Johnson & Johnson Global Business Environment

Johnson & Johnson: Successfully Strategizing for the Changing Global Business Environment I. Introduction Johnson & Johnson is the world's largest healthcare company. Founded in the United States in 1886, the company has been profitable for 75 straight years and currently operates 250 subsidiary companies in 57 countries. Its products fall into three segments: pharmaceuticals, with 39% of total sales; medical devices and diagnostics, with 36%; and consumer products, with 25%. Additionally, the company employs 119,200 people worldwide and sells its products in 175 countries.A truly global corporation, Johnson & Johnson has securely positioned itself to overcome the challenges its ever-changing business environment poses, as well as take advantage of the opportunities presented. With a focus primarily on Johnson & Johnson’s pharmaceutical segment, this paper seeks to explore the complex multinational environment within which the company operates as well as the opportunities and threats that the environment poses. Next, the paper will analyze Johnson & Johnson's current positioning, describing its value-chain and competitive positioning.The paper will close by evaluating how Johnson & Johnson both can seize these opportunities to realize the goals of the company. II. Analyzing the Environment In industries as competitive as pharmaceutical, medical devices and consumer goods, analyzing the environment is vital for being able to make sound strategic decisions. Since Johnson & Johnson strives to anticipate the external factors that affect its international business environment, as well as adapt to those changes, it is important that it understands the environment in which it is operating.The two sets of external forces that face the company are competitive and contextual. A. Competitive Environments – Five Forces Model Michael Porter’s five forces model provides a way of analyzing Johnson & Johnson’s competitive environment. Due to a lack of available information about the bargaining power of suppliers as it applies to Johnson & Johnson, this paper will address the four other forces: the threat of new entrants, the threat of substitutes, the bargaining power of customers, and the rivalry among industry competitors. 1. The Threat of New Entrants – High Barriers to EntryThe threat of new entrants is not of particular concern to Johnson & Johnson. Barriers to entry, especially in the industries of pharmaceuticals and medical devices, are extremely high if not unsurpassable. The world’s top pharmaceutical companies have extensive manufacturing capabilities, distribution systems, and economies of scale that have been built up over decades and would be virtually impossible for a new entrant to replicate. These top firms also have patents that protect their current products, as well as established research pipelines that ensure the continual development of new products.Also, they have strong brand names and la rge marketing budgets with which to defend them. Finally, the exceptionally high capital requirements for founding a pharmaceutical company and the sharp retaliation that new entrants could expect from the established competitors render the threat of new entrants very low. The medical device industry has similarly high barriers to entry. While entering the consumer goods market is easier, relatively, the vast number of competitors makes this industry very competitive, thus a strong brand name is vital for standing out.As the world’s most respected company according to Barron Magazine, new entrants to the consumer goods market do not pose a threat to Johnson & Johnson. 2. The Threat of Substitutes – The Rise of Generics The threat of substitutes is much more problematic than that of new entrants, especially in the pharmaceutical segment. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires that generic drugs be bioequivalent to their brand name counterparts, making them seri ous substitutes. Once a patent expires, generic manufacturers are quick to reverse-engineer the formerly proprietary drugs and sell generic versions at a fraction of the cost.Virtually all the top pharmaceutical companies, Johnson & Johnson included, face an influx of upcoming patent expirations. The impending loss of sales when generic versions of the drugs inevitably become available is a serious threat to the profitability of many players in the industry. For example, Risperdal, a drug for schizophrenia made by a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson’s called Janssen-Cilag, was a significant source of profits, with sales that totaled $3. 5 billion in 2005 and surged 21% percent in the first quarter of 2006, to $1. 2 billion.However, when the patent for Risperdal expired in December of 2007 and became available in generic form in October of 2008, the company’s revenue from pharmaceutical sales stagnated. In fact, in July of 2007, Johnson & Johnson announced plans to elimin ate up to 4,800 jobs, citing patent expirations as the main motivation to trim the workforce and thus save money. If the company does not prepare for the difficult transition between enjoying market exclusivity and losing that security as those patents expire, it will face more negative consequences. 3. The Bargaining Power of Buyers – Influence of GenericsIn the pharmaceutical industry, buyers include patients, medical doctors who prescribe drugs, pharmacists, hospital boards, insurance companies, and other health authorities. The bargaining power of patients goes hand in hand with the threat of substitutes. When drugs are patent-protected, pharmaceutical companies enjoy a monopoly where they can set prices to include high profit margins. Since there are few to no substitutes for their products during this time, customers have little choice but to pay these prices, especially if their lives depend on the drugs.However, once cheaper, generic versions of the drugs become avail able, buyers gain more power. Patients’ switching costs, an important element in determining the bargaining power of buyers, are fairly low, and price-sensitive buyers will likely switch to generic versions once available. Johnson & Johnson’s main tool in combating this problem is its strong brand name. Many customers have more trust in brand name products and are willing to pay extra for this perceived security. The other groups within buyers of pharmaceutical products, while fragmented, have more power than patients.Within the American healthcare system, insurance companies and health maintenance companies (HMOs) have considerable bargaining power, as they decide which drugs to endorse and provide. Since they have an interest in lowering costs, they exert a strong downward pressure on drug prices, partly due to the threat of the availability of generics. European governments’ national healthcare systems have a similarly high level of power, if not higher due t o strict price controls. Thus, pharmaceutical companies have a need to establish successful relationships with these groups and market towards them heavily. 4.The Degree of Rivalry – Fierce and Changing Competition Competition in the pharmaceutical industry is intense and growing in intensity. While the numerous competitors remain fairly fragmented, mergers and acquisitions have increased rivalry, as the top firms’ areas of expertise began to overlap. Rivalry is especially intense in saturated markets, such as the pain reliever segment, in which Johnson & Johnson competes with its products Tylenol and Motrin. In growing markets, innovation is a key driver of competition since pharmaceutical companies depend on â€Å"blockbuster† drugs for a large proportion of their revenue.With only one out of every 10,000 discovered drugs approved to be sold, stakes are high to find the cash cow drugs that recuperate the increasingly high costs of development. Since â€Å"me too† drugs are not as profitable, innovation drives the race to be first-to-market. While the main competitors in the pharmaceutical industry are concentrated in the United States, Europe, and Japan, an increasing number of players – especially generic drug manufacturers – are appearing in developing countries, such as China and India. These companies are driving the shift in the industry toward becoming more commoditized.Also, numerous biotech upstarts, which are smaller, more agile, and have lower overhead costs than their conglomerate competitors, are growing in power and taking market share. As the dynamics of the industry change, the established companies will find themselves facing stiff competition from all sides. B. Contextual Environment – PEST Analysis A PEST (Political, Economic, Social, and Technological) analysis is a useful tool for understanding the larger environment within which the company operates. Companies can use this tool to identify a multitude of important aspects of their environments that may impact their businesses. . Political Environment – Changing Politics and Policies First, the politics on local, regional, national, or international scales can exert strong forces on businesses. Since Johnson & Johnson operates worldwide, it must keep track of the political developments that may affect its business. For example, in the Czech Republic, health care is the subject of a major political debate. Changes in the healthcare system may affect to whom Johnson & Johnson needs to market, and with whom it needs to negotiate if the company wants its products covered by the Czech healthcare system.Also, Johnson & Johnson should be aware that the Czech Republic has a weak Parliament that will change in 2010’s elections. The company needs to anticipate which policies may shift under the new government. Finally, Johnson & Johnson should be aware that the Czech Republic will serve as president of the Council of the European Union for the first six months of 2009. This is the best time for the Johnson & Johnson branch located in the Czech Republic to lobby for any policy changes regarding the company’s interests and the business environment. 2.Economic Environment – The Crisis and the Euro The economic climate is also important for Johnson & Johnson to analyze in order to predict when its business may face challenges, as well as when it can seize an opportunity for growth. Operating in the European Union and larger European community means that Johnson & Johnson has felt the effects of the current economic crisis. Aware of the crisis, the company has been able to plan for its impact, and fortunately, the effects on Johnson & Johnson have not been severe, as medical products remain necessities even in periods of economic downturn.In respect to the Johnson & Johnson branch in the Czech Republic, the economic environment is one that quickly transitioned from a communist, plan ned economy to the free market. Though the Czech Republic has embraced free market principles since the fall of the Soviet Union, it is important that Johnson & Johnson recognize that this change was relatively recent, and certain aspects of working in the Czech Republic may still be affected by this history. Finally, discussions surrounding the use of the euro and the benefits and disadvantages of a common currency are debates that Johnson & Johnson should be aware of in this time period.While Slovakia adopted the euro in January 2009, the Czech Republic has kept its own currency. A switch to the euro in the Czech Republic could have a wide range of effects, some positive and some negative, and Johnson & Johnson should understand the implications for its business if that change occurs in the Czech Republic. For example, adopting the euro would make transactions with other countries more convenient, and Johnson & Johnson should be prepared for a possible increase in transactions or the speed in which transactions take place in order to take advantage of the opportunities this change could provide.It should also be ready for the numerous practical difficulties with tasks such as accounting that may occur with a change in currency. Keeping these economic scenarios in mind is the kind of forward-thinking that is crucial to Johnson & Johnson's success. 3. Social Environment – Aging Population and Public Health Problems There are two major social changes on the horizon that will both affect Johnson & Johnson as well as provide tremendous opportunities. The first is the aging population.The gigantic baby boomer generation, consisting of those born between 1946 and 1964, has had a huge social and economic impact on the world since its birth. This trend will continue as the generation is beginning to enter old age. The influx of senior citizens will create huge demands throughout all realms of medical care. Johnson & Johnson can expect to see increased sales ac ross all three of its segments – pharmaceuticals, medical devices and diagnostics, and consumer goods – in the coming decades, and must plan production accordingly to be able to meet the needs of this huge generation as they enter their most medically-dependent years.Additionally, in order to cater to the aging population, Johnson & Johnson is pioneering developments in preventative medicine as well as less invasive surgery techniques. Another major social change affecting Johnson & Johnson is the phenomenon of surging rates of various health problems, especially in developed societies but spreading worldwide, from obesity and diabetes to cancer and mental disorders. Though highly problematic for society, companies in medicine-related industries such as Johnson & Johnson are finding themselves with an increasing number of people to treat and cure.As a company that invests heavily in research and development, Johnson & Johnson has the opportunity to lead the way in find ing ways to address these serious public health issues. 