An Apology Letter Essay

The electron microscope was first created in 1933 and magnified up to a million times. First electron microscope was a transmission. It used electrons to recreate an image. Scanning electron microscope developed later, it uses a beam of particles to scan across specimen to recreate image of its surface. They are used for the viewing of biological and inorganic species. Electron microscope has higher resolution than light microscope allowing higher magnification. Light microscope has limited magnification as there is a physical limit imposed by photons. The stereomicroscope has low level of magnification, but gives 3-D view. Electron microscopes give a view of structures that would not normally be visible by optical microscopy. Bonus to light microscopes is that it is possible to view living cells, in the electron microscope the specimen must be dry so it is not possible to observe the living. Anti-body viruses were first observed by electron microscope in 1941. Electron tomography ha s demonstrated the structure of viruses. Had discovers with cell ultrastructure’s and individual atoms have been observed. It has viewed nerve and muscle cells and various pollen has been observed. The compound light microscope or optical microscope is a piece of technology that uses light and magnifying lenses to observe small objects which cannot be seen by the naked eye. The ingenious theory behind light and magnification combined; forms a complex enhancement of specimen identification/observation. Light microscopes enable more opportunities for knowledge in biology, research, and material science. The light microscope can magnify up to a whopping 1,500 times! Therefore the specimen has to be small enough for light to pass through it and it displays a 2D view of the specimen. The compound light microscope is able to have one eyepiece (monocular) or two eyepieces (binocular) to look through. Light microscopes were used to discover a very important specimen. They were used to discover cells such as blood cells. The stereo microscope is known as the optical microscope. It has low magnification. It reflects light off the specimen, it has two separate optical paths and is used to study solid specimens. The primary use for the stereomicroscope is looking at large and solid surfaces or specimens. The microscope allows for detailed work such as microsurgery, watch making and circuit board manufacturing. When Robert Hooke published his book Micrographia in 1665 it became a best seller. Hooke had made one of the first microscopes. With it, he observed many types of living things and  made accurate drawings of what he saw, as his detailed picture of the flea shows (Figure 1.4). Hooke’s most famous achievement, as far as science was concerned, was his diagram of very thin slices of cork (Figure 1.5). He was surprised to see that, under the microscope, the cork looked like a piece of honeycomb. He described the ‘holes’ and their boundaries in the ‘honeycomb’ as cells because they reminded him of the rooms in a monastery. Hooke had discovered plant cells. Although some called Micrographia ‘the most ingenious book ever’, others ridiculed Hooke for spending so much time and money on ‘trifling pursuits’. Thankfully for us, and for the whole science of microbiology, which developed from this discovery of cells, Hooke ignored the taunts and kept experimenting with microscopes. It was because of Hooke’s important contribution to microbiology that other scientists went on to develop a further understanding of cells. Cell theory describes the main ideas about the importance of cells and their role in living things. It was first proposed in 1839 by two German biologists, Theodor Schwann and Matthias Schleiden. In 1858, Rudolf Virchow concluded the final part of the classic cell theory. The combined cell theory included the following three principles: all organisms are composed of one or more cells cells are the basic unit of life and structure new cells are created from existing cells. Any living thing that has more than one cell is referred to as multicellular, but there are many living things, such as bacteria, that consist of only one cell! These are called single-celled or unicellular organisms. Micro-organisms are often referred to as microbes. You probably know people who wear glasses to help them read. The glass or plastic lenses magnify the size of the text. In the same way, microscopes magnify the size of the object placed under them. The first microscopes were very basic. However, over time their magnifying ability has improved. Scientists can now look at images that have been magnified thousands of times using various systems of lenses. This makes it possible to study the structure of cells. The stereomicroscope is used for viewing larger objects, such as insects (Figure 1.15). It can magnify up to 200 times and shows a three-dimensional view of  small things. The compound light microscope (Figure 1.16) is used to observe thin slices of specimens, such as blood cells. It can magnify up to 1500 times. Its view is flat—that is, two dimensional. The specimen must be thin enough to allow light to pass through it. The stereomicroscope has two eyepieces to look through, whereas the compound light microscope can have one or two eyepieces. The word monocular is used to describe a microscope with one eyepiece (mono = one). Microscopes with two lenses are called binocular (bi = two). The compound light microscope uses the effect of two lenses (one in the eyepieces and one further down the column called the objective lens) combined with light to give a greater magnification. It can be used to observe much smaller things than those seen under a stereomicroscope. To look at cells clearly through a compound light microscope, very thin layers of a sample must be used. The light has to be able to get through or all you will see is a dark shadow—a bit like a leadlight window. Most cells are clear in colour, so a stain, like iodine, is used to help make them more visible by providing contrast. Although light microscopes, like the compound light microscope and stereomicroscope, had served scientists well for more than 300 years, the explosion of new technology in the 20th century led to the invention of more complex microscopes, such as electron microscopes. An electron microscope uses electrons (tiny negatively charged particles) to create images. The first electron microscope, the transmission electron microscope (TEM), was invented in 1933 to help study the structure of metals. The scanning electron microscope (SEM), developed later, uses a beam of electrons to scan across a specimen and to recreate the image, showing details of its surface. Electron microscopes can magnify up to a million times! Using this technology, many more details of the cell that were formerly invisible to scientists are now beginning to be understood. The development of the synchrotron is one of the biggest changes to microscopes. Synchrotrons are ‘microscopes’ that are about the size of a football field and cost a fortune to build. The synchrotron provides even more magnification than an electron microscope and can ‘see’ down to the level of the molecules (particles) that make up substances. There are currently forty-three synchrotrons across the world. Australia’s synchrotron opened in 2007 and is located near Monash University, in Melbourne. There are many beneficial applications of  synchrotron science. For example, researchers can use the synchrotron to invent ways to tackle diseases, make plants more productive and metals more resilient.

Focus paper: Teenage pregnancy Essay

There are many issues that are arising in the United States. These issues seem to catch media attention but they are publicized so much that teens believe it is all in fun. They don’t understand that doing drugs does not lead to fun partying. Becoming a dealer is not a quick way to cash it’s a quick way to death. Committing suicide does not make everything easier. The only person you took the pain away from was yourself. The media captures all these fun moments that people do with only a little bit of the bad. Teenager’s girls see all these other girls on T.V raising a baby and they think â€Å"hey I can do that.† Then reality kicks in and it is nothing like how it was on T.V. There are many issues among teens in the United States, but the focus on this paper is going to be following teenage pregnancy. In today’s society when someone hears that a young girl is pregnant they automatically think she was sleeping around. People jump to the conclusions and they don’t take time to realize there are many other causes for teenage pregnancy than the girl sleeping around. The reality of it is there are actually five major causes to teenage pregnancy. Peer pressure, underage drinking, glamorizing teen pregnancy, lack of knowledge and sexual rape are the five major causes of teenage pregnancy. Peer pressure is a cause for almost anything involving teenagers; whether it be for drugs, drinking or sex. Teenagers often feel pressure to make friends and fit in. Many times these teens let their friends influence their decision to have sex even when they do not fully understand the consequences. Teenagers have sex as a way to appear cool and to fit in, but in some cases the end result is an unplanned teen pregnancy. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation states that more than 29 per cent of pregnant teens reported that they felt pressured to have sex, and 33 percent of pregnant teens stated that they felt that they were not ready for a sexual relationship, but proceeded anyway. When peer pressure is involved to have sex that usually means that drinking is involved as well. Underage drinking is another cause that leads  to teenage pregnancy. Teen drinking can cause an unexpected pregnancy, according to the website Love to Know. Many teens experiment with drugs and alcohol. Drinking lowers a teen’s ability to control her impulses, contributing to 75 percent of pregnancies that occur between the ages 14 and 21. Approximately 91 percent of pregnant teens reported that although they were drinking at the time, they did not originally plan to have sex when they conceived. Peer pressure and underage drinking go hand in hand with teenage pregnancies. One leads to another which causes an unexpected pregnancy. Out of the other three causes glamorizing teenage pregnancy and lack of knowledge also go together. The movie industry and the media contribute to teenage pregnancy by glamorizing teen pregnancy in movies. Movies that show teen pregnancy as something to be desired encourage teens to engage in reckless sexual activity, according to ABC’s â€Å"Good Morning America.† During adolescence, teens become more focused on their appearance and how people view them. Teens see on T.V that there same age are having cute little babies so they go out and have sex without being fully educated in what that really is. Teenagers who are uneducated about sex are more likely to have an unintended pregnancy. Some teens do not fully understand the biological and emotional aspects associated with having sex, according to DailyRecord.co.uk. Many times, teens do not have the knowledge needed to make informed and responsible decisions abo ut whether or not to engage in sexual activity that can alter their life. Social media is not helping teenage pregnancy it is only causing young girls to go out and try it. The last and final cause for teenage pregnancy is rape. Teens can become pregnant as a result of sexual abuse or rape. The Guttmacher Institute states that between 43 and 62 percent of teens acknowledge that they were impregnated by an adult male, and two-thirds report that their babies’ fathers are as old as 27. Approximately 5 percent of all teen births are the result of a rape. People in society need to realize that teenage pregnancy is a big issue today. Many of these young girls don’t finish high school. Teen pregnancy greatly affects education. Only 51% of teen moms have a high school diploma. The number for those who didn’t have a teen birth is closer to 89%. Parenthood is the leading cause for teen girls dropping out of school. Teen moms are extremely unlikely to go to college. Only about 2% of young teen moms ever get a higher education degree. Statistics show that In  the United States, there are nearly 750,000 teen pregnancies each year, that’s about 2000 a day! . It’s estimated that about half of Latina and African American teenagers will be pregnant a t least once before they’re 20.Raising a baby can cost up to $10,000 in the first year alone. About 80% of teen fathers don’t marry the mom. They also contribute very little to raising the baby. On average, teen dads pay less than $800 a year on child support. Teenage pregnancy is an issue just like drug use and alcohol abuse that needs to be looked into. There is no way to stop teenage pregnancy. Talking to teens about it is not going to stop them when they are at a party and alcohol is involved. Instead contraception’s should be provided in public bathrooms, schools and encouraged to be available at home. Many believe that providing protection in schools will only encourage teens to have sex. Reality is they are going to have it whether there is protection or not, so why not provide them the right choice of using protection. Maybe if protection is provided there will be less unexpected pregnancies in the United States.

