Impact of Globalization on Total Quality Management

Total quality management (TQM) has been defined as ‘continuous improvement of every production output whether it be a product or a service, by removing inefficient variations and by improving the backbone of the work process’. International managers like their domestic counterparts have found that incorporating the notion of total quality management into their management process and style can give the competitive advantage. A manager’s decision-making process regarding new or increased international operations involves reacting to the environment, seeking competitive advantage globally and assessing the company’s capability in the global context. Globalization makes managers ask certain questions. These questions include: ‘Must we be more International’? ‘Are we capable of becoming more international? ’ ‘How can we improve capability’? ‘What opportunities should we pursue? ’ This sort of questioning which globalization creates will enable the firm to identify specific weak areas and/or general lack of strength. The focus now shifts to expansion. These might include things like internal changes as well as linkages with other organizations that help provide the desired result. Therefore, the options or strategic plans must be selected with caution. Globalization makes management assess the costs and benefits of various possible modes of entry into the global market. In general, the choices can be seen as ranging from no ownership in foreign locations, to joint ventures, to sole ownership of foreign subsidiary. Globalization enables managers to make a lot of choices and decisions regarding improving their output and expanding their business activity. Each of the options they assess has benefits as well as disadvantages that the managers must weigh to make the right choices. Once the managers have made their choice, a plan of action is formulated and executed to achieve the desired foreign activity. The decision process should be assumed to be a kind of iterative process – that is having been through the model once, a manager will periodically return to the first question and repeat the process. This has the effect changing a reactive strategy into a dynamic one. Globalization creates an atmosphere where companies look to embark on international operations which in turn foster a degree of synergy. Having business operations in more than one international location provides the opportunity to transfer learning from one international location to another. The 1990s is considered to be the decade when the new era of the beginning of quality management. This was because during that period of time, firms where facing a high degree of competition, the encroachment of their market share and a depreciation in the perceptions of the quality of their products. Hence, it was necessary to adopt a quality management technique that would override any existing traditional management styles. Literature Review- This brings us to the topic of identififying the Impact of Globalization on Total Quality Management. What has been the impact of Globalization on Total Quality Management†? TQM has played in its origins a decisive role in Globalization. Globalization is a direct consequence of TQM. In 1954, John Foster Dulles, then the US Secretary of State, despised Japan as a commercial threat to USA. â€Å"The Japanese don’t make anything the people in the US would want. Twenty five years later, in 1979, when Japanese car were starting to be built in America, Business Week mocked: â€Å"With [more than] 50 foreign cars on sale here, the Japanese auto industry isn’t likely to carve out a big slice of the US market. † Later it came â€Å"If Japan can†¦ Why can’t we? † broadcasted by NBC in 1980. And Deming. Anyway, as TQM always does, it has to adapt its processes to the needs of the organization (environment) in every moment and circumstance. Globalization is not an exception Globalization has allowed small businesses and major corporations to expand its products and services to the global market. People from all over the world can access products because of the opportunities globalization has provided. Even though some of outcomes of globalization have been controversial, the market has become more competitive than ever, thus creating the high demand for quality management. The fact that globalization has expanded the market for organizations means that TQM is more important than ever before. Customer demands are higher and if a company does not create products and services that meet their expectations they can easily access the same or similar products and services from another company. If managers do not implement TQM into their company procedure then they will fail to meet the high standards of customers all over the world and eventually lose their business. When it comes to implementing TQM, it’s the mangers responsibility to create an environment where people can work together to improve their work processes. If the ownership or senior management does not buy into this concept you will never succeed. Many people in leadership roles are either too set in their ways or closed minded to the necessary change needed to really improve the way things get done. You have to buy into the concept that there is always a better way to do something. By tapping into all the knowledge and experience your employees possess, you develop solutions that not only improve your execution, you provide everyone with a sense of accomplishment.. These â€Å"process improvement teams† give employees a chance to help steer the future direction of their company. The other problem you have in implementing a team concept is the team members themselves. Many people have great ideas but do not feel comfortable sharing them. They would rather be told what to do, this way if something goes wrong it's not their fault. They actually know a better way to do something, but they don't want to stick their neck out for fear of taking responsibility. By creating a team solution everyone has a vested interest in its success, thus everyone becomes responsible. You are collectively working together to implement these changes, so the chances of success are greatly improved. If a company can develop a team concept that permeates through out its entire workforce, they are much better equipped to handle the constant challenges they face. If everyone has a vested interest in the current and future success of their company, the company's best interest would always come first. The real challenge any company faces is making these concepts a reality. The following outlines the pros and cons of globalization on quality: Pros †¢Viewing both the productivity grows quickly when countries produce goods and services in which they have a comparative advantage. Living standards can go up faster. †¢Global competition and cheap imports keep a lid on prices, so inflation is less likely to derail economic growth. An open economy spurs innovation with fresh ideas from abroad. †¢Export jobs often pay more than other jobs. †¢Unfettered capital flows give the US access to foreign investment and keep interest rates low. . The Pros for globalization show that prices will be kept at one set price and that money will be quickly made by all. The help with foreign countries could also speed up technology as well. Technology could help the underdeveloped countries in the long run, and everyone overall economically. Cons: †¢Millions of Americans have lost jobs due to imports or production shifts abroad. Most find new jobs – that pay less. Millions of others fear losing their jobs, especially at those companies operating under competitive pressure. †¢Workers face pay-cut demands from employers, which often threaten to export jobs. †¢Service and white-collar jobs are increasingly vulnerable to operations moving offshore. †¢US employees can loose their comparative advantage when companies build advanced factories in low-wage countries, making them as productive as those at home. The Con list shows that the concerns are that smaller businesses will be put out of business by larger ones. Also stating that only the white-collar or richer people will be making a benefit in the changes. Demonstrations and Applications in the Business World – Total Quality Management at Tyson Foods- Tyson Foods is known for its high quality products such as chicken, pork, and beef to name a few. Tyson Foods has carefully implemented quality management practices to stay ahead of the competition and because their products are closely regulated by government officials. Recently Tyson Foods opened a new laboratory in Arkansas to test and research food safety. The new laboratory has earned two International Organization of Standardization (ISO) certifications which are the ISO 9001-2000 and the ISO 17025. Tyson Foods is responsible for creating and maintaining the highest quality products on the market. Without this seal of approval from the USDA, Tyson Foods could not operate in the United States nor globally and no company would buy their products. TQM is the most important aspect of Tyson Foods' management process because without TQM they would cease to exist. Total Quality Management is very important in today's industry because of the high demand for quality from customers. The competition to create high quality products and services is ever increasing because the market is very large. Customers can find products from anywhere in the world thanks to technology and the internet so this increases the demand for Total Quality Management within companies. If companies want to continue to stay in business selling their products and services to customers they must implement TQM into their business practice or they will fail to meet customer demands and ISO regulations. TQM has become the new wave of management in today's society because the needs, desires, and demands of customers can be easily met by the vast majority of competition. Competition is the hardest thing a company must deal with and to ensure the competition is fair and equal each company must use Total Quality Management to stay ahead of the game. Conclusion & Reflection – In conclusion, as the demands on firms are changing and increasingly requiring more flexible manufacturing and work practices, team work and multi-skilling are essential if firms are to stay competitive. This means training the work force in a variety of skills so that they can react quickly to changes in models and production runs. Moves in other countries to encourage greater cooperation between industry and education are a testament to the benefits that can be derived. Cross-cultural training is also a necessity for any organization in order for it to survive in todays increasingly globalize and quality oriented environment. Also, reflecting back on this assignment and how this class has enhanced my knowledge on quality and how important quality is not only to the consumer, but also how it can set the standard on any particular industry. I also learned that quality at a globalization level is any less important than it is at a local level.

Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Prevention Interventions: Haiti 2010

Primary prevention and nursing interventions include: the workers and volunteers receiving available, necessary and appropriate shots prior to entering Haiti. For the Haitians, immunization would also be given. This is very important against, Hepatitis, and other rare, yet deadly diseases, such as measles, mumps, rubella, and pertussis.Education regarding: safe and proper sanitation practices; hand washing and personal hygiene; maintaining trash in designated areas; staying active by volunteering/assisting and caring for other fellow Haitian children and neighbors; clearing and cleaning out clutter and using available resources to cook and keep foods in safe places that are clean; dry and free from infestations of bugs; clearing out puddles of water that attract mosquitoes; and assigning an adequate amount of people per shelter or tent in order to not overcrowd any particular living/sleeping quarters; and lastly educated patients on the first sign of diarrheal disease and to seek med ical attention in order to contain the disease.Secondary Prevention nursing Interventions: secondary prevention would occur during the acute stage of the disaster. These interventions of course would differ depending on the type and scope of the disaster. Generally, the goal of secondary prevention intervention is to decrease the deleterious effects of the disaster on individuals and the community. In the type of disaster where there's the possibility of many casualties, several types of activities will take place simultaneously.Police, fire, and other first responders will be conducting search-and-rescue operations as well as security operations. To provide help for as many people as possible, triage activities will be taking place in the field as well as in emergency departments. If proper planning occurred prior to the disaster, casualties would be transported to many different institutions in an effort to avoid any one institution being overwhelmed. Hospitals are often perceived as a safe haven. A sound hospital disaster plan will include plans for how to manage non injured survivors of disasters. Finding a place away from the chaos to provide supportive care is desirable.Aside from providing care to the physically injured, secondary prevention strategies would also address decreasing the long-term emotional affects of trauma. As stated previously, how individuals cope with trauma depends on a myriad of factors. Lastly, secondary prevention strategies would also address the immediate community education needs. People need to be educated about the signs and symptoms of stress reactions and the available community resources where they can receive help. It's important to teach people to develop healthy coping strategies, such as seeking support from family and friends, joining a support group, practicing relaxation techniques, and taking care of their physical health. (See â€Å"Available Web resources.)Tertiary prevention strategies are interventions that a re designed to meet the long-term needs of individuals and the community after the disaster has been resolved. The required types and scope of tertiary services will largely be determined by the type and scope of the disaster. There will be a certain amount of people who'll need long-term services. Experts suggest a need for long-term treatment strategies that include individual, group, and family therapy; effective pharmacotherapy; as well as short and long term hospitalization and rehabilitation. Implementing programs that foster healing is another important tertiary intervention. Providing places for people to speak with others about their feelings is beneficial to healing.It's important to provide programs that teach people about stress responses, normal and abnormal coping strategies, and when and how to seek help. Parenting programs can help mothers and fathers learn how to provide support to their children and also to recognize symptoms of stress response. There are four phas e, the Mitigation, Preparedness, Response and Recovery. These prevention interventions would be started as early as the 1st phase, and throughout 4th phase. I would enroll the collaboration of the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention), the Red Cross and FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency). I would also call on charitable organizations such as the catholic charities, to come in and help.