4. Technological Environment – Promising New Fields As many pharmaceutical drug markets become saturated and the blockbuster drug strategy becomes obsolete due to the major changes occurring in the industry, innovation and breakthrough medical technologies are essential for finding blue oceans in which to compete.Predictive medicine, which entails predicting diseases based on genetics and preventing them, and personalized medicine, which involves managing a patient’s health based on his or her individual characteristics as opposed to following the more traditional â€Å"standards of care† model, are growing fields into which Johnson & Johnson can expand. The company’s strong emphasis on research and development and its leadership in the medical devices and diagnostics segment put it in an excellent position to become a frontrunner in making new discoveries in these promising new technological fields. C. Determining Threats and Opportunities 1.Threats – The Uneducated Consumer and Mergers and Acquisitions One of the biggest threats facing a company like Johnson & Johnson is the uneducated consumer. Especially within the consumer products and pharmaceuticals markets, with the increasing availability and lower cost of generic products, a key component of continued competitiveness is the discerning consumer who has preferences when it comes to treatment options. Johnson & Johnson must continually work hard to make sure that people are aware of its products and the quality that it ensures through effective branding and promotional practices, as well as consumer education.Patent expirations are also a constant concern for Johnson & Johnson as proprietary information is an integral part of sustained revenue streams. Mergers and acquisitions (M) present both potential opportunities and threats for Johnson & Johnson. The company has pursued M that have served to expand the compan y’s resources and help penetrate new and diverse markets. For example, Johnson & Johnson recently acquired Mentor Corporation in order to expand its operations in to the aesthetic and reconstructive medicine market.Also, an important new medical product called the Fibrin Pad was developed with the cooperation of three Johnson & Johnson-owned subsidiaries. These are just a couple examples of how Johnson & Johnson is able to both grow and innovate through M. On the other hand, M between other companies in the healthcare industry have the potential to upset Johnson & Johnson’s value chain and competitive advantages. Johnson & Johnson must pay close attention to the actions of rival companies in order to maintain its market-leader positions and barriers to entry against competitors. 2.Opportunities – Research, Synergies, Emerging Markets, and the Aging Population Johnson & Johnson’s greatest opportunity is found in its heavy investment in research and develop ment. This is especially important for its medical devices and diagnostics and pharmaceutical divisions. It is necessary for the company to be on the leading technological edge when it comes to medical devices to ensure that it can offer the most accurate and up-to-date machines available. As for the pharmaceutical sector, patent expiration and generic drugs demand constant innovation and addition to Johnson & Johnson’s pipeline of products for sustained success.Strong pipelines in its pharmaceutical and medical devices sectors are a major source of confidence in the company’s long-term success. With eight new late-stage compounds in the pharmaceutical sector and the introduction of several new products to new markets in the medical devices sector, Johnson & Johnson seems to be advancing its pipeline quite progressively. It also strives to be a consistently innovative company, and around 40% of its current products have been developed within the last 3-4 years. In 2008 , Johnson & Johnson spent $7. billion on research and development. The reinvestment of 11% of sales in to R, versus the industry average of 3%, demonstrates a source of competitive advantage for the company. Synergies between product branches are yet another source of opportunities for Johnson & Johnson. Through the well-coordinated efforts of its pharmaceutical and consumer products divisions, Johnson & Johnson was able to make the formerly prescribed drug Zyrtec available as an over-the-counter drug, which came to be the company’s most successful product launch in 2008.This is yet another example of how the company is able to pool its resources in order to find ways to fulfill both the needs of both its customers and stakeholders. Other opportunities for Johnson & Johnson are present in emerging markets such as Brazil, Russia, India and China. Its products are currently available to only 25% of the world’s population. However, through its decentralized management app roach and the adjustment of its products and strategies to match local needs and preferences, Johnson & Johnson is reaching an ever-increasing consumer base.One method Johnson & Johnson has been able to reach a broader consumer base through is the de-featuring of products, such simplified blood-glucose meters, which allows for access to lower-income customers and dampens the parasitic effect of cheap substitutes. One final opportunity exists in the demographic trend towards an ageing population. People are living longer, and because of this, new types of medical needs are arising all the time. Many types of medical treatments and surgeries are being developed and becoming more commonplace, such as hip replacements and plastic surgery.Patients want to be able to fix their ailments and expect a quick and uncomplicated recovery afterwards. It is up to Johnson & Johnson to develop and provide the best possible equipment and supplies to do this and fulfill the company promise of customer success. III. Establishing European and Global Opportunities A. Expansion into New Markets – Developing Countries Despite the many challenges of working in both the European and global business environments, it is clear that these environments also allow Johnson & Johnson to strengthen and continue to grow its business.With income and living standards on the rise in many European countries such as Turkey and the Czech Republic, where sales have already increased, and across the globe in developing countries like China and India, Johnson & Johnson has many opportunities to sell its products in new markets or expand more in markets it has previously penetrated. In order to take advantage of the broadening market field, Johnson & Johnson has begun to offer products that will appeal to people in less affluent nations. Its objective is clear: make products that are affordable for most of the world.To do this, Johnson & Johnson has created de-featured versions of products that can be sold at a lower price, thus becoming accessible to more patients. B. Domestic Market Defense – Competition and Mistakes While Johnson & Johnson expands to serve more customers in new markets, it must also maintain its secure position domestically. Though the consumer segment only accounts for only 25% of its total sales, the company realizes that keeping up its reputation and remaining a household name will help it as it moves into foreign markets. To put it simply, Johnson & Johnson must remain synonymous with quality, safe products.Next, Johnson & Johnson must be ready to compete with an even greater number of competitors, such as Pfizer, Merck, Novartis and Eli Lilly. Despite being the world's largest healthcare company, it still faces competition and has run into problems when it has attained the market lead, grown too confident in its product, and then lost the lead. Because Johnson & Johnson has twice lost its lead with one particular product, a heart stent, it now seems aware of this problem in its business strategy and therefore will be prepared for similar situations as it continue to penetrate new markets.IV. Analyzing Johnson & Johnson’s Current Position A. Value Chain Analysis – Synergies, Cost Reductions, and Relationships A value chain analysis of Johnson & Johnson reveals several key sources of value generation. Johnson & Johnson consists of 250 companies that operate in 57 countries worldwide. The widespread nature of its operations and decentralized management practices allow for a high degree of local autonomy and adaptation. This makes Johnson & Johnson very efficient in discovering and reacting to changing consumer demands across the globe.Also, the convergence of knowledge and information from branches across the globe gives the corporation a great advantage in the development of new products and technologies. Flexibility and detailed, location-specific knowledge coupled with heavy investments in technology, most n otably IT, are the main production-based value drivers of the corporation. They allow for timely, adaptive responses to changing needs and the ability to achieve first leader power in emerging markets. Johnson & Johnson is making progress in finding ways to reduce costs.Standardization initiatives in its pharmaceutical sector enabled the company to streamline operations and cut costs by $1. 6 billion in 2008. Cost savings are also created by means of acquisitions. For example, Johnson & Johnson’s acquisition of Pfizer Consumer Healthcare is expected to generate up to $600 billion in â€Å"cost synergies† by unifying the efforts of the two companies. Johnson & Johnson also emphasizes the importance of relationships with both its consumers and employees in its company credo.A talented and dependable workforce is important for innovation and efficiency in operations for any corporation. The company demonstrates its desire for employee welfare with healthcare services and carefully developed online resources. With an employee turnover ratio of less than 5%, Johnson & Johnson demonstrates that it is capable of attracting and retaining the right kind of people to help it remain successful. B. Competitive Positioning – Differentiation and Resource Allocation As stated in the annual report, Johnson & Johnson is a company focused on broad-based human healthcare.It offers a plethora of products throughout its pharmaceutical, medical devices and diagnostics, and consumer products divisions. These products are made in response to both local and global consumer demands, representing solutions for many different customer segments. These factors are evidence that Johnson & Johnson has chosen the competitive strategy of differentiation. Using this strategy affords Johnson & Johnson a sense of prestige and quality and this is evident in its pricing practices.However, the company does use competitive pricing strategies and is continually trying to find ways to lower costs without sacrificing quality or reputation. Johnson & Johnson is constantly seeking to expand its product portfolio across all divisions and spends large amounts of money in R&D to that end. A Johnson & Johnson representative said, â€Å"Be the first, be the best. † This is the most effective way for the company to enter new markets and secure a strong position by being the first to offer the right products in the right locations in a time efficient manner.Johnson & Johnson’s ability to perform these actions successfully is due to the sprawling nature of its subsidiaries and the amount of resources dedicated towards making sure that they all work with each other and share information. Johnson & Johnson holds a very strong competitive position versus other corporations due to the amount of its resources and depth of its operations. It is able to maintain its position as market leader in several product categories, as well as penetrate emerging markets, be cause of its ability to adapt quickly and intelligently.The company must remain vigilant, however, as complacency can result in loss of market share. V. Assessing Effectiveness and Conclusion In today’s fast-paced business environment, any firm needs to consistently reevaluate its strategic positioning, but in industries as competitive as the ones in which Johnson & Johnson competes, continual evaluation is vital for long-term success. By any quantitative measures, Johnson & Johnson is a very successful company, and the fact that it has earned a profit for 75 straight years suggests that there is a definite plan for long-term success.The company’s famous credo, known as â€Å"Our Credo† and written by former chairman Robert W. Johnson in 1943, may have a role in this success. The credo outlines Johnson & Johnson’s responsibilities to its customers, employees, communities, and finally its stockholders. It also establishes the principles that guide the comp any, from making high quality products and recognizing employees’ merit to protecting the environment and experimenting with new ideas. Johnson & Johnson’s credo has endured, unchanged, for over 65 years. While it does not explicitly state long term goals, the principles within it express the company’s intrinsic values.According to the company’s website, â€Å"Our Credo is more than just a moral compass. We believe it’s a recipe for business success. The fact that the Johnson  & Johnson is one of only a handful of companies that have flourished through more than a century of change is proof of that. † Johnson & Johnson has indeed flourished. It consistently tops the corporate reputation charts and is a role model for social responsibility. Moreover, the company is clearly prepared for the many challenges its ever-changing international business environment poses.Due to its strategic positioning and eye on the future, Johnson & Johnson will likely survive another century. REFERENCES Academic Visit to Johnson & Johnson, Prague, Czech Republic. â€Å"2008 Annual Report. † Johnson & Johnson Gassman, Oliver, Gerrit Reepmeyer and Maximilian von Zedtwitz. â€Å"Leading Pharmaceutical Innovation. † Springer â€Å"The Global Pharmaceutical Industry. † Duke University â€Å"Mental health drug market tapped out? † CNNMoney. com â€Å"Our Credo Values. † Johnson & Johnson. â€Å"Patent Expirations Behind J&J Cuts, C&T Looks Closer at Patents. † Cosmetics and Toiletries

