(Continuous Uncertainty) Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

(Continuous Uncertainty) - Assignment Example However, some idealistic assumptions with some faith are also incorporated while formulating forecasted cash flows as the future is unpredictable and things can move onto the right desired track as well. In the current Dhahran Roads project, while formulating the assumptions, special care has been taken in respect of the assumptions on which the cash flows are forecasted. However, in the following paragraphs, the rationales for setting out these assumptions are outlined. Negotiations with the Transportation Ministry of the municipality of Dhahran have been finalized. According to the terms and conditions set out with the Ministry, 80% of the billing amount would be paid by the ministry as soon as the bill received by the ministry. So the element of potential delay in the payment schedule is kept minimized. Still there is a risk involved if delays come across in the payments made by the government resulting in adverse movement in the forecasted Net Present Value. So far as likelihood of overrun cost is concerned, it has been assured that the best possible estimates of overheads and other expenses are maintained. Since there seems to be â€Å"no unusual challenges† to be faced during the project life, therefore the possibility of cost overrun will likely to be at its minimum. Loss of retention looks to be one of the most critical assumption as there is exactly no surety whether the accumulated retention fund payments would be made at the end of 1997 and 1998 respectively into two equal installments by the ministry or not. The reason behind this uncertainty is that after the completion of the project, if the ministry is not satisfied with quality of project, this accumulated retention fund can be revoked by the ministry. This is kind of a negative reinforcement measure that can be taken against SADE in order to maintain the minimum requirement for quality assurance of the project. In case if the loss of retention arises, it would certainly

Globalisation and Free

Globalisation and Free Trade Essay Globalisation, also referred to as global integration is an important economic concept used to understand the economic, structural, political and cultural changes that have occurred in the world today. Globalisation is argued to have shaped the post-war world. Globalisation can be defined as the increase of interconnectedness between countries through international trade. The reduced policy barriers to trade and investment in the public sector and the reduced communication and transportation costs in the private sector are believed to be the main driving force behind globalisation (Frankel, 2006). Due to globalisation, the concept of free trade operates. Free trade is a policy where countries are able to trade freely with each other as there are no tariffs applied to imports and no quotas or subsidies applied to exports. According to the law of comparative advantage, the free trade policy allows both countries to gain mutually from trade – increasing economic growth. The increase in inequality and job losses which is occurring around the world is argued to be as a result of global logic of competitive profit-making management techniques of outsourcing and corporate migrations, atomisation, downsizing and widespread technological progress which all came about as a result of globalisation and free trade (Ukpere and Slabbert, 2007) Due to some consequences of globalisation, movements were formed against it (Krugman et al, 2012). The anti-globalisation movements argue that although globalisation increases the overall income of a country however the benefits are not equally distributed between the citizens. This widens income disparities which brings up social and welfare issues and could also limit the forces which drive economic growth as opportunities brought about as a result of globalisation may not be fully taken advantage of. Maintaining citizens support is important in order to sustain globalisation, however support shown by citizens could largely be influenced by the rising level of inequality (Subir Lall et al, 2012). The Ricardian Model of comparative advantage states that goods are produced competitively using one factor of production; labour, utilising constant-returns-to-scale technologies that vary across countries and goods (Deardorff,2007) . The Ricardian model puts forward that countries would export the good in which they have comparative advantage which is determined by opportunity cost, labour cost and labour productivity. A country has a comparative advantage in the production of a good if the opportunity cost of producing that good in terms of other goods is lower in that country than it is in other countries (Krugman et al, 2012). The Ricardian model illustrates a world with two countries, A and B which both utilise a single factor of production labour in producing good X and Y respectively. Assuming country A has comparative advantage in producing good X, then country A should specialise in the production of good X and would export it to country B. Since it is more cost effective for country B to import good X , Production of good X would decline in country B leading to a reduction in the demand for labour. As a result workers would lose their jobs leaving them with less disposable income – increasing inequality. As a result of globalisation, the cost of communication between countries is low, reducing the cost of controlling the geographically dispersed parts of an organisation. This allows organisations identify countries which have low production costs and set up branches in such countries in order to exploit the low production costs. This is referred to as outsourcing. Through this fragmentation of industry, the host countries are able to pursue their comparative advantage and maximise the use of their resources. However due to outsourcing, the movement of production to the host country causes people in the foreign country to be laid off their jobs as there is a decline in the demand for labour, increasing job losses and also the inequality gap. The factor-proportions theory stresses the importance of the interaction between the proportions of the factors of production that are utilised by countries in production and the proportion of the factors of production the country possesses (Krugman et al, 2012). The Hecksher- Ohlin model is a version of the factor-proportions theory . The model assumes that the country that is abundant in a factor exports the good whose production is intensive in that factor and can be referred to as â€Å"2 by 2 by 2†: Two factors of production, two goods, two countries (Krugman et al, 2012). Assuming we have two countries, country A and B which utilise two factors of production; labour and land to produce goods X(labour intensive) and Y(land intensive) respectively. The Hecksher-Ohlin model states that If country A has abundance of Labour and country B has abundance of land then country A would be effective in the production of good X and country B would be effective in the production of good Y. The Hecksher-Ohlin model purports that owners of abundant factors benefit from international trade and owners of scarce factor would lose from trade. Owners of the scarce factor would then be forced to lay off some workers – leading to disparities in the distribution of income which increases inequality (Krugman et al, 2012). The Stopler- Samuelson theory describes an interaction between relative factor rewards and the relative prices of goods. The theory purports that under some economic conditions (perfect competition, constant returns, equal number of goods produced to equal number of factors) the rise in market price of a good would result in an rise in the return to that factor that is most intensively utilised in producing that good whereas a reduction in the return to the other factor occurs. Due to free trade, there are reduced tariffs on imports and as a result, there is a decrease in the price of imported goods that are high skill-intensive reducing compensation of limited high-skilled workers. Also, there in as increase in the price of exported goods which the country has abundant factor, that are low skill-intensive and the compensation of low-skilled workers. In a developed country with relatively abundant high-skill factors the opposite would occur with a rise in openness resulting in higher inequality. Inequality is argued to be rising amongst countries. The differences between the global poor and global rich continues to increase (Haines, 2001). The income share of the richest quintile is increasing whilst the income share of the rest of the quintiles is decreasing. Although globalisation is argued to be largely responsible for the increase in job losses and inequality, we can also argue that technological progress has contributed to some extent. Technological progress is responsible for the increasing gap between the skilled and unskilled workforce as it puts greater importance on worker skills. As a result of this, in most countries skilled workers are paid significantly higher wages than unskilled workers as a result leading to differences in income distribution. Also, in most households nowadays, we’ll find that most people use telephones and computers, making it possible for individuals to purchase a wide range of goods and services from a global supply chain. Countries that sell goods and services at a lower price compared to other countries tend to have comparative advantage in producing the good according to the Ricardian Model. As individuals we tend to then purchase goods from the country which sells it at the lowest price when compared to other countries. These current patterns have led to a large section of the labour market withering away, increasing inequality and job losses amongst countries (Martin and Schumann, 1997). Samuelson (2004) indicated that using the Ricardian model, with two goods and two countries with different levels of productivity, technological progress in the lagging country would benefit the latter and the more developed country would end up losing from international trade. This reduces the mutual benefits from international trade – increasing inequality. In order to decrease the rising inequality and job losses the government should make providing easy and free access to education a matter of high importance. This gives unskilled and low income groups an opportunity to take advantage of opportunities which arise from globalisation as a result they would be able to lessen the disparities in income distribution and have more job opportunities (Subir Lall et al, 2012). Globalisation is believed to have significantly contributed to the increase in the overall wealth amongst countries however it has a disequalizing effect as access to wealth between the rich and poor segments of the population is unequal. Government should put in place policy reforms which are aimed at opening up access to finance, developing institutions that encourage lending to the low income groups in order to enhance the general distribution of income, which in turn helps to support the overall growth of the economy.