The first piece of coursework requires you to assess an ecommerce Assignment

The first piece of coursework requires you to assess an ecommerce business solution for your chosen organisation - Assignment Example Hennes & Mauritz operates in more than 38 countries across the globe with its main operations in North America, Europe and Asia. The headquarters of Hennes & Mauritz is located in Stockholm in Sweden. Currently, Hennes & Mauritz is one of the global leaders in the business of fashion products and is highly renowned for the robust strategic management processes employed by the management of the company over the many years of its operations. The valuation of the company is over USD 100 billion as of 2013. The electronic commerce market is a high potential market which is experiencing exponential growth (Laudon and Traver, 2003). As such, Hennes & Mauritz has focused in tapping in the large online marketing domains, especially in the delved countries like the United States of America and the United Kingdom. The company has introduced the electronic commerce business wing from 2010 when it had started selling its products through its corporate electronic commerce website. The online shopping website of H&M, was launched in the year 2010 which offered online retail sales only in the European countries. The electronic commerce wing of H&M was launched as a part of their strategic management function. The main aim of launching the electronic commerce business in the company was to ensure higher levels of competiveness and sustainability in the dynamic business environment, the fact that the electronic commerce domain of businesses across various industries had been experiencing a boost in the last 10 years had made it necessary for Hennes & Mauritz to invest and focus on this part of conducting business so as to ensure higher levels of competitiveness in the global markets of operation of the company (Dave, 2008). The company used to operate with 2200 physical stores locate in diverse geographical locations across the globe. However, currently, Hennes & Mauritz has also entered into the electronic commerce business domain by providing internet based services to its

Organization Behaviour - management (MBA Level) Essay

Organization Behaviour - management (MBA Level) - Essay Example tatement is that a learning organization should focus on the incessant learning and the improvement of potential, not limited in just senior management but also in all employees within the company, and in the business partners of the company such to satisfy stakeholders’ needs. Senge (1990) has the similar viewpoints on the continuous process of organizational transformation, which he defines organizational learning as a strategy that helps members of an organization to constantly develop their capability to generate the results that match their aspirations, where new and extensive ways of thinking are cultivated, where shared goals are liberated, as well as where people are constantly acquiring knowledge on how to learn collectively. Braham (1995) also has a similar view of organizational learning. He argues that it is the responsibility of organizations to ensure that members are exposed to learning opportunities and that learning is not hindered to continuously build their capacity and empower them to expand their perspective in approaching day to day tasks. Lifelong learning is part of organizational learning that helps individuals to approach problems with sophistication. Organizational learning requires the application of learning methods for individuals in the organization, teams as well as the entire organization to constantly transform it towards the course that is progressively more satisfactory to the interested parties. The other implication of organizational learning is that the self-development of individuals within the organization should be seen as a whole by integrating each individual’s learning together in it. According to these definitions, it can easily to be seen that continuous learn ing/transformation and stakeholders’ satisfaction are two of the key elements of organizational learning. Organizational learning is a constant and purposefully applied process incorporated and running at the same time as the organizational activities,

THE LECTORAL SYSTEM OF GERMANY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 10000 words

THE LECTORAL SYSTEM OF GERMANY - Essay Example The parliament is usually given fourteen days to elect its chancellor officially after the final election results. Normally, elections happen after every four years and the same process begins all over again. There are no by-elections in Germany - if members of the Bundestag die or resign in office, those next on the list of the party in the appropriate State/Land automatically succeed them (Welle, 2009, para13). 30 Like all countries in Western Europe that have adopted the proportional system, Germany has more than twenty percent female parliamentarians, which clearly indicates a strong correlation between the type of electoral system and the level of female representation. As expounded earlier on, Germany uses a mixed or double electoral system with both a proportional representation system and single member constituencies and each of them selects half of the Bundestag members. However, the election of the majority of German female politicians is through the proportional representation list. Unlike in other countries such as the United Kingdom where voters and local parties object to having imposition of all-women shortlists on them, the list system in Germany has enabled parties to increase the proportion of female members of parliament in the Bundestag quickly.   38 The system of proportional representation also includes a quota that requires from each province, a minimum of two female delegates. This means that the parliament body will be at least twenty-five percent women. In full representation, there is an increase in the access of greater number of candidates. Sun argues that holding all other factors constant, under proportional representation system, the likelihood of electing women is almost twice as compared to majoritarian systems. Furthermore, under full representation system, measures such as quotas for minimum number of candidates aimed at increasing the representation of women are much easier to implement since the

Polish Immigration and the U.K Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 9500 words

Polish Immigration and the U.K - Dissertation Example In May 2011, Polish immigration was back on the rise again with some 545,000 Polish passport holders currently (2011) living in the United Kingdom. Back in 2003, only 75,000 were living in the U.K., the year before Poland joined the European Union in hopes of finding ways to jump-start its own economy (Pidd 2011). Nearly 43,000 Poles immigrated over from September 2009 to September 2010 whereas, before that, there had been a drop of 12,000 Poles who had moved back to Poland. Yet, it would appear that Poland, as a country,   had not lived up to expectations in job development and economic growth. So, back to England they went, not because England was having any sort of economic boom but that even poorly paid jobs in the U.K. were better than anything they were finding back home. Most of the immigrant Poles were from the eastern part of Poland which is typically poorer than the rest of the country (Pidd 2011).In a more general population overview, immigrants to the U.K. tend to be mo re working age people such as students and those looking for jobs and, as these people flow in, an increase in aggregate demand also occurs, increasing spending which impacts GDP (Pettinger 2012). During the middle of the last decade, more Eastern Europeans, such as the Polish, immigrated to the U.K. because of demand for builders and plumbers. The U.K. population is also aging and this meant that with younger immigrants coming in to pick up such jobs, they would be paying income taxes but not so likely to be claiming benefits. Additionally, with nearly 428,225 international students studying in the U.K. in 2010 to 2011, this influx contributed ?2.5 billion to the educational sector and helped finance domestic students’ education as well (Pettinger 2012). Yet, there is the problem of overcrowding, particularly in cities and limited areas for building more residential areas because of the desire to maintain a certain amount of green area. The European Union (EU), overall, was hit hard during the economic crisis and government budgets and employment outcomes were not what had been hoped for, even from a few years back. The aggregate government budget for the EU went from less than

Review paper for electron portal imaging system Article

Review paper for electron portal imaging system - Article Example this outcome is supported by mathematical computations and evaluations of the results. The paper also outlines and identifies potential advancements in the field such as the implementation of aSi-based EPIDs that can play a critical role in developing and aiding EPI systems in the near future. 1. Introduction The treatment of cancer by the means of radiation or exposure to a radioactive element requires further research to allow for the achievement and enhancement of pivotal objectives behind radiotherapy. According to Kirby and Glendinning (2006: pS50) advancements in radiotherapy must occur to explore solutions through which the dose that is aimed towards the target volume is enhanced such that the impact of high radiation on adjoining tissue, which is in a healthy state is lessened to a substantial extent. Pouliot et al. (2003: p862) state that in determining the exact location of the target volume the electron beams must be pointed in a precise direction to satisfy the requiremen ts of a consistent dosimetric exposure. Piermattei et al. (2006) have presented a procedure which allows for the in vivo determination of the focal point of radiation that is tested on the target volume of pelvic regions. With regards to the accomplishment of aforementioned objectives and aims, enhancements in electronic portal imaging systems can play a critical role. Portal imaging essentially assists the geometric substantiation of field position (Kirby and Glendinning 2006: pS50) thereby, diminishing the possibility of geometric ambiguity (Pouliot et al. 2003: p862). According to Pouliot et al. (2003), the process of portal imaging aims to employ the assistance of bony landmarks to establish the placement and setup of the patient that is relative to the focal point of radiation, however, further considerations into the subject are required to direct researchers into the application and implementation of portal imaging systems in radiotherapy when discussing target volumes in sof t tissue tumors of the prostate. The paper aims to discuss the advancements in portal imaging systems over the decades by assessing comprehensive literatures presented by Kirby and Glendinning (2006), Pouliot et al. (2003), Baker et al. (2005) and Piermattie et al. (2006), the primary focus of this assessment rests upon evaluating the technological innovations and developments in electronic portal imaging devices (EPIDs). Dedicated sections in the paper also discuss the use of radiopaque markers in the accurate visualization of the prostate via portal imaging to depict the accuracy of its placement throughout the procedure of radiotherapy by the means of a study conducted on a sample size of 11 patients. In conclusion the paper reviews and appraises the advancements in the development of electronic portal imaging systems by assessing the literature under review and stating that the developments in e