Education in the United States Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Education in the United States - Coursework Example The schools have adequate resources coupled with teachers to handle the pressure from the public. Given the above features, every American has the right of access to education with the government safeguarding effectiveness of the system of education in the country as the discussion below shows. I think that every individual has the same kind of academic education. The country has a system of education that strives to empower the learners thereby making them economically viable. While doing this, the policy makers in the country appreciate the role of education in creating a cultural identity. As such, they have created a system where learners go through the same system and accessing the same kind of education. At primary levels, for example, learners in the education system undergo a liberal arts education that provides the learners with holistic understanding and intellectual background in a number of fields (Theodoulou, 2003). The system is appropriate for determining the strengths and weaknesses of the learners. Additionally, the learners take part in a number of physical education that strives to identify and develop their talents. As the learners advance their education, they begin to specialize as the transition to a vocational form of training. The training is appropriate in aligning the capabilities of the learners to the demands of the economy. Through vocational training, learners acquire appropriate skills that relate to their respective jobs through technical training. This orients the learners to the economy thus making them productive individuals once they complete the education systems (Radin & Hawley, 1988). The education system in the country is a combination of the two system with the citizens enjoying the right to access depending on both their both abilities and interests. The government continues to provide support to the citizens in a number of ways

Community organization as public ministry Essay

Community organization as public ministry - Essay Example A lot of social injustices have been known to occur within the community.   This is mainly caused by those people who refuse to work within the fringes of the law and general principles that uphold the societal values.   For the community to be together, people must recognize that societal values should be encouraged and people brought under proximate grounds to heed these values. Communities that refuse to work together often fail to recognize the advantages these values. Like any other bodies formed to address matters, community organization is known to have both the advantageous and disadvantageous values.   The benefits of community organization include empowering the society by involving the people in a certain area to come together. This gives them the courage to address other injustice. When people come together in the society they have more strength to address a certain issue compared to people who do it individually. Community organization acts as a voice for the voice less in the society. Organizations have been known to develop to benefit the organization members, and other members of the society.   An organization may be developed to address the rights of the handicapped people. With this, they can fight for certain issues to be addressed these handicapped people are still considered as members of the society.Besides the above mentioned advantages, a person who joins a community organization can get the some benefits. One can widen his social and professional networks by meeting new people. One’s skills are set to grow by sharing their ability and the knowledge they have with others. When one joins a group, the main idea is to work to help other people. The disadvantages that may crop up in community organization are few but can be a major challenge in societal development. Community organizations have been known to bring up major conflict of interests. This can be seen in matters where some are for, while others are against a certain issue. A situation whereby people are for the legalization of abortion, and others are not, is a common example of this. Both of the organizations have good reasons but to bring them in level grounded reasoning is difficult. This often divides the society and weakens oneness. For unity to be achieved despite the presence of conflicting organizations, bodies and strategies that address their issues as the neutral party and foster understanding among them need to be adapted. It is only a society that supports one another that there could be mutual understanding and growth.7 Tools to harness social justice in churches Attaining social justice in a church can prove difficult if proper steps are not taken. There are tools

American Literature Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

American Literature - Term Paper Example English is all pervasive as 'the de facto language or the lingua franca today' . The huge amount of production of books and magazines from both english speaking countries and elsewhere in English, with the local-language coming a close second in terms of production makes English a sort of lingua-franca today. So not only has English cornered the English Language world, but we see the impact of English in the world of TV, cinema, music, comics and TV also in the non English speaking world. From time immemorial the concept of one lingua franca, uniting people has been around. Literature has had works abounding in Latin for centuries. And the sheer amount of works in Latin indicate that mankind has for long felt the need for a common language for communication , be what so ever one's own mother tongue. Almost 50% of the world's student population choose English as their choosen language of study today because they feel that this would be the most useful for them in business and commerce. EFL, is the study of English as a Foreign language, and EFL as a foreign language is part of the school curriculum in countries where English has no special status. The EFL Journal in China and in Iran are example of English language learning in countries where English is a foreign language. But in former British colonies English is an official language even if not spoken as a mother tongue. The teaching of English is as a second language referred to in the terminology "TESL" or rather more generally as 'ESL'in countries such as US, Canada and Australia. In UK, Ireland and New Zealand, this very term ESL has been replaced by the term ESOL. Whatever might be the term ESL or ESOL or ESD(English as a secondary dialect) used in various countries , English is taught primarily for a person to hold down a job and to perform the daily necessities of life. But students learning EFL in HongKong will learn most likely the 'British English' and the students in Philipines will learn the 'American English' version. For this reason the emphasis is now on EIL (English as an International Language) also known as ELF(English as the lingua franca). There are communities of English speakers in countries all over the world where english is spoken , but with noticeable differences in pronounciations, vocabulary and grammar in different countries. The term sociolinguistic is the study of the effects of society, cultures, norms and expectation on language useage. Ethnicity, religion, gender, level of education, a person's age makes the speaking and writing of language different from place to place depending on the social class which uses it and it is this sociolects that sociolinguists study( lect being language or dialect). As always, there has been a distinction which exists in the English language between the high and elevated literary language and the colloquial language. After the defeat of England by the Normans , Latin and French replaced English as the official and literay language and the English we know today emerged only after the Middle Ages . It is no longer possible to differentiate between english in the literary sense and english as a colloquial language today. English has been used as a literary language of expression since time memorial in many

Are connectionist models and symbolic models competing or Essay

Are connectionist models and symbolic models competing or complementary appraoaches to artificial intelligence - Essay Example Both these approaches have their supporters who have used them to show the various benefits which can be derived from taking different viewpoint to AI (Minsky, 1991). At the same time, there are those who have said that the approaches are complimentary and do not compete with each other. To justify these statements it is necessary to take a look at each approach to see how it works. The symbolic approach is based on the creation of AI models that work with symbol manipulation. Computation is based on the fact that a symbol or a group of symbols can be arranged in a manner to represent information. Once the order or position of symbols is changed, the information can also be updated to reflect the changing environment. It must be noted that in this approach a symbol can represent any type or nature of information and the symbols can be modified if required (Bader & Hitzler, 2005). Thus a symbol here represents an idea which has certain basic premises but which can be modified by the machine based on experience or intelligent action. This process of symbol manipulation can be very successful if the AI process is being applied to well-structured problems. That means if the symbols are predefined for the AI system, it can modify the associated parameters based on its own experience and manipulation of the symbols (Bader & Hitzler, 2005). This method seeks to replicate the higher order thinking processes of the human mind which has the same ability to modify and learn from experiences as they are collected in a person’s memory. However, this approach has certain failings as well since it is difficult to grasp commonsense reality with this approach. On the other hand, the connectionist models for AI are based on the idea of using a large number of relatively simple units which can handle extremely difficult and

Human Rights Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Human Rights - Essay Example licies, restrictions on its rent and sale that protected the source of income of rural corn and coffee raising by the indigenous people of Chiapas in order to comply with the requirement of the said agreement. By imposing these policies, the indigenous community started questioning their human rights because they found it unjust which led to an armed combat with the Mexican army in 1994. Exploiting the growing conflict between the government and interests of the indigenous people, entered the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN) a revolutionary group who sided with the indigenous people and who fought war with the Mexican army in 1994 as their means of showing resistance to the state law in Chiapas. After the ceasefire and negotiation for two years, the Mexican State and the EZLN signed the San Andres accord for indigenous rights and culture that allowed some freedom in their governance and construction of legality for the indigenous people of Chiapas. But this accord didnâ⠂¬â„¢t stop the conflict between the Mexican government and the EZLN because the Mexican government failed to fully complete its provisions. Instead, the Mexican government and the local mestizo economic and landowner elites known as the â€Å"Coletos† counteracted the human rights claimed by the indigenous people and EZLN, claiming that the collective rights of the indigenous people and ELZN interfered with their personal liberties and rights as property owners. These rights that were claimed by the Mexican government and the Coletos prevented the indigenous people and the ELZN to establish their political autonomy and agricultural landholding collectives. This is a form of cultural imperialism because the Mexican government used their authority over the indigenous people on changing the states law and policies still for the benefit of the regime and elites. The regime and the elites will profit so much on the North American Free Trade Agreement in 1992 because the policies that was amended

Federal Budget Deficit Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Federal Budget Deficit - Essay Example This paper intends to discuss the significance, causes and recommendations attributed to the federal budget deficit. The federal budget deficit is significant in a number of ways. This may be either short term or long term. For instance, in a slack economy, the major effect of an increase in the deficit is stimulation of demand and consequent raise of output (The Moment of Truth, 22). It is significant to note that, as the economy approaches full employment and tightening of the credit markets, the federal government borrowing tends to push up the interest rates. In the same regard, higher interest rates influence the cost of financing new investment in plant and equipment. More over, the federal deficit causes higher interest rates influence international capital flows and consequent effect on trade balance. In addition, the deficit causes increase in the exchange value of the dollar particularly the price of the imported products falls. The deficit also increase the size of the nat ional debt consequently increase of the size of the annual interest payments make on the debt. On the other and, it should be noted that not all times the deficits pose disadvantages to the populace. Running temporary deficits especially during a recession economy a federal government can enhance a weak economy and cushion the effects of the downturn on Americans. Some of the causes of the budget deficit include tax cuts. According to the experts, the tax cuts pay for themselves. This implies that, the economy expands rapidly because of the tax cuts, which produce almost the same level of revenue, as it would have in the absence of tax cuts. This study observes that if the costs of extending the management of the tax cuts are not compensated by expenditure reductions, extending the tax cuts would somewhat decrease long-run economic expansion (The Moment of Truth, 24). On the same regard, increased domestic spending in various sectors of economy such as education, Medicare, defense ( homeland security) and infrastructure is immensely attributed to the current budget deficit. For instance between 2001 and 2006, the federal budget on domestic spending account for almost 26%. It is imperative to note that, even if the overheads of extending the tax cuts are compensated by expenditure cuts, the tax cuts would at preeminent have only small positive consequences on the economy. More over, today’s deficit is observed to have been caused by the 2001 economic downturn. The budget deficits can be reduced by cutting down expenditure on domestic spending. For instance, reduced spending on domestic programs through 2011 saw a total of $75 billion saved. In addition, tax cuts should be regulated to a lower level and more significant, strategies on reduced tax cut administration costs should structured to ensure reduced expenditure during this exercise (The Moment of Truth, 22). This study finds out that the federal government borrowing tends to push up the interest rat es, which are settled by the deficits. It is imperative to note that, deficits of such kind can be reduced by reducing government borrowing intended for the recurrent expenditure. However, this might not serve as a permanent solution in a slowly recovering economy attributed with the country’s medium and long term fiscal challenges. It is significant to note that, this is a tight economic situation, which requires stringent

