Personality Overview

Personality Overview (Week 4) Steven Byrd Psy/405 March 25, 2013 Psychodynamic and Humanistic theory There are many different theories involved in the development of personality and some have certain things in common and others have drastic differences. Theories include existential, dispositional, learning or the two that will be discussed which are psychodynamic and humanistic. According to (Feist & Feist, 2009), personality is something that is viewed in several ways but does not have one simple definition.There are many theorists who have their own definition of what personality actually is, but most can agree that personality is something that makes up who a person is, who they are inside and where they come from. Personality is a pattern of relatively permanent traits and unique characteristics that give both consistency and individuality to a person’s behavior. (Feist & Feist, 2009). Personality consists of traits, which are contributors to individual differences in beha vior over a period of time essay writers wanted.Characteristics are defined as unique qualities of an individual which include intelligence, physique and temperament. Theory is defined as a set of related assumptions that allow scientists to use logical deductive reasoning to form a hypotheses. (Feist & Feist, 2009) Psychodynamic theory Psychodynamic theory derived from one of the most famous psychologists in history, Sigmund Freud. Freud’s name has been linked to psychoanalysis, which is the most famous of all personality theories.Freud developed his understanding of human personality from his experiences with patients he had and also by analyzing the dreams that he had himself. Psychodynamic theory talks about ego’s. The ego is the region of the mind that is connected with reality and becomes a person’s sole source of communication with the outside world. (Feist & Feist, 2009). Egos are a big factor when it comes to interpersonal relationships. An example woul d be a person’s ego would onsciously motivate a person to be a certain way and have a lot of trouble steering away from it. In a relationship, if people have conflicting egos, there is a higher likelihood that they will clash, or won’t get along because they are two different people with two different personalities. It is very hard to change who you are, especially after many years and in relationships, usually people find something they want to change about the other person but as mentioned before, you can’t convince many people to change who they are and where they come from.The superego has more to do with the effects of a relationship because it represents the moral and ideal aspects of personality. A person who is egotistical may become violent or very hateful if their needs are not met or they feel like they can’t perform a task. In a relationship, a person who is egotistical may have a hard time keeping a relationship together because they start ac ting out if they do not get their way and can easily push their partner away.The superego aims for perfection and people who are obsessed with being perfect, usually end up alone because other people do not meet their expectations as well, or they will just find reasons to not be with someone because of their imperfections. It is very difficult to be in a relationship with someone who believes they are perfect in every way or someone who expects you to be perfect as well. Aggression and anxiety or also part of the psychodynamic theory and these are things that can put a strain on a relationship.Aggressive people are also more likely to push people away because of their aggressiveness and being anxious can cause people to be impatient and not have the patience to even bother being in a relationship. People who are labeled under the psychodynamic theory could be egotistical, aggressive, impatient, and anxious among other things and all of those things can make a relationship more diff icult. In psychoanalysis, defense mechanisms are mentioned and these defense mechanisms include repression, which is the most basic defense mechanism.Repression forces threatening feelings into the unconscious (Feist & Feist, 2009) and those feelings can pop back up at any time. Someone may think they are interested in someone but once they find out that person has some type of resemblance to something that hurt them before, the relationship is over before you know it. Humanistic theory The personality theory of Abraham Maslow is more commonly known as the humanistic theory or the transpersonal theory. This theory states that a person is motivated to needs and self-actualization.In order to achieve self-actualization a person must satisfy things like hunger, safety and love. When talking about interpersonal relationships and the humanistic theory, they are very much the same as a person under the humanistic theory needs the attention and love of someone else to fulfill true happines s. According to (Feist & Feist, 2009), Erikson, in contrast to Freud who believed that anatomy is destiny, he suggested that there could be many other differences as to why men and women can be so different. Erikson believed there is a life cycle that is determined by external forces.In a way both theories suggest that our environment molds us to be who we are but they are in different styles. Freud was more of an adult theorist but Erickson believed that life has a cycle and we develop into who we are over a very long period of time. Although personality is modeled by our cultures and our history, people do retain some control of their own destiny such as the ability to make choices. Psychodynamic and humanistic theories each have many different sub theories beneath them and some of them are very similar in context while others are very different.The main difference between psychodynamic and humanistic theories would be that humanistic theories seem to be based on a longer period o f time while psychodynamic theories start at a later point in life. Both theories have their impact on interpersonal relationships and personality as psychodynamic theories include things such as the super-ego, which can cause a strain on a relationship because of a power struggle and the expectations of perfection while the humanistic theory suggests that we all need love in life in order to be happy and enjoy fulfillment.A person who is â€Å"needy† or has to have a relationship may sometimes become desperate and lower their expectations just so they can be with someone which could then, in turn cause a pseudo relationship, or one that is based off of false pretense. If two people who both feel the same way about being in a relationship end up together and they both feel they need each other, that relationship will obviously have a better chance of lasting.In conclusion, all theories, including the ones previously listed, make up some part of a person’s personality i n a certain way, whether it being a needy personality, a forceful one, very outgoing and loving, very egotistical and angry, etc. Odds are someone’s personality will fit in to one of the categories and will have the same basis but the most important thing to remember is that deep down, no two people are alike and it is hard to classify anyone into one group as many of us could fall into several different theories. References: Feist, J. , & Feist, G. J. (2009). Theories of personality (7th ed. ). New York, NY: McGraw Hill.

Media Coverage and the Right to a Fair Trial

In her written statement last November 9 2005, Barbara E. Bergman, the President of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, aptly stated in behalf of the NACDL that the fundamental issue of every criminal trial is not to entertain, nor to educate, but to administer justice[1].The controversy regarding whether media coverage of criminal trials is detrimental to a fair trial or not is hotly debated and difficult to balance. Even high caliber lawyers have not reached a general consensus about the issue. The tension between the pros and cons of the said subject is still being balanced every time process of litigation is on going. Questions arising from this issue involved: How much of the media be allowed? Will it be helpful to let the media cover every trial of a particular case from start to finish?What about the parties involved? Does decision to permit the media or not be the sole right of the judge, or is it the right of all the parties involved, including the defendan t? These are but â€Å"some† of the important components that embody the whole subject. The apprehension is that, too much publicity might affect the trial’s fairness. The unrestrained freedom given might be used or manipulated to influence fair and just decisions on the parts of the jury and the judge.This paper covers the different views pertaining to media coverage/publicity of a trial. What are the advantages and disadvantages when media coverage is allowed? What are the effects – negative or positive – of the media to a fair trial?The Pros of PublicityArguments for media coverage inside the courtroom are solid and convincing. As cited by Bergman in her written testimony, it promotes â€Å"civic awareness† raises â€Å"government accountability,† and enhances â€Å"legal professionalism†[2]. Bergman was right when she pointed these three positive results of opening the court to the public via media reporting. A prying press, in th is case, has become and is indeed a friend and complimentary to the justice system. It exposes everything. When there is malpractice on the side of the police, the prosecutors, and the judges, the media is supportive and contributory in the exacting of fairness to the opposite side[3].It is also appeasing to the public, especially when a particular case is controversial – involving celebrities or notorious personalities. The public whose curiosity have made them a part of the trial must be given the chance to participate, or else, mistrust to jurisprudence will take place among people in general, as a result. Media coverage is of great assistance in this area.It prevents closed door proceedings and subjects people of authority to the scrutiny of the public and thus avoid further corruptions which could otherwise happen when media is banned from the deliberations. Another plus of the coverage of criminal trials is that it promotes respect to the justice system. It alleviates t he mystery of secrecy in closed insulated proceedings. When there is no care on the part of those involved in executing justice inside hearings and open trial is rather encouraged, public trust heightens, and thus deference to whatever outcomes – may it be comporting to the general sentiment of the public or not.Because there is also that â€Å"damning stigma† to the so-called pretrial publicity (an irony inherent to media coverage), open trial dispels this. The consequent result that oftentimes reverses the guilty verdict of the public restores the already smeared reputation of the criminal defendant. When charges are dismissed, and the premature guilty judgment is eventually proven wrong, the supposed criminal is vindicated before the watching community.Last point in favor of media involvement, is the benefit that the government, the people, and jurisprudence itself, obtain in this process. Insights to the already wisely crafted laws are contemplated and possible or potential modification of existing laws is considered. As Barbara E. Bergman has stated in her testimony, â€Å"Court TV must be credited for its considerable contributions in all of these areas†[4].The Cons of Media CoverageThe arguments against media involvement in judicial processes are equally convincing. There are also disadvantages to unrestrained media meddling. One primary concern is its negative effects to the parties involved in a particular litigation. The conspicuous presence of cameras inside the courtroom will affect the behaviors of the â€Å"main players† of a specific case.It will thus weaken the procedure or the â€Å"fair administration of justice†[5]. Because lawyers, defendants, jurors, and judges, and witnesses are aware that they are being watched, in this kind of scenario, their tendency is to act unnaturally; in other words, they may act hypocritically, and this will be to the detriment of fair judicial process. In the O.J. Simpson case, there were instances when crucial witnesses withheld their testimonies because of fear that they are being watched by the public[6].If the jurors had been made aware beforehand that the case they were handling would be televised and publicized, the overall verdict would definitely be affected. Concern for the public’s opinion of whatever the eventual decisions they will ever come up regarding the future of the defendant, will or may get into the deliberations process.ConclusionThe important thing in the whole scenario of judicial procedures everywhere is striking a balance between the pros and the cons of media involvement. First, of course is the fairness that begins in whose authority it is to say â€Å"yes† or â€Å"no† to the media. As the NACDL has forged and is now binding in the courts of America, all parties involved in the case – Judge, Prosecutors, Defendants, etc. – have to be asked. Everyone must be given the freedom to exercise his/he r right. Is it true that, because the eyes of the general public are watching a particular case, it thus precludes a fair trial?Does presence of cameras in the court demean and disrupt the proceedings? Are the participants in the hearing process – judges, attorneys, jurors, and witnesses – get affected negatively, and therefore adjust their behavior because they are conscious that they are being watched? No one knows for sure whether these are true or not. They may be in many cases, and again, maybe not. The important thing is to strike a balance in both sides and apply what is necessary to secure due process of law. Remember, the fundamental issue in every criminal trial is the administration of justice, not entertainment nor to educate.Works CitedBergman, Barbara. 2005. Cameras in the Courtroom. National Association of Defense Criminal Lawyers accessed on April 28, 2007 in. http://judiciary.senate.gov/testimony.cfm?id=1672&wit_id=4801.Goldfarb, Ronald. The Trial of t he Century Accessed on April 28, 2007I Reiner, â€Å"Cameras Keep Justice System in Focus,† The National Law Journal, October 23, 1995, p. A23. in Goldfarb, Ronald. The Trial of the Century Accessed on April 28, 2007Cameras in the Courtroom. 2005 National Association of Defense Criminal Lawyers in   http://judiciary.senate.gov/testimony.cfm?id=1672&wit_id=4801.Ibid. Goldfarb, Ronald. The Trial of the Century. Accessed in http://www.cosmos-club.org/web/journals/1998/goldfarb.html http://judiciary.senate.gov/testimony.cfm?id=1672&wit_id=4801. Ibid. I Reiner, â€Å"Cameras Keep Justice System in Focus,† The National Law Journal, October 23, 1995, p. A23. in Goldfarb, Ronald. The Trial of the Century Accessed on April 28, 2007 in http://www.cosmos-club.org/web/journals/1998/goldfarb.htmlhttp://www.cosmos-club.org/web/journals/1998/goldfarb.html.   