Pre-hospital pharmacological management of narrow complex tachycardias Essay

Pre-hospital pharmacological management of narrow complex tachycardias - Essay Example There will be a general overview of the arrhythmias followed by more specific with treatment guidelines. Supporting research will be investigated in an effort to determine credible practice guidelines. The narrow complex tachycardias include sinus tachycardia (ST), atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT), atrioventricular reentrant tachycardia (AVRT), atrial tachycardia (AT), inappropriate sinus tachycardia (IST), sinoatrial nodal reentrant tachycardia (SNRT), junctional ectopic tachycardia (JET), nonparoxysmal junctional tachycardia (NPJT), atrial fibrillation (AF), atrial flutter (AFI), and multifocal atrial tachycardia (MAT). Symptomology that may occur with these tachyarrhythmia’s are hypotension, heart failure, or pulmonary congestion, shortness of breath, renal failure, shock, decreased consciousness, angina or acute MI (Podrid, 2008). If these symptoms are occurring cardioversion is recommended. The state of stability of the patient who is pre-hospital is of course the focus of care. Determining the nature of narrow QRS tachyarrhythmia is necessary and an EKG is of great importance at this point. When we consider pathogenesis, reentry is the most common cause of QRS complex tachycardia. The mechanism of reentry requires two distinct pathways or tissues in the heart that have different electrophysiological properties that are linked proximally and distally, forming a circuit that is anatomic or functional (Ansdorf & Ganz, 2009). You will note the following diagrams. AVNRT as shown above is characterized by two pathways within the AV node. AVRT also shown above is characterized by an extranodal accessory pathway connecting the atrium and ventricle. Wolf-Parkinson White syndrome would fall into this category. SNRT and reentrant tachycardia do not involve the AV node (Arnsdorf, 2009). There are also other mechanisms that lead to narrow QRS complex tachycardia. Those include automaticity

The most powerful people Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The most powerful people - Assignment Example Time Magazine in 2009 described Bernanke as a visionary who â€Å"conjured up trillions of new dollars and blasted them into the economy; engineered massive public rescues of failing private companies; ratcheted down interest rates to zero. He didnt just reshape U.S. monetary policy; he led an effort to save the world economy† (Edroso, 2009). Trichet is known as the â€Å"Euro fighter† who defended the low inflation on the euro (Stock Market Today, 2011). The Stock Market Today states that â€Å"Trichet’s every move affects the euro zone countries† (2011). On the other hand, Shirakawa has a vital role in influencing Japan’s future economic prospects. He is also known for devising an unconventional monetary policy which was later on adopted in modified forms by the US and UK (Chung, 2011). During the recession of 2008 to 2009, banks of the world lowered their interest rates. This move was done to make borrowing cheaper and encourage businesses and consumers to borrow to spur or increase economic activity. More goods will be produced by businesses and bought by consumers. If there is a demand to produce more, then it will also create jobs which will positively affect the economy and eventually rise out of the recession. One of the reforms adopted by the Fed to improve the U.S. monetary policy is the quantitative easing whereby the government injects billions of dollars of fresh cash in the economy to pump up economic growth (Sanati, 2011). However, this policy is not proven effective as pointed out by Sanati since the economy is still not performing well as shown by the negative economic indicators, including a very low job growth (2011). Bernanke though is still convinced that quantitative easing would help the economy to recover. One is of the opinion that Bernanke is right in instituting this policy because it will result in banks having access to cheap cash which they can lend out to

What Steps Can Be Taken By the Nations of the Sub-Saharan Africa to Case Study

What Steps Can Be Taken By the Nations of the Sub-Saharan Africa to Address the Causes of Poverty - Case Study Example This paper illustrates that political interventions and corruptions in the economic structure are considered to be noteworthy challenges that in turn hinder the development in Sub-Saharan region in Africa. In other words, the economic structure of the region is highly affected by its totalitarianism ideology in lieu of its unequal distribution of wealth and power. It is in this context that proper measures should be taken by the economy to identify the root causes of poverty. With this concern, the economy can intend to reassess its political structure and legislative measures in order to identify the flaws in its regulatory and political measures which can be regarded as the root causes of poverty to persist and increase in the economy. The economy should also take certain initiatives in identifying the flaws relative to social health measures. From an overall point of view, it can be stated that the economy should reconsider its various segments in order to identify the root causes of poverty in the economy. The government of developed nations can certainly play a crucial role in assisting the Sub-Saharan Economy to revitalize its economic structure and thus attain progress. With this concern, the developed economies should come forward to assist the poorest region in the world, not only to guide the Sub-Saharan economy towards development but also to reduce global wealth disparity. The assistance of more capable governments in terms of monetary funding and political as well as social guidance shall certainly prove to be highly advantageous for the economy to develop with the ideology of collectivism.

From the Concert of Europe to the Cause of the First World War Essay Example for Free

From the Concert of Europe to the Cause of the First World War Essay After the fall of Napoleon there was a need to create a balance of power that would preserve the peace between European monarchies. Also to redraw the map of Europe and to restore the countries in crisis after their defeat of Napoleon. The main goal of the Concert was to contain France and prevent another ascend of authority such as Napoleon Bonaparte. The origins of The Concert of Europe begin from the international conference called by the victorious allied nations in Vienna – The Congress of Vienna. It took place in September 1814 to June 1815 and is mostly considered as the precursor to today’s United Nations. The Congress was highly successful in achieving its goal, as there were no wars between European countries for almost 40 years. One could say that the Concert of Europe is still continuous, but with different players, goals and name. Thus The Concert of Vienna was first of its kind and in addition Europe had not seen such cooperation between major powers before, it nonetheless made numerous decisions that shaped Europe to its historic course. For instance France was deprived from lands Napoleon had conquered. Britain got several strategic colonial territories, also gaining control of the seas. France and Spain were restored under rightful bloodlines. However the numerous decisions and outcomes were pompous, concentrating on the needs and wants of four main powers Austria, Russia, Prussia, and Great Britain. The Concerts main accomplishment was the securing of independence for Greece (ironic) by sending fleets to fight against invading Ottoman-Egyptian armies. Thanks to three great powers, Russia, The United Kingdom and France, Greece was finally recognized as an independent nation that it is today. In Belgian revolution the Great Powers recognized Belgium as an independent state. After that the signs of collapse of the alliance started to appear. The goal of the Concert of Europe was to keep a balance of power between leading countries in Europe, but if the balance starts to change to someone’s favour then the conflicts begin to arise. The sudden development of Egypt and their successful war against Ottomans brought about fear in European powers. A collapse of Ottoman Empire could have had a destabilizing effect to every country especially to the United Kingdom. England was not only worried for loosing economic benefits and militarily strong state in Mediterranean, but also about Egypt’s close ties to France. Britain preferred a weakened but intact Ottoman Empire that would give it the strategic and commercial advantages it needed to maintain its influence in the region. This all lead to what was called the Oriental Crisis of 1840 where United Kingdom, Austrian Empire, The Kingdom of Prussia and the Russian Empire backed Ottoman Empire against Egypt. France did not accept with the terms The Concert of Europe offered to Egypt, not siding with any of the rivals, but stayed ‘neutral’. Eventually after numerous military conflicts Egypt accepted the terms and Ottoman Empire got back all its lost fleets and territories. The significant downfall of The Concert of Europe was Crimean War in 1853 when Russian Empire started its expansion, which was against the main idea of the Congress of Vienna. It was all powered by the weakening Ottoman Empire and religious disputes till Russia made its move on Constantinople which was owned by the Turks. Afterwards European powers joined in to prevent Russia from growing too powerful. Followed three years of hostilities on five theatres till Russian Empire was eventually stopped. Being the first major armed conflict in Europe after the settlement at the Congress of Vienna, Crimean War signified the downfall of the Concert of Europe. At the Treaty of Paris, signed on March 30, 1856, the real looser was Austria. Having chosen to defy the Russians in the Balkans, Austria lost main ally, and over the next few years it appeared that Britain and France were not interesting in cooperation. Moreover, the Crimean War was the collapse of the Vienna Settlement, the system that had enabled Austria, Britain, France, Prussia and Russia to cooperate and maintain peace for three decades. The Crimean War placed the basis for two powerful new nation states Italy and Germany. The new six-power European system demonstrated to be less stable than its forefather, while the expectation that political and diplomatic aims could be satisfied by war led these states to adopt ever closer alliances. The Crimean War was a turning point in European history, marking the end of the Vienna settlement, and the beginning of a new system. In spite of all, the Great Powers finally returned to war in 1914, almost hundred years after the Congress of Vienna. Alliances and common pacts all end in the course of time, lead by human needs and personal gains, sooner or later. (And the outcome is war ofc) The First World War begun with a simple murder of Austrian-Hungarian royalty, at least that is the simplified reason. In reality it only triggered the war; the actual roots of the war are much deeper and more complicated than a simple bullet in the Archdukes neck. Rise of nationalism and its movements in Europe created such secret societies that used terrorist methods to promote their views. Slavic people in Bosnia and Herzegovina wanted no longer to be a part of Austria-Hungary, but instead be to be a part of Serbia. Viewing it in this way, it could be said that nationalism led Slavic people to rebel against their occupiers that ended with the First World War Increased military and naval rivalry led not only to the belief that war was close and increase in military control of the civilian government also there was an increased cooperation between allied countries. For example United Kingdom, France and Russia held secret military talks. The British and the French naval authorities agreed that the French navy should be concentrated in the Mediterranean and the British in the North Sea. Germany and Austria also had military agreements. When the First World War began, it was to be fought by all powers because they were locked into the conflict from the beginning by contracts and alliances. European powers had formed themselves into two rival groups called the Triple Entente versus the Triple Alliance and the interests of these groups clashed in many parts of the world before 1914. Whenever a clash arose, the two groups seemed to be on the edge of war. Believably, on some level, it eventually led to hatred of each other. Contributing fact was that after 1870, the European nations began to acquire colonies in Asia, Africa and the Pacific. Their imperialistic activities led to another clash of interests. It could be said that the underlying causes for war are the same as for everything else in life. One decision affects the other to ad nauseam. It was possible that politicians knew that war was at their doorstep, but I am sure they did not know that over 15 million people will have to pay for it with their lives. Could the First World War be avoided is doubtful, because of the tense relations, rivalry and complicated alliance systems. It was a small scale war between Austria-Hungary and Serbia that transformed into world war. The same could easily happen today when China or USA supports North or South Korea over the conflict. History repeats itself and we need to learn from it. Poking your nose into other people’s business is not the smartest plan when both sides have powerful ‘’brothers’’ positioned farther back.