Choose a professional career path such as CIMA, ACCA. and critical Essay

Choose a professional career path such as CIMA, ACCA. and critical evaluation of two professional bodies appropriate for your ca - Essay Example This body has an aim of ensuring that that the growth of accountancy is that of influence as well as reputation. Membership Requirements In terms of membership, CIMA offers two grades, which include Associate and fellow. This means that for associate, an auditor for instance has to pass the qualifying examinations of the institute, should have three years of qualifying practice, which has been proved by being signed by witnesses. Two persons have to propose and second the member. As for the fellow, the auditor, being a member, should have the necessary experience from the senior level (Gowthorpe, 2005). On the other hand, a candidate should register as a member so as to undertake a professional scheme qualification. If a member completes the examination successfully, he/she therefore is transferred to the affiliate status. From this status is when a member is supposed to demonstrate through an application form that they have acquired a practical and supervised experience in accountan cy hence becoming an auditor . They should also have acquired the competence that is of standard level in auditing. Also, after a membership of five consecutive years, a senior membership is automatically awarded. ACCA offers its members the access to the Association of Corporate Treasurers membership. The United Kingdom’s Security & Investment Institute also recognizes ACCA members such as financial accountants (Page, 2006). The members are allowed to take International Taxation advanced diplomas at Chartered Institute of taxation. As for the CIMA, members gain recognition by the Society of Management Accountants of Canada. It has a qualification program with New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants. Qualifications In terms of qualification, ACCA provides a variety of diplomas and certificates at a foundation level. This is generally known as accountancy foundations. It offers an entry for individuals who want to pursue a career in finance and accounts but are new to t his field and do not meet the ACCA qualification entry requirements. Other qualifications include International auditing certificates, Financial management diplomas, Certificate and Diploma in International Financial Reporting, for ACCA full membership, individuals are offered MBA from Oxford University (Mike, 2008). CIMA offers a syllabus that is structured to motivate accountants pursuing their career in finance. Therefore, the students are at a position acquire Diploma in management accounting, Advanced management accounting diplomas as well as business accounting certificate. However, this body takes a long process when marking the examinations. Before the examinations are marked, a meeting is held between the examiner and the marker whereby they discuss into details of the marking scheme. The examiner is at a position to moderate the marking system at a closer range hence reviewing the scripts of marking. Differences There are a number of differences between a financial account ant from ACCA and an auditor from CIMA. ACCA for instance is a global organization that caters for financial accountants on a professional level while CIMA offers professional management in accounts internationally. CIMA deals with management on corporate strategy, budget making and variance analysis. On the other hand, ACCA concentrates on the technical accounting that best suits tax accountants, auditors as well as corporate

Implied and Express terms (contract) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Implied and Express terms (contract) - Essay Example In such situations the concept of what are implied terms comes into the picture. Implied terms could be a condition, a warranty or an innominate term and it’s on only by knowing the effect of each, that we could determine the distinction of one from the other. The court, in the case of Hong Kong Fir v Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha [1962] 2 QB 26, had the chance to make a distinction among a condition, warranty and an innominate term. In said case, the following definitions were settled: When a condition is breached the injured party has the right to sue for damages and also to terminate the contract. A breach of warranty only gives rise to the right to sue for damages. When an innominate term is breached the legal consequences of the breach depend upon its factual consequences i.e. there is a right to terminate the contract, in addition to suing for damages, only if the breach of an innominate term is such as to deprive the injured party of substantially all the benefit which he was intended to derive from the contract. If a term is subject to different interpretation then there is flexibility otherwise there is certainty. As to how it creates a tension is on the consequence of different interpretations. A party to a contract, for example, believes a term to be condition but when the court will interpret otherwise, it will really create a tension as to him because that would be depriving him the right to terminate the contract. a or exanmplke iif one entitles meFF Since in innominate terms there could be either the right to sue for damages or both the said right and right to terminate the contract, then a tension could also be created by the uncertainty of flexibility of the decision depending on how the courts appreciates the facts of the cases and surrounding circumstances and how it will apply the rule on implied terms. As to why, the court said: ‘Terms implied in fact are

Contemporary Healthcare Specific Management and Leadership Practice Essay Example for Free