Economic Issues Simulation Paper Essay

The Castor Collins health plan is a health maintenance program (HMO) that was found in 1999 and has grown over the years. The company provides health insurance coverage through a system that involves a network of physicians and hospitals. Castor Collins Heath Plan uses the capitation model to fund its large distributed group of physicians and health care organizations. Castor Collins currently provides health care coverage to 100,000 subscribers and would like to increase their enrollees. It is the responsibility of the Vice President along with his most trusted advisers, Helen Feuerman, Chief Financial Officer, Jonathan Wilkes, Chief Medical Officer, and Adam Hunter, Executive Vice President, Planning and Development, to reach out to new clients; two in particular, E-Editors and Constructit. E-Editors The company E-Editors employs 1,600 individuals, 760 males and 840 females. The employee’s ages range from 35-54. Most of the employees with E-Editors are married so they will need to provide an affordable health care plan for their families. Looking at the kind of work involved for most of the employee’s, Castor Collins found that many of the individuals have a sedentary position. In fact, ninety-five percent of the employees at E-Editors have a position that requires long hours of sitting in front of a computer; the remaining five percent of the employees have positions that require physical activity. A thorough health screening was conducted by Castor Collins. Their findings were as followed, most of the employees who have sedentary positions had problems with their vision. Twenty two percent of the employees had no history of health issues. Twenty six percent of the employees are smokers, most of them revealing that they are considered heavy smokers, although none of employees that smoke reported any respiratory complications. The remaining forty- five percent of the employees are obese. Interestingly, the obesity is due to a sedentary job, poor eating habits, and little to no physical activity. These populations of employees are at risk for severe health complications and diseases. Constructit Constructit has 1,000 employees; 550 being male and 450 are females. The age group ranges from 26-42, and sixty percent of the employees are married. Fifty three percent of the employees have positions that require physical activity. Thirty-two percent of this group has high activity positions and twenty five percent have moderate activity positions. The remaining forty three percent of the employees have sedentary positions. The result from this groups health screening are as followed, thirty-eight percent of the employees have no preexisting health issues and are in good physical health. Ten percent of the employees are smokers. Thirty nine percent of the employees are considered obese, which is a high obesity rate. Some of the illnesses that were reported are digestive disorders, respiratory diseases, injuries, and allergies. Analysis of both groups It is Castor Collins job to find suitable health care plans that will benefit both companies, employees, and Castor Collins while keeping in mind to make it affordable and beneficial to all. They will need to evaluate the potential risks and assess the cost of premiums for both. All members of the team determined the best way for deciding would be best conducted by using the cost-benefit analysis system. â€Å"The cost-benefit analysis (CBA) is a set of techniques for assisting in the making of decisions that translates all relevant concerns into market (dollar) terms† (Gertzen & Allen, 2007). The team must first consider the age, gender, and profiles of all employees. Secondly, decide the potential health risks, calculate premium and profit. Thirdly, decide what services will be covered and co-payments for these health plans. When taking into consideration the different health profiles of all employees’ obesity seemed to be an issue for both. This alone makes the population at high risk for health issues associated with obesity such as; heart diseases, strokes, and diabetes. E-editors seem to have a higher percentage of obesity and smokers putting them at a much higher risk with health issues. Outcome After evaluating the cost and benefits that go along with providing health insurance coverage to both E-Editors and Constructit, Castor Collins financial team decided that they would only be able to provide health insurance coverage to Constructit and not E-Editors. The reason for this decision is E-Editors have a higher percentage of employees that are at risk for developing chronic diseases. The team went ahead and presented an offer to Constructit and their employees. Castor Collins can offer their employees the Castor Standard plan, which the premium to be charged will be $3,428.00. The reasoning behind choosing this plan over the Castor Enhanced and the Castor Enhanced Minor is the premiums for each employee would be significantly lower than the Enhanced and Enhance Minor plans even though each employee was willing to pay a maximum of $4,000 for their annual premium. Also, Castor Standard does not cover preexisting health conditions, so this would be a low risk investment. Preexisting conditions can cost a company thousands of dollars and in the end not be beneficial to the company’s profits. If Castor Collins were to contemplate preexisting conditions a much higher premium may have to be considered. This is an advantage that can help keep the annual premiums down and still provide many other health coverage services. The premiums that Castor Collins will charge the employees at Constructit are much lower than anticipated, which means a lower profit return. This group is considered a lower health risk group so increasing premiums could create a possibility to make greater returns, but the outcome is still fitting. Conclusion Many hours of planning and development were considered for the final decision of adding Constructit and not E-editors as a client. The team made this decision by utilizing the CBA method and determining that Constructit would be low risk to provide health coverage too. The plan that was chosen Castor Standard will have a lower return but in the long run be beneficial to Castor Collins. The employees at Constructit will be able to afford the health coverage plan and look towards the future knowing they are insured and covered for any emergencies without draining the wallet. Castor Collins and Constructit will begin a rewarding journey that will benefit both companies in the end. The team based this decision on considering all the  necessary health profiles, risks, and premiums and comparing all of the facts between both companies. Reference Getzen, T. E., & Moore, J. (2007). Health Care Economics: Principles and tools for the Health Care Industry. Hoboken,, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Discuss the major events of world war two Essay

Discuss the major events of world war two - Essay Example Among these are the attack on Pearl Harbor that began America’s involvement with Japan in such famous events as the Battle of Midway and the Battle of Coral Sea and the alliance that developed between America and the Western European nations as they engaged with Germany in battles such as the D-Day battle at Normandy and the Battle of the Bulge. The major events of World War II, such as those just listed, came to an end with the dropping of atomic bombs on Japan following Germany’s defeat, finally and decisively ending the last global war of the 20th century. On the morning of December 7, 1941, Japanese planes attacked America’s Pacific Fleet based at Pearl Harbor in Oahu, Hawaii. The two-wave assaults came at 7:53 and 8:55 AM. It ended by 10 AM and by 1 PM, the planes had rejoined the Japanese carriers and were headed on their way home to Japan. In the wake of the chaos that followed the attack, 2,403 American servicemen were dead, 188 planes were destroyed and eight battleships were either heavily damaged or completely destroyed (â€Å"Attack at Pearl Harbor†, 1997). The U.S. immediately began fighting on both European and Pacific fronts fully supported by the American public. The day after the Pearl Harbor attack, President Roosevelt made his famous ‘a day that lives in infamy’ speech to Congress that requested this body declare war against Japan. Congress quickly agreed to that request then declared war on Germany and Italy on December 11 (Holt, 2006). The Pacific War was the largest naval conflict in history. At the start of 1942, the United States was decidedly outmatched by the Japanese. As a way to raise the morale of the troops, Army Lt. Col. James H. Doolittle was sent to guide 16 bombers to raid Tokyo, and three other Japanese cities in April 1942. The bombing raid was not intended to nor did it inflict much physical damage to Japan, but the psychological damage of the attack was significant as the Japanese thought this

