Chapter 10 Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Chapter 10 - Case Study Example Adults within the community identified an inability to control social problems because of social disorders within the community members, which contributed to the increased spread of HIV by promoting immoral behaviors. The churches only contributed to the control by creating solutions through identifying community needs and not considering issues contributing to the spread of HIV (Cene et al., 2011). Some of the community based used to control HIV include the use of media to provide information concerning HIV AIDS. Training of community leaders can help reduce stigma among community members. Other activities that the group identified include use of group counseling to provide and outreach to the entire community (Cene et al., 2011). According to the youth, disagreed with the adults view and felt that tension within the society like lack of cohesion related to separation and poverty made different individuals within the community fail to identify their individual belonging and reduced the availability of resources outside individual networks. The youths explained racial conflicts between whites and AA, disagreements based on region borders, and economic differences among members of the community contributed to the conflict (Cene et al., 2011). The study participants felt that those churches did not provide enough information to control the spread of HIV within the community. Some of the church leaders do not talk about HIV or even get involved in community activities that provide information of HIV. Church leaders consider HIV a disease brought by homosexuality and fornication. These opinions helped to distance some people and very difficult to get the numerous resources inbuilt in the churches (Cene et al., 2011). The techniques used to handle this challenge include, cohesiveness among people which assist in reducing the spread of HIV. Doctors should use the information to modify

Compare and Contrast the Concepts of Durkheims Social Facts With Essay

Compare and Contrast the Concepts of Durkheims Social Facts With Webers Bureaucracy - Essay Example Weber’s views were different, he firmly opposed the idea â€Å"that history had some ultimate end, and seriously doubted the possibility of human liberation through a socialist revolution† (Hughes et al, 2003: 55). According to him, the organisational form of rationalisation is that of the Bureaucracy, and this too contributed greatly to the meaninglessness of modern life, with the individual becoming increasingly insignificant within the vast administrative structures. Weber perceived Bureaucracy as an â€Å"iron cage† resulting from industrialism, stifling unique human qualities in both socialist and capitalist societies. The two scholars differed in their purpose and approach to sociology. Durkheim extended the study of science to the study of social facts, whereas Weber attempted to provide existing social studies with a better foundation. Hence, Durkheim consistently expressed his belief that social facts had distinctive properties which must be recognized in order to make the study of society more scientific. On the other hand, Weber did not pioneer a new field, his work treated old themes and known materials with a new precision and from the standpoint of new questions. Durkheim’s and Weber’s different definitions of â€Å"social facts† and their divergent sociological studies of religion reveal the differences in their perspectives (Bendix, 1989). Similarities in the work of the two social scientists include the fact that both Durkheim and Weber refer to ways of anthropomorphising society, that is, they provide a human form to society. In their individual ways, they emphasise the knowledge that both Social Facts and Bureaucracy theories respectively, dominate lives and therefore society is seen as a living thing, as seen in the following comparison: Durkheim (1982) stressed that social facts cannot be defined by their universality, there may be different and distinctive manifestations. They are general

Effectiveness of Hepatitis B Vaccination Programs

Effectiveness of Hepatitis B Vaccination Programs Hepatitis B incurs a significant impact and burden on society worldwide and adversely affects the lives of children, adolescents and their families (Zanetti, Van Damme Shouval, 2008, p. 6266; World Health Organization [WHO], 2013; National Centre for Immunisation Research Surveillance [NCIRS], 2012, p. 2). Extensive immunisation programs are recommended to reduce the rates of hepatitis B and its economic costs on the population (WHO, 2008; Williams, 2002, p. 458). This essay will analyse hepatitis B immunisation as a health intervention strategy and the impact of associated mortality and morbidity on Australian population (NCIRS, 2012, p. 1-2). This will be done by focussing on the needs for hepatitis B immunisation and the goals of immunisation program. This will be followed by analysing the implementation of the hepatitis B vaccination programs together with their effectiveness on population health for children and families. WHO (2013) defines hepatitis B as an infectious disease in which the â€Å"hepatitis B virus (HBV)† causes the inflammation of the liver by affecting its function. The morbidity of hepatitis B has a significant impact on infants, children and adolescents (NCIRS, 2012, p. 1-2; Ni, 2011, p.2; Levy, 2012, p. 206). Studies show that hepatitis B can have a negative effect on the liver function which may lead to chronic liver condition followed by the development of cirrhosis and liver cancer (Zanetti et al., 2008, p.6267; Ni, 2011, p.2; Rots, Wijmenga-Monsuur, Luytjes, Kaaijk, Graaf, Van Der Zeijst Boog, 2010, p. 893). NCIRS (2012) stated that the rate of death related to the hepatitis B was â€Å"the tenth leading cause† of mortality worldwide due to chronic liver infection. Statistics also show that the percentage of hepatitis B disease in Australia is much lower in comparison to the other countries; however, this rate may increase because of the contribution of infected immigrants to the country (Zanetti et al., 2008, p. 6266; NCIRS, 2012, p. 2; Gidding, Warlow, Maclntyre, Backhouse, Gilbert, Quinn Mclntyre, 2007, p. 8640; Levi, 2012, p. 206). The hepatitis B virus has been shown to be spread via blood and blood contaminated instruments and this impacted by different factors such as age, gender and the status of immune system (Ni, 2011, p. 1; Rots et al., 2010.p. 894, 897; Zanetti et al., 2008, p. 6266). It is stated that infants and children may be affected by hepatitis B disease by being exposed to the hepatitis B antigen carrier mother directly via blood particularly at times of birth (NCIRS, 2012, p. 3; Ni, 2011, p. 2; Rots et al., 2010, p. 894; Roznovsky, Pliskova, Orsagova, Kloudova, Tvrdik, Kabieszova, Lochman, Mrazek, Hozakova Zjevikova, 2010, p. 395). Statistics showed that boys were more susceptible to hepatitis B than girls and this was attributed to a correspondingly greater number of the chronic liver infection for males later in the ir life (Ni, 2011, p. 4). Also where the immune system is considered to be compromised by HBV, it may result in more complicated health related issues (Ni, 2011, p. 4). The transmission of HBV may readily spread indirectly via blood contaminated instruments during surgery and â€Å"needle stick injuries† in clinics as well as through contact with infectious person within the family (NCIRS, 2012, p. 3; Ni, 2011, p. 2; Zanetti et al., 2008, p. 6266). The hepatitis B immunisation programs sanctioned in Australia were aimed at reducing the impact and burden of hepatitis B disease on its population (Gidding et al., 2007, p. 8637). It is emphasised that the prevention of the development of hepatitis B disease is considered to be less expensive than its treatment (Levy, 2012, p. 206). Therefore, an implementation of a vaccination program could minimise the financial impact on the families as well as on the country as whole (Zanetti et al., 2008, p. 6268- 6269; Levy, 2012, p. 206). There have been two programs introduced in relation of minimising hepatitis B infection namely â€Å"universal vaccination† and â€Å"school-based program† (Gidding et al., 2007, p. 8640; Rots et al., 2010, p. 897). The universal hepatitis B vaccination program was targeted at new born babies who are susceptible to infection from mothers who may carry positive antigens (Rots et al., 2010, p. 894; Levy, 2012, p. 206; Gidding et al., 2007, p. 863 7). They are considered to be the most vulnerable of all children’s age groups and the majority of them have a greater risk of having health related issues including chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis and liver cancer (Ni, 2011, p. 2, 5; Rots et al., 2010, p. 894; Levy, 2012, p. 206). The other program assists in improving adolescents’ health owing to the fact that approximately two thirds of adolescents may be identified as a â€Å"high risk group† due to their unprotected sexual contacts which could result in development of hepatitis B infection (Gidding et al., 2007, p. 8638; 8640; Rots et al., 2010, p. 894; Van Herck Van Damme, 2008, p. 861). It is considered that these strategies may protect the health of children and adolescents by controlling the spread of hepatitis B from person to the person (Zanetti et al., 2008, p. 6268; Ni, 2011, p. 5- 6). It has been highlighted that a number of scheduled hepatitis B vaccinations are required to be administered to children (NCIRS, 2012, p. 4- 5; Rots et al., 2010, p. 894; Zanetti et al., 2008, p. 6267). It is a requirement that the first hepatitis B vaccination is essential to be provided to infants immediately â€Å"within twenty four hours after their birth† followed by a further three doses that are given every couple months till six months of their age (Rots et al., 2008, p. 894; WHO, 2013; NCIRS, 2012, p.1, 4). This schedule of vaccinations has dramatically decreased the predisposition for hepatitis B infection from their mother (Rots et al., 2008, p. 894; NCIRS, 2012, p.1, 4). However, with regards to adolescents aged between 11 and 15, the vaccination against hepatitis B is scheduled in two doses with an interval of six months between them (NCIRS, 2012, p. 5; Rots et al., 2010, p. 894). In cases where a child’s immune system is severely compromised by serious heal th diseases such as obesity or HIV, it is recommended that the administered dose of hepatitis B vaccine should be doubled (NCIRS, 2012, p. 4- 5; Zanetti et al., 2008, p. 6267). To achieve maximum benefit from the vaccination the injections are to be administered in the thigh for the children up to 12 months of age, while those older than that age are required to be administered in deltoid muscle (Zanetti et al., 2008, p. 6267). As the hepatitis B immunisation is usually not contraindicated with the other vaccinations it could be given to children together with the other scheduled vaccinations including diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (Rots et al., 2010, p. 894). Nevertheless, observation of the children is required due to the possible development of adverse negative reactions of the vaccines (Zanetti et al., 2008, p. 6267). The effectiveness of hepatitis B vaccination programs is crucial in order to reduce the morbidity of hepatitis B disease together with related liver complications (Rots et al., 2010, p. 897). By measuring the effect of immunisation, it can be determined whether benefits are being achieved or other strategies need to be considered (Ni, 2011, p. 5). The WHO analysis of hepatitis B disease shows that the implementation of hepatitis B immunisation does have a positive effect on the future health of children and adolescents (WHO, 2013). Studies have been conducted to examine the effectivity of implemented vaccination programs along with their financial cost (Gidding et al., 2007, p. 8640; Zanetti et al., 2008, p. 6268). It was found that the â€Å"universal vaccination† was highly effective when administering it to children from birth (Roznovsky et al., 2010, p. 398).However, after 10-15 years it offered little protection to the immunised children (Rots et al., 2010, p. 898; Roznov sky et al., 2010, p. 396, 398; Zanetti et al., 2008, p. 6267). Studies showed that the antibodies produced in response to the hepatitis B immunisation are diminished as the adolescents age and this may lead to the development of chronic liver infection (Zanetti et al., 2008, p. 6267). In this case the â€Å"school-based programs† are necessary in terms of administering additional doses of hepatitis B vaccination that may assist in protecting child’s health in the long-term, but may be costly for society (Gidding et al., 2007, p. 8640; Rots et al., 2010, p. 898). Additionally, a financial burden may also be associated with the failure of detecting HBV either in mothers or their babies due to insufficient screening (Gidding et al., 2007, p. 8637). Unfortunately, hepatitis immunisation programs which have shown to be very effective for many decades are now in danger of being removed from government agenda (Van Herck Van Damme, 2008, p. 861). In summation, the hepatitis B vaccination programs have been very effective as reducing the incidence of disease in society. The corresponding reduction in the burden and impact on families together with reduced costs has been very beneficial. However, because of the success of the vaccination programs they no longer hold the same governmental priorities and may be reduced over time.

