises for employees that are rewarded for the work they do. A company’s reputation and productivity increases with employees that feel appreciated. Recognition keeps communication open. It is important to keep communication alive with staff. By opening the lines of communication and staying in touch with the employees it will keep you in touch with their needs and desires. Create an atmosphere of cooperation, and give credit where credit is due. In return, the company will have employees that will go the extra hundred miles, and the returns will be tenfold. When an employee is passionate about their involvement and contributions, there will be no limit to the success that can be achieved. Bibliography Pandy, Wayne. (2001) Safety Incentives & Recognition. Creating an Achievement Based Safety Culture. Retrieved September 18, 2004 from http://siri.uvm.edu/ppt/csseincentive/sld030.htm Captain Webb, Bob. (2001) Developing productive skills through self-discovery. Retrieved September 18, 2004 from http://www.motivation-tools.com/ Accel Team. (2004) Motivation. Retrieved from http://www.accel- team.com/motivation/index.html Accel Team. (2004) Theorists and their Theories. Retrieved from http://www.accel- team.com/motivation/theory_01.html Carnegie, Dale. (1981). How to Win Friends & Influence People; Be a Leader: How to Change People Without Giving Offense or Arousing Resentment (pp. 205-243). New York, NY: Pocket Books. Faculty of Information Studies. (1995) Motivation Theories. University of Toronto Retrieved from http://choo.fis.utoronto.ca/FIS/Courses/LIS1230/LIS1230sharma/motive1.htm

Health Insurance Matrix Essay

Origin: When was the model first used? What kind of payment system is used, such as prospective, retrospective, or concurrent? Who pays for care? What is the access structure, such as gatekeeper, open-access, and so forth? How does the model affect patients? Include pros and cons. How does the model affect providers? Include pros and cons. Indemnity In 1932 the American Medical Association (AMA) adopted a strong position against prepaid group practices, favoring instead indemnity-type insurance that protects the policyholder from expenses by reimbursement (Jones & Bartlett, 2007). As one of the first health policies in the U.S., indemnity plans are considered traditional health plans. Indemnity insurance plans have three options. Two of them are reimbursement plans (Howell, R., 2014). One typically covers 80 percent while the patient covers 20. The other option covers 100 percent. The third option pays the insured a certain amount each day for a maximum number of days. Indemnity plans are fee-for-service plans (retrospective). With an indemnity plan the patient pays for care. Afterwards the patient must submit a claim in order to be reimbursed. Indemnity plans are non-network based plans with open-access. This gives insured individuals flexibility when choosing doctors, hospitals, and health care facilities. No primary care physician (PCP) is necessary. No referrals are needed. Indemnity plans provide patients with flexibility and control over their medical care. No PCP must be selected. No referrals are needed to obtain services. The drawback however, is that patients must submit claims in order to receive reimbursement for services. This can take time. Indemnity plans  only reimburse services covered by the insurer. Services not covered will require full payment from the patient. Providers can require the costs for services up front to guarantee they are getting what they charge. Providers are not required to help patients with the necessary paperwork needed for reimbursement. This potentially saves providers time and resources if they decide to ask for funds in full before service. The drawback to indemnity plans is that patients may not have all the funds required to front the bill. Expensive services can detour patients from seeking care. Consumer-directed health plan Consumer-directed health plans (CDHP) were the result of public backlash against managed care and the rise in health care expenditures (Bundorf,K. M., 2012). CDHP’s were first introduced in the late 1990s. CDHP’s aim to control costs by putting responsibility for health care decisions into the hands of patients. Patients with a CDHP are required to pay for medical services in a fee-for-service type payment plan (retrospective). Patients pay for costs out of pocket until a maximum out-of-pocket limit is met. The insurance company covers additional costs after the maximum limit is reached. The insurer fully reimburses the medical provider. Unless a claim is submitted (AET), in which case only a portion is reimbursed. With a CDHP the patient is required to pay 100 percent of the pharmaceutical and medical expenses. Once the yearly deductible is met, the patient will is only required to cover a certain percentage of costs. The percentage varies depending on the provider. Of course, there are plans that cover 100 percent of their in-network costs. Patients with a CDHP gain access to a network of providers that their insurance company contracts with. The patient is not required