Gay Rights and the Constitution

Gay Rights and the Constitution â€Å"I'm a supporter of gay rights. And not a closet supporter either. From the time I was a kid, I have never been able to understand attacks upon the gay community. There are so many qualities that make up a human being†¦ by the time I get through with all the things that I really admire about people, what they do with their private parts is probably so low on the list that it is irrelevant. †Ã‚   ~Paul Newman Can the courts or the law tell the people in what way they can be intimate with their partners?Throughout the history of the United states there has been some constitutional controversy concerning which rights we possess that are protected under the constitution. Controversy has also surrounded who the constitution protects. At one time it was said that no person of African American race was or would ever be citizens of the united states. This was changed with the Fourteenth Amendment to the constitution. This fact leads me to beli eve that gay rights will continue to progress even though it has been a slow moving process.For decades there has been the issue of Gay rights and some of the courts controversial decisions have stemmed from cases regarding gay rights. A couple of these controversial cases have been of the cases the 1986 case of Bowers vs. Hardwick, and the 2003 case of Lawrence vs. Texas. All three of these case involve gay rights and virtually the rights of adult individuals to engage in sexual activities with other consenting adults of the same or opposite sex.Many cases have gone to the supreme court to decide the constitutionality of these issues pertaining to gay rights, Even though it is in the power of the supreme court to interpret the laws and the constitution, sometimes the Supreme Court makes the wrong decision. There was a point in time when the Supreme Court gave consent to the states to criminalize the act of adult males to engage in sexual sodomy in the privacy of their own homes. In the case of Bowers v. Hardwick the supreme court ruled against Hardwick stating that Georgia’s anti sodomy law was constitutional, however in the case of Lawrence v.Texas the Supreme Court overturned the Bowers decision and declared that such laws are in fact unconstitutional under due process and equal protection. Today the gay community still struggles to attain the same rights as heterosexual couples, but they get closer everyday. First, at one point in time the United States Supreme Court gave the States consent to criminalize the acts of adult males to engage in sexual activities within the privacy of their own homes (Garvey, 2010). A prime example is found in the result of the case of Bowers vs.Hardwick. In August of 1982 Atlanta, Georgia police officer Torick issued a citation for public drinking to Michael Hardwick. Hardwick a bartender had merely thrown out a beer bottle into the dumpster out side of the gay bar where he worked. The police officer processed the tick et and marked out the actual court date which was on a Tuesday and wrote in Wednesday. When Hardwick failed to appear that Tuesday an arrest warrant was issued and the police officer decided to serve the warrant personally, however Hardwick was not home.When Hardwick came home and realized that officer Torick had been to his apartment, he went to the courthouse and paid the ticket. The arrest warrant was re-called, however officer Torick went to Hardwick’s apartment again a few weeks later to serve the warrant. When the officer got to the apartment a guest of Hardwick’s answered the door and allowed the officer into the apartment. â€Å"Officer Torick noticed that Hardwick’s door was ajar opened it further and proceeded into the room where Hardwick and a male companion were engaged in mutual consensual oral sex.Both men were then arrested for the act of sodomy which is defined in Georgia state law as â€Å"the carnal knowledge and connection against the order of nature, by man with man, or in the same unnatural manner with woman Ga. Code, Tit. 1, Pt. 4,  § 4251 (1861) (Google Scholar,2010)†. After being arrested Hardwick and his partner were jailed for twelve hours before being released. At a preliminary hearing, the district attorney decided not to pursue the case unless further evidence developed (Conway, 2003).Hardwick decided to challenge the constitutionality of his arrest because he was arrested on an invalid warrant. Hardwick filed his first suit with the federal district court, however the courts ruled against him. When Hardwick appealed with the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, they agreed that â€Å"the Georgia statute violated respondent’s fundamental rights because his homosexual activity is private and intimate association that is beyond reach of state regulation† (Conway, 2003). It was the state of Georgia who appealed to the Supreme Court.The Supreme Court granted certiorari on November 4, 1985 to r eview the case (Wikipedia,2010). Hardwick argued that this law infringes on his right to privacy as outlined in the Due Process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The legal issue presented in this case was whether or not the constitution confers a fundamental right for homosexuals to participate in sodomy (Conway, 2003). The court held that the Georgia law classified homosexual sex as illegal sodomy was valid in that there was not constitutional protection for the right to engage in homosexual sex.Justice Byron White wrote the majority opinion answering this question. He stated that â€Å" to claim that a right to engage in such conduct is deeply rooted in this Nation’s history and tradition or implicit in the concept of ordered liberty is at best facetious (Google Scholar, 2010). † The result of this decision was that it seemed as if the Supreme Court had given the States consent to criminalize the act of adult males to engage in consensual sex of any kind in the pri vacy of their homes. This case is an example of how sometimes the Supreme Court can make a bad decision.Even though the Georgia Sodomy law applied to both heterosexual and homosexual persons, Justice White’s decision had been restricted to homosexuals. It took nearly fifteen years for the Supreme Court to overrule their decision in this case. Additionally, in another case the supreme court has decided that the state in fact can not make laws infringing the type of sexual acts people can have in the privacy of their homes. In 2003 the case of Lawrence v. Texas was brought to the Supreme Court. Like in Bowers v.Hardwick, Lawrence and his partner were arrested for engaging in homosexual sodomy. The state of Texas had an anti- sodomy statute called the Homosexual Conduct Law which prohibits the engagement in deviant sexual intercourse with another individual of the same sex. A police officer entered the apartment of Lawrence under probable cause, being that a neighbor had called the police stating that a man with a gun was robbing his neighbor. The man was lying and had been harassing Lawrence. Upon entering the apartment the police officer found Lawrence and his artner violating the anti sodomy or Homosexual conduct law that the state of Texas had in place. The couple pled no contest to the charges and were convicted, however they decided to exercise their right to a new trial before a Texas Criminal Court. They asked the court to dismiss the charges claiming they were protected under the Fourteenth Amendments equal protection grounds. Lawrence claimed that the law was unconstitutional because it prohibits sodomy for homosexuals only and permits heterosexuals to engage in such activities.The courts rejected their request and proceeded with misdemeanor charges. Lawrence’s case was argued at the Texas Fourteenth Court of Appeals and the Texas Homosexual Conduct law was initially held to be unconstitutional under the 1972 Equal Rights Amendment of the Texas state Constitution. This amendment prohibits discrimination based on sex, race, color, creed or national origin. However the full court voted for reconsideration of that decision and upheld the constitutionality of the law.The case was then submitted to the highest appellate court in Texas, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals but was rejected for review. The case was then filed with the U. S. Supreme Court where the Court ruled to strike down the Texas law. The court held that this law did indeed violate the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the Constitution. Also Justice Sandra Day O’Connor found that the law also violated equal protection under the constitution. The majority opinion in this case overruled the decision in Bowers v.Hardwick along with a series of other similar laws within other states. Sometimes the courts make poor decisions, but it is comforting to know that they can overturn their bad decisions and make them right as Justice Steven's stated in the majority opinion, â€Å"Bowers was not correct when it was decided, it is not correct today and is hereby overruled (Lawrence v. Texas). † When the laws of the united states protect sexual liberties, they do so on the grounds of our right to privacy, but it was up until 2003, Lawrence v.Texas that the constitutional right to sexual liberty applied only to hetero sexual sex. Now that gay rights have been expanded to include sexual liberty in the privacy of their homes, the gay community still fights for their right to marriage. Some states have passed laws to allow same sex marriages. Currently only five out of the fifty states have granted same sex marriages; Connecticut, Massachusetts, Iowa, New Hampshire, Vermont and Washington D. C. California should be on this list, however the California gay community is still in battle with the state Legislature over gay marriage.In California gay marriages were performed for a span of five months, after the California Sup reme Court held that the statutes that prevented same sex marriage violated the state constitution. The same sex ban went into effect after the passing of Proposition 8, however on August 4,2010 U. S. District Chief Judge Vaughn R. Walker held that the banned same sex marriage was based on moral disapproval of gay marriage and ordered the state to stop enforcing the ban. ( Dolan & Williams, 2010).In the Court’s opinion written by Judge Walker he referred to the ban on gay marriage as being the result of moral and religious views that same sex couples are any different that opposite sex couples. He deemed that the Proposition 8 was a violation of federal constitutional guarantees of Equal protection and due process. Unfortunately those opposed to same sex marriages have filed appeals to overturn the courts ruling yet again. California has had a long battle with the courts for their rights. In other states, there have been issues regarding the label put on same sex marriage.In the Vermont case of Baker v. State the Vermont State Supreme Court decision merely required that the state legislature find a means of granting same sex couples the same benefits as marriage (Garlinger, 2004). In Massachusetts the Senate proposed to create a civil union status for same sex couples in place of marriage, however the courts declared that the substitution of civil union for civil marriage was not acceptable. They declared that the choice of language â€Å"reflects a demonstrable assigning of same-sex, largely homosexual couples to a second class status (Garlinger,2004). The people of the states will continue to fight for what they believe is right. The gay community for equal rights in all aspects of their lives and relationships, and those against the gay community attaining these rights. In conclusion, many cases have gone to the supreme court to decide the constitutionality of these issues pertaining to gay rights, Even though it is in the power of the supreme court to interpret the laws and the constitution, sometimes the Supreme Court makes the wrong decision.There was a point in time when the Supreme Court gave consent to the states to criminalize the act of adult males to engage in sexual sodomy in the privacy of their own homes. In the case of Bowers v. Hardwick the supreme court ruled against Hardwick stating that Georgia’s anti sodomy law was constitutional, however in the case of Lawrence v. Texas the Supreme Court overturned the Bowers decision and declared that such laws are in fact unconstitutional under due process and equal protection. Today the gay community still struggles to attain the same rights as heterosexual couples, but they get closer everyday.When the courts were first confronted with a prosecution for homosexual sodomy, it looked to whether the Constitution specifically protected the right to engage in that conduct rather than analyzing the issue in terms of the right to privacy in intimate sexual situations (Be ntele, 2010). The cases of Bowers v. Hardwick and Lawrence v. Texas, both were cases that were very similar in what they were trying to accomplish. It took the supreme court fifteen years to overrule a bad judgement when they ruled against Hardwick in 1986.Many people who are opposed to equal rights for homosexuals stem from moral and religious views. Which gives the courts basis to deem these bans and laws unconstitutional. Regulation of sexual liberty comes at the expense of repressing sex and sexuality as behaviors exercised only in private. Creating a legal privilege for sex in the private domain leads to greater stigmatization and regulation of non-normative sexuality or sexual preference that does not manifest in private (Stark, 2010). The decision in Lawrence v.Texas not only overturned the Bowers decision but it also prevents any other states with laws similar to those that were deemed unconstitutional. Gay Rights have come far since 1986 in that they have more attained thei r right to sexual privacy and in some states their right to get married. It will not be long until the California ban on same-sex marriage is lifted completely and other states will soon follow. It is ultimately up to the Courts to interpret the constitution and they will make less than perfect decisions, but sometimes hey make perfect decisions that remand their previous mistakes.REFERENCES Conway, G. (2003). Inevitable Reconstructions† Voice and Ideology in Two Landmark U. S. Supreme Court Opinions. Rhetoric ; Public Affairs, 6(3), 487-507. doi:10. 1353/rap. 2003. 0058 Garlinger, P. (2004). In All But Name: Marriage and the Meaning of Homosexuality. Discourse, 26. 3, 41-72 doi: 10. 1353/dis. 2005. 0027 Bowers v. Hardwick. (2010, August 18). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved August 30, 2010, from http://en. wikipedia. rg/w/index. php? title=Bowers_v. _Hardwick;oldid=379495984 Lawrence v. Texas (2003) Retrieved August 30, 2010 from http://law. cornell. edu/supct/h tml/02-102. zs. html Stark, E. L. (2010, Summer). GET A ROOM: SEXUAL DEVICE STATUTES AND THE LEGAL CLOSETING OF SEXUAL IDENTITY. George Mason University Civil Rights Law Journal. Retrieved from http://campus. westlaw. com Dolan, M. , ; Williams, C. J. (2010, August 4). Judge strikes down Prop. 8, allows gay marriage in California. LA Times, pp. 1-2. Retrieved from http://articles. atimes. com/2010/aug/04/local/ Bowers v. Hardwick. (n. d. ). Bowers v. Hardwick. Retrieved August 30, 2010, from Google Scholar website: http://scholar. google. com/scholar_case/bowersvhardwick Bentele, U. (2010, Summer). THE NOT SO GREAT WRIT: TRAPPED IN THE NARROW HOLDINGS OF SUPREME COURT PRECEDENTS . Lewis ; Clark Law Review. Retrieved from http://westlaw. edu Garvey, T. (2010, Summer). God vs. Gays? The Right of Sexual Minorities in International Law. Denver Journal of International Law. Retrieved from http://westlaw. edu