Computer Hacking :: essays papers

Computer Hacking Precis of 'Who's reading your E-mail" The article exposes the vulnerability of computer data and of corporations with the popularity of the Internet. The Internet can allow hackers access to any computer in the world, with understated ease. Break-ins can go virtually undetected. Major corporations and government security departments have acknowledged that hacker break-ins are out of control. Some companies are too fearful to join networks because of this. Software programs brought out to deal with the growing problem, such as firewalls, are no longer totally effective. New technology has been developed such as ''Pilot Network Services' (offering supervised Internet access); 'Netranger' (a monitor device used by Pentagon) and 'Encrypton' (software that jumbles messages). The basics of computer security (using difficult passwords, and guarding of data) are not being met in a disturbingly large number of American companies surveyed. A new bill demands that system operators become responsible for security. Hackers can be prosecuted (with subsequent heavy penalties) only if the exposed company has actively shown that it was security conscious. Further more, exposed companies are liable to other companies if their lack of security precautions allowed their computer network to become an opening for other company break-ins. Companies are dis-inclined to report breaches in security as it denotes a poor image and highlights their vulnerability. Clients demand security, and lack of it will send them elsewhere. Billions of dollars annually is spent on protection devices. Others are utilizing the expertise of former convicted hackers to fine tune and update their security features. It is a case of befriending the enemy in order to learn more. These hackers come out of goal with a ready market for their expertise, and great financial rewards. The explosion of the Internet use, and networks around the world have brought with it a need for greater security consciousness amongst its users and systems operation managers. Technology needs to be constantly updated in the war against the ever-growing insidious and malicious hacker. Precis of 'Hackers: Taking a byte out of computer crime' by W. Roush. Roush discusses the changing face of computer crime with the advent of the modem and stricter laws. The article touches on the effect these changes are having on hackers themselves, and the measures that are put in place to deal with the problem. It also explores the common ground which hackers and computer security experts agree on. In the 1960's the dictionary definition of a hacker was that of a "computer virtuoso". Hackers comprised of young, computer literate and rebellious gangs vying for the status symbol image and thrill of breaking into a computer network. This all changed with the popularity of the modem and an increasing

Reflective Assignment Essay

This essay is a reflective account on my experience within the introductory period of my practice when caring for a patient. The essay will give the definition of reflection. This reflective essay will help me demonstrate how my experience in practice has helped me achieve one of the learning outcomes in my learning plan, (appendix 1). Driscoll (2000) will be used as a reflective model. The essay will explore what (description of events) so what (analysis) and now what (action plan). This essay is going to reflect on the importance of good communication with patients. Names in this essay have been changed, to respect the confidentiality of the patient and other healthcare professionals (NMC 2008). Reflection is ‘reviewing experience from practice so that it may be described, analysed, evaluated and consequently used to inform and change future practice’ (Bulman and Schutz, 2008: page 6). I was placed in an acute admissions ward at a Mental hospital. The ward is an admission ward for assessment and it admits all patients between 16-65 years for psychiatric treatment. What happened was one morning in this ward a male patient, Joe was brought in by the police, detained under Section 2 of the Mental Health Act 1983. I was assigned to admit the patient; NMC 2010a states that it is a requirement of nurses to have up-to-date and accurate records of patients. When my mentor Sarah, asked me to admit the patient, I agreed to do the admission process even though I felt I was not confident to do it, I had only observed Sarah admit a patient once. I felt I would be deemed incompetent if I turned down the opportunity to admit this patient even though I was not really confident in doing so I did not want to allow anything to work against me on this placement. I went to Joe and attempted to inform him that I was to take him through the admission process as well as to check his baseline observations. He looked at me and as if taking no notice of what I had just said started talking about how his wife betrayed him, he went on and on talking about his wife. I repeated myself but he kept on talking about his wife. In my head I thought he was just being difficult and it was time for me to check the observations of other patients. I repeated myself again telling him what I intended to do and this time Joe jumped from his sit and came very close to my face. Whilst standing very close to my personal space he shouted loudly saying â€Å"I am not going to talk to you monkeys until I speak with my GP and my Lawyer†, he then pushed me to the side and he walked off. In a state of shock I went back to Sarah and explained everything that had happened. This incident left me feeling confused and incompetent; I blamed myself for failing to perform what appeared like a simple task that my mentor had asked of me. Sarah sat down with me and explained to me that the patient was well known having been admitted on the ward several times before and is familiar to most of the staff. She thought Joe was behaving in such a way because I was new to him and also the fear of just being in a hospital away from his family contributed to his presentation. According to Chapman and Kimberly B. (2009) most patients experience the stress of being hospitalized and good communication has been identified as one of the tactics which will relieve them. Sarah took me with her to Joe, she wanted me to observe how closely she communicated with him and made him to relax. When we approached him he pointed at me and asked, ‘who is she? ’ Sarah introduced me to Joe then she asked him to come to a separate room with us. Surprisingly to me Joe did not refuse, Sarah spoke with him in an assertive but calm manner, she stated to him the importance of having his physical observations checked, this was to ensure that Joe understood the procedure for him to be able to give us his consent (NMC 2008). Joe was very co-operative and the admission process went on smoothly. I made sure I documented the procedures clearly. The second stage of Driscoll (2002) is the analysis of the events. Looking back at the way I had communicated with Joe and realized that might have contributed to the way he reacted. According to Sheldon (2004) ‘communication in nursing is a sharing of health-related information between a patient and a nurse, with both participants as sources and receivers’. Sully and Dallas (2010) also points out that communication is not just one way, it is a two way process. I realised that my communication with Joe was just one way. He was saying something to me, instead of listening I was telling him something and vice versa. No one was receiving information we were both encoding words that were not being decoded by any one. Sully and Dallas (2010) highlight how communication has need for a sender, a messenger, a receiver and a channel. When Joe asked Sarah, who I was, I realised that I had not introduced myself to him; this could be one of the reasons why he did not want to cooperate. Delvaux et al. 2004 states that to promote patient satisfaction ensure that the patient understands who you are and your specific role. Also Joe might have not understood me because when l said I wanted to check his physical observations he looked puzzled, he might not have known what an admission is nor what physical are. It was important for me to establish mutual understanding; this would have improved the outcome and help reduce his stress, (Fellowes et al 2004) From this experience l learnt that listening is an important skill to have in communication. Joe perhaps became angry about not being listened to, he did not feel valued. I realised that I should have listened to him and shown him some empathy. According to Rogers (1967) ‘empathy is the ability to feel a continuing desire to understand the client’s feelings and communications as they seem to him at the moment’. Roger (1967) also highlights that communication occurs when we listen with understanding. Just listening and trying to understand what Joe was saying could have helped me establish a therapeutic understanding with him. When Sarah was communicating with Joe she showed she was not only listening but also empathizing with him. When he mentioned about his wife betraying him Sarah was nodding her head to show she understood what he was saying. Words and language that we use sometimes only play a small part in passing on any message compared to body language, facial expressions and gestures. These will have an impact on the total sum of communication. (Hargie and Dickson 2004). Thirds stage of Driscoll is the Now what, which is my action plan, Since effective communication is extensively regarded as a key determinant of patient satisfaction, compliance and recovery it is important for me to have the suitable communication skills and to be adequately confident to use them in my clinical practice. From now when I am a student to the time I qualify my responsibility lies in improving my knowledge and skills on good communication and to be a good role model to others. Communication is a skill that I have to learn and it requires me to continually improve. In order for me to improve on my communication skills when I get back to my placement I need to have the commitment to listen more to what the patients are saying and to understand them fully. I also need to show them that I am listening and understanding them I must communicate this understanding to the patient. (Sully and Dallas, 2010). In my learning plan I stated that in order to improve my communication skills I must learn from my mentor and other health care professional as well as to research by reading more on communication. This incident has taught me that I can never say because I have been reading and learning from my mentor my communication skills are perfect. I am still learning on communication, it’s an ongoing process so I will still need to use my learning plan as well as all the information I have learnt from this incident as my primary plan. If my communication skills are well developed I will be able to manage situations now as a student as well as in the future when I qualify. Being able to manage situations can provide greater job satisfaction and it also reduces stress. (Dougherty, L. and Lister, S. 2011) In conclusion my experience taught me that communication is not just about talking, it involves, listening, looking and understanding what’s being said. Good communication builds confidence and understanding between nurse and patients and works well in improving their relationship. Communication is the basis of the relationship between the nurse and other members of the multi disciplinary team. If ever I get another opportunity to admit a patient I will start off by introducing myself and make sure that the patient understands what I am saying by giving him the opportunity to ask questions. I also learnt that if I am not confident in doing something I should talk to my mentor or any senior member of staff present and be sure on how to proceed with the allocated task. What I liked is on the same day another patient came and I was asked to do admit another patient again and I managed to do it confidently and the patient was very co operative.