History Of The William Colgate Company

History Of The William Colgate Company William Colgate Company was started in 1806. William Colgate was a maker of soap and candle by himself. The firm began selling bars in regular weights in the 1840s. The company was well-run as Colgate Company under the managing of his son, Samuel Colgate after the death of William Colgate. His son Colgate introduced a perfumed soap in 1872, by the name of Cashmere Bouquet and then in 1873 the firm introduced toothpaste, aromatic toothpaste sold in jars. In 1908 they initiated mass selling of toothpaste in tubes. In 1898, In Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the B.J. Johnson Company was manufacturing a soap wholly of palm and olive oil, the technique of which was urbanized by B.J. Johnson. The soap was well-liked a sufficient amount to rename their corporation after it Palmolive. At the go round of the century Palmolive, which enclosed both palm and olive oils, was the worlds best-selling soap. A Kansas based soap manufacturer known as the Peet Brothers merged with Palmolive to become Palmolive-Peet. In 1928, Palmolive-Peet bought the Colgate Company to generate the Colgate-Palmolive-Peet Company. In 1953 Peet was dropped from the label, send-off only Colgate-Palmolive Company, the existing name. Colgate-Palmolive has extended been in fierce opposition with Procter Gamble, the worlds largest soap and detergent maker. PG introduced its Tide laundry detergent shortly after World War II, and thousands of consumers turned from Colgates soaps. When PG started putting fluoride in its toothpaste after that the Colgate lost its figure one place in the toothpaste market. In the commencement of television, Colgate-Palmolive wished to compete with Procter Gamble as a sponsor of soap operas. The company sponsored many events in part; they were for the most part famous for being the full sponsor of the entertainment in installments The Doctors. George Henry Leach was president, CEO, and chairman of the board of Colgate-Palmolive in the 1960s and 1970s, and during that time transformed it into a modern company with major restructuring. In 2006, Colgate-Palmolive announced the intended acquisition of Toms of Maine, a leading maker of natural toothpaste, for US $100M. Toms of Maine was founded by Tom Chappell in 1970. Today, Colgate has frequent subsidiary organizations with a leg on each side of 200 countries, but it is publicly scheduled in only two, the United States and India. The company built a status around the world as a successful company with the highest moral values. all the way through alive our values of Caring, Global Teamwork, and Continuous perfection, and adhering to the uppermost principles of honesty, admiration, and concern for the environment, we seek to: make available safe and quality products of value to consumers raise shareholder value Offer opportunities for personal and professional growth to all Colgate people Fulfill our corporate social responsibilities as a member of the global community Products: Around the world, people like you trust our family of brands to care for the ones they love. Toothbrushes and toothpastes to bar soap, household cleaners, every day our products get better the quality of life for consumers global. Toothpastes Sparkle Tooth Brushes New Palmolive Naturals Azadi Carbolic Soap Protex Max Bar Azadi Dish Bar Max Scourers Max Liquid Max Antibacterial Brite Total Express Power Bonus Colgate-Palmolives Mission Statement Our three fundamental values-Caring, Global Teamwork and Continuous Improvement-are part of everything we do. Caring The Company cares about people: Colgate people, customers, shareholders and business partners. Colgate is committed to act with compassion, integrity and honesty in all situations, to listen with respect to others and to value differences. The Company is also committed to protect the global environment and to enhance the communities where Colgate people live and work. Global Teamwork All Colgate people are part of a global team, committed to working together across countries and throughout the world. Only by sharing ideas, technologies and talents can the Company achieve and sustain profitable growth. Continuous Improvement Colgate is committed to getting better every day in all it does, as individuals and as teams. By better understanding consumers and customers expectations and continuously working to innovate and improve products, services and processes, Colgate will become the best. EXTERNAL FACTORS EFFECTIVE CHANGE: The weighted score of the EFE matrix comes out to be 2.67 which show that Colgate can take advantage of the profitable opportunities that the market is offering, to overcome the external threats. The highest weights in the external opportunities are given to new product development and the implementation of ERP which means automated system for supply chain management. Colgate is not yet into a large variety of personal care products and since people are becoming more fashion and hygiene conscious these days Colgate can enter into a much profitable market of products categories like shampoo, face wash, body wash, liquid hand wash, shower gel etc. Its major rivals in the personal care category namely Unilever and Lux are already manufacturing these products but Colgate with its large capital base can enter these markets easily and can increase the length of their Personal Care product line and become more profitable. The other major opportunity is that Colgate can fully automate their supply chain. Colgate is in fact planning to take advantage of this opportunity and is pursuing a strategy by the name of ERP (SAP) which will make whole supply chain automated. All local and foreign suppliers of Colgate will have their systems integrated with the Companys MIS (Management Information System) where they can take orders, check inventory levels, bargain prices. Awareness among the rural population has also increased over the past decade and some part of the population is shifting from miswak and home-made cleaning soaps to tooth pastes liquid and powdered soaps. There is also a large gap in the tooth brush market which means that Colgate Palmolive is far ahead in the tooth brush market as compared to its major rivals and can further increase this gap with more innovations. The major threat to the company is the increasing prices of raw material and energy which is mainly due to the inflation in the country. The suppliers are constantly demanding price increases and the company has to negotiate prices with them on a regular basis. Moreover the energy and fuel prices are also rising, as a result of which Colgate has to bear high cost of operations. Being a low-cost producer, it is a major threat to the company. Apart from this, the political situations are also causing major threats to the company. Post December 27, 2008 80% of Colgate factories in Kotri were burnt out which caused huge losses to the company. INERNAL FACTOR FOR EFFECTIVE CHANGE: The weighted score from the IFE comes out to be 2.96 which shows that the company has enormous strengthens to overcome its weaknesses. The highest weightage is given to the biggest strength that Colgate has, which is, that it is the market leader in Surface care category with 90% market share. Besides that it has cooling crystal patent in its tooth pastes as no other brand has cooling crystal ingredients in its tooth pastes. This particular strength gives it a competitive advantage over its close rivals like Medicam and English toothpaste (Filicetti, John). Another major strength of Colgate Palmolive is its good leadership that has been contributing to the companys success. The strategic objectives of the company are clearly defined and communicated throughout the company. Employees commitment is also a major contributing factor, there are no layoffs and people are committed to working hard consistently. Moreover, with high profits they pay their employees good salaries too and also carry out training programs at different managerial levels. Despite the current economic threats Colgate has managed to keep its share price at an above average level in the industry. Currently its share is trading in the market at Rs. 850. The major weakness of Colgate is that it is not utilizing IT Systems to the optimum level. In this fast moving world, with cut-throat competition it is a major weakness of a company which does not have proper MIS systems installed. It doesnt have a separate IT department either. Besides that there are no e-commerce facilities available to customers who buy in bulk. Another weakness is that Colgate Palmolive is not exporting its products to other countries. Colgate has subsidiaries in many countries but they are more profitable than CP because they export to other countries. If CP overcomes this weakness and start exporting to even in just a few countries it can earn high margins (Filicetti, John). PRIMARY ACTIVITIES COST INBOUND LOGISTICS: CP has efficient MIS systems that link their suppliers raw material with the firm production processes (Moore, E.R). OPERATIONS: CP has efficient plants installed that reduce manufacturing costs. Previously they had machines that used to take one day to switch from the manufacturing of one kind of product to the other. But currently the plants and machines that they have are much more cost effective and efficient. It takes only 30 minutes to switch from one product ma manufacturing to the other (Moore, E.R). DISTRIBUTION AND OUTBOUND LOGISTICS: CP has accurate and responsive order processing procedures. The delivery of raw material to the manufacturers and the delivery of final products to the various departmental stores like Aghas, Makro, Naheed etc is made on time (Moore, E.R). SALES AND MARKETING: CP has a highly trained sales force. They carry out various awareness programs in which they visit different localities with their sales team along with doctors who make people and especially children ( incase of Oral care products ), aware of the importance of hygiene. In this way CP has always strive to improve the quality of life. There products are not priced very high. Products are priced in a way that generates sales volume. CP spends a lot on advertising and television commercials (Sergiovanni, T.J). SERVICES: CP provides a help desk to its customers. They can write their comments and complaints directly to the colgate Palmolive. Colgate usually offers a free medical checkup for all at various schools, exhibitions and hospitals. CP is thus performing corporate socially responsibility (Moore, E.R) support activities and cost FIRM INFRASTRUCTURE: CP has a professional and strong infrastructure. Every manager in various department has to report to the GM of his department and the GM then report to the director. M.D is the person who is the head of the colgate Palmolive. The firm processes are made in such a way that it has helped the company to reduce its cost. Employee commitement has always been there. The culture is adaptive and professional. CP has a strong relationship with its suppliers (Moore, E.R). HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT: CP value their employees commitment. Thats why they dont have any layoffs. Their employees are loyal to the company. They carry out training programs that further groom employees. CP also conducts management trainee programs in which they recruit fresh graduates and provide them training in almost all departments so as to make that individual well familiar with the organization (Sergiovanni, T.J). TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT: CP has investments in technologies but they still need to automate their supply chain in order to become more cost effective. Apart from that they are also not utilizing E-commerce facilities to the optimum level which can give them a huge cost reduction (Moore, E.R). PROCUREMENT: CP has systems and procedures installed through which they contact their local and foreign suppliers who are all CP Approved. They negotiate prices and place orders through these systems (Moore, E.R). COLGATE PALMOLIVES LOW-COST PROVIDER STARTEGY: CP has a large and efficient distribution network. Its distribution channels are located all over Pakistan (Moore, E.R) It caters to a broad customer base. It has developed itself in almost all the categories which are associated with customers on the daily basis. Colgate pursues low cost strategy. Its plant is automated. Only one plant is used for the manufacturing of three different detergents like bonus, express, brite The whole process is repeated for each of the detergent. By automating the plant, CP is able to save a lot of cost. CP value delivery network does not have any delays in it which helps CP to save cost. CP targets all segment, it has products for the lower class, middle class and the upper class. Its pricing is done accordingly. It has cost leadership in the detergent and the surface care category CP forecasting is very accurate which helps them to reduce cost because if estimated are accurate then it helps the company to avail cost advantages CP is allowed to deviate only 5% from its forecast both upwards and downwards CP has concentrated more on process efficiencies CP has access to large capital that is required to make significant investment. CP never compromises on the development expenditure. It is always ready to improve its production processes. Being a low cost producer it helps CP to better compete to its rivals. Being the low cost producer