Health Improvement And Innovation Health And Social Care Essay

Health Improvement And Innovation Health And Social Care Essay In the past the health service has been overly focused on commissioning for price and volume rather than quality and outcome. There was too much emphasis on treating illness rather than its prevention. Health inequalities have also been worsening and in England the rich can still expect to live for longer than the poor. Now is a new era for public health. The government is committed to closing the gap between the most advantaged and the least advantaged parts of society (GBDH, 2010a; GBDH, 2010b; GBDH 2010c; GBDH, 2010d). Health needs assessment (HNA) is a vital tool in this process because it targets services and support towards the most disadvantaged. It is a method for examining the health needs of a population leading to agreed priorities and resource allocation in order to improve public health (Hooper and Longworth, 1998). The purpose of this assignment is to undertake an HNA for the community that I currently work in as part of my Specialist Community Public Health Nurse (SCPHN) qualification in health visiting. In fact HNA is a standard of proficiency in order to gain professional registration (NMC, 2004). Recent evidence has increasingly demonstrated that the first few years of life greatly influence future health, wealth and happiness (Tickle, 2011; Field, 2010; Marmot, 2010). The involvement of health visitors during this period is vital as they are experts in public health. The Health Visitor Implementation Plan (2011) aims to expand the health visiting service with an extra 4,200 health visitors to be in post by 2015. This will support the Governments commitment to improve health outcomes by developing an understanding of the health needs of children, families and communities enabling the commission of services that are based on need. The five-step approach to HNA developed by Cavanagh and Chadwick (HDA, 2005) will be used as a framework for this assignment because it is simple, robust, flexible, and has been tested over several years. This five step process is based on the model outlined by Hooper and Longworth (2002). Due to time constraints and lack of resources only steps one to three of the five steps of HNA will be undertaken: step 1 (my community), step 2 (identifying health priorities) and step 3 (assessing a health priority for action). All of the data used within this assignment is within the public domain however effort has been made to protect identity. Step 1 My Community According to Cavanagh and Chadwick (2005) the community for HNA can be identified as those sharing: a geographic location like a housing estate; a setting such as a school, prison or workplace; a social experience like ethnicity or sexuality; or an experience of a particular condition for example mental illness or diabetes. The community has also been defined as a group of people who share an interest, a neighbourhood, or a common set of circumstances. They may or may not acknowledge membership of a particular community (Smithies and Adams, 1990). It is the common interest of people that is particularly significant for public health. This is because even though people operate as individuals, they may share characteristics or needs that can be assessed at a community level (Brocklehurst, 2004). However Naidoo and Wills (2000) state that individuals may be a part of different communities at various points in their lives rather than belonging to a single community. The community which i s the focus of this HNA is a geographical area. It has been chosen because it is attached to a GP practice from which a team of health visitors are based and most work is with clients within this community. It consists of two wards in the borough of North Tyneside. They will be referred to as ward A and ward B and will be compared to regional and national data available. Step 2 Identifying Health Priorities This section will focus on the identification of the health priorities of my community by considering the factors which may affect health conditions. These factors can be grouped into five categories: biological, social, economic, environmental and lifestyle. Biological The population of wards A and B are shown in appendix 1.1 using data from the census of 2001. Census data can be extremely useful however it has significant limitations. Its data rapidly goes out of date and only provides a picture of the UK population decennially. For example, wards A and B have experienced population change within the past ten years due to new housing developments therefore the 2001 census data may now be unrepresentative. For this reason a population estimate (appendix 1.2) based on expected births and deaths is often a valuable tool but must be used with caution as it is only a guide to what may happen if past trends continue. From the data it is clear that this borough has an ageing population but it is also notable that the percentage of the population under 5 years in both wards A and B is significantly higher than the regional and national percentages. This perhaps underlines the importance of the role of the health visitor in these wards. Appendix 1.3 illustrates that the combined male and female life expectancy for wards A and B are significantly lower than the North Tyneside and national figures. It is particularly alarming to note that some of those in ward A could potentially expect to live for seven years less than some living merely a few miles away in other parts of North Tyneside. The poor life expectancy of wards A and B may be due to the condition of their general health. These wards have worse general health than North Tyneside and England (appendix 1.4). That is, a greater percentage of those in wards A and B report poor health compared with locally and nationally. However Sen (2002) argues that there are complications in the self assessment of health because a persons own understanding of their health may differ from that of the healthcare professional. Therefore additional statistics should be used to assess health status. The prevalence of long-term health conditions in wards A and B as reported by the Quality Outcomes Framework (QOF) is also shown in appendix 1.5. Ward A has a higher prevalence of conditions such as coronary heart disease (CHD), diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and cancer all of which contribute to lower life expectancy. Indeed CHD is the biggest cause of preventable death in England (British Heart Foundation, 2010). In contrast ward B has a similar prevalence of long-term conditions to that of the national. However data from within the QOF has several limitations. For example QOF was not originally designed as a research tool and its data is not externally validated. It has also been suggested that QOF data may be more favourably presented with the aim of maximising practice income (Ashworth et al., 2008) yet Doran et al. (2011) found that financial incentives had little impact upon the data. Further limitations include that prevalence data is not standardised for age and sex and that many patients appear simultaneously on more than one disease register (Ashworth et al., 2008). Mental health was seen as having equal importance to physical health for the first time in 2010 (GBDH 2010c). It was recognised that inequality contributes to mental health and in turn mental health can cause further inequality. Consequently tackling mental health is now a key priority for the Government (GBDH, 2011b). It is difficult to determine the exact prevalence of mental health disorders but there are indicators to reflect the situation in North Tyneside (appendix 1.6). For example benefit claims for mental health disorders along with hospital admissions due to self harm and mortality rates due to suicide are significantly greater in North Tyneside than England. Social The Marmot Review (2010) emphasised the correlation between lower social position and poor health. The social grade of those living in wards A and B is shown in appendix 2.1. Almost a quarter of those living in these wards are of lowest social grade compared with just 16% of people nationally. Marmot called for action to reduce social gradients in order to improve the health of communities like those living in wards A and B. Appendix 2.2 shows the measure of deprivation for wards A and B from the 2001 census. It is clear that both wards rank as some of most deprived in the country but as discussed earlier the census data is extremely out of date. After the 2001 census local super output areas (LSOAs) were created to improve reporting of small area statistics as it was thought that wards vary too much in size (ONS, 2011). The English Indices of Deprivation 2010 ranked LSOAs according to their deprivation level. It has undergone a range of procedures to assure its quality as well as being externally validated. According to the index North Tyneside is ranked as 113 out of 326 boroughs in England and is one of the least deprived areas in the North East. However within the borough there are pockets of extreme deprivation which fall into the 10% most deprived areas in England (ONS, 2011). It is difficult to determine ward level deprivation using LSOAs because they do not fit exactly into ward boundaries. Never theless appendix 2.3 shows estimates of the deprivation levels of wards A and B using a best fit geographical alignment combined with averaging the LSOA scores. It shows that these wards have been ranked as the most deprived wards in North Tyneside (North Tyneside Council, 2011). It has long been known that there is a relationship between deprivation and poor health (Marmot, 2010). In a social context this may be because a more deprived community is more likely to offer health risks such as higher crime rates (appendix 2.4) and poor housing. Research has shown that poor housing is associated with greater risk of cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease and mental health conditions. The poorest communities are often made up from estates of mostly socially rented housing (Marmot, 2010). Indeed appendix 2.5 shows that wards A and B have a significantly higher percentage of people living in socially rented accommodation than regionally and nationally. Those who live in social housing have been found to have increased unemployment rates, poor health and disability than the rest of the population (Clarke et al., 2008). There is also evidence to suggest that children living in social housing have a greater risk of disadvantage in adult life (Feinstein et al., 2008, Harker, 2006). Further, poor housing conditions like overcrowding can influence health. Appendix 2.6 illustrates the increased problem of overcrowding in wards A and B relative to North Tyneside and England. Economic Social gradient in communities is also affected by patterns of employment. Appendix 3.1 shows employment levels in wards A and B and it is clear that the percentage unemployed is significantly higher in these wards than in the rest of North Tyneside and England. Evidence suggests that the unemployed have considerably increased health risks including higher incidence of limiting long term conditions and mental health problems (Thomas et al., 2005; Gallo et al., 2006). In addition Jin et al. (1997) demonstrated a relationship between unemployment and decreased life expectancy although this research is dated. Perhaps it could be said that the poorer health and decreased life expectancy of wards A and B previously discussed may be linked to their high levels of unemployment. Physical and mental health is also affected by low paid, poor quality employment. Appendix 3.2 illustrates that the percentage of those in elementary, low level employment is greater in wards A and B than regionally and nationally. There are also less people working in managerial and professional roles in these wards. Further, those with few or no qualifications have the highest rates of unemployment and poor quality employment (Marmot, 2010). Appendix 3.3 clearly shows that wards A and B have a significantly greater proportion of people with no formal qualifications than figures for North Tyneside, North East and England. There is a well established link between income and poor health because those with lower incomes cannot buy items that maintain health and have to buy cheaper goods that could elevate health risks (Marmot, 2010). Appendix 3.4 shows that the average weekly income is less in wards A and B than the average for the North East. Unfortunately there is no data available for North Tyneside or England to enable comparison. The data discussed above forms a picture of the economic factors that influence health in my community. The data is from the census 2001 and as previously stated it is ten years out of date. Consequently a greatly significant limitation of the data is that it will not reflect changes caused by the recent economic downturn. Therefore wards A and B could currently have worsened levels of unemployment and income however this cannot be confirmed until the results of the 2011 census are published. Environmental An important factor in reducing health inequality is creating an environment where people can live healthily. Those who live near areas of green space such as parks can have improved health and wellbeing (Croucher et al., 2007). Green space may also encourage social integration, physical activity and improve quality of air. Appendix 4.1 shows a decreased percentage of green space areas in wards A and B compared to the borough. Another contributing factor to the creation of a healthy living environment is reducing cold housing. The cold is thought to be the main cause of extra deaths each year during the winter (Marmot, 2010). It is clear that the ability to afford to keep a warm home is crucial in the prevention of these deaths. Appendix 4.2 shows the percentage of households with central heating in wards A and B. Ward B has a significantly lower percentage of households with central heating than regionally and nationally. This data is again out of date and will not reflect recent rises in fuel costs. In November 2008 the increased price of fuel caused fuel poverty in more than half of single pensioners and two thirds of workless households (Bradshaw et al., 2008). This is important to note considering the ageing population of North Tyneside and the high unemployment levels of wards A and B. Finally appendix 4.3 shows information regarding car ownership. Wards A and B have a lower percentage of households without a car than North Tyneside and England. In fact the percentage of those with no car in these wards is double that of England. Transport is vital because it enables access to employment, education, services and social networks (GBDT, 2004). Transport also has an impact on health inequalities when considering deaths from road traffic accidents (RTAs). RTAs are thought to be particularly high among children who live in the most deprived areas in England (GBDT, 2009). However appendix 4.4 shows that the rate of injuries and deaths from RTAs is much lower in North Tyneside compared with England although data at ward level is unavailable. Lifestyle Lifestyle choices have a huge impact on health. England has one of the highest obesity rates in Europe (WHO, 2012). It is linked with increased risk of conditions such as diabetes, cancer and mental health problems (GBDH 2011c). The percentage of obese adults in North Tyneside is significantly higher than the national average and there are less healthy eating adults locally than nationally (appendix 5.1). This data is from the Health Survey for England (HSE) and is based on a sample of the population therefore estimates are subject to sampling error. In contrast to the findings above the Active People Survey found that the percentage of physically active adults in North Tyneside is greater than that of England (appendix 5.1) but this data also has several limitations. Firstly it is not age standardised and it is likely that those who are younger undertake the recommended levels of physical activity. Secondly the survey is self reported so may be subject to responder bias. Finally the data does not include active recreation such as housework or active transport. There is great concern over the trends for childhood obesity in England and more than 20% of children are overweight or obese by the age of 3 (Rudolph, 2009). Appendix 5.2 contains data from the National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) which shows that wards A and B have higher percentages of obese children in year 6 than nationally. But the NCMP has a considerably low participation level therefore it is likely that some prevalence of childhood obesity figures are underestimated. Indeed there were a much lower number of children measured in the North East than any other region. There may also be an element of selection bias particularly with the year 6s where those who do not participate are those most likely to be obese. These limitations must be addressed in order to improve accuracy of the data. Smoking is the single greatest preventable cause of illness and premature death in England (GBDH 2011) but 1 in 5 adults remain smokers (Robinson and Bugler 2010). Appendix 5.3 shows that the prevalence of smokers is greater in North Tyneside than England. This data could be affected by responder bias as it is self reported and therefore lead to underestimation of the prevalence of smoking. Regular heavy drinking has caused a huge increase in liver disease and is currently the fifth biggest cause of death in England (GBDH 2011). Appendix 5.4 illustrates that the rate of alcohol related hospital admissions in North Tyneside is much higher than the national average. It also shows that the rate of alcohol specific hospital stays for those under 18 in the borough is double that of England. In addition 33% of people were found to binge drink in North Tyneside compared with just 20% in England. Clearly harm from alcohol is a huge concern for the borough. Appendix 5.5 demonstrates the higher rate of under 18 conceptions in North Tyneside than England. Teenage pregnancy is a major social concern as teenage mothers are at increased risk of poverty, poor health and lower educational attainment. They are also considerably less likely to breastfeed and access services (DfE, 2006). The evidence also shows that children born to teenagers have greater chance of experiencing a range of negative outcomes later in life (GBDH, 2008). Breastfeeding has a huge positive impact on the health of both mother and baby (Wilson et al., 1998; Horta et al., 2007; Quigley et al., 2012). But for the past fifty years the UK has had some of the lowest rates of breastfeeding in the world (WHO, 2010) even though UK policy clearly promotes breastfeeding (GBDH, 2003; NICE, 2008; GBDH, 2012). Breastfeeding is a huge factor in promoting public health and reducing health inequalities as there is increasing recognition that women from lower socio-economic groups have decreased rates of breastfeeding. Indeed appendix 5.6 shows breastfeeding statistics for North Tyneside and it is evident that both breastfeeding initiation and prevalence at 6-8 weeks are significantly decreased in the borough compared with nationally. It would be interesting to compare with ward level data however this is currently unavailable. The data is considered accurate however there remain some limitations. For example the initiation data is susceptible to observe r and measurement bias because it based on observation by the midwives or nurses who record the data and interpret whether or not breastfeeding has been initiated. Similarly the number of infants who are totally or partially breastfed at the 6-8 week check is also based on observation so the same bias may arise. The method of data collection also assumes that all infants whose breastfeeding status is unknown are not breastfed resulting in underestimation of its prevalence. Even so it is obvious that low breastfeeding rates are of significant concern for the borough. Step 3 This section will focus on the identification of a health need for action. The concept of need in relation to HNA can be discussed using the frequently quoted taxonomy of need by Bradshaw (1972) which considers: Normative need perceptions of what professionals, experts or commissioners define as need based on available data. Felt need perceptions of what the profiled population feel that they need. Expressed need demand of the profiled population or felt need turned into action. Comparative need the need found by those who receive a service. When selecting a priority for action HNA should balance these different needs (Thurtle, 2008; Cavanagh and Chadwick 2005). Therefore a significant limitation of this HNA is that only normative need is taken into account as only quantitative research is used. The incorporation of qualitative research would address felt, expressed and comparative need and greatly strengthen this HNA. It is evident from step 2 that North Tyneside has many health needs. Those of highest priority appear to be mental health, adult and childhood obesity, smoking, alcohol intake, teenage conceptions and breastfeeding. As an aspiring health visitor the priority that if addressed could have the greatest impact and changeability in my community is breastfeeding. As discussed previously breastfeeding is supported by much evidence for the short and long term health benefits for both mother and baby (UNICEF, 2012). The government recognises the importance of improving initiation and prevalence of breastfeeding and it has been included in the Public Health Outcomes Framework 2013-2015 to encourage the prioritisation of local breastfeeding support. Yet as illustrated in step 2 North Tyneside has extremely poor rates of breastfeeding. There are also more teenage mothers in the borough and wards A and B are areas of extreme deprivation. Research has found that females under 20 demonstrate the lowest incidence of breastfeeding (Infant Feeding Survey, 2010) and that there is a relationship between low rates of breastfeeding and socioeconomic deprivation (Dyson et al., 2010). Current services to promote breastfeeding in North Tyneside include breastfeeding support groups and a breastfeeding coordinator who visits the homes of breastfeeding mothers to provide one on one support. However the support groups are based mainly in more affluent areas and the coordinator has a massive caseload often failing to see many struggling mothers. Perhaps the supporting and influencing of disadvantaged younger mothers would be easier if the NHS embraced the technology that these people use on a daily basis. The proposed action of this HNA is to use social media to engage with hard to reach mothers to provide breastfeeding information and support. Social media is a modern, convenient and cost effective method of communication. Research from OFCOM (2012) showed that in the past year 50% of adults used the internet to access social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. In addition social networking has now overtaken text messaging as the most used method of communication among 16-24 year olds in the last two years. A study for the NHS Confederation (2012) recommended that health organisations should act immediately to avoid falling behind and to use social media to become communitarians that is, to engage, listen, respond and support communities. There is a significant lack of literature concerning social media and the N HS but Hawker (2010) suggests that some health organisations are starting to become more digitally connected. Still it is clear that a vast amount of further research in this area must be undertaken. In conclusion this HNA has identified breastfeeding as an urgent priority for intervention in my community. The proposed action is to take advantage of social media opportunities in order to engage with young or disadvantaged mothers who require breastfeeding support and advice. Indeed the Health Visitor Implementation Plan (2011) called for more innovative approaches to the profession. Incorporating such a change into health visiting practice would of course be a huge challenge that would require planning, funding and training of staff. But now is the time to develop a new service vision and to embrace these opportunities. This will establish health visiting as a central part of community health, working with families to improve health equity and life chances.