Contemporary Healthcare Specific Management and Leadership Practice Essay If there is one word which describes the American health care environment during the last decade, that word is change. Professionals joining the health care industry during the 1990s will find little resemblance to the work environment their predecessors found a mere 10 years earlier. Physical therapy practice during the 1960s and 1970s was largely limited to three settings: the hospital, private practice and extended care institutions. Private practice followed the medical practice model and served primarily ambulatory outpatients. Hospital-based practice accounted for the majority of practice opportunities. Along with some limitations on professional autonomy, employment in hospital-based practice generally offered the greatest opportunities for variety in clinical practice. Literature Review Change is constant and usually affects an entire organization. Change sometimes can cause chaos and stress, but which must be acknowledged and dealt with in order to make an organization effective. Improving high-quality patient care is the most important issue for everyone in a physical health institution, and this improvement needs to remain a central focus of and the main reason for the change. Discussions with hospital executives reveal: There is a need for an action plan to meet the needs of a more culturally diversed population. Adverse patient care incidents are under-reported because there are different interpretations about what should be reported. The hospital has not been able to invest in training hospital staff on reporting requirements. There are no systematic report mechanisms in place. Further study on the case reveals that the peer review processes of the hospital are weak if not minimally compliant. The number of patient complaints about hospital care has been rising. Complaints are often complex, and may involve the hospital’s other health care facilities, and health professionals, as well. Medication errors have been a major concern for the hospital this lately. Though deficiencies were cited, the potential for patient harm was not clearly identified. Still, it has important influences on the quality of care for the medical facility. Faith also noted that their premium cost are decreasing, and is becoming a significant concern for the hospital. The lack of clear and concise ethics guidelines for medical personnel, especially on issues requiring ethical decisions. Each group of stakeholders has somewhat different concerns. That is, each cares more about some aspects of an organization’s activities and less about others. Customers. Many organizations say that they put the concerns of their customers or clients first. For U.S. companies, that often means improving the quality of the service while keeping costs in check. Interviews with the customers reveal that the health care organization’s Teamwork Competency account illustrates that using teams to improve quality is one approach that organizations can use to address the concerns of customers. Employees. Many of the concerns that employees have today reflect changes in the structure of organizations and the fact that work is a major activity in their lives. How a company treats employees during times of change is a key issue raised by this company. Pay is another area of concern to employees. The desire to receive equal pay for equal work is among the most important of workplace issues, according to a national survey of 40,000 women. Owners and Shareholders. For many organizations, the concerns of owners—that is, taxpayers and contributors—often are essentially those of society at large. But for privately owned companies, and those whose shares are publicly traded, the concerns of owners—that is, shareholders—may be quite different from those of society in general. Most shareholders invest their money in companies for financial reasons. At a minimum, they want to preserve their capital for later use. Because the job of institutional investors is to make money by choosing which companies to put their investment in, their perspective on corporate issues is to make profit generation the firm’s top priority. As professional investors, these shareholders have considerable power to influence management’s decisions. Physical therapy health care service product is a bundle of tangible and intangible benefits that satisfy patient’s needs. Factors as job design, role clarity, and autonomy affect employee attitudes, which in turn affect patient experience in the institution. These observations emphasize the need to look beyond the immediate and obvious aspects of satisfaction and to consider other aspects, which affect patient perception of their experience. In dealing with the hospital’s problems with respect to organizational processes, ethics and communication issues, it must be considered from three perspectives: structure, process and outcome. To assure that the hospital services are being appropriately provided, each dimension of hospital care provision must be considered. Quality of Life has different meanings as compared to the other health-related subject matters. It is used to describe a patient’s health status, a description of how he perceives himself and his point of view about his life.   But Quality of Life Concept encompasses more than the health status or one’s perception about self and life.   This concept analysis nursing paper serves to provide the most comprehensive definition about this concept and how it is used in medical terms at present. Quality of Life Concept has become an â€Å"impressive ‘explosive’ trend† talked about by medical field professionals, published in journals, books and various quality life articles for the last 10 years now.   Within this period, its concept continues to evolve and has reached three phases. In the first phase, there is the formal assessment made and classified as ‘physician’s judgment of the patient’s health’. In the second phase, the points of view of the patients were given focus and the tools used in the study were those applied from psycho-social fields. In the third phase, multi-dimensional questionnaires were adopted and the concept of Quality of Life and health status begin to have different meanings (Apolone and Mosconi, p.66, 1998). Today, the trend continues to evolve as patient-oriented measures are applied and studied from functional disability scales to spiritual quality of life and economic measures. It is also a lot of other possible factors that have effects on a patient’s perception about what quality of life is in relation to his health.   The patient’s point of view in quality and effectiveness is taken into consideration and is treated as a more comprehensive humanistic approach that determines what to him is quality of life (Apolone and Mosconi, p. 68, 1998). Definition of Quality of Life When we speak about quality of life in layman’s terms, it literally pertains to a number of definitions. It connotes with standard of living, available resources or conditions that tell about either the comforts or discomforts of life and such other identifiable meaning and perception about an ideal life.   There are many indicators about what quality of life a patient can perceive and most of these indicators depend variably on one’s cultural values. Defining Quality of Life for the purpose of this nursing concept paper is variable because it pertains to a â€Å"subjective experience†. Hence, it can not be measured with â€Å"object indicators.†Ã‚   Being the case, according to Skevington, studies show that the â€Å"best person to assess quality of life is arguably the individual himself† (Skevington, par. 4, 1999). When questions are asked to a patient and he, in turn, answers the questions, the medical professional likely gets a limited clinical success in the study of the patient’s history because of limited information.   He is unable to get the necessary data that may be of help in assessing the health condition of the patient.   Hence, there is a need to come up with a good quality-of-life measure that will enable health and interventions to be properly evaluated. The World Health Organization (WHO), Geneva, in collaboration with the WHOQOL Group, designed an instrument called WHOQOL-100 that is used in â€Å"multinational clinical trials for the evaluation of quality-of-life outcomes during all types of health care interventions like surgery, counseling and medication.† (Skevington, par.1, 1999).  Ã‚   It is useful also for making cross-cultural function about perceived quality of life relating to health and at a one-to-one level, in improving communications between doctors and their patients in the consulting room (Skevington, par. 1, 1999). The WHOQOL has up come with such instrument and made it as comprehensive as possible to reach out to various global dimensions that are workable internationally. Moreover, it is intended for use by persons with chronic diseases, informal caregivers and people living in highly stressful situations. WHO defines health as a â€Å"state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, not merely the absence of disease or infirmity†.   On the other hand, the WHOQOL Group defines Quality of Life as â€Å"an individual’s perception of their position in life, in the context of the culture and value systems in which they live, and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards and concerns (Sousa).   It is so broad a concept that it affects the patient’s physical health, psychological state, level of independence, and social relationships with his environment in a very complex way.   In addition to this definition, WHOQOL Group has added the sixth domain to the list, which is â€Å"spirituality, religion, and personal beliefs.† (Skevington, par 5, 1999). Furthermore, the WHOQOL 100 is an instrument that is applied to heterogeneous cross-section of sick and well people in order to examine its internal consistency reliability, construct validity , and discriminant power (Skevington, par. 1999).. Concept of Quality of Life in Health Care The Quality of Life came about when the disciplines of sociology and psychology became an issue related to health care. It has emerged into a larger issue when technological advances were aimed at increasing life span. Quality of Life has become a means to guide a patient in deciding on whether to pursue a treatment or not for his or her ailment.   According to clinicians, Health-related Quality of Life is an appropriate focus for a patient who has a disease or who is ill, and whose aspects in life become health-related (Haas, p. 730, 1999). A)  Ã‚  Ã‚   Defining Attributes of Quality of Life. The Walker and Avant’s 1995 method of concept analysis of Quality of Life took note of the various characteristics or critical attributes recurring in the process of their studies and they are grouped according to four recurring themes.   The first theme is the â€Å"multi-dimensional and dynamic nature of the QOL.   Authors have stressed that QOL is a multi-dimensional concept considering that it is â€Å"based on values; is dynamic, ever changing and depends largely on the context in which it is measured† (Haas, p. 733, 1999). The second theme is that QOL includes an assessment.   In this case, the authors include words such as response, appraisal, measure, experience and assessment in defining and using QOL (Haas, p. 733, 1999).   The third theme is centered on the subjective nature of QOL. Grouped within this theme are words like perception, well-being, and satisfaction. (Haas, p. 733, 1999). The fourth and final theme recognizes the objective nature of QOL, with authors using â€Å"behavior, functioning, and environment as measures of QOL.† (Haas, p. 733, 1999). These defining attributes were sourced from the definitions and use of QOL. It mainly shows that QOL is indeed an individual’s current life circumstance. It further shows that it is multi-dimensional in nature and in being so, is based on values and is dynamic. It is also composed of both subjective and/or objective indicators. Finally QOL is subjectively measured by persons capable of self-evaluation.   (Haas, p. 733, 1999) (B) Congruence of the Concept with the Assumptions and Other Concepts within the Model/Theory. The QOL Model was formulated to provide a measure that takes into consideration both the components and determinants of health and well being that are consistent with the concept of Quality of Life. The QOL Model or Profile emphasizes on the person’s physical, psychological and spiritual functioning and his connections with his environments as well as opportunities for maintaining and enhancing skills (The Quality of Life Model, par 3, 2005). The Conceptual framework of the Quality of Life has three life domains which are aimed at providing a person to enjoy the more essential potentials of his life. (The Quality of Life Model, par 4, 2005) Each of the three domains has three sub-domains and they are as follows: (a)  Ã‚  Ã‚   Being pertains to who one is.   Its three sub-domains are: (1) Physical Being, which relates to a person’s or patient’s physical health, personal hygiene, nutrition, exercise, grooming and clothing, and general physical appearance; (2) Psychological Being, which relates to his psychological health adjustment, cognitions, feelings, self-esteem, self-concept and self-control; (3) Spiritual Being, which relates to his personal values, personal standards of conduct and spiritual beliefs. (The Quality of Life Model, par. 5, 2005) (b)  Ã‚   Belonging pertains to the person’s connections with his environment. Its three sub-domains are: (1) Physical Belonging, which relates to his connections with his home, work place/school, neighborhood and community; (2) Social Belonging, which relates to his connections with his intimate others, family, friends, co-workers, neighborhood and community; (3) Community Belonging, which relates to his connections with matters pertaining to adequate income, health and social services, employment, educational programs, recreational programs or community events and activities. (The Quality of Life Model, par 5. 2005) (c)  Ã‚  Ã‚   Becoming pertains to achieving personal goals, hopes and aspirations. Its three sub-domains are: (1) Practical Becoming, which relates to achieving personal goals in domestic activities, in work, in school or volunteer activities or seeing to health and social needs; (2) Leisure Becoming, relates to activities that promote relaxation and stress reduction; (3) Growth Becoming, relates to activities that promote the maintenance or improvement of knowledge and skill and adapting to change. (The Quality of Life Model, par. 5, 2005) Ferrans Conceptual Model of Quality of Life. Ferrans has developed a model based on the adoption of the individualistic ideology, which recognizes that quality of life depends on the unique experience of individuals. He maintains that the individual person is the only accurate judge of his quality of life because people differ in their perceptions and values. (Ferrans, par. 1, 1996)   This model uses qualitative methodology and has identified four domains of quality of life: health and functioning as psychological/spiritual, social and economic, and family. (Ferrans, par 1, 1996)   Patient data are analyzed in relation to these domains of quality of life. Researchers, physicians, policy makers adopt the Quality of Life concept as an instrument that tests the validity, reliability and effectiveness of different and relevant sub-domains for the purpose of evaluating the impact of medical interventions on the population (Apolone and Mosconi, p. 68, 1998). Since the concept is considered non-medical determinant, it is treated as confounder, a complementary way for effectiveness of care to a patient. This is because medicine still plays the major role in determining the final health outcome of a patient. (Apolone and Mosconi, p. 68, 1998) Since patients are the proper judge of their quality of life, there are ways to enhance the well-being of patients who may have a poor quality of life.   Studies show that the presence of positive feelings in patients is the most important feature of the kind of quality of life he has. Patients, with positive feelings most likely enjoy a pleasant quality of life than those who are in-patients and sick. A person has control of his emotions which can generally affect his state of mental being.   It is a matter of developing the positive attitude and containing oneself into thinking of a positive outlook in life.