Three Firms and its Marketing Opportunities Research Paper

Three Firms and its Marketing Opportunities - Research Paper Example Firms that take advantage of existing marketing opportunities give themselves an advantage and can grow its revenues appreciably. Firms can take advantage of existing marketing opportunities by making their relationships with existing clients deeper and therefore generate more business or expanding their footprint through mergers and acquisitions. This paper will review the marketing opportunities for three American firms namely Net App, Salesforce and Edward Jones. These have been chosen randomly from a list of American companies and also for their uniquely innovative services and existing marketing opportunities. Literature review Net App 1. This is currently the fifth largest data storage firm in the USA whose revenues increased by 33 percent in 2009 (â€Å"CNN Money†, 2011). Net App offers online storage solutions to companies and firms who have need for large volume storage of its data but does not want to invest in a data storage service of their own and so outsource sto rage to Net App. The increasing use of the internet and computers in business means there is always going to be a lot of data and information available that needs storage and management. With increased digitization for instance, people would be happy to have a scanned copy of their documents stored somewhere safe in a digital format for replacement in case of loss or damage or just renewal. Net App offers efficient, affordable and powerful stogie solutions for organizations. A marketing opportunity exists for them to tap in a bigger way into the domestic/ individual data storage and management solution and include offsite backup and restoration systems for clients. Almost every computer, portable or smart phone user knows very well the headache and costs of loosing personal data for instance losing a whole laptop with say all your project data and with no serious backup; it means purchasing a new laptop, software and starting the project all over again. People are relying more on da ta and information as economic drivers for enterprises and businesses, which poses its own new risks. Research and information indicate that firms that suffer computer outage for more than ten days never recover fully financially. Also half the businesses and organizations suffering such problems will be out of business within five years (Smith, 2003). This affects businesses greatly and costs a lot while individuals also suffer a lot of anguish due to lost data through theft, device failure, viruses attack, or human error. Starting and offering such a service in addition to its corporate data storage solutions would present a new and unique marketing and growth opportunity for Net App. The danger with this opportunity is that handling individuals is far more complex and may lead to a lowering of quality of service. 2. This marketing opportunity is a home run since it will involve the company starting a completely new product and business line. The new product line is likely to be a high capital intensity enterprise and it does not have the highest chances of failure (Samski, 2011). 3. The risk in undertaking this opportunity for Net App would be a large capital outlay and it would take time to develop, refine and promote. There is a chance consumers may not take it up as well as envisaged by Net App leading to losses. The opportunity is also risky in that it does not have the highest chance of succeeding. Management may not be comfortable with the risk and if not shared

Strategic management in action Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Strategic management in action - Essay Example The successful implementation of the structure has made Google become a case study for other companies that once dominated the technology industry such as IBM and General Electric (Peng et al, 2007). The Silicon Valley-based Information Technology uses the laissez-faire management structure. The laissez-faire management style gives employees freedom to undertake their tasks without severe control from the management. Employees are given an opportunity to manage themselves without reporting to their seniors as is the case for many well-established organizations. Such working environment encourages employees to implement their ideas and apply their skills and talents in coming up with creative products and services (Porter, 2008). In Google, the management is less structured compared to other blue chip companies. With the less structuring, it is easier to control the workflow and the quality of work being undertaken. Interestingly, the ratio of employees to managers is 1:20.The ratio is less compared to other well-established companies. The fewer ratios allow engineers of the company to work with manageable teams. With a small and manageable team, work efficiency is enhanced something that leads to quality work (Taylor et al., 2008). Google uses a very competitive hiring process that only attracts to notch candidates in various fields. For instance, the company only employs engineers from reputable institutions. In addition, the engineers must have attained remarkable achievements in the education. Furthermore, the engineers are taken through a vigorous interview process as to identify the best-suited candidates. The competitive hiring process has enabled the company attract the best talents in the technology industry. Also, the employees are given attractive salary packages in a bid to retain them. The strategy is also useful in ensuring that Google does not lose its talented

Strategic Marketing Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Strategic Marketing Management - Essay Example The group was founded in the year 1968 and its first restaurant was opened up in the district of Causeway Bay of Hong Kong in the year 1969. At present, the group has over 540 retail outlets all over the world with its several brands. This paper will deal with the study and analysis of the fast food industry in Hong Kong and accordingly will penetrate into one of the strategic business units of Cafe de Coral. The strategic business units of Cafe de Coral consist of fast food, specialty restaurants, institutional catering, food processing and distribution and overseas. In this research paper, the fast food unit of Cafe de Coral at Hong Kong will be taken up for evaluation. With respect to the analysis of the industry and strategic business unit of Cafe de Coral, specific strategic direction and relevant execution explanation will be provided (Cafe de Coral, 2011). 2.0 Industry Competition The fast food industry competitiveness in Hong Kong will be discussed in this section with refere nce to the Porter’s Five Forces Model. The forces of the model consist of barriers to entry into the Hong Kong’s fast food industry, bargaining power of the buyers in the industry, bargaining power of the suppliers, threat of the substitutes in the industry and the rivalry among the existing players in the industry. 2.1 Threats of New Entrants The threats of the new entrants have to be described in terms of a few aspects for evaluating the factors totally. The aspects are the economies of scale, capital requirements, product differentiation and cost disadvantages. Taking the advantage of the economies of scale, the new entrants interested in the class of limited service restaurants can seek certain favour to economies of scale. But these advantages get weakened by the alleviation of founding a restaurant that provides quick service. Differentiating the products or the fast food being provided is a difficult task in the industry, but for private start-ups this is not a difficulty and thus not a barrier to entry. The requirements of initial capital might repress the development of nation. The cost disadvantages stem from the fact that the established companies in the fast food industry already enjoy the advantage of innovative technology, favourable sites, access to raw materials, experience and government subsidies. There is stiff competition in the Hong Kong fast food industry due to the presence of an enormous number of fast food chains and restaurants. In spite of all these facts, the strategic business unit of Cafe de Coral perceives a high future growth as the receipts of food and beverages have showed upward trend during the past years. From all these analysis, it can be inferred that the entry barriers in the Hong Kong fast food industry is not high and according to the current market condition, the SBU expects growth (ACCA, 2010). 2.2 Bargaining Power of Buyers The Hong Kong fast food industry is characterised by several individual custome rs who place pretty small orders.