Fitzgeralds Exploration of the American Dream in The Great Gatsby Essa

Fitzgerald's Exploration of the American Dream in The Great Gatsby F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, is a one of the best stories written during a chaotic period in our nation’s history, The Jazz Age. The Twenties were a time of social experiments, self-indulgence, and dissatisfaction for majority of Americans. Fitzgerald depicts all these characteristics throughout the novel with his interesting themes, settings, and characters. The most elaborate and symbolic character Fitzgerald presents to his readers is Jay Gatsby. Fitzgerald uses Gatsby as a vehicle to explore the idea of The American Dream, which was a key element in shaping American society and it’s citizens. Fitzgerald does not sugar-coat his definition of the American Dream, but lets his protagonist voice these elements and its decline, challenging the reader to explore the true nature of America in the 1920s. Jay Gatsby, like many average Americans, has a dream of becoming successful and noble. In The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby decides to pursue The American Dream as a young adult. Gatsby came from a poor social class, which forced him to work hard even though he would receive no high status in life. Gatsby knew this, but always remained very ambitious and refused to settle for a life of â€Å"janitor’s work†. It wasn’t until Jay was 17 years old when he found his real inspiration to become successful. Before World War I, Jay Gatsby met Daisy and fell instantly in love with her. Unfortunately for Ga...

Kelly Services Essay

Kelly Services Inc This case is really focusing on the issue of a company that needs to consider taking on debt. Kelly Services Inc. is going through a period were they are going through some major expansion. With major expansion needs the urge to find investors. When you find investors you need to take on debt, the good thing about debt is you are able to generate profit without having to put a dollar down. So if the debt increases, yes he will be leveraged, but through the company leveraging it gives it the opportunity to generate more of a return in the long run. It says the pay out ratio is 28 percent. For the cases of Olsten and Volt, you can see that Olsten has no debt. Having no debt means the returns you are going to receive are going to be a lot lower For instance Olsten has 0 debt financing and as you can see there returns are the lowest of the three companies. On the other hand Kelly also has 0 debt but there forecasting for growth is a lot lower then Volt the reason being because they do not have the financing to take on investments that can grow their company in the future. On the other hand when you look into Volt’s statements they have the highest debt with still good net worth, but it has the highest level of growth for future advancement. So what this shows is a company that has the highest leverage won’t only have a good return on investment it will also show a favorable path for growth within the future. Another interesting thing to look at is the return on sales. Even though Volt put up a negative figure for one of it’s terms for sales it still had a relatively high net worth. This can mainly be attributed to the way they leveraged their by taking on debt. His lesson on business leverage in law school was wrong. Reason being if you leverage your firm you are able to get a higher return on investment just like anything else. Leveraging your firm takes on risk and the more risk you take on the higher the return you will receive. Another beneficial factor of leveraging your firm is being able to invest investors money instead of your  own. So when you make profit you are making your profit off of not your own risk, but the risk that someone else was taking to put into your company. So through leveraging you are minimizing your risk for potentially having the greatest return. Through the data that was given it really put me on the fence whether taking on leverage was a beneficial thing or not. There is data that is going to back up both claims, but I think being leveraged definitely outweighs being unlevered. You can really understand this through Volt’s company’s information because it shows that you can show a net worth being positive even having negative figures on return on sales return on assets return on capital and return on equity.