Concealed Carry Laws Debate

Concealed Carry Laws Debate Mark Derham The study of crime in all its forms by scholars is a mainstay of academia. Research on this topic spans across a wide breadth of related issues, but the main concern of this essay is crime and the effect concealed handgun laws have on it. These laws provide citizens a legal means by which to carry a concealed handgun by having them undergo a background check through their local law enforcement agency to ensure they have no criminal history and are not suffering from a mental health illness (Lott and Mustard 1997).This particular issue was brought to the forefront of the academic debate by Lott and Mustard (1997) in an attempt to apply empirical, quantitative analysis to the issue to assist in the formulation of public policies regarding handguns and the right-to-carry. Following the publishing of Lott and Mustard (1997), numerous other scholars joined in the debate on concealed handgun laws and the effect such laws have on the crime rate (see Bartley and Cohen 1998; Black and Nagin 1 998; Ludwig 2000; Plassman and Tideman 2001; Ayres and Donohue III 2003; Plassman and Whitley 2003; Moody and Marvell 2008; etc.). What has resulted is a collection of work showing a divide amongst scholars and a debate on whether or not concealed handgun laws have a negative, neutral or positive effect on crime rate and the proper method for analyzing the available data. School shootings, gunmen attacking innocent civilians in public areas, and other forms of gun violence continue to put people on high alert when it comes to the issue of guns, their availability, and the ease in which one can lawfully carry said guns. These forms of crime in relation to gun laws also continue to play a big role in local, state and national elections, with party lines having already been drawn at all levels. As a result of the national attention crime receives and the impact it has on political debates, it is critical to understanding the issue of crime, and how local, state and national laws impact crime levels. With this information in mind, this essay is specifically concerned with the following question: why does the crime rate vary? With such a question, it is expected that there are numerous reasons that variance is to be found, and several variables will be set up and reviewed to determine their effect on the crime rate. The literature surrounding concealed carry laws is extensive due in large part to Lott and Mustard (1997) providing a spark for other scholars to join the debate. The results in the literature also reveal that scholars are deeply divided on the effects concealed carry laws have on the crime rate, and the methods by which researchers believe this issue should be addressed also widely vary. While there are not necessarily key findings due to the divide amongst scholars, there are several generalizations that can be gathered from the literature. First, crime data can be difficult to interpret due to inconsistency in reporting and classification of crimes over time (Lott and Mustard 1997; Ludwig 2000; Ayres and Donohue III 2003). Second, the independent variables used to control for other factors that affect the crime rate can have a significant impact on the end results, which comes as no surprise (Ludwig 2000; Ayres and Donohue III). Third, the unit of analysis used to study the issue has been shown to have a significant impact on the results due mainly to crime reports and different independent variables affecting different regions (Ayres and Donohue III; Black and Nagin 1998; Lott and Mustard 1997; Ludwig 2000). Fourth, the majority of the literature maintains even when lower violent crime rates cannot be attributed to concealed carry laws, there is also little evidence of higher violent crime rates as a result of these laws (Bartley and Cohen 1998; Black and Nagin 1998; Lott and Mustard 1997; Ludwig 2000; Moody and Marvell 2008; Plassman and Tideman 2001; Plassman and Whitley 2003). With such variance over all aspects of concealed handgun laws effects on crime rate, there is also a large variance in the results that scholars have achieved. Lott and Mustard (1997) originally determined that concealed handgun laws reduce murders, rapes, and aggravated assaults; property crimes increase when the laws go into effect; and the laws deter all types of crime with murder, rape, and aggravated assault being the most affected. Bartley and Cohen (1998) found a reduction in violent crime rates and no substitution effect for property crimes. Plassman and Tideman (2001) saw a deterrent for murder, rape and robbery in ten of the states they analyzed, but also recognize the potential for an increase in crime for the other half of states they reviewed. Plassman and Whitley (2003) conclude the laws do reduce murder rates, and Moody and Marvell (2009) also conclude there is generally a reduction in overall crime. Thus, even amongst the scholars that see a positive effect on conceal ed carry laws, the results are varied on what the precise effect is. The other side of the debate generally recognizes that the laws maintain a neutral effect on overall crime, although, Ayres and Donohue III (2003,2009) argue that their model shows an increase in crime once concealed handgun laws are put in place.They also reject the majority of the literature supporting a reduction in crime based on issues with the original data sets utilized by Lott (2000). Once the data sets are extended to include the years up to 2000 and corrections are made to original coding issues, the results of previous studies (Lott 2000; Plassman and Whitely 2003) are reversed (Ayres and Donohue III 2009). Once the data sets extend up to 2006, the issue becomes more complicated and only shows an increase in aggravated assaults with no significant results for murder and robbery (Ayres and Donohuee III 2009b).Black and Nagin (2008) argue in their analysis that there is too much sensitivity for the model and sample size and qualify this by showing that Lott and Mustardâ€⠄¢s (1997) results are dependent on Florida being included in the analysis. Once Florida is removed from the sample, there is no deterrence effect for murder and rape and assaults are unaffected. They conclude that Lott and Mustard’s results should not affect public policies due to the sensitivity of the analysis (Black and Nagin 2008). Finally, when analyzing only homicide rates and attempting to control for unobserved variables by using juveniles as a control group, there is a positive effect for concealed carry laws, but it is not significant (Ludwig 2000). Once again, the varied results complicate the overall analysis and provide questions on the overall reliability and accuracy of the results. The data used to study this issue were derived by pulling statistics and information from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Uniform Crime Report (UCR) and then supplementing that data with state reported statistics obtained through various state agencies for conviction rates, sentencing length, and concealed handgun permits issues (Lott and Mustard 1997). This data pool is criticized to an extent due to the known issues with the UCR data being a victim of non-reporting, incomplete reporting, and under reporting (Ludwig 2000). However, there appears to be an agreement that this is the best available data since the majority of the available literature utilized Lott and Mustard’s data to conduct their own analysis (Ayres and Donohue III; Bartley and Cohen 1998; Black and Nagin 1998; Lott and Mustard 1997; Ludwig 2000; Moody and Marvell 2008; Plassman and Tideman 2001; Plassman and Whitley 2003). There has also been work completed to supplement Lott and Mustardâ⠂¬â„¢s data by including additional years of statistics up to 2006 (Ayres and Donohue III 2009b; Moody and Marvell 2008). There is also the issue of obtaining data regarding a state’s concealed handgun permits. Since there only six states that had any reportable data available regarding the number of concealed handgun permits issued, there was also agreement that a dichotomous value was required to assess the status of a states concealed handgun laws (Ayres and Donohue III 2003; Bartley and Cohen 1998; Black and Nagin 1998; Lott and Mustard 1997; Ludwig 2000; Moody and Marvell 2008; Plassman and Tideman 2001; Plassman and Whitley 2000). This continues to be a contentious point amongst scholars since there is no measure for the number of issued concealed weapon permits by state. The unit at which the studies were analyzed varied, and there is some level of debate as to which unit of analysis is best able to interpret the available data. Lott and Mustard (1997) argue that the county is the best unit of analysis based on the heterogeneity of states and the effects this carries over to state level analysis. Additionally, they argue that the city level isn’t appropriate due to the lack of time-series data once the laws are put in place (Lott and Mustard 1997). However, the county as the unit of analysis is rejected by several other scholars. Black and Nagin (1998) use the county as their unit of analysis but reject Lott and Mustard’s results based on their acceptance of all counties, which results in the dropping of a large amount of data due to some crimes not being present in all counties each year. Thus, Black and Nagin (1998) set a population limit on the counties being accepted into the analysis. On the other hand, Plassman and Tideman (2001) find that limiting counties by size results in a loss of significant value to the models and instead use the state to discover a significant variation in results across multiple states. Finally, Ayres and Donohue III (2003, 2009b) run models utilizing both state and county levels to test for reliability and accuracy of the available data. Additionally, the state level data was able to be extended using the UCR through 2006. Utilizing county level data is dangerous due to the sheer inaccuracy of it, amongst other issues (Ayres and Donohue III 2003).What is clear from each of these studies is that the unit of analysis can certainly vary, and it is necessary to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of each before moving forward. The methods used by scholars are the true dividing force in the debate over concealed handgun laws. There seems to be little agreement on which methods produce the most accurate results and each subsequent scholar that joins the debate finds a new method to interpret the available data. The only consensus that is to be found in the literature supports a cross-sectional, time series study. Following that, the models used to analyze the data vary widely. Lott and Mustard (1997) utilized a least squares regression model along with Black and Nagin (1998) and Bartley and Cohen (1998). Plassman and Tideman (2001) found this causes unreliable results since the least squares method is not suitable for the low levels of occurrence for some of the crimes. They argue that a Poisson-lognormal model is much more accurate based on the available data (Plassman and Tideman 2001). Ludwig (2000) utilizes only the homicide data, due to the unreliability of other nonviolent crime data, to run a differen ce-in-difference-in-difference (DDD) model at the state level. Ayres and Donohue III (2003) also reject the least squares regression model based on the re-running of the analysis with their additional data sets and instead favor a hybrid model that incorporates state trends, state post-law dummies, and state post-law trends. This latter model has also been rejected due to the restriction of Ayres and Donohue III’s post passage analysis to only five years. When the model was extended by one more year, the results shifted completely (Moody and Marvell 2009).This is also dangerous since there was only one to three years worth of data available for the 25 states originally reviewed, so extending the analysis an additional year could have caused errors in the results (Ayres and Donohue III, 2009). The available research on right to carry laws and their effects on the crime rate show that there is much disagreement surrounding the available data, at what level the data should be analyzed, measures utilized, and models used for the regression analysis. As a result, there is still room to provide input into this issue and no true key findings amongst scholars exist, though, general findings can be surmised. With regard to the data, there will always be inconsistencies with how crime is reported and provided to the public in the UCR. Regardless, this is the best available source for crime data and the real debate should be on what level that data is analyzed and how to control for the inaccuracy of the available data. All of the research has used either state or county level data due to the lack of city level data prior to 1985. The measures utilized also show a discrepancy amongst research as to the most appropriate variables necessary to account for other factors that affect cri me. This is certainly a problem all of its own due to the demonstrated effects on results of removing certain variables and accounting for others. Thus, more work is necessary to discover the most appropriate variables to control for during the analysis. Finally, a host of models have been used to run regression analysis with each finding differing results. This calls into question the reliability of the results and the need for additional research. With this information in mind, this study will approach the issue of the crime rate in a quantitative method. The dependent variable will be the crime rate since the issue at hand is what causes variance in the crime rate. The units of analysis will be states and time represented over a calendar year. Treatment and control states will be utilized to account for other factors that can be expected to impact crime rates. The primary variable this article will analyze is the presence of concealed handgun laws. The second variable this study expects to affect crime rate variance is the metropolitan population percentage of a state. With the dependant and independent variables having been established, there are two hypotheses this study puts forward. First, if concealed handgun laws are in place, then the crime rate should be reduced over time. Second, if a state’s metropolitan population percentage decreases over time, then the crime rate should decrease over time. Thus, for the independent variable of concealed handgun laws, this study expects to see a positive impact to the crime rate. For the metropolitan population percentage variable, it is expected that a lower percentage over time will have a positive impact to the crime rate, and a higher percentage over time will have a negative impact. Works Cited Aikens, Steven and Slider, Gary. 2014. â€Å"US State Pages.† Accessed on March 3, 2014.http://www.handgunlaw.us/. Ayres, Ian and Donohue III, John J. 2003.â€Å"Shooting down the More Guns, Less Crime Hypothesis.†Stanford Law Review 55 (April): 1193-1312.  ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚ ­Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚ ­Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚ ­. 2009. â€Å"Yet Another Refutation of the More Guns, Less Crime Hypothesis – With Some Help From Moody and Marvell.† Econ Journal Watch 6 (January): 35-59. – ­Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚ ­Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚ ­. 2009b. â€Å"More Guns, Less Crime FailsAgain: The Latest Evidence from1977 – 2006.† Econ Journal Watch 6 (May): 218-238. Bartley, William A. and Cohen, Mark A. 1998. â€Å"the Effect of Concealed weapons Laws: An Extreme Bound Analysis.† Economic Inquiry 36 (April): 258-265. Black, Dan A. and Nagin, Daniel S. 1998. â€Å"Do Rightà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ toà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ Carry Laws Deter Violent Crime?† The Journal of Legal Studies 27 (January): 209-219. Lott, John R. and Mustard, David B. 1997. â€Å"Crime, Deterrence, and Rightà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ toà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ Carry Concealed Handguns.† The Journal of Legal Studies 26 (January): 1-68. Lott, John R. 2000. More Guns, Less Crime. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Ludwig, Jens. 2000. â€Å"Gun Self-Defense and Deterrence.† Crime and Justice 27: 363-417. Moody, Carlisle E. and Marvell, Thomas B. 2008).â€Å"The Debate on Shall-Issue Laws.†Econ Journal Watch 5 (September): 269-293. Plassman, Florenz and Tideman, Nicolaus. 2001. â€Å"Does the Right to Carry Concealed Handguns Deter Countable Crimes? Only a Count Analysis Can Say.† Journal of Law and Economics 44 (October): 771-798. Plassman, Florenz and Whitley, John. 2003. â€Å"Confirming More Guns, Less Crime.† Stanford Law Review 55 (April): 1313-1369.