UCC 2-207 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

UCC 2-207 - Essay Example Jack did not respond. Jack delivered 4 tables and 16 chairs on June 1. Did Jack breach his contract with Mark? Explain. Rule: The agreement between Jack and Mark falls under UCC 2-207, which governs contracts for the sale of goods. UCC 2-105(1) states that a good is an item of property that must be tangible and moveable and UCC 2-106(1) defines a sale asâ€Å"the passingof title from the seller to the buyer for a price†. In this case, the goods are 4 tables and 16 chairs since they are tangible and moveable. Moreover, the evidence of a sale becomes clear when Jack delivers to Mark 4 tables and 16 chairs to Mark. Application/Analysis: In general, there are four requirements for a valid contract: agreement, consideration, capacity and legality. Even though the UCC does not define offer, common law steps in to cover this inadequacy. Under the common law, offer is the expression of the desire to enter into a contract in a manner that the recipient can make a conclusion to the transaction through assent. The mirror image rule in common law requires that the terms of the acceptance exactly match those of the offer. However, the UCC dispenses with the mirror image rule. Under the UCC 2-207(1), a contract is formed if the offeree’s response indicates a definite acceptance of the offer, even if the acceptance includes terms additional to or different from those contained in the offer. Whether the additional terms become part of the contract depends, in part, on whether the parties are non-merchants or merchants. A merchant is a person who deals in goods of the kind involved in the sales contr act. Under UCC 2–207(2), in contracts between merchants, the additional terms automatically become part of the contract unless one of the following conditions arises: 1.The original offer expressly limited acceptance to its terms. 2. The new or changed terms materially alter the contract. 3. The offeror objects to the new or changed terms within a reasonable

Role of Allied Professional (SLP) Module 4 Essay

Role of Allied Professional (SLP) Module 4 - Essay Example The OBRA 90 standard of pharmacy practice calls for pharmacists to give guidance to patients on the use, interactions and any contraindications expected. Doing so reduces the chances of legal liability in their line of work. Thirdly, they should regularly monitor the rate at which the patient is taking his or her medication. Thanks to advancement in technology, there computerized information system that pharmacist can use to record and refer to the information pertaining the patients medication history. Fourthly, it is the responsibility of pharmacists to resolve any problems that arise in relation to patients. These could be medical bill payment problems, discrimination toward the patient as a result of his or her condition (Lamb, 2014). Fifth, pharmacists are required to honor a legally valid prescription presented by the patient from a physician or a doctor. Lastly, pharmacists should be obligated to consult and adhere to pharmacy regulations and set standards. This contributes to patients wellbeing and protection from potential risks associated by certain medication. In the case of Robert Courtney, a pharmacists accused of intentionally diluting chemotherapy drugs to make money by exploiting cancer patients, is a good example of professional trust breach. He confesses of altering over 150 doses of chemotherapy drugs and risking lives of over 30 patients. Courtney does not only violate patient rights, break the law but most importantly betrays the trust of patients seek his expertise (Jaffe, 2001). Altering the sate of a drug is professionally unethical and immoral considering lives are at stake. Pharmacists’ judgment should and only be in the paramount interest of the patient and not Pharmacists’ interest. It is expected of Courtney as a professional healthcare pharmacist, to be the patient advocate but from his action it is clear that he is not concerned with his

Organisational Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Organisational Culture - Essay Example In human resource management, most people assume that people can be measured on personality and IQ tests, and computing the resultant set of numbers to define these people. This is often not so, because efficiency is not an economic concept, but a political concept involving cost, and quality of process time. Also some people see inefficiency to be a "sin" in modern terms, which is very much in contrast with the 20th century efficiency of the Nazis, for example. The east neaden dietary department is run by a team of 6 nurses, three dieticians and one doctor. "There is also a consultant who is available 3 times a week and a clinical psychologist who visits twice a week." (Marlow, Nigel). The type of culture that existed in the east neasden dietory department before the change was one of familiarity and friendly worker relationships. This is evident in the fact that the staff called each other by their first names, and the doctors were called by their first names, except in the presence of patients. However there was a change in the organizational structure and this brought about a change in the culture in East Neasden Dietary department. After the organizational change which was accomplished by using the handy theory a... There are indeed, various reasons for change. Some factors that can trigger change in an organization, like competition and the need to be commercially realistic or viable. Allen, Madison, Porter, Renwick and Mayes noted that "organizational politics involves intentional acts of influence to enhance or protect the self interest of groups, or individuals in a group" (Allen, Madison, Porter, Renwick and Mayes 1979) In the Interflora case, there was a need to be commercially viable and realistic, hence the need for organizational change, and the dynamics involved in such a change. An Analysis of corporate types Corporate culture is the key to organizational performance, and when effectively managed, can lead to an improvement in a company's competitive advantage. Going by Michael Maccoby's analysis of corporate types, there are four main types of corporate personality. These are the company man, the Jungle Hunter, the craftsman, and the Gamesman. The company man defers to authority in the company, while the jungle hunter tends to be coercive in temperament, and strives to acquire power within the company. For the craftsman, his identity is his craft as an engineer, accountant, I.T. personnel or other craft. The gamesman operates with a lot of politicking and uses stealth and subtlety to achieve power. REFERENCES Allen, R. W., Madison, D. L., Porter, L. W., Renwick, P. A. and Mayes, B. T. (1979)Organizational politics: Tactics and characteristics of its actors. Californiamanagement review Maccoby, Michael. (1976) Michael Maccoby's Analysis of Corporate Types Marlow, Nigel. East

Is case study a good way to analyze financial dissertation topic Essay

Is case study a good way to analyze financial dissertation topic (about risk reduction using derivatives) - Essay Example The paper tries to answer this question, and present the suitable research method if there is one that is better suited than the case study method. In particular, the paper addresses the following questions: One, does the case study design for the research apply for undertaking a financial dissertation involving the reduction of risks with the use of derivatives? Two, if the answer is yes, why is this so, and if not, why is this so? Three, if the answer is yes, what are the recommendations for the utilization and deployment of the strategies for research and the methods of research tied to the case study research design/method? Four, if the answer is no, what would be the most appropriate research design, and why is this the most appropriate? As a continuation to question four, what would be the recommendations for the utilization and deployment of the research methods and strategies tied to the most suitable research design/method identified as being more suitable than the case stud y method? II. ... Derivatives to hedge risks and to manage the risks would naturally lend itself to quantitative research methods. How does the case study method fare in this respect? We get from the literature that the case study method is essentially a qualitative research method. By qualitative is meant that the case study method excels where the dissertation involves situating the research topic in a certain sociological or network context. By this is meant that subjective people and relational factors are important considerations. The definition below captures some of the flavor and some of the relevant contexts for the proper use of the case study method, and it is noteworthy that this definition below makes references to organizational contexts, social contexts, subjective user contexts, and other relational contexts (Jones 2000): Case studies are particularly valuable for understanding complex phenomena in context, and according to Yin (1989) when â€Å"users’ intentions, technology us e patterns, and social impacts – cannot be clearly separated from the social, technological, and organizational contexts in which they occur.† Interpretive field studies are often based in turn on the â€Å"soft case† study approach, described by Braa and Vidgen (1997) as a research framework for organizational study in information systems research. They demarcate between methods appropriate for prediction, understanding, and change; and soft cases are adopted when the research intent warrants understanding phenomena. Recognizing that many studies address more than one of these intents in varying degree, research approaches are mapped to the outcomes desired by the research intents. For predictive outcomes, reduction approaches are used; understanding necessitates an interpretive approach;