it has helped CP to insulate themselves from powerful suppliers who nowadays demand increasing prices due to rising inflation. Being he low cost producer, it has also helped to attract powerful buyers whom CP sells directly like MAKRO, DMART, IMITAZ, AGHAS, and NAHEED etc (Moore, E.R). Economic Factor The overall economy of the country is showing a stable growth. Therefore this industry is also showing a growth of 10%. But the inflation is growing rapidly which is not a good sign for the new entrants. Change in the interest rate also affects the industry. Hence the new entrants are also threatened by the increasing interest rates. Economic factors do influence the bargaining power of buyers as inflation is the major factor that is affecting the consumers hard. Economic factors do not affect the availability of substitutes. But since inflation is growing, so it is hard for the poor people to switch to more modern products like washing powder, tooth paste. They would rather prefer oil to clean their clothes and use miswak to brush their teeth. Economic factors do have an affect on the bargaining power of suppliers as inflation is rising fast. Suppliers demand that they would provide the necessary raw material at a higher price. Exchange rate fluctuations also affect the cost of raw material. Economic factors do affect the rivalry among the competitors as all the players in the industry want to have cost leadership. The economic factors are favoring intense competition from the last five years. People have more money at their disposal. Also Pakistan is a consumption oriented society (Hiatt, Jeff.). Quantitative Strategic Planning Matrix (QSPM) STRATEGY 1 STRATEGY 2 Weights AS TAS AS TAS STRENGTHS Market leader in surface care with 90% market share 0.15 Good Leadership 0.06 Employee commitment 0.12 3 0.36 2 0.24 Cooling crystal patent 0.1 Accurate forecast with respect to demand 0.07 4 0.28 2 0.14 High EPS 0.08 3 0.24 2 0.16 Strong advertisement and promotional campaign 0.08 2 0.16 3 0.24 WEAKNESSES IT not used optimally 0.13 4 0.52 2 0.26 No ecommerce 0.1 3 0.3 2 0.26 No proper use of forward integration 0.05 2 0.1 3 0.15 They are not exporting their products to other countries 0.06 1 OPPORTUNITIES Exploring into new categories like shampoo, hand wash , body wash, shower gel 0.14 2 0.28 4 0.56 Rural population switching from miswak to toothpaste 0.06 Gap in tooth brush market 0.08 2 0.16 3 0.24 Implementation of ERP(SAP) 0.14 4 0.56 2 0.28 People becoming hygiene and beauty conscious 0.1 2 0.2 3 0.3 No layoffs 0.07 THREATS(T) Raw material and energy prices are increasing 0.12 3 0.36 2 0.24 Inflation in the country 0.07 3 0.21 2 0.14 Competitors re launching their products 0.1 2 0.2 3 0.3 Competitors increasing their marketing budgets 0.06 2 0.12 3 0.18 Unstable law and order conditions. 0.06 1 TOTAL 4.05 3.69 Rivalry among existing competitors Yes (+) No (-) The industry is growing rapidly. à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã… ¡ The industry is not cyclical with intermittent overcapacity. à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã… ¡ The fixed costs of the business are relatively low portion of total costs. à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã… ¡ There are significant product differences and brand identities between the competitors. à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã… ¡ The competitors are diversified rather than specialized. à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã… ¡ It would not be hard to get out of this business because there are no specialized skills and facilities or long-term contract commitments etc. à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã… ¡ My customers would incur significant costs in switching to a competitor. à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã… ¡ My product is complex and requires a detailed understanding on the part of my customer. à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã… ¡ My competitors are all of approximately the same size as I am. à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã… ¡ INTERPRETATION: Threat of competitors is high because the product is not unique as there are no product differences. Same products are available with all competitors like Unilever, Procter and Gamble, Shield, Oral B. Therefore rivalry is also increasing as demand in the economy has also increased for the last 5 to years. Majority of the competitors are MNCs which means that they have the necessary resource and skill (Hiatt, Jeff). Government Factors: Government regulations do have an affect on the rivalry among the competitors. Political factors: Political factors do not affect the rivalry among the competitors Economic factors Economic factors do affect the rivalry among the competitors as all the players in the industry want to have cost leadership. The economic factors are favoring intense competition from the last five years. People have more money at their disposal. Also Pakistan is a consumption oriented society (Hiatt, Jeff). Social trends Social trends have changed, buyer are more aware of their purchases. So the players in the industry are always trying hard to increase their market share (Hiatt, Jeff). Technological change Technology is helping the companies to gain a competitive advantage over their rivals. Also research and development plays an important role in this (Hiatt, Jeff). KEY SUCCESS ACTORS FOR COMPETIVE SUCCESS Low cost production efficiency. CP has plants installed that take only 30 minutes for the plant to shift from the production of one product to the other. High quality manufacturing of products with very few defects. A strong network of wholesale distributors. Gaining ample space on retailer shelves. (Examples Naheed, Aghas, Makro and other small shops.) Attractive packaging and styling. Good length of product lines. Attractive commercials and advertising. Good reputation in the industry along with favorable reputation with buyers. Market penetration Colgate can do market penetration by increasing its advertising, people always associate Colgate with tooth paste and have no awareness that it produces personal and surface care products as well. They should show their logo on all its products so that people know the producers and this will increase customer loyalty and also when people will come to know that Colgate is the producer then new customers will also buy the product (Hiatt, Jeff). They should also increase their promotion efforts by going to school and doing health awareness programs, also they should go to residential areas and make women aware of their surface care and fabric care products such as max, bonus and express etc Product development: Colgate can also do product development by introducing new features in their already existing brands. They can improve their tooth brush quality and features by introducing flexi tooth brushes for special oral care. Also they can introduce whitening features in their feature in their tooth paste; different colors of tooth paste can also be introduced to attract the kinds market. In their fabric care they can introduce in special features of protecting the color of the cloth while washing and also whitening enhancing surfs to give a good shine to while clothes (Hiatt, Jeff). develop systems to involve appropriate stakeholders in the introduction of change SIX THINGS REQUIRED TO EFFECTIVELY IMPLEMENTING A STRATEGY According to Porter, to implement a strategy effectively six things should be followed: Create a formal plan: Distributor Quantity Item Price Negotiation, Inventory Reporting, Stock Details, Payment Terms HR Module Inventory / Store Create a multifunctional team: To effectively implement ERP, Colgate must first hire an independent resource firm. Acquire licensing for SAP Implementation. Establish an independent IT unit for the monitoring of ERP. This department will coordinate with all the other departments (Robbins S, Mukerji). Communication of strategy: inside and outside: All employees in the company should be made aware of the new automated system. Each employee must be provided a minimal insight of SAP but those employees who have to work on SAP the most should ofcourse be provided with proper training course of SAP. These include: Factory Manager Manager accounts Warehouse Manager Distribution team Consumer insight department Outside the company the strategy to implement ERP should be communicated properly to all the local and foreign suppliers of Colgate Palmolive (Hagberg). Consistency over time: As Information Technology is progressing day by day, new changes in ERP are expected after certain time periods. Therefore it would become very important for Colgate to cope up with the changes in the software. For this purpose it would need to update it employees by providing training whenever any change takes place in SAP (Hagberg). Use proper measurements: Other measures, not just financial measures would be required to test whether the system is working properly. These measures include: Whether the system is accurately forecasting demand, sales, price changes Whether or not there are any deviations in the actual versus projected sales Effectiveness of the internal processes after the strategy implementation (Robbins S, Mukerji). Test the strategy: Ask employees and senior management in all departments whether they are satisfied with the new system of working. Talk to suppliers and distributors whether they want any more improvements in the new system of working (Hagberg). KEY DRIVING FORCES Industry growth: Now most of the people have knowledge about the different products and its advantages. The intense competition in industry and high demand enables the new entrants to compete in this market (Hagberg). Product innovation: Innovation in product, as Colgate has just introduced Max fresh in which the coolant crystals are present which none of the competitors has adopted yet. There is also room in innovation in washing detergents (Hagberg). Changing societal concerns, attitudes and lifestyle: Since social issues are really effecting the use of product just like the use of Miswak which is the Islamic mode of cleaning the teeth (Hagberg). Use of E-commerce and Internet: Usage of online ordering and maintaining the stock level through e-commerce can be driving force in the industry. By using that they can provide products to customer which is value addition for them (Hagberg). This report is purely based on the finding from the Colgate expert and the secondary data analysis, and the reason for writing the whole report is to find the obstacle / hindrance a business men face and how the organization can minimize it through implementing the different strategies and analysis. The whole report research draws attention to  the fact that any problem can be eliminate if proper investigation and consideration can be observed the success is easy to get, Pakistan market is mature market and the competition is tough here because most of the customer is price conscious and act like butterflies, so targeting this kind of customer is quite difficult, but on the other hand it can be managed if the you can understand the market effectively and efficiently (Robbins S, Mukerji). Hiatt, Jeff. HYPERLINK http://www.change-management.com/tutorial-definition-history.htmThe definition and history of change managementHYPERLINK http://www.change-management.com/tutorial-definition-history.htm. http://www.change-management.com/tutorial-definition-history.htm. Filicetti, John (August 20, 2007). HYPERLINK http://www.pmhut.com/pmo-and-project-management-dictionaryProject Management DictionaryHYPERLINK http://www.pmhut.com/pmo-and-project-management-dictionary Moore, E.R., (accessed 1 April, 2001), Creating Organizational Cultures: An Ethnographic Study, Eastern Academy of Management Virtual Proceedings, Moore, E.R., (accessed 1 April, 2001), Creating Organizational Cultures: An Ethnographic Study, Eastern Academy of Management Virtual Proceedings, , R. Ph.D. Heifetz, D.Ph., 2000 (accessed 4 April, 2001), Corporate HagbergCulture/Organisational Culture: UnderJerryding and Assessment, Robbins S, Mukerji D (1994). Managing organisations. Prentice Hall of Australia, McPhersons Printing Group, Australia. Sergiovanni, T.J. (1984) Educational Leadership, Leadership and excellence in schooling, Volume 41, Number 5, United States of America, page 4-13 Kent State University 2000 (accessed 28thMarch, 2001), Kent State University Cultural Self-Study Internal Communication of Change By Dagmar Recklies Circling the Pyramid Building Lasting Commitment to Change  Ã‚   (pdf-file) by Edmond Mellina What Makes a Good Change Agent? by Dagmar Recklies The Role of the Change Master From Change Agent to HYPERLINK http://www.themanager.org/Strategy/Change Master.htmHYPERLINK http://www.themanager.org/Strategy/Change Master.htmChange MasterHYPERLINK http://www.themanager.org/Strategy/Change Master.htm By Ruth Tearle Managing Change Definition and Phases in Change Processes by Oliver Recklies Problems in Managing Change by Oliver Recklies AuditNet.org provides a downloadable PDF of change management best practices. Fred Nickols wrote HYPERLINK http://home.att.net/~nickols/change.htmHYPERLINK http://home.att.net/~nickols/change.htmChange Management 101: A Primer.HYPERLINK http://home.att.net/~nickols/change.htm SearchCRM.com provides resources on handling change management following a CRM upgrade. Neglecting your change control process can kill an IT disaster recovery plan.