Case Study On Improvement Of Low Voltage Power Engineering Essay

Case Study On Improvement Of Low Voltage Power Engineering Essay This case study provides investigations on low voltage power distribution system in terms of electrical system design at INTEC Section 17 Shah Alam. It was conducted to ensure that the system applied is viable where it could lead to reliable and economical distribution of power. Therefore, this project was focused on 415V feeder pillar where suggestion can be offered to improve the respected system design. Distribution system is a system built to provide a means of economically and reliably distributing power from one, or occasionally more than one main location to a number of geographically dispersed load centres within a defined site boundary [1]. Low voltage power distribution system is the portion between primary feeder and utilization equipment. Therefore, the purpose of low voltage distribution is to distribute power to end user where at the same time providing safe conditions. Internatioanl Education College (INTEC) Section 17, Shah Alam is the place where this case study was carried. The low voltage distribution system applied at INTEC is conventional simple radial distribution system where the operation and expansion of the system are simple. However, problems occur as the power transformer (2000kVA 11kV/433V) is overheated and the cables insulation of secondary windings is melted due to overload. The system itself is quite old where feeder pillar used to allocate the power to specify load is quite congested where it need some upgrade. Therefore, to tackle those problems regarding on low voltage distribution system, suggestions can be offered to improve the system that meets the specifications of electrical standard and at the same time satisfy the end users. Hopefully it can be additional information for the INTEC Facility Unit to overcome the problems and upgrade the respected feeder pillar to provide safe, economical and reliable power to the end users. OBJECTIVES The objectives of this case study are: To obtain a relative information regarding on the low voltage power distribution system of INTEC. To observe the congested feeder pillar design and implementation at INTEC. To identify problems related to the congested feeder pillar. To propose for the improvement of congested feeder pillar. METHODOLOGY The case study of low voltage power distribution at INTEC was carried out based on the primer source of information such as books, journals, articles and related electrical specifications by The Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineer (IEE), Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB), Suruhanjaya Tenaga (ST) and Jabatan Kerja Raya (JKR). With cooperation of local Facility Unit of INTEC, observations of respected substation and feeder pillar have been done. Some photo and reading has been taken to visualize the respected problems regarding on the overheated transformer and congested feeder pillar. Therefore, from those data, suggestions can be offered to overcome the problems and at the same time to improve the congested feeder pillar. Finally, for future study, opinions can raised for the further improvement of low voltage power distribution system. LOW VOLTAGE POWER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM Distribution Feeder Feeder is the distribution lines that carry power throughout the distribution system. Radial distribution feeders are characterized by having only single path for power to flow from the source (substation) to the consumer load. The distribution network is composed of the substations and the feeders that they supply. Feeders are composed of sections each serving a purpose. The mainline is the backbone of the feeder and is typically a three-phase line generally designed for 400A nominal and 600A contingency loading. From this mainline, three-phase or single-phase laterals extend. Laterals are branches that are connected to the main line to serve loads, which can have laterals of their own. To protect mainlines from faults in the laterals, these are typically fused or switched by remote reclosers. Figure 1. Electricity Supply Specification in Malaysia The most common configuration for feeders is a four-wire wye configuration; one conductor for each of the three phases plus a solid multi-grounded neutral conductor. Nevertheless, less common configurations are three wire wye and delta configurations. Four-wire wye configurations are extensively used for their safety and easy fault protection [4]-[7]. This circuit type permits the use of under-rated voltage equipment by using phase-to-ground voltages, and fuse protection for ground faults. Feeder Pillar Feeder Pillar is the electrical compartment that consists of equipment that distributes power to the respected loads. It controls the switching of load where at the same time provides protection to the distribution line. Conventional feeder pillar consists of busbar, circuit breaker, earthing protection and metering equipment. The loads can be calculated by (1) for single phase and (2) for three phase system where it is proportional to voltage (V), current (I) and angle between voltage and current (ÃŽ ¸): P=VI cos ÃŽ ¸. (1) P=√3 VI cos ÃŽ ¸. (2) By applying diversity factor, the load consumption should be less than the calculated value from (1) or (2) where the same load will not be used all the time. Diversity is the engineering principle that in any given installation, some of the connected loads will not be running at the same time instant as other loads [8]. Therefore the maximum demand of loads can be obtained to ensure that the cable and protection used is viable throughout the system. The voltage drop of cable is affected by cable length (L), tabulated voltage drop (mV/A/m) and the design current (Ib) as shown in (3). v.d. (V) = [(mV/A/m) L Ib]/1000. (3) Protection Moulded Case Circuit Breaker (MCCB) is used to interrupt the current path during fault occurrence. It is applicable for TPN (Three Phase and Neutral) cables while Miniature Circuit Breaker (MCB) has lower rating compared to MCCB and it is only applied for SPN (Single Phase and Neutral) line. Earthing of the feeder pillar will provide protection from leakage current to ensure the safety to human from the danger of electric shocks during testing or maintenance. LOW VOLTAGE POWER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM IN INTEC INTEC HT Distribution System The incoming supply for INTEC from TNB is 11kV. Then it is step down to 415V by 2000KVA distribution transformer. The overall HT simplified schematic diagram of INTEC can be observed as below: Figure 2. Simplified schematic diagram for HT electrical system in INTEC Low Voltage Distribution System Next, the focus will be at Pencawang Elektrik No.1 where observation is done at Feeder Pillar No.1. The schematic diagram of LV side from Pencawang Elektrik No.1 can be seen from Fig. 3. INTEC used radial distribution feeder since it required lower cost, easier fault current protection, lower fault current and easier voltage control. Figure 3. MSB schematic diagram of LV at Pencawang Elektrik No. 1 Feeder Pillar Feeder Pillar No.1 is located between Block B (Cafeteria) and Block A (Computer Lab). This feeder pillar was connected from MSB. The maximum current rating for the MCCB of incoming is 600A. C:UsersuserDesktopINTECN8 Afdhalfeeder pillar 2.jpg Figure 4. Feeder Pillar No. 1 This respected feeder pillar distributes power to Bengkel Seni, Futsal Court, Cafeteria and Compound Feeder Pillar (Fig. 5). Figure 5. Schematic diagram for Feeder Pillar No.1 By applying the diversity factor, the value of protection and cable sizing shall fit the estimated load. TABLE.I shows the maximum load that the system can withstand at a time. The power at maximum demand is calculated using (2). The power factor is maintained at 0.85. TABLE I. LOAD AT MAXIMUM DEMAND Load Power (kW) MCCB Rating (A) Bengkel Seni 61.098 100 Futsal Court 38.492 63 Cafeteria 61.098 100 Compound Feeder Pillar 48.878 80 (Estimated value of load at maximum demand in Feeder Pillar No. 1) From the existing load as tabulated above, the calculated nominal current is 341.363A using (2). Therefore the rated current of MCCB for the incoming is viable where the rated current of MCCB is 600A. The cables are connected to the busbar. Types of cables used is 4 core, 0.6/1kV, Copper Cable with earth termination. The cables are terminated to the busbar as visualised in Fig.6. C:UsersuserDesktopINTECN8 Afdhalconnection 2.jpg Figure 6. Cables connection to the busbar. From the above figure, it can be observed that the cables connection quite messy where it is hard to indicate which cable is connected to their respected load. It is not labelled to identify the cable. If fault occurrence, it will took a time for the technician to perform maintenance due to the congested condition of the cable. The cable size for each line can be seen from TABLE II. TABLE II . CABLE SIZING Type MCCB (A) Cable Size (mm2) 2 x 4C XLPE 600 185 1 x 4C XLPE 100 50 1 x 4C XLPE 100 50 1 x 4C XLPE 80 35 1 x 4C XLPE 63 25 Earthing Earthing is purposely used to protect human from electric shock due to current leakage. Therefore this feeder pillar has the same earthing mechanism for safety reason. C:UsersuserDesktopINTEC1-3-2011 Firdaus N701032011023.jpg Figure 7. Earthing of Feeder Pillar No.1 From the fig. 7, all cables are terminated at the same point where it can provide easy path with a low resistance to earth and protect consumer from electric shock. However, those earth cables is not insulated which could lead to current leakage throughout the feeder pillar compartment in case the cable touch the wall of feeder pillar where it is made of steel (good conductor). Therefore, if such case happened it will cause electric shock to human who touch the feeder pillar. PROPOSED SYSTEM Radial Distribution System Improvement By referring back to the type of distribution feeder system approached at INTEC, radial type of distribution feeder is applied. Even though radial circuits are simpler to operate and maintain, in order to increase the reliability and power quality of distribution feeders, networked configurations must be used [4][5][8]. However the installation cost of network system will be major obstacle where it required total modification of system. Therefore, primary loop radial distribution system can be applied to make the system more reliable. Figure 8. Primary loop distribution system Figure 9. Proposed MCB Fig. 8 and 9 illustrate on how the system will look alike when improvement can be applied. The primary loop consists of two feeders which serve one or several loads. If one feeder fails, the normally open switch can be automatically (or manually) closed to feed the loads from the backup feeder, once the bad section has been sectionalized. This approach is very useful especially for underground cable system since the maintenance of underground cables is complex process that would create long interruptions if failure occurs. Feeder Pillar Proposed Design From the Feeder Pillar No.1, suggestion can be offered to improve the system is upgrading the feeder pillar to MSB. By referring back to fig. 5, there were two loads that have circuit breaker rating of 100A TPN MCCB while in the MSB as in fig. 3 there were spare load that can be used. Therefore those two loads from Cafeteria and Bengkel Seni can be directly connected to MSB. By this action, the congested condition of feeder pillar can be solved. Figure 10. Upgrade of feeder pillar to MSB Some benefits can be obtained if the load of Bengkel Seni and Cafeteria is transferred to MSB: If fault occur at Feeder Pillar No. 1, those loads will not being interrupted. Therefore it promises the continuity of power supply to the load. The voltage drop of each cable is shown in TABLE III. TABLE III. CABLE VOLTAGE DROP Size (mm2) mV/A/m Length (m) Ib Voltage Drop (V) 185 0.22 100 278.241 6.12 50 0.86 10 81.84 0.70 80 81.84 5.63 35 1.15 10 65.47 0.753 25 1.60 150 49.10 11.784 (Voltage drop of respected cable in the Feeder Pillar No.1) From TABLE III, it shows that the incoming cables itself occupy high voltage drop which is 6.12V for each cable. Then, if load of Bengkel Seni and Cafeteria is upgraded to MSB, the voltage drop can be observed from TABLE IV. TABLE IV. LOAD VOLTAGE DROP Load Calculated Voltage Drop (V) Future Length (m) Future Voltage Drop (V) Percentage (%) Bengkel Seni 11.75 180 12.67 3.05 Cafeteria 6.82 110 7.742 1.87 (Future voltage drop if load of Bengkel Seni and Cafeteria is upgraded into MSB) Although the voltage drop risen up since the length of occupied cable is increased, the voltage can be reduce by replacing higher cross sectional area of the cable. However, the value of voltage drop is still within the specified value of allowed voltage drop [8]. By connecting those loads to MSB, the existed feeder pillar will not be congested anymore. Those two loads that were directly connected to MSB will became spare and it can be used for future expansion of nearest building located near to the respected feeder pillar (refer fig. 11). Figure 11. Empty slot of loads acted as spare Therefore the future load will be based on TABLE V. Load Power (kW) MCCB Rating (A) Futsal Court 38.492 63 Compound Feeder Pillar 48.878 80 Spare Spare The total load at Feeder Pillar No.1 will be about only 70kW where the nominal current value from the incoming will be only 114.57V that could lead to only 2.52V of voltage drop. Earthing For earthing cable, it is wise to insulate those cables with PVC insulator to avoid any electric shock due to current leakage. It must meet the electrical standard where earth cable must be insulated with green or green/yellow insulation based on fig. 12 [6]. http://www.china-wire-cable.com/photo/6654ca80a2286ebde6efb52e3ffbab88/Earth-Cable.jpg Figure 12. Proper insulation of earth cable Comments and Suggestion The project will become a wise step to ensure that the respected Feeder Pillar No. 1 will become a reliable where it can provide a continuity of supply to a certain loads. However this project could not be implemented immediately since it will took period of time where maintenance underground cables is a complex task where it require skills and occupy more human power. In addition, the substation (PE No.1) need to be shutdown to perform the upgrade process where ironically the substation itself must distribute power to important places such as administration office where it operates 24 hours a day and 7 days per week. Therefore it is recommended that this project must be implemented during the holiday where the total shutdown of PE No.1 can be done and the task of upgrade of the system can be performed by the respected party. CONCLUSION From the case study that was carried out, it is necessary for Facility Unit of INTEC to consider those suggestions in order to overcome any problems related to low voltage power distribution system. FUTURE STUDY Surge protection was integrated within the low voltage distribution system to protect the system from lightning strikes. For future study, the recommendation that can be offered to further the respected case study is to perform research on surge protection system in low voltage power distribution system in INTEC. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The author would like to express appreciation to his supervisor Ir. Harizan Che Mat Haris due to wise guidance and advices. For INTEC Facility Unit, the author felt pleasured to carry out this case study where he can affix his knowledge and gather more experience. Finally the author wants to offer his gratitude to people who was contributed toward the completion of this case study.