Economics Terms and Health Care History Essay

Introduction The healthcare economics have changed so much over the years. The changed was because of the evolutionary changes that happened in the United States which cause the dramatic change in the economics medical technology. One of the main reasons that moves all things are by health care economics is the money and the money help keeps an organization to established and be stable and it is the key to success. One way that the organization is using to help run the business is the cash flow system. It run the business and somehow help in making a decision in the future and also learning the healthcare economics. â€Å"Economics is the science that deals with the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services or the material welfare of human kind.† (Getzen & Moore, 2007). There are some factors that contributed to the evolution of healthcare and these are technology and medical advancement. If somebody understand the flow of funds and the health care economics started, it will be easier task of planning for the future. Like what I mentioned earlier it’s the money is the driving force at health care economics. In the past most people paid privately for health care. The funding began over the years that come more from the health care insurance. That way the individuals are only paying a portion of the cost of the health care insurance the private insurance will pay the rest. (Getzen & Moore, 2007) The United States technology change because of the supply and demand and new technology system are continuously upgrading and updating to help the  increasing population in United States. Before our time people who needs to be treated by a doctor will trade things that they own in exchange for the payment of the health service, they did not have any money or they couldn’t afford the cost of the health care services. There are times the doctors would trade treatment for some things such as cotton, livestock, grain and jewelry as the patient form of Economic Terms and Health Care History3 payment. These doctors were tradesmen, the patient was paying one hundred percent cost for health care services rendered. As the United Stated progress with the technology and other historical factors, such as The Great Depression, a new health care system was made to aid the American population in purchasing medical services. Microeconomics and Macroeconomics Microeconomics is how the individuals and organizations make a decision on how to allocate the resources that are available so by allocating the resources they can meet their own or the consumer demands. Macroeconomics is the general population or the health care system as a whole, rather than the individual consumers or organizations. Both Microeconomics and Macroeconomics explained that the supply and demand of the population. Microeconomics concentrate on the product costs in any given market. Macroeconomics explain the price of the product that are sold. Macroeconomics are influenced by inflation, consumer consumption and employment rates. In Microeconomics, the individual that need medical are but do not have health care insurance may continue the treatment until it finish. The health care system that can assist this individual are through Medicaid or Medicare. However Microeconomics affects Macroeconomics. For the patient or the organization with the demands that are not met, the whole system becomes stained. Economic Terms and Health Care History4 Gross Domestic Product Gross Domestic Product are consists of total market value of all services  and goods that produced during the specific period of time. (Apollo Group, 2010). This comprises the services and goods that are produce with the market values over a year. The three ways gross market value determined are expenditures, product approach and income approach. Despite with all approaches the outcomes are identical. Elasticity and Inelasticity The consumers determined the elasticity same as the cost of the products by supply and demand. If the consumer agreed that the product is important or essential, then the cost of the product may be higher, most of the time consumer will continue to purchase the product out of necessity and still willing to play a higher price. So if the product or service is in such a great demand and consumer still willing to purchase regardless of its costs, then it is considered inelastic. Supply and Demand The Supply and Demand played an important role in the society. It has influenced the prices and the quantities of the product available. This is where microeconomics and macroeconomics get affected. If there are no demand of the products then the supply of the product gets affected. The supply of the product will be limited if there are no demands. If the demands is a lot, then the supply would be limited as well, it is because of how much the product is sold and the quantity of the supplier can sell the product. The consumer always consider the cost of the products, by this it determine the supply and demand of the product. Economic Terms and Health Care History5 Conclusion Economics is part of our health care industry, it can be used to predict the costs in the health care world by supply and demand, microeconomics and macroeconomics, service elasticity and inelasticity. Economics Terms and Health Care History6 References: Getzen and Allen 2007, Healthcare Economics http://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/110.asp

homeless problem essays

homeless problem essays Many homeless people have mental illnesses and it is not easy for them to restart their lives and get a job. Many of them also have drug or alcohol problems, which makes it very difficult to get a long term job making enough income to support themselves. Homeless people need help getting off the streets but are unable to do it by themselves. People should not just give the homeless the cold shoulder and keep on walking like nothing is wrong. In order for the homeless problem to stop, we the people must make it end by helping the less fortunate get to shelters or to some other source of help. Fifty percent of the homeless in America today struggle with mental diseases (Kraljic pg11). These diseases make it hard to associate normally with people. The three most common diseases they suffer from are schizophrenia, bipolar condition, and major depression (Mental 1). Schizophrenia, a disease of the brain, is one of the most disabling and emotionally devastating illnesses known to man. Schizophrenia is characterized by major disruption in thinking abilities and emotions which affects the most basic human needs: language, thought, perception, affect, and sense of self. The most common symptoms are hallucinations and/or delusions. This causes a person to act differently and have suspicion and fear of human contact (Mental 1). Bipolar disorder, also known as manic depressive illness, is a common illness shown by episodes of mania and major depression. A person's mood can change from excessive highs (mania) to major hopelessness (depression), usually with periods of norma l mood in between. This condition really makes it hard to associate normally with people. Clinical depression is an illness characterized by a bunch of feelings, thoughts, and behaviors that are very different from a person's normal feelings and actions (Mental pg1). During a major depression, a person becomes surrounded by feelings of sadness, e...

Silent Spring by Rachel Carson

Silent Spring by Rachel Carson Books’ Argument Life and humans’ ecosystem depend on the environment entirely. The book of Rachel Carson, which is titled as â€Å"Silent Spring†, has shed light on what environmental conservation entails. This book describes the threats faced by the environment due to human activities. It is interested in environmental conservation and the threats of its degradation to nature where it elaborates the details concerning environmental conditions.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on â€Å"Silent Spring† by Rachel Carson specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In perspective, the author inspects the areas of the environment that have been affected adversely which include the earth’s water sources and atmosphere among others. In this light, she argues that the human race has to pay because of misusing the environment and encourages humanity to conserve it properly. Furthermore, she identifies and c riticizes the strategies that are applied without considering the environmental conservation and protection. In this regard, she describes the effects of using DDT when showing how people have neglected other creatures in the ecosystem. This book has assessed most aspects including the positive and the vast negative impacts of human activities on the environment. The explicit details of societal participation in environmental pollution have pointed out clearly about the effects of human activities and their impacts on the surrounding. She argues that the environment depends entirely on the activities of human beings. Rachel establishes the impacts of man’s socio-economic activities on the environment and the society. Social Factors Several social factors have been outlined in the book as the possible causes of environmental degradation. These factors include overcrowding that arises in the refugee camps. The strategies initiated to save refugees’ lives have resulted to pollution of rivers and other water sources. For instance, the government launches plans to boost food production through irrigation projects which use pesticides. Unfortunately, these actions have led to adverse reactions including the pollution of rivers among others. In this light, a refugee manager attributed the death of birds to pesticide accumulation in the rivers due to the agricultural practices (Rachel, 45). These depict how the human population causes environmental degradation. In malaria prevalent areas, the pesticides used to control mosquitoes have led to a decline in the insects’ population due to the use of DDT. Moreover, Carson also identifies poverty as a major player in the degradation of the environment. The insect disease vectors that carry malaria are very common in places with poor sanitation which arise due to poor social setup and economic imbalances.Advertising Looking for essay on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get you r first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Impacts of Degradation Several impacts of degradation have been identified in the societies and the environment. The pollution of the environment by the pesticides drained into rivers has led to the loss of biodiversity owing to the fact that birds inhabiting the rivers are reported dead. The other result of degradation is the reduced aesthetic value of the environment. The author has brought up a clear incident on how trees are drying due to the use of pesticides. In areas prone to environmental degradation, reduced fecundity, malnutrition, and pandemic diseases have resulted to a negative change of the human population. There are diseases that reduce human lifespan and cause many deaths. The incident elaborated by Carson about two boys who died in Florida is a clear illustration on how death arises from the wastes that people dispose carelessly in the environment (Rachel, 28). Therefore, â€Å"Silent Spring† is the liter ature that most environmental scientists appreciate as it evaluates most issues concerning; the social causes of environmental degradation, its impacts in the societies, and its effects on the environment as a whole. Carson, Rachel. Silent Spring. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2002. Print.

Are Cell Phones Good for Health Essay Example for Free

Are Cell Phones Good for Health Essay Talking on a cellular phone or living near to a cell site does not cause cancer, according to a report by the Royal Society of Canada. The society looked at GSM networks, mobile phones, cell site antennas and roof top aerials, on behalf of Health Canada. They did, however say that the existing safety limits for maintenance staff working on the cell sites, and should be revised to take into account possible damage to the eyes, due to the unique physiological make up of the eye. † Upgrade handsets: If you are using too old handset, upgrade it to some recent handset which has released in last 1-2 years. Recent handsets use low power and take care of reflections to save battery as well as high radiations. Use standard handsets: Some cheap mobiles do not maintain standards. Always use handsets from branded companies. Cheap phones can be harmful to life. Use Bluetooth: Use Bluetooth headset/hands free to talk on phone. Bluetooth operates on low frequency. You can put the phone in back pocket. Use PC software: SMS chatting is most common in youngsters. Most of brands provide PC connectivity software’s; some 3rd party tools are also available. Connect cell phone to PC through Bluetooth, keep mobile at a distance and enjoy SMS. Use Flight Mode: Switching off and on mobile might be tedious when it’s not in use. Use flight mode profile of phone to deactivate radio signals, it will perform same operation as switch off but keeping other functions on. Avoid Mobile Internet: Get a wired internet connection for PC to use at home. Avoid using mobile internet connections (GPRS and 3G based). You will always find a cheaper wired internet option in this competitive market. Are Cell Phones Good for Health. (2017, Jan 20).