Cultural Diversity in India Essay

Cultural Diversity in India India has a history of thousands of years . People have been living in India since the Stone Age. People from different regions of the world came to India. They became one with the Indian culture . From this has evolved the composite Indian Culture. All of us living in different parts of the country are Indians. Though there is a variety in our languages, literature and art, as Indians, we all are one. It is this diversity which has created a sense of unity among the Indians. This diversity has enriched our social life. Indian Languages: Many languages are spoken in India. Hindi & English are the two languages used in our country. Marathi is the state language of Maharashtra. Festival Celebrations: People such as Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, Sikhs, Christians, Jains, and Parsis etc belonging to different live in India. Different festivals are celebrated in India with lots of joys & happiness. Agriculture is the main occupation in our country . Many of our festivals are related to agriculture and environment. In Maharashtra, Dassera, Diwalil, Holi in Punjab Baisakhi, in Andhra Pradesh Eruvak Punnam, in Tamil nadu Pongal & in Kerala Onam are celebrated. Ramzaam – Id, Christmas, Buddha Pornima, Samvatsari, and Pateti are also important festivals. What ever religious festival all Indians happily participate in it. They greet one another, It increase the feeling of unity among them. Costumes & food: We find diversity in the clothing and food habits of Indians. Clothing depends upon the climate, physical feature & traditions of the respective regions. There is diversity in our foods habits too, due to climatic conditions crops and other geographical factors. For e. g. he people of Punjab eat dal – roti whereas people living in the coastal areas eat rice and fish. Shelter : In respective of constructions of houses also there is diversity . In the rural areas, many houses have wattle and daub walls. Some houses have tiled roofs. In areas of heavy rainfall, the houses have slopping roofs . In the places with scanty rains have houses with terraced roofs . In big cities, multi – storey buildings are seen. Sports & games: Many kinds of games are played in India since ancient times. We play different games such as tip – cat, chess, wrestling, phugadi, malkhamb, lagori, kabadi & kho-kho . Modern games are such as hockey and cricket are the two popular games played in India. Sports & games have an important place in out life. They help values like co-operation & solidarity Sport spirit it is more important than winning or losing. Art: Different arts such as dance, handicrafts, painting and sculpture have flourished in India. Since days of old , India had different styles of music. There are two main styles of Indian classical music. They are Hindustani music & Carnatic music. There are many folk music played in India . In India, the tradition of dances is very ancients. We have different variety of folk dances some ancient times; various types of handicrafts have developed in India. Artistic vases baskets and other decorative articles are prepared. The art of painting & sculpture has long tradition. It is originated from the Stone age period. For e. g. Ajanta Ellora caves Our country have rich historical heritage. Historical monuments are the wealth of our country. Very few countries in the world have such history and ancients culture.

Clinical product assesment Essay Example

Clinical product assesment Essay Example Clinical product assesment Paper Clinical product assesment Paper   Clinical Evaluations Assessment Tool. Project Activity #1: Product 1- Noni Juice Brand Name: Goodnoni Website Goodnoni Description of Product- Noni Juice Noni Juice is produced from Noni fruit. Noni is an exclusive tropical fruit believed to be beneficial and useful food. The juice contains bitter and typical taste that is of the mature Noni fruit. It is brown in color and the juice contains some rich fruit thick sediments. It is recommended shaking the bottle before opening to let sediments to be mixed with the juice. Rely on the cyclic array of Noni fruit, some time the juice may appear watery, even though no water is mixed. This is known as Folk medicine, and in other terms called as traditional medicine. Folk medicine is used as substitute health option which is made from Herbs and shrubs during the ancient days to cure ailments and diseases.   Noni juice, is believed to be with many health values in curing many of the diseases. Description of Product Use It is recommended daily to use the dosage of 30 60 ml juice. It is vital and significant to take the noni juice before any thing is eaten, otherwise stomach acids digest most of the helpful components of the juice. Noni juice is to be taken twice or three times in a day, depending on the patient condition Product Evaluation Outcome: Package condition: The Product has acceptable package conditions with juice in tight plastic bottle with labelling and titles. The product label clearly displays the product details and product administration details. The label also comes with attractive promotional logo with Noni fruit and suitable captions. The bottle is inturn packed in an attractive Cardboard box that displays all the promotional material. The product comes in an reusable mode of container, i.e.,   the juice bottle   once opened can be used within 2 months period of time. Teh packaging offers the safety and efficacy to the product. Natures Products, from   noninz.com/ Product Information Product 2- Aloe Vera Topical Brand Name: Aloe Juice Concentrate 16OZ Website www.aloelife.com- Description of Product- Noni Juice Aloe Vera is believed to be a anecdotal health claim. Many folk medicine believers assume that this product is good for immune system and can cure diseases related with fungus, constipation, virus, bacterial and inflammation. This is also used as nutritional supplement in many parts of the world. Description of Product Use Aloe Gold Juice Concentrate 16OZ Aloe Gold Whole Leaf Aloe Vera Juice Concentrate is the highest quality Aloe Vera in a bottle providing maximum benefits when taken daily. It comes as 3:1 concentrate containing yellow sap To be administered as 1-2 OZ daily, special applications 3-8 OZ. The cup of   juice is recommended to drink by the patients in mixing with water. Product Evaluation outcome: Aloe Juice comes in The product comes in Dim: 8.0 x 2.5 x 2.5 in  Ã‚  Wt: 1  Lb Plastic bottles. The bottle material and package offers the safety and efficacy by informing the use of the product details.   The label displays the Aloe Leaves as a mark of product information Aloe Gold Juice Concentrate 16OZ, from aloelife.com/ezStore123/DTProductZoom.asp?productID=15 Project Activity#2: Noni Juice Type of Disease: Diabetes is caused by the imbalances in insulin hormone in body. Safety and Efficacy: The safety measures that are claiming by the manufacturers are the sealed package, sterilized and free from any contamination. Medical Threat:   The Long term effects of diabetes are generally because of patient maintaining their glucose levels high for long periods of time. The excess blood sugar levels have a terrible result on the body. Few of the general effects from diabetes consist of nerve damage, vision problems, damage of kidney, Problems of heart and circulation. Diagnosis in early stages of diabetes will help a person to keep away from serious related diseases. Strategy: The strategies that are using to promote the NONI product are by showing the scientific researches which took place in recent years stating, Noni is confirmed as an amazing supplement for promoting best possible health. General conditions connected with Western culture and problems of diet with blood circulation, blood pressure and blood sugar levels appear to be stabilizing by a regular consumption of Noni. Reason why patents purchase: In the present days people are becoming so much health conscious. The NONI product is illustrated in such a way that any one who cares about health will easily purchase, the other reason is regarding the package and safety measures and because of no side effects. They are mostly got promoted by doctors which any one are impressed to purchase. Role as practitioner: Even though it is used by many, it has not been certified by the international standards like other medicines. Any medicine which is not properly tested by the international standards cannot be consumed with out the suggestion of doctors. Self Diagnostics: During the consumption of any unproven products, consulting doctor and getting self diagnosed is the must, because some of the elements which the product contains may not be suitable for the patient, which may yield to side effects. Jeanette Pollock, â€Å"The Effects of Diabetes† from http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Effects-of-Diabetesid=130351 Product-2 Aloevera Juice: Type of Disease: the disease that is considered for the product of Aloe-Vera is psoriasis. Safety and Efficacy: The masseurs are displayed on product container Medical Threat: Psoriasis is a skin disorder which can occur to anyone of any age in both men and women. Researchers believe that psoriasis is an immune-mediated condition. Strategy: The manufactures says that, the Aloe Vera topical is being used to help out in the healing of minor wounds, burns, eczema, and psoriasis. Reason why patents purchase: The vendors telling that product Aloe Vera Topical is made purely from the extract of Aloe Vera and showing the benefits of Aloe Vera which attracts the patients. Role as practitioner: The products which are not certified by FDA are to be used by the consultation of doctors which may prevent the threats like side effects or any harm like burning sensation etc. Self Diagnostics: Any products which are not FDA tested are not suggested to used directly by the patients,   except under the guidance of the experts. The self treatment can cause major side effects especially with the unproven products. Ben W Taylor, â€Å"Aloe Vera and Psoriasis† from http://ezinearticles.com/?Aloe-Vera-and-Psoriasisid=520370 Project Activity#3: Credentials of Noni Noni has its own website on which the product Noni Juice is displayed in attractive colours and offering free delivery on all their products. When suggesting any product regarding health, the Product must be FdA certified. Even though it is said to be FSA certified, the vendors who sell the products are not the certified doctors to suggest some one regarding their product. They can tell any thing to advertise their product but consumer who purchases must be very careful to use.   The product when taken with out the guidance of the physician it may cause harm or side effects. Some of the contents in the product may not be suggestible to some people which may turn harmful. The one who sells the product may not know to whom to sell the product and they are not supposed to suggest the patients with out proper diagnosis. Natures Products, from   noninz.com/ Credentials of Aloe Vera Juice The product Aloe Vera Topical is advertised by the health site called aloelife.com.   By publishing the product information on the site the people who visit it for medical information will get a range of products to choose.   However, the site did not publish more information psoriasis cure with the product. So if product is not suitable to any one it may give the itching and burning sensation and can develop the psoriasis more. Even though the site gives the precautions to use the products it is better to take the advice of the physician before considering any product. Aloe Gold Juice Concentrate 16OZ, from aloelife.com/ezStore123/DTProductZoom.asp?productID=15 Project Activity# 4 Strategies of promotion: These Health care products are popularized through the TV Channels, Home magazines, Brochures, pamphlets, websites and Internet Ads.   Also these health care products are promoted by sale representatives or commission agents as a means of direct sales to the end user. Sometimes sales representatives consult the medical or Para medical practioners to stall their products in the shelf. Such product sellers use social community as the major medium for selling utilizing the close contacts. Many of the times the products are pushed on the basis of buying capacity of the patients but not on the basis of actual need. The most adaptive promotional strategy is Multilevel or Chain marketing that offers high commissions to the people who refer or make others buy these products. These people who sell or recommend such health products do this sales promotion without much medical knowledge.   These promotional push these health products with their product and consumer knowledge, without any right diagnosis of the patient condition. Such product marketing convinces the people with the quick relief of the disease by showing the photos and testimonies of the people as a proof to make others believe their words. However their prescription is not based on the patient’s clinical diagnostic condition. The products some times are pushed as bundle- buy two get one free basis, resulting the compulsory usage of additional product even without the actual necessary. Many of the times, the Para medical professionals assist in promotion by testifying about the results of the product due to some expected benefit from the product seller or manufacturer. Healthcare Marketing That Grows Your Reputation   And Your Bottom Line, from healthcaresuccess.com/ Assessment of such strategies: Such promotional strategies are becoming popular day by day in the health car products. Though they have any scientific evidence or medical proof of the performance of the product in al the patients in a similar manner, the products are pushed on the conviction made through the promotional material. When the products are attested by Para medical professionals, buyers will be easily convicted to buy without knowing the actual outcome. Sometimes such products may give side effects due to the lack of proper clinical prognosis and prescription. Project Activity#5: I will design my product market plan in such a way to commercialise it from  Ã‚   early stages by communicating its utility and value to the targeted users.   First I will identify the major therapeutic areas where my product can meet the need. Then I will design the promotional material to acknowledge the right   consumers of the product. Not only that I will produce a leaf let that will be inserted in the product packing. This leaf let will be with pre conditions and post conditions of the product usage. This will prove my safety measures and efficacy. Also, on outer pack , i will strictly mention that the product should be used under the medical prescription only. However, I will not give the product administration dosages to avoid he personal and direct administration of the product by the user. This will help the user to depend on the medical practioners help to use the product. Promotional Media: I will target the customers of the product in the following ways: 1. Geographics: Basing on the area of residency, location, population density, size of the area, climatic conditions of the zone of the product customers. 2. Demographics: The Gender, age, gender, family size and structure, Education, occupation, income of the customers. 3. Psychographics: The personal behaviour, life-style, needs of the customers, expectations of the customers. 4. Behaviours: The needs and wants of the product user. Information expectation levels and attitudes and cost issues can be considered here. Then I will try to create value to my products than my competitors by pointing out the benefits towards one of the life-improvement benefits: like-   Pain relief ,Abilities, Appearance, confidence, Productivity, Peace in Life, Cost Value etc., I will use the Targeted Social contacts at eh clinical centres and will give the product education under clinical observations only.   The major promotional channels would be organised in this way Conducting the disease awareness programs at the clinics and social gathering halls that help in positioning and for the expansion of markets Pre product launch initiatives to create demand and excitement Product launch programs with distributors and dealers that can take up the immediate spur in the sales. Wall posters and message boards that not only creates brand image but also will educate people about the disease. Stewart Gandolf and Lonnie Hirsch, What Is A Health Care Marketing Plan?, from healthcaresuccess.com/articles/what-is-marketing-plan.html