The Navigation of Christopher Columbus and the Age of Discovery Essay

Before beginning the research for this work, I had planned on producing a paper and presentation which detailed the history of open sea navigation and the difficulties and dangers which would have faced sailors and seamen during the Age of Discovery. My premise was that we, living in the twentifirst century, had lost touch with the reality of just how hazardous a voyage such as that undertaken by Columbus was. I had hoped to be able to capture for the listener and reader a sense of wonder at the bold willingness to risk life and limb that was demonstrated by the explorers of this era as they left the safety of the waters and oceans that they knew, to challenge the unknown. I had wanted to capture that feeling of stomach-dropping fear that I believed these brave men must have experienced as the headlands they were leaving slipped out of sight below the horizon, possibly never to be seen again. Had I been successful in writing such a paper, I would have succeeded not in exploring history, but rather in producing fiction. Although Columbus certainly deserves recognition as being the one to truly open the way to the New World for Renaissance Europe, and all that was to follow, he was not the high-stakes risk taker that some historians would have us believe. However, neither was he the bumbling quixotic figure presented by those who, for their own reasons, attempt to present him as some sort of insane idiot, or, at best, an extremely lucky savant. What is true about Christopher Columbus is that, for the times in which he lived, he was a well read and learned geographer. Columbus was a student of navigation and sailing, and as such, his understanding of the world in which he lived was based on works previously com... ...tis: An Archaeological Odyssey (New York: Random House. 1991) Sale, Kirkpatrick. The Conquest of Paradise: Christopher Columbus and the Columbian Legacy (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. 1990) Seeds, Michael A. Horizons: Exploring the Universe (Belmont: Wadsworth Publishing Company. 1998) Tagliattini, Maurizio. (1991 & 1998) Chapter 10. "Christopher Pellegrino or Christopher Columbus: A Critical Study on the Origin of Christopher Columbus" The Discovery of North America: A Documented History [Online] Available: http://www.millersv.edu/~columbus/search/tagliattini.html Taylor, E. G. R. The Haven-Finding Art: A History of Navigation from Odysseus to Captain Cook (New York: American Elsevier Publishing Company, Inc. 1971) Williams, J. E. D. From Sails to Satellites: The Origin and Development of Navigational Science (Oxford: Oxford University Press. 1992) The Navigation of Christopher Columbus and the Age of Discovery Essay Before beginning the research for this work, I had planned on producing a paper and presentation which detailed the history of open sea navigation and the difficulties and dangers which would have faced sailors and seamen during the Age of Discovery. My premise was that we, living in the twentifirst century, had lost touch with the reality of just how hazardous a voyage such as that undertaken by Columbus was. I had hoped to be able to capture for the listener and reader a sense of wonder at the bold willingness to risk life and limb that was demonstrated by the explorers of this era as they left the safety of the waters and oceans that they knew, to challenge the unknown. I had wanted to capture that feeling of stomach-dropping fear that I believed these brave men must have experienced as the headlands they were leaving slipped out of sight below the horizon, possibly never to be seen again. Had I been successful in writing such a paper, I would have succeeded not in exploring history, but rather in producing fiction. Although Columbus certainly deserves recognition as being the one to truly open the way to the New World for Renaissance Europe, and all that was to follow, he was not the high-stakes risk taker that some historians would have us believe. However, neither was he the bumbling quixotic figure presented by those who, for their own reasons, attempt to present him as some sort of insane idiot, or, at best, an extremely lucky savant. What is true about Christopher Columbus is that, for the times in which he lived, he was a well read and learned geographer. Columbus was a student of navigation and sailing, and as such, his understanding of the world in which he lived was based on works previously com... ...tis: An Archaeological Odyssey (New York: Random House. 1991) Sale, Kirkpatrick. The Conquest of Paradise: Christopher Columbus and the Columbian Legacy (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. 1990) Seeds, Michael A. Horizons: Exploring the Universe (Belmont: Wadsworth Publishing Company. 1998) Tagliattini, Maurizio. (1991 & 1998) Chapter 10. "Christopher Pellegrino or Christopher Columbus: A Critical Study on the Origin of Christopher Columbus" The Discovery of North America: A Documented History [Online] Available: http://www.millersv.edu/~columbus/search/tagliattini.html Taylor, E. G. R. The Haven-Finding Art: A History of Navigation from Odysseus to Captain Cook (New York: American Elsevier Publishing Company, Inc. 1971) Williams, J. E. D. From Sails to Satellites: The Origin and Development of Navigational Science (Oxford: Oxford University Press. 1992)

Anne Sexton Essay -- Literary Analysis

Most of us accept the stories we were told as children were false, or at least romanticized. At some point, the illusion was shattered, and Santa, the Easter Bunny and Cinderella were characters we fondly remembered. But although we recognized these figures and legends as illusions, we held on to many of the sentiments the stories, without questioning their application to adult life. Anne Sexton often uses these innocent, childlike images juxtaposed with cynical but more realistic situations in order show that the lessons society teaches children, ones that children retain as adults, are illusions that do not properly illustrate the corrupt, violent world we actually live in. Sexton’s poem Cinderella, about rags to riches stories, clearly follows this pattern. First, the speaker tells four stories: one of a plumber who wins the lottery, one of a nursemaid who marries her boss’s son, a milkman who makes a fortune in real estate, and a charwoman who becomes rich after a bus she was on crashes, and she collects on insurance. The progression of these stories themselves lay cynicism into the form of the poem. The speaker starts with a story about a lottery winner, which is something lucky and could be taken as the universe helping a man struggling to take care of â€Å"the twelve children.† Next comes the nursemaid, who does have a romantic journey too, though not quite as incidental as this lucky plumber, because she â€Å"captures the oldest son’s heart.† The choice of the word â€Å"capture† could be viewed as merely an idiomatic happenstance, or more possibly an implication that the speaker feels the nursemaid had some ulterior motive to love in her interactions with the son. After the nursemaid is the milkman. The milkman still has a romantic ... ...ton’s issue is not with people on an individual level, but instead with the society that puts them in the situations that it does. This is significant because it shows Sexton’s goal is to illuminate society’s flaws and lies rather than those of people. Often, the reader cannot help but feel a bit disheartened after reading a collection of Anne Sexton’s poems. Sexton herself was disheartened with the prospect of life, killing herself at the age of 45 after years in and out of mental facilities. Her poems certainly take cynicism to an extreme, but they remain the type of extreme valuable to the literary canon. Her poetry leaves the reader questioning the world around him, now able to see stories and past experiences in a new light. And although in the case of Sexton this light may be a shadow, the new depth it adds highlights to us that which we hold truly pure.