Soc Of Develop Countries Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Soc Of Develop Countries - Essay Example This highlights that the Hondurans have not realized a new engagement strategy as per the Obama’s undertaking. The Obama administration has called for the promotion of democracy and has clearly indicated that Coup is not an appropriate approach of resolving conflicts; however, the administration has not responded accordingly. The article observes that the US administration has adopted a silent position because of the fear of the growing authority in the Latin nations. This indicates the administration’s views are not justifiable. The secret of the people’s power in a situation of a revolution emanates with their ability to uniting for a common interest. A revolution may start with few individuals; however, if these individuals have ideologies that can attract other peoples to their side, they can easily establish a huge group with a strong command (Griffiths, 2011). This is affirmed by the fact that a leader may silence one or two protesters, but can hardly suppress millions of protesters who are determined to witness a change. Apparently, no personal skills or leadership tactics can survive such forces. Accordingly, focus is an imperative aspect that is attributable to the secret of the people’s authority during revolution. Indeed, people who has strong quest of changing a certain situation are likely to attain the same (Handelman, 2011). Political instabilities and poor governance that fails to uphold the concept of democracy are crucial factors, which may lead to suctioning of military interventions in the Third World politics (Handelman, 2011). An autonomy state reserves the authority of controlling its territory. However, in situations where a state fails to exercise appropriate control, global military intervention becomes essential. This is primarily promoted by a situation that present existence of persistent unsettled religious, racial or historical concerns of great magnitude. Importantly, military intervention may be necessary in a

Arbitration Process Versus Litigation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Arbitration Process Versus Litigation - Essay Example The law that regulates actual arbitration procedure, next to the specific law or rules that arbitral tribunal has to use in the matter and finally law for recognition and enforcement of the decision of the arbitral tribunal, known as an arbitration award. The laws governing arbitration proceedings may be same but it is not necessarily so always. Since most of the international arbitration take place in a neutral country to which neither the arbitrating parties belong. So the law of the proceedings, as applied to the matter of the case and known as substantive or applied law, may be different from the law of enforcement of the award. For example, an arbitral tribunal sitting in England will have English law for a place of arbitration but may need to apply New York law as substantive law1. Compared to the courts of law, arbitration is a â€Å"primitive’ way to resolve the issues which is simple because of less formality and expense. The person deciding the dispute has the qualification that he is accepted for arbitration by two parties.2 For example, two merchants disputing over damage to their goods would turn to and accept the judgment of a third, fellow merchant. Actually such had been a community practice to maintain peace and harmony among members of business community3. Why International Arbitration? The answer may come from the fact that sometimes the national law is not sufficient to resolve disputes between warring parties. For e.g. A corporation based in the USA contracts another in Germany. The contract is for setting up a power plant in Egypt with any disputes to be arbitrated in London. Now, if a dispute arises and one of the party refuses to arbitrate or the losing party refuses to carry out the award. No national law can resolve the dispute in such case and is an International treaty was necessary to link the national laws and respecting the award (see footnote 1 p. 4).

Launch of Zico in the 2012 London Olympics Essay

Launch of Zico in the 2012 London Olympics - Essay Example This is because of the fact that considering the advantages coconut water has to offer to the consumer, it can prove to be an essential drink for the elderly too. Keeping in mind the target audience, Coca Cola is launching Coca Cola Zico in the UK market by using the London 2012 Olympics as the major platform for it since the Olympics is considered to be the most prestigious sporting event to take place once in four years. The Zico campaign can certainly attract a lot of audience who are sport loving. For this to happen, Coca Cola can employ both advertising and public relations program to achieve their aim to successfully launch their new product. Let’s first define the two marketing strategies. Advertising is an act of selling a product by conveying a message to the audience about the existence of a product. It can be done using both the print and electronic media to reach the masses. On the other hand, Public Relations (PR) refers to the establishment of strong relations wi th the company’s publics which helps in building a strong brand image. Public relations can include activities like sponsorships, covering sport events, etc. (CIPR, 2012) Carrying out advertising may not sound as simple because it entails a lot of aspects that need to be taken account of. Marketers all over the world come across many hurdles before coming up with an advertising strategy. These environmental challenges include the following: 1. Demographics: income distribution, changing lifestyle, standard of living and the likes; 2. Economic environment: per capita income, state of the economy, etc. ; 3. Cultural environment: for instance, the ad on the right of Vita Coco, the market leader in terms of coconut water in the US, maybe unacceptable in the South Asian culture but accepted in the UK culture; (Buss, 2012) 4. Political and social environment: legislation, ethics, laws, society itself, etc. Since the case is such that a new product is being launched in to the UK mar ket, the role of advertising shall be to both inform and remind the consumers about Zico. The reason for this is that the public relations program will be taking place during the Olympics and it will be followed up by the advertising campaign. The initial step to outline an advertising campaign for Zico would be to decide upon the advertising budget that Coca Cola will spend after the end of London Olympics. Since it’s a new product, it will require a large budget. Considering the ?500,000 media budget, a 60:40 split should be done with advertising getting more as opposed to public relations. The primary reason is that advertising helps in conveying the message to a larger audience with a lower cost per audience. Considering the budget constraints, it is imperative to make the best use of the finance available. Market share also plays an impact on the advertising budget. Since we don’t have sufficient information as to how many players are already in the market, itâ₠¬â„¢s hard to comment about it. For instance, the US market comprises of Pepsi’s ONE and Vita Coco that are doing very well. In case, they exist in the UK market, the role of advertising will also be persuasive in addition to informing. (Esterl, 2012) The second step in designing the advertising strategy would be to create an advertising message. In order to overcome the issue of message retention and attention, the campaign has to be clutter breaking. The concept

Economical and Environmental Consequences of Overfishing Essay

Economical and Environmental Consequences of Overfishing - Essay Example The problem of overfishing has its roots in human activities. Human beings have the mandate of taking care of their environments but in most cases, they do not do it. Human activities increase carbon emissions, which is a root cause of the problem is acidification of our seas. According to United Nations Environment as quoted in Ecocentric times, increasing carbon emissions has found its way in our oceans and the PH balance is no longer the same. Although only a few species like the crabs, corals, and shellfish will be greatly affected by acidification of the seas, a broken ecosystem balance will also affect the fish and hence food security (Walsh Web). It is worth noting, with interest, that all forms of life are interdependent and that extinction of one form of life threatens the survival of the rest of the ecosystem either directly or indirectly. On a global scale, the world has enough fish to cater for all its inhabitants and three other planets like earth. This means that the pr oblem is not with less fish in our oceans. According to Koster, â€Å"Worldwide, fishing fleets are two to three times as large as needed to take present-day catches of fish and other marine species and as what our oceans can support† (Koster, 2011, p.1). ...Statistics show that for every five persons, one depends on fish as a source of protein. Monterey Bay Aquarium foundation as quoted in Sea the Sea website clearly shows a great rise in fishing volumes. It is claimed, â€Å"Between 1950 and 1994, total fish caught increased by 400% and this increased in subsequent years† (Sea-the Sea, Web). UN Food and Agricultural Organisation statistics as quoted in Overfishing website depicts that there is no proper balance of fishing habits. That is â€Å"52% of fish fully exploited, 20% moderately exploited, 17% overexploited, 7% depleted, and 1% recovering from depletion† (Koster, 2011, p.1). At times overfishing is caused by corrupt activities of the managers of the se as who fully aware of the stress in our seas allow fishing. First, overfishing is a problem since economically fishing is an activity that supports so many livelihoods who earn a living from it. According to a UN website, â€Å"200 million people in the world depend on fishing worldwide† (Natal, 2006, P.1). Overfishing means that we are risking such millions of people losing their ways of earning a living. This is because fish is a finite resource that depletes over time especially if the stocks of fish left cannot replenish themselves. Secondly, overfishing destroys the normal ecosystem flow of marine species. This occurs after the extinction of one or more species that depend on the other for survival, which means that extinction of one or more fish species will adversely affect other sea species or even cause their extinction too.

Operations management for creating competitive advantage Essay

Operations management for creating competitive advantage - Essay Example For instance, locations are first selected keeping in mind the country, then the region and lastly the site. Stakeholders, especially the shareholders are taken care of by maximizing the profits of the company and putting back profits in the betterment of the company only. Some of the recommendations that have been given are that of using mathematical techniques in choosing locations and the starting of slotting fees. The budget that will be used is to hire trained human resources and the huge costs for buying backward links that is suppliers. The innovative recommendation is that of using scent marketing. All in all, the company Tesco is practicing efficient operations management but there is always room for improvement, if they want to sustain their position of market leader. This case study is aimed at applying the theoretical side of the study of operations management to a real world company. Operations management is a very broad term and thus it incorporates within itself many various issues and activities through which an organization’s goods and services are changed and transformed from the inputs that were put to the outputs that are produced. It is about the various operations that are performed on the goods and services from the moment their production starts to the moment the customer receives it. In this report, Britain-based company Tesco has been aimed and its operations management activities have been analyzed. Recommendations on how OM activities can be improved have also been given. The report also evaluates the various financials behind the activities as well as the budget that may be required. The problem faced by Tesco is that of sustaining its market leader position. Competition from Sainsbury and other leading retail stores is a big threat for Tesco and it does not want to lose out on market share to these competitors. Thus, improving on operations management is one of the basic things that it can

Supreme Court Cases in Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Supreme Court Cases in Education - Essay Example Linda Carol Brown was an eight year old girl who was denied the privilege of attending the Sumner Elementary School, because she was black. Linda Brown had to walk six blocks, over a switch track, just to catch a bus, although the Sumner Elementary School was a mere seven blocks away. Her father, Reverend Oliver Brown, was a well respected Christian minister. He peacefully approached the principal of the all-white school and calmly asked if his daughter could attend. Linda Brown and her father were immediately denied the right to attend the school. At this point, Reverend Brown sought the assistance of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) (Dudley, 2004). The NAACP was an organization that was born in 1909. Its goal was to grant all minorities the rights of equal voting, schooling, and housing. It pounced on the opportunity to have a legal battle with the white dominated public schools of America. For years, the NAACP had attempted to stop this sinister way of life through court cases. Until Brown v. Board, the many attempts had proved unsuccessful. The head of the NAACP, Thurgood Marshall, figured that with Linda Carol Brown, they had the greatest possible chance of winning the court case and upsetting the former case, Plessy v. Ferguson. On February 28, 1951, Linda Brown, her father and the NAACP filed their lawsuit against the Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas (Barlow, 2004). A grand jury decided to hear their case but their plea for the overturning of Plessy .v. Ferguson was quickly dismissed. Since the case was being held in Kansas, a southern state, the jury was mostly composed of white male, landowners who still believed that African Americans were inferior humans. This was the reason that the court decided to reject the proposed idea of integrated school districts. Because of appeals, the case kept advancing from court to court,