Crime and Punishment in UK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Crime and Punishment in UK - Essay Example The criminal Justice act 2003 was enacted to reduce the crime by deterrence and by taking the preventive steps like supervising in the licence period and taking into custody when there is a need. The minimum time prescribed for a sentence in murder cases and the permission for a trial in the absence of a Jury, the compulsion on the persons called for Jury duties, the custodial periods, the steps taken for reducing re-offenders, custody plus, the new discretionary powers for the Jury, the role probation agencies in reforming the convicts, the permission for the retrial are some of the new clauses included in the law and generally after three years of enacting the law, there is a need to analyse the effect of it and to which extent it was showing its extra effect than the previous laws. In the backdrop of increased sentences in the last ten years and decrease of the fines and community punishments the deterrence attained by implementing the law is to be discussed.First of all there sho uld be a reason for passing a sentence or giving punishment which reduces crime or offer deterrence. The public protection should also be considered and it was considered in the act. Some Judges or magistrates feel that the act gives a practical tool for improving their decision making capacity.1 A bench which is to present a report does not like to observe the details of the punishment given. But the effort to establish rapport between bench and probation by the act is capable of showing the real positive effect. The bench now is provided with a chance to know the decisions taken at the time of probation. But the process is too complex, but is valuable. Crime and punishment in UK The judges decide the punishments in individual cases. This can be termed as independence of Judiciary. But the independence is not the one that makes an escape from the responsibilities. The sentencers may think at the time of the sentence that the punishment given may help in reducing the crime and offer deterrence. But it is not the whole thing which can reduce and deter crime incidence. There should be provision in the law to make all the agencies of the Justice system work in coordination to bring reform in the convicts and attaining the reducing rate of crime. If the Judges think that just judicial independence is the panacea, then the system will suffer and the purpose is not served. How ever the provision of liaison between the judiciary and the probation agencies is capable of bringing the change in the offenders who commit crime and serve sentences from less than 1 year to more than 2 years. The reduction of crime and deterrence depends upon the factor that up to which exte nt the convict was reformed. Generally the rate of repeating crime in the persons convicted in murder cases will be very less (not nil) as a person convicted for more than 10 years, though not reformed, may loose the capacity of committing the murder. It may not be true in all the cases here it was mentioned to make a point that the reformation is more necessary in the case of the persons sentenced for the period of months to 2 to 4 years. The reformation brought out in these persons can be a tool in hand for the system to reduce the crime incidence and to attain the required deterrence. The Judiciary/probation liaison was provided in the act for this reformation, but the extent of its implementation will result in the range of reformation. But it can be known that the sentencing by the Judges and magistrates in all the levels of the courts increased and the community punishments and fines were decreased,1 telling the fact that the liaison was not working up to the mark or it may ta ke some more time to show its effect. Though the courts of England and Wales have more probability of imposing penalties other than custodies, in the last decade the custodial sentences increased. The community sentences were also resulted in the community punishments.2 In the last ten years the custodial sen

Fallacy Spotting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Fallacy Spotting - Essay Example An appeal to pity or fear also known as the Galileo argument, means a professional has been suffering that he/she might lose loss his/her house due to some dysfunction. Under different situations human being evoke to the appeal to pity or fear emotion. Fear of God and fear of terrorism generates appeal to pity or fear in the human mind. At the time of appeal to pity or fear, different kinds of reasoning come to the mind of the arguer along with opposing party. Emotions have been affecting human behavior in a very inappropriate manner, which is also harmful for the future (Rainbolt and Dwyer 1-446). Therefore, appealing to the emotions like pity or fear is unidentified force created by the arguer, it negatively affect the opponents without knowing the actual reason, whether he/she will surrender to the arguer (Walton 1-55). Pity or fear is a very strong as well as forceful emotion, which made the opponent helpless and at a point of time opponent is forced to give up the

Opinion- vs. Research-Based Resources Assignment

Opinion- vs. Research-Based Resources - Assignment Example The purpose of the scholarly articles is to publish the results of research mostly to professionals. The results of the study are organized in groups and discussed under a title. For instance the results published by Draper et al (2008) shows how the shift from managing illness to the promotion of health has taken place. It reports how the initiatives responsible for health and wellness have fared, the purposes for building of capacities regarding to health and wellness, range of activities targeted for the improvement of health and wellness, engagement of the enrollee as well as the investment payoff. The journal also explains the source of data as well as the implications. The purpose non-scholar articles are to report the trends in industries, practical advice as well as the news in the industry mostly to the audience who are mostly non-professionals. In this case, Schoen (2003) reports the trends in the health industry in different countries including Australia, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Canada and the United states and provide the news from those states in regard to health. It is now possible to conclude that both articles are valuable in terms of the subject area they cover. The subject which in this case is health is examined well enough through research which makes the articles valuable. However, the value of scholarly articles can be said to be more valuable due to their wide usage of literature review and the provision of references unlike non-scholarly articles which are rarely referenced. The value of the two articles and their credibility is significant since each of the articles have got its audience. They are therefore written for a purpose and to a specific target who are interested in the specific article. Another similarity is that they both fill the need for the country or rather language of the country. They both communicate in the language that would be effective to the

Symbolism in Edgar Allan Poe's The Masque of the Red Death Essay

Symbolism in Edgar Allan Poe's The Masque of the Red Death - Essay Example Some people would stop reading a cruel story if the writer does not cover his story using symbolic language. In this essay, I intend to illustrate various instances of symbolism portrayed in Allan’s â€Å"The Masque of the Red Death†. A reader of Poe story would ponder about the symbolic language from the time that he or she reads the title of the story. â€Å"The Masque of Red Death†, this title illustrate that Poe has used color to symbolize events in his story. In addition, the name used in the title has a symbolic meaning to reader. Since this is the title of the story and the reader is yet to explore the content of the story. He or she will develop great interest in the story in order to know the deeper meaning of the story and the symbols used by the writer of the story. Poe’s story has three distinct instances in which applications of symbolism appear. The main occurrences are name, number, and color. Poe used color to symbolize emotions, attitude, or feelings of the occurrences in the story. For example, in the story the writer talks of black chamber, which symbolizes death. The writer mentions six other chambers which he gives various colors to illustrate various meaning to the story. ... The red color frightened many characters in the story. The characters tried their best to keep off from the red color because they felt they would bleed to death. It is also important to note that Poe symbolism of color illustrated different moods and meaning to the story. Prince, the chief character in Poe’s story ran through the six chambers at different instances. Notably, each of the six chambers had different colors. This illustrated different moods, which the prince acquired in the story. Human emotions in the story appear to the reader using color. When the prince entered each room, he changed his emotions. It is arguable that in the story, Poe successfully used color to illustrate various stages in life. Red color portrayed a terminal disease, which would eventually lead to the death of the prince as illustrated in the black room. Characters in the story feared red color because they knew it represented a terminal illness that would wipe them from earth. Poe uses numbe r in the story to influence the emotions of the reader. Seven appears as a holy number associated with wonders of the world. Determination of evil in the story is clear as it struggles to destroy the holy number. Probably, the plague of red death occurred in the seventh chamber. In the story, characters are vigilant when it comes to observations of numbers because they knew that each number had a symbolic meaning. As the clock tickled, the characters in the story observed the number that the clock pointed. A change of emotions is evident in their faces in each number that the clock points. At 12 midnight, sad mood engulf the room because red death occurred at this hour. Evidently, life would be good for the characters, as long as the clock hand does not

Where do we draw the line between Business Intelligence and Industrial Research Paper

Where do we draw the line between Business Intelligence and Industrial Espionage - Research Paper Example organized by an enterprise to collect, store, access and analyze information about the market and competitors so that better business decisions are made possible (Biere, 2003; Scheps, 2008). These corporate databases (Loshin, 2003, p. 1) of information have turned raw data into valuable business information asset that has enabled the enterprise users to look at and manipulate information in a different way leading to fruitful business decisions that are in corporate benefit. Moss and Atre (2003, p. 4) have listed activities which are assisted by BI decision-support programs. These include Online Analytical Processing (OLAP), data mining, forecasting, business analysis, analytic analysis, knowledge management and so on; and, BI decision support databases include data mining databases, operational data stores, operational marts, web warehouses, and etcetera. To monitor BI activities and databases and companies organize BI groups within the organization and also hire professionals from outside who analyze the company’s performance, strengths and weaknesses, and compares the gathered information to predict where the company stands in the market. This helps increase profitability, reduce costs, improve customer relationship management, and decrease business risks (Loshin, 2003, p. 2). Research by Subramanian and IsHak (1998) also found that US companies who used advanced BI systems for competitor analysis enjoyed greater profitability than the companies which did not. Guttman (1995, p. 26) has defined Industrial Espionage (IE) as an â€Å"act of gathering proprietary data from private companies or the government for the purpose of aiding other company(ies)†. Companies may get involved in IE for their competitive advantage and governments may use IE to support other companies. Whatever, the case, the information has to be processed through computers and thus it becomes liable to threats regarding information security. The biggest threat employee sabotage, that is, the

Hybrid Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Hybrid - Movie Review Example It is natural for human to seek for beauty, and it is impossible without designing work. It is preferable to sit, for example, on not only comfortable and quality chair, but also on that one that looks good and makes feel that it is aesthetically well done. A home can be compared to a machine to see whether it is possible to adjust it just the same way like a machine. This will of customization leads to further creativity in such matters as the furniture location, the wallpapers color and pattern, the carpets and other pieces of interior, which is impossible without imagination and, consequently, designing work. The desire for customization, optimization and rationalization may lead to some extravagant ideas that can be understood incorrectly or even fail. The ideas of Bauhaus survived both ways: one of them failed, others lived up till today. Based upon information received about this project, the conclusion is that the best idea of a home, and the life at all, is to rationally combine the desire for beauty, the design, and pragmatism, the desire to rationalize and make the things more