Modern Drama essays

Modern Drama essays Modern drama began by turning toward realism and away from the fantasy of nineteenth-century melodrama and farce. Realism gave rise to various innovations that served to express the dramatists vision of what reality is. These attempts to be more real than real can be called expressionism. Realism and expressionism are the two dominant modes of drama in the twentieth century. One focuses on the external details of everyday life, while the other focuses on the mind and feelings and tries to show how The word drama comes from the Greek word dran, which means to do or to act. Besides being traditionally literary, the drama is a theatrical form. Dramatist do not usually write with the purpose of communicating directly to the reader, as do fiction writers, poets, and essayists. Instead, dramatists ask people of the theater-actors and actresses, directors, set designers, and others- to assist them in communicating to the audience. Good dramatists are aware of the resources and limitations of their medium. They recognize that they must tell their stories in a different way from novelists. Dramatists attempt to construct meaningful works in two ways: by the precise and evocative use of words, and by careful attention to basic structure. The Greek philosopher Aristotle, in writing a treatise based on the plays of his time (the fifth century B.C.), defined drama as an imitation of an action, a definition which has become the basis for most subsequent dramatic criticism. To take the last word first, by action Aristotle meant not merely activity or exertion, but rather the direction the play moves in, the closely related series of events that give the play its momentum. A play, in Aristotles terms, must have a plot with a beginning, middle, ...

Chemometrics and Statistics coursework Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Chemometrics and Statistics coursework - Essay Example nce in pharmacological activities (Xu et al,2012).They are also known to be similar in terms of morphology, hence normally classified by experts or herb farmers. This process needs a long term experience and it is based on the judgment that is subjective. Furthermore, they tend to be fragile as well as very hard to be differentiated in cases when the aerial parts are missing. In regards to this, it is important to develop a method that could be able to differentiate this plants and the method which is not based on the plant appearance (Fan et al, 2006). There are previous methods that are used in the differentiation of AS and AH.They include gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry and relies on essential oils and X-ray fluorescence analysis (Su, 1999). In relation to these procedures, in the course of the isolation of the essential oils through either solvent extraction or hydro-distillation, it is seen to be tedious and there is a high consumption of a large volume of both the solvent and the sample (such as 50–100 g). Hence, at this point, it is important to have solvent-free, a simple and rapid sample pretreatment method like headspace sampling. Such technique has also the advantage whereby fewer samples is required (normally less than 1g) and the capacity of being automated through a commercialized sampling system Head space is a gas space in a chromatography vial located above sample. The component of the volatile sample usually diffuse into the gas phase and later if forms headspace gas. Therefore, headspace analytical technique involves the analyzing the components that are present in that gas. Â  Headspace G-C is the most appropriate in the analysis of volatiles that are very light in the given sample which can be partitioned efficiently into the headspace gas volume from the solid or liquid matrix sample. Higher boiling semi-volatiles and volatiles are known not to be detected in such a technique because in the gas headspace volume, they do

Personal Statement for apply master degree Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

For apply master degree - Personal Statement Example However, my fascination for numbers remained unchanged. I fervently wanted a job which will deal constantly with numbers. Choosing the financial field greatly satisfied my pursuit for numbers. Accountancy became my favorite subject soon as I was enthralled with its practical application in nearly every field, logic and a structured way of doing things. Every simple concept we learn in accounts will be actually used in day to day life in our career. Economics is considered to value the corporate performance in terms of financial gains a person brings to the company (Porter, 1987). To me economics is one intriguing subject which opens up the gates for a number of finance oriented careers starting from financial services to banking. Just mastering accountancy and economics will enable a person to choose from a plethora of finance oriented vocation choices. No other industry starting from medicine to engineering gives this freedom as these courses require a few years of basic training and specialization diploma as well. Graduating in accountancy and economics gives a person the basic idea about the core financial practices within a very short time. Be it stock market or basic investment, economics gives the chance understand the financial strategy of the scheme or investment better than others and accountancy helps us keep track of our finances accurately. While people from every other industry strive hard to earn money and invest it properly, financial consultants attain this skill in their profession effortlessly. Honing it properly helps them make others rich and accumulate wealth for themselves in the process. Rush Limbaugh once said economics is the most complicated simple subject. He is true. As simple as it might seem, economics and accounts combined together are used in complex matters like determining a nations financial policies. As with any critical skill in life, consistent implementation is the key to employing

Apple and Google Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Apple and Google - Article Example It will offer greater value to its services. The main objective of the company is to retain the customers within its ecology as its iPhone. The new Apple maps service will offer the customers with 3D images of cities and towns, known as ‘Flyovers’. It will also offer the customers with traffic updates as well as turn-by-turn navigation. The article also states that the best marketing concept that Apple uses is offering the customers with an experience which is different from that of others. It has been evident that the intended amalgamation of the feature of mobile maps app with iPhone can render Apple substantial profitability as according to a research conducted it is observed that people who use iPhone spent 35% greater amount of time on using maps than other phone users. Therefore, this marketing concept can provide Apple a major scope of market growth prospect. Apple can also get hold of the useful consumer data which was earlier received by Google. Apple can also e arn greater revenue from opportunities such as sponsored links. These factors can affect on long-term profitability of Apple by a considerable extent. The article demonstrates the fact that in this instance of launching maps application the company is product focused rather than customer focused which is closely associated to the concept of marketing myopia. Apple has also solely intended to render consumers’ such an application which can be quite value adding, thus though the concept relates to marketing myopia however not entirely. Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning Apple mobile maps will be provided as an application with iPhone itself. The purchasers of iPhone are generally high income group people who have the capability to purchase the product. The product can be used by the youth and the middle aged to old aged people. It can be used by both the male as well as the female. The high-end consumers of iPhone generally also desire use their phones to operate navigatio n facilities for their business or social networking purposes. This can enable the mobile apps to generate user activity with regard to the provided service. The product can be targeted generally to the businessmen who want to make their businesses available or traceable to the local as well as international customers. Through Apple mobile maps, customers will be easily capable of determining the exact locations of the stores that they will be looking for. The app is likely to target the app stores. The company, Apple can position its product as adding a new feature to its iPhone in order to attract a significant portion of the customers. This would help Apple to uphold competitive advantage and assist in maintaining sustainability. One of the unique features which will be inculcated in the Apple mobile maps is ‘Siri’, which is a voice-activated search tool. The company can as well position its product of mobile maps in terms of value addition with the popular product i .e. iPhone. As the application would be in-built within the iPhone, the positioning of it would not be a major concern for Apple. However, Apple needs to ensure superior quality of the maps service to draw the consumers in the long run to use the facility. Apple will entrust on outside parties for maps related information at first, the way its