Operations management for creating competitive advantage Essay

Operations management for creating competitive advantage - Essay Example For instance, locations are first selected keeping in mind the country, then the region and lastly the site. Stakeholders, especially the shareholders are taken care of by maximizing the profits of the company and putting back profits in the betterment of the company only. Some of the recommendations that have been given are that of using mathematical techniques in choosing locations and the starting of slotting fees. The budget that will be used is to hire trained human resources and the huge costs for buying backward links that is suppliers. The innovative recommendation is that of using scent marketing. All in all, the company Tesco is practicing efficient operations management but there is always room for improvement, if they want to sustain their position of market leader. This case study is aimed at applying the theoretical side of the study of operations management to a real world company. Operations management is a very broad term and thus it incorporates within itself many various issues and activities through which an organization’s goods and services are changed and transformed from the inputs that were put to the outputs that are produced. It is about the various operations that are performed on the goods and services from the moment their production starts to the moment the customer receives it. In this report, Britain-based company Tesco has been aimed and its operations management activities have been analyzed. Recommendations on how OM activities can be improved have also been given. The report also evaluates the various financials behind the activities as well as the budget that may be required. The problem faced by Tesco is that of sustaining its market leader position. Competition from Sainsbury and other leading retail stores is a big threat for Tesco and it does not want to lose out on market share to these competitors. Thus, improving on operations management is one of the basic things that it can

Ethics and Corporate Responsibility in the Workplace and the World Essay Example for Free

Ethics and Corporate Responsibility in the Workplace and the World Essay Abstract This paper will examine the ethics of a pharmaceutical company by the name of PharmaCARE. Stakeholders will be discussed, and the treatment of rank and file workers versus executives will be analyzed. Also the proposed firing of three of PharmaCare’s workers will be debated. Additionally obligations, protection, and whistleblowing opportunities will be examined on behalf of Allen a manager for the company. PharmaCARE’s environmental initiatives will be assessed and compared to their efforts to stop environmental laws and regulations. The Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act ( CERCLA) will be reviewed, and all provisions which apply to the PharmaCARE scenario will be discussed. PharmaCARE is one of the world’s most successful pharmaceutical companies. It has a reputation for producing high quality products that saved millions of lives, and enhance the quality of millions of others. The company sponsors a program that offers free and discounted medication to low income customers. PharmaCARE has many stakeholders. Stakeholders being any one or group owning a significant percentage of a company shares, or a person or group not owning shares in an enterprise but affected by or having interest in its operation.(W.Dictionary) Having established the definition of a stakeholder, one can concur that PharmaCARE has plenty. When identifying the company’s stakeholders the first that come to mind are the investors, shareholders and employees, without these people the company would cease to exist. The secondary stakeholders are the customers, suppliers, communities, clinics, hospitals, and doctors’ offices, all of these groups have an interest or wil l be affected by the operations of PharmaCARE. Established in New Jersey, PharmaCARE owns a substantial manufacturing facility in the African nation of Colberia. The natives of the land are extremely poor and maintain the lowest standard of living. PharmaCARE employs the natives, paying them a measly one dollar a day salary to gather plants and carry up to fifty pounds five miles. The company executives that run the facility on the other hand live in a luxury compound provided by the company. PharmaCARE’s practice of paying people to work for a dollar a day is totally utilitarian. They are getting cheap labor and destroying the land of the natives without even trying to provide a structure to help the people out of poverty, or provide equipment or facilities to help them replenish their land. PharmaCARE is morally corrupt, they have no sense of community when it comes to their bottom line. The executive of PharmaCARE are paid sizable salaries and are treated well. They are provided with facilities that contain all the amen ities. The lower ranking employees are treated as expendables. They are expected to work in unsafe conditions without complaint, or risk the chance of being fired. They are in some cases paid a salary so miniscule that it can be interpreted as modern day slavery. On the surface PharmaCARE looks to be an ethically sound company but when closely evaluated it is utilitarianism at its worst. Allen Jones a manager for the company was appointed to lead a new division created by PharmaCARE called CompCARE. The subsidiary was a way for PharmaCARE to avoid FDA scrutiny concerning the reformulation and selling of their top selling diabetes drug. The company quickly established CompCARE and did a low cost renovation to an office located close to headquarter. The new formulation of the drug was successful for treating Alzheimer and the success of CompCARE grew. As production and working hours increased employees began to fall ill. An employee brought to Allen’s attention that there was mold on the air vents, after contacting his supervisor Allen was told to ignore the fact. An EE by the name of Donna who previously had perfect attendance became so ill that she could no longer report to work because of the mold. So she eventually filed for workers compensation. Tom one of Allen’s best supervisor threaten to file a complaint with OSHA about the air quality at the fac ility because it was so bad. Lastly an EE named Ayesha filed an EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) complaint  inferring that she had been looked over for a promotion because she was Muslim. Allen discussed the EE issues with his boss and was told to fire them all. Firing the EEs would not be the best decision for Allen, he has to consider the legal ramifications of his actions. Legally, Allen cannot fire Donna for filing for workers compensation, an EE is protected by law from retaliation for filing a claim. Donna had excellent work evaluations prior to her illness, Allen would have to provide sufficient evidence that firing her was not due to the filing of a workers comp claim. Firing Donna would surely bring an employment discrimination lawsuit against PharmaCARE, it would be wise for Allen to convince his boss to take care of the mold problem in the facility it would save the company money in the long run. Terminating Tom would also bring litigations against PharmaCARE, Tom could allege that he was wrongfully discharged, because he complained about his unsafe working conditions and threaten to inform OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Commission). Under the Wrongful Discharge from Employment Act one cannot be terminated for reporting a violation of public policy or not for good cause once a probationary period is completed. Tom was Allen’s best supervisor, terminating him would be illegal. Allen needs to persuade his boss to remedy the mold problem at the facility, he needs to explain to him that it is in the best interest of the company. Lastly Allen could legally fire Ayesha, not because of her filing a complaint with EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunities Commission) but for not being able to substantiate the claim. Under the Employment-at- Will Act he can terminate her unless some type of contractual terms are stated or implied in the employer’s handbook. Allen’s managerial status puts him in a unique position, he has direct contact with the executives and daily interactions with the lower level EE. Allen is faced with legal and ethical issues, Allen has been told to allow workers to remain in a hazardous work environment. The air quality of the workplace is dangerous to the health of any one working in the environment. As a manager he has an ethical and legal duty to report the conditions of his jobsite to first his superiors, then to OSHA if no measures are taken to correct the problem. Allen’s boss has made it clear that nothing will be done about the air pollution, so reporting this problem to OSHA would  benefit Allen legally. As a manager Allen was made aware of the problem by an employee, if the employee decides to contact OSHA and inform them that they reported this problem to him he may be fired later for not taking steps to remedy the problem. Once you submit a complaint to OSHA your company cannot retaliate against you, this will protect Allen from getting fired and having legal action taken against him. Allen reporting to OSHA is his best option, his job will be protected and he would have done the right thing for the employees. PharmaCARE had recently announced its â€Å"We Care about Your World† initiative. They started recycling, and made packaging changes, these steps made them seem community friendly. Even as they took on these green initiatives, they lobbied to block environmental efforts that would benefit the greater good of the people. Also they entered poor villages and exploited the people and the land to their benefit with no moral gauge. It seems that PharmaCARE is promoting an image of environmental stewardship when they are actually ethically corrupt. They are misleading the community with their behind the scenes practices. If PharmaCARE is going to portray themselves as an environmentally friendly company than they should assume the responsibility of initiating a green program in all aspects of their productions within reason. Communities will support a company that they believe to care about the interest of the greater good and not just profit. PharmaCARE is jeopardizing their image w ith these unethical practices and if made public the company could possibly suffer an economic loss. Comprehensive Environment Response Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) also known as Superfund, was enacted by Congress in 1980. This law created a tax on the chemical and petroleum industries and provided broad Federal authority to respond directly to releases or threatened releases of hazardous substances that may endanger public health or the environment. The law authorized the EPA to identify companies or individuals responsible for hazardous waste contamination and require them to clean it up. If no party could be found responsible for the contamination then money from the superfund would be used for the cleanup. On October 17, 1986 CERCLA was amended to include more detailed provisions to better the process of  enforcing maintaining and cleaning contamination sites. They include increasing State involvement in every phase of the Superfund program, requiring Superfund actions to consider the standards and requirements found in other State and Federal environmental laws and regulations, and stressing the importance of permanent remedies and innovative treatment technologies in cleaning up hazardous waste sites. There are eleven provisions in all, they were added to give the states more authority in the matters of environmental protection, and bring awareness to the actual dangers to human health from hazardous waste. Provisions relating to PharmaCARE are the right to have safe and toxic free working conditions and the power of the state to enforce clean up, also the random site inspections. References Stakeholders. (n.d.) Dictionary.com Unabridged. Retrieved August 11, 2013, from Dictionary.com website OSHA: complying with workplace health and safety laws. (2013). Retrieved from www.nolo.com SARA Overview. (2013). Retrieved from www.epa.gov/superfund/policy Halbert, T., Ingulli, E. (2012). The duty of loyalty. In M. Staudt M. Stranz (Eds.), Laws and ethics in the business environment (7th ed.). Mason, Ohio: Cengage Learning