Against Smoking Essay Example for Free

Against Smoking Essay â€Å"Life is too short† and â€Å" you only live once† are phrases you always hear from your parents, grandparents and other people whenever they come up with those boring ‘in my day’ stories, aren’t they? So why waste the one life you get, and shorten the already too short with the expensive, pointless and revolting habit of smoking? Smoking is the habit that I consider to be pointless, a waste of money and dangerous to your health and social life. Smoking really is the one thing I loathe and with it causing a staggering 110,000 unnecessary premature deaths a year I strongly believe it should be banished to room 101 eternally. It’s not that bigger deal is what you might be thinking now but wait until you hear the stomach churning, blood-curdling and spine chilling effects smoking has on you and everyone around you, they are what some call ‘Hair-raisers’. ?1. billion is what our nation’s worst habit is costing the NHS every year, with 50 diseases and illnesses linked to smoking, 20 of which can be fatal in percentage of cases. When you and your family have to pay the extortionate amount of tax, this is surely not what you wanted a percentage of it to be going towards. You’re hard earned pay going towards people feeding their deathly addiction with what is an expensive death wish in the form of a stick of cancer and fatal diseases. ?1,700 is what an average smoker spends on cigarettes each year. Every cigarette lasts just two minutes and takes 11 minute off of your life, whilst imagine having ? 1,700 to go on a shopping spree with. It could last you years of fashionable outfits whilst smoking could cost you years of agonizing symptoms from the illnesses you could end up being faced with, besides surely the ‘smoking kills’ and ‘smoking is harmful to health’ messages on the back of many cigarette and tobacco packets reminds smokers of the consequences of smoking and it would surely put people off smoking, but no they just carry on. Too add to this the addictive drug in a cigarette is also used as an insecticide, so if it is used to kill insects then just visualize what it might do to your lungs, not nice is it? Smoking doesn’t just affect you it affects the people around you as well. 17,000 children under the age of five are admitted to hospital with illnesses such as pneumonia, asthma, bronchitis and infections such as ear, throat and chest infections. Innocent children having to pay the price for inconsiderate people who selfishly smoke around them. It really is not fair. Additionally children who grow up in families of smokers have 50% more chance of being tobacco users when they are older than children brought up in a smoke free environment. Many times my friends and I have had to choose between suffocating in cigarette smoke and holding our breathes for, well too long whilst our eyes water from the smoke, smudging all our make-up just before meeting up with some friends in town as we have to walk by a ginormous group of selfish youths smoking because they think it makes them look cool. It doesn’t for the record and it also smells really, really bad. Who would want to be friends with someone whose hair, clothes and house smells like stale tobacco smoke? Not me, that’s for sure. Why on earth do people think their cool if they smoke IN joke shops they even sell fake cigarettes that look lit, just so people can pretend they’re smoking. But really it does not look cool and 40% of 16 year olds feel pressured into smoking by their friends and peers. Why should young people have to worry about being asked to have a smoke next time they go out with their friends when really they should be concentrating on school and GCSE’s? Similarly 60% of all smokers started smoking under the age of 17. These and too many other reasons to say, make me believe that smoking should be banished to the very depths of room 101 for the rest of eternity and I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who thinks this.

Impact of Corruption on Nigerias Unemployment Rates

Impact of Corruption on Nigerias Unemployment Rates Introduction Unemployment has eaten so deep into the Nigerian society to the extent that the citizens have learnt to live with it, with a view that nothing can be done about it. This attitude of Nigerians towards this menace of unemployment however is a negative approach of dealing with such complex and complicated issue that has had tremendous negative impact on the country, some of which are robbery, kidnapping, rapes, oil bunkering etc. According to the Manpower Board and the Federal Bureau of Statistics, the Nigerian youth population is 80 million and this represents 60% of the entire population (Awogbenele and Iwuamadi, 2001). It further explains that 64 million of them are unemployed, while 1.6 million are under-employed. It is very unfortunate that such ugly report of unemployment could be heard of a country like Nigeria with so much natural and mineral resources. According to the statistical rebasing exercise of 2014, Nigeria has assumed the position of the largest growing economy in Afri ca, with an estimated GDP of 502 billion USD (CIA). Such economy ordinarily would have increased the number of industries and attracted foreign investors to the country, thereby increasing the employment rate in the country, but the presence of corrupt practices in the country have been an impediment to the increasing rate of employment in the country despite its enormous resources. According to Transparency International (TI) corruption perspective index of 20013, Nigeria ranked 144 of 177 countries. The high unemployment rate in Nigeria has been attributed to corruption. In a bid to combat corruption in Nigeria, president Olusegun Obasanjo established the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practice Commission (ICPC) in 1999 to act as a watchdog for public officials and check corrupt practices, but these commissions have also been plagued by nepotism and the recruitments of mediocre or candidates that are unqualified in preference to qualified candidates. Other measures towards combating corruption have failed as the process also involves corrupt public officials, more like fighting an evil with the same evil. Corruption in Nigeria has become an issue of global discourse and has attracted comments from several scholars; however, this paper seeks to expose the corrupt practices in the country, in a pursuit for a change in the employment status of the country. In achieving this, this paper draw a nexus between corruption and unemployment, going forward to identify and analyse corrupt practices in the country and h ow it has impacted the unemployment rate in the country, thereafter, proffer solutions to the problems of unemployment in Nigeria by suggesting some mechanisms that will help to curb the evil of corruption that is prevalent in Nigeria. Research Question As can be seen from the introduction, the Nigerian situation of high rate of unemployment is unique because ordinarily this should not be the case with Nigeria because of her oil wealth. However, this paper suggests some research questions that if answered adequately will solve the puzzle in our minds and provide a cure to this illness of unemployment in Nigeria. My research questions include: Is there a relationship between corruption and unemployment? How has corruption impacted on the unemployment rate in Nigeria? JUSTIFICATION: It is not a misconception to suggest a high level of employment and an increasing industrial society in a state that is endowed with huge natural and mineral resources. The Nigerian situation is an exception in the sense that despite her abundant resources, the citizens still suffer high rate of unemployment. The increasing rate of unemployment in the country has been attributed to presence of corrupt public officials in the political, economic and social affairs of the nation. The corrupt practices of such corrupt officials which include nepotism, money laundering, mismanagement of public fund, bribery, fraud have increased the unemployment rate in the country. The uniqueness of the Nigerian situation triggered my interest in this paper, with the aim of finding the nexus between corruption and unemployment and thereafter explain how corrupt has impacted (negatively) on the unemployment rate in Nigeria. In answering the above listed research question, I will attempt to analyse the corrupt practices among public officials in Nigeria and evaluate its impact (of these practice) on the unemployment rate in the country. This paper will go a step further to proffer possible mechanism that could curb the menace of corruption, thereby reducing the unemployment rate in the country by adequately utilizing their God’s given resources for the good of the citizens. LITERATURE REVIEW/THEORITICAL FRAMEWORK The variables included in this paper are corruption and unemployment. Corruption is the independent variable that determines the unemployment rate (dependent variable) in the country. Increases in corruption will most likely lead to an increase in the unemployment rate in a country and a decrease in corruption will also mean a decrease in the unemployment rate in the country. However, an increase in the unemployment rate in a country could also cause an increase in corruption because there a high possibility of an unemployed population to indulge more in corrupt practices as a means of livelihood, therefore the dependent variable could also cause the independent variable. I will say however that there is a correlation between both variables because the high rate of unemployment in Nigeria is caused by the increase in corruption in the country. There is also a cofounding variable Z that makes the relationship between both variables spurious because there are states that are corrupt an d yet witness low unemployment rate and there are also states that have reduced rate of corruption and still experience high rate of unemployment. This existence of these states with exceptions shows a spurious relationship between corruption and unemployment. Definition of Concepts The term corruption has been defined conceptually and operationally by different scholars and institutions. Corruption as defined by Transparency International (TI) is â€Å"the misuse of entrusted power for private gains†. Corruption is a menace that occurs not only in developing countries, but also in the first world countries, however, it is prevalent in developing countries of Asia and Africa. Corruption is not limited to a particular political system, but as a regular phenomenon, it exists in all forms of political system. Closely related to the definition of corruption by Transparency International, the World Bank definition of corruption goes thus â€Å"the misuse of public office for private gain†. According to Brooks, corruption is intentional because public officials are aware of their duties, but they neglect it for reasons that are not intended by the state (Brook 1970). Corruption is referred to as â€Å"mother of all crime† and is included in four f orms which include bribery, graft, nepotism and prebendalism (Akinseye 2000). Conclusively, I see corruption as an illegal extra benefit that is sought by public officials at the detriment of public. I call it â€Å"illegal extra benefit† because they not legally entitled to it. Unemployment however, can be described as the condition of persons who are willing and able to work, but are not able to find job. When the supply of labour is more that the demand for labour, this could cause unemployment and joblessness as a result of lack of employment, youths may be forced to indulge in illegal means of livelihood and this may result in unemployment (Echebiri 2005; Onah 2001). The various forms of unemployment include frictional, structural, seasonal and cyclical employment. According to a report by the International Labour Organisation, the global rate of unemployment is increasing steadily and the number of people without job has increased to above 195million, which is 6.3% in the world (ILO 2007). An increasing per cent of this figure are found in the developing countries of Asia and Africa. According to Todaro, the increasing rate of unemployment is geared by the transfer of movement and economic activities from rural to urban areas (Todaro 1992). The unemplo yed is defined by the International Labour Organisation as the amount of a population who are economically active and are without job, but are willing and are seeking jobs including those that have voluntarily dropped their work and those that have lost their jobs. (World Bank 1998:63). Unemployment in Nigeria however can be divided into two: those that have lost their jobs and those that have not ever been employed. In this paper, I subscribe to the Huntington theory of modernisation that focuses on the process of change and the reaction of states to such changes. This however forms my theoretical base for the purpose of explaining the problem of corruption of which unemployment is a product. The modernisation theory also implies a transformational process from a traditional society to a modern society through the introduction of modern practices. According to Adefulu, modernisation theory is one of the theories of corruption. He argued that political stability, inequality and corruption were breaded by the political and economic process of state modernization (Adefulu, 2007). The transformation from traditional states to modern societies left some loop holes for corrupt practices. This has further increased the unemployment rate in Nigeria. In the society before modernisation, public officials were not as corrupt as in our contemporary days. Companies like the African Timber and Plywood, Sapele , Nigeria, the Delta Steel Company, Delta state, Nigeria and several other big industries and companies in Nigeria that employed thousands of Nigerians were functional and active until this modernisation process started, where Nigeria started modernisation practices as opposed to the previous state system where top leaders and rulers owe allegiance to the traditional institution. The consequence of corrupt practices in public offices in the traditional institution was death and the fear of this consequences reduced corruption to the barest minimum. Public officials then were accountable and responsible in their operations and the society experienced a very low rate of unemployment because of the reduced rate of corruption. The transfer to a modern state system has increased the corruption rate, thereby increasing the rate of unemployment in the country. HYPOTHESES. Given the above mentioned theoretical framework, my hypothesis in this work is. There is a correlation between corruption and unemployment. Corruption has impacted negatively on the unemployment rate in Nigeria. DATA AND METHODOLOGY My research data (collection of information) will include both primary and secondary sources. Primary Sources: Data that will be collected from primary source will include personal interview. Secondary Sources: Secondary sources for my research will include Transparency International Corruption Index (TI), CIA World Fact book, World Bank data etc. these sources have provided adequate, accurate and reliable information that have been of help to researchers, hence I consider them worthy of reference. Academic journals and articles will also be consulted in the course of my work. This paper will rely on observational study and will involve a small-n design by focusing on just Nigeria as my case study because the paper seeks to examine not only a relationship between corruption and unemployment, but also to identify how corruption has been able to cause a high rate of unemployment in Nigeria and possible solutions to this problem of unemployment in the country. REFERENCES Akinseye George, Y: Legal System, Corruption and Governance in Nigeria, Lagos. (2000) Adefulu A. Razaa: Neo Patrimonialism the modern Africans state and corruptions syndrome. (2007) Awogbenle, A.C. Iwuamadi, K.C: Youth Unemployment: Entrepreneurship Development Programme as an Intervention Mechanism. . (2010) Central Intelligence Agency: The World Fact Book (2014) Echebiri, R.N: Characteristics and Determinants of Urban Youth Unemployment in Umuahia, Nigeria: (2005) International Labor Organization: Youth: Pathway to Decent Work (2005). Todaro, M: England: Longman Group, U.K. Limited; Economics for a Developing World, (1992) Transparency International Corruption Perspective Index (2013) World Bank: World Development Indicators. Washington, D.C. (1998)