Legal aspects of cultural diversity Essay Example for Free

Legal aspects of cultural diversity Essay Cultural diversity is of great essence to any community, just as diversity is important to the living organisms which can in fact, have their ecological system adversely affected, lack of cultural diversity can lead to an increase in the risk of economic and political instabilities. This therefore implies that it is very important to preserve cultural diversity. Its preservation, above all conflicts and security concerns has made it to be of much concern in the global arena. For effective integration of the cultural diversity there is need to develop and enact laws that are intended to preserve it so as to continue enjoying its numerous benefits (Heuberger, Gerber, Anderson, 1999). Legal aspects of cultural diversity A major fundamental characteristic that is emerging as a result of political space that is increasingly widening globally is not so much due to plurality but as a result of polarity of thoughts coming from different corners of the globe which vary significantly. The polarity of these ideas naturally corresponds to the cultural diversity of the communities. Polarity does not necessarily lead to development in the negative direction in the process of social politics. However, there is need to derive some values which are useful from this particular development. This therefore means that there should be efforts which are aimed at developing institutional mechanisms, which apart from acknowledging the existence of cultural diversity they also stress on the fundamental consensual principles and values as a basis of any state. The potentiality of such opportunities lies in the enactment of laws intended to safe guard cultural diversity, such laws should be well entrenched in a country’s supreme law, that is, the constitution (Tarver, 1999). The ethnic and cultural diversity is a broad area which can be very problematic should states fail to adequately cater for them in their laws of the land. When properly managed, cultural diversity is capable of producing positive fruits in the development of institutional structures aimed enhancing integration of various cultures. It is therefore important to note that dealing with ethnic and cultural diversity is not only a sensitive issue but a complex one too. Thus it is of much essence to include virtually all the stakeholders while coming up with laws of regulating and governing this diversity. This is very important since if such a process is not well managed the minorities are likely to feel left out in the development of their nations and thus opposed to its objectives. This can result into anarchy in a country, which can easily lead to tribal conflicts which do not auger well for the economic and political stability of a nation (Mitullah, 2002). The differences in various cultures are not absolute, they can therefore, be mediated positively through a well engineering process of the constitution of the country or other laws governing the state. This is a task that every country should endeavor to accomplish so as to avoid instances of discrimination of minorities. Their values too should be well taken care of and appreciated in a similar manner as those of the majority. Making laws on such basis will ensure that no single culture is left out in the task of nation building as they are all important and each form an integral part of the nation and thus a state cannot function optimally without the inclusion of all the cultures existing within its boundaries (Mitullah, 2002). By the laws properly addressing the issue of cultural diversity the states are likely to be saved from effects of conscious mobilization of people based on their culture and ethnic origins by their elites who are selfish and only interested in their political gains as opposed to the greater good of the entire nation. Such laws should ensure that there is eradication of political processes in which politicians are able to divide people during the periods of campaigns through ideas of cultural differences instead of policies that are needed by the state in order to develop both democratically and economically and thus liberate the citizens from the handicaps of ethnicity and their respective cultures. The laws should enable the citizens to perceive each culture in the country as an important part in the general development of the nation (Mitullah, 2002). In many countries ethnic or cultural social engineering so as to achieve myopic political goals is a major challenge in attaining credible political and economic stability. Not unless such is adequately addressed several countries will continue suffering and their development objectives delayed. Such short comings can be effectively addressed if there are laws and statutes to cater for cultural diversity so that it can be used to yield good fruits for these nations as opposed to situations of political and economic instabilities resulting from failing to manage cultural diversity in a proper manner (Lewis, 2007) Conclusion Cultural diversity when well managed in any given society is capable of yielding a lot of benefits to the all the nationalities. There is need therefore to ensure that it is well preserved and adequately taken care of so as to realize the benefits of stable economies and political systems. By appreciating cultural diversity the members of the different communities are able to borrow the strong values from other cultures and this will lead to the emergence of a culture that incorporates all the cultural diversities that exist within their limits. This can be effectively addressed in laws and statutes which should be oriented at ensuring that cultural diversity is preserved. Reference: Heuberger, B. , Gerber, D. Anderson, R. (1999): Strength through Cultural Diversity; Journal Article of Multiculturalism Vol. 47, Issue 4. Lewis, M. (2007): Cultural Norms and Political Mobilization: Accounting for Local and State-Level Liquor Laws, 1907-1919, Journal of Cultural Geography, Vol. 24, Issue 8. Mitullah, W. V. (2002): Recognising and Respecting Cultural Diversity in the Constitution, Retrieved on 22nd May 2009 from, http://www. commonlii. org/ke/other/KECKRC/2002/5. html. Tarver, M. L. (1999): Law Enforcement Diversity Training And Technology, Retrieved on 22nd May 2009 from, http://aabss. org/journal1999/f13Tarver. html.

Comparing America’s Economy in the 1920s and the Current Economic Situation Essay Example for Free

Comparing America’s Economy in the 1920s and the Current Economic Situation Essay Few periods in America have influenced the current government structure, size, and economy rather than the â€Å"Roaring Twenties† and the â€Å"Great Depression†. At the beginning of the 1920s, the United States was converting from wartime to peace time economy at the time weapons for World War I were no longer useful. In this decade, America became the richest nation in the world and a culture of consumerism was born. People spent money for better roads, tourism, and holiday resorts. Real estates booms sent land prices soaring (DeLong, 1997). Looking at technology, it played a vital role in delivering the economic and cultural good times that most of America enjoyed during the 1920s. The automobile’s popularity, construction of roads and highways, poured fresh public funds into the economy. This resulted to tremendous economic prosperity. Technology enhanced communication with the first public station being established, KDKA, the year 1922 introduced the first movie made with sound- The Jazz singer. It is in this time that the United States became a modern middle-class economy of radios, consumer appliances, automobiles and suburbs. Mass production had made the United States the richest society the world had ever seen (DeLong, 1997). The economy today seems to negate the glory it received in the 1920s. According to Leonhardt (2010), it produced $ 15 trillion worth of goods and services in 2008 in estimates, making it the largest in the world. The US economy however has shown a downward trend since in 2007, it began to slow significantly mainly because of a real-estate slump and other financial problems that has led the economy into a recession. The recession continued up to early 2009, making it the longest one in decades. August 2009 came with some hope with the Federal Reserve Bank’s policy-making committee saying that they believed the recession was ending. The bank cautioned that the recovery would be slow and there was a possibility that unemployment was to remain high for another year. The year 2010 is seen as the year of severe economic contraction. According to Whitney (2010), reports in the financial media believe that the effects of ongoing credit contraction and the massive injection of the central bank liquidity have prevented the collapse of financial markets. A lot is still to be done in order to leverage households and stimulate the general economic activity. The financial crisis has stripped the economy $ 13 trillion in equity and Americans have grown gloomier about the economy and the nation’s direction over the past few months, although it shows signs of moving to recovery. The country is persistent with high unemployment with ordinary working people continuing to fight to keep their jobs and maintain their standard of living. This is a contrast on what was happening in the 1920s. US had transformed in less than a decade to become the richest Nation in the world. High pay of $5 a day showed the low unemployment rate that existed. Industries were booming with high profits and numerous companies opened their doors to start operations. The US might be the world’s leading economy, but the current unemployment rates, the number of businesses closing their doors as a result of inability to pay their debts and the constraints the government face in order to fully fund the budget requirements are overwhelming. The government, the Fed and the whole economy need to work towards alleviating bottlenecks that cause the economy harm. They need to uphold policies that will see to it that economy does not run to the stagflation condition of the 1970s.