Ubuntu And Its Influence On Leadership Commerce Essay

Ubuntu And Its Influence On Leadership Commerce Essay This research will focuses on how Ubuntu can influence and be applied to leadership strategy management and implementation in the hospitality industry of South Africa. It is therefore important in this research to understand the differences between leadership and management in order to have a clear understanding on the influence of Ubuntu in the Hospitality industry of South Africa. Adair (2006) explains that leadership is of the spirit compounded of personality and vision and he illustrates that management as a trend of the mind more of an accurate methods, calculation and routine. This is to say that leadership is the understanding and sharing of a common purpose without which there can be no effective leadership. Adair believes that management is to manage change and leadership is to manage growth. In this research paper it will be established if the Ubuntu style of leadership and management can bring about any strategy in management and nurturing of growth within an organisation in the hospitality industry. 1.1 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY The main purpose of this research study is to realise the influence and determine the impact of Ubuntu in leadership in strategy management and implementation. Because the style of Ubuntu leadership and management involves the leading of an organisation by departing from the hierarchically structured management relations and rather introduces a cooperative and supportive form of leadership in which collective solidarity of the group is employed and respected (Prinsloo 1998). 1.2 CONTEXT OF THE STUDY The principle of knowledge within the fields of management, strategy and leadership theories and practice has been developed and adopted mainly from the Western capitalist principles, with leading thinkers in the field being mainly of European or American dissent. These thoughts have then been exported beyond American or Western boundaries as trade has moved from being multinational, through international to global, and practices such as international outsourcing have become more widespread. While some areas of Asia, mostly India, may be both responsive and adaptive to some of these Western practices, other areas of Asia and Africa as a whole are not so. This paper offers contextual understanding of how the Concept of Ubuntu or Ubuntu leadership can be able to influence on strategy management and implementation in an organization with a case study of the Hospitality industry. The Western world has mostly underpinned and still continues on supplying leadership, implementation and strategic management ideas; this is through the political systems, and economic infrastructures to Africa, since the time of the colonial times to present. Though seemingly with good intentions, these Western theories that are continuously being used in organizations (business) in Africa have not achieved their desired outcomes because many Africans find it difficult to relate to them, having to sacrifice their authenticity in order to fully embrace such Western ideals. Thus the need to find out if Ubuntu kind of leadership and management can serve the purpose of indigenous Africa to fully embrace it. This now places an interest for the need to understand the Ubuntu context as well as the indigenous thought system and, in particular, the perspective of the Ubuntu worker. 1.3 PROBLEM STATEMENT The hierarchical organizational structure in every business structure will always reflect the organized coordination which ensures that the goals and objectives of the said entity are is achieved. The aim of this proposal is to investigate the Ubuntu leadership style used in the Hospitality industry. It is very cardinal to find out if Ubuntu style has a great influence in good leadership, strategy management and implementation. It is also of great importance to discover if this kind of leadership style can achieve both the institutional and the individuals objectives and goals. The other important reason for this investigation is to find out whether or not the leaders and managers in these institutions are motivated to improve their work-place. All these issues will be investigated through answering the following questions: 1.3.1 MAIN PROBLEM The objective of this research paper is to determine the degree to which Ubuntu leadership style can influence the strategy management and implementation in a hospitality industry of South Africa. How does the Ubuntu leadership style impact on the outcome of the strategy management and implementation process in a Hospitality organization? 1.3.2 SUB-PROBLEMS Below are the sub-problems which have been identified to be ideal with the main problem and gain insight into the role that Ubuntu leadership plays in the strategy management and implementation process. Does the research literature reveal the existence of any significant of Ubuntu leadership style to be more beneficial and influential in terms of strategy management and implementation in South African Companies? Does the research literature reveal the existence of a significant relationship between Ubuntu style and strategy management in South African industries? 1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY The aim is to discover how Ubuntu leadership can influence strategy management and implementation in an organisation. Thompson, Strickland and Gamble (2005: 32 34) states that crafting a strategy, no matter how complex a task is substantially easier than successfully implementing one. Strategy formulation is primarily an intellectual and creative act involving analysis and synthesis. Implementation is a hands-on, operations and action orientated activity that calls for leadership and managerial skills. Therefore Ubuntu leadership style often entails a change in corporate direction and therefore frequently requires a focus on effecting strategic change. Implementation is historically a top-management responsibility closing strategic capability gaps and making sure a company maintains strategic focus. Strategy formulation and implementation are linked through learning (de Kluyver and Pearce, 2003: 125-126). Grant (2002: 526) mentions, New organizational structures and strategic priorities point to new models of leadershipà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. So the question is can Ubuntu style stand to the task to play the role of top management by communicating effectively and formation of new strategies? It is said that good leadership in todays organizations calls for actively involving everyone in the organization, leaders are still ultimately responsible for establishing direction through vision and strategy (Daft. 2005: 535). Thus the concept of Ubuntu can surely apply. The results of this research will be analysed to place emphasis on the combination of leadership styles required by a transformational and transactional leader during the strategic planning process. 1.5 DELIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY The research might face the difficulty of determining when the categories are saturated or when the theory is sufficiently detailed (Creswell, 1998: 58). The grounded theory has been critical for its failure to acknowledge implicit theories which guide work at an early stage. The limitation of this theory will be taken into consideration throughout the research and data analysis because there has never been any method in social science without being criticised. Every possible out come will be taken to ensure the rigid conformity to the principles. 1.6 DEFINITION OF TERMS 1.6.1 UBUNTU The doctrine of Ubuntu has been used in almost all the parts of Africa. This culture has been of Doctrine has been most used and applied in South Africa. Most Academic commentators have pointed out the philosophical notion classification known as Ubuntu, which symbolises the beliefs, values, and behaviours of a large majority of the South African population. Ubuntu is defined by Mangaliso (2001) as humanenessa pervasive spirit of caring and community, harmony and hospitality, respect and responsivenessthat individuals and groups display for one another. Ubuntu is the foundation for the basic values that manifest themselves in the ways African people think and behave towards each other and everyone else they encounter (Mangaliso, 2001:24). Ubuntu has been viewed to be one of the most critical values in the African culture as a whole, and it is believed that this practice on the basis of management can be harmonious with the peoples of Africa. But the question still needs to answered is can Ubuntu can it compete and be of any advantage universally (Mbigi, 2005; Mangaliso, 2001). 1.6.2 LEADERSHIP Leadership has been well defined by Gray (2004) that it is managing the performance of others in any organised set up (Gray, 2004: 76). Conceivably the commonest constituent of definitions found in the literature concerns exercising influence in one way or another. This is quite clear since it implies that the exercisers of power should be able to have some ideas of their own about what they want to achieve, or what they want other individuals to do. In other words, they have vision, and are proactive in trying to turn that vision into reality by involving other people. 1.6.3 STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP Strategic leadership is defined by Daft (2008) as follows; The ability to anticipate and envision the future, maintain flexibility, think strategically and initiate changes that will create a competitive advantage for the organization in the future (Daft, 2008: 511). The other definition of strategic Leadership is of Dubrin (2004) which provides a clearer picture of the concept of strategic leadership. This definition of Dubrin helps to understand the necessity and effectiveness of carrying out strategic management. He defines it as a Strategic management refers to the process of ensuring a competitive fit between the organization and its environment (Dubrin, 2004: 401). 1.6.4 MANAGEMENT Managing culture is another element of leadership. It is the entrepreneurial leaders role to shape the organizational culture by setting example, the norms, standards and defining the values of the organization. Rossouw, Le Roux and Groenewald (2003: 167) state that managers often find it difficult to think that there could be a relationship between an organizations culture and its strategy. 1.7 ASSUMPTIONS It is assumed that for this study, the respondents of the questionnaires will answer all questions as openly and honesty as possible. The respondents will answer the questionnaires on their own and that, the questionnaires will not be completed in groups or influenced by other people or respondents. The respondents will answer the questionnaire in one sitting. All employees are ready and willing to be a part of the project work. All respondents will have technical and operational experience in their area of work. The results from this study which is focused on a particular sector (Hospitality industry) can be used in other organisation with the same Style of Ubuntu leadership in strategy management and implementation. 2 LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 INTRODUCTION The evolution and progression of indigenous management theories and practices in Africa has been seriously affected and hindered by colonialism. The imposing of colonial administration was introduced by the western countries, and their management theories and practices are considered as the engine and the universal remedy for the continents socio-politico-economic development. The Western education, scholarship and prose generally diminished and denounced the astonishing management competency and practices of early African civilizations; this is evidenced, for example, in the building of the great Egyptian pyramids. It is assumed that these so called foreign management systems generally failed to achieve the desired results as they discountenanced African cultural inertia and social milieu. The paper addresses the development and effective if Ubuntu leadership style in Strategy management and implementation. Ubuntu leadership is an African management philosophy, which is rooted in th e African cultures, value system and beliefs, to provide the practical way for the efficient and effective running of organizations in Africa, with the aim of having a global competitiveness. The Ubuntu leadership style or the new management techniques known by different scholars, puts much of its emphasis on humanness, communalism and African patriotism, and it provides the veritable starting point for the development of indigenous African management philosophy. 2.2 DEFINITION OF UBUNTU A number of African researchers today have embarked on the advocacy for the indigenous African management philosophy that would serve the need of the African continent. In South Africa today, there is an emergency of a philosophical thought system derived from African culture, beliefs, and values and behaviours known as Ubuntu, (Ubuntu is a Bantu word meaning, broadly, sharing and community). Mangaliso (2001) defines Ubuntu as humaneness a pervasive spirit of caring and community, harmony and hospitality, respect and responsiveness that individuals and groups display for one another. Ubuntu is the foundation for the basic values that manifest themselves in the ways African people think and behave towards each other and everyone else they encounter( Mangaliso, 2001: 24). According to Poovan, du Toit and Engelbrecht (2006) Ubuntu philosophy permits administrators, leaders and managers to tap into the familiar African values to build and reinforce their work environment effectively by : Teaming up and organizing resources for survival this maintains productivity and effectiveness which deeply depends on shared values and individual contribution: it encourages focus on communal (and differences) with reliance to minimize threat to survival through conflict; creating of unified situations the spirit of solidarity, that is, mutual regard among members and individual adhesion to the group; create situations defined by group behaviours sit together, focus, on each other, co-ordinate behaviour; it enhances social oneness and participation sets up informal opportunities based on traditional pal abre central village location for gatherings, activities, mediation, decisions, events and rituals. Thus Ubuntu is considered to be an important value of African culture that can form the foundation of African management (Ubuntu leadership) philosophy that is in tune with the peoples of Africa. Though the proponent of Ubuntu leadership have argued that the concept was created as a system of management practice, for competitive advantage and to command a universal appeal beyond the shores of the continent (Mbigi, 2005; Mangaliso, 2001). Mangaliso (2001) suggests that: Incorporating Ubuntu principles in management hold the promise of superior approaches to managing organizations. Organizations infused with humanness, a pervasive spirit of caring and community, harmony and hospitality, respect and responsiveness will enjoy more sustainable competitive advantage (Mangaliso 2001: 32). Therefore, Ubuntu leadership system emphasizes on teamwork, attention to relationships, mutual respect and empathy between leader and followers, and participative decision-making. These are very fundamental principles of management, which hold promise for improving organization activities and functioning in South Africa and Africa at large. 