Euthanasia Essay -- essays research papers fc

EUTHANASIA IS NOT FOR EVERYONE. Years ago, talking about death was a social taboo. Although, some civilizations have not open their minds that much, each day more people have opened their minds to a new way of looking at death. People have realized that as humans, they are not here to suffer; instead, they are here to enjoy life. Euthanasia is a word that in the past years has appeared on the media. Cases appeared each day, and people are not still reacting to it in a good way, probably because they do not know what it is really implied on it. People think of it as only a way of killing people, not in the way of helping patients with a better departure. People think that euthanasia has been accepted, by few, as the first and only option that ill patients have to. But instead, it is the last option, the last door to open and give patients a peaceful passing. Opposite sides conceive of euthanasia as a lower and non ethical way to help patients. Also they claim the fact that sometimes euthanasia has been practiced wit hout the consent of patients, but at the will of doctors and families. Euthanasia is a very complex issue, and it can not be looked at as the answer for every single patient. Otherwise, it has to be thought of as a very rare and non usual way of helping people. Euthanasia is there to let people know that they have an open option to rely on in any moment, without thinking of any legal consequence, obviously with the appropriate precautions that corresponds. Euthanasia is known as mercy killing. What euthanasia simply gives is a better ending to those patients who seem to not have any deserving end. There are various ways of practicing it, and many definitions around it have born. A pro-euthanasia group defines assisted suicide as when someone â€Å"provides the means (drugs or other agents) by which a person can take his or her own life† (ERGO). There also exists what is called as physician-assisted suicide, in which a doctor prescribes lethal drugs in order to help the patient commit suicide. One of the most famous cases in the world concerning physician assisted suicide is the one of Dr Jack Kevorkian. Dr Kevorkian, who currently is 70 years old, has been convicted for 7 years for helping in almost 130 cases on assisted suicide. Dr Kevorkian has shelter in compassion. It means his only defense is that he was just helping all his patients that his int... ... they have an option, that instead of endless suffering and spending amount of time and money they have an option. WORKS CITED "Arguments for Euthanasia Are Unconvincing" by International Anti-Euthanasia Task Force. Euthanasia. Opposing Viewpoints ® Series. Greenhaven 2000. http://0galenet.galegroup.com.librus.hccs.edu:80/servlet/OVRC Campbell, Courteney S. â€Å"Euthanasia and Religion† Infotrac. January 2000. p 37 http://web3.infotrac.galegroup.com.librus.hccs.edu ERGO. 5.Nov. 2004. www.finalexit.org Lockwood, Frank E. â€Å"Choosing to die† Miami Herald. 24.June. 2001 http://0-www.sirs.com.librus.hccs.edu:80 Los Angeles Times. â€Å"Ashcroft seeks power to punish Oregon euthanasia doctors† Los Angeles Times 10.Nov. 2004 http://0-web3.infotrac.librus.hccs.edu Not Dead Yet. 5 Nov.2004 www.notdeadyet.org Palmer, Larry I. â€Å"Endings and beginnings: law medicine, and society in assisted life and death. Westport, Conn. Praeger.200 The hemlock society. 5 Nov. 2004 http://www.compassionindying.org Urofsky, Melvin. â€Å"Rights of the people: individual freedom and the bill of rights -- Privacy† SIRS Government Reporter. 2003

In ‘Of Mice and Men’ Steinbeck explores the idea of the American dream Essay

The story’ Of Mice and Men’ is a novella written by John Steinbeck. Although Steinbeck writes the story in the late 1930’s, he sets it in California, Soledad, while the Great Depression was being taking place in America, which followed the Stock Market collapse of 1929, and the Californian farmers had little money to spare to pay these itinerant workers. This caused millions of workers to lose their jobs, which lead to poverty and unemployment. A lot of men could not find work and there families suffered evection and starvation. Steinbeck witnessed the hardship around him and his great novels including ‘The Grapes of Wrath’ and ‘Cannery Row’ these novels describe life during the Great Depression. ‘Of Mice and Men’ shows how there were a shortage of work and describe the lives of two itinerant workers, George and Lennie. George and lennie are the two main characters in the book, and showed the relationship between the two friends. George was small and restless; he had a dark face with restless eyes and sharp strong features. He was bright, quick and clever who looks after the mentally disabled strong ‘Lennie’. Lennie has a child’s mind and is very childlike by wanting to feel soft things. His body is immensely strong and has never learnt how to control his body strength. He is described in terms of an animal because of his strength â€Å"dragging his feet a little, the way a bear drags his paw.† George and Lennie are both workers, moving from ranch-to-ranch searching for jobs in Soledad, which is the Spanish for ‘lonely’. In spite of this each worker has a â€Å"dream†. George and lennie like all workers have had a dream too, †to live off the fatta the lan†, George and Lennie’s dream was to have a farm and then to do their own thing were no-one can allow to push them around or tell them what to do. All men had a dream similar to this, to own a piece of land of there own, this was something on all workers mind, which kept them going. However the novella ends in tragedy. Steinbeck introduces the main characters, George and Lennie early in the book. It is Friday evening and they are on their way to the ranch in Soledad. When the bus driver drops them off, he doesn’t really care. They are shown as victims of society from the beginning of the book, where George and Lennie wanted to be dropped off at the ranch were the bus driver then made them walk ten miles when he said the bus doesn’t go round that end, and while the were walking the saw the bus go by which made George very mad. Steinbeck writes that â€Å"two men emerged from the path and came to the green pool† this is the pool of the Salinas River where the novel starts and ends. The two men are described as complete opposites. Lennie was a big man, but had a mind of a child, which he was mentally disabled. George is like a father to him, George expresses Steinbeck’s attitude towards Lennie as a compassionate and sympathetic person. George and Lennie’s relationship is of friendship and dependence, although they both depend of each other; it seems at first as if Lennie totally depends on George, this is shown when Lennie panics because he thinks he has lost his work card and his bus tickets he says: † George, I aint got mine, I musta lost it† where as there relationship is like a parents child relationship. Through the first paragraph George starts telling Lennie about the future and what they want. He tells Lennie in a child like way of that they want to â€Å"live off the fatta the lan†, with a garden and were Lennie can tend the rabbits. Lennie likes hearing this; it’s like a favorite story where he knows all the words off by heart. In ‘Of Mice and Men’ Steinbeck explores the idea of the American dream. This idea is still prevalent today where people still have a dream, to do something and it basically means that anybody can ‘make it big’ in America. This is based on equality and independence and put forward the idea that everybody can get rich, is free and equal regardless of religion, race or country of origin, and also the American dream promises the freedom from persecution. In order to achieve the dream, you have to work hard. Each character had a dream: Curley’s dream was to just be stronger than anyone. Which he shows his aggressive behavior towards those weaker than himself. Curley’s wife wants to be a film star, which her dream can’t happen as she is married to Curley where he doesn’t allow her to do or speak to anyone apart from himself. It shows that the marriage has failed, maybe, as he can’t satisfy her emotionally or physically. Due to her loneliness she try’s to seek attention with other men and can’t escape from the sexual image of what other men have of her. Because of the circumstances of her own isolation she therefore cultivates this image as a means of getting noticed, to talk to someone. Candy wants to work on his own land and no one to push him around. Crooks is the only black person on the ranch his dream was also to have his own ranch and no one to tell him what to do and to have no racist comments. So for the ranch workers to get this life they will have to work very hard. However for George and Lennie the dream could only ever be a dream. They want to believe in its reality but it is only ever ‘wishful thinking’. George and Lennie’s dream is all to do with having freedom, to not have to be ‘canned’ to not work on days they didn’t want to. They wanted to work in a place and live in a place that is cosy and have of food. And Lennie’s dream is to ‘live off the fatta the lan’ and tend rabbits and other creatures and have a comfortable, rich life where they can have there own independence, but Lennie is volatile, violent, huge and strong. Lennie constantly gets them into trouble, for example: we are first introduced George and Lennie when they flee from weed.† Where Lennie was accused of rape but really didn’t do anything, as he only grabbed the ladies dress to feel the softness of it. There are number of things to suggest the dream is only ever fantasy. Another thing to support this is that they wanted to re-create happier times when they were younger and part of a family Lennie describes his childhood with aunt Clara†¦Ã¢â‚¬ I remember a lady, she gave we mice†. In Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck shows how the badly the workers were treated in the Great Depression they were at mercy of cruel bosses, which in this state in the book was Curley as he was the boss’s son. One key aspect of their dream is that George and Lennie fantasize about better working condition ‘of not getting canned’. One thing Steinbeck explains is the basic needs of companionship, loyalty and having something to look forward to, as without any hope of doing something there’s nothing to look forward to, and nothing to live for. The notion of all the characters in the novella being lonely victims is emphasized. They all have dreams one character in the book is Candy, he is a nice fella, he had lost his right hand in a farm accident and is reduced work of a ranch’swamper’. Candy has a dog that he is devoted to. The other ranch worker despite the dog, as he is old and smells very bad, so they confront Candy to let it out of his misery by shooting the dog, this illustrates the harshness of the relationships and the environment of which Steinbeck describes. It also predicts the end of the novel It is only because of Candy’s offer to join George and Lennie in their dream to buy a ranch that it becomes a possibility of fulfilling their dream. As he said â€Å"s’pose I went in with you guys†. â€Å"They fell into a silence. They looked at on another, amazed. This thing they had never really believed in was coming true†. Steinbeck’s portrayal of Lennie is always compassionate but realistic. He is described in terms of an animal because of his strength. â€Å"Lennie dabbled his paw† He shows a victim of mental disabilities who cannot cope in harsh, unfriendly world. The society of the 1930’s did not make allowance for the mentally ill. George cares for Lennie but is manipulated by him. Lennie has a huge amount of strength and cannot control himself. He has a tendency to panic, which creates a problem like when he broke Curley’s arm as he was trying to struggle out Lennie held on tighter. Lennie never leaves a sight off George but when he is away he tend to get into trouble. Lennie is cunning and aware of this in another sense, and does not and cannot learn from his mistakes and is victim. Another time where he panics was the killing of Curley’s wife he didn’t mean it he just wanted to feel her hair, he is also selfish in ways as he ended up killing her as she was screaming, and all because that George may tell him off and not let him tend the rabbits. In conclusion the only person who achieves their dream is Lennie, as he dies thinking about their dream where George was reciting it to him at the Salinas River, before he dies knowing that the dream was in his mind. Steinbeck successfully shows the working life of that time and the dreams, of what everyone wanted to be ‘to have a rich, and relaxed life’, which people still have that dream today. Steinbeck’s sympathy and compassion for the characters, evident his storytelling is on their side. The title ‘Of mice and Men’ links to the poem ‘To a Mouse’ by Robert burns, he said ‘†¦the best laid schemes o’ mice and men, gang aft agley’. And means ‘no matter how well we may plan the future things often go wrong’. And this is where Steinbeck chose this as a title. Steinbeck’s style is very good and adapts to his subject matter, imagery and dialogue. He tells this story in a convincing way without explaining in detail why everything happened and that it was nobody’s fault in particular events and why they turned out as they did.