Nursing Homes And The Lutheran Home For The Aging Essay -- essays rese

Nursing Homes and The Lutheran Home for the Aging Recently, I had the pleasure of having a personal tour of the Lutheran Home for the Aging located in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. I chose this area of study because it happened to be convenient in location for me as well as easily accessible to a source of an interviewee that I felt comfortable with and who is also very comfortable with myself. I find it much easier to conduct an interview and get more relevant information from a source that I've already had former contact with and also established a friendship with. I interviewed, age 48, who was a social worker at the Lutheran Home for the Aging for 12 years until she changed career paths that would benefit herself more as well as her family. graduated from the University of with a Social Work degree and is presently pursing a two year Dental Hygiene degree(Associate Degree). She explained to me that at the time she was hired at the nursing home it was not necessary for social workers to have to take a test in order to obtain a license and a position in the social work field, a position that she held for twelve years explained to me how she was "Grandfathered" into her social worker position and did not have to take a test for a license until it was required after years of responsible and professional work in the Home for the Aging. The Lutheran Home for the Aging was founded in 1906 by John C. Koch, with the motivation and desire to promote residential care for his fellow aging Lutheran constituents. Along with the supportive interests of other Lutherans, he purchased approximately eight acres of land. A large house on the property served as the Home's first building and within a year of its founding, it had reached a capacity of twenty members. Today the same desire and motivation has increased the residential population to 313 members, age 65 and over. The founders of the Home did more than provide a place to live for the Aging. They founded a tradition of excellence and quality care that continues even to this day. The mission of the home is to "take a leadership role in resident satisfaction by providing superior services in a Christian atmosphere that meet or exceed the expectations of each resident and his or her family" ("Lutheran Home for the Aging" 1). Through th... ...am B. "Journal of the American Geriatrics Society." Online. Internet. Available http://www.wwilkins.com/wavcat- bin/journals_ops/ID0856948/0002-8614/prod. "Code of Ethics." Online. Internet. Available http://www.umanitoba.ca/faculties/†¦tml#Ethical Duties and Obligations. Lutheran Home for the Aging. Wauwatosa: Lutheran Home for the Aging, 1996. "Long-Term Care and Nursing Homes." Online. Internet. Available http://freenet.uchsc.edu/2000/senior/nurshome/menu.html. "Nursing Home, Home Health and Hospice." Online. Internet. Available http://www.math.utah.edu/~c-pkse/medfile/hhh.html. "Nursing Homes and Long Term Care Facilities." Online. Internet. Available http://www.medaccess.com/locator/nursehome/nsgh01.htm. Sager, M. Measurement of Activities of Daily Living in Hospitalized Elderly: A Comparison of Self-report and Performance-based measures. Wisconsin: Geriatric Society, 1992. 457-462. "Senior Care Insurance, Medicare, Medicaid." Online. Internet. Available http://seniors-site.com/ads/medicare.html. Lutheran Home for the Aging: "A warm, caring place where life always has quality, value and dignity."

The Scarlet Letter and Aunt Jennifers Tigers :: comparison compare contrast essays

The Scarlet Letter and Aunt Jennifer's Tigers In the course of our life we need to make many decisions. The way we live our life is a decision each person makes for him/herself. Usually, one choice is better than the other, yet society doesn't always support the better one. The poem, "Aunt Jennifer's Tigers" and The Scarlet Letter present two ways in which women can react to a society dominated by men and how their lives are shaped by their different decisions. A woman can just ignore the restraints put on her and suffer, or she can challenge men's authority and enjoy her life. In a society where men choose the standards, Hester follows her own set of rules. She is independent, unrestrained and makes her own decisions. The reader's first view of Hester's uniqueness in The Scarlet Letter, is the scarlet letter. Hester has transformed the society's sign of guilt into her own work of art by decoration the "A" with elegant stitching and golden thread. Her interpretation of the punishment clashes with that of her neighbors, and she is not reluctant to stress their contrast of opinions. She does not fear men, as most women did in her time. It was mandatory in her society that women respected their husbands, and did what the men ordered. Hester fears neither the leaders of the community nor her husband. She demonstrates her confidence by standing up to a group of the most respected men in town, when she hears they might take her daughter, Pearl, away from her. She even has the courage to demand the minister for his help. "I will not give her up!" She firmly states. "Speak thou for me... Thou knowest what is in my heart, and what are a mother's rights...Look thou to it! I will not lose the child! Look to it!" (Ch.8). She refuses to let the power of the men intimidate her, and gets what she wants. While most women of Hester's time did whatever their husband ordered them to do, Hester refused to keep a secret that Chillingworth asked her to. She wanted to disclose the evil that her husband was placing upon Dimmesdale. "I must reveal the secret, he must discern thee in thy true character.

Exploration Of Social Issues In Once Upon A Time :: essays research papers fc

Once Upon a Social Issue Fairy tales have always been told to us as children; whether to comfort or entertain us, they always seem to be a part of most everyone’s childhood. When Nadine Gordimer was asked to write a children’s story, she replied with a short story titled â€Å"Once Upon A Time†. Although the title is characteristic of a fairy tale, she leads the tale to an ending that is anything other than â€Å"†¦happily ever after.† Gordimer distorts the fairy tale by dealing with certain issues rather than giving the reader the usual fairy tale characteristics. Three of the more significant issues Gordimer likes to deal with in her story are racial discrimination and prejudice, society’s insecurities, and the persuasive way fairy tales have with children.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Gordimer’s â€Å"Once Upon A Time† has the feeling of insecurity right away. In the first part of her story, Gordimer reminds us of our own insecurities. She brings up a familiar situation in which one is awakened by a bump in the night and cannot go back to sleep because of fear or their own insecurities. Gordimer writes, â€Å"I have no burglar bars, no gun under the pillow, but I have the same fears as people who do take these precautions...† So, to better convey this issue of society’s insecurities, she tells herself a bedtime story. In the story, there is a family who is living â€Å"†¦happily ever after†, yet is seems it is all that they can do to keep it that way. Rather than putting their insecurities aside and getting on with their lives, they feel that they must put their trust in security devices to protect their selves. For a short while, the family has a sense of security by posting a plaque stating â€Å"†™YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED† over the silhouette of a prospective intruder. After a short time the family’s psychological need for more security calls for a number of new security devices in order to sustain the top level of security. It is in the family’s pursuit of this â€Å"security† that they virtually imprison themselves. After the installation of burglar bars, Gordimer describes the view â€Å"from every window and door in the house where they were living happily ever after they now saw the trees and sky through bars.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the less obvious issues lining â€Å"Once Upon A Time† is racial discrimination. Gordimer first suggestion that this suburb may be slightly racist is by stating that the plaque on their gate warning possible intruders didn’t designate black or white, therefore protesting too much the owner of the home not to be a racist.