2.3 INFLUNCES OF UBUNTU LEADERSHIP IN MANAGEMENT 2.3.1 UBUNTU LEADERSHIP The distinctive feature about Ubuntu governance is an indigenous democracy with very deep African cultures that had emerged from African traditional institutions and practices. The hallmark of African traditional governance is the focus on collective stewardship (collectivism), freedom of expression, grass-roots participation, consultation, discussion and consensus to accommodate minority needs and views (holism). The emphasis was not just on majority views but also on compromise and accommodation. The focus was on the need to reach an acceptable consensus through discussions to accommodate minority groups and views in order to avoid majority group dictatorship. This was essential because the traditional African political institution was characterized by the cultural diversity of tribes and clans, which did not disappear as a result of majority rule (Mbigi, 1997:22). This autocratic leadership style expects subordinates to be submissive and obedient. Because leadership in modern Africa is authoritarian and politicized (Kiggundu, 1988:226; Jaeger Kanunzo, 1990; 17; Blunt Jones, 1992: 6-23), such autocratic leadership styles, by expecting subordinates to be submissive and obedient, may stifle innovativeness and impede community motivation and Ubuntu. 2.3.2 MANAGEMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION For every industry especially in the Hospitality business, leadership basically deals with the human relations where problem solving, communication and decision making are promoted and cultivated. Leithwood and Mcleah (1987) indicate that highly effective leaders know many forms of decision-making are skilled in their use and are situationally sensitive in their selection of a particular approach to decision-making (Leithwood and Mcleah, 1987:35). They are thus very analytical and rational in the way they perceive and perform their functions. Basson and Smith (1991) allude to the fact that effective leaders can be selected or trained. It is also useful to think of leadership as a generic term which refers to the process characterized by the interrelationships among people as they work together in the formation and achievement of shared goals (Basson and Smith, 1991:148). Hallinger et al. (1989:9) claim that leadership in an industrial worldview influences people by developing a clear mission that provides an instructional focus for people throughout the community. Leadership does not reside exclusively with the chief or president; in fact Weber (1989:217) identifies the need to develop shared leadership in the community (Weber, 1989:217). One of the current shifts in thinking regarding leadership is a shift from an instructional to a transformational leadership. Brandt (1992:3) declared that because of change and democracy instructional leadership is out; transformational leadership is in. Such leadership is leadership for change (Brandt, 1992:3). Another important aspect in hospitality industrys leadership is the shared vision. There is the discipline for translating individual vision into shared vision. People should feel free to express their dreams, but also learn how to listen to each others dream. The fundamental role of leadership in Ubuntu setup is to create connotative meaning through significant but important rituals and ceremonies. Mbigi (1997) highlights that in traditional African communities the ultimate test of leadership maturity in terms of training and development is determined by the ease with which a new leader carries out rituals and ceremonies (Mbigi, 1997:19). It is through well-designed rituals and ceremonies that leaders can effectively manage collective meaning and collective trust. It is not just an intellectual journey. It is a symbolic and emotional as well as a spiritual journey. Therefore effective leadership in Ubuntu requires people to have convivial experiences by digging deep into their emoti onal and spiritual resources. This may be equivalent to the mission and vision in a Hospitality industry and an industrial worldview. The sense of Ubuntu leadership system is to enhance governance, collective solidarity, respect, human dignity and the right to freedom of expression, as well as collective trust and compassion. Ubuntu is central to indigenous governance systems and can be central to modern governance. 2.3.3 CAN UBUNTU LEADERSHIP SYSTEM BE RELIED UPON There are several basic management principles derived from African tribal communities that embody this philosophy, including trust, interdependence and spiritualism (Mbigi Maree, 2005). In the African management system context, the African Ubuntu philosophy represents humanness, a pervasive spirit of caring within the community in which the individuals in the community love one another. This Ubuntu approach plays a pivotal role in determining the success of any African organisation (Mangaliso, 2001:32). Ubuntu transcends the narrow confines of the nuclear family to include the extended kinship network that is omnipresent in many African communities. As a philosophy, Ubuntu is an orientation to life that stands in contrast to rampant individualism, insensitive competitiveness, and unilateral decision-making. The Ubuntu teachings are pervasive at all ages, in families, organisations and communities living in Africa. ****2.4 IMPACTS OF UBUNTU LEADERSHIP 2.4.1 EXPERIENCES OF UBUNTU LEADERSHIP Afrocentricity encompasses African history, traditions, culture, mythology, and the value systems of communities, according to Khoza (in Mangaliso, 2001:278-279), the Chairperson of Eskom, the supplier of electricity in South Africa. Khoza believes that corporations in Africa will be successful if they adopt the Ubuntu management and leadership styles, which are people-centred. It is perhaps telling that Eskom registered an after-tax profit of R5.2 billion over a period of 15 months up to the end of March 2005 after the corporation had adopted the Ubuntu management philosophy (Broodryk, 2005:17). Similarly, Wolmarans (1995:4) reports that South African Airways (SAA) adopted an Ubuntu management system in 1994. Since then, the African Ubuntu philosophy has been a driving force in the company. The secret behind its success has been the publicly stated core values of South African Airways these include corporate performance, customer orientation, employee care, corporate citizenship, integrity, safety, innovation and teamwork, which are all embodied in the Ubuntu management philosophy. Improved results demonstrate that culture and leadership style play pivotal roles towards the achievement of set goals and strategies of an organisation. Emerging African management philosophies see an organisation as a community and can be summed up in one word Ubuntu (Mbigi Maree, 2005:v-vi). An African Ubuntu management system recognises the significance of group solidarity that is prevalent in African cultures, acknowledging that an African leadership style involves group and community supportiveness, sharing and cooperation. Ubuntu-based leadership dictates sharing burdens during hard times, because by doing so, suffering is also shared and diminished. What is distinctive about the Ubuntu philosophy is the premise of a short memory of hate (Mazrui, 2001). Africans teach children to communicate effectively, reconcile, and find ways to cleanse and let go of hatred and give the children skills to do so. The Ubuntu approach to life enables people to express continued compassion and Perseverance within communities and institutions. 2.4.2 LESSONS FROM THE LIVED EXPERIENCES OF UBUNTU LEADERSHIP African organisations can build cooperation and competitive strategies by allowing teamwork based on Ubuntu principles to permeate the organisation (Mbigi Maree, 2005:93). As a people-centred philosophy, Ubuntu stipulates that a persons worth depends on social, cultural and spiritual criteria. It requires a life that depends on a normative engagement with the community, a substantive appreciation of the common good and a constitutive engagement with one another in a rational and ethical community. In this way, in order for a person to be identified as a true African, community and communality are substantive prerequisites. Communalism and collectivism are essential to the spirit of the African Ubuntu philosophy. Equally important in Ubuntu relationships is the aspect of working with others as a team (English, 2002:197; Poovan et al., 2006:17). A spirit of solidarity simultaneously supports cooperation and competitiveness amongst the team by allowing individuals to contribute their best efforts for the betterment of the entire group. In a team setting, the existence of Ubuntu as a shared value system implies that team members are encouraged to strive towards the outlined team values, which consequently enhance their functioning together as a team (Poovan et al., 2006:25; Van den Heuvel et al., 2006:48). The team is brought one step closer to being effective because of the increased level of team members commitment, loyalty and satisfaction, which ultimately has a positive impact on overall performance. Thus, management systems that tend to focus on achievements of individual team members and not the entire group are likely to miss out on all the social and collective framework of an African society. 2.4.3 IS UBUNTU STLYE OF LEADERSHIP HAVE A PLACE IN MODERN BUSINESS OPERATION Issues of corporate governance are becoming more pronounced in modern business practices. Corporate governance, which is intertwined with business ethics, is considered critical in organisational practice, as well as in general corporate productivity (Rossouw, 2005:105). The founding principles of business ethics and corporate governance are in line with the Ubuntu philosophy of regarding all members of an organisation as part of the community. It is this direct involvement of and with community members that brings about greater solidarity, love, caring and sharing within a grouping (organisation). A major governance challenge in current governance issues has been corruption, which reveals the moral depravity and badness of the perpetrators (Broodryk, 2005; Moloketi, 2009; Nyarwath, 2002). Generally, corruption is caused by a lack of commitment to moral beliefs by the perpetrators, which is in turn due to the Weak moral will of an individual towards other people. Corruption can be seen as 2.5 CONCLUSION OF LITERATURE REVIEW 2.5.1 HOW BENEFICIAL IS UBUNTU LEADERSHIP In a Western worldview, the concept leadership accommodated the sense of belonging, as did the Ubuntu worldview. Sergiovanni (1982:231) supports this when he says: leadership promotes the feeling of actual belonging, participating, being co-partners in the entire organization. In all, a leader who has leadership skills sees to the rapid growth of the organization. Leadership skills are situationally specific, of short duration, and focused on specific objectives or outcomes. The Ubuntu philosophy represents an African conception of human beings and their relationship with the community that embodies the ethics defining Africans and their social behaviours (Dia, 1992; Mbigi, 2005:75; Van den Heuvel, Mangaliso Van de Bunt, 2006:48). Africans are social beings that are in constant communion with one another in an environment where a human being is regarded as a human being only through his or her relationships to other human beings (Tutu in Battle, 1997:39-43). Therefore, the survival of a human being is dependent on other people the community and society. 2.5.2 CAN UBUNTU LEADERSHIP AND WESTERN LEADERSHIP WORK TOGETHER? ***** The Ubuntu management system and the new management techniques as advocated by African management scholars, set the revolutionary agenda for evolving an indigenous African management philosophy that will emphasize our cultural traits of humanness, communalism, and participatory decision-making in organizational life. African governments and the private sector must support the development of African management philosophy through creating an enabling environment for management research and the provision of adequate research funds or grants. 3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 3.1 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY / PARADIGM 3.2 RESEARCH DESIGN In investigating the phenomenon, the interpretative approach, particularly constructive-interpretative paradigm will be used in the study; taking into account its ability to generate an in-depth understanding regarding factors that impacts on Ubuntu leadership (Cohen et al, 2007:155; Creswell, 2003:52; McMillan Schumacher, 2006:318). In the course of investigations, the interpretative approach would allow, the researcher to explore, analyse, describe, and show the relationships between Ubuntu and strategy management and implementation. That will be made possible because the phenomenon of Ubuntu and leadership will be investigated in their unique and natural setting (Lauer, 2006:76). Simply put; all interviews, observational field notes and documents analyses would be done at the participant place. In employing the qualitative research design, a case study will be employed to sample participants, collect data, and analyse data as shown below. 3.3 POPULATION AND SAMPLE 3.3.1 POPULATION The focus for this study will be on employers and employees of Orion group of companies which is a Hospitality Industry. The company has staff numbering around 1000 employees. Orion is sub-divided into many different business branches and each business branch is run as a business on its own. The research study focuses on Orion group; the staff compliment at each branch is comprised of about 100 full time permanent employees. From the total number of employees working at Orion Braamfontein office, all are eligible to participate. Over 15 participants out of the 50 employees will be selected for the purpose of this study and will form the target population for the study. 3.3.2 SAMPLE AND SAMPLING METHOD The researcher will use a purposive sampling to select participants. The identified sample comprised of fifteen participants; seven men and eight women. According to Budhal (2000:62), Creswell (2003:52) and, McMillan and Schumacher (2006:317), a sample represents a small and distinct group of information-rich informants that would enable the researcher to understand the problem in depth. The criteria for selecting such information-rich sample; amongst others, is that participants who are knowledgeable, informative and willing to talk (Lauer, 2006:78; McMillan Schumacher, 2006:319). Regarding the availability of the administration offices, it will assist in maximizing privacy and confidentiality during interview sessions (Keats, 2000:30; Pedroni Pimple, 2001:11). Furthermore, purposive sampling will be done by combining strategies like site selection, network sampling and sampling by case in order to maximize its impact. Lastly, permission would be sought from the Orion Head office. Having discussed how the participants would be selected; in the next section, the proposal explains how data will be collected. 3.4 THE RESEARCH INSTRUMENT The instrument to be used for data collection is a questionnaire. The questionnaire is chosen as it is the most popular form of data collection. It is important for the questionnaire to be constructed in such a way as to gain as much useful information from the respondent as possible (Newell, 1993, 48). With this, great care, time and efforts would be put into the construction of this research studys questionnaire as to obtain as much useful information as possible. Questionnaires are created to be easy to understand, avoid ambiguous, draw up leading questions, quick and simple to answer (Kidder Judd, 1993). In this case, questionnaire will be distributed to participants and collected once they have been completed. These questionnaires will be distributed through email, containing a hyperlink to