to choose a primary care physician, and is not required to obtain a referral to see a specialist for medical care (Aetna, 2012). CDHP’s offer increased consumer control over health care dollars (Furlow, E., n.d.). Patients have better support tools (online, phone). They also have more power to make decisions. Alternatively, increased decision making  ability allows patients to forgo care. This can delay diagnosis and treatment. Ultimately, reducing the effectiveness of the plan altogether. Potential for higher payment amounts at time of service. Alternatively, there is a potential for greater debt amounts. Larger debts will make it necessary for health care providers to be more aggressive for collections. Providers will also encounter increased staff costs in order to follow-up with patients in advance of treatment, as well as in subsequent collection efforts (Fifth Third Bank, 2008). Point-of-service HealthPartners of Minneapolis pioneered point-of-service (POS) plans in 1961, but the concept took 25 years to get off the starting blocks (Dimmit, B., 1996). In 1986 CIGNA Healthcare launched Flexcare, the first POS plan. By 1995 forty percent of employers with at least 200 employees offered POS plans. Providers within a point-of-service network are usually paid a capitated fee. The fee is fixed and does not alter regardless of services rendered. POS plans operate using a prospective payment system. Insurance companies reimburse providers an agreed amount that is decided before a patient receives services. Patients are responsible for paying a co-payment when visiting a doctor. After the patient is seen, the provider submits claim forms to the insurer for the services rendered. Once the claims are processed the insurer will reimburse the provider (Austin & Wetle, 2012). If a patient goes out-of-network, they are required to pay the provider in full. Afterwards the patient can submit a claim for reimbursement. Point-of-service insurance plans utilize gatekeepers. This is the primary care physician for the insured individual. Patients are not required to obtain referrals from their primary care physician to seek medical care services from an out-of-network provider. Although it is recommended. If a patient goes out-of-network they’ll typically have to pay the majority of costs. Unless the primary care provider makes a referral to an out-of-network provider, in which case, the medical plan will pick up the tab (Small Business Majority, n.d.). Patients can easily go out of network. They have geographic flexibility that allows them to access doctors virtually anywhere. Compared to an HMO, patients have more choices. On the other hand, deductibles can be costly (Gustke, C., 2013). Provider’s in-network require a small copay. Out-of-network providers require patients to appease a high deductible. POS’s might not be worth it if you never use out-of-network providers. Out-of-network care requires patients to submit their own claims. Reimbursement can takes months to recover. POS’s are very similar to HMO’s and PPO’s. POS plans may have restrictive guidelines for health care providers. Some POS plans require the use of a primary care physician (PCP). PCP’s are responsible for routine care, all referrals, obtaining precertification for in-network services, and filling out paperwork for in-network care. Preferred provider organizations Preferred provider organizations (PPO) originated in the 1970’s. PPO’s were created from the rules of fee-for-service care. PPO’s steer employees to cooperating doctors and hospitals that have agreed to a predetermined plan for keeping costs down (Kiplinger, 2014). PPO’s negotiate a contract with providers, specialists, hospitals, and pharmacies to create a unified network. The providers within the network agree on a set rate to provide health care services at a lower rate than they normally charge for services (Kiplinger, 2014). PPO’s use a prospective and retrospective system. This is to ensure that the provider is only doing medically necessary tests and treatments for the injury being claimed, rather than trying to gain a larger reimbursement. With a PPO the insured pay a deductible to the insurer. After the deductible is paid, the insurer then covers any additional medical expenses incurred. Preventative care services are not subject to the deductible (Kiplinger, 2014). Some patients are required to make co-payments for certain services, or are required to cover a percentage of the total cost for medical services  rendered. PPOs are open-access plans. PPOs allow patients to seek medical care with any provider, whether in-network or out-of-network. Patients are not required to obtain a referral, they are also not required to select a primary care physician. Patients with a PPO plan have the freedom to choose almost any medical provider or facility they want for their medical services. If a patient seeks medical care within their network, their costs will be relatively low. Patients are not required to choose a primary care physician. They are also not required to go through their primary care physician to see a specialist