Wireless Security Policy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Wireless Security Policy - Assignment Example The implementation and administration of radio communication in the wireless networks occurs at the physical layer of the Open Systems Interconnection, or OSI, model (Rus & Donohue, 2010). This paper will address a wireless security policy for a medium sized banking organization, highlighting the policy overview, purpose, scope, applicability and security requirements. It will also address wireless network requirements, device requirements, standards supported by the organization, ethical guidelines and policy enforcement. Wireless Security Policy Overview Wireless networks occur in various forms, which are wireless PAN (WPAN), wireless LAN (WLAN), wireless WAN (WWAN), wireless MAN (WMAN), wireless mesh networks and cellular networks. Devices in relatively small physical areas are connected through WPAN. WLANs link several devices over short distances via wireless distribution methods such as internet access points, allowing users connection and mobility simultaneously. WMANs link a number of WLANs while WWANs cover large geographical areas, like neighboring cities and towns. For a banking organization, policies create a foundation on which all security initiatives are built. Therefore, the bank needs to come up with standards and policies on data integrity and confidentiality while putting into consideration security levels imposed by government regulation (NIST, 2003). Purpose and Scope The key purpose of wireless network security in a bank is to allow employees freedom of mobility while accessing the network to deliver better customer service without compromising the confidentiality of both the customers’ and the organization’s information (Goldsmith, 2005). The security measures implemented should protect the wireless signals from their vulnerability to eavesdropping and meet audit requirements. Since standards for wireless network security emerge and evolve continuously with technological developments, the bank must keep abreast with the chan ges to avoid being exposed to reputation and strategic risks. The bank’s ability to avoid or manage the risks is dependent on the effectiveness of its management and board oversight; effectiveness of procedures and policies to implement and run wireless projects; the network’s capacity and reliability; the business continuity plan’s adequacy; and the actions taken to monitor undesirable events. Applicability The applicability of the security system should accord clients seamless interactions with the bank and their accounts. This means it must be structured specifically for the requirements of non-company users while prohibiting incidents such as personal use by employees or sending financial records over the network. Although WLANs typically provide unrestricted access to the Internet and an organization’s entire network, the bank should consider blocking its wireless subnets from its Intranet and intranet. It must be specified who has the authority to u se the WLAN as well as their level of access. Regardless of the way access is allowed, it is essential that the scope of access is determined and defined clearly in the bank’s wireless security policy and implementation (Pahlavan & Krishnamurthy, 2009). The CEO and the head of the technical department should be the only ones with exclusive access to critical information, and the policy should also stipulate that access by one of them should be known by the other. Wireless Network Security Requirements The internal department that will be given the responsibility of deploying the wireless access points (WAPs) and the devices, also known as stations, to be used within the network, should also be determined.

Book Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 2

Book Review - Essay Example On Job: God-Talk and the Suffering of the Innocent, Gutierrez makes use of the story of Job as the basis of his proof that the suffering of people is not an evidence of the absence of God. Rather, it is an avenue through which the people could encounter God. The ills of our society today should not be seen as the work of a complacent and ambivalent omnipotent being but the result of the unbelieving masses that are complacent and ambivalent themselves. The author can thus be seen as relating theology and the real life and inspires others to join the cause. One could argue that so many theologians and religious individuals write about matters which they think they have the authority to speak of but are actually hermits or persons that only move within the boundaries of the religion’s large estate. Gutierrez draws credibility to his work by being able to experience the suffering of people in Latin America. The author finds and establishes that there is much lesson to be learned in "the starvation of millions, the humiliation of races regarded as inferior, discrimination against women, †¦ the sufferings of people who are struggling for their right to live, †¦ terrorism of every kind, and the corpse-filled graves of Ayacucho" (p. 102) and that is to realize for ourselves that we are the one responsible and able to address the situation. The justice in God’s seeming ambivalence is the opportunity it presents for people to appreciate His work and to be able to take part in the salvation of mankind. Gutierrez’s work can be seen as an â€Å"essay in theological reflection" (p. xvi) as he himself claims but one would find it also as a synthesis between theory and real life situations. On Job is an attempt to make people realize the reasons why suffering exists in all nations encompassing all walks of life. It is also an attempt to refute the claim of others that God is not a God of Love much less a God at all. Since the issue of religion is

Importance of heroism and glory in the Iliad and in the Aeneid Essay

Importance of heroism and glory in the Iliad and in the Aeneid - Essay Example Heroism can be defined by actions that require bravery, nobility, and often sacrifice. Heroism is exemplified by the character of Achilles in The Illiad. Achilles is a great warrior who also reveals deep emotional complexities for the events that take place in the story. Foley defines the Greek hero as being unseasonable, either negatively or positively extreme and antagonistic towards the god who has the most similar characteristic to the hero (87). Achilles follows all three of these categories, including the last in his antagonism towards the god Apollo, with whom he shares not only character attributes, but similarities in physical appearance (Foley 88). The role of heroism, however, played an important part in culture for both the Greeks and the Romans as it represented the beginnings of the notion of salvation. The stories of Greek and Roman gods portrayed some of the worst characteristics in humanity, but often it was the hero who redeemed the nature of man kind by his actions (Progress 343). Glory can be defined by exaltation of its subject matter. In the case of The Aenid, the glory of Rome is justified through the exalted nature of the emotional context of the actions within the poem. The intent was to glorify the community of Rome, thus bring unity.

Wireless Security Policy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Wireless Security Policy - Assignment Example The implementation and administration of radio communication in the wireless networks occurs at the physical layer of the Open Systems Interconnection, or OSI, model (Rus & Donohue, 2010). This paper will address a wireless security policy for a medium sized banking organization, highlighting the policy overview, purpose, scope, applicability and security requirements. It will also address wireless network requirements, device requirements, standards supported by the organization, ethical guidelines and policy enforcement. Wireless Security Policy Overview Wireless networks occur in various forms, which are wireless PAN (WPAN), wireless LAN (WLAN), wireless WAN (WWAN), wireless MAN (WMAN), wireless mesh networks and cellular networks. Devices in relatively small physical areas are connected through WPAN. WLANs link several devices over short distances via wireless distribution methods such as internet access points, allowing users connection and mobility simultaneously. WMANs link a number of WLANs while WWANs cover large geographical areas, like neighboring cities and towns. For a banking organization, policies create a foundation on which all security initiatives are built. Therefore, the bank needs to come up with standards and policies on data integrity and confidentiality while putting into consideration security levels imposed by government regulation (NIST, 2003). Purpose and Scope The key purpose of wireless network security in a bank is to allow employees freedom of mobility while accessing the network to deliver better customer service without compromising the confidentiality of both the customers’ and the organization’s information (Goldsmith, 2005). The security measures implemented should protect the wireless signals from their vulnerability to eavesdropping and meet audit requirements. Since standards for wireless network security emerge and evolve continuously with technological developments, the bank must keep abreast with the chan ges to avoid being exposed to reputation and strategic risks. The bank’s ability to avoid or manage the risks is dependent on the effectiveness of its management and board oversight; effectiveness of procedures and policies to implement and run wireless projects; the network’s capacity and reliability; the business continuity plan’s adequacy; and the actions taken to monitor undesirable events. Applicability The applicability of the security system should accord clients seamless interactions with the bank and their accounts. This means it must be structured specifically for the requirements of non-company users while prohibiting incidents such as personal use by employees or sending financial records over the network. Although WLANs typically provide unrestricted access to the Internet and an organization’s entire network, the bank should consider blocking its wireless subnets from its Intranet and intranet. It must be specified who has the authority to u se the WLAN as well as their level of access. Regardless of the way access is allowed, it is essential that the scope of access is determined and defined clearly in the bank’s wireless security policy and implementation (Pahlavan & Krishnamurthy, 2009). The CEO and the head of the technical department should be the only ones with exclusive access to critical information, and the policy should also stipulate that access by one of them should be known by the other. Wireless Network Security Requirements The internal department that will be given the responsibility of deploying the wireless access points (WAPs) and the devices, also known as stations, to be used within the network, should also be determined.

Importance of heroism and glory in the Iliad and in the Aeneid Essay

Importance of heroism and glory in the Iliad and in the Aeneid - Essay Example Heroism can be defined by actions that require bravery, nobility, and often sacrifice. Heroism is exemplified by the character of Achilles in The Illiad. Achilles is a great warrior who also reveals deep emotional complexities for the events that take place in the story. Foley defines the Greek hero as being unseasonable, either negatively or positively extreme and antagonistic towards the god who has the most similar characteristic to the hero (87). Achilles follows all three of these categories, including the last in his antagonism towards the god Apollo, with whom he shares not only character attributes, but similarities in physical appearance (Foley 88). The role of heroism, however, played an important part in culture for both the Greeks and the Romans as it represented the beginnings of the notion of salvation. The stories of Greek and Roman gods portrayed some of the worst characteristics in humanity, but often it was the hero who redeemed the nature of man kind by his actions (Progress 343). Glory can be defined by exaltation of its subject matter. In the case of The Aenid, the glory of Rome is justified through the exalted nature of the emotional context of the actions within the poem. The intent was to glorify the community of Rome, thus bring unity.