Daily Routines

Your Daily Routines: Then and Now Day| Before College| After College| Sunday| My daily routine before college on a Sunday was to attend church service and was to decide what our Sunday dinner plans were. | My daily routine now that I am enrolled in college on a Sunday are to attend church service, decide what our Sunday dinner plans are, and to make sure that all of my assignments and discussion questions are submitted, and all participation posts are completed for the week. .| Monday| My daily routine before college on Mondays were to go to work and come home to watch my favorite TV shows to wind down from my day. My daily routine now that I am enrolled in college on a Monday is to go to work try to complete a participation post or a discussion question during my lunch break, and then come home and make dinner while studying. | Tuesday| My daily routine before college on Tuesdays were to go to work and come home to watch my favorite TV shows to wind down from my day. | My daily rout ine now that I am enrolled in college on a Tuesday is to go to work try to complete a participation post or a discussion question during my lunch break, and then come home and make dinner while studying. Wednesday| My daily routine before college on Wednesdays go to work and come home to watch my favorite TV shows to wind down from my day. | My daily routine now that I am enrolled in college on a Wednesday is to go to work try to complete a participation post or a discussion question during my lunch break, and then come home and make dinner while studying. | Thursday| My daily routine before college on Thursdays were go to work and come home to watch my favorite TV shows to wind down from my day. My daily routine now that I am enrolled in college on a Thursday is to go to work try to complete a participation post or a discussion question during my lunch break, and then come home and make dinner while studying. | Friday| My daily routine before college on Fridays were go to work and come and decide what our weekend plans were with our friends are and maybe have a date night. | My daily routine now that I am enrolled in college on a Friday is to go to work try to complete a participation post or a discussion question during my lunch break, and then come home to spend time with my husband. Saturday| My daily routine before college on a Saturday was to sleep in late, make a nice lunch fore my husband and then go out with friends and enjoy each others company later that night. | My daily routine now that I am enrolled in college on a Saturay is to wake up a bit earlier than usual to try to complete a participation post or a discussion question before cleaning my house and going out with friends. | What are the major differences in your daily routine now that you are in school? The major differnces that I see now that I am back in school are that I have a more structured schedule and am able to focus on completeing assignments before doing extracuricular activities. Have you included enough time into your schedule for academics? What information in the chart demonstrates evidence to support your answer? I have included enought time into my schedule for academics by cutting out alot of television watching and minimizing the activites I do with friends prior to completeing my class work. The information on the chart that demonstrates evidence of this is there not being any extra activites or television watching during the week or prior to completeing assignments. Do you have an effective balance in the use of your time and your priorities? Why or why not? I do feel that I have an effective balance in the use of my time and my priorities by my cutting out the things that will not assist me in acgieving my goal of and education and earning my diploma. I have substituted watching television by watching the web tutorials. What are some time management strategies you have learned this week that you can implement to make your daily routine effective? A time management strategy I have learned this week is to learn to comprimise with myself I have to buckle down and do my works on certain days so that I can reward myself and be afforded the time for fun activities on other days when my classwork has been completed.

Is the Most Important Asset of an Organization

Question : â€Å"Human Resource (employees) is the most important asset of an organization. † Introduction Traditionally, human resource focused mainly on administrative functions and process personnel management. However, due to technology advancement, administrative tasks have reduced. The role of human resource has shifted and seems to be taking up more responsibility in company strategic planning and development. This theory has been supported in the work of Noe et al (2010, p. 719) Durai (2010, p. 109) stated, â€Å"Employees are the precious asset of an organization†.In view of this statement, human resource planning plays an important role to optimize the utilization of its asset in term of cost and productivity. Involvement with company’s strategic planning will allow human resource department to have a broader view of employees’ skill requirement and deployment. Ineffective planning will cause a hindrance to employee satisfactory and organization success. In this paper, we will study how the theory of compensation management, job rotation, recognition and training will motivate employees.Correspondence to these theories, organization will gain in productivity and profit once the employees are appeased with the working environment. Employee engagement with the organization Employees’ talent and efforts have tangible effects on an organization’s productivity and stability. And such efforts are often been neglected and fail to satisfy employees’ needs. When employees’ efforts are not recognized, there will be a lack of commitment to the organization. Thus, employees will not be motivated and will be less creative. Effectiveness of Compensation ManagementIn order to facilitate the achievement of an organization’s goals and key values, compensation management plays an important role in human resource management function. Employees should be managed properly and motivated by providing the best co mpensation system based on the job done and its result. A good compensation system will attract and retain skilled and productive employees. (Pattanayak B, p. 284) According to Armstrong (2002, p. 8), the compensation system consists of a total remuneration of direct financial rewards (fixed wage and variable pay) and employee benefits (annual leave and sick leave).And, non-financial rewards such is job recognition, opportunities for career advancement and personal growth are also part of the compensation system. Diagram 2 shows the list of financial and non-financial rewards that an organization can apply under the compensation system. [pic] Noe et al. (2010, p. 547) mentioned that employees’ emotion and function towards the organization is mainly influence by the compensation payout. Difference in individual personal characteristic will draw people to different compensation systems.A great solution to compensate employees in the organization is to adapt combination program rather that one program over another. List of compensation programs are merit pay, incentive pay, profit sharing, ownership, gain sharing, and skill-based pay. Merit pay is one of the best rewarding compensation programs. Employees are measured and payout annually based on the individuals performance appraisal rated by employees’ supervisor. Many companies in Singapore are adapting this compensation program for their permanent staffs. Employees will be more motivated when their performances are recognized and their basic pay is increased.Another example of compensation program is incentive pay. Incentive pay is usually seen in organization with sales team that brings in revenue and profit that will gain market share for the company. Employees with higher performance will gain in such compensation program as they measured based on the amount of products or services sold and the payout is not part on the employee’s basic pay. Payment will be earned on a weekly or monthly basis depending on the organization’s policy. Once an individual is motivated by such monetary rewards, he will sell more products and services for the rganization. However, if the compensation program is not well planned, it will have a negative effect to the organization to support its business objectives. As mentioned in the article by Daly D (2009), skilled-based pay is the remuneration to payout employees with a better skilled knowledge that related to the job. Employees who have attained new skill and knowledge will be compensated more comparing to their co-colleagues. Taking an example of a technician in a manufacturing organization, he will be rewarded once he has completed the machine repair and maintenance program.In order for him to continue to be compensated with better basic pay, he has to continue to upgrade his skillsets. Once the employees’ market value has increased, he will be motivated to contribute more to the organization and improve productivity. Effectiveness of Job Rotation & Recognition Apart from monetary rewards, job rotation has a function to motivate employees to enhance their skill knowledge and contribute more to the organization. Job rotation is systematic procedure whereby individual employee is shifted from current position or department to another in a given period of time.Employees will be multi skilled and able to support the organization when skillsets are required. When a job is less lifeless or monotonous, employees will perform better and improve productivity. Hence, employees will gain a promotion and increase their income. (Noe et al, p. 430) Effectiveness of Recognition Recognize and reward are exactly what the employees in the organization looking forward for a better growth in their career. The right motivation will influence the employees’ behavior and in return employees will achieve the organization’s goals and objective and strive for higher productivity.Once the employees are satis fied and feel rewarded, it is unlikely for them to leave the organization. Employees will dedicated their skill and time for the organization. Therefore, the management should always be enthusiastically recognizing the talented and hardworking individuals to create a healthier working environment for the employees to come to work happily every day. Effectiveness of Training and Development Engaging employees with training and development are the two fundamental components in an organization.Both training and development do co-exist, as training will provide the skillsets and knowledge for the employees’ needs in the job. Whereas, development is a process to prepare employees in gaining new skills and knowledge for forthcoming demand in the current job or a job that do not exist. When employees obtained new skills and knowledge, it will improve the quality of the work. Organization will take the opportunities to attract and retain talented employees to gain profits and product ivity. This theory is support by Noe et al. (2010, p. 87) ConclusionEmployees are still an integral part of a company, being important assets. They must be constantly motivated and rewarded financial or non-financial on effort done on the job. Thus, human resource management has to balance the needs and achieve the goals and objective of both employees and the organization. Once the employees gained the recognition from the organization, they will produce better results and profits. Reference Armstrong M, 2002: Employees Rewards, London: CIPD Publishing. Durai P, 2010: Human Resource Management, New Delhi: Dorling Kindersley (India) Pvt Ltd.Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart, Wright, 2010: Human Resource Management Gaining A Competitive Advantage, 7th Edition: New York, McGraw-Hill. Pattanayak B, 2006: Human Resource Management, 3rd Edition: New Delhi, Prentice Hall of India Private Limited. Daly D, 2009. Employee Relations, Motivation, Performance Management, DeGarmo Group. Available http:// www. degarmogroup. com/index. php/2009/03/the-effectiveness-of-skill-based-pay-systems/ [1 Dec 2010] Own Referencing Employee reward Michael Armstrong CIPD Publishing, 2002 – 573 pages http://books. google. com/books? d=keiVwGxm3i0C&pg=PA363&dq=financial+and+non+financial+rewards&hl=en&ei=lELSTtXwHYLorQeht-XnDA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CDcQ6AEwAA#v=snippet&q=total%20remuneration&f=false Durai P, Human Resource Management, Pearson Education India Page109 http://books. google. com. sg/books? id=cRAvCCsN2e0C&pg=PA109&dq=what+the+point+on+human+resource+is+an+asset+to+organisation&hl=en&ei=58zRTti1K9HnrAeGjOnGDA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CEIQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=what%20the%20point%20on%20human%20resource%20is%20an%20asset%20to%20organisation&f=false pic] Ronel Kleynhans, Human Resource Management 2006 Page 6 Pearson South Africa, 1 Mar, 2006 – Business & Economics – 310 pages http://books. google. com. sg/books? id=8_acBYy_77oC&pg= PA6&dq=HRM+-+employee+is+an+asset&hl=en&ei=bbHRTsf8LYHTrQf1pakw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CEAQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=HRM%20-%20employee%20is%20an%20asset&f=false Human Resource Management 3Rd Ed. Biswajeet Pattanayak PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd. , 1 Mar, 2005 – 504 pages http://books. google. com/books? id=dF7G0yZ51GgC&dq=compensation+management&a mp;source=gbs_navlinks_s [pic]Ultimate Small Business Marketing Guide James Stephenson, Courtney Thurman Entrepreneur Press, 4 Jan, 2007 – Business & Economics – 478 pages http://books. google. com/books? id=algx60Sbqo0C&dq=training+program+to+motivate&source=gbs_navlinks_s Industrial/Organizational Psychology: An Applied Approach Michael G. Aamodt Striking a balance between research, theory, and application, the sixth edition of INDUSTRIAL/ORGANIZATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY: AN APPLIED APPROACH http://books. google. com/books? id=TgE7zklRjHgC&dq=training+program+to+motivate&source=gbs_navlinks_s David Daly http://www. egarmogroup. com/index. php/2009/03/the-effectiveness-of-skill-based-pay-systems/ Encyclopaedic Dictionary of Organization Behaviour Rahul Arora – 2000 – 573 pages – Full viewSarup & Sons, 1 Jan, 2000 – 573 pages Recognition & Reward Program Best Practices By Derek Irvine, Globoforce | April 15, 2011 http://www. hrmtoday. com/talent/human-resources-management/recognition-reward-program-best-practices/ Make Their Day! Employee Recognition That Works: Proven Ways to Boost Morale, Productivity, and Profits Cindy Ventrice ReadHowYouWant. com, 6 Aug, 2010 – Business & Economics – 336 pages