Alzheimers Disease Health Promotion Case Study :: Alzheimers Disease Essays

Introduction This section will discuss the impact of Alzheimer's disease on racial, cultural, and gender variables, with the focus being on the various approaches to care of the disease. Developmental stages and tasks will be discussed for both the client and the caregiver. Gender and Culture Alzheimer's disease and related dementias affect all races, ethnicities and cultures equally. (Anonymous, 1998) Of people over 65 an estimated 6-10% will be affected by some form of dementia. (Hendrie, 1998) It is only in gender where we see slightly more women than men who are affected by this destructive illness. (Lautenschlager et al., 1996) The only controllable risk factor that is known at this point is cigarette smoking. In a large study in Germany smoking cigarettes doubled the risk of dementia in the older population. (Ott et al., 1998) Alzheimer's disease patients can survive for 3-20 or more years. It is not the AD that kills the patient, rather it is diseases of aging and/or inactivity, with pneumonia being the leading cause at 70%. This is followed by heart disease, stroke, and cancer. (Thomas, Starr, & Whalley, 1997) Cultural Differences Race, culture, religion and ethnicity all play a part in how we care for our elderly. Each family makes decisions based on background, experience, expectations, knowledge base, and economics. Most people would like to be able to care for their aging parent or spouse with as little disruption to lifestyle as possible. Alzheimer's Disease, however, is a full time commitment, not just eight hours a day, but "24/7", as the current idiom implies, the patient needs continuous care. Sleep habits are disturbed, wandering is common, medications must be carefully controlled, safety is always important. Home care soon becomes frustrating and exhausting if left to one or two caregivers. When the primary caregiver has his/her own medical needs to see to, is also aged, or is the parent of young children as well, the burden can become overwhelming. In-home care is a possibility as is placement in a live-in facility, but both are expensive alternatives. In California ethnic minorities make up a large part of our population. In the book Culture and Nursing Care: A Pocket Guide, there are characteristics of these groups and generalizations are made about how they care for their elderly. (Lipson, 1996) The following table highlights some of these groups that are represented in the Bay Area. American Indian Status of "elder" begins in middle age.