The Disappearing Ozone Layer Essay Example for Free

The Disappearing Ozone Layer Essay The Ozone Layer extends from twelve to thirty miles above the surface of the earth. Oxygen in the presence of sunlight forms Ozone. It acts as a barrier to the carcinogenic ultraviolet radiation that is emitted by the Sun (Ozone Layer, 2005). The Ozone molecule consists of three Oxygen atoms. It is unsafe to inhale and most of it is to be found in the stratosphere. It absorbs a particular band of ultraviolet radiation, from the Sun, that has a wavelength between of 280 to 320 nanometers. This ultraviolet radiation known as UV – B causes great harm to the DNA of living organisms (Ozone Depletion , 2006). The Ozone layer is destroyed by the Chlorofluorocarbons or CFCs, which were previously used in refrigerants and cleaning agents, and other Ozone Depleting Substances or ODS that, are used in fire extinguishers. The chlorine in the CFCs is released when the Ultraviolet light splits them and these halogen atoms destroy the Ozone by combining with the third Oxygen atom in the Ozone molecule. Subsequently, this molecule combines with a free Oxygen atom to release the halogen atom which again breaks up another Ozone molecule. One halogen atom destroys around a hundred thousand Ozone molecules (Fahey, 2003). The main halogens that cause the depletion of the Ozone Layer are Chlorine and Bromine. Due to exposure to sunlight the halogen source gases are converted into halogen gases that are highly reactive. For instance, chlorine based gases get transformed to ClO or chlorine monoxide and bromine based compounds change to BrO or bromine oxide. In addition, chlorine and bromine atoms are also formed which are highly reactive and cause untold damage to the Ozone Layer (Fahey, 2003). The depletion of the Ozone Layer is not uniform and there is considerable variation with latitude. Due to the extremely high Ozone losses in the Antarctic region the loss is at a global maximum there. The next highest losses transpire in the Northern Hemisphere. The air that has been depleted of Ozone spreads from the Polar Regions. The depletion in the tropical regions is the least because of the fact that reactive halogen gases are present in very small quantities (Fahey, 2003). Further, a seasonal variation has also been noticed in this Ozone Layer depletion process. In the Southern Hemisphere, there is not much of a variation in the process and the amount of depletion is around six percent. However, in the Northern Hemisphere, the variation between winter and summer is from four percent to two percent respectively (Fahey, 2003). Atmospheric Ozone is of three forms the good form, the bad form and the natural form. Good Ozone is the Stratospheric Ozone that protects humans, animals and plants from UV – B radiation. Bad Ozone occurs near the surface of the Earth due to chemical reactions and human activities that produce polluting gases. Industrial activity and the consumption of fossil based fuels cause an increase in bad Ozone (Fahey, 2003). The natural form of Ozone is one of the constituents of a clean atmosphere and if there had been no human activities on the surface of the Earth then Ozone would have been observed at the surface of the Earth and in the troposphere and stratosphere. Ozone extracts other naturally and manmade gases in the atmosphere (Fahey, 2003). Realizing the gravity of the situation, twenty countries became signatories at Vienna to a treaty agreement in 1985. This treaty was named the Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer and it was decided to protect the Ozone Layer from the depredations of human activities. Subsequently, the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer was ratified in 1989 (Fahey, 2003). This Protocol implemented controls on the developed and developing countries in respect of the manufacture and utilization of chemicals that were instrumental in causing a depletion of the Ozone Layer. These measures were further strengthened by the 1990 London Amendments to the Protocol, which made it mandatory to reduce the production and consumption of such substances. The directives of the Montreal Protocol have proved to be successful to some extent. With increasing depletion of the Ozone Layer the Ultra Violet Radiation reaching the surface of the Earth increases (Fahey, 2003). UV – B radiation causes non – melanoma skin cancer. In the United States of America skin cancer cases are increasing tremendously. The situation is very serious with twenty percent of the residents developing skin cancer. The fatalities from this disease alone are one per hour in the US (Health Effects of Overexposure to the Sun, 2006). Moreover, UVB causes actinic keratoses and premature aging of the skin. Keratoses or lesions occur on the face, upper limbs and neck of individuals. These can lead to squamous cell carcinoma. In addition, UVB brings about a loss in the transparency in the eye lens or what is commonly termed as cataract. Millions of Americans are afflicted by this malaise every year and the expenditure this incurs is of the order of several billion dollars. Further, such radiation causes the degeneration of the macula or that part of the retina where visual perception is at its best. Another grave problem created by such radiation is the impairment of the immune system of the human body (Health Effects of Overexposure to the Sun, 2006). The government of the state of Mississippi being seized with this extremely serious problem posed by UVB radiation has implemented several measures. In this state a large number of air-conditioning and refrigerating units are employed. Some of these refrigerants are Freon 12, Freon 22 and R – 12. By 1995, the production of R – 12 was completely stopped and new substances like HFC – 134A are being used in its place. The government has prohibited the release of Freon into the atmosphere and Freon is being sold only to certified technicians. All air – conditioning and refrigerant equipment has to be thoroughly inspected in order to ensure that the leakage of Freon into the atmosphere is minimized (Moore Kimbrough, 2007). A team of scientists, led by Dr. Yang, of the Georgia Institute of Technology, analyzed data collected over a quarter century. This data had been collected by NASA and NOAA or the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Since, 1979 there had been a drastic depletion of the Ozone Layer. However, in 1997 a reversal in this trend was observed. This was in no small measure due to the proper implementation of the Montreal Protocol. This had prompted Yang and his team to conclude, after extrapolating from the available data, that the Ozone Layer would be restored to its 1980 status by the year 2050 (NASA, NOAA Data Indicate Ozone Layer is Recovering, 2006). However, till such time, it is imperative for people to take abundant precautions. Some of these are the avoidance of the midday sun in summer, protecting the eyes from direct sunlight by wearing sunglasses that filter out Ultra Violet Radiation and eschewing the use of aerosols and CFCs. In addition, liberal use of sunscreen with a sun protection factor or SPF of 15 or more, protective clothing and wide – brimmed hats have to be utilized, especially in the case of children. This is due to the fact that the skin of children is much more sensitive than that of adults. Moreover, every effort should be made to avoid direct sunlight, especially between 10 am to 4 pm.