Asthma Essay With Conclusions

Asthma Essay With Conclusions Asthma is one of the major chronic respiratory conditions which alter the respiratory function of the body. The World Health Organisation or WHO (2012) defines asthma as a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways characterised by frequent episodes of breathlessness and wheezing. This difficulty in breathing is caused by the swelling and constricting of the airways. Exposure to allergens, pollutants, cold air, infection and exercise can increase the risk of asthmatics having an attack (Funnel, Koutoukidis and Lawrence 2009). This essay will discuss on the pathophysiology, diagnosis, medical management and clinical manifestations of asthma. It will also cover the client education needed to provide for those with asthma, asthmas risk factors and its prognosis. According to the National Asthma Council of Australia or NACA (2006) more than 2.2 million Australians are suffering from asthma. This essay will therefore also describe how asthma impacts on its victims and their life style. Kaufman (2011) describes the pathophysiology of asthma as a pathologic condition which affects the lower respiratory tract by narrowing the airways as a result of epithelial damage, excessive mucus production, oedema, bronchoconstriction and muscle damage. In asthma the cells in the epithelium layer can be destroyed and peel away, making the respiratory tract more susceptible to allergens and infections, thereby contributing to airway hyper-responsiveness (Kaufman 2011). Asthma also triggers the development of mucus cells and mucus glands. This increases mucus production, thus forming mucous plugs which can obstruct the airways (Monahan et al. 2007). Airway oedema is another change that occurs in the respiratory tract due to asthma. It involves the dilation and leaking of capillaries in the airway walls which limits airflow (Kaufman 2011). Monahan et al. (2007) add that increased capillary permeability and leakage can obstruct the airways due to swelling. They also explain that the i nflammatory agents such as histamine, tryptase, leukotriences and prostaglandins act on smooth muscles of airway walls and cause bronchoconstriction which restricts the airflow to alveoli. Brown and Edwards (2012) write that wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness and cough are the most common clinical manifestations of asthma. They can occur especially at night and in the early morning and can vary from person to person. It is not necessary to have all the symptoms at once as different symptoms can occur at different times. According to NACA (2006) frequent cough, feeling weak, wheezing after exercise, shortness of breath and sleeping difficulties can be early signs of asthma while severe wheezing, continuous cough, rapid breathing, anxiety, chest pain, blue lips and fingernails are the symptoms of severe asthma attacks. Diagnosing asthma can be done by obtaining a detailed history, performing physical examinations, pulmonary function testing, and laboratory assessments (Ignatavicius and Workman 2010) According to Ignatavicius and Workman (2010) it is important to ask patients about any experiences of having shortness of breath, cough, chest tightness, wheeze and increased mucus production as well as about their smoking habits and any family history of asthma. The same source write that physical examinations can be performed by listening to the patients chest for any wheezing sounds and observing respiratory effort by assessing the respiratory rate and examining whether the patient is using any accessory muscles to breathe. They add that the shape of the chest also needs to be examined, as a barrel-shaped chest can be a sign of prolonged asthma. In addition, the oral mucosa and nail beds need to be examined for any bluish tinge (Ignatavicius and Workman 2010). Ignatavicius and Workman (2010) write that pulmonary function tests (PFTs), usually using spirometry, are the most accurate tests that can be performed to diagnose asthma. According to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (2012) this test measures how much air the patient can breathe in and out as well as how fast the patient can exhale it. Christensen and Kockrow (2011) add that PFTs determine the reversibility of bronchoconstriction which helps to diagnose asthma. In addition, arterial blood gases testing (ABGs) and sputum for culture testing are both laboratory tests that can be used to diagnose asthma further. The results of ABGs are used to assess the oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in the blood during an asthma attack, while the presence of eosinophils is assessed in sputum testing (Monahan et al. 2007). Finally, chest X-rays can be used to track any changes in chest structure such as hyperinflation, mucous build up and lung collapse (Brown Edwards 2012). There is no known cure for asthma. Its medical management therefore involves managing its symptoms, either by maintaining stability with long term medications or quickly relieving symptoms of an attack (Brown Edwards 2012). Christensen and Kockrow (2011) write that maintenance drugs aim to prevent and minimize asthmas symptoms but need to be taken regularly. According to Tiziani (2010) these drugs are called symptom controllers. They include salmeterol and formoterol, (catergorised as long acting beta-2-agonists), and inhaled corticosteroids such as fluticasone and budesonide. Leukotriene modifiers are also used for the treatment of chronic asthma (Christensen and Kockrow 2011). Symptom relievers, on the other hand, are used for the immediate treatment and relief of symptoms in an acute asthma attack. They include short-acting beta-2 agonists (Salbutamol, terbutaline), oral or IV corticosteroids and epinephrine (Christensen and Kockrow 2011). According to Christensen and Kockrow (2011) short-acting beta-2-agonists are the most effective drugs for relieving asthma symptoms. They add that epinephrine can be administered subcutaneously and intramuscularly when asthmas symptoms cannot be relieved by beta-2-agonists. Oxygen therapy is also an essential immediately treatment for an acute asthma attack, write Christensen and Kockrow (2011). Because of the absence of a cure and a need for its management, client education on managing asthma is an important role undertaken by health care professionals. Clients should be educated about the signs and symptoms of asthma and its triggers, in order to lessen and prevent asthma attacks (Monahan et al. 2007). According to Ignatavicius and Workman (2010) clients should also be educated to assess their respiratory status, take their medication at the correct dosage and determine when to see their health professionals. Clients therefore need to be educated about the method of using peak flow meters, metered dose inhalers and inhalers with spacers. Monahan et al. (2007) add that a nurse should teach relaxation exercises to patients and the importance of not smoking. Ignatavicius and Workman (2010) describe that patients also need to be educated to have adequate rest and sleep, proper nutrition and fluid intake. According to NACA (2012) the risk factors of asthma are allergens, pollutants, drugs, infections, smoking, occupational factors, exercise and temperature change. Allergens known to trigger asthma include house dust mites, animal fur, moulds, pollens, tobacco smoke, bushfire smoke, paint fumes, household cleaning products and air pollutants (National Asthma Council Australia 2012). Asprin, other NSAIDs and complementary medicines can trigger asthma as well, according to Brown and Edwards (2012). Cold and flu can act as infection triggers while dust, chemicals and stress are considered occupational factors that can trigger an attack. The prognosis of asthma, however, is generally good because it can be managed by proper and timely treatment. According to Harvey (2011) most deaths from asthma are preventable, while mild to moderate asthma can be improved with proper management, making some adults symptom-free. Severe episodes also can be managed, depending on the treatment and the degree of obstruction in the airways. On the other hand, asthma causes irreversible problems in lung function for about 10% of patients even though it is well treated while poor treatment and control can lead to prolonged asthma and permanent disabilities (Harvey 2011). Other relevant information about asthma includes 235 million people suffering from it globally, with most asthma-related deaths occurring in lower and middle income countries (WHO 2012). In addition, the prevalence of asthma increases with the age and it is also more common in females than males after the teenage years (AIHW 2012). According to Andrews (2010) fruits and vegetables in the diet improve lung function while foods rich in Omega 3, (such as fish, sardines and salmon), helps to prevent asthmas symptoms. Asthma is a disease which affects people physically, psychologically and socially as well. Gelfland (2008) writes that its coughing, breathlessness, wheezing and chest tightness affects the wellbeing of the client, limiting their involving in normal day to day activities. He also states that the condition keeps some children from going to school and some adults from work. According to the Australian Centre for Asthma Monitoring or ACAM (2004) 20% of children with asthma report not being involved in any physical activities such as playing and riding bicycles and of feeling anger, frustration and social isolation. Asthmas limiting of activities means life is felt to be more difficult as assistance is needed for activities such as shopping and housework. The National Sleep Foundation (2011) describes how most people with asthma suffer from coughing, wheezing and short of breath in night which prevents them getting enough sleep and makes them more anxious and weak. The effects during an asthma attack can also be serious. Fear and anxiety can rise, even the fear of dying due to the experience of shortness of breath. Fear of an attack can cause constant anxiousness among some asthmatics (University of Chicago Department of Medicine 2007). Asthmas discomfort and stress can also make some persons more aggressive, or to lose control of their lives, leading to less self care in general (University of Chicago Department of Medicine 2007). ACAM (2004) adds that an asthmatic can feel embarrassment over taking their medications and can also develop stress and confusion as they try to understand their asthma. ACAM (2004) also describes an Australian study that showed children and adolescents with asthma having lower self esteem, more behavioural problems, poor physical and mental status and worse sole functioning dimensions than others without it. In addition, asthma can socially isolate people by restricting their participation in social events, limiting their working and other activities, taking more sick days at work and engaging in avoidance behaviour that impairs relationships with family, friends, relatives and colleagues (ACAM 2004). Asthma can also create financial problems due to long term work limitations and decreased education. Sufferers are therefore more likely to experience anxiety, stress and depression (ACAM 2004). Conclusion In conclusion asthma can be described as a chronic respiratory condition which can be identified by breathing difficulty, wheezing, cough and chest tightness. Narrowing and swelling of the airways and increased mucus production are the major episodes looked for to establish an asthma condition. Physical examinations, pulmonary function tests, blood tests and chest X-rays are also used to determine asthma. The medications used to manage asthma long term are symptom preventers and symptom controllers. Symptom reliever medications are used for the immediate control of its symptoms. Inhalation or ingestion of allergens and pollutants, exposure to cold weather, exercises, infections and occupational factors such as dust and chemicals can be considered asthmas risk factors, and healthcare professionals need to provide client education in order to prevent and minimize asthma attacks. Chronic asthma conditions affect client physical, psychological and social wellbeing.

Bud Not Buddy, by Christopher Paul Curtis Essay -- Bud Not Buddy Chris

Bud Not Buddy, by Christopher Paul Curtis Bud Not Buddy, by Christopher Paul Curtis, takes place in Flint, Michigan and Grand Rapids, Michigan. It took place in the 1920's (during the depression). It is about a boy named Bud Caldwell who is on a search to find his father. He uses lies throughout the whole book to get him where he wants to go. He is 10 years old and his mother died when he was 6. Bud tells everyone she died a fast and painless death. Buds mother never did directly tell Bud who his father was, but she did give him a lot of hints. She would always look at this blue flyer. Across the top of this flyer were the words "LIMITED ENGAGEMENT", then written below this in smaller letters it said, "Direct from an S.R.O. engagement in New York City". Under that in big letters again it said, "HERMAN E. CALLOWAY and the Dusky Devastators of the depression!!!!!!" Next it said, "Masters of the New Jazz". Then in the middle of the paper was a blurry picture of a man standing next to a giant fiddle. This man was thought to be Buds father, Herman E. Calloway. In order for Bud to find his father, he needs to get away from the orphanage and all the foster homes he's lived in. He needs to get to Grand Rapids, Michigan, because that is where Herman E. Calloway lives. This doesn't seem too hard for Bud. Once he's gotten away from the homes he's considered being on the lam. While Bud is on the lam he runs into his friend from the orphanage, Bugs. Bug's is also on the lam...

Autonomy and Responsibility The Decision to Drop the Atomic Bombs on Ja

Autonomy and Responsibility The Decision to Drop the Atomic Bombs on Japan Along with being a world superpower comes a long list of resposiblilities. One such responsibility is the decision of how to deal with other nations when they get out of line. People will always point fingers at who they think is at fault when a nation has to go to war with another. One such example of this is when the United States was brought into the Second World War because of the bombing of Pearl Harbor. By becoming involved in World War Two, the U.S. had to fight Japan, which led to the most important decision of the century. This decision was whether or not to drop the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This decision was mainly placed on the shoulders of President Harry Truman. Truman did not jump to the idea of using the atomic bombs on Japan right away. In fact, he and other military officials came up with a few strategies for invading the Philippines initially (1, 17). Some military officials first proposed creating a blockade in the Pacific with carriers (1,18). Another plan was a two-phase amphibious assault on the island of Kyushu (1,18). In this plan the first landing would be followed by a larger second invasion (1,19). With this plan, though, it was estimated that Japan would not surrender until late 1946 (1,21). Also, it meant the use of British troops, and Great Britain could not afford to spare any because of the campaign in Europe (1,21). This meant that far too many lives would be lost on both sides, with a startling amount of half a million on the American side. By now the idea of using the first atomic bomb on Japan was being born. Due to the difficulty of fighting the Japanese in the Philippines, partially because of... ...deal world no bombs would be needed at all because there would be no wars,†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.but lets face the fact that that will never happen. There will always be conflicts between nations that can only be resolved through war. Works Cited 1)Fogelman, Edwin. Hiroshima: The Decision to Use the A-bomb. New York: Scribner. 1964. 2)Lifton, Robert Jay. Hiroshima in America. New York: Putnam's Sons. 1995. 3)Sherwin, Martin J. A World Destroyed. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. 1975. 4)Skates, John Ray. The Invasion of Japan: Alternative to the Bomb. Columbia: University of South Carolina. 1994 5)Hiraoka, Takashi. "Hiroshima" August, 1998. Online posting. 5 Feb. 1999 < http://www.igc.apc.org/napf/hiroshima98.html>. 6)Bernard, Tony. "Atomic Bombs" 1995 Online Posting. 3 Sep. 1997 < http://www.city.hiroshima.jp/City/ABombDamage/01.html>