Influence Of Sales Promotion Impulse Purchase Buying Behaviour Marketing Essay

Influence Of Sales Promotion Impulse Purchase Buying Behaviour Marketing Essay Purpose The purpose of this dissertation is to find out the influence of sales promotion on impulse purchase buying behaviour. This research is focused on the grocery retailer Tesco. Findings- From this study, it has been understood that sales promotions have a major influence on the impulse purchasing behaviour of consumers. It has also been verified that price promotion is the most influencing factor of sales promotion, which drives consumers towards impulse purchase. Conclusions and recommendations at the end of this research will be useful for students who study consumer buying behaviour and for retailers to implement a strategy for sales promotion. Originality/Value: Previous researches that has been carried out about impulse purchase has been influence of culture, mood etc. The function of this research is to find the influence of sales promotion on impulse purchase, which is important especially during the current economic recession. Introduction: This section of the dissertation outlines the research topic the researcher chose to study as part of his Masters in Business Administration (International) in Dublin Business School. This section is divided into the following parts. Background of the research Suitability of the researcher and interest in subject Research Objectives and Hypotheses Approach to the dissertation Recipients of the research Organisation of the research Scope and limitations of the study Background of the research: Ones own personal shopping experiences verify that occasionally we go into a store with no planned purchases in mind. Usually, however we go into a store planning to buy one or more specific items. Sometimes we know that those planned items are offered at a sale price, sometimes they are at regular price, and sometimes a mixture of both. We usually have an idea how much it will cost and how many of them we plan to buy. However, once we are in the store, we sometimes buy all we planned to buy; sometimes we buy more than we planned to buy. This would have happened because of something that stimulated us inside the store. It could be because of various reasons like sales promotions or store atmospherics or uniqueness of the product. This study is based on the influence of sales promotions on unplanned purchases like this called impulse purchase. Consumers buying behaviour is based on the needs of the consumer. This goes down to the basic level of consumer needs developed by Maslow(1971). He suggested a hierarchy of needs from the most basic to the most civilised one. Physiological needs, safety needs, belongingness needs, esteem needs and self-actualisation needs. To satisfy the needs, consumer buys things and this study is on the consumer buying behaviour. The consumer buying behaviour goes through a five sequential steps that is explained in the literature review of this article. Practically, when a consumer feels the need for buying things, he/she goes for shopping. There are many types of shops available, but the retail shop is where consumers can buy the things that they need for daily life. The concept of retail shops are now changing with the evolution of large supermarkets. Retail shops are now becoming one-stop-shops called super markets, offering vast number of product categories and services ranging from fruits and vegetables, off-licence, bakery, butcher facilities and even pharmaceuticals. It is a common fact that the large grocery stores and super markets have an unfair advantage over small players, by using a low cost selling, which the small convenience stores struggle to match. The Irish grocery retail market has evolved with many changes over the last few years. Tesco is one of the main players that exist in Irish grocery retail market. Organisations have started changing the methods of their grocery business over the last decade. There are innovations coming in the market everyday to attract new consumers and to retain them for a long period. Sales promotion is a quick way to strengthen the sales of an organisation. According to Kotler(2003), sales promotion is a key ingredient in marketing campaign which consists of diverse collection of incentive tools, mostly short term, designed to stimulate quicker or greater purchase of a particular products or services by consumers or trade. It is one of the effective methods in creating savings to the regular grocery shoppers. For retailers, the sales promotion is an excellent opportunity to promote their products in bulk thereby increase profit margins and consumer loyalty. There are various sales promotion tools used by the retailers, price promotion being one of them. Price promotions help the consumers to buy their goods for a reduced price. There are various types of p romotions which are described in the literature. A phenomenon called impulse purchase is considered as different form of consumer buying action. Impulse purchasing is a phenomenon by which a consumer experiences a sudden and often persistent urge to buy something immediately (Rook, 1987). It is an enigma in the marketing world, which accounts for substantial volume of goods sold every year. It is said that 80 percent of all purchases in some particular goods categories is made through impulse purchase. Virvialite(2009) based on Kacen and Lee(2002).This is a widely used by the retailers as they attract the consumers to buy things impulsively. At the present market conditions, when market competition is high and all types of companies apply promotion in their activities, stimulation of impulse purchasing in the market of consumer goods may become a strong competitive advantage. We go through this phenomenon in our daily life, knowingly or unknowingly. It is the feeling that one cannot resist at that moment, which are affected many fa ctors. An example of this would be when we see an advertisement in the store where it says Half Price sale, Was à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬3.99, Now à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1.99. The aim of this study is to study the influence of sales promotion on impulse purchase. This research determines if the consumers go for an impulse purchase, if there are sales promotions. There is also a second part to this research which determines if the price promotion is the most important factor in sales promotion that leads the consumer to impulse purchase. This study is an important one considering the current economic climate. In this recessionary period, consumers who are doing grocery shopping actually care for the price factor and look for goods that are value for money. This study establishes the relation between sales promotion and impulse purchase. 2. Suitability of the researcher and the interest in the subject: The researcher is an engineering graduate in Information Technology. The researcher has four years of work experience in I.T and business fields. Researcher has a family business back India, which deals with retail and wholesale trading of steel products. The researcher was taking care of business for one year before coming to Ireland and has an idea of what is happening in the real business world. The ultimate career goal is to take over the family business and expand it with more concentration on retail sector. This study on consumer buying behaviour will certainly help the researcher in achieving this goal. The researcher is currently working in the retail sector and has observed many consumers going for impulse purchase because of the sales promotions. The researcher himself has fallen into the trap of impulse purchase when doing the grocery shopping on many occasions. This has specifically happened after the researcher came to Ireland where there are more sales promotions than seen elsewhere. This curiosity of the researcher encouraged to do a research on the influence of sales promotion on impulse purchase. Organisation chosen for the research: This research is conducted in Tesco, one of the biggest grocery retailers in Ireland. Tesco was founded by Jack Cohenand in 1919 and developed its first super market in 1956. They have come a long way through and now is the fourth largest retailer in the world, measured by revenues and second largest measured by profits. Tesco has its base at The United Kingdom and is spread across 14 countries all over the world. The company started its operations in Ireland as Tesco Ireland in 1997. The theme Every Little Helps is very popular in Ireland. Tesco has almost all the services that is needed in our daily life, including groceries, bakery, clothing, and mobile network. The researcher chose Tesco for the research because of he considers it as the best place where the study of sales promotion and impulse purchasing can be done in the context of a grocery-shopping environment. The research takes place in Tesco, Parnell Street in Dublin, Ireland. 3. Research Topic: Influence of sales promotion on impulse purchasing behaviour in the context of a grocery store. The aim of this research is to find out the influence of sales promotional activities on impulse buying behaviour in the context of a grocery retail store. With this purpose, the research will be conducted in Tesco, Parnell Street, Dublin, Ireland. This research focuses on answering the following questions: 1. Do sales promotional activities in store have a major influence on consumers impulse buying behaviour? 2. Is price promotion the major factor in sales promotion, which drives the consumers towards impulse purchase? Objectives: In order to answer each of these questions, the researcher came out with the following objectives. To identify the sales promotional activities in the store To find out if consumers actually go for an impulse purchase and the most influencing factor that affects it To determine if price promotion is the most influencing factor of sales promotion and if consumer purchase low priced items during impulse buying To justify this research, and to obtain the answer for the research questions, certain assumptions were made initially. Two hypotheses were developed which needs to be proved or disapproved. Hypothesis: H1: Sales promotional activities in the store have a major influence on customers impulse buying behaviour H2: Price promotion is the most influencing factor of sales promotion, which drives consumers towards impulse purchase. Approach to the Dissertation: The objectives derived will be obtained systematically in the research. Firstly, the secondary research is conducted using relevant sources to understand the research problem area in depth. Various sources like journals, textbooks, magazines and websites will be used in accordance with academic regulations. Primary research is carried out next with the help of self-administered questionnaires and focus group interviews. The quantitative data obtained through questionnaires are then analysed with the help of appropriate statistical tool and the result will be drawn. The hypotheses will then be tested with the results obtained and will proved or disapproved. Conclusions will be made and recommendations will be proposed based on the results. Recipients of the research: There are five recipients of the research that is conducted as part of Masters in Business Administration (International) in Dublin Business School. They are as follows: Dublin Business School where this researcher is a full time student studying for his qualification Liverpool John Moores university, who provides the qualification which the student is studying for Mrs. Linda Moran, who is dissertation supervisor, who guided the author through research process to date Staff and management of Tesco Ireland Ltd, who gave the permission for the research to be conducted on them Anybody who has interest in marketing specifically consumer buying behaviour, sales promotion and impulse purchase Organisation of the Research: Chapter 1: Introduction This section of the dissertation introduces the background of the research, the suitability of the researcher and the interest in the topic.   This section also states the research objectives and hypotheses. Further, it gives a brief description about how the research is carried out. This section also mentions the recipients of the research and also about the scope and limitations of the research.   Chapter 2: Literature Review This section the researcher critically reviews the literature which provides the theoretical background to the study. In the first section, the consumer buying behaviour is described in general. Further, the researcher introduces the concept of impulse purchase. The next section explains the sales promotions and its different types. The final section describes the relation between sales promotion and impulse purchase. Chapter 3: Research Methodology This section describes the research methodology adopted for undertaking the research. This chapter begins with the research onion proposed by Saunders et al.(2007) and proceeds layer by layer beginning from research philosophy towards data analysis. The justification of population and sampling method used are also discussed later. Chapter 4: Data analysis and Findings. This section describes the findings from the data analysis with the help of focus groups and questionnaire. Chapter 5: Conclusion and Recommendations. The section integrates the concepts of theories discussed in the literature review earlier and incorporates them with the data analysis and findings. The section concludes the research by providing justifications for proving or disapproving hypotheses. Recommendations are made and can be utilised by retailers and consumers for further studies. Chapter 6: Self Reflection on Own Learning and Performance. The section describes the researchers learning process and performance over the course of the International MBA programme. This section also describes the researchers development of various skills during the course. Chapter 7: Bibliography The section provides the list of various books, academic journals and websites that have been used in the dissertation. Harvard referencing system is used to reference the sources used. Chapter 8: Appendices Appendix includes the final questionnaire and project management Gantt chart. Major contributions of the study: Scope and Limitations of the research: The main limitation of this study is faced during the primary research. The sample size taken for this study is a small population and of consumers of Tesco, Parnell Street. The results and conclusions are based on a single store and cannot be used for generalisation. Another issue that the researcher faced while conducting the primary research is the biasing problem. The researcher has remained neutral to his best of the ability while conducting the focus group interviews and questionnaires. The study being cross sectional is only relevant for a particular period of the present research. Any future changes in consumers attitudes can alter the results of present research.