if said specialist is in the PPO network. On the other hand, when a patient receives care from a provider outside of their PPO network, costs can be higher and sometimes not covered at all. For in-network providers, PPO’s guarantee a large amount of patients. Most patients would rather receive care in-network opposed to paying more for out-of-network. The prospect of a larger amount of patients enrolled in the PPO can generate more income for the provider. On the other hand a provider can lose money if they are not fully reimbursed for medical services rendered, because they are not paid a capitated fee. Health savings account Health savings accounts (HSA) were signed into law in December 2003. HSA’s were created by a provision of the Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement and Modernization Act (Stevens, S., 2005). HSA’s are used in conjunction with high-deductible insurance plans to help offset the costs of medical expenses. Health savings accounts use a fee-for-service type payment plan (retrospective). When a patient receives medical care they are responsible for paying for the medical services. Once their high deductible insurance maximum is met, the insurance company will then cover any additional medical expenses. With a HSA the patient is responsible for medical expenses. Since the patient is required to have a high-deductible insurance plan in order to qualify for a health savings account, their own personal money is used to pay for the coverage. On average a high deductible begins around $1,100 for individuals  and $2,200 for family plans. Money inside of an HSA is used to pay for expenses. This money is tax free and can be used to cover many other additional qualified medical services. Health savings account plans are open-access. The patient has the freedom to choose their medical provider and facilities are their own discretion. Referrals are not required and there are no networks from which a patient must choose from. Patients with a HSA have the freedom to manage their accounts and finances themselves. Patients control how money is spent, and have the freedom to choose their place of care. Any money deposited into a HSA is theirs, even if an employer contributes to it. The patient is not required to pay taxes on any money that is in their HSA, or any money used on qualified medical expenses. Potential disadvantages for patients include unpredictability of illness and budget. If money withdrawn from the HSA is used for nonmedical expenses it will be taxed. Fines can also occur. A high deductible can be difficult for some to afford. Providers benefit from direct payments received from patients. Eliminating the middle man saves time and resources. On the other han d, this makes patients more consciousness about the services they use. Some patients may opt out of treatment to avoid expense. References Austin, A. & Wetle. V. (2012) The United States Health Care System, Combining Business, Health, and Delivery. (2nd ed.) Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education Barsukiewicz, C.K., Raffel, M.W., & Raffel, N. K. (2010) The U.S. Health System: Origins and Functions. (6th ed.) Mason, OH: Cengage Learning Bundorf, K. M. (2012) Consumer-Directed Health Plans: Do They Deliver? Retrieved from http://www.rwjf.org/content/dam/farm/reports/reports/2012/rwjf402405 Aetna. (2012). Summary of Benefits and Coverage. Retrieved from http://www.aetna.com/health-reform-connection/documents/SBC-Plansponsorflyer-Self-funded.pdf Furlow, E. (n.d.) Exploring Consumer-Directed Health Care. Retrieved from https://www.ciab.com/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=318 Fifth Third Bank. (2008). The Impact of Consumer-Directed Health Care on Providers. Retrieved from https://www.53.com/doc/cm/rc-cdh-provider-impact-10012008.pdf Stevens, S. (2005). Pros and Cons of Health Savings Accounts. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/feeds/mstar/2004/04/08/mstar1_11_14978_132.html Kiplinger. (2014) What to Know About Preferred-Provider Organizations. Retrieved from http://www.kiplinger.com/article/insurance/T027-C000-S001-preferred-provider-organizations.html Dimmitt, B. (1996). Can Point-of-Service Go The Distance? Retrieved from http://av4kc7fg4g.search.serialssolutions.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/?ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&ctx_enc=info%3Aofi%2Fenc%3AUTF-8&rfr_id=info:sid/summon.serialssolutions.com&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:journal&rft.genre=article&rft.atitle=Can+point-of-service+go+the+distance%3F&rft.jtitle=Business+and+Health&rft.au=Dimmitt%2C+Barbara&rft.date=1996-08-01&rft.pub=Medical+Economics+Inc&rft.issn=0739-9413&rft.volume=14&rft.issue=8&rft.spage=42&rft.externalDocID=10005483 ¶mdict=en-US Small Business Majority. (n.d.) Group Coverage Options. Retrieved from http://healthcoverageguide.org/part-one/group-coverage-options/#Point-of-Service+Plans+%28POS%29 Gutske, C. (2013) Pros and Cons of Health Insurance POS Plans. Retrieved from http://www.bankrate.com/finance/insurance/pros-cons-health-insurance-pos-plans.aspx