Acupuncture Essay -- essays research papers

Acupuncture A Chinese medical technique; acupuncture is a medicine originating in the orient over four-thousand years ago. Used primarily for pain relief, but also in curing disease and general health improvement. Oriental Medicine views (illness and pain) as an imbalance of one's energy. With Acupuncture the energetic balance can be restored, thus helping the body to rid itself of disease. Often illnesses can be diagnosed and treated at an early stage. Acupuncture consists of inserting hair thin needles through specific spots in the skin called acupuncture points. These specific spots of insertion are over neuroreceptors in underlying muscles. These needles are inserted along meridian points throughout the body; There are hundreds of these meridians, all serving different purposes. "Evidence proves that needling simulates peripheral nerves in the muscles which send messages to the brain to release endorphins (morphine- like peptides in the brain). These natural chemicals then block the sending of painful messages from the brain." (Acupuncture-Microsoft Network Nov. 30, 1996). Acupuncture needles are typically inserted 1/10 to 4/10 on an inch deep. Although some procedures require needles to be inserted as deep as 10 inches. Acupuncture points are then stimulated by various forms of needle stimulation. Acupuncture is an incredibly effective form of medicine; This essay will present details explaining some of the uses of acupuncture. Acupuncture; the insertion of needles into the body through specific spots, over neurorecepters. These needles are then stimulated by either: rotation, heat, or by a weak electrical current. Acupuncture is a medical technique used primarily as a relief of pain, but is known to cure disease, as well as improve general health. "The theory suggest that acupuncture blocks the transmission of pain impulses from parts of the body to the central nervous system." (Compton's interactive encyclopedia). Three main sites have been found for endorphin acupuncture analgesia. This type of acupuncture blocks the sending of pain messages from the brain. The pituitary gland being one; this gland, when stimulated by needles, releases endorphin. The second site are the periaquaductal gray neurons in the mid brain which release endorphins when stimulated. The third, el... ...les must be stimulated. The stimulation is what causes acupuncture to be so effective. There are several ways in which stimulation is reached: One being, a gentle twirling motion. The physician, by use of his/her fingers gently rotates the needles. Second, there is heat stimulation, the physician heats the needle with a cigar looking tool designed specifically for acupuncture. Third, electrical stimulation; the physician agitates the needles with a low powered 2 hz electrical current. The physician connects the needles to a low output electrical stimulation machine. Stimulation is key to the success of acupuncture. Acupuncture, a medical technique originating in the Orient, more than four-thousand years ago. Used primarily for reduction of pain, but to cure some disease, as well as improvement of general health. The most spectacular reason for acupuncture's success is: Stimulation of needles by the acupuncturist. Stimulation of the meridians; the rivers of energy throughout our bodies. These rivers get stopped up from time to time, acupuncture is the key to clearing the stop... Acupuncture a method of encouraging the body to promote natural healing and to improve bodily functions.

Stresemann Exam Question Answers

Describe the key features of the Stresemann foreign policy in the years 1923-1929 (6 marks). In 1924 Stresemann and Charles G. Dawes created the Dawes Plan. The Dawes Plan reduced annual reparation payments to an affordable amount. It was also agreed that American Banks would invest in German industry. This also improved the trust the allies had in Germany, as they were reassured that they would get their reparation payments. In 1925 Stresemann signed the Locarno Pact. This was a treaty between Germany, Britain, France, Italy and Belgium.The Pact consisted of Germany agreeing to keep its border with France and Belgium if Allied troops left the Rhineland and France promised peace. This opened talks about Germany joining the League of Nations, as the Allied troops began to see Germany as a friend instead of an enemy. In 1929 Stresemann signed the Young Plan. This reduced the total reparations debt to ? 2 billion. Also Germany was given a further 59 years to pay. This helped Germanyâ₠¬â„¢s debt problems, as they didn’t have the worry of not being able to afford the annual reparation payments.Describe the key features of the Dawes plan (6 marks). In 1924 The Dawes Plan was created between Stresemann and Charles G. Dawes, an American Banker. One feature of The Dawes Plan was that annual reparation payments that Germany had to pay were reduced to an affordable amount. This meant that there would be less chance of an incident, like the occupation of the Ruhr, would happen again; as the annual payments were much more realistic to Germany’s financial state. Another feature of The Dawes Plan was that American banks would invest in German industry.This meant that Germany could rebuild their industry, therefore increasing employments, which lead to increased profits. One bad feature of The Dawes Plan was that it relied heavily on American banks. This would prove to be a bad idea after the Wall Street Crash; as America called in all their foreign loans, deva stating Germany’s economy once again. Explain the effects of the Great Depression in Germany (8 marks). The Great Depression led to mass unemployment in Germany. In 1928 fewer than one million people were unemployed; by 1932 over six million people were unemployed.This meant that an increasing number of people were living in poverty. Because people were unemployed, they had less money to spend on products made in Germany. This further damaged Germany’s industry, leading to mass debt and further unemployment. The Great Depression also led to people voting for extreme political parties, in hope that they could drag Germany out of the state that they were in. Most of these people were unemployed citizens, as they were the most desperate. This later led to Hitler’s rise into power. Was inflation the worst problem that the Weimar Republic faced in the years 1919-1928?Explain your answers. You may use this information to help you (16 marks). * Weaknesses in the consti tution. * Uprising against the Government. * Hyperinflation. * The effects of WW1. One problem the Weimar Republic faced was the high reparation payments they had to make. These reparation payments send Germany into massive debt, leading to mass poverty and unemployment. I think this is one of the worst problems Weimar faced, as not only was it bad in itself, but it also lead to many other problems, such as hyperinflation and industrial problems.The Treaty of Versailles also meant that Germany lost lots of land- leading to further debt. This lead to further debt in Germany as they lost many resources which made them money. They had lost 50% of their iron resources and 15% of their coal resources- which were their main means of earning money. I think this was important as it contributed to all the other problems they faced, such as debt and hyperinflation. Another problem the Weimar Republic faced was that extreme political parties were attempting uprisings against the government.In 1919 the Spartacist League attempted to overthrow the government and have a communist government instead, by: taking over key buildings such as newspaper offices, set up workers and soldiers soviets and demonstrated with 100,000 supporters in Berlin. In 1920the Kapp Putsch took place. They also wanted to overthrow the current German government, but they wanted to bring back Germany’s previous leader, the Kaiser. They attempted an uprising by taking over Berlin. They were successful, but the German government ordered a general strike.The gas, electricity, water and transport in Berlin were stopped, as no-body was producing them, so they fled Berlin. The constant threat of uprisings led to an unstable government, which the public didn’t trust. Because the public didn’t trust the government, they started to vote for extremist parties, in hope that they would be able to improve the state of Germany. This was a large issue, as it showed, not only to the public, but a lso other countries that Germany was unstable and untrustworthy. Hyperinflation was also a massive problem Weimar faced.When Weimar failed to pay the reparation payment in January 1923, French and Belgian troops marched into the Ruhr, an industrial area with lots of coal, iron, steel and factories. France and Belgium began to take what was owed to them in coal, steel and iron. The German government ordered its workers in the Ruhr to go on strike and not to help the soldiers remove the goods from the country (passive resistance). But because the government ordered the workers to go on strike they had to pay them, but they had no money!So they printed more money, reducing the worth of money. As the worth of money went down, the price of goods went up. This cycle continued until people were being paid daily by the wheelbarrow full, and spending their money in their lunch breaks, before the prices rose again! This was a massive problem in Weimar as the country was already in poverty, du e to the reparation payments they had to pay, but prices were still rising. This meant people couldn’t even afford essential goods- leading to further poverty.I don’t agree that hyperinflation was the worst problem that the Weimar Republic faced. Although it was a huge problem, I think that debt- due to reparation payments- was the worst problem; as it lead to all the other problems they faced. Draw designs and then final designs Draw chosen design, with a 1. 5cm seam allowance, on spot and cross paper and cut out. Include grain line and how many need to be cut for 1 pillow Draw half of the design, with 1. 5cm seam allowance, on A3 paper. Add on 5cm for fold over and 2cm for seam. Cut out.Include grain line and how many need to be cut for 1 pillow. Cut material using guides. Sew front material together with wadding in between, for quilting. Cut wings, feathers and eyes out of different materials. Sew on feathers made out of polar fleece, with a straight stitch. Appliqu e on wings using bond-a-web. Applique on eyes using bond-a-web. Sew buttons on for eyes Sew on nose with a straight stitch. Sew 2cm seam on straight edge of the two back pieces. Sew the back pieces onto the front piece, so that they overlap by 5cm.

Nike and Human Rights Essay

1. What ethical issues faced by MNCs in their treatment of foreign workers could bring allegations of misconduct in their operations? †¢Ethical issues may include the violation of fundamental human rights of ‘sweatshop’ workers such as freedom, speech and discrimination. The treatment of their workers could be deemed ‘unethical’ by media who construe this view to consumers. Such allegations can and will have damaging effects with Nike having been taken to court already in the past. 2. Would the use of third-party independent contractors insulate MNCs from being attacked? Would that practice offer MNCs a good defensive shield against charges of abuse of â€Å"their employees†? †¢Not necessarily, as Nike will be using labour which is just managed by another party. They would just be shifting the blame of abusing â€Å"their employees† to hiring someone else’s. The connection of the brand to any unethical labour will still be damaging regardless of whether they are directly related or not. 3. Do you think that statements by companies that describe good social and moral conduct in the treatment of their workers are part of the image those companies create and therefore are part of their advertising message? Do consumers judge companies and base their buying decision on their perceptions of corporate behaviour and values? Is the historic â€Å"made in† question (e.g., â€Å"Made in the USA†) now being replaced by a â€Å"made by† inquiry (e.g., â€Å"Made by Company X† or â€Å"Made for Company X by Company Y†)? †¢I think that good social and moral conduct is an inaugural part of the advertising and marketing message of any brand. In these times more consumers are moving to seek ethically sourced products (such as fair trade coffee), this includes worker conditions and perceptions the consumer may have of the company’s corporate activities. The ‘made in’ question is not necessarily being replaced by ‘made by’ it is more likely that both questions are beginning to be asked in conjunction with one another. 4. Given the principles noted in the case, how can companies comment on their positive actions to promote human rights so that consumers will think well of them? Would you propose that a company (a) do nothing, (b) construct a corporate code of ethics, (c) align itself with some of the universal covenants or compacts prepared by international agencies? †¢It would be wise for Nike to develop a corporate code of ethics to help foster what is seen as acceptable standards within the company and its operations. It would also be beneficial to comply with international practice standards. 5. What does Nike’s continued financial success, in spite of the lawsuit, suggest about consumers’ reactions to negative publicity? Have American media and NGOs exaggerated the impact of a firm’s labour practices and corporate social responsibility on its sales? How should managers of an MNC respond to such negative publicity? †¢Nike’s continued success suggests that consumers may not be as deterred by negative publicity as it has been suggested. Nike still remains one of the biggest global brands today and perhaps the value of the label is stronger than damaging publicity. American media and NGOs may have sensationalised the impact of CSR on sales to some extent, although it is deemed important by some consumers, it seems that demand for Nike good remains strong regardless as many are more swayed by celebrity endorsements than working conditions. Managers of MNCs should respond to unfavourable publicity fixing the exposed issue, undertaking community outreach programs, and implementing pre-emptive measures to ensure that bad publicity will not be an issue in the future.