Uncanny Networks: Dialogues with the Virtual Intelligentsia :: Uncanny Networks Dialogues Virtual Intelligentsia

Uncanny Networks: Dialogues with the Virtual Intelligentsia - Challenging Conceptions of Information Society This book is a collection of thirty-five interviews that examine the various political, ideological, and theoretical opinions of significant media and cultural theorists, critics, artists, and philosophers from the past decade, on the topic of the blurring of distinctions between cultural theory and information. The interviewer, Geert Lovink, is a media theorist, former editor of the new media arts magazine Mediamatic, founder of Nettime mailing lists, the cofounder of the online community server Digital City, and the author of Dark Fiber: Tracking Critical Internet Culture (MIT Press, 2002). According to the Foreword by Joel Slayton, the interview discourse can be roughly grouped into four overlapping ideas: 1) media theory and criticism; 2) sociology, economics, and cultural theory of digital computation, networks, and communications; 3) theoretical ontology relating to an architecture of media; and 4) new media art as information strategy. Topics discussed include cyberspace and the rise of nongovernmental organizations, digital aesthetics, corporate takeover of the Internet, sound art, virtual and urban spaces, navigating deep audio space, theory of the virtual class, European media philosophy, the storage of social movements, the Internet in Eastern Europe, hybrid identities, the mixing of old and new in India, Japanese techno tribes, and critical media studies in the Asia-Pacific, just to name a few. For Lovink, interviews are imaginative texts creating global networked discourses between and among professions, cultures, and social groups. Most of the interviews were done online, allowing the participants to write responses to questions that have both depth and breadth, given that time periods of weeks and months passed before the entire interview with each participant was completed. Many of the interviewees are well-known and unknown artists, critics, theorists, and philosophers worldwide who are building and designing the content, interfaces, and architectures of new media. After the Foreword, the book begins with an interesting self-interview of Geert Lovink himself. A quick snapshot of each interviewee and topics of discussion include: . Dietmar Kamper: disguised form of simulation and authenticity in cyberspace . Norbert Bolz: transformation of media theory into computational theory . Michael Heim: the implication of technological metaphysics . Slavoj Zizek: suspicion of multicultural, neutral, liberal attitudes surrounding nationalist madness . Arthur Kroker: virtual class as predatory capitalists and computer visionaries . Luchezar Boyadjiev: financial sector as the avant-garde in artistic media strategy . Gayatri Spivak: ethics of choice between telematic culture and the reality of a developing state

How Inclusion Came to Be :: essays papers

How Inclusion Came to Be When children have a learning disability there are two different ways for them to be taught. One is an out of the classroom approach where children with disabilities receive extra help with a specialist separate from the regular classroom. There are also schools that only have children that are disabled and cater to only the different needs of a child with a disability. In the approach where children with disabilities are separated from non-disabled children, the child spends half the day in the mainstream classroom and half of the day separated and excluded from the mainstream classroom (Odom 2002). As a result of this approach schools did not have the appropriate funding for the extra teachers needed to provide a separate learning classroom. This problem leads to public schools denying children with disabilities access to the facilities that are offered in a regular classroom, hence segregating the children with disabilities from the mainstream children (Lewis, 1999). In 1975 the Education for all Handicapped Children’s Act (later renamed Individuals with Disabilities Education Act abbreviated IDEA) was passed in reaction the problem of students being segregated. This act was written to make sure that all handicapped children would have access to free education including special education. The law emphasizes that children with disabilities be educated with non-disabled children (Daniel 1997). The act gave parents the right to choose how their disabled child will be educated whether it be a pull out program or and inclusive program with non-disabled children (Become 2003). This act gave way to inclusion, which is the second approach to educating children with disabilities. Inclusion is the "integration of a disabled student in a regular classroom with the necessary aids and services" (Daniel 1997). Student Views on Inclusion Since inclusion started there has been controversy on whether or not inclusion helps the children more than the pull-out program. There have been many different experiments that have studied the effects of student’s performances in inclusion programs and in pull out programs. In one specific study done in Iowa by the Council for Exceptional Children, students with a specific learning disability were sent to two different middle schools to participate in an 8th grade classroom. The two schools differed in only one way, and that was one was an inclusive school, the Enterprise, and one was a regular mainstream school, the Voyager.