Betrayal and Manipulation in the Accidental Billionaires Essay

In the Accidental Billionaires, the motif of manipulation and betrayal is prevalent. Mark Zuckerburg is the prime embodiment of manipulation and betrayal throughout the course of the work. Another character also attributed with such qualities is Sean Parker. Mark and Sean are similar in this aspect; manipulating their own world to achieve their goals. In the first few chapters of the book, the reader is introduced to the Winklevoss twins. The twins turn to Mark to aid them in their social networking idea, the HarvardConnection. After trusting Mark with their program, Mark begins to manipulate the idea into his own. In a very subtle way, Mark delays the twins in time to sire his own program. This action reveals to the reader that Mark is a lone wolf. Mark, told to us in the book, is not interested in money. For example, â€Å"†¦Microsoft had offered Mark between one and two million dollars to go to work for them-and amazingly, Mark had turned them down† (Mezrich 15). This action should be noted as the aspect of working alone seems to be, to Mark, the most efficient way to achieve fame. Mark is highly influenced by Bill Gates, a man who rose out of the very same school Mark attends and manipulated his way throughout his pursuits of Microsoft, and in Mark’s point of view, individual. With his displeasing physique and social incompetence, it is easy to see why people underestimate Mark and are taken advantage of. Another character to note is Sean Parker. Sean Parker is a foil to the protagonist, Mark. Mark pairs up with Sean after he launches ‘thefacebook’. Sean has a history of manipulating his way through major companies with the agenda of getting rich only, quite the opposite of Mark. Sean is extremely energetic, whereas Mark seems to be lazy as represented by his lack variety in his attire- flipflops, jeans, etc. Sean, however, was betrayed by those companies he used to work for, but, ironically, he pursues yet another company that betrays him in the end. Betrayal, through manipulation, is in the subtitle of the book, â€Å"A tale of sex, money, genius, and betrayal. † Betrayal is mentioned last in this climax because that is to show the most important motif and a symbol of the book’s overall structure- It goes from Eduardo and Mark seeking attention to ‘get laid’, then pursue money with genius innovation of modern social networking, and finally, Mark’s betrayal is concluded when he removes Eduardo and Sean from his life because they threatened his brainchild, Facebook. The motif of betrayal is very subtle to the reader. Even after reading the subtitle that Mezrich so blatantly states before the beginning chapter, I was manipulated into completely forgetting about betrayal and instead was focused on the pursuit to fame. Even the title fools the reader in stating the plural form of billionaire, but only one billionaire is spawned at the conclusion of the book. Just as the twins, Eduardo, and Sean, Mark’s real agenda was cloaked to me, until it finally dawned in the closing chapters.

Louis Menand’s Three Theories Essay

More people than ever before are attending college due to the endless opportunities that it provides. Louis Menand, a college professor and the author of â€Å"Live and Learn: Why We Have College,† explains the meaning of college through three theories that have been developed. Theory 1 supports the idea of the sorting-out process that separates the highly intelligent from the less intelligent. Menand’s second theory explains that college provides opportunities for developmental growth, personal growth, and teaches individuals about the world around us. These are valuable lessons that will not be learned anywhere else. Theory three supports the idea of people attending college to specialize in a specific vocation. I am a firm believer in Menand’s second theory. I believe that college should enlighten students in various ways to make for well-rounded members of society, that college leads individuals to the path of self discovery, and everyone should have an oppor tunity to attend college. While it is true that some college students would rather specialize in certain criteria that only relates to their career path, I believe that college should educate and enlighten students in various ways to make for well-rounded intellectuals. Menand’s second theory is a democratic perspective, which gives students the opportunity to be exposed to numerous topics, which will broaden one’s knowledge. Attaining basic information will stifle student’s developmental and personal growth. College provides students with a broader experience compared to vocational or trade schools. Even though taking a Humanities class may seem like a complete waste of time, I can prove that it has its advantages. Taking these classes will provide a greater understanding of society and how we fit in it. It will also teach students how to think critically, and allows one to explore opportunities before settling in a field that may not be suitable. Expanding the mind and learning more than the basics will shape students into intelligent beings, as well as making room for personal growth. Through my experience, college continues to give me the opportunity to grow and has shaped me to become independent –minded. I soon came to realize what I am capable of achieving, and have also been able to make improvements. For instance, when I first started attending college I realized how different the teaching methods were compared to that of high school. Since the work load was more intensive, I had to learn how  to manage my time according to my own capabilities. I learned how to prioritize, and managed to balance my academics, part-time job, and social life successfully. This transition shaped me to become a well-rounded, independent intellectual. Being a strong supporter of Theory 2, I am a firm believer that college allows for an individual to explore endlessly and also helps one find their path to self discovery. Attending an Ivy League University puts limitations on the freedom of finding the path to self discovery. It does not allow a student the freedom to explore a wide variety of opportunities while simultaneously limiting the freedom of personal growth. Some students that attend these schools are anxiety ridden due to the pressure of earning high grades and graduating at the top of their class. Being a teacher and through observation, I have come to the conclusion that those that take most from their experience and read in-between the lines are those that truly succeed. A college degree ultimately is not the end product of being an accomplished individual. A college degree is a stepping stone into the harsh reality of our society today. According to Theory 1, â€Å"it doesn’t matter which courses students take, or even what is taught in them, as long as they’re rigorous enough for the sorting mechanism to do its work† (Menand ). The filtering process which sorts the more intelligent from the less intelligent does have certain short-term advantages, but what long-term advantages does this have? It would be beneficial to be intelligent and obtain life skills that will help further a future career. If the materials that are being taught are not absorbed, then it is not worth investing endless amounts of time and money just to earn that A and walk away with a degree that ultimately does not mean anything. It is important to take the most from the experience that college provides. I have become a successful teacher due to the opportunities that I have had that led me to self discovery. Theory 2 provides the opportunity for anyone to receive an education. Giving everyone a shot at success and the chance to go to school to earn a college degree opens the door for endless opportunities as well as better options in life. Our economy has made a huge transition over time from being a manufacturing economy to an economy based on knowledge and skill. If knowledge and skill is not acquired than the chance at becoming successful and living comfortable is close to impossible. Having the opportunity to go to college opens the door for new and better ideas, it allows for questions to be asked and answers to be found, and it also provides developmental and personal growth. I agree when Menand says, â€Å"It’s a way of producing a society of like-minded grownups.† It is important for everyone to have an equal opportunity to attend college to make for a better society. College gives students endless opportunities. During this time, students are able to grow and develop academically and individually. It also provides students with an experience to learn about the world around us. When students take most from their college experience, I believe this makes for a happier, accomplished, and successful individual. Everyone deserves an equal opportunity to go to college, to grow into a well-rounded, intelligent member of society. These are all important fundamentals that need to be learned and what better place to learn them than in college. Who would not want to take the most from any experience?