Fiscal Federalism in Nigeria Essay

The question of an acceptable formula for revenue sharing among the component tiers of the Nigerian nation is one of the most protracted and controversial debates in the political and macroeconomic management of the economy. This debate has its foundations in the history and evolution of the Nigerian federation. â€Å"Revenue allocation or the statutory distribution of revenue from the Federation Account among the different levels of government has been one of the most contentious and controversial issues in the nation’s political life. So contentious has the matter been that none of the formulae evolved at various times by a commission or by decree under different regimes since 1964 has gained general acceptability among the component units of the country. Indeed, the issue, like a recurring decimal, has painfully remained the first problem that nearly every incoming regime has had to grapple with since independence. In the process, as many as thirteen different attempts have been made in devising an acceptable revenue allocation formula, each of which is more remembered for the controversies it generated than issues settled† Fiscal federalism refers to the scope and structure of the tiers of government responsibilities and functions as well as the allocation of resources among the tiers of government. Perhaps the most important issue of fiscal federalism is the revenue allocation formula, the sharing of national revenue among the various tiers of government (vertical revenue sharing) as well as the distribution of revenue among the state governments (that is, horizontal revenue allocation). The centralization of Nigeria’s fiscal federalism began with the report of the Dina Commission (1968) which argued that an appropriate revenue allocation system should result in a more equitable distribution of revenue among the states to achieve a balanced development of the federation. Revenue allocation can be described as a method(s) of sharing the centrally generated revenue among the different tiers of government and how the amount allocated to a particular tier is shared among its components. Nigeria is a federal state – under the federal system of government, federation or centrally-generated revenue is shared among the three levels of government, namely; the federal government, the states and the local governments. The theory of revenue sharing in a federal state is that each level of government receives an allocation of financial resources tailored to their specific requirements as defined by the mandate of legislative competence, their actual situation and the statutory indices of calculation. In Nigeria, decisions as to what proportion of centrally-generated revenue that would be retained by the federal government, the proportion that will be shared among the state governments and the proportion that will go to the local government has always been a problem, due to the fact that there is no consensus of opinion as to what could be seen as an ideal formula. The principles that guide the implementation of intergovernmental fiscal relations include: (a) The Principle of Diversity: The federal system must have the ability to accommodate a large variety of diversities. Hence, the fiscal system must provide scope for variety and differences to supply national, regional and local public goods. (b) The Principle of Equivalence: Based on the geographical incidence of different public goods, allocative efficiency requires the equalization of locational advantages arising from inter-jurisdictional differences with a combination of taxes and public goods and services. This requires the use of fiscal instruments for achieving macroeconomic objectives of growth, stabilization and full employment by residents of different geopolitical units; this requirement controls for what is often referred to as â€Å"central city exploitation thesis†. (d) Minimum Provision of Essential Goods and Services: This ensures that fiscal federalism guarantees all citizens, irrespective of where they reside, the minimum provision of ertain basic public goods and services. (e) Principle of Fiscal Equalization: In order to ensure a minimum level of public goods and services same degree of fiscal equalization is required. This is as a result of differences in resource endowment. (f) The Efficiency Principle: This principle implies that efficiency must be applied in the allocation of resources (g) The Principle of Derivation: The component units of a system should be able to control some of its own resources as they desire. h) The Principle of Locational Neutrality: Interregional fiscal differences tend to influence location choices of individuals and firms. Therefore, policy should focus on minimizing distortions due to some interference. Hence, differential taxes which create locational distortions should be avoided as much as practicable. (i) The Principle of Centralized Redistribution: This principle states that the redistribution function of fiscal policy through progressive taxation and expenditure programmes should be centralized at the federal level. That is, if the redistributive function is decentralized, it can result in distortions in location decisions. It should be noted that the above principles are not mutually consistent. There are several challenges and contending issues confronting intergovernmental fiscal relations in Nigeria: 1) Non – Correspondence Problem Ideally, each level of government should be given adequate resources to allow it discharge its responsibilities. Because this is not possible, there is usually a lack of correspondence between the spending responsibilities and the tax powers/revenue sources assigned to different levels of government. It is this incongruence that is often referred to as the non-correspondence problem. In Nigeria, most of the major sources of revenue come under the jurisdiction of the federal government yet lower levels of government are supposed to generate internal revenue. There is, therefore, the need to resolve the imbalance between assigned functions and tax powers. The issues concerning fiscal relations among the constituent units of the Nigerian federation that remain mostly unresolved are the divergence between assigned functions and tax powers, principle of horizontal and vertical revenue allocation, dependence of states and local governments on federal sources of funding, tendency towards concentration and federal presence in the states (Fadahunsi, 1998). The five principles currently applied in the horizontal revenue allocation formula are far from acceptable to all the stakeholders. 2) Fiscal Autonomy and Independence The issue of relative fiscal autonomy and independence of the state and local governments in a true federal structure goes with the corollary issue of the correspondence of governmental functions and revenue sources. Since the creation of the twelve-state structure in 1967, states and local governments have been excessively dependent on the Federation Account. This independence must be reduced if the federating units are to be free to pursue their own development goals without being hampered by the unpredictable fluctuations in their shares of the Federation Account. It is important that revenue sources should be reallocated and made compatible with the fluctuations stated for each tier of government to enhance steady and proper funding of administrative and developmental activities instead of the often experienced unexpected financial constrictions at the two lower tiers of government. 3) Oil Producing States, Oil Producing Local Government Administrative Areas or Communities Professor Omo Omoruyi in his treatise â€Å"the Politics of Oil: who owns the oil, Nigeria, states or communities† (2000) raised three salient questions on true ownership of oil in Nigeria. The question of local control over local resources is an established constitutional principle in federal systems. But the way the Nigerian federal system developed under the external colonial order (1954-60) and continued under the period of geo-ethno-military internal colonial order (1960-1999) and in the democratic dispensation between 1999 to date is yet an unresolved contending issues in the discourse about Nigeria’s federalism. He challenged the â€Å"Tripod† approach to Nigeria’s problem where the three major ethnic nationalities decide the content and the trend of national issues. This tripod approach to Nigerian politics, should have been done away with by now, with the introduction of the notion of ‘federal character’, which takes states in the federation as the units of representation. The tripod approach to Nigerian politics applies to how the oil, which comes from the non-majority areas, is approached in the political and economic discourse. We should also be aware of the feeling among the majority ethnic nationalities that the areas producing oil by virtue of powerlessness in the military and politics should not be allowed to lay claim to the oil from their areas as of right†. However, theres a distinction between oil producing communities and oil producing states. This is the basis of the activities of the Traditional Rulers of the Producing Communities who are dealing with the President and want the money due to states on the basis of the 13% derivation in the Constitution should be paid to the â€Å"oil producing communities/local government areas†. The Traditional Rulers’ argument is that â€Å"communities† own oil and not â€Å"states†. This is an unresolved issue and separates the communities in riverside areas directly affected by oil spillages from their compatriots in landed areas from enjoying the full benefits of allocations to producing states. One does not know the end of this argument. How should the National Assembly address this matter? The federal government should find a way of making the oil producing local government administrative areas as shareholders in the joint venture arrangements with the oil companies, thus making them stakeholders in the oil industry. There was the issue of who should be spending the oil money. Should it be the Nigerian government in conjunction with the oil producing areas? Should it be the oil producing areas alone? The Constitution from 1960 till after the civil war up till 1978 gave the right of ownership to the federal government but the proceeds were shared between the federal government and the regions or states on the basis of derivation like the agricultural crops. 4) Federation Account and the Derivation Fund It is important to define what constitutes the Federation Account – to which the various vertical revenue allocation formulae have been applied and what should be directly financed from it. Up to 1990, the amount accruing yearly to the Federation Account was still over 96% of totally federally collected revenue; but since 1991, when it first dropped to about 75% and nose-dived to around 35% by 1997, it showed no sign of recovery (Olowononi, 1999). It is therefore clear, that in such a situation, whatever the vertical formula applicable, there must still be a serious fiscal imbalance between the ederal government and the two lower tiers of government. It is crucial to redress this revenue imbalance in the spirit of balanced true federalism. What appears to account for this imbalance is the assertion of the self-claimed right by the federal government to finance various first-line charges from the Federation Account before the application of the vertical formula. The first-line charges include funding for external debt service, national priority projects, NNPC priority projects, special reserve account, and excess proceeds of the crude oil sales account, and in addition, the joint venture cash calls account. These deductions are made from the proceeds of crude oil sales before the derivation fund in the Federation Account is arrived at, and after which further deductions for special funds and the funding of the federal capital territory are made. It will seem more logical, with the exception of the joint venture case calls, that these various charges which are federal government obligations be financed solely from the federal government’s revenue proper, that is, from its share of the Federation Account or from its revenue from other sources. Therefore, in order to determine what constitutes the derivation fund, resolving the issue of the Federation Account is crucial. Thereafter, the derivation formula to be utilized can be arrived at. 5) Oil – Producing Areas and the Derivation Principle The crude oil production has been the most important economic activity in the Nigerian economy since the early 1970s is not subject to debate. Its impact is not limited to its contributing almost 90% of Nigeria’s total foreign exchange earnings but also to the fact that the national budgets are predicated on the expected annual production and price of crude oil.