The Mid Valley Megamall Tourism Essay

The Mid Valley Megamall Tourism Essay In the previous chapter, secondary data such as books, journals and online journals are used to conduct the literature review. In this chapter, primary data is collected through the case study. This chapter will cover the research framework consists of research purpose, research method, sampling method, research instrument and information collected from the case study. The analysis of the data is discussed in the next chapter. This case study is conducted for the purpose of investigating the level of customer satisfaction of the local customers towards the performance of a shopping centre. Mid valley megamall is chosen as the subject in case study. The time frame for the whole research is 1 month. RESEARCH FRAMEWORK First of all, the measurement objectives must be specified in order to simplify the research process. Basically, there are four types of customer satisfaction survey which is based on the measurement objectives of the research (Vavra, 2002). Since this research is used to investigate the level of performance of a shopping centre from the customers satisfaction in general, thus, it is known as overall status survey. According to Vavra, overall status survey is emphasized more on the general issues, overall performance, and overall customers satisfaction. (2002) RESEARCH METHOD AND PURPOSE This research is conducted using quantitative research method. From the customer satisfaction survey, the research information collected from the sample is the primary data. The aim of this study is to investigate the level of customers satisfaction in a shopping centre, to identify the actual need of customers through the distribution of questionnaires to the sample and to clarify whether the performance meet the customers expectations. POPULATION AND SAMPLING METHOD Sampling method is a method of choosing a group of peoples from the entire target population in order to obtain the required information. Basically, there are two types of sampling designs: probability and non-probability. This research has adopted non probability sampling technique which is most suitable for a widely dispersed population such as the customers of Mid Valley Megamall. It is impossible to use the probability sampling method for this research due to the difficulty in identifies the target populations as it is too large for research. The sample is selected to estimate the gross results because less cost and time required and the sample is easily obtained while compared with the probability sampling technique. The target populations for this research are the Malaysian customers of Mid Valley Megamall and the sample is limited to adult from 18 to 50 years old. This sample is chosen because these groups of person visit the shopping mall more frequently than other demographic profile. The sample size of 100 customers ranged from 18 to 50 years old is considered as representative of Malaysian customers of Mid Valley Megamall. 3.4 DESIGN OF QUESTIONNAIRE Questionnaire is used as research instrument for this study. The questionnaires are prepared according to the objectives which set up at the beginning. In order to obtain better response from the sample, the questionnaires are designed to be simple and easy to be understood. If the length of the questionnaires is too long, it will affect the rate of response. According to Vavra, there are four types of question can be collected, namely facts, attitudes, prediction behavior and demographics. (2002). Diversified types of question are more interesting for the customers. The questionnaire consists of three sections. The first section is about the demographic profile of the respondent. The objective is to know the respondents background. The second section is about the general information regarding the relationship between the respondents and the shopping mall. Besides, it is used to identify the actual need of the customers. The third section is about the investigation on the level of satisfaction of the customers from the sample chosen towards the location, product performance, staff, building layout, infrastructure and facilities provided in the shopping mall. This section is important in determine whether the shopping mall meet the requirements of the customers. Furthermore, it includes the recommendations from the customers in order to help the shopping mall to enhance their performance in the future. 3.5 SCALE For the questionnaire, every question has its own response options such as open-ended response and close-ended response. Open-ended questions require the opinions of the customers regarding the overall performance of the shopping mall. Close-ended questions are more efficient and quantifiable because it consists of numeric scales which used by the customers to express their feelings in a simple way. The scale is known as Likert Scale. The 5-point numerical scale is adopted which ranging from 1 to 5, 1 represents not satisfied, 2 represents somewhat dissatisfied, 3 represents neither satisfied or dissatisfied, 4 represents somewhat satisfied and 5 represents strongly satisfied. The scale help the respondents to make a clear decision based on their level of satisfaction. 3.6 DISTRIBUTION METHOD Distribution method also known as field method and it defined as the way used by the interviewer to distribute the questionnaires to the sample. The questionnaires in research are distributed to the customers personally at the Mid Valley Megamall and at the same time they return the questionnaires. 3.7 CASE STUDY: MID VALLEY MEGAMALL 3.71 BACKGROUND Mid Valley Megamall is one of the Malaysias largest urban development projects in the world. It was one of the projects inside the Mid Valley City. Mid Valley City desires to be the most modern and integrated mixed-use developments in the world. The construction starts in year 1995. At present, it comprises Mid Valley Megamall, Cititel Hotel, Menara IGB, Boulevard Offices, Boulevard Hotel, Northpoint Mid Valley City, Centrepoint North and South Towers, The Gardens Retail Gallery, The Gardens Hotel, The Gardens Residences and two landmark office towers. IGB Corporation Berhad, a property and investment holding company listed on Bursa Malaysia Securities Berhad is the developer of Mid Valley City while the Mid Valley Megamall is owned and operated by Kris Assets Holdings Berhad, a listed IGB subsidiary company. A two dimension master plan of Mid Valley City is enclosed in appendix. 3.72 DESCRIPTIONS OF MID VALLEY MEGAMALL Mid Valley Megamall is selected for the case study. Mid Valley Megamall is launched in year 1995 and it was opened in November 1999. Mid Valley Megamall is a complex consists of a shopping mall, an office tower block, 30 signature offices and two hotels. It is the first shopping mall comprises four successful anchor tenants, namely Jaya Jusco, Metrojaya, Carrefour and Golden Screen Cinemas. Besides, it comprises 13 junior and mini anchors and 403 specialty shops. Mid Valley Megamall has a gross floor area of 4.5 million square feet and net lettable area exceeds 1.7 million square feet. Mid Valley City is planned and developed as a City in a CityMid Valley Megamall is a key part of Mid Valley City. It was awarded the Best Shopping Complex Award 2000 by Tourism Malaysia and Best Retail Development Award 2001 by FIABCI Malaysia (International Real Estate Federation). Mid Valley Megamall is a good choice for the local residents and foreign tourists. Jusco is the Malaysias shopping retailing chain and supermarkets Carrefour is the largest hypermarket chain in the world in terms of size and the second largest retail group in the world in terms of revenue and third largest in terms of profit. It occupies one floor of Mid Valley Megamall. It provides a wide range of products, from fresh farm products, colourful seafood to household brands. Metrojaya occupied three floors of Mid Valley Megamall and offers wide range of local and international quality products which cater the need of medium and high income groups. Golden Screen Cinemas is the Malaysias largest chain of cinema which offers 18 screens and provides 2899 comfortable seats and spacious leg room. GSC not only brings you the best blockbuster, but also the international screening. Figure: Four Anchor Tenants of Mid Valley Megamall 3.73 MISSION AND VISION Mid Valley Megamall is aimed to fulfilling everyones needs. In order to achieve the mission, the highly energetic and talented professionals are appointed in departments. In fact, Mid Valley Megamall emphasizes on their service standard and it wishes to create a modern and stylish shopping paradise for their customers. As long as the customers are in the Mid Valley Megamall, they will make sure everyone enjoy the services and products provided. Besides, Mid Valley Megamall aims to maintain the growth of the shopping mall in the competitive retail industry. 3.74 FACTORS INFLUENCE THE CUSTOMER SATISFACTION LOCATION AND ACCESSIBILITY Mid Valley Megamall is strategically located between Kuala Lumpur Central Business District and Petaling Jaya. It is located in a convenient location that can be easily accessible from all corners on the Klang Valley. Besides it is surrounded by Petaling Jaya, Bangsar and Damansara. There is a KTM Komuter train-stop and a LRT Station nearby while taxis are available at the entrances of Centre, North and South Courts. The KTM commuter station can be accessed through a covered pedestrian bridge to the Megamall. Its believed to bring an average of 10,000 passengers each day. The station is disable-friendly, and facilities comprise toilets, lifts, covered platforms, ticket and information counters and ticket vending machines. Furthermore, Mid Valley has offers free complimentary shutter bus services (Trinton Bus) at an interval of 30 minutes to 1 hour that travel between Bangsar LRT Station and Mid Valley South Court. Other option of transportation is the public transport available, the detail information about public transport is shown in figure. Figure: The KTM Route (Source: Mid Valley Megamall official website) Monday-Thursday Friday-Sunday Services available at every 30* minutes intervals *Subject to traffic conditions Form Bangsar LRT Station First Departure: 8.05 am Last Departure: 10.40pm From Mid Valley Megamall First Departure: 8.10am Last Departure: 10.45pm Form Bangsar LRT Station First Departure: 8.05 am Last Departure: 10.40pm From Mid Valley Megamall First Departure: 8.10am Last Departure: 10.55pm No shuttle services between these time 10.55am 11.25am 3.10pm 4.10pm 7.30pm 8.00pm No shuttle bus services between there times 10.55am 11.25am 2.45pm 3.45pm 7.15pm 7.45pm Figure: Bus Schedule for Shutter Bus (Source: Mid Valley Megamall official website) Bus No Bus Route Frequency Bus Stop Location T631 University LRT Station Mid Valley Megamall University LRT Station 20 30 min North Court U66 Klang Bus Stand KL Sentral Brickfields Mid Valley Megamall Taman Medan 15 20 min North Court South Court U84 Klang Bus Stand KL Sentral Bangsar LRT Station Mid Valley Megamall Kelana Jaya 15 20 min North Court South Court U85 Klang Bus Stand KL Sentral Bangsar LRT Station Mid Valley Megamall SS2 Seapark 15 20 min North Court South Court U87 Klang Bus Stand KL Sentral Bangsar LRT Station Mid Valley Megamall Bangsar Park 15 20 min North Court South Court Figure: General Bus Services (Source: Mid Valley Megamall official website.) Mid Valley Megamall can be accessed through five major highways and two railway lines. In the future, the improvement of road and public transportation will be done. It includes a designated monorail station, a link bridge to the Putra LRT Station and the upgrading of internal traffic flow. Being located in between Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya, an amount of RM250 million was invested in constructing a flyover and enhance the network of road for the purpose to connect the Federal Highway and all the major catchment and residential suburbs or businesses premises within Klang Valley to Mid Valley Megamall. The location plan is enclosed in appendix X. Meanwhile, the location of the department stores is also very important for the convenient of the customers. INFRASTRUCTURES AND FACILITIES Mid Valley consists of four entrances located at the direction of east, south, north and west respectively. Information Counters are available in Centre, North and South Court at ground floor. They are willing to assist those customers by showing a helpful attitude. In terms of car parking, Mid Valley is provided 4000 car parks in order to cater the need of high crowd during peak hours. Effective from 5 May 2008, the basement car parks of Mid Valley Megamall The Gardens Mall were separated where the car parks for Mid Valley Megamall are zones A and C. The exact location of the parking area is shown in the plan enclosed in appendix. Figure: New Car Park Rates effective 26 March 2007 until the present. (Source: Mid Valley Megamall official website.) Besides, Mid Valley Megamall also provides washrooms and baby changing facilities. The washrooms provided for the benefit of all the customers while the baby changing facilities are provided for the benefit of a mother. In addition, Mid Valley Megamall is comprises five lifts which enable the customers to travel from floor to floor. Escalators also available at East, South and North Court and there are two travelators that connecting the lower ground floor with basement which is very convenient for the customers. A proper floor plan is enclosed in appendix for further clarification of the exact location for the facilities and infrastructures. PRODUCTS AND SERVICES Mid Valley consists of five floors where each floor is specifying for certain products and services. Lower ground floor is for daily essentials such as hypermarket, supermarket, pharmacies and money-changers. Besides, this floor is providing a numerous fast food outlet and local delights. Ground floor is mainly for the adults which include the apparel, footwear, accessories, beauty care, health care, bookstore and others essential items that fulfill the desires of an adult. First floor is the paradise for a kid, which include the fashion for kids, beauty and hair saloons for the adults. Second floor is specialized for those who wish to decorate their house. Besides, IT Centre is also available in this floor to cater the need of young generation in the ever changing technology of the world. Third floor is for entertainment such as Golden Screen Cinemas, Mid Valley Exhibition Centre, Pets Wonderland, Cosmic Bowl, Megakidz and a food court. Besides the products, the proper display area also being taken into consideration in order to be easily accessible by the customer. Mid valley is able to stimulate customers to spend more time and money in Mid Valley through the visual display merchandising. The store directory: Anchors Accessories Apparel Discounters Entertainment Exhibition/ Property Showroom Food and Beverage Health/ Personal Care Houseware and Furnishings Information Technology Jewellery Leisure Luggage Shoes and Bags Sporting Goods and Apparel Sundry and Services Tailoring Textile Watches and Pens Mid Valley Megamall also provides certain services for the convenience of the customers. The services provided: ATMs Banks Cobbler Laundrette Money Changers Post Office Alteration Shop Clinic Dentist Locksmith Newstands Print Shop STAFF In addition, Mid Valley Megamall is continually investing in a comprehensive staff training and skills development programme which aimed at improving both the soft and hard skills of the staff and enable them to perform their responsibilities in a right manner. The quality and attitude of the staffs will be indirectly affecting the level of customer satisfaction towards Mid Valley Megamall. The important qualities of the staffs are friendliness, helpfulness, communication skill and responsiveness. BUILDING LAYOUT Challenge of the management team of Mid Valley Megamall is to ensure the customers willing to visit Mid Valley Megamall repeatedly. Mid Valley Megamall is a customer-centric shopping centre which offers best and wide range of services. It is operated by an experienced team of industry experts to ensure the innovative marketing and leasing initiatives. Besides, Mid Valley Megamall was invested over millions in comprehensive store renovation and upgrading activities in order to improve and enhance the malls environment. In terms of marketing, Mid Valley Megamall has planned the promotion aggressively with the mission to provide the delightful shopping experience to the shoppers. In order to bring excitement and hour of enjoyment to the shoppers, visual merchandising are used in creating a unique atmosphere for the public and enhance the competitiveness of Mid Valley Megamall. The marketing and promotional activities are supported by themed and strong-concept in-house events throughout the mall such as Mid Valley Megamall Fashion Week 2009 which introduce the hottest spring or summer collections through the fabulous design and chic runway shows. This show is designated for the fashion lover. During different festivals such as Hari Raya, Chinese New Year, Merry Christmas celebration, Mid Valley Megamall will decorate the centre court into atmosphere with unique and attractive theme. Mid Valley Megamall was the only shopping mall in Asia that achieved international recognition in MAXI Awards ceremony held in Hollywood last year. This award is organized by International Council of Shopping Centres. For the Hari Raya celebration 2008, Mid Valley Megamall themed as Cherish The Good Old Days in a Brand New Way that create a harmony atmosphere. This unique theme help Mid Valley Megamall won in the Visual Merchandising category of the MAXI Award. 3.5 SUMMARY This chapter has discussed about the research process which include the research framework, research method and purpose, population of questionnaire, the scale for the questions and distributing method. A case study in Mid Valley Megamall has been discussed in this chapter; it includes the background, description, mission and vision of Mid Valley Megamall. Furthermore, the factors that influences the customer satisfaction being discussed for the case study of Mid Valley Megamall. The factors are location and accessibility, infrastructure and facilities, product and services, staff and building layout.