Night World : Secret Vampire Chapter 10

Things have to be right,† Poppy said. â€Å"Things have to be just right for this. Get some candles, Phil.† Phil was looking ashen and haggard. â€Å"Candles?† â€Å"As many as you can find. And some pillows. I need lots of pillows.† She knelt by the stereo to examine a haphazard pile of CDs. Phil stared at herbriefly, then went out. † Structures from Silence . . .no. Too repetitious,†Poppy said, rummaging through the pile.† Deep Forest-no.Too hyper. I need somethingambient.† â€Å"How about this?† James picked a CD up. Poppylooked at the label. Music to Disappear In. Of course. It was perfect. Poppy took the CD andmet James's gaze. Usually he referred to the hauntingsoft strains of ambient music as ‘New Age mush.' â€Å"You understand,† she said quietly. â€Å"Yes. But you're not dying, Poppy. This isn't adeath scene you're setting up.† â€Å"But I'm going away. I'm changing.† Poppy couldn't explain exactly, but something in her saidshe was doing the right thing. She was dying to her old life. It was a solemn occasion, a Passage. And of course, although neither of them mentioned it, they both knew shemightdie for good.James had been very frank about that-some peopledidn't make it through the transition. Phil came back with candles, Christmas candles,emergency candles, scented votive candles. Poppy directed him to place them around the room and lightthem. She herself went to the bathroom to change into her best nightgown. It was flannel, with a pattern of little strawberries. Just imagine, she thought as she left the bathroom.This is the last time I'll ever walk down this hall, thelast time I'll push open my bedroom door. The bedroom was beautiful. The soft glow of candlelight gave it an aura of sanctity, of mystery. Themusic was unearthly and sweet, and Poppy felt shecould fall into it forever, the way she fe!l in herdreams. Poppy opened the closet and used a hanger to bata tawny stuffed lion and a floppy gray Eeyore down from the top shelf. She took them to her bed and put them beside the mounded pillows. Maybe it wasstupid, maybe it was childish, but she wanted themwith her. She sat on the bed and looked at James and Phillip. They were both looking at her. Phil was dearly upset,touching his mouth to stop its trembling. James wasupset, too, although only someone who knew him aswell as Poppy did would have been able to tell. â€Å"It's all right,† Poppy told them. â€Å"Don't you see?I'mall right, so there's no excuse for you not to be.† And the strange thing was, it was the truth. Shewas all right. She felt calm and clear now, as if everything had become very simple. She saw the road ahead of her, and all she had to do was follow it, step by step. Phil came over to squeeze her hand. â€Å"How does this how does this work?† he asked James huskily. â€Å"First we'll exchange blood,† James said-speaking to Poppy. Looking only at her. â€Å"It doesn't haveto be a lot; you're right on the border ofchangingalready. Then the two kinds of blood fight it outsort of the last battle, if you see what I mean.† He smiled faintly and painfully, and Poppy nodded. â€Å"While that's happening you'll feel weaker andweaker. And then you'll just go to sleep. Thechange happens while you're asleep.† â€Å"And when do I wake up?† Poppy asked. â€Å"I'll give you a kind of posthypnotic suggestion about that. Tell you to wake up whenI come to getyou. Don't worry about it; I've got all the detailsfigured out. All you need to do is rest.† Phil was running nervous hands through his hair,as if he was just now thinking about what kind ofdetails he and James were going to have to deal with. â€Å"Wait a minute,† he said in almost a croak. â€Å"When—— whenyou say ‘sleep'-she's going to look†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Dead,† Poppy supplied, when his voice ran out. James gave Phil a cold look. â€Å"Yes. We've beenover this.† â€Å"And then-we're really going to-what's going tohappento her?† James glared. â€Å"It's okay,† Poppy said softly. â€Å"Tell him.† â€Å"You know what's going to happen,† James saidthrough clenched teeth to Phillip. â€Å"She can't just dis appear. We'd have the policeandthe Night peo pleafter us, looking for her. No, it's got to seem that shedied from the cancer, and that means everything's got to happen exactly the way it would if she haddied. Phil's sick expression said he wasn't at his mostrational. â€Å"You're sure there isn't any other way?† â€Å"No,†James said. Phil wet his lips. â€Å"Oh, God.† Poppy herself didn't want to dwell on it too much.She said fiercely,†Dealwith it, Phil. You've got to. And remember, if it doesn't happen now it's goingto happen in a few weeks-for real.† Phil was holding on to one of the brass bedpostsso hard that his knuckles were pale. But he'd gottenthe point, and there was no one better than Phil atbracing himself. â€Å"You're right,† he saidthinly, with the ghost of his old efficient manner. â€Å"Okay, I'm dealing with it.† ‘Then let's get started,† Poppy said, making hervoice calm and steady. As if she were dealing witheverything effortlessly herself. James said to Phil, â€Å"You don't want to see thispart. Go out and watch TV for a few minutes.† Phil hesitated, then nodded and left. â€Å"One thing,† Poppy said to James as she scootedto the middle_ of the bed. She was still trying desperately to sound casual. â€Å"After the funeral-well, I'll be asleep, won't I? I won't wake up †¦ you know.In my nice little coffin.† She looked up at him. â€Å"It's just that I'm claustrophobic, a little.† â€Å"You won't wake up there,† James said. â€Å"Poppy,I wouldn't let that happen to you. Trust me; I've thought of everything.† Poppy nodded. I do trust you, she thought. Then she held her arms out to him. He touched her neck, so she tilted her chin back.As the blood was drawn from her, she felt her mind drawn into his. Don't worry, Poppy. Don't be afraid. Allhis thoughtswere ferociously protective. And even though it onlyconfirmed that there was something to be afraidof,that this could go wrong, Poppy felt peaceful. Thedirect sense of his love made her calm, flooded her with light. She suddenly felt distance and height and depthspaciousness. As if her horizons had expanded almostto infinity in an instant. As if she'd discovered a new dimension.Asif there were no limits or obstacles to what she and James could do together. She felt †¦ free. I'm getting light-headed, she realized. She couldfeel herself going limp in James's arms. Swooninglike a wilting flower. I'vetaken enough,James said in her mind.Thewarmanimalmouth on her throat pulled back.†Now it's your turn.† This time, though, he didn't make the cut at hiswrist. He took off his T-shirt and, with a quick, impulsive gesture, ran a fingernail along the base of his throat. Oh, Poppy thought. Slowly, almost reverently, she leaned forward. James's hand supported the back ofher head. Poppy put her arms around him, feelinghis bare skin under the flannel of her nightgown. It was better this way. But if James was right, itwas another last time. She and James could neverexchange blood again. I can't accept that, Poppythought, but she couldn'tconcentrate on anything for very long. This time, instead of clearing her brain, the wild, intoxicatingvampire blood was making her more confused. Moreheavy and sleepy. James? It's all right. It's the beginning of the change. Heavy†¦sleepy†¦warm. Lapped in salty oceanwaves. She could almost picture the vampire bloodtrickling through her veins, conquering everything inits path. It was ancient blood, primeval. It was changing her into something old, something that had been around since the dawn of time. Something primitive and basic. Every molecule in her body, changing†¦ Poppy, can you hear me?James was shaking herslightly. Poppy had been so engrossed in the sensations that she hadn't even realized she wasn't drinking any longer. James was cradling her. â€Å"Poppy.† It was an effort to open her eyes. â€Å"I'm all right. Just†¦ sleepy.† His arms tightened around her, then he laid hergently on the mounded pillows. â€Å"You can rest now. I'll get Phil.† But before he went, he kissed her on the forehead. My first kiss, Poppy thought, her eyes drifting shutagain. And I'm comatose. Great. She felt the bed give under weight and looked upto see Phil. Phil looked very nervous, sitting gingerly,staring at Poppy. â€Å"So what's happening now?† heasked. â€Å"The vampire blood's taking over,† James said. Poppy said, â€Å"I'm really sleepy.† There was no pain. Just a feeling of wanting toglide away. Her body now felt warm and numb, asif she were insulated by a soft, thick aura. â€Å"Phil? I forgot to say-thank you. For helping out.And everything. You're a good brother, Phil.† â€Å"You don't have to say that now,† Phil said tersely. â€Å"You can say it later. I'm still going to be here later,you know.† But I might not be, Poppy thought. This is all a gamble. And I'd never take it, except that the only alternative was to give up without even trying to fight. I fought, didn't I? At least I fought. â€Å"Yes, you did,† Phil said, his voice trembling.Poppy hadn't been aware she was speaking aloud.†You've always been a fighter,† Phil said. â€Å"I'velearned so much from you.† Which was funny, because she'd learned so muchfrom him,even if most of it was in the last twenty four hours. She wanted to tell him that, but therewas so much to say, and she was so tired. Her tongue felt thick; her whole body weak and languorous. â€Å"Just†¦hold my hand,† she said, and she couldhear that her voice was no louder than a breath.Phillip took one of her hands and James the other. That was good. This was the way to do it, withEeyore and her lion on the pillows beside her andPhil and James holding her hands, keeping her safe and anchored. One of the candles was scented with vanilla, awarm and homey smell. A smell that reminded herof being a kid. Nilla wafers and naptime. That waswhat this was like. Just a nap in Miss Spurgeon's kindergarten, with the sun slanting across the floorand James on a mat beside her. So safe, so serene†¦ â€Å"Oh, Poppy,† Phil whispered. James said, â€Å"You're doing great, kiddo. Everything's just right.† That was what Poppy needed to hear. She let herself fall backward into the music, and it waslike falling in a dream, without fear. It was like being a raindrop falling into the ocean that had started you. At the last moment she thought, I'm not ready. But she already knew the answer to that. Nobodywas ever ready. But she'd been stupid-she'd forgotten the mostimportant thing. She'd never told James she lovedhim. Not even when he'd said he loved her. She tried to get enough air, enough strength to sayit. But it was too late. The outside world was goneand she couldn't feel her body any longer. She was floating in the darkness and the music, and all she could do now was sleep. â€Å"Sleep,† James said, leaning dose to Poppy. â€Å"Don'twake up until I call you. Just sleep.† Every muscle in Phil's body was rigid. Poppylooked so peaceful-pale, with her hair spread out incoppery curls on the pillow, and her eyelashes blackon her cheeks and her lips parted as she breathedgently. She looked like a porcelain baby doll. But the more peaceful she got, the more terrified Phil felt. I can deal with this, he told himself.I haveto. Poppy gave a soft exhalation, and then suddenlyshe was moving. Her chest heaved once, twice. Herhand tightened on Phil's and her eyes flew openbut she didn't seem to be seeing anything. She simply looked astonished. â€Å"Poppyl† Phil grabbed at her, getting a handful offlannel nightgown. She was so small and fragile in side it. â€Å"Poppyl† The heaving gasps stopped. For one moment Poppywas suspended in air, then her eyes closed and shefell back on the pillows. Her hand was limp in Phil's. Phil lost all rationality. â€Å"Poppy,† he said, hearing the dangerous, unbalanced tone in his own voice. â€Å"Poppy, come on.Poppy, wake up!†-on a rising note. His hands were shaking violently, scrabbling at Poppy's shoulders. Other hands pushed his away. â€Å"What the hell areyou doing?† James said quietly. â€Å"Poppy? Poppy?† Phil kept staring at her. Herchest wasn't moving. Her face had a look of-innocent release. The kind of newness you only see inbabies. And it was-changing. Taking on a white, transparent look. It was uncanny, ghostlike, and even though Phil had never seen a corpse, he knew instinctively that this was the death pallor. Poppy's essence had left her. Her body was flat andtoneless, no longer inflated by the vital spirit. Herhand in Phil's was slack, not like the hand of a sleeping person. Her skin had lost its shine, as if somebodyhad breathed on it softly. Phil threw back his head and let out an animalsound. It wasn't human. It was a howl. â€Å"You killed her!† He tumbled off the bed andlurched toward James. â€Å"You said she was just goingto sleep, but you killed herl She's dead!† James didn't back away from the attack. Instead,he grabbed Phil and dragged him out intothe hallway. â€Å"Hearing is the last sense to go,† he snarled inPhillip's ear. â€Å"She may be able tohear you.† Phil wrenched free and ran toward the living room. He didn't know what he was doing, he only knew that he needed to destroy things. Poppy wasdead. She was gone. He grabbed the couch andflipped it over, then kicked the coffee table over, too. He snatched up a lamp, yanked its cord out of thesocket, and threw it toward the fireplace. â€Å"Stop it!† James shouted over the crash. Phil sawhim and ran at him. The sheer force of his charge knocked James backward into the wall. They fell tothe floor together in a heap. â€Å"You-killed her!† Phil gasped, trying to get hishands around James's throat. Silver.James's eyes blazed like the molten metal.He grabbed Phil's wrists in a painful grip. â€Å"Stop itnow,Phillip,† he hissed. Something about the way he said it made Phil stop.Almost sobbing, he struggled to get air into his lungs. â€Å"I'll killyouif I have to, to keep Poppy safe,† James said, his voice still savage and menacing. â€Å"And she'sonly safe if you stop this and do exactly what I tell youto.Exactlywhat I tell you. Understand?† He shook Philhard, nearly banging Phil's head into the wall. Strangely enough, it was the right thing to say.James was saying he cared about Poppy. And weird as it might sound, Phil had come to trust James to tell the truth. The raging red insanity in Phil's brain died away. He took a long breath. â€Å"Okay. I understand,† he said hoarsely. He was used to being in charge-both of himself and of otherpeople. He didn't like James giving him orders. Butin this case there was no help for it. â€Å"But-she isdead, isn't she?† â€Å"It depends on your definition,† James said, lettinggo and slowly pushing himself off the floor. Hescanned the living room, his mouth grim. â€Å"Nothingwent wrong, Phil. Everything went just the way itwas supposed to-except for this. I was going to letyour parents come back and find her, but we don'thave that option now. There isn't any way to explain this mess, except the.truth.† â€Å"The truth being?† â€Å"That you went in there and found her dead andwent berserk. And then I called your parents-you know what restaurant they're at, don't you?† â€Å"It's Valentino's. My mom said they were lucky toget in.† â€Å"Okay. That'll work. But first we have to clean upthe bedroom. Get all the candles and stuff out. It'sgot to look as if she just went to sleep, like anyother night.† Phil glanced at the sliding glass door. It was justgetting dark. But then Poppy had been sleeping a lotthese last few days. â€Å"We'll say she got tired and toldus to go watch TV,† he said slowly, trying to conquer his dazed feeling and be clearheaded. â€Å"And then Iwent in after a while and checked on her.† â€Å"Right,† James said, with a faint smile that didn'treach his eyes. It didn't take long to clear out the bedroom. Thehardest thing was that Phil had to keep looking atPoppy, and every time he looked, his heart lurched.She looked so tiny, so delicate-limbed. A Christmas angel in June. He hated to take the stuffed animals away fromher. â€Å"She is going to wake up, isn't she?† he said, without looking at James. â€Å"God, I hope so,† James said, and his voice wasvery tired. It sounded more like a prayer than a wish.†If she doesn't you won't have to come after me witha stake, Phil. I'll take care of it myself.† Phil was shocked-and angry. â€Å"Don't be stupid,†he said brutally. â€Å"If Poppy stood for anything-if she standsfor anything-it's for life. Throwing your life away would be like a slap in her face. Besides, evenif it goes wrong now, you did your best. Blaming yourself is just stupid.† James looked at him blankly, and Phil realizedthey'd managed to surprise each other. Then Jamesnodded slowly. â€Å"Thanks.† It was a milestone, the first time they'd ever beenon precisely the same wavelength. Phillip felt an oddconnection between them. He looked away and said briskly, â€Å"Is it time to callthe restaurant?† James glanced at his watch. â€Å"In just a fewminutes.† â€Å"If we wait too long they're going to have left bythe time we call.† â€Å"That doesn'tmatter.What matters is that we don't have any paramedics trying to resuscitate her, or taking her to the hospital. Which means she's gotto be cold by the time anybody gets here.† Phil felt a wave of dizzy horror. â€Å"You're a coldblooded snake after all.† â€Å"I'm just practical,† James said wearily, as if speaking to a child. He touched one of Poppy's marblewhite hands where it lay on the bedspread. â€Å"Allright. It's time. I'm going to call. You can go berserkagain if you want to.† Phil shook his head. He didn't have the energyanymore. But he did feel like crying, which was al most as good. Crying and crying like a kid who was lost and hurt. â€Å"Get my mom,† he said thickly. He knelt on the floor beside Poppy's bed andwaited. Poppy's music was off and he could hear theTV in the family room. He had no sense of time passing until he also heard a car in the driveway. Then he leaned his forehead against Poppy's mattress. His tears were absolutely genuine. At that moment he was sure he'd lost her forever. â€Å"Brace yourself,† James said from behind him.†They're here.†